Argeneau Family - The Immortal Hunter Part 26

Justin grunted as he maneuvered his way out the door, turning sideways to carry Stephanie through. "I can see why. That means Leonius's son was really in room 1313, and that wasn't really lucky for him."

Decker saw Dani smile faintly. But the smile faded as they stepped out into the hall and she asked, "What will Mortimer do with Twenty-one and his victims?"

Decker urged her up the hallway after the others. "He'll have Twenty-one removed to be taken for judgment, and then probably make an anonymous call reporting screams heard from 1413 so that the mortal authorities can find and help his victims."

Dani was silent as they reached the door to the stairwell and pa.s.sed through it. Justin and Lucian were already out of sight, but they could hear their footsteps echoing from the next flight down.

"Stephanie can never go home now, can she?" Dani said as they started down the stairs. Her words were laced with sadness.

Decker considered whether he should remind her that Stephanie had only a one in three chance of surviving the turn with her mind intact, but then decided not to add to her worries. She would remember that soon enough herself. "No, she can't. There would be no way to hide what she was from your parents. She's a teenager and a new turn and will be constantly feeding for a while... and then there's the need for her to stay out of the sun, the fact that if she's injured, she'll heal more quickly than she would were she mortal..." He shook his head. "No, she can't go home."

"I hadn't thought of that," Dani admitted unhappily. "I was just thinking of Leonius."

"Leonius?" Decker asked.

"He said he wanted Stephanie and me to bear him sons to replace the ones who died this week," she told him. "And when he was forcing me into the hall he said we'd have to leave her for now, but he'd come back for Stephanie." Her mouth tightened.

"My parents could never protect her from him."

"We will."

Decker paused and glanced down to see Lucian and Justin waiting on the next landing. Justin was holding a struggling Stephanie in front of him now, frowning as he tried to control her, but Decker's attention was on his uncle; Lucian had obviously heard Dani's words. His face was grim as he added, "We'll arrange security at the enforcer house. She can stay there. Sam can help look after her, and Mortimer and the boys can train her on how to survive as one of us. The two of you are welcome to stay there as well." He glanced to Justin as he grunted and cursed as Stephanie kicked him in the groin in an effort to get away, and then turned back, his mouth twitching with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Now you two kiss and tell each other you love each other so we can get moving before your sister hurts Justin."

"Before she does? If it weren't for nanos I'd be a eunuch by now," Justin muttered, scooping up Stephanie to follow the ancient immortal as he started down the next flight of stairs.

Decker smiled faintly, but then glanced to Dani when she touched his cheek.

"There's a lot to sort out yet," she said solemnly. "And I'm not sure what the future holds, but he's right. I do love you Decker."

Smiling, he caught her hand and pressed a kiss to it. "I know."

"You know?" she asked dryly. "I tell you I love you and you say I know?""Well, I've already told you I love you," he pointed out. "And of course I knew you would come to love me. The nanos are never wrong."

"The nanos are never wrong," Dani echoed with disbelief, then whirled on her heel and started down the stairs, muttering, "Of course he knew I'd love him. The nanos are never wrong. Why even bother telling him?"

Decker smiled as he started to follow. He loved it when she got all huffy. She was so cute when she got like that, he hadn't been able to resist teasing her.

"So much for romance," Dani continued as she reached the next landing. "Here I am giving up my practice to become some vamp ho and I get nanos are never wrong. I should just-Ack!" she cried out, grabbing for his shoulders as he suddenly scooped her up.

"What are you doing?" she asked with dismay.

"Giving you romance," he said solemnly, stepping closer to the wall to lean against it.

"You're wounded, Decker," she cried with exasperation. "Put me down before you hurt yourself. Dear G.o.d, you-"

Decker kissed her into silence, not stopping until she stopped struggling in his arms. Then he lifted his head and said, "I love you, Dani McGill, soon to be Maybe-Argeneau-Maybe-Pimms."

The anger melted out of Dani, her eyes softened, and she sighed. "I love you too, Decker."

"You are not a vamp ho, and while you might have to give up your practice, you can still practice your profession. There are many situations where your medical degree would come in handy and our boys can always use your skills."

"I somehow don't think so," she said with amus.e.m.e.nt.

"You're wrong," he a.s.sured her.

"Decker, I'm a gynecologist."

"Did you say gynecologist?" Justin asked, drawing their attention to the fact that he, Stephanie, and Lucian were waiting on the lower landing again. A big grin was stretching his face as he said, "What an awesome job! You get to spend the entire day looking at-"

"Justin!" Dani, Decker, and Lucian snapped at once.

"We'll wait for you in the van," Lucian growled, pushing Justin toward the next flight of stairs.

Decker watched them go and then turned to find Dani peering up at him. He cleared his throat and said, "Immortals have babies too."

She nodded, but said, "Stephanie's going to be upset about not being able to go home."

"We'll have to help her through it," he said quietly, and saw her eyes mist before she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"What about our parents?"

He sighed and set her down, trying not to look too relieved as he did. She wasn't heavy, but he wasn't as strong as normal, and holding her had hurt his chest though he'd never have admitted it.

Once on her own feet, she continued, "Will they think we're just missing, or-?" "That's up to you," he said solemnly. "They can be left to wonder what happened to the two of you, or we can arrange for them to believe your bodies have been found with those in the ravine up north along with the others."

She glanced at him sharply. "The authorities haven't been sent to find the women yet?"

"No. Lucian thought it would be better if we waited to see what happened with you and Stephanie first."

"In case we had to be added to the bodies?" she realized grimly.

He didn't answer, but suspected that's what his uncle had been thinking.

"Our parents will be upset," she added.

"We can arrange to help them through it, make it less painful for them," he said, and then added carefully, "Or we might be able to arrange it so that they think everything's all right. They could continue to believe that you and Stephanie were just enjoying a couple of days in the city."

"But she can't live with them," Dani said with a frown.

"No, but we could put it into their minds that Stephanie's at a boarding school and that you've just taken a job elsewhere. That way the two of you could occasionally visit with your family."

"For another ten years only, though, right?" she asked quietly.

Decker nodded. "I'm sorry, Dani. I wish I could make this easier for you."

"You do, just by being here. I can't imagine facing all this alone." She slipped her hand into his, squeezing it. "I guess that's what love is, sharing the good and the bad, the happy and the sad."

"Yes," he murmured. As they started down the stairs again, he was wishing he could take all the bad and sad away for her.

"And family."

"Family?" he asked uncertainly.

"Well, I'll still have family with you."

Decker was worrying that she meant babies and was imagining her heartache should they have a stillborn or a child who was born mad like Leonius when she added, "Your mother and father and brothers and sisters and that aunt you are so fond of."

"Marguerite," he murmured with relief.

"Yes. Your aunt Marguerite. We'll have them, and each other. We'll be okay." She raised a smile to his face and said, "We will."

"Yes." He bent to kiss her gently and then a.s.sured her, "We will."

As they broke apart to continue down the stairs, Decker started making plans; ways to keep Dani and Stephanie safe, ways she could still see her family for now, even visits to his aunt and cousins... Anything he could think of to help her through this.

He knew it wasn't always going to be easy, but he was going to work very, very hard to do his best to make Dani happy. She hadn't chosen to be turned, but she was his life mate, and the woman who had brought peace and pa.s.sion to his life. He was going to make sure they were more than okay. He was going to make her- "I'm going to be happy," she said suddenly. "And make sure you're happy too."

Decker smiled as he realized her own thoughts must have been traveling along the same lines as his. Squeezing her hand, he a.s.sured her, "I already am."