Jeanne Louise? That would be fun. And I can show her pictures of Mommy.”
Paul stilled at the suggestion, quickly considering his options. He wanted Livy to eat and this was the first time she’d shown any interest in food in a couple days. He also wanted Jeanne Louise to get to know Livy. Surely once she understood what a beautiful, sweet child she was, she couldn’t refuse to help them. But it would be difficult to picnic with the woman chained up as she was, and he didn’t dare unchain her. On top of that there was the concern that she would say something to Livy about the fact that she was there against her will.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said finally, moving to put the orange juice away. “I’ll ask her if she’d like to picnic with us and if she would, we’ll join her downstairs. Okay?”
“Okay,” Livy said happily.
Nodding, he headed for the door to the basement, adding, “You just stay there and drink your orange juice. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Livy repeated as he opened the door and started down the stairs.
Pulling the door closed behind him, Paul moved slowly down the stairs, trying to think how best to convince Jeanne Louise to agree to a picnic and promise not to say anything about being kidnapped. The only thing he could come up with was begging. Paul wasn’t too proud to beg for his daughter. He’d do that and a lot more for Livy, and suspected he would be doing a lot of it until the situation was resolved.
Grimacing, he approached his office, surprised to see that he’d forgotten to close the door when he’d carried Livy out earlier. The office was soundproof, but it only worked if the door was closed. It was one of the things he’d arranged over the last month when he’d decided on his plan. He’d moved his office out of this room because it was windowless, had had it soundproofed, then had moved the hospital bed he’d purchased while his wife, Jerri, had been ill into his office. He hadn’t wanted her dying in a cold, sterile hospital. She’d spent the last two weeks of her life in that bed in their home with a nurse and himself tending to her and standing watch.
Paul had also bought chains and had begun taking a little blood from himself every day to build up a supply for Jeanne Louise while she was here. And while he’d done all that, he’d planned and replanned when and how it was best to take her.
He could have kidnapped her and brought her here a lot earlier if he’d simply robbed a blood bank rather than build up a supply of his own blood, but Paul wasn’t a thief and blood banks were already in short supply. His conscience hadn’t been able to deal with stealing from a blood bank and risking someone dying because of it. It was all right, though. The added time had given him the opportunity to properly plan kidnapping her. He’d come up with several plans this last month, but the one he’d settled on had been the best.
Jeanne Louise appeared to be asleep when Paul stepped up to the open door, but her eyes opened almost at once and she peered at him solemnly and announced, “Yes, I’ll join the picnic.”
His eyes widened incredulously. “How did you—?”
“I heard Livy ask you,” she interrupted gently. “We have exceptional hearing.”
“Oh.” Paul stared at her blankly. He’d known they were stronger and faster, but hadn’t realized their hearing was improved as well. “What else do the nanos do for you?”
J eanne Louise shrugged. Mortals working in R and D were briefed on immortals. He would know about the night vision, increased speed and strength, etc. What he wouldn’t know about was that they were usually able to read the minds of and even control mortals. Those abilities had been necessary when they’d fed off the hoof, hunting humans and feeding off them. Slipping into their thoughts and keeping them in place while ensuring they didn’t suffer any pain had been most useful. As had being able to make them think the small
Paul stilled at the suggestion, quickly considering his options. He wanted Livy to eat and this was the first time she’d shown any interest in food in a couple days. He also wanted Jeanne Louise to get to know Livy. Surely once she understood what a beautiful, sweet child she was, she couldn’t refuse to help them. But it would be difficult to picnic with the woman chained up as she was, and he didn’t dare unchain her. On top of that there was the concern that she would say something to Livy about the fact that she was there against her will.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said finally, moving to put the orange juice away. “I’ll ask her if she’d like to picnic with us and if she would, we’ll join her downstairs. Okay?”
“Okay,” Livy said happily.
Nodding, he headed for the door to the basement, adding, “You just stay there and drink your orange juice. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Livy repeated as he opened the door and started down the stairs.
Pulling the door closed behind him, Paul moved slowly down the stairs, trying to think how best to convince Jeanne Louise to agree to a picnic and promise not to say anything about being kidnapped. The only thing he could come up with was begging. Paul wasn’t too proud to beg for his daughter. He’d do that and a lot more for Livy, and suspected he would be doing a lot of it until the situation was resolved.
Grimacing, he approached his office, surprised to see that he’d forgotten to close the door when he’d carried Livy out earlier. The office was soundproof, but it only worked if the door was closed. It was one of the things he’d arranged over the last month when he’d decided on his plan. He’d moved his office out of this room because it was windowless, had had it soundproofed, then had moved the hospital bed he’d purchased while his wife, Jerri, had been ill into his office. He hadn’t wanted her dying in a cold, sterile hospital. She’d spent the last two weeks of her life in that bed in their home with a nurse and himself tending to her and standing watch.
Paul had also bought chains and had begun taking a little blood from himself every day to build up a supply for Jeanne Louise while she was here. And while he’d done all that, he’d planned and replanned when and how it was best to take her.
He could have kidnapped her and brought her here a lot earlier if he’d simply robbed a blood bank rather than build up a supply of his own blood, but Paul wasn’t a thief and blood banks were already in short supply. His conscience hadn’t been able to deal with stealing from a blood bank and risking someone dying because of it. It was all right, though. The added time had given him the opportunity to properly plan kidnapping her. He’d come up with several plans this last month, but the one he’d settled on had been the best.
Jeanne Louise appeared to be asleep when Paul stepped up to the open door, but her eyes opened almost at once and she peered at him solemnly and announced, “Yes, I’ll join the picnic.”
His eyes widened incredulously. “How did you—?”
“I heard Livy ask you,” she interrupted gently. “We have exceptional hearing.”
“Oh.” Paul stared at her blankly. He’d known they were stronger and faster, but hadn’t realized their hearing was improved as well. “What else do the nanos do for you?”
J eanne Louise shrugged. Mortals working in R and D were briefed on immortals. He would know about the night vision, increased speed and strength, etc. What he wouldn’t know about was that they were usually able to read the minds of and even control mortals. Those abilities had been necessary when they’d fed off the hoof, hunting humans and feeding off them. Slipping into their thoughts and keeping them in place while ensuring they didn’t suffer any pain had been most useful. As had being able to make them think the small
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