Page 21 of Grayson’s Challenge

“Dad’s been kidnapped, and Mom is injured, and—”

“Oh my God. I’m coming home now.”

“I’m in Russian Hill. I’ll text you the address. Come quickly. I need you.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He disconnected the call and shoved his phone into his pocket, shock coursing through his entire body. Instantly, he was assaulted with guilt. He’d hurled hurtful words at his father, and now he was gone.

“What’s going on?” Mona asked, her eyes wide.

“Family emergency. I’ve gotta go. Now.”

She lifted her legs out of bed.

“You can stay here, help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge. Just pull the door shut when you leave. I’ll call you later when I know more.”

She nodded. “Okay. I hope everything will be all right.”

He didn’t reply, instead he rushed to the door and opened it. A ping sounded on his cell phone, indicating that Isabelle had sent him the address where she wanted him to meet her. At the same time, he heard another cell phone ringing. But it wasn’t his. It was Mona’s.

Grayson slammed the door shut behind him and rushed to the garage. Moments later, he was in his Audi and shot out of the garage onto the street. There was little traffic. Most people had only just returned from New Year’s Eve parties and were now in their beds, sleeping.

During the short drive to Russian Hill, a hundred thoughts bounced around in his mind. How badly injured was his mother? Who’d taken his father? And why? He wanted to scream, to punch somebody, to turn back time. He doubted himself now. If he’d stayed at the party and not left like a spoiled irresponsible jerk, maybe the kidnapping would have never happened. What if it was his fault? And even worse, what if his father died, what if he never came back, and he could never take back the words he’d hurled at him in anger? What if he never got the chance to apologize?

That thought expelled all air from his lungs, choking him. Fuck!

He kicked the gas pedal down, and the car shot over the next speed bump. A few seconds more, and he reached his destination. He realized instantly where he was. This was one of the vampire-proof houses out-of-town vampires rented during their stay in San Francisco. He was familiar with this one, because he’d been the one suggesting it to Cain because of its great location and luxurious interior befitting a king and his family.

Grayson double-parked his R8 in front of the impressive property. He didn’t care who he blocked. When he jumped out of the car, he noticed that Isabelle’s baby-blue Thunderbird was parked a few cars farther down the street. He charged to the front door. It was ajar, and he pushed it open quickly and entered the small enclosed foyer, already pulling the door closed behind him, before opening the second door that led into a much larger foyer.

There, chaos greeted him. Broken and turned over furniture and lamps were strewn around the floor. In several places the drywall was damaged, and glass from framed paintings littered the ground. He could see and smell traces of blood, vampire blood and human blood. And he saw something else, something that turned the blood in his veins to ice: thin gray ash on the wooden floors, the remains of one or more vampires.

“Isa?” Grayson called out.

“In here!”

He followed his sister’s voice and marched into a large living room. Isabelle sat on the edge of the sofa, where their mother, Delilah, lay unconscious. She was bleeding from a head wound, and one eye was swollen shut. With one hand, Isabelle held her mouth open, while she fed Delilah blood from her wrist. On the carpet, a few yards away from them lay Faye, Cain’s blood-bonded mate. She, too was unconscious. Maya, Scanguards’ resident vampire physician, was kneeling next to her, working on setting an IV, while a vampire Grayson didn’t know was helping her.

Grayson approached his mother and sister. “What happened?”

Isabelle looked over her shoulder. “Thank God you’re here. A horde of vampires attacked them and kidnapped Dad and Cain. They killed two of the bodyguards.” She pointed to the vampire assisting Maya. “William is the only guard who survived.”

Grayson turned toward William, and ran his eyes over him. He now saw that he was injured too. Blood was gushing from a nasty-looking stomach wound.

“William, I’m Grayson. You need human blood.”

Maya looked over her shoulder. “I told him to drink some, but he insists on helping with Faye.”

“I’ll get the blood,” Grayson said quickly, dashed into the kitchen, and returned with several bottles of blood a moment later. He handed one to William. “Drink, now! That’s an order!”

When William began to gulp down the liquid, Grayson looked back at Isabelle. “How is Mom doing?”

“They knocked her out, but she’ll heal,” Isabelle said confidently.

“Good.” He looked back at Faye. “What happened to her? I don’t see any wounds.”

“Not sure,” Maya said, while she held up a bag of human blood so the IV could deliver it into Faye’s vein. “I’m hoping the transfusion will reverse whatever knocked her out.”