Love Me Forever. Rosemary Laurey

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СКАЧАТЬ It was an outright lie. What was going on? Had Gwyltha finally come to her senses and come back to Justin? If so, what was he doing this side of the Atlantic? And why would she send him here? “And I thought it was just for old times’ sake.”

      “That too. But she convinced me that if my protégés were living in Vlad’s territory it behooved me to make peace.”

      Dropping to the ground in shock got more probable by the minute. “We’re hardly in his ‘territory.’ That’s why we picked this part of the Midwest. To stay clear of him.”

      “Seems the Northwest is overpopulated and vampires are migrating.”

      That made sense. Too many vampires in an area meant trouble all around. “He’s moving in here?” If so, how could he and Dixie oppose him? Damn! They’d just got settled and, hell, he liked it here in German Village. It took him back to the narrow streets of the London of his youth. “What do we do?”

      “Nothing right now.” Justin stretched, seeming relaxed, but Christopher knew him better. “He’s established a colony in Chicago and is looking to spread out. I’m meeting with him there next week.”

      “And…” Surely Justin wasn’t going cap in hand to the man who’d taken Gwyltha. They’d up tents and scatter before he let that happen. “Look, you don’t have to do this.”

      “It’s no matter,” Justin interrupted.

      Christopher didn’t believe that for one second. “Look here…”

      “No!” Justin shook his head. “It isn’t…now. Funny, really. When Gwyltha gave me the ultimatum, I all but went into a snarling fit. On the flight over, I kept telling myself it was inevitable and to get it over with. But now, sitting here looking at the stars, it doesn’t seem that hard. I’ll meet with him, claim Ohio for my kindred and that will be that. I don’t even feel the rancor I have for the last century or so.” He gave a dry chuckle. “Must be the invigorating air of the New World changing my outlook…or maybe just seeing you and Dixie together tells me Gwyltha and I weren’t suited after all.”

      Christopher forbore pointing out Gwyltha and Justin had been suited, on and off, for fifteen hundred years until Vlad Tepes took advantage of one of their off times. Still, if Justin was at peace at long last…“What next?”

      “What next is,” Justin paused, head angled to listen, “trouble I think.” He stood up and crossed the roof, Christopher right behind him. “Thought so.”

      Justin was right. A van without lights was parked on the school side of Stewart. “Never thought they’d go for the school,” Christopher muttered. “Makes sense. Most houses have one TV, one VCR and one computer. A school is full of them.” And if the three louts getting out of the van had their way, it would soon be empty of them. “I’ll take care of them.” He clapped a hand on Justin’s shoulder. “Want to join the fun?”

      “What exactly do you have in mind?”

      Christopher laughed. “Mayhem!”

      “And you deny you’re flamboyant! Use your sense!”

      “I will. And I’ll be careful. Dixie will throw a wobbly if I come home again with bullet holes in my shirt.”

      “You really think petty thieves will be armed?”

      “Justin, this is the United States. Pickpockets pack guns. Hell, children take them to school.” Christopher ran his hand through his hair. “We’re outnumbered. There’s bound to be a fourth driving the car. Let’s wait until the others get inside. You get Fred there to open the bonnet and then send him bye-bye and I’ll take care of the van.”

      Justin smiled. “I think I get your drift. Nonviolent intervention?”

      “What did you expect? I might be an ocean away from the rest of the colony but I’m still part of it. I’d never harm a human. Give them a bit of a scare, you bet. Terrify them into lawfulness, okay. But harm anyone? What do you take me for?” Kit grinned. “Watch me and follow my lead.”

      They hung over the gutter and watched. These weren’t amateurs. In minutes they had disabled the alarm and seconds later all three climbed in through a ground floor window.

      “Time, I think,” Christopher said and dropped to the ground three stories beneath.

      Justin was right behind him. Brushing off his hands, he strolled up to the driver and requested he open the bonnet.

      “They call it a hood, here,” Christopher whispered and darted to the front of the van.

      Justin’s reworded request got results. In moments, Christopher had the distributor cap in his hand, and just in case they happened to carry a spare one with them, he yanked out all the spark plugs as well. And, in the unlikely event they had the foresight to bring another set of plugs, he slipped to the back of the car and pulled off his socks and stuffed them up the exhaust pipe.

      “Everything all right.” he asked Justin, who was gently patting the driver’s shoulder.

      “He’s out for a while and…” Justin reached into the open window. “Hell, you were right.” He pulled a gun from the driver’s jacket pocket. “Nasty things.”

      “Never mind, we’ll get rid of it. Up for a bit of flying?”

      Christopher soared, Justin just seconds behind. Minutes later they landed on the riverbank.

      “Nice spot,” Justin said.

      “Jogging path really, but quiet this time of night.” As Christopher spoke he tossed the plugs and distributor cap into the water. “Throw the gun, too. I used to dump them in the pond in the park but decided that was too risky, in case they ever drain it.”

      Pausing just long enough to slip out the clip, Justin tossed the gun one way and the ammo the other. Both made a heavy splash in the night but the sound died fast and they stood in silence watching the widening circles on the surface. “Now we go home?” Justin asked,

      “Nah! Not yet. The fun’s just beginning. Come with me.”

      Kit walked this time, a couple of hundred meters to an all-night petrol station. While Justin mentally translated the prices into pounds and decided petrol couldn’t be that cheap, Kit went up to a pay phone and punched in 911. “I just drove past Stewart School. Something’s going on there. You need to check. Looks like a robbery,” he said and hung up.

      “That’s it?” Justin asked.

      “It’s enough,” Kit replied. “Columbus’s finest always come to a call. They haven’t let me down yet. We can fly back and beat them there perhaps, or we can stroll by and observe the proceedings like concerned and horrified citizens. I prefer the view from the roof.”

      They flew back and watched, hanging head-down from the gutter so as not to miss a single detail. Kit had a point, this was well worth watching. The burglars walked out the front door with the first load of computers, just in time to meet the first blue and white car with flashing blue lights. Two others arrived right behind and the getaway was beautifully botched. Nothing like a dead car to slow things down.

      Lights came on in the houses opposite. No one could sleep through СКАЧАТЬ