and, wary of a trick, I took her hand. But she only squeezed it and said, “The staff—it’s not their fault. I’m small, but I’m old. I was made when they were building the Brooklyn Bridge. No one else here is more than forty, and they’re afraid. It’s why they didn’t help—didn’t help the others. Don’t—punish them.”
“I won’t.” Maybe. “But who did this to you, Bernie?”
“You idiot, is your attention span so limited? You did!”
“I meant, who made you into a vampire?”
“Oh.” Bernie managed a nod—it was a gruesome sight—over my shoulder. I looked—and saw Sinclair standing there with a snapped-off chair leg.
“No!” I almost screamed. “No, no, no, it’s not true!”
Then Sinclair ducked, and the redheaded bellboy (bellman) went sailing over his shoulder.
“Robert,” Bernie said faintly. “At last.”
I nearly swooned onto the carpet. “Ha! I knew Sinclair hadn’t killed you. And what were you doing in our room?”
“Snooping,” he admitted.
Robert slowly got to his feet, pale even for a vampire. “Oh, Bernadette, what did they do ?” He glared at me. “You’ll die screaming, you pretender! You—”
“You did all this? You killed her parents, killed her ? Made her into this-this thing that eats kids? And then took your time coming to the rescue, you fucking coward? She was kicking our door and screaming for help and you only came out now ?”
“I can hear you, you know,” Bernie murmured. “And of course he’s a coward. He preys on children. Of course,” she added thoughtfully, “so do I. But that’s more a size issue for me.”
Robert rushed at me (I guess he wasn’t interested in answering any of my questions), and I was bracing myself for the attack when there were three quick shots and his head exploded. Just when I thought the week couldn’t get yuckier.
He fell, barely two feet from Bernadette’s body, and then I saw Nick, who had the toddler on one hip and his gun in his right hand.
Sinclair snapped the chair leg in half (luckily, it was a nice, long slender one) and plunged a piece into Robert’s back, all the way through him and into the carpet.
Then he handed the other piece to me.
“I can’t,” I cried.
“You’d better,” Bernie wheezed. “I’ll look ridiculous walking around like this. And as for catching prey? No chance.”
I raised the chair leg. “I’m sorry, Bernie. And I forgive you for the others.”
“I’m not at all sorry and you’re a fool to forgive. Good-bye, Vampire Queen.”
I shoved the stake all the way in and the light went out of those beautiful blue eyes. Her hand tightened on mine, then went limp.
I pulled her into my embrace, shuddering at the way her head lolled and rolled, and rocked her back and forth, crying. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m—”
The elevator dinged and then Jessica was kneeling beside me. “Oh, Betsy. You had to.”
“—sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry—”
“Elizabeth, we must—”
“Is everybody okay? I gotta get this kid back to his parents.”
“—I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry—”
“Elizabeth—please—”
“I think she’s in shock,” Nick worried. “Can vampires go into shock?”
In the end, it took all three of them to wrench her out of my arms and I think—I think I fainted or something, because I don’t remember much after that.
Chapter 19
I opened my eyes to a familiar sight . . . a ring of concerned faces hovering over me.
“Sorry,” I said faintly. I covered my eyes. “That was—that was bad there. For a minute.”
“It was fairly awful for all of us, so don’t beat yourself up,” Jessica assured me. “We’re just glad you and Sinclair are all right.”
Silence. Then I heard Jess stomp on Nick’s foot, and his stifled yelp. “Aren’t we ?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Thanks for killing the bellman,” I said. “That must have felt good.”
“I only shot him in the head. I have
“I won’t.” Maybe. “But who did this to you, Bernie?”
“You idiot, is your attention span so limited? You did!”
“I meant, who made you into a vampire?”
“Oh.” Bernie managed a nod—it was a gruesome sight—over my shoulder. I looked—and saw Sinclair standing there with a snapped-off chair leg.
“No!” I almost screamed. “No, no, no, it’s not true!”
Then Sinclair ducked, and the redheaded bellboy (bellman) went sailing over his shoulder.
“Robert,” Bernie said faintly. “At last.”
I nearly swooned onto the carpet. “Ha! I knew Sinclair hadn’t killed you. And what were you doing in our room?”
“Snooping,” he admitted.
Robert slowly got to his feet, pale even for a vampire. “Oh, Bernadette, what did they do ?” He glared at me. “You’ll die screaming, you pretender! You—”
“You did all this? You killed her parents, killed her ? Made her into this-this thing that eats kids? And then took your time coming to the rescue, you fucking coward? She was kicking our door and screaming for help and you only came out now ?”
“I can hear you, you know,” Bernie murmured. “And of course he’s a coward. He preys on children. Of course,” she added thoughtfully, “so do I. But that’s more a size issue for me.”
Robert rushed at me (I guess he wasn’t interested in answering any of my questions), and I was bracing myself for the attack when there were three quick shots and his head exploded. Just when I thought the week couldn’t get yuckier.
He fell, barely two feet from Bernadette’s body, and then I saw Nick, who had the toddler on one hip and his gun in his right hand.
Sinclair snapped the chair leg in half (luckily, it was a nice, long slender one) and plunged a piece into Robert’s back, all the way through him and into the carpet.
Then he handed the other piece to me.
“I can’t,” I cried.
“You’d better,” Bernie wheezed. “I’ll look ridiculous walking around like this. And as for catching prey? No chance.”
I raised the chair leg. “I’m sorry, Bernie. And I forgive you for the others.”
“I’m not at all sorry and you’re a fool to forgive. Good-bye, Vampire Queen.”
I shoved the stake all the way in and the light went out of those beautiful blue eyes. Her hand tightened on mine, then went limp.
I pulled her into my embrace, shuddering at the way her head lolled and rolled, and rocked her back and forth, crying. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m—”
The elevator dinged and then Jessica was kneeling beside me. “Oh, Betsy. You had to.”
“—sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry—”
“Elizabeth, we must—”
“Is everybody okay? I gotta get this kid back to his parents.”
“—I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry—”
“Elizabeth—please—”
“I think she’s in shock,” Nick worried. “Can vampires go into shock?”
In the end, it took all three of them to wrench her out of my arms and I think—I think I fainted or something, because I don’t remember much after that.
Chapter 19
I opened my eyes to a familiar sight . . . a ring of concerned faces hovering over me.
“Sorry,” I said faintly. I covered my eyes. “That was—that was bad there. For a minute.”
“It was fairly awful for all of us, so don’t beat yourself up,” Jessica assured me. “We’re just glad you and Sinclair are all right.”
Silence. Then I heard Jess stomp on Nick’s foot, and his stifled yelp. “Aren’t we ?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Thanks for killing the bellman,” I said. “That must have felt good.”
“I only shot him in the head. I have
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