Bound by Blood (Vampire Romance) Read online

  Bound by Blood

  By

  Tara Manderino

  KINDLE EDITION

  Published by Push Pull Publishing

  * * * * *

  Bound by Blood

  Copyright © 2012 by Tara Manderino

  Cover by Erica Matay

  All rights reserved by author. The reproduction or other use of any part of this publication without prior written consent of the rights holder is an infringement of the copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  * * * * *

  A special thanks to the Monongahela Area Writer’s Group for their patience and invaluable critiques, and to J.D. Faver, and Christopher Manderino for their input.

  * * * * *

  Until this century, Alex only observed, never intervened with any of his progeny, yet what else can he do when a little girl of his lineage is kidnapped? The child’s nanny, who has captured his long dormant heart, has a clue to the abductor, but will it lead them to safety or destruction?

  * * * * *

  Prayer to St. Michael

  St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

  Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

  May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou,

  O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God,

  thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits,

  who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

  Chapter 1

  Alex shoved the rest of the papers in the folder, and stood to stretch. For a whole bunch of reasons, he absolutely detested day shift. What it did to his biological system – if you could still call it that – was insane. He was also tired of the inactivity. He preferred being in the field to being tied to the desk, another non-perk, courtesy of day shift. Dave, the agent who normally had this time slot, needed to be off and had called Alex for the favor. There was no way he could get his vampire clock to let him come in before noon.

  At three o’clock, the sun was already on the wane and it was getting darker. One of the good things about late fall as far as he was concerned.

  “Tired already, Alex?” One of the detectives from across the room called. “Knew you guys did nothing but sleep on nightshift!” There were a few good natured chuckles across the room, especially since it was a well known fact Alex and his partner were responsible for more than their fair share of collars.

  “I’m too old for this,” he said, picking up his files and heading to the cabinet. His comment was greeted with more laughter. In his early thirties, he was often teased about being one of the youngest detectives present. He knew the truth.

  It only took a moment for the detectives to get back to work; which most of them never really stopped, just for as long as it took to trade quips.

  Passing the fax machine on his way back to his desk, Alex immediately snatched the paper spewing from the machine, ready to pass it around or give it to the party who would need it. But one look and he froze.

  “What is it, Alex?” Dave asked, using his chin to point to the paper. “Who’s on the loose now?”

  Alex gave himself a mental shake. “Not who’s loose – this is an AMBER alert.” He held the fax up so everyone in the room could see it, and they all looked. An AMBER alert got their attention quicker than an evacuation drill. Not only were they trained to react quickly and efficiently, most of the men were fathers and grandfathers. They knew how precious a life was, especially a young one.

  “What are the specs?”

  “Morgan. Cassandra – Sandy – age seven.” He passed the paper around the room, telling them what he remembered reading as they looked at the info themselves.

  “Where from?’ One of the others asked.

  “She’s from this side of the state,” Sean answered. “Philadelphia P.D. called it in. They’ve already alerted the media.” He held the fax in his hand. “They say witnesses saw the blue sedan heading south.”

  “I’ll alert transportation, “Bill said, already holding the phone receiver in his hand and dialing.

  Alex heard it all, registered it all, and in that time tried to figure out how quickly he could leave. What pretext he could use; any would do.

  He had to find the child. She belonged to him.

  ~*~

  “How could you have let this happen?”

  “I ran after him, Mrs. Morgan –“

  “But you didn’t stop him,” the woman said.

  “I would have if I could.” Lisa loved Sandy as if she were her own. What happened today was beyond her control. She squeezed her eyes shut, more to block out the image of the afternoon’s events rather than to stop the tears. Nothing would slow them.

  “That’s enough, Barbara.” Jason Morgan was tall, about six foot. Lisa didn’t have to look at him to recall he carried himself well. He was used to physical activity and it showed in the way he moved. His voice grew louder as he came closer to his wife. They were not a well matched pair Lisa had thought when she first met them. He appeared understanding and sympathetic. His wife, on the other hand, was hard-edged, and equally sharp in tongue and mind.

  “Lisa was knocked unconscious, Barbara. I don’t think she was in any condition to do more than she did.” Now standing next to his wife, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We’ll find her. There’s already an AMBER alert out for her.”

  Barbara gave a sound somewhere between a snort and a sniffle. “But is it enough to get my baby back?”

  Lisa would do anything to bring the little girl back, but it had happened so quickly, she hadn’t even been aware of what was going on until it was practically over. She had berated herself constantly from the moment of the incident. She was a trained nanny. This should never have occurred. The logical portion of her brain told her she had no control over the event, then or now, but it was difficult to believe she couldn’t have acted differently. Unfortunately, ‘if only…’ would get her nowhere.

