Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(17)

“You will, Zoey,” she said with serene certainty now. It made me nervous, as if she had figured out something I hadn’t yet. “I’m the only one who will help you. I’m the only one who can answer your questions. You want to know what you are and why. I’m the only one who can make you understand.”

She turned and walked down the hall and, in a blink, she was gone. One minute her petite figure was walking away, and the next there was nothing.

I let loose a pent-up breath and stared down at Daniel. He was breathing, but it was a shallow thing, a shaky rattle of his chest. “We have to get him out of here.”

Neil clicked the safety on the gun and shoved it in his pocket. He walked over to us, his eyes searching the church for more trouble. “He needs a doctor, Z. He’s not the only one. You’re very pale. Your lips are almost blue.”

“I’m fine,” I assured him, the world around me swimming a little. “Just get Daniel to the car.”

Neil grunted as he lifted Daniel’s two twenty frame. He moved quickly and was back for me before I managed to get to my feet. My hands shook, a combination of blood loss and adrenaline.

“Stop there, sister.” Neil swept me up in his arms. “No more walking for you. Hey, those shoes held up nicely.”

“I’m never wearing them again.” I sighed, letting my head rest against his shoulder. Neil smelled clean and like all the really good parts of a Dillard’s men’s fragrance counter. He would take care of things now, and that was a good feeling. I didn’t exactly lose consciousness. I kind of drifted as Neil drove. I heard him make several calls. One was to Michael House. He was to bring the rest of Daniel’s supply of blood to my father’s house. The next call was to my father, Harry Wharton. His house was closest, and as much as my father annoyed me on occasion, he was good in a crisis.

Neil was cool and collected as he drove through the streets of Dallas. In no time at all, we pulled up to my father’s large home in North Dallas. I opened my eyes and saw the house was lit from what looked like every room. There was a dark Council-issued Benz out front. Michael had beaten us here.

It was Michael who opened the back door of the Audi and hauled out Daniel. “What the hell happened to you, man?” he asked under his breath.

He tossed Daniel over his shoulder and started for the house.

I heard my father curse as he passed Daniel. “Neil, you better start talking. I want to know what happened to my daughter and my son-in-law.”

Neil opened the door, and I stubbornly tried to get out on my own. It didn’t work. My legs felt like Jell-O.

Neil picked me up. “She’s fine, Harry. She just lost a lot of blood. We need the doc to look at her after he sees Daniel. If we can get enough blood into Daniel, maybe he can help her.”

“From what I just saw there might not be enough blood in the world to help our Daniel,” my father said, jogging to keep up.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, suddenly perking up. “He was fine back at the church. He was healing.”

“He just needs more blood. Your father likes to exaggerate.” Neil entered the house and walked straight to the living room. He settled me on the plush leather couch and my father’s assistant, Christine, was there to wrap a blanket around me. She was dressed for bed in pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. I didn’t like to think about where she was sleeping. She was a year younger than me, but she was also my father’s girlfriend and a fairly decent witch.

She pressed a mug of something warm in my hands. “It will help until the doctor gets here.”

I didn’t ask what it was because I didn’t want to know. It was bitter, but I felt warmer. I forced myself to sit up, looking for Daniel. He was a few yards from me. I could see him through the door that led to the kitchen. Michael and Neil were both trying to hold him down, but his big body bucked and convulsed. Michael cursed as he tried again to force Daniel to the floor. I suddenly found the strength to move, throwing off the blanket.

“Get his legs,” Michael ordered.

“I’m trying,” Neil yelled back. He looked up and saw me in the doorway. “Damn it, Zoey, get back. Who do you think he’s trying to get to?”

Daniel suddenly scented me. His head cracked around to get me in his sights. He was all fangs and those alien eyes with no irises, just sapphire blue spheres of his will. “Come to me, companion.”

I shrank back. I’d only met this version of Daniel once before when he was close to death. Then he took what he needed and managed to not kill me. He was even further gone now, and I worried he wouldn’t stop if I let him start again. Unfortunately, he’d taken enough of my blood to get his strength back, and Neil and Michael were losing their battle. If Daniel managed to get off the ground, there would be no holding him. He would come for me and take what he wanted. My father cursed, walking past me to start up the stairs. I knew where he was going. He would get the crossbow, and if he had to, he would put an arrow in my husband’s heart before he would allow me to die beneath him. I didn’t have very long if I wanted to save him.

Over the vigorous protests of the two men trying to hold him down, I kneeled at Daniel’s head and started to stroke his hair.

“Zoey.” He immediately calmed when I touched him. I noticed physical contact with Daniel could sometimes quiet the beast that raged from time to time. A companion was not without her talents. “Zoey, I need you.”