"you okay, buddy?" rhys asked.

"yeah, sure. sounds like a close call."

"too damn close!"

"i always said you needed better security around here. a baby could break into this place."

"how did they know where to find me?" rhys asked, his voice sharp. "that's what i want to know."

"you think i sent them?" erik asked, his tone equally sharp.

"i don't know." rhys stared at him, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "you're the only one who knows i rest here from time to time."

"it wouldn't take a genius to figure it out. anyway, i'm probably the only one on the west coast who doesn't want you dead. the rest of them would be fighting to take your place before your ashes were cold."

rhys grunted softly, and then chuckled. "come on," he said, his good nature restored. "let's go find you some dinner, and then we'll have dessert."

chapter 20

"daisy! dammit, daisy, where are you?"

"i'm up here. what's wrong?" she peered over the banister, startled to see erik moving swiftly toward the foot of the stairs, so swiftly he was little more than a blur.

"get your things together. we're leaving."

"leaving? why? where are we going?"

"rhys knows what you look like. he's tasted your brother's blood. how long do you think it will take him to track the two of you down?"

"so he's still alive," she murmured.

"very much so."

daisy felt the blood drain from her face. all too clearly she recalled the fury blazing in the vampire's hell-red eyes when he had whirled around to face her. she had seen death in those eyes. her death.

"we need to go, daisy. now."

"you're right, of course. alex..."

"what about him?"

"we can't tell him that you've talked to rhys."

"right."

daisy chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. "i'll just tell him that i think we need to get out of la, that i've got a bad feeling about staying here any longer since i'm not sure that i destroyed rhys."

"will he buy that?"

"i think so."

"tell him whatever you need to, but do it now."

while daisy went to talk to alex, erik went upstairs to his room. he threw a change of clothes and a long, black hooded cloak into a suitcase, packed his laptop, and shoved a pair of sunglasses into his pocket. as an afterthought, he grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants for alex and headed downstairs to the guest room, wondering, as he did so, how he had gotten so tangled up in the affairs of the o'donnell family. of course, he knew the answer, and her name was daisy.

alex was sitting up in bed when erik entered the room. daisy glanced at him over her shoulder, her expression telling him that she had explained things to her brother.

erik tossed the t-shirt and sweats on the bed. "are you strong enough to get dressed on your own?"

"damn right!"

"then do it. we're leaving in five minutes." with another glance at daisy, erik left the room.

she followed him into the living room.

"have you got everything?" erik asked.

she nodded. she hadn't had anything with her other than her handbag, her cell phone, and her kit when they arrived. "you don't think we waited too long, do you? you don't think he's out there?"

"no, but we need to put some miles behind us before sunrise."

daisy glanced at her watch. it would be light in a few hours. "does rhys...can he be out during the day?"

"not in direct sunlight." he looked past daisy as alex entered the room. "are we ready?"

"i think so," daisy said. "let's go."

"we'll take my car," erik said.

"hey, what about my lexus?" alex asked.

"leave it," erik said. "you're in no condition to drive."

as they left the relative safety of erik's house, daisy felt a rush of anxiety. what if erik was wrong? what if rhys was outside, waiting for them? if he attacked, could the three of them fight him off? alex looked better, but she could tell by the fine lines around his mouth that he hadn't yet regained his full strength. as for herself, she was out of holy water and the last time she had seen her hawthorn stake, it had been sticking out of rhys costain's chest.

she glanced at erik, who was helping alex, none too gently, into the backseat of his car. erik was their only hope.

she climbed into the front seat, thinking it was a bit ironic that she had spent her adult life hunting vampires, and now the oldest vampire in the city was hunting her.

"what?" she glanced at erik, realizing he had asked her a question.

"i asked if there's anywhere in particular you want to go?"

"home," she said. "i want to go home to boston."

"do you think that's a good idea?" erik asked.

"i don't know. i don't care. i just want to go home." she glanced over her shoulder. "alex?"

