Sparkle’s mysterious “answers”. She hated that she’d allowed Sparkle to bribe her into doing that fantasy.
With him.
She didn’t give her father a chance to speak. “Dad, who exactly is Sparkle Stardust?”
“A very important client, sweetie. Treat her with respect.”
If Kayla didn’t know better, she’d swear she heard a note of uncertainty in her father’s voice. Not likely, though. Dad never seemed to have doubts about anything in his life.
This was the man who had seen every gangster movie ever produced. He did homage in his own small way to their awesomeness by modeling his career after them.
“She says a vampire owns the amusement pier across the street, the one I’m supposed to spy on and hopefully destroy.”
She hated the family business. Whatever It Takes said it all. Dad took on clients that other private detective agencies wouldn’t touch—the ones who wanted someone who would climb over the fence into illegal territory if needed. This was her first and last job for Dad. And if he thought once she got her degree she’d use it to haul his behind out of trouble with the law, he was in for a huge disappointment.
“You’ll have to be creative with this one, Kayla. But I taught you, so I’m not worried.”
“Hello? Dad, I said a
vampire
owns it.”
“Right. Make sure you cover your neck when you’re on the job. Do you still have that cross your grandmother gave you?”
Kayla had to be hallucinating. Her father couldn’t be giving her hints on how to deal with a vampire. “Vampires don’t exist, Dad.” As soon as she got home, she’d talk to Mom about getting Dad some help.
“If you say so, sweetie.” He sounded distracted. “Whatever you do, keep Sparkle happy.”
There was a pause. Kayla could hear him breathing.
“Sparkle can be a dangerous woman. But if you treat her right, she can be very generous. She introduced me to your mom.”
“Yes, and that worked out so well.” Had she injected the right amount of bitchiness into her voice?
“We were great together while it lasted, Kayla.”
Was that nostalgia in his voice? Nah.
“I want to quit, Dad.”
A cat talked to me in my head.
Would it matter to him? Not if he didn’t find a vampire who owned an amusement park strange.
“No. Don’t. Sparkle wants you.”
Panicked? Her dad? She sighed. No matter how much he annoyed her, she still loved him. And this job was evidently a lot more important to him than she’d first thought. At least she wasn’t crazy, unless Dad was delusional too. What were the chances? Kayla would probably regret this, but now that she was over her initial horror she was curious enough to consider staying for a while. After all, she could always walk away if things got too intense. Besides, maybe her beautiful victim from the dungeon would show up again. Not that he had anything to do with her decision. Really. Nothing at all.
“Relax. I’ve decided to stay unless it gets too crazy.” It was already too crazy.
“That’s my little girl.” His relief oozed from the phone.
“Oh, and Dad . . . ?” She paused. “Payback is a bitch.”
She hung up to his chuckle. Then she called room service and ordered something to eat. While she waited for it to arrive, she lay on the bed thinking. About
him
, her mystery guy.
Who was he? Was he staying in the castle? And then she remembered his eyes. Something niggled at her. She closed her eyes and pictured them. What was it . . . ?
When she opened her eyes again, she had her answer. He’d been wearing colored contacts. His pupils gave him away. They looked artificial, too perfect. Colored contacts had the center cut out of them. That meant that the pupils never seemed to change size, they always stayed exactly the same. Dad had taught her to notice details like that. Come to think of it, his lashes were way too dark for his hair. A wig?
She smiled. Things were getting interesting. Now she felt energized, because someone who felt the
With him.
She didn’t give her father a chance to speak. “Dad, who exactly is Sparkle Stardust?”
“A very important client, sweetie. Treat her with respect.”
If Kayla didn’t know better, she’d swear she heard a note of uncertainty in her father’s voice. Not likely, though. Dad never seemed to have doubts about anything in his life.
This was the man who had seen every gangster movie ever produced. He did homage in his own small way to their awesomeness by modeling his career after them.
“She says a vampire owns the amusement pier across the street, the one I’m supposed to spy on and hopefully destroy.”
She hated the family business. Whatever It Takes said it all. Dad took on clients that other private detective agencies wouldn’t touch—the ones who wanted someone who would climb over the fence into illegal territory if needed. This was her first and last job for Dad. And if he thought once she got her degree she’d use it to haul his behind out of trouble with the law, he was in for a huge disappointment.
“You’ll have to be creative with this one, Kayla. But I taught you, so I’m not worried.”
“Hello? Dad, I said a
vampire
owns it.”
“Right. Make sure you cover your neck when you’re on the job. Do you still have that cross your grandmother gave you?”
Kayla had to be hallucinating. Her father couldn’t be giving her hints on how to deal with a vampire. “Vampires don’t exist, Dad.” As soon as she got home, she’d talk to Mom about getting Dad some help.
“If you say so, sweetie.” He sounded distracted. “Whatever you do, keep Sparkle happy.”
There was a pause. Kayla could hear him breathing.
“Sparkle can be a dangerous woman. But if you treat her right, she can be very generous. She introduced me to your mom.”
“Yes, and that worked out so well.” Had she injected the right amount of bitchiness into her voice?
“We were great together while it lasted, Kayla.”
Was that nostalgia in his voice? Nah.
“I want to quit, Dad.”
A cat talked to me in my head.
Would it matter to him? Not if he didn’t find a vampire who owned an amusement park strange.
“No. Don’t. Sparkle wants you.”
Panicked? Her dad? She sighed. No matter how much he annoyed her, she still loved him. And this job was evidently a lot more important to him than she’d first thought. At least she wasn’t crazy, unless Dad was delusional too. What were the chances? Kayla would probably regret this, but now that she was over her initial horror she was curious enough to consider staying for a while. After all, she could always walk away if things got too intense. Besides, maybe her beautiful victim from the dungeon would show up again. Not that he had anything to do with her decision. Really. Nothing at all.
“Relax. I’ve decided to stay unless it gets too crazy.” It was already too crazy.
“That’s my little girl.” His relief oozed from the phone.
“Oh, and Dad . . . ?” She paused. “Payback is a bitch.”
She hung up to his chuckle. Then she called room service and ordered something to eat. While she waited for it to arrive, she lay on the bed thinking. About
him
, her mystery guy.
Who was he? Was he staying in the castle? And then she remembered his eyes. Something niggled at her. She closed her eyes and pictured them. What was it . . . ?
When she opened her eyes again, she had her answer. He’d been wearing colored contacts. His pupils gave him away. They looked artificial, too perfect. Colored contacts had the center cut out of them. That meant that the pupils never seemed to change size, they always stayed exactly the same. Dad had taught her to notice details like that. Come to think of it, his lashes were way too dark for his hair. A wig?
She smiled. Things were getting interesting. Now she felt energized, because someone who felt the
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