Vampire in Geek's Clothing (Psy-Vamp Book 6) (19 page)

It had been almost two weeks since they’d found the dead
witch. Hayden was tired of hanging out in this hole in the wall motel room, and
even more tired of having Reese and Kevin with him all the time. Those arrogant
hunter pricks got on his last nerve. Hayden already knew they’d never let him
live long enough to return to Seattle, not that he’d ever had any intention of
returning to his old life as a breeder.

Reese and Kevin were easy to manipulate, and it hadn’t taken
much for Hayden to convince them to stop answering calls from their elders.
He’d made them believe they’d be forced to return to Seattle and more
experienced hunters would be sent out when they’d failed to locate Phoenix
quickly. Desperate to prove themselves, both hunters had agreed that they
should cut off communications until Phoenix was captured. Then, they’d look
good and the elders would forgive them for not checking in or returning calls.
Hayden also suspected they didn’t want to miss out on killing him.

“I got another message from our elders,” Kevin told him.
“Sounds like they think you might have killed us.”

Reese chuckled. “They really think we might get killed by a
breeder?”

Hayden’s lips pressed together in a tight smile. They
wouldn’t be laughing much longer.

“I still can’t believe the hunters in this area are claiming
Phoenix,” Kevin mused.

That had shocked Hayden as well, but he chose to look on the
bright side. When they’d gotten that message, it had confirmed that Phoenix was
still in this area.

“I can’t believe our elders aren’t demanding her return,”
Reese added. “She’s a killer.”

“They don’t want to deal with the problem,” Hayden pointed
out the obvious. “The elders want people to do what they’re told and never
question orders. Phoenix didn’t do that, and they’re worried they might not be
able to prove she’s a killer. Then they’ll have to try to force her to train as
a hunter.”

“Who wants a vampire’s whore as a hunter?” Kevin scoffed.

“Vampire’s whore?” Hayden asked. He hadn’t mentioned
anything about Phoenix being involved with a vampire.

“That’s what I heard.” Kevin shook his head in disgust.
“Once I found out the elders out here were claiming Phoenix, I contacted a
breeder cousin who lives out here. I figured it would be a waste of time since
she’s only a breeder, but I guess she overheard some of the local hunters
talking about meeting Phoenix. She was with some vampires, and it sounds like
at least one of them is fucking her.”

“Did they say which vampires?” Hayden pressed.

“Family by the name of Draksel,” Kevin told him. “We’ve been
looking into them since we heard Phoenix was involved with vampires. We found
out there’s some big shot vampire doctor in their family.”

Hayden’s fists were clenched at his sides as he struggled to
contain his anger. He was so pissed, his left eye began to twitch. “Why didn’t
you tell me this?”

Kevin shrugged. “There’s not much a breeder can do.”

“I may have found something,” Reese said excitedly, turning
the laptop toward them to show pictures of a dark-haired nurse.

“Who is she?” Hayden asked, unable to take his eyes off the
pictures of the stunning nurse.

“Elena Carter,” Reese replied. “That’s the name she’s going
by, anyway. I’ve been digging into her for a couple of days.”

“Why are you looking into the nurse?” Kevin asked.

“When I was checking the hospitals for the vampire doctor, I
kept sensing a vampire on the fourth floor of one hospital, but I wasn’t able
to locate the vampire at first. I went back there yesterday and saw this pretty
lady leaving with two guards. That’s when I figured out she was the vampire I
kept sensing,” Reese explained.

From what Hayden had been told, it was harder to find female
vampires for some reason.

“So, I pulled all the nursing records, looking for someone
with the last name of Draksel,” Reese continued. “No surprise, I didn’t find
anyone, which is why I started pulling the personnel files and found pictures.”

“Where does she work?” Hayden asked excitedly.

“I’ll print out all the details, and we can go over
everything while we have lunch,” Reese told him.

“Good thinking,” Hayden praised. “I’m starving. Should I go
out for food?”

“I’ll go,” Kevin offered. “The local hunters might be
looking for us, and you’ll probably panic if they stop you.”

After Kevin headed out the door, Hayden watched as Reese
printed out all the details on the vampire nurse.

“You seem to have a lot on her,” Hayden remarked casually,
as he rifled through his bag.

“I got her schedule, address, phone number, social security
number,” Reese bragged. “You name it, and I’ve got it.”

“Great,” Hayden said before aiming the tranquilizer gun and
shooting Reese in the back of the neck. He loved the shocked expression on
Reese’s face as he turned toward him, just before collapsing onto the floor.
Next, Hayden took out the duct tape to cover Reese’s mouth, before securing his
hands and feet. Then he dragged the bastard into the bathroom and sat on the
chair by the laptop, waiting for Kevin to return. The tranquilizer wouldn’t
last long, but he’d give them each another dose before moving them. While it
would be much easier to just kill both hunters when they were unconscious,
Hayden wanted to see their faces when they realized they were going to die at
the hands of a breeder. He also deserved a long, relaxing kill after all he’d
had to put up with recently.

