A Fire in the Blood(39)
Meeting Andrei’s gaze, she read the same question in his eyes.
* * *
Tessa sat beside Andrei, his hand clasped in hers. For all that his wound appeared to be healed, he remained lying on the floor, unmoving, his face pale, eyes closed. Tiny lines of pain bracketed his mouth. Her blood might have healed his external injury, Tessa mused, but what if Katerina’s bite had affected him internally? Psychologically?
Tessa frowned. It seemed odd that Katerina’s bite would have such a devastating effect on him when she had been the one to turn him into a vampire in the first place.
Not knowing what else to do, Tessa covered Andrei with the afghan she kept over the back of the sofa, then went into the bathroom to wash the blood from her hands and arm.
When she returned to the living room, the girl stood shivering in front of the window, looking out.
“Bailey, would you like to take a hot shower? I have some pj’s you can wear.”
The girl turned to face her. “You want me to stay here?”
“Do you have anywhere else to go?”
“No, but . . .”
“Well, then,” Tessa said briskly, “while you’re showering, I’ll fix you something to eat. It’s a little late for dinner. Breakfast, maybe?”
“Thank you.”
“The bathroom’s in there,” Tessa said, pointing the way. “Take as long as you like.”
Brow furrowed, Tessa stared after the girl. Was Bailey a runaway? An orphan? She was wan and thin and obviously scared. But then, who could blame her for being frightened after what she had been through tonight?
With a last glance at Andrei, who appeared to be asleep—did vampires sleep?—Tessa went into the kitchen and rummaged around in the fridge.
She had several slices of bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast waiting by the time her houseguest finished showering.
Tessa looked up when Bailey padded into the kitchen, her long, brown hair wrapped in a towel.
“Sit down,” Tessa invited, smiling. “Would you like something to drink? Juice? Milk? Or maybe some coffee?”
“Milk, please.”
Tessa poured a glass for Bailey and a cup of coffee for herself before taking a seat.
Bailey ate ravenously.
Tessa sipped her coffee slowly, surreptitiously studying the girl. Her jeans and T-shirt were faded and worn. There was a dark bruise on her left arm, a faint scar on her cheek. A dozen questions about her guest chased themselves through Tessa’s mind. Finally, she settled on the most innocuous one. “Do you live near here?”
“No.”
“Is there anyone you want me to call?”
“No.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not, but are you in some kind of trouble?”
Bailey looked up, her expression bleak. “I ran away from my foster parents.”
There was a wealth of information in those few words and in the fear lurking in Bailey’s eyes.
“How old are you?”
“Sixteen.” Bailey swallowed the last of her breakfast, then drained the glass.
“Would you like something else? I have some cookies. They’re store-bought, but not too bad.”
“Yes, please.”
Tessa smiled as she carried the cookie jar to the table. “You’ll need more milk to wash those down.” As she refilled Bailey’s glass, the look of gratitude in the girl’s eyes nearly brought tears to Tessa’s own.
Bailey quickly put away half a dozen cookies, then sat back in her chair, her expression troubled. “He really is a vampire, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve heard about them on the news, but . . .” She shook her head. “It’s just so hard to believe they’re real. That he’s one of them.”
Tell me about it, Tessa thought. Aloud, she said, “You don’t have to be afraid of Andrei. He won’t hurt you.”
“I’m not afraid of him. But the other one . . .” Bailey shuddered. “She was going to kill me.”
“You’re safe now.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe again.”
“I know the feeling,” Tessa muttered. “But she can’t come in here uninvited. You must be tired. Why don’t you go to bed?”
“You won’t tell anyone I’m here? You won’t call the police?”
“No, I promise.”
“Do you want me to help you with the dishes?”
“No, thank you. Go get some rest. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
With a nod, Bailey left the room.
Tessa sat there for several minutes. Deciding the dishes could wait, she stacked them in the sink, then went into the living room to check on Andrei.
Only he wasn’t there.