The Vampire Hunter's Daughter The Complete Collection (18 page)

After I finished calling the cab, I called
the gates to let them know I had a cab coming and I would be up
there to meet it. I pulled up Gavin’s contact picture, giving
myself a minute to embed the picture of his face into my mind
before I erased it from my phone. I pulled up Drew’s picture and
did the same thing. I didn’t want Trevor to know what anyone I
cared about looked like.

I looked over at my bow and quiver resting on
my desk chair and sighed with sadness. I couldn’t take them with me
because I couldn’t go into the hospital with them.

Sadly, I sat and wrote a note to Drew.

Hey Drew,

I can’t really explain why I had to leave,
but I think you know. I don’t want anyone else I care about to get
hurt, so I’m leaving. There is so much more to this I should tell
you, but I can’t right now. Please don’t come after me. I am hoping
I will see you again soon. I’m leaving my bow and quiver Sostrate
gave me. Would you please put them away for me because I will be
back for them some day. Take care of yourself, and please make sure
to go see Luke as soon as you get this. I think he may even need
one of the hunters to guard him. Please, keep him protected.

Love always,

Chloe.

After I folded the note and wrote Drew’s name
on it, I wrote one to Gavin, too.

Gavin,

I can’t explain why I had to leave,
especially right after we got to know each other. But I’m hoping
that you will figure it out somehow and forgive me for leaving us
hanging. I’m going to try my hardest to come back some day. I’m not
sure when it will be, but I’m going to try. I hope that when I get
back, we will still be friends.

Thank you for showing me that magical side
of yourself. I will never forget it.

Love,

Chloe.

I folded Gavin’s note and then put on my
coat. I threw my gun into my bag, zipped it up and slung it over my
shoulder. It was time to go.

Before I left, I put Drew’s note on the
kitchen table where he would see it. Then, after contemplating, I
set Gavin’s right beside it. I hoped Drew would set aside his
animosity and give Gavin the note.

I didn’t look around the house with long,
lingering looks; I just turned and left.

I ran most of the way to the gates, my heavy
gym bag thumping against my hip the whole way. I did my best to
stick to the side roads, rather than the main road, just in case
someone saw me running. I certainly wasn’t dressed for a daily run
just for exercise.

The cab was just pulling up outside, so I ran
directly through the gates as they opened for me, flung open the
door of the cab and hopped into the back seat.

“Can you take me to St. Joseph’s Hospital,
please?”

The man in the front seat turned and looked
me over, giving me a knowing look, like he knew I was running away
from something. “You got it, kid.”

The ride to the hospital was long and
grueling. All I could do was panic and hope Trevor kept his hands
off of Luke. When we pulled up in front of the main entrance, I
looked through the giant glass doors and took a deep breath.

Be brave, Chloe,
I repeated silently.

“You gonna get out?” the driver asked me.

“Oh, yeah… Here. Thank you.” I handed him a
wad of cash and told him to keep the change. Gathering my bag and
my strength, I opened the door and got out.

I stood on the sidewalk, staring inside and
trying not to be afraid. But I was. I was terrified about what was
going to happen. Mostly I was apprehensive because I really had no
clue what to expect. I needed to suck it up. I straightened my
spine, adjusted my bag over my shoulder, and marched inside.

I entered the elevator and
pushed the button for the sixth floor. No one else was in the
elevator with me. It was silent, like I had been suddenly blocked
off from the world. It was one of those moments in which I wished
I
was
blocked off
from the world.

When the elevator doors opened into the
hallway of the sixth floor, I stepped out and felt the familiar
prickles of warning on the back of my neck. Man, I really hoped
that would go away after spending more time around vampires. Just
that thought caused more panic. I felt pretty certain Trevor
wouldn’t hurt me, but how was I supposed to know all his little
vampire minions wouldn’t?

I turned the corner where it opened up into
the waiting room beside the nurses’ station. It only took a quick
scan for me to spot Trevor. He was sitting in one of the pastel
blue chairs, legs crossed, reading an old issue of Reader’s Digest.
His hair was gelled back away from his forehead, and he wore the
same leather jacket he'd had on the last time I had seen him.

Suddenly, as if he felt my presence, he
lowered his magazine and our eyes met.

“Chloe,” he called out. “There you are.”

I stood where I was, trying to find my voice.
That monster had sent the order to kill my mother, and he was part
of me. How in the hell could I be half of any kind of being who
would do such a thing?

He put the magazine aside and strode over to
me. Still I said nothing. When he grasped my casted hand in his, he
said, “It’s been too long.”

I felt my body begin its process of heating
up, the warm tingles in my fingertips. To avoid any fiery
accidents, I took several deep breaths in and out.

“I need to see Luke,” I whispered, trying to
keep the rage out of my voice and yanking my hand back from
him.

