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“There was one thing that was strange,” she said. “You know, after Mrs. Le Bruin told me to send that email and I told her that you would find out and kill her…”

“Yes?”

“She said… it didn’t matter. That she was dead anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s just it, I didn’t know what she meant. But when I thought about it, I realized that she meant she was just like me, being used like a pawn by someone.”

I had suspected as much.

“She wasn’t behind the attack on my father though,” Natania added. “My mother said the people who had kidnapped them and beaten my father had told them it wasn’t personal. That they were only collateral damage in an ancient war.”

“The men told them that?” I felt a sudden rush of energy.

Natania nodded. “Does that mean anything to you?”

I barely had time to thank her, squeezing her arm and telling her I would send money to help with her dad’s rehabilitation.

I jumped in the Lambo and drove home at the speed of light.

I thought I knew exactly who my enemy was.

It was all starting to make sense to me now.

Chapter 19

Kaya

“How are you feeling?” the nurse asked me, as she held a glass of water to my mouth.

Terrible, I wanted to say. Like shit. Like death warmed over.

The doctor had already been by to see me and told me how lucky I was to be alive. He said that the X-rays showed no lasting damage. He was upbeat and told me I could go home soon, that I was recovering very well, but I didn’t feel well at all.

I was struggling to talk and to think clearly. This was on account of all the medications they’d been giving me. At least, that was what they told me. They were weaning me off the sedatives now and seemed ready for me to go.

During visitor’s hours, Fuzz stopped by with Princess, who brought me a Coke and some candy. She was eyeing me carefully and I felt awful for upsetting her like that.

I was furious with myself.

I’d known someone was after me but I let myself be distracted by a man.

I was no better than the silliest, dumbest high school girl doodling pink hearts on her pencil case. I was the worst kind of fool; someone who should know better but chose to ignore her common sense.

I knew I shouldn’t have gone away but I let Jack talk me into it. All he wanted to do was to spend money, flash his wealth around and fuck me when he felt like it. I was disgusted with myself. I’d let myself be taken in by his charms, by the way he’dmade me feel, knowing full well that as a vampire, he could make himself irresistible to women.

The following morning, when the doctor told me I could go home, I didn’t call anyone to pick me up. I got up slowly, getting used to the feeling of my limbs feeling a bit like jelly, all wobbly and unstable. This was because of the head injury and would eventually go back to normal, the doctor assured me.

As I gathered my things, I spotted a familiar face in the corridor. I went out and recognized Jack’s head henchman, Zoran.

“What are you doing here?” I asked crossly.

“Making sure you’re safe,” he said.

“Bit late for that, don’t you think?” I shot back.

He had the decency to look a bit abashed.