After two weeks of being cooped up in Isaiah’s home, Phoenix
was beginning to go stir crazy. There was also the fact that she was tired of
Drew’s constant questions about Shayla. Funny how she’d never noticed how
obsessed he could get.

She was currently lost in the house, and she had to admit
that was crazy.

“Why did I leave my phone in Isaiah’s room?” she muttered,
tempted to climb out a window since it might be easier to figure out where she
was from the outside of the house. It hadn’t been her intention to leave her
phone in the room, but the text from Drew had sent her running. He’d told her
he was on the way up to talk about Shayla. Luckily, she’d already been dressed,
making it easy to flee quickly. She’d headed in the opposite direction of the
stairs she normally took, figuring she’d be less likely to run into Drew that
way.

Hearing movement in one of the rooms up ahead, Phoenix was
momentarily relieved until she got to the door and noticed Josef sitting in an
armchair, reading. He was dressed in flannel pajamas that looked older than
her. They hadn’t spoken, and she’d barely seen him since his outburst about
Isaiah being involved with a hunter. Even lost, she wasn’t tempted to make
conversation with Josef. He’d probably refuse to help her, anyway.

Turning to continue wandering the hallways, she was
surprised to hear Josef’s voice. “Phoenix, please don’t leave,” he called out
in a kind voice. “I’d hoped to have a word with you.”

“What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked
cautiously as she walked into the room.

“First, I want to apologize for the way I reacted when we
met,” Josef began. “I’m not very good with first impressions, or second
impressions, actually.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I am a danger to your family,
and I’m surprised no one else has mentioned it.”

Closing his book, Josef placed it on the table and gestured
to the chair closest to him. “Come, sit down.”

Phoenix hesitated, but she ended up deciding she could
always leave if Josef started acting like an ass. Taking a seat in the
comfortable armchair, Phoenix eyed Josef warily. “I can’t stay long. I decided
to wander around and left my phone in my room, so Isaiah is probably already
wondering where I am.”

“Well, then I’d better let him know where to find you,” he
told her before removing a Blackberry from his pocket.

“I don’t see those very often,” she remarked.

“I’m not very good with technology, and Isaiah insisted I
have a smart phone,” he explained. “This one still has a keyboard, so I can
type out messages easier.”

He was slow to type out his message and remained completely
focused on his phone the entire time. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon to collect
you,” he assured her after setting his phone on the table beside him.

“Thank you.” She was still uncomfortable with Josef, but he
seemed to be making an effort to be nice. “You said you wanted to talk to me,”
she prompted.

“First, I want to assure you that the situation you are in
is not your fault. You are the victim in all this, and the reason I blamed you
is that, for many years, I’ve had a habit of blaming the victim.”

Phoenix cringed at the word victim, and she saw a softening
in Josef’s face.

“Sorry,” he said. “Victim is an ugly word. One I’ve been
told I should stop using because it makes people feel weak. For what it’s
worth, I don’t believe you’re weak, but I think you need to learn to defend
yourself.”

The shock must have shown on her face because Josef decided
to explain his odd statement. “I’ve been seeing a therapist. Not because I’m
the victim, but because I’ve been the abuser for a very long time.”

Phoenix wasn’t sure how to respond, but Josef seemed to be
waiting for her reaction. “Is therapy helping you?”

He shrugged. “I think I’m a better person, but I’ve been
told it will take time.”

“Why are you seeing a therapist?” she asked. “I’m not sure
how to say this without sounding rude, but it seemed like you didn’t believe
you were doing anything wrong.”

“I didn’t,” he admitted. “My intention when I came out here
was to tell Helena how foolish she was being and take her home with me. Even
after my sons told me I was in the wrong, I was angry and filled with
self-righteous indignation. Nothing anyone said made a difference until I
talked to Drew.”

The startled bark of laughter that escaped her lips seemed
to amuse Josef because he chuckled. “Yes, I was just as surprised as you are.”

“It’s not that I don’t think Drew’s capable of giving good
advice,” she explained, feeling the need to defend her friend. “I’m just
surprised he got involved in this, especially while he’s so fixated on other
things.”

“I’m not sure what inspired him to talk to me, but he made
me see what I was doing a little more clearly. He also made me realize that if
I love Helena, I need to fix myself.”

“So, you’re only doing this to try to win her back?” Phoenix
asked, not sure that was the best reason. If he was only going to therapy to
prove to Helena he could change, it wouldn’t work.

“No,” he assured her. “I’m not trying to convince Helena to
take me back. The other thing I’m working on is making sure Helena has access
to funds for anything she needs. I just want to make sure she’s taken care of.”

