The Vampire's Mail Order Bride(32)
“Hugh.” Annabelle’s voice sounded on the verge of a sob.
“Enough of your games, Piper.” Anger clouded Hugh’s vision for a moment. He was sick of her petty jealous and ridiculous accusations.
She splayed her fingers over her chest and grinned. “It doesn’t take a newspaper reporter to use Google, Hugh darling. You really ought to do a little more checking up on the women you invite into your home.”
“I’d say,” Stanhill groused. “Perhaps Annabelle and I should leave—”
“Stay, both of you. Piper wanted an audience. Now we can all see what a liar she is. Are you done, Piper? Because I am.” Hugh was on the verge of throwing her out. Or maybe he’d call Sheriff Merrow and see if he could have her arrested.
“I’m not lying, Hugh.” Piper’s smile widened. “Annabelle Givens is from upstate New York.”
“I already know that—”
“Where she is currently at home.” Piper inspected her nails. “I know this because I spoke with her before arriving here. She told me all about Eternamate and how her match with you was canceled by the agency.”
Her smile disappeared, and she pointed at Annabelle. “Which means this woman cannot be Annabelle Givens.”
“I’m sure there’s been some kind of mix-up.” He looked at Annabelle. “Tell her she’s wrong.”
“I can’t.” Annabelle shook her head slowly, almost dislodging the line of tears clinging to her lower lashes. “I’m so sorry.”
A pit opened up in his stomach. “What? Who the hell are you?”
She twisted her hands together. “I’d rather not say in front of—”
“Your name. Now.” He could feel the darkness within him rising up, a heated wire coiling around his spine.
“Hugh,” Stanhill started forward.
Hugh put his hand up to hold off his rook. “I’m waiting.”
“Delaney. James.”
Stanhill took another step. “Hugh, you need to—”
“Get Piper out of here.” His gaze stayed fixed on the impostor who’d been taking advantage of his hospitality. “Delaney and I have a lot to discuss.”
Stanhill’s earlier admonition not to say anything to Annabelle about being a vampire came ringing back. He glared at his rook. “You knew about this.”
Stanhill had Piper by the arm, but the woman wasn’t putting up a fuss. She seemed to be content to go now that she’d dropped her bomb. He gave Hugh a nod, which was answer enough. “Don’t do anything rash. I’ll be right back.”
Hugh returned his attention to Delaney. If that was even her real name. “You want to explain why the real Annabelle isn’t here?”
She looked deflated but a little defiant, too. “She’s at home, just like Piper said. I called her and pretended to work for Eternamate and canceled her match, also just like Piper said.”
“Why? What’s your game? Are you after my money?” Or worse, maybe she’d been sent by another vampire to steal his formulations. There were many who’d go to great lengths for the ability to walk in the sun. Except he wasn’t there yet. Of course, with the amulet’s power, it must seem to other vampires that he had indeed cracked the code.
The blasted thing was nothing but trouble.
She shook her head. “I didn’t know a thing about you except where you lived until I got here. You could have been a pauper for all I knew. And that’s the truth.”
“Then why?”
“To save her neck,” Stanhill answered as he walked back in.
“So you did know,” Hugh snarled. “Bloody hell. To think I can’t trust you after all these years.”
“You can trust me just fine. I only found out this afternoon. I told her not to tell you until I was sure you were in a good mood.”
“Well, that worked out beautifully.” He took a moment. “What do you mean to save her neck?”
Stanhill looked at Delaney. “Tell him exactly what you told me.”
She inhaled before she began. “My boss shot a man and I saw the whole thing.” She explained how she’d been in the kitchen of the restaurant she’d worked at and how the whole affair had gone down. Fear tugged at her mouth as she spoke. “He knew I was there.”
She sat on one of the couches and wrapped her arms around her torso. “Stealing Annabelle’s file wasn’t a plan so much as a way out that presented itself. I was only thinking about staying alive. I apologize for lying to you. That was wrong and I’m sorry.”
She put her head in her hands and sighed deeply.