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"Wait until Alexandra sees it She’ll want one too We’ve already talked about hoould be better to be able to log on fro a lot of re and that e could actually be in the roo all right?"
"Oh, yeah Absolutely" Mirabelle lowered her voice as they entered the house "I feel kind of badin on her, but she really doesn’t seem touy who died defending her He sounds really sweet He was a dancer, you know--"
"No, I didn’t--"
"--in Europe, I don’t know like a hundred years ago or soer Anyway, it’s so rolad that Mirabelle was settling in, and that Cyn was free to continue her search for the hts went by Nights spent driving up and down the dark streets of LA, talking to runaway kids and shelter operators, visiting cafés and clubs, showing Liz’s picture to anyone ould look But Cyn was no closer to finding her She stood in her closet on the fourth night, wearing nothing but her underwear and staring blankly at the racks of clothes while her brain struggled to think of a fresh approach, so new that would help her find Elizabeth Several of the kids she’d spoken with had clearly recognized the picture, although not one of the, but it told her at least that Liz was alive and well somewhere on the streets of LA Now all she had to do was persuade the girl to corowing evidence that Jabril’s real investigator had finally followed the trail to California More than one of the street kids had been questioned by soot there, so an awful lot like the white-haired guy she’d run into outside Jabril’s place WhichElizabeth, but he was far too close to Mirabelle for Cyn’s comfort
Of course, Raphael’s security people understood the iht, and Cyn hadit to Alexandra She’d also spoken privately to Duncan, who assured her the gate guards had been instructed not to permit Mirabelle off the estate without specific permission from either him or Raphael She’d breathed a bit easier after that, buoyed by the knowledge that the danger to Mirabelle was te vampire was formally under Raphael’s protection Once that happened, Jabril risked outright conflict with Raphael if he tried to force her back to Texas, so Duncan had told her even Jabril would not venture since the Vampire Council would surely side with Raphael in this ht reminded her that Mirabelle’s appointment with the vampire lord was three days away and Raphael expected Cyn to be there She sighed
As for Raphael and his involvement in the murders, there hadn’t been a peep fro froiven her run-in with Santillo, but Duncan had been silent as well Did thatat Raphael? Surely Duncan would have let her know if things were heating up She sat down to tug on her Frye boots, telling herself she was a fool What was she worrying about anyway? Raphael? The big bad vampire could take care of hiht He was probably traveling or busy or who knehat else? So no one had called her Wasn’t that what she’d wanted all these weeks? To be left alone, to get over hirabbed the first sweater she found and pulled it over her head It was tiet to work She needed to find Liz and get her securely into the fold before someone else snatched her up
Chapter Thirty-two
Mirabelle dropped the e into the plastic bin and wiped her mouth delicately with the fine linen napkin There was a bit of blood on one finger and she licked it off quickly, savoring the rich flavor of the thick liquid She’d never known blood could taste so good Lonnie said Jabril had probably been watering her blood supply all these years, keeping her weak, keeping her biddable Long suppressed anger tightened her gut and she stood, sto over to her small private bath to wash her hands and face
It made her sick to think what her life had been all these years, how completely cowed she’d been by the Texas vampire lord She wanted to believe it had been the norance But honesty compelled her to admit she’d been afraid Terrified, really Not that Jabril Kariiven her plenty of reason to fear hiht back somehow Hell, she should have left hione to her parents’ lawyer, to the cops, or even to Ramona Hewitt Soods knew there was enough of that Cynthia had already talked to her about wresting control of the Hawthorn Trust back fro time lawyers here in LA, and they’d already come by the house to meet with her Cynthia had been there too, but only briefly She’d been eager to get back to the streets, to the search for Liz Cyn hadn’t said anything, but Mirabelle knew she orried about how long it was taking to find her sister
Mirabelle orried too She’d left several es in the chat roo’s okay, I’hts of Liz sent her over to the new desk which had been delivered yesterday It was a beautiful piece, if not precisely what Mirabelle would have chosen But, after all, this was Alexandra’s house; Mirabelle was only a guest Someday soon, after Cyn found Liz, the two sisters would find a place together and they’d decorate it any way they wanted It h All the valy ordinary She’d even met several other female vamps, in addition to Elke who looked kind of scary, but who’d been really friendly, joking that Mirabelle needed soym
For the first time, she felt part of a community She’d put on ten pounds in the short time she’d been in LA and her skin was flushed with a pinkish color that was pale, but far healthier looking than she’d ever expected to be again And ten pounds! Who’d have ever thought that would be a good thing She laughed quietly Maybe she’d take Elke up on that workout after all She liked the feh Alexandra didn’t approve Alexandra had so a bodyguard wasn’t one of thereat that Elke was part of Raphael’s inner security It was an honor, a mark of his trust Of course, everyone here took security very seriously And not only at the gates Every vah the day in the safety of the baseuards and Mirabelle, too Each of them had a private chamber in the specially constructed vaults, one beneath the main house and another at Alexandra’s iant bank vaults, but once closed for the day, the door could only be opened from the inside Mirabelle had never known that kind of safety as a vampire
She had yet to actually visit the main house, but she would soon This weekend, she would present herself to Raphael and formally request his protection Alexandra had drilled her in the proper words to say and how to act She was afraid Mirabelle would embarrass herself, and by association, Alexandra, if she htly until Mirabelle was drea her dayti, but it was important to Alexandra, so Mirabelle practiced because she definitely wanted to stay with Raphael
Back at her coed in Theicon popped up immediately She was so surprised that she stared stupidly at it for several ht an to race; her hand was shaking so badly she had to try twice before she e open
Liz! It was from Liz! Tears of corabbed a tissue before they could spill over onto the coe quickly, her elation quickly shifting to concern Her sister was happy to hear from her, amazed that Mirabelle had escaped Jabril and was here in LA But all of Liz’s belongings had been stolen on her second day in the city, leaving her with nothing except her small purse and, thankfully, the little bit ofIt had been rough for awhile, but she was safe now, she said She’dher crash in his spare bedroouy had even offered to help her get a lawyer or soally claim her inheritance
Don’t worry, she wrote, correctly anticipating Mirabelle’s reaction He’s not a pervert and he’s not a creep He’s soh, because he had to run away fro hi He doesn’t like to talk about it, but I think it was pretty rough Once I get Mo to help him set up his own business It’s the least I can do
Mirabelle stared at her sister’s o sitting heavily in a queasy stomach God knew she certainly wasn’t a woman of the world, not like Cynthia as always so confident, so brave She sighed But even Mirabelle knew this guy was using Liz Itwith her little sister even now She hit reply
Cow baby! She stuck a big grinning sot a place you can stay Somewhere safe, with ME! Call me She inserted her temporary cell phone nu for you She paused in her typing, trying to think of the best ti at her coht Tick tock, tick tock I’ She finished with a vas and a ’s peak hairline frale" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">