Vampire, Interrupted Read Online Free PDF Page A

responsibility,” he finished, avoiding his gaze. “As the head of our family, everyone is, including you and anyone working for you.”
    Christian opened his mouth to respond, but Julius quickly turned to Tiny and ordered, “Tell us about the first attack.”
    It was enough to distract Christian. He closed his mouth and turned to peer at the mortal expectantly.
    Tiny hesitated and then muttered, “I need a coffee.”
    Julius shifted impatiently, but waited as the mortal crossed to the food trolley with his cup and then prompted, “The earlier attack?”
    Tiny nodded, but reached out with his free hand to shift the silver plate cover off his food. He grabbed a piece of bacon and popped it into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and then finally said, “Someone broke in and tried to cut off Marguerite’s head.”
    Julius closed his eyes and prayed for patience.
    “Er…Tiny, that’s pretty much what Marguerite said,” Christian pointed out.
    “And that’s what happened,” the detective said with a shrug and picked up another piece of bacon.
    When Julius began to growl, Christian moved a little closer to the mortal in a protective manner. “Yes, but surely you can give us more detail?”
    “Was the attacker mortal or immortal?” Julius snapped. “What did he look like? How did he get in? Was he armed? Was it a he?” He arched his eyebrows with exasperation. “You’re the detective, mortal, surely you noticed details you could pass along?”
    Tiny peered at him calmly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips and it seemed obvious his obtuse behavior now was payback for the earlier attack.Just when Julius thought he would throttle the man, he answered his questions.
    “I suspect he was immortal, but I can’t tell you for certain and can’t describe him because I didn’t see him. Obviously he was armed, he couldn’t cut off Marguerite’s head with his hand. He had a sword. Marguerite seemed to think it was a he, but I can’t say for sure because—as I said—I didn’t see him.”
    Julius let his breath out slowly as the man continued.
    “He’d fled out onto the balcony by the time I reached her room. Marguerite was tangled in her sheets on the floor. She’d apparently woken up to see the sword coming down and rolled out of the bed. She had a nick on her neck and blood on her nightgown and pointed to the open terrace doors when I ran in.” He shrugged again. “The assailant was no longer out there when I got outside. He must have come down from the roof and escaped the same way.”
    Julius’s mouth tightened. Marguerite Argeneau had nearly been killed. Someone had tried to kill her before he’d arrived in her room.
    “Marguerite thinks it has to do with the case,” Tiny added.
    Julius’s head snapped up at those words. “What?”
    The detective shrugged. “She says she has no enemies, but pointed out—and rightly so—that there is someone who doesn’t want Christian to know who his mother is.”
    Julius winced. The man wasn’t even trying to hide his ridiculous suspicions. Not that they were really ridiculous, he acknowledged. After all, he had done everything in his power to keep Christian from finding his mother. No doubt both Tiny and—more importantly—Marguerite would think him behind the earlier attack as well. Hell .
    “Did you do it?” Christian asked.
    Julius’s head reared back with affront. “No!”
    “Don’t look so offended, Father,” Christian muttered impatiently. “You don’t want me to know who my mother is and have turned away every detective I’ve hired until now to ensure I don’t. But Marguerite and Tiny aren’t from Europe and Marguerite’s family is powerful. You can’t use threats to make them quit like you have the others.”
    “You know about that?” Julius asked with surprise.
    “Of course I know,” he said with disgust. “Most of the immortal detectives I set to the task were younger than I. I could read them. They were telling me they