helped had no idea that a single person was helping them. It was just as well. Pete would have been thoroughly embarrassed to have them know. The bank assistant could lose her job if anyone got upset about Pete putting money into their accounts, but so far, no one had complained. The assistant manager had told her that she must notify each person who was helped and not to ever mention the donor’s name. Everyone was happy about that arrangement, especially Pete.
CHAPTER TEN
“ Miss Pete, it is I, Dunc. I was wondering if you could call me at the mansion as soon as you are free? I have a problem with one of the computers.”
Pete listened to the message again and then re-read the handful of phone messages from the same phone number, and a few with a name she did not know. She didn’t want to go back there. She didn’t even want to call the number. She went to the payphone in the hall and waited for one of the other residents to get off then made the dreaded call.
“ It’s Pete, Dunc, what can I do for you?” It was nearly seven o’clock on Friday night, and she knew that the vampires would be awake soon if they were not already.
“ Oh, miss, I was wondering if you could please come by and look at my kitchen computer? It will not…well, it will not do what I want it to. I have rebated it several times and I have unplugged it as well, but I’m having no luck.”
“ You rebooted it, Dunc, not rebated it, but I’ll be over in about an hour. Is there anything else? I mean, I have a lot of messages here from someone named Dominic Marshall.”
“ Master Dominic stays here, miss. He is the man who brought you here when the babies were born. I do not know why he has been calling. Would you like me to ask him to stop?”
“ No. No, I guess...he can call if he wants. Doesn’t mean I’ll return his call. Is he there now?” So that was his name.
She had thought of the kiss a lot over the past week. Her heartbeat would speed up at the thought of how he had claimed her mouth, devoured her really. His body pressing hard against hers made her nipples hard just to think about it. Then she would remember how he had pushed her away from him and she would be embarrassed all over again.
“ No, miss, he has not been here for a couple of days now.”
Pete wondered, not for the first time, how much the household knew about them and their tempestuous relationship. She had beaten up three large men when she had left the last time. She knew that if they had wanted to, any of them could have kept her there, but they had not wanted to hurt her and they would have too. Of this she had no doubt.
She and Duncan made arrangements for her to be there in an hour and hung up. She had gotten all her tools back from Toby and gathered them up to take with her. She was just putting them into her saddle bags when she felt the first touch.
They had found her. It would only be a matter of time now before they showed up, very little time before they tried to stake their claim again. She knew as soon as she had helped the babies they would come. Her family, they were coming for her. She went back into her little room and made sure there was nothing there she could not live without. She could not come back, not now, not without endangering the other people living there too. She found Booger and gave him her part of the rent for the next two months and left.
Pete showed up at the outer gate forty-five minutes later. She drove through and up the drive just as Dominic appeared in the kitchen. When she walked in the door and saw him, she nearly turned around and left. But he stepped toward her and stopped when she stiffened.
“ I was wondering if I may talk with you after you fix Duncan’s computer? Please?” he asked. He did not come any closer to her to, which she was both happy and upset about.
“ All right, I suppose so. But you’ll not touch me again. I don’t even want you to come close to me. Understand?”
He agreed that he
CHAPTER TEN
“ Miss Pete, it is I, Dunc. I was wondering if you could call me at the mansion as soon as you are free? I have a problem with one of the computers.”
Pete listened to the message again and then re-read the handful of phone messages from the same phone number, and a few with a name she did not know. She didn’t want to go back there. She didn’t even want to call the number. She went to the payphone in the hall and waited for one of the other residents to get off then made the dreaded call.
“ It’s Pete, Dunc, what can I do for you?” It was nearly seven o’clock on Friday night, and she knew that the vampires would be awake soon if they were not already.
“ Oh, miss, I was wondering if you could please come by and look at my kitchen computer? It will not…well, it will not do what I want it to. I have rebated it several times and I have unplugged it as well, but I’m having no luck.”
“ You rebooted it, Dunc, not rebated it, but I’ll be over in about an hour. Is there anything else? I mean, I have a lot of messages here from someone named Dominic Marshall.”
“ Master Dominic stays here, miss. He is the man who brought you here when the babies were born. I do not know why he has been calling. Would you like me to ask him to stop?”
“ No. No, I guess...he can call if he wants. Doesn’t mean I’ll return his call. Is he there now?” So that was his name.
She had thought of the kiss a lot over the past week. Her heartbeat would speed up at the thought of how he had claimed her mouth, devoured her really. His body pressing hard against hers made her nipples hard just to think about it. Then she would remember how he had pushed her away from him and she would be embarrassed all over again.
“ No, miss, he has not been here for a couple of days now.”
Pete wondered, not for the first time, how much the household knew about them and their tempestuous relationship. She had beaten up three large men when she had left the last time. She knew that if they had wanted to, any of them could have kept her there, but they had not wanted to hurt her and they would have too. Of this she had no doubt.
She and Duncan made arrangements for her to be there in an hour and hung up. She had gotten all her tools back from Toby and gathered them up to take with her. She was just putting them into her saddle bags when she felt the first touch.
They had found her. It would only be a matter of time now before they showed up, very little time before they tried to stake their claim again. She knew as soon as she had helped the babies they would come. Her family, they were coming for her. She went back into her little room and made sure there was nothing there she could not live without. She could not come back, not now, not without endangering the other people living there too. She found Booger and gave him her part of the rent for the next two months and left.
Pete showed up at the outer gate forty-five minutes later. She drove through and up the drive just as Dominic appeared in the kitchen. When she walked in the door and saw him, she nearly turned around and left. But he stepped toward her and stopped when she stiffened.
“ I was wondering if I may talk with you after you fix Duncan’s computer? Please?” he asked. He did not come any closer to her to, which she was both happy and upset about.
“ All right, I suppose so. But you’ll not touch me again. I don’t even want you to come close to me. Understand?”
He agreed that he
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