Her Secret (17 page)

“I told Danial about what happened, all of
it. He agreed not to say anything. The problem isn’t knowing what
to do, it’s constantly feeling like a bitch because I’m keeping
this secret from Theo. I’m not a good liar; I never wanted to be.
But I don’t want this vampire dead, or to have him kill my husband,
either.”

“I have heard of Theopolis O’Connor,” Carol
replied. “His reputation has grown this past summer, when he moved
into the upper ranking.”

My eyes widened, surprised she knew about
Theo at all, much less his rank. “What do you mean?”

“He is in the top three, after killing
Manir’s bodyguard,” Carol stated. “That is what I’ve heard from
others in his field, at least.”

Theo hadn’t told me he’d changed his
ranking. It had been fifth, last I’d heard.
“Is he second or
third? Who did you hear this from?”

“Another client involved in the same business
who is unranked. There’s some confusion over the number two spot.
For a long time the second was believed to be something like a
hermit. He’d kept to himself for many years, and no one had seen
him. It’s just come to light that he’s dead. There’s confusion over
just when he died.”

Why was she going into so much detail?
“So Theo is three, but he will be two, if this person is declared
legally dead?”

“Yes,” Carol said, nodding. “You can be
relieved, really. Contrary to logic, your husband is statistically
less likely to get challenged in his new spot. For many years the
top three have stayed pretty much the same. It’s unusual in a
history of violent men to have a long stretch in a top position,
but that’s what’s happened for several decades now.”

She was really into this. How weird.
“Thanks for that info.”

“It must seem odd to you I know about the
ranking,” Carol said, smiling. “You’d be surprised how many men in
that profession need my services. But I’m getting off topic.” She
paused, then reached out and touched my hand. “You need to let go
of your guilt. What happened that day was not your fault, and you
need to let it go. Forget what happened to you. Forgive the man who
did this to you, and get on with your life.”

“I forgave him the day he did it, and told
him so,” I said with a rakish smile. “But I wouldn’t forget it for
the world. But you’re right, I should let it go.”

A few moments passed in silence. “Tell me,
why does the woman Theo was with bother you so much?” Carol said
finally. “You were with another man at the time yourself.”

“Because I refused to Oath to Danial. It
bothers me Theo could have just called and told me to move on. I’d
have been pissed off, but I could’ve built a new life with Danial.
Instead he let me hang in limbo.” I relayed a brief summary of
Theo’s capture and torture to finding me with Danial and going west
alone.

Carol listened attentively, then said, “Love
is not the same for everyone. Theo went through hell. He may have
turned to her because he lost faith, lost hope.”

“He should have had hope!” I said angrily.
“He told you about the dreams we shared. That makes us
special!”

“You feel betrayed that you held out and he
did not.”

“Yes. Also, I always used to think Theo was a
standup guy. Though I wouldn’t tell him, I’m ashamed of the way he
handled Aspen, as satisfied as I was at the time to see it. It was
cruel of him to treat her like he did.”

“You see a parallel between his cruelness to
you with this other woman, and his cruelness to Aspen later on with
you?”

“Yes,” I admitted.

“Do you have regrets over marrying Theo and
not staying with Danial? You sound as if you do.”

“Yes,” I said, flushing slightly.

“But you told me yesterday you don’t want to
be with Danial anymore, only Theo.”

“I don’t know what I feel, or who I am
anymore,” I said, frustrated. “When I knew Theo and we first were
together, nothing could touch us. Now things are different. I’m not
sure if it’s me or him or my being close to turning. All I do know
is that I hate feeling this way.”

“That’s enough for today,” she said
cheerfully. “Come back next week. Until you begin to come to terms
with how you feel, you should come for both the joint sessions with
Theo and alone. Will this time and day of the week be a
problem?”

“No. Thank you,” I said, getting to my
feet.

My phone rang as I was driving out of the
parking lot.

“Hello?”

“We have a problem,” Theo said angrily.

Chapter
Eight

“
What is it?” I said,
trying to drive and fit my cell phone earpiece in my ear so I
didn’t get a ticket for talking and driving.

“Elle didn’t invite only Violet, she invited
three other girls, too.”

