I sat at the table of the dim room eating dinner in silence with Vince Moretti. I could tell that something was going on in that mind of his. He had some news, but hadn't told me what it was yet. I ate quickly, figuring that he was waiting until we were done before he was going to say anything.
After I finished, I set my silverware down and looked him in the eyes. "What's going on, Vince? Why the silence?"
"The rumors are true," he said and then took a sip of his wine.
Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Which rumors exactly?"
He ran his hands through his short spiky hair. "She's alive."
My mind ran through the list of 'she's' that he could be referring to. Then I looked at him again. "You mean…?"
Eyes aglow, he said, "Marguerite. Mattie, that old hag, didn't have her killed like she was supposed to. I threatened her daughters' lives and yet she still risked it all. She merely hid the child."
I leaned over the table toward him. "She wouldn't be a child anymore. How old would she be now?"
"Almost sixteen, if I remember correctly. She was close to three when she was supposed to be killed." He sighed.
"So she's gone through her transformation already."
Vince shook his head. "No, not yet. That's what's made it so difficult to track her down. She was hidden amongst the humans, being raised as one. Marguerite probably thinks that she is one," he said, and laughed.
I grinned, flipping my dark blonde hair behind my shoulder. "What's the plan?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're going to pay her a visit."
"What?" I asked, sitting back. "Are you kidding? You're sending me?"
"You're perfect for the job. You're a quick thinker, unlike most of the goons I have to deal with, and you look like you could be her age. She'll probably trust you if you play it right."
Wonderful. I was getting sent out on a job instead of sticking around with him. But nobody crossed Vince. No one that lived to tell about it, anyway. I gave him my most seductive smile. "It could be fun to mess with the humans. I haven't mingled with them in about fifty years."
"I'm glad to hear it, Samantha," he said, smiling. I loved it when he smiled at me because he was one of the most powerful vampires alive. He could have been with anyone, but I had won him over. "I thought you might put up a fuss."
"Oh Vincey, you know that I love a challenge. That's how I ended up here in this room with you."