  “We can only pray it is,” he told her. Giving his wife’s shoulders a squeeze, he left her and stooped down on his haunches to be eye level with the nanny. “If there’s anything else you remember, Lisa, you need to tell us.”

  She nodded silently at him. “I will, but Mr. Morgan, it happened so fast. I never saw anything like it.”

  She turned her head away, trying to gather her thoughts, and spotted the police officers standing behind the sofa. She had almost forgotten their presence. They made no secret of listening to the conversation; not that she blamed them. Mr. Morgan was a prominent man, and an extremely wealthy one. He and his wife had warned her about potential kidnappings before she had agreed to the job, but she still hadn’t been prepared for the reality of it.

  When the officers reported to the Morgans, they said none of the neighbors had seen anything. They even had the nanny return to the playground to show them exactly where it happened and what happened. Lisa had been more than willing to help. None of them, least of all she, could fathom how the kidnapper had made away with the child as quickly as he had. Lisa understood why the police questioned her so closely; she was the only one who even had the one quick glimpse. One minute the child was there, and the next she was gone.

  Standing, Mr. Morgan patted her heavily on the shoulder before turning to his wife. He ran his hand through his hair as if trying to best determine how to calm her. Lisa bit back another sob. This was definitely all her fault.

  The police chief stepped into the room and she, and everyone
else turned to face him. “We have the FBI on the case already, Mr. Morgan. It could be a matter of hours.”

  “I appreciate it. I hadn’t expected that level of law enforcement to be involved yet.”

  He should have, Lisa thought. Not only was he wealthy enough to be a target, he well known enough that most people in the state, if not the country, had heard of him. He might try to live simply, and like everyone else as he insisted, but that was far from the case. Anyone with his wealth and often in the limelight always shared the fears of abduction. His just came true. On her watch.

  “Yes, sir. They’re always called in for kidnappings. Their office is across town, and he lives in the area, so he should be here soon. Why don’t you take your wife to the other room, get her some coffee, calm her down a bit. I would like to tell you to take her out, but we need you to stay close in case there is a ransom call.”

  “Could someone take care of the nanny,” he asked the chief, angling his head in Lisa’s direction. “She’s been through a lot.”

  ~*~

  Alex pulled up in front of the elaborate two-story home. A bit too ornate for his taste, but he wasn’t living there. It had taken longer than he would have liked to arrive at the residence. The good point was now the sun had gone down and he was at full strength. He was up to any task.

  Stopping the black Lexus then getting out, he showed his badge to the police officers standing guard. They looked at the ID, him and the car. He resisted the urge to smile. He could afford it, and most importantly, he needed it. There weren’t many cars with the trunk space of his. He never knew when he might be caught away from home. It had been years since he had to resort to emergency measures and actually hide in the trunk to escape the sunlight.

  It had taken some persuasion on his part to get his director to approve of this jaunt, but he had. He would have preferred Alex’s partner be there too. In some ways, so would Alex. But he was determined to go, and would have used his own vacation days to do it. The director was aghast at the suggestion.

  “Not a chance. You – Alex Aguilar – need a vacation. I am not going to approve a working one. Since you’re not making any headway here you may as well go to the Morgan residence. Might be able to do some good there.”

  Alex was gone in an instant.

  When he pushed open the door, most of the people in the room turned toward him. He gave a brief nod and introduced himself. The chief quickly parted the group of officers and greeted Alex, bringing him up to speed.

  “We’re delighted to get some extra manpower, and especially equipment.”

  “I don’t think it’s equipment you need right now. You need to know what happened. The details we received were sketchy.”

  The chief looked uncomfortable for a moment and ran his hand behind his neck. “That’s because they’re sketchy on this end too. So far, we only have what the nanny has been able to tell us, and it’s not much. I imagine you’ll want to talk to her.” He glanced in Lisa’s direction.

  “In a moment. First I want to know what the parents have to say.”

  “Certainly. They’re in the kitchen now,” he pointed to a doorway at the far end of the hall. “Just follow the hall, and go ahead in.”

  Again nodding thanks, Alex headed for the kitchen.

  He had never really been this physically close to any of his relatives before. And Jason Morgan was definitely of his blood. As was the kidnapped child.

  “Mr. Morgan?” he said as he entered the room. Alex had never met or even seen the man before today, but he would have known him anywhere. Those same eyes were in the portrait he had of himself.

  The man rose and faced him, the question on his face easy to read: What can you tell me?

  Quickly, Alex introduced himself as the agent who had heard the call come through and received the fax. After reviewing the facts, such as they were, Jason invited Alex to meet with the nanny. “She’s the one who picked up my daughter from school and was watching her.”

  “For all that was worth,” the woman seated at the table had come to stand near her husband. From her proximity, Alex supposed her to be the mother.

  “Enough, Barbara. It could have happened no matter who was keeping an eye on her.”