“So, you’re leaving her?” Phoenix asked.

“She’s leaving me,” he corrected in a pained voice. “As much
as I want her to stay, I’m the one who’s driven her away. I have no one to
blame for the end of my marriage but myself.”

“Yet, you’re still going to counseling?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “It is my hope that I can at least be
friends with Helena, eventually. Maybe when I’m better, I’ll even ask her to go
on a date with me. We never did that. What I wanted to talk to you about is
Isaiah, and we’d better do it quickly before he gets here.”

“Okay,” she said and waited.

“My son is in love with you,” Josef told her simply. “Don’t
let your own insecurities or worries that you’ve put him in danger make you
push him away.”

Isaiah cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him.
“Are you ready for lunch?” he asked Phoenix, holding out a hand to her.

With a smile, she immediately went to him before turning
back to Josef. “Thank you for keeping me company while I waited for Isaiah.”

“Any time,” he assured her, before shifting his focus to
Isaiah. “I’ve already apologized to Phoenix, but I want to apologize to you for
the way I spoke to her, as well.”

Isaiah shrugged, saying nothing. Phoenix figured they had
years of issues to work through, but she was glad to see Josef making an
effort.

The text from his father had come as a relief. Isaiah had
been worried when he couldn’t find Phoenix. It’s not that he thought anyone in
the house would hurt her, so much as he worried she might have missed her
anxiety meds and end up having a panic attack when she couldn’t find her way
through the maze of hallways. Just as he’d been about to turn on the security
cameras in the hallways, his father’s message had come, and he’d hurried to get
to Phoenix before his father could say anything too rude. While his father had
been much less vocal about his disapproval of everyone, Isaiah knew how his
father could be.

“Did you know your father is seeing a therapist?” Phoenix asked
when they were a short way down the hall.

“No,” Isaiah admitted. “I haven’t spoken to my father much
since he’s been here. A therapist sounds like a big step for him. Hopefully,
he’s not just doing it to prove to my mom he can change so she’ll take him
back.”

“He might be,” she admitted. “From what he said, he’s
letting her go. He was actually very pleasant.”

Isaiah had been surprised to hear his father giving Phoenix
relationship advice, but that was a subject he preferred to avoid for the time
being. They hadn’t known each other long, and he figured Phoenix wasn’t ready
for any declarations of love. With any luck, she wouldn’t end up worrying about
what his father had said.

“Your father also said I should learn to defend myself,” she
told him.

“You should,” Isaiah agreed.

“I’ve never had much interest in learning to fight,” she
added.

Isaiah stopped and cupped her cheek before brushing his lips
against hers. “I’m not much of a fighter myself, but learning to defend
yourself isn’t about fighting. It’s about surviving. Even after we stop Hayden,
you should still be able to protect yourself.”

“I love that you want me to learn to defend myself rather
than insisting you’ll take care of me.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Why would I ever say I’d take
care of everything? I mean, I want to protect you, but I’m not foolish enough
to believe I can put you in a bubble.”

“Since I’ve been sequestered here, it’s kind of felt like
you all think I need to be put in a bubble for my own good,” she admitted. “The
first day I was here, Roman sent me to your room.”

Isaiah laughed at her distress. “That still bothers you,
doesn’t it?”

“A little. I still can’t believe I just went to your room
because he told me to. I even felt like I was misbehaving when I left the room
with Drew.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’d have gone to my room
if he told me to. My uncle can be a little intimidating. He’s mellowed a lot,
but he’s still used to getting his way, and everyone believes they need to
follow his orders.”

“That actually does make me feel better.” She gave him a
sweet smile. “Maybe part of what’s bothering me is that the hunters have always
told me vampires expect their women to be weak and biddable.”

“Do you believe that now that you’ve met more of us?” he
asked.

“If I’d only met your father, I might believe that was true,
but the rest of the men in your family seem to like strong women. I seriously
doubt anyone was picturing Caitlin when they were talking about your women.”

“Yeah, my brother’s wife can be scary at times. Let’s feed
you, and then you can learn a little about how to defend yourself,” he
suggested.

“Are you going to teach me?” she asked.

“Actually, I think it might be best to get Drew involved,”
he replied.

“Why?” she practically gasped before catching herself. “That
came out sounding really rude. It’s just that I’ve been avoiding him so he
won’t ask me more questions about Shayla.”

“Sorry about that. Drew is completely focused on helping
her. It’ll pass.” He paused and thought for a moment. “At least, I hope it passes.
I was thinking Drew would be a good choice since he’s got more experience as a
predator than the rest of us. He knows the kinds of things you’ll need to watch
out for, and he knows how to fight dirty.”

“Good point,” she agreed with a nod. “I guess it will keep
him too distracted to nag me with questions about Shayla.”