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Anton read the report, then, muttering a vile oath, he wadded the paper up and threw it across the room. As much as he wanted revenge, he wasn’t sure he could destroy Cara while she was pregnant. Of course, he could take the baby from her. There were spells that required the blood of an unborn child…
He shook the thought from his mind. He would not go down that path. His parents had both dabbled in Dark Magick, and both had met untimely ends.
Not that he was above using a little Dark Magick now and then. In the months he had been away, he had sought out the world’s most knowledgeable wizards. He had practiced his craft until he was certain that he was more powerful than DeLongpre or his witch wife. Now, certain that he was invincible, he had returned to exact vengeance on those who had killed his mother and destroyed his father. He would make no mistakes this time. It no longer mattered if Roshan and the others knew who it was who killed them, or if he saw their faces as they died. It was regrettable that Cara was pregnant, but that was her misfortune, not his. He had only to wait until they were all together and then he would have his revenge. A spell he had learned in Italy, a fire, and all those who had harmed his family would at last meet their doom.
Chapter 43
Cara sat in front of the fireplace, rocking softly, one hand resting lightly on her swollen abdomen. She could scarcely believe that the baby she had never expected to have was due any day. The time had flown by. Of course, they had been busy. They had spent two months looking for a house before they found the perfect place. Cara had walked in the front door, took one look around, and said, “this is it.”
Like her parents’ house, this one was located on a large piece of property at the end of a quiet street. There were, in fact, only three other houses on the block, all separated by brick walls. The house had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fair-sized living room, and a large family room. Vince had taken a look at the large kitchen and dining room, then looked at her and grinned. Even though he hadn’t said anything, she knew he was thinking that it was a waste of space, but Cara had plans for the dining room, thinking it would make a wonderful playroom. It would make it easy for her to keep an eye on their baby while she was cooking or doing dishes.
Her parents had helped her and Vince move in. No doubt their new neighbors had thought it strange that they moved in at night, but it didn’t matter. She was too happy at the idea of having a house all her own to worry about it.
As soon as they were settled, Vince had taken every possible precaution to protect their home from intruders. It still amazed her that he held such power and that he could surround their house with wards to repel anyone who might do them harm.
Three weeks ago, Sarah Beth had given Cara a baby shower—at night, of course, so Brenna could attend.
Two weeks ago, Cara had quit her job so she could stay home with the baby.
Last week, she had put the finishing touches on the nursery. It had become her favorite room in the house, with its cheerful yellow walls and white curtains. The crib was set up, diaper service had been ordered, and all was in readiness. She could hardly wait to hold her child in her arms.
Every day, presents for the baby arrived from one set of grandparents or the other, ranging from the practical to the comical—a stroller, blankets, a football in case it was a boy, a rag doll in case it was a girl. Her father’s latest gift had been a fat, stuffed vampire, complete with long black cloak and tiny white fangs. Cara had put it in the crib, thinking that her child was going to know the truth about its father as soon as it was old enough to understand!
She smiled as she felt the baby kick. At her last visit, her doctor had assured her that everything was fine. The baby was growing as it should, the head was in position, and he expected her to go into labor within the next day or two, three at the most.
A rush of anticipation made her heart skip a beat when she heard Vince’s key in the front door. Married seven months and as big as a house with her first child, and she still felt a warm thrill of excitement every time she saw him.
“Hey, darlin’.” Leaning down, he kissed her, then placed his hand on her abdomen. “How’s our baby doin’ tonight?”
“I think he’s playing leapfrog. Here,” she said, moving his hand a little lower, “feel that?”
“Does it hurt?”
“No, it feels wonderful.” She loved being pregnant, loved the thought of Vince’s child growing inside her.
Vince grinned. “With a kick like that, he’s bound to be a soccer player, or maybe a punter.”
“It might be a girl, you know.”
Vince shrugged as he sat on the sofa beside her. “Well, girls play soccer, too. I don’t know about pro ball, though.”
Cara laughed. “The baby’s not even born yet and you’ve already got him, or her, playing soccer.”
“I don’t care what he does for a living,” Vince said, nuzzling her neck. “I just wish he’d get born so I could have my wife back.”
The doctor had warned her not to have intimate relations with Vince during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. It wasn’t easy on her, either. They’d been married such a short time, sexual intimacy was still new. Not that they didn’t spend hours cuddling and caressing each other, she thought, smiling.
“Did you take your vitamins today?” he asked. “Drink lots of milk?”
Cara blew out a sigh of exasperation. “Honestly, you’re worse than my mother!”
“Hey, I just want to make sure that you and the baby are both healthy. After all, we may never have another one.”
“I know. And yes, I took my vitamins and drank my milk like a good girl.” She didn’t tell him it was chocolate milk.
“I’m going upstairs to take a quick shower,” Vince said, “and then I’ll come down and rub your back. How’s that sound?”
“Heavenly.”
He kissed the tip of her nose, then went upstairs.
Reaching for the remote, Cara turned on the TV. She was truly blessed, she thought, smiling. Vince treated her like a queen. When she’d had a craving for watermelon in the middle of the night, he had gone to the store to buy her one. As her pregnancy advanced, he refused to let her do anything too strenuous. He rubbed her back and her feet every night. He mopped the floors, dusted the furniture, vacuumed the rugs, scoured the toilets, and took out the trash—and he brought her flowers or candy at least once a week.
Sometimes, when she thought about it, it made her laugh out loud. After all, vampires were supposed to be ravenous, bloodthirsty monsters, not housekeepers!
