Kindle Notes & Highlights
“I know what Alicia tells me, and she says he’s a disgrace.”
“Darcy, I won’t have you talking that way about my sister. She’s a prominent attorney and very highly respected. It’s no wonder Jake’s a total embarrassment to her—he’s always been a total embarrassment to both of us.”
“I’ve told you before, we never did have anything to do with Jake. After the divorce he went to live with Father. We didn’t even grow up together.” She snorted in disgust. “He’s not our kind, Darcy. He never has been, and he never will be.”
“What is our kind, Mom?” Darcy said, then at the look on her mother’s face, added hurriedly, “Well, I wish you weren’t leaving me here. I don’t like Aunt Alicia.”
“Believe me, Darcy, I wasn’t planning on seeing Jake this time, but Alicia lives miles from town—you remember me telling you about that gorgeous country home of hers?—and I only have two hours between flights. It was more convenient for her to pick you up here on her way home from work. And quit being so difficult, will you? Think of my happiness for a change.” “We always think of your happiness.” Darcy sighed. “Mom, please—I don’t want to stay with—”
“And it’s so nice to see you, too,” a second voice responded dryly. “After all this time, how can I be so lucky?”
“She did, but you’d already left. And you’re absolutely right—we both know how crazy Alicia’s always been. Well, it was great seeing you. I’ll just show you out—”
“Especially when husband—wait, what is it now? Number four? Five? Gosh, it’s so hard to keep up with your and Alicia’s weddings! Anyway, especially when this husband doesn’t particularly like the idea of having a kid around—isn’t that what Alicia told me? Hey, Sis, you don’t have to explain anything to me. Why should I care if you want to dump her and fly off to your rendezvous?”
“Hey, please don’t consider me in all this. After all, I don’t have plans—my life is totally at your beck and call—”
“Sure you do. Forgive me for interfering with your busy schedule. Where’s the kid?” “Her name is Darcy. She’s a very sweet, lovable girl.” “Yeah? Just like her mom and Aunt Piranha, huh?” In spite of her misery Darcy almost smiled, imagining her mother’s livid expression. Walking over to a counter, she studied the brochures scattered there—WELCOME TO THE DUNGEON—and turned as the office door burst open.
“Darcy,” Mrs. Thomas was saying crisply, “there’s been a slight change of plans. Your Aunt Alicia had some emergency on a case she’s working on, so while she’s away on business, you’ll be staying here with your uncle. It’s only for a few days. The minute Alicia gets back, she’ll come and get you and—”
“Sorry. She is your dear old mom, after all—” “No,” Darcy said quickly, surprising herself. “You’re right. It is a martyr face. I know just what you mean, only I never quite knew how to describe it.”
“This is my house. And my family.” Darcy looked confused. “Mom didn’t tell me you lived here. Or that you’re married—” “I didn’t tell her I live here. It’s hardly the Ritz, if you know what I mean. And I didn’t say I was married. You don’t have to be married to have a family, okay?”
“This one’s my favorite. You do believe in vampires, don’t you?”
“Brandon doesn’t think any girl should be by herself when he’s around.” Jake glanced slyly at Liz’s furious expression and reached for Darcy’s suitcase. “I’ll take this upstairs. You need the bathroom or anything?”
“What did you expect?” “Someone more sophisticated, I guess. Not like a little kid who needs a babysitter for the summer. You are seventeen, aren’t you?” Her lips moved in a mean smile. “But we hardly look the same age, you and I. In fact, Jake seems much older than you. I guess because he’s so mature.”
Darcy met the stare and held it. “Yes. She dumped me. It’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. As a matter of fact, I’m a professional dumpee.”
“He’s wonderful.” Liz’s chin lifted. “And we’re very close.”
“Maybe that comes in rehearsals.” Brandon glanced at Darcy then back to Kyle. “So where were you? I thought you were going to try out—”
“Hey, man, I know you could have gotten the part—you were the only competition I was worried about.” Brandon clapped Kyle on the back, but Liz gave a derisive laugh.
“He’s just too shy.” Brandon gave him a teasing hug. “He couldn’t handle all those girls swooning all over him—”
“The Community Theatre Group is putting on their production of Dracula,” Kyle spoke up, breaking the tension. “And Brandon just got the lead. That’s great news, man. What a choice role.”
“Come on, Elliott, we’re all going to die—” “So much for your psychic powers,” Kyle joined in, and turned on Liz. “Did you put him up to this? This sounds like something you’d do—”
“There is no situation.” Darcy gave a short laugh. “She was older when he was born, so they pretty much led separate lives. From what I hear, he was pretty unconventional, and she was pretty intolerant.”
