Some Were In Time (18 page)

"You are my reason for living," he said as he reverently ran his thumb along my bruised and battered cheek. "My existence is hollow and meaningless without you. I would kill for you and die for you. So yes, I would make the choice for you to be with me, no matter what the consequences."

My eyes filled with tears as he gently pressed his lips to mine and then to Granny's forehead. I loved him more with each day and minute that passed. I was not an easy person and he was as complicated as they came, but we fit together perfectly.

"Dwayne," I said as I moved away from Hank and approached him. "I love you and thank you for this gift. I want you to turn Granny."

"Essie," he began.

"I know she might not make it," I cut him off before he explained the dangers. "However, it will give her a chance. She'll be thrilled she can fly all the time. And just think… you and she can keep the drag-strip act together for eternity."

My small giggle belied my fear, but the chance Granny could survive gave me strength and hope. I didn't want to hear what she would have to go through to live, but I was going to man up and ask.

"Will it…" I stuttered.

"Yes, it will hurt," Dwayne said in a business-like tone that I understood. This was difficult for him. He adored my granny like she was his own.

"How long?" Hank asked.

"A week or so," he answered. "I will drain the rest of her blood and then I'll slash my wrist and feed her hourly for three days."

"She'll know what's happening?" I paled at the thought of what I had agreed to, but knew it was right.

"No," he said tersely. "I don't think she will understand until she rises. She'll feel the pain but won't know why."

"Oh my god," I muttered as I held her tight. My stomach clenched and my throat felt raw. What if I put her through this and she didn't make it? Her last days on this earth would be excruciating. "Am I being selfish?' I whispered.

"Only you can answer that," Dwayne replied. "But if it makes you feel better I would do the same for you, even knowing what the risks were. I wouldn't do this if I didn't think she had a chance to survive. I love her too much to put her through what she's about to endure."

I knew he did and I did too. Her pulse was barely there now and I worried we might be too late if I asked more questions.

"Do it. Now," I said as I handed her over to Dwayne. "What can we do to help?"

"Leave," Dwayne said, carefully knowing it was not what I wanted to hear.

"What?" Hank demanded. "You can't think we're going to leave her here."

"Not here," Dwayne told us. "The Dragons and the psycho Wolves know where we are. I will take her to another compound I own in Michigan while she's in Death Sleep."

"How many compounds do you own?" I asked, even though it had nothing to do with what was important at the moment. Focusing on something mundane was going to save me from losing my mind.

"Too many to count," he replied. "Real estate is a very good investment."

Why didn't I know this? How many other secrets did Dwayne have?

"The Cows?" Hank asked as we made our back to the mansion, avoiding the piles of dead that littered the grounds.

"They will come with me. Granny will have blood lust when she rises. It's not safe for any human or Were to be around her for a while."

"But the Cows can?" I asked, confused.

"Ironically, yes," Dwayne said with a smile. "Their blood regenerates at a speed that is beyond very rare. They'll be able to feed her and their size is a bonus. If we have four of them with her at all times after she wakes they'll be able to calm and restrain her."

"She'll be violent?" Hank asked as he banged at the locked doors on the back of the house.

"For a bit," Dwayne answered truthfully. "Mostly just hungry. Once she gets a hold on the blood lust she'll be fine."

The Cows greeted us with ashen tear-streaked faces. They also had robes for Hank and me. In all that had transpired, I'd completely forgotten we were naked after our shift back. I gratefully slid into my soft robe as Hank did his.

"Is she dead?" Francis asked quietly. She rocked back and forth in sorrow and her sisters joined her.

"Almost," Dwayne said as he lightly kissed his daughter's cheek. "I am going to turn her. You all will protect and feed her when she wakes."

"We'll do it with pleasure," Pat insisted as she ran her huge hand sweetly over Granny's lacerated face. "We've fed newbie Vamps before."

"A long, long time ago—going on eighty years now," Harley added. "But I enjoyed it. It tickled."

"Granny had her some pretty big balls as a Wolf," Morgan said appreciatively. "She's gonna be one wild mofo when she goes undead."

My stomach roiled a little at the thought and I prayed Granny wouldn't hate me when she realized what I had done. Of course there was the chance she would never know what I had done…

"When will we know if she made it through?" I asked as I clasped her hand, not wanting to let go.

"When she wakes," Dwayne said with a tension in his voice that sliced through me.

"If she wakes," I added almost inaudibly.

"Don't you worry your skinny little butt about nothin'," Harley consoled me. "Your granny is one tough nut and my daddy knows his shit. She's gonna be one fine undead bloodsucker slash wolf slash I have no idea what the tarnation she'll be."

I nodded, unsure whether to laugh or cry and I decided to skip the skinny comment, considering the source. There were no guarantees, but without trying there would be no Granny.

"Keep the burner phone," Hank instructed, referring to the phone we'd given the Cows earlier. "I have ten more in the glove box of the Hummer. The numbers are already set in your phone as speed dial two, three and four etcetera. If one doesn't work or if we aren't the ones to answer it, delete the number immediately and get rid of all other traceable electronics you have."

"Junior is speed dial one?" Dwayne asked as he laid Granny on an ornate couch and covered her small body with a blanket.

"He is," I said as I placed another kiss on her cheek.

"Um… we already called him," Pat volunteered sheepishly. "It looked real damn bad out there and we wanted some backup for you."

"Pretty sure he's on his way," Lee added with a shrug and a chuckle. "He has some salty language, that one."

"I'll call him and tell him the new plan," Hank said as he glanced down at himself. "Can you get our clothes from the car?"

