Tall, Dark & Lonely

She clapped her hands together. “Now, I believe Chris has a take to tell us.”

From above them Ephraim’s voice echoed throughout the room. “Oh, I believe I’m more qualified to tell that tale, wouldn't you agree?”

Everyone looked up and gasped.

Chapter 30

Madison was surprised to see Ephraim lying across the ceiling with his hands folded behind his head and his ankles crossed. The perfect picture of leisure, if one did that sort of thing on the ceiling of course. She had to remember to ask him to show her how to do it.

She dropped her gaze to take in everyone else’s expression. Caroline looked torn between anger at not knowing he was there and excitement that he was. Her men looked nervous and awed. She knew what they were all thinking. Caroline no doubt promised to have them changed and they all thought they were looking at their future.

Candy cowered back even more. Madison saw Candy’s eyes take in everyone’s distractions. She inched away quickly while she could. Madison didn’t say anything. If Candy managed it good for her, otherwise drawing attention to her right now would set off guns in their direction. If Candy was going to get herself shot she would rather she did it away from the kids.

No one else seemed to notice that Candy was no longer part of their group. Caroline kept her eyes on Ephraim, expecting her men to watch the small group. Of course they weren’t.

Ephraim watched Candy sneak away out of the corner of his eye. She didn’t even look over her shoulder again to give her kids on last look never mind taking them out of here to safety. If Chris was well he could count on the boy to take the younger children to the training room where they would remain safe until help arrived.

Chris looked relieved to see him. Eleanor looked relieved as well as she tightened her grip around Chris and reached out to take Joshua’s hand in hers. Joshua beamed up at him. He winked at the little boy. Jill just looked astonished. She didn’t look frightened just surprised.

Candy was just making it past the stairs when Caroline’s gaze dropped to her.

“Kill her.”

Everyone in the group except for Madison and Chris whimpered and ducked down, trying to cover each other. Madison threw a pleading look at Candy. “Get back here before they kill you!”

Candy hesitated at the stairs and looked back. She was deathly pale. “No, I’m not dying for anyone.” She turned to run. “I’m not going to die!”

The man guarding her chased after her. Madison was frozen on the spot. She couldn’t risk running after Candy to help her and give herself away. She had to stay and protect the children. She knew that instinctively just like she knew that if she ran Ephraim would stop her.

Ephraim watched Candy run. One look at Caroline let him know if he went after the woman she would kill everyone. If it had been anyone else he may have risked it, but Candy wasn’t worth it. She just abandoned her own children to certain death.

A few moments later they heard several gunshots. The kids and Eleanor jumped. Chris swore. Madison wiped away a single tear. He knew it was the hardest thing she’d ever done, sacrificing her birth mother to save her family, but he was glad. He couldn’t lose any of his children or Eleanor.

The guard walked back and nodded. Caroline looked pleased. “Next time any of you fail to do your job I will personally rip your throats out.” The guards backed up a bit and refocused on the group.

“Why don’t you come down here, Ephraim, and tell your story. Or we could just shoot the little boy. Both would be entertaining.”

Joshua swallowed loudly and cowered. With grace a dancer would be jealous of, Ephraim fell to the ground, landing on his feet without a noise. Caroline smiled wolfishly. “Oh, how I look forward to being able to do that.”

“I bet,” Ephraim said smoothly. He stepped in front of the group. He stood no more than an inch away from them, blocking Caroline and the front two men’s view of the group. His legs were less than an inch apart further blocking their view.

“You three cover their backs. I don’t trust him,” she said to the other three guards.

“I want you to take off your vest and remove your weapons slowly and turn around or I tell those three to start shooting.” Caroline ordered. Her eyes were fixed on Ephraim’s every move.

Ephraim slowly removed the vest, knowing how much Caroline appreciated a man’s chest. While he had her distracted he pressed his left leg against Chris’s side, knowing the back of his lower legs and Chris’s hands would be blocked. A few seconds later he felt his pant leg pushed up from the back and felt his gun removed, he'd left both guns unstrapped for this reason. A few seconds later the second gun was gone. He heard Joshua and Jill’s small gasp of surprise and so did Caroline.

“What is it? Turn around now!”

He turned around, giving Caroline a view of his back. He saw Chris tuck the guns in the waist of his pants. He nodded firmly. Ephraim winked at the kids as he tossed his bullet proof carelessly, but purposely, on Joshua. Eleanor released the boy’s hand and with Jill’s help they quickly had the boy inside the vest as secretively as they could.

“Master, they’re putting the vest on the boy,” one of the men pointed out. Ephraim’s teeth lowered as he eyed the man. He growled viciously towards him. The man took an unsteady step back.

Caroline laughed it off. “If he wants to give the boy false hopes let him.”

Ephraim heard Caroline approach. She removed the gun from the back of his pants and threw it back. It hit the wall before it fell to the floor. Her fingernail traced lines on his back. No doubt she was cautious about touching his skin after the last time. He knew what she was looking at.

“Hmm, I see you’ve turned into quite the passionate lover, Ephraim, if these scratches are any indication. That’s good to know.”

“You’ll never know,” he said in a bored tone.

“His eyes,” Eleanor whispered.

He looked back down at her. “It’s okay. I promise.” She nodded slowly. Jill did as well. Joshua just grinned hugely.

“Cool!” the little boy said. Hope filled his eyes. Ephraim only hoped he wouldn’t let him down.

Caroline’s hand snaked around him, still careful not to touch him, and removed the second gun. She threw it across the room. “We’re all waiting for an explanation, Ephraim.” She backed away, giving him room. Apparently she wasn’t completely stupid. That was a bit of a surprise.

Ephraim walked around the room, careful not to go near the armed men. He didn’t want to make them anymore nervous than they already were. He decided to buy some time by doing what she wanted, for now.

“What you need to know is that I would never hurt any of you. I was born this way. I was born in London, England during the winter of 1803.” He paused to give them time to adjust to this knowledge. “My father was a vampire, my mother human. I don’t know the details of their relationship. She was married to a Duke whom she already bore two sons for. I was very different, small.”

“When I was sixteen I went into a coma and a month later I awoke like this. I will never die, but I can be hurt. I walk in the daylight and I drink blood. I have killed, but only when needed and for good reason.”

“I was planning on telling you shortly. As you know, Chris is a Sentinel. We both work for a special council. Our job is to kill violent vampires, demons and shifters. This house you are in is an incomplete Sentinel home. I say incomplete because the Pope and the council have been working hard to set up a proper household for us. It’s taken a lot longer to do then it normally should because of the baby.”