Jean-Luc gritted his teeth. "I would never cause harm to Heather or her family."
"Well, someone has," Billy snarled. "You got any enemies, Heather? Any other boyfriends?"
"No."
"Piss off any students?"
"No."
Billy rocked back on his heels. "I guess it could be your ex. Cody's been acting real weird lately."
Heather pulled her daughter close and glared at Billy. "This is not the time to discuss that."
"For now, the house is off limits. No one goes in."
Heather looked stunned. "But our clothes - "
"Not going in," Billy repeated. "Can't have you mucking up the crime scene."
"That's ridiculous," Heather countered. "The crime happened in the kitchen. We could go through the front door and straight up to our bedrooms."
"I want my toys," Bethany whimpered, hugging her giant yellow bear.
Billy pointed a finger at Heather. "You're not going in. That's final."
Heather's cheeks flushed with anger.
"Don't worry," Jean-Luc assured her. "I'll make sure you have everything you need."
She gave him an exasperated look. "I can't let you bear that expense." She turned to glare at Billy. "How soon can we get back in?"
He shrugged. "Could be a few weeks. Or months. I'll post a deputy on the street to make sure no one goes inside to take your stuff. Do you have a place to stay?"
She sighed. "I'll figure out something."
"They will stay with me," Jean-Luc announced. "I have a guest room they can use."
Billy's eyes narrowed. "Don't you own that fancy new store on the edge of town?"
"Yes. Le Chique Echarpe."
"Whatever," Billy muttered. "So the store is your residence, too?"
"For the time being, yes."
"Excuse us one minute." Billy grabbed Heather's arm and pulled her a few yards away.
Jean-Luc rested a hand on Bethany's shoulder to keep her from running after her mom. He turned to look at the house, but he could still hear Billy's whispered words.
"I don't know why, but the guy's after you, Heather. He could have set the fire to force you to live with him."
"He wouldn't do that," Heather muttered.
"How do you know? How long have you known this guy?"
Heather sighed. "Since Friday."
"And you're going to live with him? I didn't think you were that stupid."
Jean-Luc clenched the brass handle on his cane. He'd had enough. He marched toward them.
"Do you actually trust him?" Billy asked.
Jean-Luc halted, holding his breath while he waited for Heather's answer.
"Yes," she whispered. "I do."
It was exactly what he'd hoped to hear, but it still sizzled through him like a small shockwave. She turned and met his gaze. A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes retained some wariness. She might say she trusted him, but he had the distinct impression she was not entirely comfortable with it. He would have to proceed carefully. If she found out the truth about him too soon, he might lose her completely.
There was something unique about Heather. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, perhaps a combination of things. She had a beautiful face and hair, but in his line of work, he saw that often. She had a body that made his mouth water. He wanted to nibble every inch of her.
Even so, his feelings went beyond simple lust. He liked the way she talked, the way her mind worked, her sense of humor and compassion. He simply liked her. It was so simple, yet felt so profound.
"Will you come home with me?" he asked.
She studied his eyes, and her expression softened. "Yes. Just give me a minute."
Billy made a grab for Heather's arm and scowled when she pulled away. "I'll stop by tomorrow to make sure you're all right." He shot Jean-Luc a warning look.
"She'll be safe with me." He touched her shoulder. Thankfully, she didn't step away.
Billy turned and strode across Heather's front yard. He yelled at a deputy to bring the crime scene tape.
"I can't believe this is happening," Heather whispered as they began running the yellow tape across her front porch. "We have no clothes."
"You're in luck. I make clothes."
She gave him a dubious look. "Do you have designer wear that'll fit me or Bethany? Or Fidelia?"
He glanced at the older woman. She was almost as wide as she was tall. "I have some designer sheets."
Heather rolled her eyes. "The toga look could get old in a few days. I'll just drop by the discount store and pick up a few things. Luckily it's open 24/7."
He winced. "I would prefer you have something nice."
"It's all I can afford right now."
"You will not pay for it." He motioned toward her house. "I am responsible for this."
"You didn't start the fire."
"I know who did."
Her eyes widened. "Are you sure it was him?"
"Yes. This is Lui's sick way of announcing he knows your identity."
A fleeting look of panic crossed her face before she regained control. "I was afraid of that."
"Then you fully realize the danger you are in. Lui will try something worse next time."
"That's why I'm desperate enough to move in with you."
"I thought you trusted me."
She gave him an exasperated look. "Do I have any choice now?"
That hurt. "You can trust me, Heather. I promise I will keep you and your daughter safe."
She searched his eyes. "I do want to trust you. I think I do trust you, but everything is happening so fast. The bear you won for my daughter - that was really very sweet, about the sweetest thing I've ever seen from a man."
"Thank you." He moved closer. "The kiss wasn't bad, either."
Her cheeks blossomed a rosy pink, and she looked away. "I don't usually...I don't know what - "
He hooked a finger under her chin to force her eyes to meet his. Her gaze rose to his chin, then stopped. "I need you to promise me something."
Her gaze lifted and locked with his. "What?"
"You must never leave the studio without a guard. That goes for Fidelia and Bethany, too. You must be protected at all times."
"We can do that."
"And you must follow my orders without hesitation."
She pulled back. "I won't let anyone control me."
"I have no wish to control you. I want to keep you alive."
She bit her bottom lip. "Well, I wouldn't argue with that."
"Good. When Lui attacks, there won't be any time for arguments. You must do as I say."
Her mouth thinned. "You plan to kill him, don't you?"
"I have no choice. It's either him or us."
She shuddered. "For once I'm glad Fidelia has all those guns."
"I'll take you shopping now. My car's over there." He motioned to his BMW.