"I'll do you one better," Dwayne said with an evil little smirk. "You two go upstairs and shower. I'll lay some outfits out for you."

"Why does that unnerve me worse than fighting Dragons?" Hank asked sardonically as he grabbed my hand and led me to the grand staircase.

"Because you are a very smart boy," I said with a laugh.

***

We were clean, ready to leave, and unfortunately dressed in clothing that made me belly laugh and Hank groan in dismay. We'd be stopping at the first rest stop we came to. We had clothes in the car but Dwayne refused to retrieve them, innocently explaining he couldn't leave Granny alone in the house. He also insisted we take the Hummer. He had a fleet of cars in the underground garage of the house including several high tech vans. They would use those to transport Granny to Michigan in the next day or two. He did manage to say the word hummer at least twelve times before Hank threatened to remove his vocal chords.

None of his staff had made it and Dwayne was heartbroken. The Cows were composing letters with information on the massive life insurance policies Dwayne had given all his employees. He knew it wouldn't bring them back, but he felt it was the very least he could do for their families.

"You look fabu in gauchos, Hank," Dwayne complimented him with glee and a whistle.

"You do realize I will get you back for this," Hank groused as he pulled at the tight sky blue starched wife beater that Dwayne had paired with a pair of black and white hounds tooth gauchos. Thankfully Hank's feet were too large for any of Dwayne's pumps, so he'd wedged his size thirteens into a pair of size seven red sequined flip-flops.

Luckily my Vampyre had picked out a lovely strapless Stella McCartney sundress with wedge heels for me. I looked great and my man looked like a circus reject. However, I still wanted him with a vengeance.

"Wait," I said as I glanced around the room. "Where is everyone?"

The Great Room was empty. Pieces of glass from the mind meld were sprinkled around the massive space, but everything else was pristine.

"In lockdown in the basement," Dwayne explained as he adjusted the waistline on Hank's gauchos. He stopped immediately when Hank clocked him in the head.

"Hank, be nice," I said with a giggle as Dwayne staggered and fell to the couch with a thud.

"Trust me, that
was
me being nice," Hank responded.

"Why are they in lockdown?" I asked. I wanted to see Granny one more time before we left.

"I've drained her and given her the first blood. It's no longer safe for you to be around her."

I held my tongue as Dwayne covertly snapped a picture of Hank in his gaucho glory with a conveniently stashed camera.

"How did she do?" Hank asked the question I was too scared to ask.

"She did well," Dwayne replied cautiously as he sat on the camera. "It's a good sign, but we have a long way to go."

"Little victories will work right now," I said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, doll. I promise to take good care of her and I'll keep you informed."

I nodded, too afraid if I spoke I would cry.

"Now about Chicago," Dwayne said briskly, changing the subject. "I have a home under one of my aliases in Lincolnshire. It's not traceable and you will use that. I forbid you to go back to your apartments—too dangerous."

"Outstanding." Hank nodded with approval.

Dwayne handed us an address and keys. He also handed us our fully reloaded and cleaned guns along with all the unused squirt guns.

"Memorize it and then eat the paper," Dwayne advised.

"Dude, I am not eating paper," I said as I quickly committed the address to memory.

"Fine," Dwayne said with a sniff. "The Cows will eat it. It's good fiber."

"You're going to need a few parenting books." God only knew what he was going to feed his new daughters since he didn't eat.

"Dwayne does not need any help," he said with a grin. "Most of what I do will send them to therapy anyway. I do not need a human book to help me with that."

"Point," I caved and laughed. "How did you do all this while we showered?" I asked as I strapped the squeaky clean weapons to my body.

"My girls did it," he answered proudly. "They're also bathing Granny and doing her hair. They kicked me out because I'm a man. I tried to explain that I'm gay and swore I wouldn't be ogling Granny's lady bits, but they were having none of it."

I couldn't love those Cows anymore if I tried. The Universe was working in bizarre ways and I decided to embrace it willingly.

"When she wakes," I said, refusing to add an
if
. "You need to find out why she didn't shift and defend herself. There's something missing here and we need to know what happened."

"I will," Dwayne assured me. "But she might not remember everything. It can be hazy for a bit."

"Will she know me?" The bile rose in my throat at the thought that Granny might not recognize me.

"She should," he said as he gave me a quick hug. "Most likely her brain will block the trauma that led to her death. I won't know until she wakes."

The need to move consumed me. Scenarios ran wildly through my head—good, bad and ugly. I dislodged myself from Dwayne's embrace and jogged around the perimeter of the large room. Moving and planning would keep me sane. Jumping Hank and making him see Jesus would help, but I didn't think Dwayne would appreciate it. Or possibly he might appreciate it too much. Hank and Dwayne's eyes followed me with concern. I knew they were worried I was close to losing it. Their concern was well warranted. Lists. I needed to make mental lists.

"We will go to Chicago and settle in at Dwayne's house. We'll contact Angela and her Dragon and arrange to meet them on neutral territory. If she had anything to do with this ambush I will kill her. And Hank,
I
will kill her. I want no help. Moral support will be welcome, but if she ratted us out she's mine."

"I'm good with that," Hank said with a curt nod and a feral grin.

"Holy Phyllis Diller," Dwayne sang as his skin took on a slight glow. "I'd really like to see that."

"Trust me," I told him with a smile that came nowhere near reaching my eyes. "You wouldn't. Now about the mess here… "

"No worries," Dwayne assured us. "Before we leave I'll alert the local Hyena Pack. Place will be spotless in an hour or less. Those bastards will eat anything."