CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The next morning, my cell phone wakes me. I jolt upright, realizing I fell asleep in the chair next to Miriam. I jerk to my feet, not wanting to wake her, even though she will be fine and waking soon.
Yes, I gave her my blood, and I can only hope that the days ahead, with a renewed bond and Jeremy gone, will provide me further insights, including who she really is or why she was brought into my life. Also, if bonds only last a day, why did she not feel our connection before? Jeremy had not been around to give her his blood or influence her in any way. Then there’s the question surrounding what happened at the hacienda.
Miriam is a mystery as much as a blessing, and I am grateful for whatever forces have brought her into my life.
My phone rings again, and I hold my phone to my ear, stepping out into the hallway. “Yes?”
“Vanderhorsssthst!”
I wince. “Nice, sir. How may I serve you?”
“I am told you plan to stay in Phoenix.”
“Yes, sir. For the time being.”
“And your territory in Cincinnati?” he asks with a critical tone.
I breathe deeply. “I know that I am now the elder, bu—”
“Good. Diss is good. Glad choo are willing to honor our ways, given they are ancient traditions.”
“Yes, bu—”
“And you know,” he adds, “that fabulous vampire novel wasn’t written in a day.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. I’m uncertain what he means, but I know I won’t like what’s coming.
“Rome. Rome, too,” Nice adds.
I nod slowly, feeling a sickness creep up my throat. Where the devil is he going with this?
“And…?” I say.
“And change happeths slowly. This new order is only three hundred years old—a speet in the booket.”
“Speet?” I ask.
“Yes, speet. You use the speet in your mouth and you speet in the booket!”
“Oh. You mean spit in the bucket.”
“Yes! Diss is what I said. And you cannot leave your post, Vanderhorsssthst.”
I blow out a breath, placing one hand on my waist. This is what I feared. It is what Clive warned me about. “Enjoy your youth, Michael. Enjoy your freedom. Because sooner or later, your destiny will choose you.”
Nice continues, “But choo know, Michael, Clive was a very good friend. I lobed him like a brudder. And I know he would have been very proud of you for doing this. Unity was always his dream.”
“I am not following,” I say.
“The council has met, and for di sake of stability, you must succeed Clive as leader of Cincinnati. But, also, choo must remain in Phoenix.”
I think Nice needs a nice vacation.
“Errrr, my most sincere apologies, Nice, but I still do not understand.”
“Congratulations! Choo are the first in our history to lead two territories.”
Oh no. “That is such an…” I gulp, “honor.” It is horrible. Exactly the wrong direction I wish to go. I’ve finally reached a point in my existence where I am ready to begin facing my past and who I truly am. I am in mourning and need time to heal. I want to be the leader of nothing.
“We are on di phone, so I weel not say too much,” Nice explains, “but a courier will arrive shortly with instructions for a special project. There is much work to do in diss despicable desert of yours. You will make it happen. Be to the office in twenty minutes to get your package.”
“Uhh…but—”
“I must go now. I am told di soldiers have located diss Mimi Jean person.”
“Mimi who?”
“Di writer, stupid. Di writer! I weel force her to make more Fanged Loves. Goodbye.”
The call ends, and I can hardly breathe. I’m the leader of two societies now? If those weren’t enough, there is some “special project” I have to work too.
“Well, hello there, Michael. I’m off in an hour. You interested?” Nurse Soft Lips smiles, but I can’t muster anything besides a frown.
“Can you tell Miss Murphy I had to leave—an urgent matter?”
I hand her a hundred-dollar bill. “Please, as a favor to me, would you mind making sure she gets home?”
I turn and head for the stairs.
When I arrive to the office of the Arizona Society of Sunshine Love—Gah! Must change name immediately—I am expecting the usual changeover support crew, appointed by the council. What I am not expecting is to see Viviana holding open the door.
“Mr. Vanderhorst!” She runs toward me and throws her arms around my neck, cutting off my circulation.
“Errrr…Viviana, I cannot breathe.”
“Oh, sorry, sir.” She drops her viselike grip and beams up at me with big, joyful tears. “It’s just…” She hugs me again so tightly, I’m fairly sure I hear a rib crack.
I pry her off. “Okay. Okay. Let the big vampire go now.”
She sighs. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“What did I do?”
“Mr. Aspen was a monster. I never wanted anyone to get hurt—especially Mr. Bakker.”
“All right.” I gesture for us to step inside, where it’s more private. I follow her in and secure the door.
Viviana jumps me once more with her womanly tentacles.
“Vivi-ana! Enough hugs, woman.”
She releases me and takes my hand, kissing it with enthusiasm. “Muah, muah, muah, muah!”
I snap it away. “What has gotten into you?” Perhaps the council did something to her during the interrogation—gave her some crazy pills. I can also see the entire office has been cleared out save the horrible furniture. No filing cabinets or computer. The council took everything, I’m sure.
“He made us all serve him, Mr. Vanderhorst,” Viviana says. “And he made me do horrible things, like lure innocent people here every day for his fancy rich friends’ lunches.”
That explains the lobby cleaning.
She continues, “And when any of us disobeyed him, he threatened to hurt our children.”
Viviana goes on to explain that Aspen purposely chose young mothers and turned them against their will. He used their children as leverage. Apparently, he’d been doing it for a very long time, though all but Viviana are in other states, used as scouts to find new “party” guests. Jeremy ran that entire side of the operation.
Monsters. And now we know that Jeremy was not in Egypt. He probably told Miriam all that to impress her and to explain his lengthy travel. Deceitful moron.
“Are all of the children safe now?” I ask.
“Yes. With family members, but yes. Thank you.”
The sadness in her green eyes does not require explaining. All family ties must be broken when someone turns. It is a tragedy. And I know that while Aspen will be caught and entombed if he is not truly dead, this is no consolation for being separated from one’s children and having to watch them grow from afar.
“Do you know where the money is, Viviana?”
“What money?” she says.
“The funds Aspen obtained for selling eternal paradise.”
“Some of it. He had twenty or thirty accounts that I know of.”
“Excellent. Please make a summary of them. We’ll divide the money among the victims. Put ten percent aside for those who might come out of the woodwork.”
I am peeved about this role, and I do not care if anyone knows it. That being said, if it must be me, I will do what I can.
“You are nothing like they say, Mr. Vanderhorst.”
I give her a stern look. “I am not a vicious man, Viviana. I am a gentleman—I keep my word, pay my debts, and treat others fairly. And…I am struggling to accept this life. Just like you.”
She nods slowly, as if she’s unable to puzzle me out. “This was just left for you.” She grabs an envelope from her desk.
“Thank you.” I take it from her and tear the strip at the top. “I have some business to take care of, but if you could be so kind as to burn all of the furniture, order us some real crap made of wood, and call a society meeting for tomorrow night?”
“Yes, sir. Right away. Oh, and what will your human cover story be, sir? Entrepreneur? Heir to a dot-com investor?”
As leader, I am entitled to certain perks that allow for a more comfortable lifestyle, one of them being assistance in establishing a new, wealthier cover.
I pause, thinking it over. “No. I’m fine.”
“But, sir, you’re the leader of two territories now, and—”
“I know who I am.” For the first time in my life, I say the words and they are true. Getting here has been a painful journey, and I still have a long road ahead, but I don’t want to bury how far I’ve come beneath more layers of lies and masks. No more. I am ready to deal with the truth and live my life. Even if I hate this place and all of its glorious damned sunshine.
“Yes, Mr. Vanderhorst,” she says.
“Call me Michael.”
She blinks at me and smiles. “Ye-yes, Michael.”