Pretty When She Dies (Pretty When She Dies #1)(64)

Damn.

It was very obvious that most of the audience was well versed in monster legends and soon the interaction was on a level that was way over her head. She wrote down anything that was on the slides the young man was going through, but she felt very confused by some of the terms.

At noon she ordered a sandwich and another soda and rubbed her cramped wrist. To her surprise, no one else seemed tired or bored and she felt a little guilty. Despite his very youthful appearance, it was clear that Jeff Summerfield was smart, witty and knew his stuff. A few times, she noticed him looking her way, before his gaze darted away.

Finally, it was over and her plate of half-eaten food was being invaded by flies. Closing her notebook, she pondered how long she should wait before approaching Summerfield. He was immediately swamped by several people who were anxious to talk to him. He stared at them intently as they talked and nodded once or twice, but she could tell he was curious as to why she was there. She could see his eyes moving toward her in quick little glances. Maybe she stood out more than she thought.

Finally, the older man clapped Summerfield on the back a few times, then shook his hand before wandering away. The back patio was finally empty of everyone, but them.

She wasn't surprised when he walked over and sat across from her.

He looked a little tired now that the lecture was over and he wasn't “on” anymore.

“I've never seen you at one of these before,” he said pointedly.

“I don't come to them,” she admitted. “But you did a really good job today. I liked it.”

“Thanks,” he answered with a slight smile. “I don't have my father's finesse, but it went okay.”

Samantha had managed to glean from the lecture that his father was a well-known paranormal expert, and she said, “I'm sure he thinks you're awesome.”

“I hope so. He passed away a few months ago and taking up his mantle is not easy.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.”

He shrugged his skinny shoulders slightly. “It's okay. I'm Jeffery. Call me Jeff.”

“Samantha. People call me Sam.”

“Like Bewitched, huh?”

“But I can't wiggle my nose,” she said with a smile.

“You're obviously sticking around for a reason. How can I help you?”

“Uh.” She pursed her lips, and then made a face. “Okay, this is going to sound really, really crazy.”



“Okay,” Jeff said slowly. “How could it be crazier than what we talked about today?”

Samantha laughed brightly, and said, “Okay, true.” She leaned toward him, her gaze intense and whispered, “My boyfriend is a vampire.”

Jeff's eyes slightly slitted. “Really?”

“Yeah. A real vampire. Like....um..Dracula or Angel from Buffy.

Except I don't think he gets all gnarly when he vamps out. Not sure on that.” She pondered this for a moment, her brow furrowed. “I've never seen his teeth either, but I've seen him do some really vampy things.”

Jeff leaned toward her, and said in a low voice. “And you are telling me this why?”

“Because there is a new vampire in town. And I think she's totally evil. And I think she's doing a spell on him or something to get him to be evil. I need to know what to do.”

Jeff blinked slowly, then looked away from her as if mulling something over.

“What is your boyfriend's name?”

“I can't tell you that.”

“Is it Cian ó Loinsigh?”

Samantha blinked. “Uh, no. His last name is different. It's Lynch.”

“Lynch is the English variation of ó Loinsigh,” Jeff answered.

“Oh, shit! You know my boyfriend!”

“My father knew him. They made a pact back in the day that still stands to this day.” Jeff sighed softly. “But if another vampire is in town and Cian isn't taking care of it, there is a problem.”

“Did I just get my boyfriend in trouble?”

“If there is another vampire in town, we may all be in trouble.”

***

With the casual elegance he was known for, and actually quite proud of, Roberto laid out all the tools he would need for his impromptu excursion. Industrial strength trash bags, twist ties, a bag full of garbage, an extra large garbage container, duct tape, several rolls of black plastic tarp, and the keys to the Lexus RX. Taking a hold of the ladder he had purchased that morning at WalMart, he set it before the nearest window and decided to start there.



It took almost an hour to cover the windows with the black plastic, sealing it into place with the duct tape. By the time he had finished, the area around the chamber was dark and no sunlight crept in anywhere near it. Satisfied that Cian would be safe, Roberto popped the panel and entered the code.

The wall slipped open with a soft whisper and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the absolute darkness that enshrouded the vampires.

Slowly they took form in the murk and he could see that Cian was holding Amaliya close to him. He was not surprised. He had seen his master steadily falling under the influence of her presence.

That was why he had to do this.

Removing her from Cian's arms would be a little difficult, but he knew the vampires would sleep through it all. And thankfully, Cian's blood infusions made Roberto strong despite still being basically human.