The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection(69)

“Don’t worry.” Alice shifted on the couch, effectively scooting a little bit closer to Oscar, if that was possible. “It didn’t seem like he wanted any trouble.” She leaned forward to pluck a paper off the top of a manila envelope and handed it to me.

I scanned the first line. “What? We have to go to a will reading? You have got to be kidding me! I don’t want anything of his.”

“Read on, Chloe.” Drew pointed at the paper. “He didn’t leave you anything.”

I stared at the paper and read down the first paragraph.

“Oh.”

It was Alice they wanted to meet with.

I shrugged and handed the paper back to Alice. I guess I was a little jealous I didn’t get anything and she did. I had no idea why I was jealous about it. “So we have to go there and meet with this guy?”

“Yeah, there is no way we are letting them through the gates.”

Luke reached for the paper and scanned it. “When is the meeting?”

Drew went back to his pacing. “In four days.”

“We will be ready,” I told him, and then looked at Alice. “Right?”

She nodded in agreement. “I’ll be ready.”



The next day, I woke a little later than I wanted. I had slept in again, and it was about nine. I rolled over and was surprised not to feel any pain in my calf. I gently pulled the blanket over and bent my leg at the knee to check and see how the wound was healing. I peeled the tape off around the square bandage, peeked at the wound and discovered that it was covered in a thick, bumpy scar tissue.

Gross!

It actually looked like a big, huge wart or something. It was nasty, but at least I could cover it with my pants. I sat up and slid my legs over the side of the bed, then slowly stood, testing the ability of my legs to hold me up. Once I was all the way up on my feet, I took a few tentative steps.

Nothing, no pain.

Yay for vampire super-healing!

At least I wouldn't need the crutches any more. It did seem a little strange that just the day before I couldn’t even get down the stairs without help, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to complain about it.

After a quick shower, I dressed and went in search of Luke to take me to the hospital so I could see Gavin. I needed update him on everything that had happened.

I found Luke at the kitchen table reading the newspaper.

“Morning.”

He smiled and set his paper down on the table. “Feeling any better this morning?”

I nodded and headed for the fridge. “Yeah, actually, perfect. Look!”

I turned, left the fridge door hanging open, stuck my leg out toward him and wiggled it around.

“No crutches!” I declared with a smile.

He raised his eyebrows. “How is that possible? You were shot all the way through your calf.”

I let my pant leg fall back down, grabbed an apple and a bottle of water out of the fridge, and closed the door.

“Vampire super-healing,” I told him, then uncapped my water and took a big swig.

He shook his head in a combination of amazement and surprise. “I should have known.”

“It’s okay," I said, and I shrugged. "I only realized it was happening because I cut myself last year, and then I was punctured by a branch when I tried to escape from Trevor. I think it’s getting stronger as I get older, because it’s only been a few days, and this was more than a scratch.”

Luke’s paper crinkled while he folded it into a square. “It makes sense that it would get stronger as you get older.”

I grinned. “You should see my fire power now.”

He chuckled. “That good, huh?”

“Yup!” I polished my apple on my shirt. “Can you take me to the hospital today?”

“Absolutely. I already expected you'd ask. I’m ready when you are.”

He scooted his chair out and stood up.

“Let’s go now. I’m ready.”

I hurried out of the kitchen and grabbed my sweatshirt off the hook by the door.

When we arrived at the hospital, I left Luke at the nurses’ station to chat with his lady friends while I went in to see Gavin. I worried his mother would be in his room. I really did not want to meet up with her again.

I crept up to the door and tried to listen. I could hear voices through the door, but they sounded more like part of an action scene on television. I rapped lightly on the door before I opened it a crack.

“Gavin?” I whispered.

I couldn’t see him because the curtain was drawn across his half of the room. As I had suspected, his television was on, and it was blaring male voices above the sound of revving car engines.

“Gavin?” I tried a bit louder, as I entered the room. I pushed the curtain aside and saw he was asleep.

I studied him for a moment before I woke him. He slept on his back, with his head tilted. He had an oxygen cannula in his nose, and his outturned wrist had an IV inserted. I hated to wake him, but I wanted him to know I’d come to see him. I smoothed down my hair, moved to the chair beside his bed and scooted it close to the bed.

After thinking about it for a minute, I gently took his hand in mine. He woke up then, his long eyelashes fluttered open and exposed his pretty green eyes that were so similar to Drew’s.

“Hey,” I whispered.