If this was the biggest problem we had to
deal with, this sleepover was going to be a piece of cake. “Then
we’ll have them sleep on sleeping bags on her floor, and one in bed
with her. There should be enough room. If there’s not we can buy an
air mattress.”

“What if she changes in the night?” he said
worriedly. “What if she purrs?”

“Then we’ll handle it,” I said calmly. “I’m
heading to the store now to pick up chips and other snacks. Do you
want anything?”

“Maybe some doughnuts,” he said
hopefully.

I laughed. “I’ll get two dozen, so there’s
some left for the girls.”

“How was your appointment?” he asked.

“Fine,” I said evasively. “She asked
questions and I answered them. I made us an appointment for next
week, but she wants to see me alone, too.”

“Good. That will be the 20th, right?”

There was something unfamiliar in his tone.
I pulled into the store parking lot and checked my pocket calendar
in my purse. “Yes, December 20th, three p.m. It’s a Monday.”

“That’s fine. I’ll be here if any of the
girls come early. ’Bye, Sar. I’ll see you tonight.” He hung up.

I looked at the phone oddly. Theo hadn’t told
me he loved me. He always said he loved me every time we said
good-bye. Didn’t he?

He was probably just stressed over the girls
coming. It was nothing.

* * * *

Violet was the first girl to arrive. Cathy
walked her up to our door.

“Come in!” I said loudly, giving them a
welcoming smile. Cathy and Violet gave me one back, and entered,
petting the dogs a little nervously.

“They sure are big,” Violet said,
apprehensive.

Both dogs stood tall enough to almost look
her in the eyes.

“They won’t hurt you.” I handed her a rawhide
stick. “Give each of them one of these.”

She gave one to Darkness, who took it from
her gently. Ghost took the other from her hand a little less
gently. When she saw they weren’t going to hurt her, Violet smiled,
relaxing.

Elle came bounding out. “Hi, Violet! Come see
my bedroom!”

With some help from Terian, we’d moved a lot
of her things from Danial’s house here for the night. My old sewing
room had been completely transformed.

That whole ordeal had led to a fight with
Theo, who’d wanted to outfit her room here to make it a duplicate
of her bedroom at Danial’s. Though money wasn’t an issue, I’d
refused. Though I’d given Theo other reasons, the real one was that
Danial had enough on his mind now; he didn’t need to worry that
Elle might come live with us. It was easy to see that was what Theo
was hoping for.

Theo had been angry, of course. He’d asked me
directly if I didn’t want Elle around. It had been all I could do
not to tell him Elle was better off with Danial, who was a much
better father.

“Sar?” Cathy said loudly.

Shit, she’d asked me something. “Sorry?”

“I said I love what you’ve done with the
house. All the blues and greens are soothing.”

That’s because I live with a killer, and he
needs to relax. “I like to decorate, especially painting. Did the
directions work out okay? I’m not very good, I’m afraid.”

“Elle emailed us some from MapQuest.”

“Dad did them,” Elle called from the other
room.

Saved by the vampire computer whiz yet
again.

Theo joined us. “Hi. Thanks for bringing
Violet. Elle’s really been looking forward to this.”

“What do you do again?” Cathy asked, giving
him a radiant smile.

“Security,” Theo said, preening.

“Is it dangerous?” Cathy asked, her eyes
wide.

“Only when I have to defend myself,” Theo
said, giving her a serious smile back. “Then, my life is usually on
the line. You’ve seen TV series about agents where every
twenty-four hours is packed with action. Let me tell you, I really
have days like that.”

I stifled a snort, biting my lip.

More cars drove up the driveway. Soon, Fiona,
Diana, and Mary had joined Elle and Violet in her bedroom. There
were now three other mothers with Cathy in a semicircle around
Theo, as he related the daring tale of being in the bar parking lot
that night in Wyoming, and fighting off five men. They were hanging
on every word. “Oohs” and “Ahhs” filled the room.

I left them sighing, and went in to tell the
girls that dinner would be ready shortly. The moment I opened the
door, it was evident we already had another problem.

