Julian didn’t understand how someone he’dnever met could hate him so much, but this Gerald knew him wellenough to realize Aida was his biggest weakness. Going after herwas far worse than if he’d come after Julian directly.
Actually, Julian did know him somehow; hejust couldn’t remember how.
“Have either of you noticed any vamps lurkingaround?” he asked.
“I think we would have told you if we spotteda Savage spying on us,” Cassidy said.
“He might not be a Savage; the vamp in thebar wasn’t,” Julian reminded her.
“Maybe not, but I haven’t noticed any othervamps around lately.”
“Neither have I,” Kyle said.
“Do you know his last name?” Julian askedAida.
“A… Allen… Arr… Arrington,” Aida said. Sheput her head in her hands and flicked her index finger against herforehead. “Think, think, think.”
But it was difficult to think when flasheskept going off and everything twisted and changed around her. Moreof the shadows parted, and new memories slipped through. WhenJulian went to grab her hand, she recoiled.
“Why did you forsake me?” she demanded as herhead shot up and her eyes burned into his.
CHAPTER 41
Julian lowered his hand as an overwhelming sense ofhelplessness crashed through him.It’s not her, he remindedhimself.She’s not the one thinking these things. Gerald hastwisted her mind into turning against you.
“I’m going to spend an eternity with you,”Julian vowed. “And I will be here for you every day of thateternity.”
Tears spilled from Aida’s eyes, and shehunched over herself as she hugged her belly. “I know you will. Iknow it, but it’s also confusing. I’m so lost. Will I ever comeback?”
“I’m going to make sure of it.”
“Yes, yes, you will.”
“Do you remember his last name?” Julianasked.
He could hack into the gallery’s credit cardsystem and get the info, but it would be faster if Aida couldremember. However, he wouldn’t put her through much more ofthis.
“Allen. No, Alcott. No… No… Arlington,” shemuttered. “No, that’s not right either.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her as he rested hishand on her shoulder. “We’ll find him.”
“Iwillremember. Icandothis.”
Aida tapped her forehead again as she triedto get her broken brain to make sense of things.
“I can do this,” she murmured as an image ofGerald emerged from the shadows. “Allington.No!” Sheshouted as her head snapped up. “Addington! It was Addington!”
“Are you sure?” Julian asked.
Strain still etched her face, but herbeautiful smile gave him hope it would all be okay.
“Yes! I’m sure.That’shis name.”
Julian reluctantly released her hand toreturn to his laptop. He ran a search of the name but didn’t comeup with anything. He also came up empty when he ran a search ofGerald’s picture.
“Shit,” he muttered.
“A lot of vampires stay off the grid,”Cassidy said.
