"I agree. Nothing is more important than keeping our existence a secret." Connor gave him a pointed look.
Jack glared back. "She knows nothing."
Connor looked away, frowning. "I'll tell Angus about this Apollo problem. And I'll have Roman send out a memo to all the minor coven masters in America. Perhaps one of them will know of a resort with classical Greek-style architecture in their district."
Jack nodded. "Excellent idea."
"Hopefully, we can locate Apollo's resort in a few nights," Connor continued. "I assume the place will be fenced off and have a few daytime guards. Apollo's control over the ladies' minds may be weaker during the day, while he's in his death-sleep."
"True. And he can't afford to let any of the women escape." Jack frowned as he wondered how many women Apollo might have killed. "I'll compile a list of missing college students." Especially pretty redheaded females.
"Good." Connor glanced at the surveillance monitors. "Do ye know which police officers are working the case?"
"I could find out. They'll be working out of the precinct where Columbia University is located."
"That would be Morningside Heights. We should erase their memories." Connor looked at Jack. "We should erase the memories of every mortal who knows about this case."
Jack gripped the arms of his chair. "Lara is immune. Her memory cannot be erased."
"By you," Connor finished softly.
Jack gritted his teeth. "My psychic powers are as strong as any Vamp's."
"I doona mean to insult you, but I have to question if ye really tried. Deep inside, ye may no' have wanted her to forget you."
"I tried," Jack growled. "Laszlo tried, too. We couldn't get through to her."
"Then ye willna mind if I give it a try."
Jack shot to his feet. "No."
Connor's eyebrows rose. "An interesting reaction."
"Don't play these games with me, Connor. You will leave Lara alone."
The Scotsman heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "What the hell is wrong with you all? Roman, Angus, Jean-Luc, Ian-'tis spreading like a bloody plague. I've been wondering if a Vamp loses his mind once he reaches the ripe old age of five hundred, but I remain unaffected, thank God, and you-ye're just a youngster."
"Two hundred and sixteen years old," Jack said wryly. "Barely out of training pants."
Connor gave him an annoyed look. "There are at least twenty thousand law-abiding Vamps that we know of, and almost half of them are verra bonny and clever women. Why can ye no' dally with one of them?"
Jack shrugged. "I never intended this to happen."
"Do ye no' realize that ye risk the lives of every Vamp around the world when ye tell a mortal our secret? Ye doona have the right to endanger us all."
"I haven't told her anything."
"Yet." Connor rubbed his brow. "I've seen this happen too many times now. Ye're acting just as sick as the others did."
"Love isn't sick. Amore is the most powerful and positive force in the universe."
"Ye've known her-what-two weeks? Ye canna call it love. 'Tis a bad case of lust, nothing more."
Jack paced across the room. No, he'd lusted before. He'd loved before. He knew the difference. "This is more than lust."
"It is folly," Connor grumbled.
Maybe so, but was it love? Jack halted and stared into space. How deeply was he falling for Lara?
"Can ye stop seeing her?" Connor asked softly.
Could he? There were only a few things he had to do to survive. Hide from the sun. Drink blood. When looked at that way, the life of a Vamp seemed endlessly monotonous.
Every day at sunset, his heart leaped to life in his chest, but for so long he'd felt dead inside. He'd given himself entirely to the cause of fighting the Malcontents, for it gave him a reason to climb out of bed every night. It was a dark life of constant conflict and bloodshed. It had lasted two centuries, and it could go on forever. Merda, he was living in a circle of hell.
Lara felt like an angel who had come to his rescue. All beauty and light. He was no longer living for death, but for amove. He was falling in love.
Love. He'd always believed in true love, but he'd always been unlucky in it. His first love, Beatrice, had died before he could marry her. Her loss had hit him with such devastation that many years passed before love found him again, in 1855. With high hopes he'd told his mistress his secret, only to have her reject him. He'd been forced to erase her memory, but his memory had remained intact, and the pain of losing her had taken years to get over.
In 1932, the same scenario repeated itself. The same pain of losing a woman he loved. He had no doubt that telling Lara the truth would mean losing her. He swallowed hard. He couldn't risk it. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again. Just considering the possibility of losing her was causing his chest to clench painfully.
There was something so special about her. And he wanted to share something special with her, something that he loved. The idea of Venezia came back. "I have to be with her."
"I was afraid of that." Connor strode toward the door. "I'll tell Roman about the situation and start the hunt for Apollo's resort."
"All right." Jack circled the desk to sit in front of the computer. He would spend the next several hours compiling information on missing female college students. He glanced at the Scottish Vamp, who was halfway out the door. "Thank you, Connor, for understanding."
Connor snorted. "What I understand is ye're falling into madness. May God save yer soul."
"Amore can fill your heart with joy and peace," Jack said. "It can make you feel whole."
A pained look crossed Connor's blue eyes. "Or it can rip yer heart in two." He closed the door.
Jack sighed. He'd been there before, left behind with a heart ripped in two. He could only hope it wouldn't happen with Lara.
By late Monday afternoon, Lara was becoming increasingly bored. LaToya was at work, so she was all alone. She'd gone to the department shrink for a one-o'clock appointment, and he had declared her fit for duty, starting on Wednesday night. She considered going to work early so she could access the records on missing persons. But how could she explain that she was working a case she hadn't been assigned to?
She wondered how Jack was doing with the investigation. Actually, she wondered about Jack quite a bit. By four o'clock, she was lounging on the sofa and once again studying the You Don't Know jack list she'd written the night before.
The first list gave all the reasons she was attracted to Jack. Intelligent. Strong. Handsome. Witty. Sexy. Sweet. Gorgeous. Protective. Supportive. Generous. Naughty. Great kisser. And he was so much more. He seemed attuned to her thoughts and feelings, much more than any other man she'd ever met. And he truly cared for her. She could see it in his eyes. When they weren't glowing red.
With a sigh, she read the second list. Psychic powers. Super powers. Old-fashioned. That made her wince. If his father died in 1798, that would make Jack born in 1791.
This was definitely freaky enough that she ought to be scared off. Even Jack had told her she should run like the hounds of hell were after her. But if he were truly a bad man, would he warn her? Maybe he was afraid that he'd accidentally hurt her with his super strength.
She tossed the list on the coffee table. Enough with this useless speculation. She needed hard facts. If she were a detective, how would she investigate him? First stop would be his workplace. She'd check out Romatech Industries and confirm his alibi for Saturday night. The trip would probably take a few hours, so she needed to let LaToya know she wouldn't be home for supper tonight.
She turned on her cell phone and noticed a missed call in her voice mail. Probably her mother again, begging her to give up this police nonsense and come back home to do something sensible with her life, like compete for the Miss Louisiana title.
When Lara had first moved to New York, her mother had called every day to nag her, so she'd resorted to turning the phone off when she wasn't at work. And now that she worked the night shift, she continued to keep it turned off so she could sleep during the day.
With a resigned sigh, she steeled herself for more nagging and activated her voice mail. Her heart leaped at the sound of Jack's voice.
"Lara, I've been gathering information on the case. I'd like to show it to you Monday night. I've also planned a... date for us. It would only take a few hours of our time, then we could come back and work some more. I'll call you Monday about eight-thirty to see if you're agreeable to going out with me. Sleep well, bellissima." He hung up.