“Wow.” Brandon’s eyes widened. “She came to Jake for money?”
“He shouldn’t have given her anything,” Darcy said seriously. “Not after the way she’s talked about him and ignored him. If I were him, I wouldn’t have given her a penny. Oh, well …” Her voice faded, and she leaned her elbows on the table. “She won’t have to worry about money now. This husband comes with all the trimmings.”
“Well, I was worried.” Brandon looked sheepish. “Trying out in front of everyone like that—I was scared to death.”
“I tried to get this guy to audition, too.” Brandon nudged Jake, who looked at them askance. “I mean, he knows so much about vampires.” “Knowing and being are two very different things,” Jake said. “There’s having the knowledge … and having the heart.” Brandon chuckled. “Jake thinks there are still vampires in the world.”
“No. It’s worse than being dead. It’s being trapped in some hideous twilight state between life and death. Doomed to live forever with no hope—ever—of dying. Of finding peace.” Jake leaned slowly forward, taking Brandon’s collar, pulling him closer until their faces practically touched. “If you’re going to be a vampire,” he said quietly, “then you’d better understand how they think.”
The look he gave her was amused. “Oh, I get it. You want to know, but you don’t want to know.”
Brandon’s expression was hidden in shadows. “It is pretty gruesome,” he agreed. “There’ve been murders before, but nothing like this. Whoever did this had to be really crazy.”
Brandon nodded. “Like someone just pressed it real hard against her neck, then bore down and twisted it. Like trying to put in a screw or something. And it’s deep red. Tony saw it himself. Deep, deep red.” “So they’re supposed to look like bites?” Darcy wondered aloud. “Like someone—or something—bit that girl on the neck?”
He stopped, deep in thought, then looked up at her with a mysterious smile. “There’s no telling where you might see me. Vampires can take the shape of anything they want. Good night.”
She found her room with no trouble and smiled at the hasty effort Jake had put into making her feel welcome. The room still smelled musty from disuse, though its one small window was raised to the damp night air. The ceiling sloped down on all sides, making it little more than a cubbyhole beneath the eaves, but there were clean towels on the foot of the bed and red carnations in a jar on the table by the bed. Dresser … chair … hmmm … no mirror.… Yawning, Darcy set her snack on the dresser and started toward the bed, yet as she reached for the covers, her hand stopped in midair. It hadn’t been
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“Well, what else could it have been,” Jake said smoothly, “if not a cat?”
“Yeah, well …” Jake sighed, shifting the rat to his other hand. “Let me get rid of this thing, and then I’ll find you some more sheets. When I walked in and heard you scream, it didn’t do my heart any good, either, let me tell you.”
“You’re not alone.” Darcy looked startled. “But … you said …” “They’re downstairs.” Jake paused in the doorway. “You know. My family.”
She looked back at her bed and shivered. How could a cat have done that? But she wanted to believe Jake’s story, because why else would a rat be there in her bed, like a sinister omen … like a hideous warning.…
The girl gasped and jumped back. My God, I didn’t hear him coming, didn’t see him move, how did he get so close so fast.… She felt the smoothness of satin brush against her arm as he towered over her. She heard the soft rustle of material and saw the long, black cape swirling around his feet.
And horror flashed in her eyes then, as she realized—finally—what was happening … the cold, steel blade against her throat—the swift, searing pain—
“Liz is too sour. She scares people away. As a matter of fact, she should be one of the exhibits.” He stood up and stretched. “Anyway, I fired her.”
“You what?” “Fired her. Last night when she was leaving the Club. I told her I was giving you the job instead.”
Darcy felt her stomach sink. “The guy who had the wreck? He works here?”
“Where—where were you?” Stammering, she twisted out of his grasp, and she could feel them, his eyes, following her from behind the dark glasses.
“Again,” the director urged from a front-row seat. “Put more feeling into it.”
“More menace, Brandon, more danger! It’s the last thing she hears before you sink your teeth into her!”
“But I mean really dedicated. Like when he wants to learn a new song or something, he’ll spend hours—days—until he’s got it down perfect. I mean, he won’t think of anything else. He saturates himself. He becomes that music.”
Darcy thought back, remembering Brandon and Jake’s conversation last night … “If you’re going to be a vampire, then you’d better understand how they think.…”
“Then allow me to help you, my friend,” he hissed. “I can show you how verrrry easy it is to die.”
“That’s terrible.” Kyle drew back. “What kind of an accent is that?”
