Luther's Return (Scanguards Vampires Book 10)

Luther looked over his shoulder and peered into the dark, while Katie unlocked the front door to her house. As suggested by Blake, he’d parked the car in front of the house instead of the garage so that anybody watching them would see him and Katie enter the house.

He couldn’t see anybody, but it didn’t mean they were alone. While the man walking his dog was clearly human and minding his own business, there were plenty of places a vampire could hide without being seen. Buena Vista Park across the street from Katie’s Victorian home was located on one of the many small hills in San Francisco. It provided many such places among its heavily wooded terrain and the many view points along the path that wound its way up to the top where visitors were rewarded with a gorgeous view of the city.

When Katie pushed the door open and flipped the light switch upon entering, Luther turned his back on the park and followed her inside. He closed and locked the door behind her.

“Switch on the lights in the living room,” he instructed. “Make sure you can be seen in front of the windows, before you pull the curtains shut.”

“I understand.”

Luther was almost certain that Forrester was watching the house. It was therefore of vital importance that he only saw Katie and Luther enter and later exit the house together.

Katie walked into the well-lit living room with the tall bay windows, crossing in front of them slowly, before pulling the curtains closed. She did the same with the curtains on the next window, until all curtains in the room were drawn.

Luther followed her into the dining room, where he helped her close the curtains. Within minutes, all curtains on the first floor were drawn and nobody from the street could look into the house anymore.

The blinds on the upper floor had already been closed.

“Ready?” Luther asked, exchanging a look with Katie.

“Ready,” she answered.

He opened the door to the garage. “Wesley, we’re ready for you.”

Katie’s brother appeared on the stairs a moment later, Roxanne on his heels. “We’re here.”

“Did anybody see you?” Luther asked, stepping aside to let the two enter the foyer.

“We went through the gardens in the back. We entered through a tradesmen entrance of one of the houses on the street parallel to here. Nobody saw us, but if anybody did, they wouldn’t have been able to figure out where we were heading. The gardens are so overgrown we had plenty of cover. We’re safe.”

Luther nodded, satisfied with Wesley’s explanation. He looked at Roxanne. “Thank you for doing this. I know the risk you’re taking.”

“It’ll be my pleasure. I love kicking guys in the nuts.” She tossed a sideways glance at Wes.

“Ouch,” Wes commented, mock flinching. “Wouldn’t want to be on your bad side.”

“Well, then we understand each other, don’t we?”

Luther turned away, not wanting to know what undercurrent was flowing between the vampire female and the witch. None of his business.

“Shall we start getting you ready?” Katie asked from beside him.

“Lead the way,” Roxanne said.

Katie headed for the stairs and Roxanne followed her. When Wesley made a motion to head in the same direction, Roxanne pivoted and slammed her palm onto his chest, stopping him.

“We won’t need you for this part,” she said sweetly, but firmly.

“Uh.”

Roxanne narrowed her eyes.

“Wes, why don’t you come into the living room with me?” Luther asked, intent on diffusing the situation.

“Sure.” Wes smiled just as sweetly at Roxanne as she had smiled at him. “Call me if you need help with a zipper or something.”

“Wes, really?” Katie asked from the stairs, a twinge of annoyance in her voice.

Her brother only shrugged, then turned and marched into the living room. Luther waited until the two women had disappeared upstairs before he followed Wesley.

“Quite a stunner, that Roxanne, huh?” Wes asked.

“You do know that I can’t answer that, right?”

“Because you’re with my sister?”

“Something like that.” Luther let himself sink into the sofa cushions.

“So what’s gonna happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean between you and my sister.”

“You’re gonna have to ask her that,” Luther deflected.

“You said at HQ you came back to atone. What happens afterward?”

“I’ll be leaving. I never intended to stay.”

“And Katie, does she know?”

“I never lied to her about my intentions.”

“And she’s okay with that?”

It was a question Luther had asked himself, but didn’t have an answer to. Was Katie truly okay with their arrangement? Had she really accepted that he would be gone soon, never to return?

“And how about you, then?” Wes continued. “Are you okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because of the way you look at her.”