"we should go home," he agreed. "safety in numbers and all that."

erik grunted softly, wondering if he had made a mistake in letting daisy decide where she wanted to go. under the circumstances, returning the brother and sister to their vampire-hunting parents didn't seem like the wisest thing for him to do.

they drove in silence for the next hour or so.

daisy sighed as she stared out the window at the passing scenery. alex had fallen asleep. erik appeared to be deep in thoughts he didn't seem inclined to share. it was probably just as well. she had caused him nothing but trouble. he was probably regretting the fact that he had ever met her. well, there was nothing she could do about that now. he would probably take her home and drop her off and she would never see him again. sadly, she knew that was probably for the best.

as the miles slipped by, daisy found herself constantly looking behind them, expecting to see rhys right on their tail, his eyes glowing like twin coals from the pit of hell.

daisy woke when the car came to a stop. she hadn't meant to fall asleep. sitting up, she saw that they were parked behind the big top motel. the sky was growing light in the east.

"stay here," erik said. "i'm going to get a couple of rooms."

she nodded, her gaze following him as he got out of the car and walked around the building. two rooms, she thought, and wondered who was sleeping with whom.

erik returned a short time later. opening her car door, he handed her a room key. "you and alex are in twelve," he said. "i'm right next door."

after getting out of the car, daisy shook her brother's shoulder. "alex?"

he muttered something unintelligible, but didn't wake up.

"what's wrong with him?" daisy asked.

"nothing. he's still healing. i'll carry him inside. he'll be fine when he wakes up."

with a nod, daisy stepped out of the car and opened the back door. erik lifted alex as if he weighed no more than a child, carried him into the room, and settled him on one of the twin beds.

"i guess i don't have to tell you to keep the window closed and the door locked," erik said, turning to face her.

"will you be all right?" daisy asked. "wouldn't it be better if we all stayed together?"

"probably, but i think i'll live longer if your brother goes on thinking i'm an artist."

"probably," daisy said, grinning. "although he's going to wonder why we're spending the day here."

"just tell him i drove all night and i needed the rest."

"all right." she looked up at him, wishing he would take her in his arms. right or wrong, she felt safe in his embrace.

her stomach tingled with anticipation when his gaze moved over her face, lingering on her lips. he was going to kiss her.

murmuring her name, he pulled her roughly into his arms. "what am i going to do with you, daisy, darlin'?"

she looked up at him, drowning in the depths of his deep black eyes. he could do anything he wanted with her, she thought. didn't he know that?

her eyelids fluttered down as his mouth covered hers. she pressed against him, wanting to be closer, wanting to feel his skin against hers, his hands on her flesh. in his arms, she could face anything, be anything. she wanted to be a part of him, to give him everything she was, everything she would ever be.

she moaned softly as his hand moved restlessly up and down her spine, his touch somehow erotic, even through her clothing. she wanted to touch him, needed to feel his skin beneath her hand. tugging his shirt from his jeans, she pressed her palms to his back. his skin was smooth and cool.

"my turn," he whispered.

she gasped his name when his hands slid under her sweater. he walked her backward until she was against the wall, and then he leaned into her, letting her feel his desire. she writhed against him, aching and needy, willing, at that moment, to do anything he wanted if he would satisfy the ache building deep inside.

she might have surrendered to him then and there if alex hadn't cleared his throat. "do you guys think i could get some breakfast before you devour each other?"

erik drew back, his eyes hot. he stared at daisy a moment, then pressed his car keys and a handful of cash into her hand. "get him something to eat," he said, his voice ragged. "but have it delivered. i'll see you tonight."

before daisy could say ah, yes, or no, erik was gone.

daisy glared at her brother. couldn't he have stayed asleep for another hour or two?

"maybe you two had better get a room of your own," alex said dryly.

"oh, shut up!" daisy said irritably.

muttering under his breath, erik darted from daisy's room to his own. the rising sun burned his eyes, but it was nothing to the fire burning in his loins. damn her brother's untimely interference!

slamming the door, erik stood with his back against it for a moment, cursing his bad luck. another five minutes and he would have had daisy in his arms, in his bed.