Free Bound by Blood (Vampire Romance) by Tara Manderino Page B

could almost… almost understand my father, but my mother?”
    “Sometimes parents do have to stick together,” he told her in a flat voice.
    “It was more than that. She was even harsher than my father. Bad enough he told me to leave, she told me never to come back. She said other things too, but I... I can’t repeat them, not even now.”
    He let his hand drop. “Lisa, life is too short. She may have said what she did in the heat of the moment. It would be best for you to go back, to make amends while you can.”
She gave him a half smile. “You think I haven’t tried?” She shook her head. “I went back a year or two after it happened, she refused to see me.” She bit her lip.
     “There’s more?”
“Not really much. I told you the father refused to marry. I’m grateful in a way. I loved him, or thought I did, but not the way I thought of really loving someone I wanted to spend my life with.” She couldn’t meet his eyes on that one. It was something too intimate to share with anyone, even or especially, with a stranger.
    “That might explain why you are here, but why have you become a nanny with plans to remain as such.”
    “The other part was that I lost the baby.”
    “You are young enough to have another,” he told her levelly. He spoke as though this was a real possibility. She knew differently.
    This time her smile was sad. “I’m young enough,” she agreed, “but the whole birthing process was wrong. The doctor said I should never had gotten pregnant to begin with, wasn’t sure how my body actually did. But since I had, I just wasn’t made for carrying the child. The surgery afterward assured I would not have any children.”
    “That was your choice?” He sounded as if he couldn’t fathom such a thing.
    “That was Mother Nature’s choice. I didn’t have any say in it.” She shifted in the seat, shrugging as she sat up, putting a minute amount of space between them. She told herself she had gotten over it a long time ago. “Since I can’t have my own children, and I’m not really in the position to adopt one, I decided being a nanny would be the next best thing. I love being with Sandy.”
    “I don’t doubt you do. He moved away from her at the sound of approaching footsteps, but touched her arm lightly assuring he had her attention. “We haven’t finished this discussion,” he said softly.
    “Alex!” the man greeted him when he walked into the room, hands outstretched.
    Lisa wasn’t sure what she had expected, but it wasn’t this vibrant man whose radiating energy belied his sixty-odd years.
    “You always bring me the most interesting puzzles. What can I do for your today?”
    Alex exchanged greetings, and with his head, nodded to the chair where Lisa sat and quickly introduced them. Alex indicated the priest should sit near Lisa and he addressed him there; he could easily see both of them at the same time. She wondered what he was looking for from the priest.
    “I received a message earlier. One that I think you may be able to help me with.”
    “And Lisa is also helping?” the priest addressed both of them.
    “No. Actually, I’m rather hiding her at the moment.”
    Her eyes widened before she dropped her head, breaking eye contact. She had thought he was being kind. “That’s why you hadn’t told them where I had spent the night!”
    Phil gave him a crooked smile. “Is this something that’s going to send you to confession?”
    Alex gave a snort. “Hardly.” He leaned against the table in the small grouping, his hands braced behind him on the edge. “Lisa gave me a description of someone who may have committed a crime.” He focused his gaze on the priest, and she let out her breath, not even realizing she had been holding it. “I believe Carlos has kidnapped a child.”
    If he had a name, or a lead, why was he still here?
    Phil nodded. “The one the AMBER Alert was for? The police still haven’t found her. So, what are you waiting for? I have never