tonight for him.” Katie swallowed hard as she thought about the item she’d collected for Kyle. Too distraught, she didn’t want to open it or even look at it. She’d deal with it later.
Jules held a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.”
“Yeah, and since the crime was so gruesome…” Katie leaned back in her chair. “Fuck. I guess it’s better they think that anyway. They can’t handle the truth.”
Jules lowered her arm. “Then you’ll never find out who did it.”
Katie stiffened. “I have every intention of finding out who destroyed him. And when I do, I’m going to enjoy slicing off his head.”
Heat rushed to her head as resolve filled her. Nothing would stand in her way of locating the prick who took Kyle from this earth.
“How? Do you have any idea who would’ve wanted Kyle…gone?”
While Katie didn’t know specifically who, she knew enough about the organization he hid from. If anyone wanted him removed, the trail would lead back to the group.
“Remember when I told you he was hiding from the Order of the Legacy?”
“A little, but that was a long time ago and I’ve had a few drinks since then.” She grinned as she held up her shot glass filled with vodka.
Katie leaned on the countertop of the center island. Her mind was cloudy, but she could still give a history lesson on vampires.
“Kyle worked for the Order of the Legacy for many, many years. He said there are four types of vampires.” Katie lifted her hand and held out a finger. “Ones who want to dominate the human race and rule the world. Ones who believe humans are here as a food source only. New ones who are a century or two old and uneducated about how to act as a vampire and treat humans. Then ones who want to survive in peace with humankind.” By the time she’d finished, she held four fingers up.
“And he was one who wanted to live in peace with us?”
“Yes. He’d hunted down vampires to teach them to be…kinder toward the human race.”
“So they wouldn’t kill us for food.”
“Basically. He wanted to teach them morals and the meaning of life.”
Katie’s gaze drifted off to the side. The great lover of life no longer existed. She’d met Kyle soon after she started attending college in Michigan. He was a professor in psychology and archeology, two areas she’d had a keen interest in. Katie attended school at night and worked during the day to pay for her education. Outside of classes, he’d met her at the library and told her in-depth stories. She was intrigued with his wealth of knowledge. As their relationship progressed, he took her to museums, then on to cities they could travel to in a plane within a few hours. Always the teacher, he shared his experiences with her, though she didn’t know at the time they were real life ones. Ten months had passed before he confessed his true nature. The news had shocked her and she didn’t believe. With a little time, she realized the type of person he was and overlooked how he had to survive. In all his five centuries, he’d taught hundreds of vampires to live civilly and with compassion toward others. God only knew, he probably saved thousands of human lives.
“Didn’t you say some vampires didn’t want to be taught the good ways?” Jules rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Her eyes looked weary, yet curious.
“Yes, there were some that refused.”
“And he killed them?”
Katie leaned back in her seat. “He had to destroy them. That was the way of the Order.”
Jules scrunched her brows. “I’m confused. If he worked for the Order and it was good, why would he hide from them?”
Katie inhaled a deep breath. “The Order existed way before Kyle. Old vamps wanted to ensure their continued existence and believed teaching vampires to leave peacefully with humans would accomplish their goal. Over the years, members disappeared and they were never seen again.”
“That’s weird. They’re immortal. How can they disappear?”
The same
Bwwm Romance Dot Com, Esther Banks