Page 19 of The Union
“I shudder to think.” I then filled her in on Kendra.
“Do you think Kendra knows something about Mom?” she asked.
I stretched my neck. “Not sure. But she’s gone, and she’s not our concern right now. But I think you should have Dr. Vieira test your blood.”
“No,” she said emphatically. “I’m not ready to go down that road.”
“Fair enough, but don’t sleep with a vampire.” I snickered. “You might end up like me.”
We both laughed.
I rubbed a hand over my carotid artery. I swore it still felt like Sam had sunk his fangs into me. “Anyway, back to Uncle Ray. He was complaining he couldn’t breathe.”
“Heart attack, you think? They do run in our family.”
“Maybe so. But I can’t help but think if I hadn’t screamed, he would still be alive.” I couldn’t face his wife or kids. Aunt Deb was a decent woman, and we’d gotten along okay.
“Listen to me.” Jordyn’s voice was motherly, reminding me of when Mom scolded us. “I’m sad about Uncle Ray. I am. But we can’t control fate, and whatever happened to cause his death, it wasn’t intentional. So shrug off the self-pity. You’re tough and resilient. Dig deep for that strength. Sam needs you. Your baby needs you. I do too. Fight with all you have, of course, but be careful. You’re carrying my niece or nephew. But for fuck’s sake, none of us have time to mourn or allow guilt to take over. Do you hear me?”
A gloom-ridden laugh escaped. “Yes, ma’am.”
She sighed heavily. “Good. I need to go. I’ve been surfing the dark web for any chatter on Sam, and I want to continue my efforts.”
“You mean the supernatural dark web?”
“That, and the human one too,” she said. “I found a chat room that might give us some leads.”
I straightened. “Tell me more.”
“Not much to say yet. Get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
She might be right, especially if we were snowed in. “Love you, sis.”
“Ditto,” she said, then hung up.
Blowing out a breath, I combed my fingers through my tangled hair and climbed off the bed. On my way to the bathroom, hunger pangs struck. What the hell? I’d eaten a juicy hamburger about three hours ago. I placed my hand on my stomach. “Hey, little one,” I said. “I’ll find us something to snack on.” I had a craving for something sweet and not blood… yet.
I didn’t have any money with me, so the vending machine was out. But there was a store adjacent to the check-in desk. If I remembered correctly, the store was open all night.
With that in mind, my mouth watered for a Reese’s or a Mounds bar.
7
LAYLA
Fifteen minutes later, I stood in the hotel’s all-night store with a Reese’s, a Mounds bar, a package of white powdered donuts, a Kit Kat, and a chocolate protein bar in my hands. I set everything on a wood counter connecting the store to the check-in desk. It was time I started to keep snacks with me so when the hunger struck, I would be prepared.
The brunette night clerk sat on a stool, reading on her phone. “Are you ready?” she asked, not looking at me.
“I am,” I replied as the elevator dinged. “Can you add these to my room? I’m in 432.”
She smiled at whoever had just stepped into the lobby. “Evening, sir.”
I couldn’t see anyone from where I stood. But maybe the guest had the same idea as me.
Then she typed a few strokes on her keyboard before she hopped off her stool and ambled over to me. “Can’t sleep?”
“Nightmare,” I said. One I didn’t care to discuss.
