Blood Calls. Caridad Pineiro

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СКАЧАТЬ van Winter was so kind to donate them to his foundation.”

      “Yes, very kind,” she said, although in her heart she was beginning to question his generosity and intent.

      Or maybe she was wrong in being a doubting Thomas. Maybe the copies were on display to protect the originals. Gazing at the old man and at the other guard at the door, she realized that security measures seemed to be minimal in this area.

      That must be the reason, she told herself, but the little voice in her head wouldn’t be silenced.

      And maybe pigs can fly.

      She had no other choice but to attend tomorrow’s sale and see for herself which paintings were placed on the auction block.

      Diego wanted a last look at the masterpieces. It had been nearly a century since he had seen the Manet.

      He had wanted to attend the public exhibition the day before, but Simon, his keeper, had been feeling unwell. Much like Diego, Simon had never really recovered from losing Esperanza, or from the events leading up to her death.

      Simon had been caring for Diego and Esperanza, tending to their vampire needs, for nearly a century now, his human life prolonged by the special bite Diego could bestow.

      But now the old man said he was tired, and refused to accept the bite that would prolong his life.

      Diego understood. Simon wanted to let his life run its natural course. He was ready for what awaited him on the other side.

      Diego would honor Simon’s unspoken request and the vow he himself had made centuries earlier not to turn another human. After saving Esperanza by turning her, he had dealt with her grief as she witnessed the death of all their loved ones. He had seen her longing every time a mother passed by with a baby in her arms, something Esperanza would never experience.

      Her grief and despair had altered her. Although he’d still loved her, he had recognized how needy she had become of him, the one constant in her life. That neediness had made her jealous and petty at times, dependent to the point of almost smothering his love for her.

      It had almost kept him from making Simon his keeper, only Simon had begged for life after they had found him in the ruins of his home following the San Francisco earthquake. The keeper’s kiss Diego had bestowed had healed some of Simon’s injuries and kept him alive to search for his family in the rubble. He had found them a day later—dead beneath the remains of their home.

      As Diego had helped Simon bury them, he had seen grief like Esperanza’s in the man’s eyes. It had only made Diego regret making him a keeper, and had reinforced his decision never to use his vampire’s kiss again.

      He shook off the unpleasant thoughts, comforted by the fact that he had left Simon ensconced in his favorite chair, watching a History Channel special on the San Francisco earthquake, and muttering about his own survival.

      Diego pushed through the door of the auction gallery, but stopped short as he collided with a woman in his haste to see the Manet. He reached out to keep her from falling.

      “I’m sorry,” he began, but smiled when he recognized Ramona. “I didn’t expect you here, little one.”

      Ramona gazed up at Diego, thinking he looked as elegant and polished as ever. He had grabbed her arms to steady her, and she in turn had placed her hand on the sleeve of his overcoat. The expensive cashmere felt smooth against her fingers, in sharp contrast to the itchy wool of her own peacoat.

      She pulled away from him, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket, both to keep from touching him again and because the chill of the late fall night had bitten into her body.

      “I came to see the auction, too,” she explained, walking toward a row with two empty chairs. But then she stopped short. “I’m sorry. I just assumed you were here alone, but if you’re with—”

      “I’m with you,” he said with a smile, and confirmed her choice of seating.

      Ramona told herself he was just being kind, much as he always was, but it was tough not to imagine how it might be if it were different. If he saw her not as an eccentric, reclusive painter always living on the edge, but as an attractive woman.

      Although how could he? she wondered, gazing down at the coat that was a bit too big on her, thanks to all the weight she had recently lost. Even before her illness, his actions had been nothing other than brotherly. She’d always admired his faithfulness to the woman in his life.

      When she sat, he paused to remove his overcoat, and revealed yet another fine silk suit and shirt. The top two buttons of the shirt were open, exposing the curly, light brown hairs on his chest. She wondered whether that hair would be crisp beneath her fingers.

      “Ramona?” Diego said, and she realized that he had asked her a question.

      “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

      “Do you want to take your coat off?”

      Cold lingered in her body from the autumn night, so she shook her head. “Not just yet.”

      He sat beside her, his size and strength striking her again, but she had little time to think about him as the auctioneer came to the podium.

      She leaned forward, eagerly watching as a covered painting was brought in and placed on the easel. A hush fell over the room, replaced by murmurs when the painting was unveiled and the auctioneer named the opening price. Fifteen million dollars.

      She held her breath, examining the painting from afar. She told herself it must be the original, but once again her artist’s eye could pick out the differences. Why hadn’t anyone at the auction house seen that this wasn’t the authentic masterpiece? Why didn’t any of the prospective buyers realize it?

      As the bidding for the painting climbed ever higher, she shifted closer and closer to the edge of the chair, her arms wrapped tight around her to ward off the frost filling her body. When the bidding ended at thirty million, she gasped, shocked by both the price and the fact that it seemed as if van Winter was going to get away with his deception.

      Diego’s hand lit on her back, and she glanced over her shoulder and met his concerned gaze.

      “Estas bien?” he asked, rubbing his hand against her shoulder in a soothing gesture.

      “I’m fine. I just can’t imagine…” She wanted to say that she couldn’t believe that no one had realized the fraud, not even Diego, who was usually so astute.

      “It is a lot, but one day you may command similar prices.”

      “Sure. When I’m dead,” she muttered, and Diego chuckled, not realizing the irony behind her statement.

      “Do not worry, little one. Your day will come.”

      She forced a smile and fixed her attention back up at the front of the room. As had happened for the first painting, the next two were sold swiftly.

      All three of her paintings fetched a grand total of nearly one hundred and twenty million dollars. She wanted to stand up and shout to everyone that they had been deceived, but who would believe her?

      This was one of the city’s better СКАЧАТЬ