Til Death (Jane #5) Read Online Free Page B

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that we had merged onto a highway and wondered how on earth Felipe
would find us. The driver had clearly taken many precautions
against being followed too easily.
    I also secretly hoped that Felipe would not
come. I had no idea why they wanted to ensnare him in a trap such
as this, but it couldn't be good. And Felipe was not one to back
down from a challenge, especially where those he loved were
involved. He would come; there was no doubt about that. The only
questions were when, and what the outcome would be. I pushed it out
of my mind and focused on Father Bellini. There was nothing I could
do about Felipe, but perhaps I could help my mentor and friend.
    I continued to feign unconsciousness until
the van stopped. A rough kick at my back jolted my eyes open and I
couldn’t hold back a grunt.
    “Get up. I know you’re awake.”
    I turned my head to look at the man above me,
but his face was in shadow. He leaned over and grabbed my arm,
hefting me into a standing position. I could feel his breath on my
ear and tensed as he tilted his head closer.
    “Don’t try anything stupid and we might just
both make it out of here.”
    I opened my mouth to ask a question and was
rewarded with the butt of his gun connecting with my jaw. I heard
an audible pop and the pain was excruciating, but I bit down on my
tongue to keep from crying out. Rage filled my eyes as I looked at
him. There was a challenge on his face, but it was masking
something else, something sorrowful.
    Taking a deep breath, I knelt beside Father
Bellini. He was still breathing and the blood from the gash on his
forehead had stopped. Before I could pick him up, the other vampire
pulled me back and hefted the priest into his arms. He jumped
carefully out of the back of the van, the movement not jarring my
wounded friend at all.
    “Come,” he said as he looked back at me.
    I followed, climbing out less than gracefully
in my torn dress. I looked around. We were in a small room with the
van backed up to the door. There were no windows and the only light
came from a recess in the ceiling covered with steel beams, much
like the sparring room at the sanctuary. In one corner was a bed
and the vampire placed Bellini on it, then he shut the van door and
pounded on it twice. It pulled away, revealing a long hallway with
doors on either side.
    “I’ll bring a doctor for him later. Until
then, you’ll need to take care of him. There is water in the
pitcher on the table, and I’ll have a bottle of blood sent for
you.”
    I straightened and stared at him. The dim
light cast a pall on his face and made him look drawn and weary.
The hand he rubbed over his eyes told me it wasn’t just a trick of
the light.
    “Who are you?”
    He looked at me for a long time and I could
see the struggle in his eyes. “Just don’t do anything stupid, Jane.
Please.”
    I snorted. “You’ve said that already.”
    “Yes, but with you, it bears repeating.” He
headed for the door, but before he closed it, he turned back. “I’ll
be back later. Talk to no one before then, not even the
priest.”
    And then he was gone. I could hear his
footsteps retreating down the hall the same way the van had gone. I
tested the door, but it was secure, designed to hold even the
strongest vampires for an infinite period of time.
    Sighing, I went to check on my mentor. His
face was covered in blood, and his clothes were soaked in it. He
groaned as I turned him over to check for wounds, but he did not
wake. I retrieved the pitcher of water from the table and ripped a
mostly unsoiled piece from my dress.
    As I worked, I wondered idly how mad Donna
would be at the turn of events. We didn’t even get to cut the cake
that she had been bragging about for the last week. If I knew her,
these vampires would have just as much to fear for ruining Donna’s
dream wedding as they did for stealing Felipe’s new bride. I
thought about all we’d been through since I met her my first night
at the sanctuary and I