The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection(73)

We stopped in front of a bank of elevators, and Luke stepped up to the directory list beside the buttons and ran his finger down it.

“Here it is, Maxwell and Associates.” He pushed the up button for the elevator.

The rest of the names on the list made me want to laugh. Luke was right when he said every business a vampire would need was in this building. Aside from lawyers, there was also a psychiatrist's office, a bank, a real estate agency called Everlasting Realty, and a dental office called Deadly Smiles.

While we waited for the elevator, I turned to check out the people in the lobby. Most were dressed in business suits. Few wore any kind of casual wear like we did. Nearly every one of them had the pale white skin of vampires.

Oh, my god. Suddenly, the gravity of where we were—of the situation— hit me like a ton of bricks.

I glanced around to see how the rest of the group was dealing with this. Most of them had their backs to the elevator doors so that they could see the lobby.

I nudged Drew. “I still don’t understand how this is possible.”

He shook his head. “How do you think vampires have lived among us for so long? It’s because they look like people, but are far more powerful.”

The elevator doors whooshed open, and Drew shoved me forward so we could all smash into the small space. That was insane. I just couldn’t stomach the feeling. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how could we just waltz in there and feel safe doing it. Alice had better be feeling damned lucky she had us.

I felt bad after thinking that last bit. We were making her come here. She had said before that she didn’t want anything from Trevor.

I elbowed her and asked, “You okay?”

She met my eyes and nodded, but I could tell she was scared. She had lived around vampires for a long time, but she was protected because she was in Trevor’s home. This was definitely a different experience for her.

The elevator doors opened, and we all moved into a busy office with a cubicle farm taking up the floor space.

A pale, dark-haired woman sat behind a tall counter to our left. She smiled, her crimson red lips turning up at the corners.

“Hello, how may I help you this evening?” she asked while she cradled her telephone.

Luke stepped forward. “We have a meeting with Abraham Maxwell.”

“Oh, perfect. He is expecting you. Please follow me.” She stepped down from the platform and led us down a long hallway alongside the cubicles until we arrived at an office with glass walls sectioning it off from the rest of the space. She rapped on the door and peeked through the window.

I could see a man who looked about twenty-five sitting behind a large mahogany desk on the other side of the glass. He turned away from a computer screen, saw our large group outside his windows, and beckoned us in with a smile.

Miss Crimson Lips opened the door and held it for us.

Abraham Maxwell stood and gestured to the couches while we filed into his office. “Please, have a seat.”

I glared at him as I passed, but Luke smiled and nodded, extending his hand. “Thank you for having all of us.”

I really hoped this was going to be over soon. I didn’t feel comfortable being in an entire building full of vampires. With not much room to sit, I managed to squeeze onto a couch beside Alice and Sarah Jane. Drew remained standing beside the door.

Maxwell lowered himself back into his chair. “Won’t you sit?”

Drew shook his head. “I prefer to stand, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Maxwell turned his attention back to Luke. “All right, I have summoned you here to commence the reading of Trevor Krasimir’s last will and testament. I have asked you here a bit early because I wish to explain to you that everyone who is listed in the will must be present for the reading.” He raised his eyebrows. “Therefore, we will be joined by others shortly.”

Oh, great. I could tell by the look on this guy’s face that I wasn’t going to like this at all. I peeked over at Drew. Boy, he looked mighty irritated at the whole situation.

The lawyer sat back in his chair and eyed Drew as well. “Being as you are here on vampire business matters, nothing more, I trust there will not be any problems from your hunters.”

The whole group stiffened and shifted simultaneously. These people had a gene in their blood that made them want to kill vampires; they couldn’t help it. I could see already how hard it was for them to sit here in an office across a desk from one and not put a bullet in his heart.

Luke said, “No problem from us as long as a truce remains with yours.”

Maxwell stood and stuck out his hand. “It’s a deal.”

Luke took the vampire’s cold hand. I could almost feel him cringe inside. “Deal.”

Deal, my ass! Ugh!

Just then, Miss Crimson Lips rapped on the window again.

“Come,” Maxwell called out.

The door opened and the one person I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing again entered.

"Vanessa," I mumbled.

She wore a floor-length, white fur coat, and her chocolate hair was piled up on top of her head in a huge mass of curls. I couldn’t see the expression in her eyes, because they were hidden behind a pair of large, black sunglasses that contrasted with her pale skin, making it seem even whiter than it was.

Freakin’ wonderful.