  Alex wanted to know why the mother hadn’t been looking after her. And asked. He was old enough and old-fashioned enough to expect she would have watched over his bloodline.

  “I head numerous charities,” Barbara told him. “It would be impossible for me to watch a child all day and do my job.”

  “True. I would imagine the nanny was someone you trusted implicitly.”

  “Of course. If I hadn’t I would have never left my baby in her charge.”

  “Baby? I thought she was seven.”

  “She is! But she’ll always be my baby.” The woman sniffled delicately.

  Alex went through the usual list of questions, how well had they known the nanny, how long had she watched Sandy, what was their normal schedule. It didn’t surprise him that the mother was unfamiliar with the nanny’s routine. He saw that a lot, but he hoped for more. He had always been concerned with his descendents and kept distant tabs on them. He had always been comfortable with their decisions; they fit well into the life and times they had been born to. This felt different. The mother didn’t seem fitting.

  Jason Morgan at least seemed to have his wits about him. And he was the one who shared his blood. His and Katherine’s.

  Over the decades, he had made it his business to know how those descendents got on in life. For the most part, they needed very little assistance. This was the first time in probably fifty years that he needed to concern himself. But one thing he had promised himself was his bloodline would continue on. That couldn’t happen if there was mortal danger involved. It turned out his line was not a prolific one, so each member mattered.

  “Perhaps it would be best if I spoke with the nanny away from here. Talked to her in other surroundings.”

  “That would be fine with me but the police asked she stay close, besides they already talked to her at the scene.”

  Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Alex returned to the great room where the police were milling about. Tactfully, he suggested a few of them leave, which they did. Then he turned to meet the nanny.

  Chapter 2

  He blinked twice. Nannies simply did not look like Miss Lisa Mitchell. At least none of the nannies he had known. Even if they had been younger than fifty they wore starched looking clothing; the kind that could stand up on its own. And they invariably had their hair pulled back and skewed into a so-tight braid it made an instant face-lift.

  This nanny was the complete opposite in every way. Her hair, a burnished copper, curled about her face and it looked as if no amount of combing would tame it. Her mouth was a shade too wide, the kind that was perfect for smiling, and was quite mobile. At the moment, he couldn’t see her eyes because the lids were closed, but her lashes were thick and fanned against her pale skin. Her nicely shaped nose was tipped in red, evidence of her crying. He could hear her slow even breathing and was loathe to wake her. But the child needed to be found.

  Standing next to her, he watched her exhausted sleep for a moment. If he wanted answers, he would have to rouse her. Slightly leaning over her, he gently nudged her shoulder with his hand.

  Her eyes flew open in a second, then widened. He straightened, giving her some breathing room. She looked about, puzzled for a moment, then he saw the terror in the depths of her eyes.

  “Who are you?” she asked, pushing herself against the cushions in an effort to sit up straighter.

  Alex perched on the edge of the arm of the nearby chair. No sense in looming over the girl. He quickly introduced himself.

  “I don’t know how it happened,” she said, still trying to bite back the tears.

  “Calm down, miss,” he said, then gave her a wry smile. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name.” He often found people relaxed when they were in control of anything, even someth
ing as minor as stating their name; no matter that he already had the facts.

  “Lisa. Lisa Mitchell.” She held out her hand.

  “Detective Alex Aguilar.” He really didn’t want to take her hand, he knew it. Certainly he had touched many people, but he knew this would be different. It was soft and wonderfully warm in his. He released it quickly.

  “Lisa -- May I call you that?” At her nod, he continued. “We need to talk about what happened. I‘m sure you’ve already told the police what you remember, but maybe it would be better if we went to the scene. Perhaps something there will prompt your memory.

  The captain had sauntered over, blatantly listening. Alex didn’t particularly care and was used to the way most policemen operated. He would concentrate on doing his job regardless.

  “I hate to point it out, detective, but we’ve already been there, besides it’s dark now. I doubt anyone will see anything much.” The captain had turned to face them, no longer hanging in the background.

  “That’s possible,” Alex said, looking up at the man, “but if Ms. Mitchell doesn’t mind, I would still prefer going to the scene.”

  The captain nodded. “Do you want any assistance?”

  Alex shook his head, and then stood, extending his hand to the young woman. When she placed her hand in his for the second time, he automatically closed his fingers over hers. He tugged, pulling her to her feet. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. If you want to send uniforms, that would be agreeable, but not necessary. You have my badge number.”

  To further ease the captain’s thoughts, Alex pulled his card from his pocket and handed it to him. “My cell phone number is on there too.”

  Escorting Lisa outside, Alex knew he should drop her hand. There was no reason to hold on to it -- and every reason in the world. It felt right and he didn’t want to let go. She didn’t resist.