Elle still wore the fox head necklace Danial
had given her at the Hallow’s party years ago. To my knowledge, she
had not removed it since that night. Either the necklace had
lengthened as she grew, or Danial had gotten her a new chain for
it. Either way, Elle had never taken it off herself or tried to,
until now.

“It won’t come off!” Elle yelled in
desperation. She pulled with all her might at her choker. “I don’t
know what’s wrong?”

I went to it quickly, fumbling at the hidden
clasps. It hesitated, but finally unclasped, when I put all my
willpower and concentration to it.

I handed it to her. “It’s off. What’s the
matter?”

Elle grabbed the necklace and quickly tried
to fasten it about Violet’s neck, but the ends wouldn’t close.
“Mom, you broke it!”

Shit. “It’s not broken, Elle—

“Can I wear it?” Violet said eagerly. “Just
for a while?”

“I want to try it on, too!” another girl
said.

“Me first!”

“Everyone can try it on briefly,” I said
firmly. “Then it goes back on Elle. Violet, you’re first.”

I put it on and took it off for each girl,
and it resisted me every time. I’d just gotten it fastened back
around Elle’s neck when Mary spied my choker. “You have one,
too?”

“Can we look at it, please?” they all said in
unison.

I sat on the bed as they all clustered around
me, touching the pendant. Self-conscious, I was relieved I’d put
makeup on my scar from Danial in preparation for meeting the
mothers. This close, it couldn’t look like anything other than a
bite mark.

“Did you get this from Elle’s dad?” Fiona
asked.

“Yes,” I said, smiling. “When we were first
dating.”

“What does he look like?” one of them asked.
“Like Theo?”

“Elle, you must have a sketch of the two of
us?” I said, turning to her.

Elle brought out one of her sketchbooks and
showed them one of the drawings she had done of Danial and I. There
was an instant collective clamor.

“He’s so handsome!”

“Does he really look like that? He’s so
sexy!”

“Guys, he’s my Dad!” Elle said sarcastically.
“Don’t be gross.”

“Is he coming to the dance recital tomorrow?”
Fiona asked. “Do we get to meet him?”

I’d be missing my ride with Danial tomorrow
night, as we’d be at the recital. But I’d been tired this week
anyway. There had been so much to do, and the party tonight had
weighed on my mind, as the party on New Year’s did also. Maybe it
was better to give the riding a rest anyway. The snow at Danial’s
was deep off the driveway.

“Yes,” Elle said, “Dad is coming.”

I realized abruptly that I’d been in here
about ten minutes already. “Dinner is ready, girls. Come on, before
it gets cold.”

As I led them out, we went past their
mothers, who were still being regaled by Theo.

“Mom,” Diana said pointedly. “Dad’s going to
be home soon. Aren’t you going out to dinner tonight?”

Diana’s mom turned beet red. Then all the
mothers began making apologies. Within a few moments, they’d all
left.

“Having fun?” I said, giving Theo a knowing
look.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Theo said
loftily, then winked.

Happily, the rest of the night went smoothly.
When it was bedtime, I shooed the girls into Elle’s room, and drew
her aside. “There’s a reason you can’t get off the choker, or put
it on yourself, Elle,” I whispered.

“Why?”

“No one can make you take it off. Any
supernatural being you come into contact with can easily recognize
that you are under Danial’s protection, as I am.”

“They wouldn’t hurt us?”

“We wouldn’t be a snack or dead.”

Elle flinched at my words. “You can take
yours off, though. What if someone made you take it off?”

“I’ll soon have another mark on the other
side on my throat to match the one I have now. Even if someone got
the collar off me somehow, those marks say something just by
themselves, Elle.”

She nodded. “Marny noticed your bite under
the makeup. I told her it was an old scar from an animal.”

“That’s okay,” I said, hugging her. “She can
think that. Danial won’t be offended.”

“I’m having a lot of fun,” Elle said
gratefully. “Thank you.”

“Good. If anything happens tonight, come and
get me. It’s okay, even if the door is closed.”

She nodded, and went back inside her bedroom.
I went into the living room, where Theo was surfing channels.

I flopped down beside him. “I’m ready for bed
now.”

“I’m sorry, but there are five girls in the
house, so I can’t help you.”