11
Sammie had already begun dinner preparations and Kevin was out on the patio talking on the phone with Nickolas when Alex and Angel returned.
“Momma!” Logan yelled, running to his mother and throwing his arms around her neck as she bent down and picked him up.
“Oh, Logan! It’s so good to have you home again! I’ve missed you so much,” she said, holding him tight and kissing his cheek. “But I need you to go upstairs and wash up for dinner. Your new room is the last door on the left. We’ll have time to talk in a little while, ok?”
“Ok! I can’t wait to tell you all about camp!” He kissed her on the cheek, then ran upstairs to find his room.
“Whoa, there, slow down a little,” Alex laughed as he and Angel walked into the kitchen. “Where’s Kevin?” he asked.
“He’s outside, Alex,” Sammie said as she turned back to the stove.
Alex walked outside as Kevin hung up the phone, leaving the two girls alone in the kitchen.
Angel took one look at her friend and knew something had happened. She smiled as she walked up and hopped onto the counter. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did,” Sammie said, smiling and refused to say anymore about it.
“Well, as long as you’re happy again, I won’t complain. Kevin’s perfect for you.”
“He and I are soulmates, Angel. I know that now. I felt it.”
“Do you love him?” Angel asked seriously.
Sammie looked at her friend, her green eyes warm, “Yes, very much.”
“Then that’s all that matters, Hon! That’s all that matters.”
Nickolas came in shortly before 10 p.m. He had no new news about the men from the club, nor could he find any trace of VooDoo.
“If you can’t find him in the Quarter, he’s probably visiting some friends,” Sammie told him, covering a yawn. “He has some friends that live out in Grand Isle or somewhere around there. But if you guys don’t mind, I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed.” She leaned over and brushed her lips against Kevin’s.
“Goodnight, love. I’ll see you in the morning,” Kevin said quietly as he watched her leave the room.
“I believe I’m going to go to bed too, Alex. You boys don’t have a wild party without us, though, ok?” Angel teased as she leaned over and gave Alex a kiss.
“You will be the first one I wake up if we do,” he laughed.
Alex and Nickolas went to their rooms shortly after midnight; Kevin had decided to stay up and do some research for Sammie. She had asked him to help her trace her family tree and he had agreed.
Sometime around 4:30 a.m., Kevin sensed danger. He put the book that he had just gotten off the shelf down on the desk. He was reaching for his sword just as he heard Sammie scream his name.
“KEVIN! Help me!”
Then he heard Angel scream for Alex.
“ALEX! Help!”
He took the stairs two at a time and met Alex and Nickolas in the hallway just before he ran into Sammie’s room.
He saw that the man was just bending towards her throat. “NO!” he screamed, running towards the man that was holding an unconscious Sammie against him, her sword on the floor.
The man chuckled, his fangs flashing in the pale moonlight from the window, “Stay where you are, Ravenwolf, or I finish her.” He moved Sammie’s head slightly, showing Kevin the point of the armor ring against her throat. “Such a pretty thing. It would be a shame to destroy her so soon,” he growled.
The man shifted slightly in the light and Kevin recognized the young man from the armory shop.
“Let her go, Edward,” he said as he lowered his sword. He knew that doing so would give the young one a false sense of power; Kevin also knew that a very angry Alex was directly behind him, hidden in the shadows.
“I told her that she would regret firing me. I don’t make idle threats,” he hissed as he gathered Sammie against him again and began to back up towards the open window.
“You want the two girls again, come to the warehouse district down by the river. Pier 4, just past sunset tonight.” Then he jumped from the window and disappeared into what was left of the night, taking Sammie with him.
Kevin turned to Alex and saw the silver dagger still in his hand; there hadn’t been a clear shot to throw it. The anger and pain on his friend’s face told him all he needed to know - Angel was gone too.
“Why did that man take my mom and Aunt Angel?” Logan asked from Nickolas’ arms. He had heard their screams, but had been scared to leave his room until Nickolas had grabbed him.
Kevin walked over to the boy, stroking his hair. “I don’t know, Logan. But I promise you that we will get them back. Now go back to bed and try to get some sleep. Everything will be alright.”
“Yes, sir,” Logan said, obeying Kevin without question as Nickolas set his feet on the floor.
Kevin looked at Alex. “I don’t have a choice, Alex. I can’t lose her, I just found her,” he said quietly and began to walk out of the room.
“We found our soulmates again, after all these centuries. We will both go, my friend,” Alex answered him.
“What can I do to help?” Nickolas asked.
Kevin’s eyes had taken on a distant stare. He spoke quietly, without expression; a sure sign he was angry. “Go to the warehouse district. Find out exactly where they took the women, how many people we have to go through.” He turned cold green eyes on the younger man. “Do you understand what I want?”
“That I do, sir. I’ll get the info plus extra, just to be on the safe side.” He bowed quickly to the men, then quietly left the house on his errand.
At noon, Kevin woke up to the sound of the telephone ringing.
“Yes?” he answered sleepily.
“I found them.”
Hearing Nickolas’ voice, he was instantly awake. “Are they safe?”
“From what I can tell, yeah. They’re in one of the warehouses, in a cage together. I can’t be certain, but I think Samantha’s hands are bound. I can only see about ten people around here. I sense more than twenty, though,” Nickolas said.
“Can you tell who they are?” Kevin asked.
“Santino’s men, by the looks of them. And all half vamps; they are all over the place. A few new faces, but I’m pretty certain it’s Santino.”
“As long as the girls are alive, that is all I’m worried about for now,” Kevin said.
“Oh, shit, Kevin. They have VooDoo!” Nickolas said.
“Get out of there, now. Come back here. Just make sure you aren’t followed,” Kevin ordered even as he heard the car start.
“You don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I just have a couple stops and a few phone calls to make.”
