55 Why Would I Harm A Hostage? (1/2)
It came from the couch, which may as well have been a throne despite its shabby appearance based on the way the vampire was sitting in it. He wore an elegant suit and cravat that had been fashionable centuries ago and swirled blood around in a wine glass before taking a sip.
”Dorian,” Flint said faintly. ”What are you doing here?”
”I simply wanted to check on the status of my investment. And what do I find? Little Ruby has been missing for over a month yet you did not say a word. Care to explain yourself?”
He ended up tripping over his words in his haste to save himself. ”I didn't mean to hide it from you! I just—she's been predictable all these years so I thought I could find her myself. There was no need to bother someone as esteemed as you about this!”
The vampire raised a sleek black eyebrow. ”Oh? Then where is she now?”
”…not here. I found her in Las Vegas but she spotted me and managed to escape.”
”And here you said she was predictable! Shame on you for not knowing your own niece better. Tell me everything that happened since she ran away and I might let you live,” Dorian commanded.
Flint gulped. He really shouldn't be pushing his luck here right now but… ”Where are my wife and daughter? I won't tell you anything until I know they're safe.”
He actually laughed. ”You have more of a backbone than I thought! Rest assured, they are fine. For now. That may change depending on how cooperative you are.”
”I'll tell you everything! Just don't hurt them!”
A cruel smile lit Dorian's face as he listened to Flint's story right up until he got to the part about how Ruby was spotted with a vampire in Las Vegas. His expression immediately hardened and his eyes glinted murderously.
”You said that you thought he was a human at first when he waved you away from a particular spot in the redwood forest near here?” he asked in a frigid tone. ”Where was that spot exactly?”
Flint was startled by the sudden attitude shift. Did Dorian know that other vampire? ”Uh…it was several miles northeast of the nearest freeway exit.”
”And how did you know he was a vampire?”
”Well he couldn't be a human if he stayed up all night without even looking tired, could he? I tailed them for days and only ever saw him after dark. Ruby would never go into hiding with a human and in hindsight it was suspicious that a human was alone in the middle of an empty stretch of forest.
”I figured he ended up hiding her for some reason. They seemed really close when I saw them together; almost like they were two humans on a date. But that can't be right because a vampire and a fairy could never—”
Dorian interrupted him with blazing red eyes. ”Did you manage to catch a name?”
The coffee table in front of the couch went flying across the room in an instant. Flint didn't even see it happen and turned in horror toward the vampire who was now on his feet with his hands curled upward like claws.