“If I die, am I going to go to hell?” I didn’t want to voice this question, but I couldn’t stop myself.
Andre shook his head and smiled sadly. “I don’t know—no one knows. But you’re a good person, and you made the best decision you could—no one here would condemn you for what you did. And I’d hate to think God has less reason than humankind.”
He took my hand and squeezed it. Even with the attack still fresh in my mind, my heart quickened at his touch. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Andre’s lips twitch. He could hear my racing pulse.
What he couldn’t hear were my racing thoughts. How beautiful he looked when he stared at me, and how he might be the first person I ever truly wanted to let into my world.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” he said. “You’re coming home with me.”
***
Thirty minutes later we were driving over to his place.
I glanced down at my jeans and shirt, both stretched tight over my various Velcro casts—which I’d be able to permanently remove in another hour or so. I was touched that Andre had actually gone to the trouble of picking up some clean clothes for me. If he hadn’t, I would either be wearing a paper gown, or my bloodstained clothes from earlier this evening. I shuddered, remembering the events once again, and a wave of guilt and disgust washed over me. I had killed a man.
The car was silent for a long time while I pulled myself together. I took a deep breath. “I was ambushed,” I said.
Andre looked over at me, brows furrowed.
I continued. “Right after you dropped me off, they were waiting for me.”
Andre slammed on the brakes. I yelped as my seatbelt dug into my broken ribs.
“Are you okay?” Andre’s voice sounded panicked. “I forgot you were hurt.”
“I’m fine,” I wheezed, trying not to pass out from the shockwaves of pain that ripped through my body. The guy really needed to stop doing that.
“You are not okay.” He got out of the now idling car and came over to my side. After unbuckling my seatbelt, he lifted up my shirt to look at any additional damage he may have done to my ribs.
“Andre!” I said indignantly, pushing my shirt back down. “I said I was fine.”
“I was merely checking,” he said. “I can be professional you know.”
“Yeah right,” I muttered.
He took my hands in his, ignoring my comment. “Now, you said you were ambushed right after I dropped you off?”
I nodded, trying to ignore how good Andre’s touch felt.
He looked deep into my eyes. “From now on Gabrielle I am going to personally make sure this never happens again. Because maybe Santiago was right after all.”
I was suddenly scared about the life I was living. Never before did I have to worry about things like assassins and political coups.
“Okay.”
He stared at my lips like he wanted to kiss them, but he settled on kissing my hands. My heart fluttered before I could tell it to shut up.
Andre got back into his seat and revved the car up. He pulled the car out gently onto the road, careful not to hurt my broken ribs again.
“If Santiago was telling the truth, and someone is interested in getting rid of both you and me, then this tells us two things. The first is that you are the catalyst. Somehow your life has set these events into motion. It happened when you were a little girl, and it appears to be happening again now that the supernatural community knows you survived that fire.
“The second is that the madman may be interested in eradicating the entire vampire population of Europe.”
Chapter 18
I stared at Andre for a few beats, letting the information soak in. “What do you mean by that?”
Andre gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I mean that I was the first vampire created … I’m sure you’ve read about me in that textbook. All vampires are my descendants, meaning that I have directly or indirectly sired each and every one of them. My life may be the only thing keeping the entire population of vampires alive. And, although its never been tested, a popular theory is that if someone kills me, every vampire descended from me will die.”
I didn’t breath for a moment. “How many vampires have descended from you?”
“Hundreds. Essentially every vampire but you.”
My brain was working, and a sick idea was beginning to form in my head. “You and me—the first vampire created and the first vampire born. They want to kill us because killing us would completely eradicate vampires.”
A muscle in Andre’s jaw jumped. “Yes.”
***
When we pulled up to Bishopcourt, Andre attempted to carry me inside. I gave him an annoyed look and pushed his hands away. “Go away, I can take care of myself perfectly well.”
“Fine.” Andre crossed his arms and leaned against the car.
Of course, I had to eat my words as I tried to get my butt out of the world’s lowest car. Stupid bucket seats.
“Still don’t want any help?” He sounded so damn smug.