“Go right ahead.” He waved for me to lead the
way and moved to follow me.

I turned and glared at him. “Alone.”

A momentary glimpse of hesitation flashed
across his pale face, but he nodded. “As you wish. I’ll wait
here.”

As much as I hated to turn my back to him, I
turned around and continued down the hall. When I reached the door
to Luke’s room, I found him wide awake and apparently waiting for
me.

“Oh, Chloe, I'm so glad you’re here.”

I ran to his bedside.

“Was he in here?” I whispered, even though I
knew he must have been because he probably got my number out of
Luke’s phone. I grasped his hand as best I could with both our
casts.

Luke nodded. “Yes, he was here. I saw him,
but I said nothing because I can’t defend myself here. I’m so
sorry, Chloe.”

“No, Luke. Don’t be sorry. If you had tried
anything, he may have killed you. I left Drew a note to send
protection for you, so they should be along soon.” I bowed my head.
“I have to leave.”

“I know.” He looked fearful and sad at the
same time. I was sure he was flashing on my mother and losing her.
Now he was losing me. I felt horrible.

“I’m going to come back.” I hugged him and
whispered into his ear. “I’m going to come back as soon as he’s
dead.”

“I hope so, child. Just please, please… be
careful.”

“I will.” I pulled away. “I also wanted to
say thank you. Thank you for saving me and taking me in.”

“There is absolutely no need to thank me for
that. You are Felicia’s daughter, my granddaughter.”

I needed to go, before Drew showed up, but I
didn’t want to leave.

“I need to go,” I told Luke.

He nodded his understanding. “Oh, one more
thing.”

He beckoned me forward and whispered, “I’m
going to keep putting money into your account every month. Be
careful. Don't waste it. You may need it when you want to come
home. And make sure to keep your card hidden.”

I nodded and stood again. Clutching the
shoulder strap of my bag, I yanked it up onto my shoulder.

“I really have to get going.” My voice was
starting to choke and tears were welling up. I did not want to give
that monster who called himself my father any satisfaction by
letting him see me cry.

“I love you, Chloe,” Luke called out.

I stopped short in the doorway. No one had
said that to me since before my mother died.

“I love you too… Grandpa,” I choked out, and
then let the door slam behind me.

I was so upset while I marched back out to
the waiting room. I was sad, mad, angry… you name it. Trevor stood
when he saw me stalking past him.

“Chloe, wait.”

“I’m not waiting for you. You're a vampire.
Don’t you have like… super speed or something? Just keep up.”

“Shhh,” he tried to quiet me, appearing by my
side in an instant.

“See,” I told him. “Super speed.”

“Chloe, you cannot go around saying things
like that.”

I didn’t stop to look into his eyes, but I
knew he was frustrated with me already. Well, what did he expect? I
was a teenager, and I was going to say anything I wanted. I did not
intend to make his transition into fatherhood easy, after all.

Once outside, standing underneath the
overhang in front of the main doors, I shivered against the cold
and stopped.

“Look,” I told him, “I don’t know what you
want from me. I’m coming with you because you want me for some
reason. Do not think for a moment that I’m going to enjoy being
around you.”

His pale face almost glowed in the moonlight.
“In time, you will adjust to it, and we will get to know each
other. You are my daughter, my blood… and you’re important to
me.”

“You killed my mother!” I spat at him.

A couple walking by snapped their heads in
our direction, and Trevor shushed me again.

“I did not kill your mother. I wasn’t even
there.”

I shook my head in disgust. “Don’t lie! I
heard Eli say you issued the order that she needed to die for
taking me away from you.”

He neither denied it, nor did he acknowledge
my accusation. I figured his silence was probably because he knew
it was true. He just strode off into the parking lot. He stopped
when we got to a brand new black Mustang. He pulled out his keys,
and I heard the locks disengage.

“Get in,” he told me.

I opened the door, threw my bag into the
backseat and slid into the passenger seat. Trevor slid behind the
wheel and started the engine.

“Nice ride,” I told him.

“You have no idea,” he replied as he pulled
out onto road that led to the freeway.

So off we drove, into the night and away from
my family, away from my best friend, and away from the guy who had
been everything to me since my mother’s death.

Off we drove into the next chapter of my
life.

THE VAMPIRE HUNTER'S DAUGHTER

PART V

Living with Vampires

The headlights glared off the dark, wet
highway ahead of us. Trevor’s Mustang flew across the pavement at
breakneck speed. I sat in the passenger seat, scared out of my wits
and stared out the window into the blackness, just to avoid looking
at him.

It took about an hour to reach Trevor’s
house. I tried to guess which house was his, but little did I know,
it couldn’t be seen from the highway. Eventually, we slowed, and I
realized the house was hidden down a small paved driveway, beyond a
large iron gate, surrounded by trees. Well, it wasn’t even really a
house… It was a freakin' mansion.