she’d get fired for sure. And this was my problem.
I needed someone I could trust, who wouldn’t ask too many questions. Who would help without blaming.
I spotted a table nearby and a phone atop it, and I moved toward it slowly. “I know someone who can help.”
Lily nodded, biting her lip anxiously.
“Go find some rope and tie up the guard,” I told her. “We don’t want him attacking us when he wakes up.”
She nodded and raced off, her chain dragging on the floor. I finished dialing and waited for the phone to ring.
Five rings, and then a sleepy voice picked up on the other end. “Hello?”
“Daddy?” My voice cracked a little.
Chapter Fifteen
My dad arrived less than a half hour later. In that time, we’d tied up the guard and dragged him into a nearby room, then pushed a dresser in front of the door to put a little space between us and him. We were exhausted and it was slow going, but fear pushed us onward. Lily had to do most of the work, since I was too weak to do much more than feebly shove.
Andre remained dead. Really dead. And Josh was still out, which worried me.
My father, bless his heart, showed up without Posey. He asked no questions, just moved to my side and hugged me. I melted into his warm, strong hug, fighting my weepiness. I needed to be strong right now.
He stared at the dead vampire for a long moment, then looked at me again. His gaze went to the collar around my neck, and the chain.
“Marie-Pierre . . . ?”
“It’s a long story, Dad,” I told him. “For now, we need to get Josh out of here.”
“And Josh is the . . . cat?”
I nodded. “He’ll change back later, if we can get him to wake up. Right now we’ve got to get him home and call the Alliance doctor.”
I could have called the Russells, but I didn’t trust them to not frighten the hell out of Lily. Plus, I didn’t know what to do about the vampires—live or dead.
“Do we . . . need to dispose of the body?”
I stared at my dad in surprise. “You’d help me dispose of a body?”
He hugged me again and rubbed my shoulder. “I’m your father, honey. Of course I would.”
Well, geez. I nodded, my throat tight, and gestured to Josh. “Just help me get him in your truck and to a doctor. We’ll figure out the rest later.”
But I didn’t know where Josh lived. “His wallet. It’s probably in his pants.”
Lily and I both turned to look back at the wine cellar, and dread piled up in my stomach. I didn’t want to go back there, and I guessed Lily felt the same.
I looked to my father. “It’s in the cellar. I can’t . . . I don’t . . . ” I gestured at the chain around my neck helplessly. “Can you . . . ”
My dad patted my shoulder. “I’ll go get it. You girls wait here.”
I moved back to Josh’s side, stroking his face and fur as we waited. Dad came back a couple of minutes later with car keys, a wallet, and Josh’s clothes piled on his arm. “His car must be out front. One of you should probably drive it wherever we’re going.”
“I’ll do it,” I told him, staring down at Josh. He was so quiet and still. “Let’s just hurry.”
• • •
We pulled up to an enormous house out in the country about an hour later. The big, looming two-story house had several lights on, and by the time we made it down the gravel driveway, me in Josh’s sedan and Lily and Dad in the truck with Josh, a few men had stepped out onto the porch.
I recognized Everett, Ellis, and Austin. This wouldn’t go over well. Not only did I have their unconscious brother with me but I also had two humans who now knew about the Paranormal Alliance.
I put Josh’s car in park and hauled myself out of the driver’s side. I immediately staggered, feeling that awful lethargy coming over me again.
“Marie?” Austin moved to my side, propping up my elbow. “What are you doing here? Something wrong at the agency?”
“Josh is in the truck,” I told him. “We have to get a doctor. He’s unconscious.”
• • •
The Alliance doctor was there in a matter of minutes, with Beau not far behind him. Both looked grim as they entered Josh’s room, where the cougar was stretched out on the bed. The other Russells paced nearby, watching us.
I wanted to be in there, but Austin was hovering outside the door protectively, and I was willing to bet that he had instructions to let no one pass—including me. I was okay with that, as long as they made Josh all better. I clasped my hands against my chest to keep them from trembling. He’d been so still and quiet when they’d hauled his limp body out of the truck.
If he died . . . I felt a sick lurch. I thought of Josh’s cocky smile, his eyes shining with merriment as he teased me. His long lashes. His big shoulders. His big arms holding me tight. The kind way he always gave Carol a ride home at night. Tears pricked my eyes. Why had it taken me so long to realize what a great guy he was?
I should have trusted him.
If I had to die, I could accept that. But Josh? Vibrant, sexy, gorgeous, funny Josh? He needed to live, and I clenched every muscle in my body, as if thinking it hard enough could will it into being.
Everett and Ellis hovered over Lily and my father and me. It made Lily terrified, and she huddled in a corner of the room, ignoring the offers of food and drink. She hugged her legs to herself, ignored everyone’s attempts to calm her, and stared around her with wide eyes, trembling.
My father calmly sat at my side and rubbed my shoulder. And even though Everett and Ellis glared, I explained to my father why Josh was a cougar, and who the dead man was.
The harder part was telling him why I’d been seeing a vampire in the first place. I couldn’t bring myself to explain that I was dying. There’d be time enough for that later.
To my relief, my father didn’t ask questions. He only nodded thoughtfully. “And this is secret? All this?”
I nodded. “No one’s supposed to know. At all. It endangers everyone.”
“But everyone at your job knows?”
I winced. I’d tell him some other time that I was fired. “They do. Everyone at the agency had to sign a hush order before we could get accepted into the Alliance as auxiliary members.”
He nodded, then looked at Ellis and Everett, who were still frowning at us. “You got one of those hush orders for me?”
Everett and Ellis exchanged a glance. “I’ll get Beau,” Ellis said, disappearing into Josh’s room.
“Dad,” I began.
He patted my hand. “Now listen, Marie. You’re tired. We’re all tired. There’s a lot going on right now. Posey’s expecting me home, and I don’t want to worry her. So let me sign one of those hush orders and then we can all get some sleep.”
“You don’t have more questions?”
He chuckled and tousled my hair, just like I was a child. “I have a lot of them. But I’m guessing that the less I know, the better.”
I nodded, blinking hard. “That’s probably best.”
Dad smiled at me. “I like Josh. And you trust him. I know you don’t trust easily, so when you do, I trust your judgment.”
“I love him,” I said softly, burrowing into his arms for a hug.