She frowned. "We'll just get a few things. Some clothes and a few coloring books to keep Bethany occupied. She may go crazy without her toys."
"Really?"
"Have you ever seen a four-year-old with nothing to do? It's not a pretty sight."
"Oh." He glanced at the house, now completely cordoned off with yellow tape. A deputy stood guard at the front steps. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
"How?"
"Trust me." He pointed to his BMW. "Wait in the car. It's not locked. I'll be there shortly."
"What about my truck? My purse was inside."
"I have the keys. Robby will bring it to the studio later."
"Okay." She walked over to Bethany and gave her a hug. While she talked to Fidelia, Jean-Luc sent out a psychic message to Robby, Ian, Phineas, and Phil.
Meet me by Heather's truck. If you see Phil, bring him, too. He wasn't sure how adept the mortal guard was at picking up psychic messages.
Robby was the first to show up. Jean-Luc handed him the keys to Heather's truck with instructions to drive it to the studio. Ian, Phineas, and Phil joined them.
"No sign of Lui?" Jean-Luc asked.
"Nay," Ian answered. "It would help if we knew what he looks like."
"I've never seen him look the same way twice. I recognize his voice, though. And his eyes. They're black with an odd gleam. You can feel the hatred, but there's something more, something...unhinged."
"So the dude's a psycho," Phineas observed.
"And verra dangerous," Robby added. He gestured toward the crowd. "These people are mortal. Ye can smell the difference."
Phil chuckled. "Are you saying we stink?"
Robby grinned. "Some might say so, but no' me. I think mortals smell...sweet."
Phil shook his head. "I'm so not flattered."
Phineas sniffed and gave the mortal a curious look. "You smell kinda different, bro."
Phil's smile faded, and he exchanged a wary look with Robby. Jean-Luc frowned, sensing an undercurrent he wasn't privy to, but this wasn't the time to discuss it. He asked Phil to join him on the shopping trip, then explained the undercover mission to the three Vamps. "Can you do it?"
"Aye, 'tis a piece of cake," Robby answered. "We'll see ye later."
Jean-Luc was relieved to see Heather and her family sitting in the backseat of the BMW. He climbed into the driver's seat.
Phil settled in the passenger seat, then turned to face the females. "I'm Phil Jones. I'll be guarding you in the daytime."
"Nice to meet you," Heather murmured.
"Hola, Felipe," Fidelia said in a husky voice.
Phil quickly faced front.
At the discount store, Phil was told to accompany Fidelia, while Jean-Luc watched Heather and Bethany.
In the young girls' department, Heather selected a few little T-shirts and shorts from the fifty-percent-off rack. The more she tried to save him money, the more irritated Jean-Luc became. He spotted the best dress the store had to offer and tossed it into the cart.
"She has nice dresses at home," Heather protested.
"You said you wouldn't argue."
She snorted. "That was for times of extreme danger."
"Which could be now. Lui could be lurking in the toy aisle as we speak."
"We'll see about that." She pushed the cart to the toys. One of the wheels made an annoying squeak with every rotation.
Jean-Luc walked behind her, his cane clicking on the linoleum floor, his eyes ever watchful. The store seemed mostly deserted.
Bethany skipped alongside her mother, hugging her yellow bear. She stopped suddenly, her eyes wide. "Look, Mama. That Barbie comes with a crocodile."
Heather turned away and selected a few coloring books. "You have plenty of Barbies at home."
"But not a crocodile-hunting one." Jean-Luc tossed it into the cart.
"Yeah!" Bethany jumped up and down.
Heather whirled around to glare at him. "That was my decision to make."
She was right, but it surprised Jean-Luc how much he enjoyed making the little girl dance with joy. He shifted his weight, frowning. "I will try to restrain myself."
Heather's mouth twitched. "Is it that hard? I swear, if you have any children, they'll be spoiled rotten."
His heart froze for a second, then plummeted to his stomach. He couldn't have children. In that moment between death and transformation, a vampire's sperm died. At sunset each night, his heart jolted back to life, his blood resumed its race through his veins, and his mind snapped back to consciousness. But the sperm remained dead.
Roman, being a brilliant scientist, had found a way around it. He'd taken live human sperm, then erased the donor's DNA and inserted his own. Shanna was already pregnant when Roman had discovered a problem. A Vamp's DNA was not quite the same as a mortal's. Roman had lived in fear with what he'd done to Shanna, but after nine months she'd delivered a healthy baby boy with no fangs and an appetite for his mother's milk.
Jean-Luc realized with a jolt that he could have children. With Roman's procedure, he could actually be a father. His gaze settled on Heather, and he imagined her swelling with his child.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"No. Everything's fine." But it wasn't. Now that the seed was planted in his mind, he couldn't ignore it. He'd envied Roman for his loving wife and adorable son. It had never occurred to Jean-Luc that he could have a family, too. Lui had always been in the way, lurking in the shadows as a hidden threat. But the assassin's recent emergence could be a blessing in disguise. Finally Jean-Luc would have the chance to be rid of him. And that opened all sorts of new possibilities.
"You had a strange look on your face." Heather dropped a box of crayons into the cart. "I thought you might be angry."
"I am angry at Lui and determined to be rid of him."
Heather rolled the cart toward the women's department. "I'll be so glad when things are back to normal."
Normal? Was that what she wanted? His vision of the future wavered. How could he convince Heather to marry a vampire and give birth to a child with mutated DNA? It wasn't exactly the American dream.
And was it truly what he wanted? He was very attracted to Heather, but were his feelings true or merely a reaction to the danger they were in? Could he have the kind of love for her that would last through the years? Could he handle marriage to her? Could he handle marriage to any mortal?
