"Okay, that's good. Tell me where you are in Barcelona." Almonzo glanced at Tabitha. She knew if he repeated everything to her, she would remember it. The woman owned an incredible memory.

"El Gordo."

Almonzo looked at Natasha and then Tabitha. "He said El Gordo."

"Father, how did you get a phone."

"They..."

"Who? They-who?"

"El Gordo."

"He keeps mentioning El Gordo."

Tabitha blinked and he watched the little woman try to search her memory for a better understanding. "No, Almonzo. El Gordo is The Fat One. He's talking about the lottery. It's called El Gordo. Ask him if he's in Madrid. " She looked at Natasha for confirmation. "I think they draw winners in Madrid. I don't know, maybe they have the El Gordo in Barcelona too."

Natasha stared at Tabitha. "This is the largest lottery in the world. We can't base where he is on El Gordo. It must have another meaning."

"Father, are you in Madrid?"

"No, no-Barcelona. Son, listen to me. Listen to me carefully. I know what I say to you. El Gordo. El Gordo. El Gordo. Do not play El Gordo." His voice trailed off and then the call disconnected.

An hour later, the phone rang. Marion stared at it blankly. "You answer it. He's not going to be permitted to call back. They'll call for ransom."

As soon as she said the word, Tabitha held up her hand. "That's what your father was trying to tell you. El Gordo is the world's biggest lottery, whoever has him will likely ask for a billion plus. That's what he's trying to tell you. He doesn't want you to pay his ransom."

Almonzo picked up the phone.

"Mr. Spenser, do you know who this is?"

"Sabbat." Almonzo responded.

A loud chuckle came across the phone. "No, it would be far too easy for you if you could find a Sabbat with your family papa, yes?"

"What do you want?" Almonzo walked away from the women, motioning for his brother to follow as he moved into the foyer and away from the pod. He set the phone down slowly and hit the speaker phone option. Both men stood waiting to hear the demands of a monster.

The phone line went silent. Deadly with a stillness easily misunderstood. "We have killed your Papa. We now want you to give us a reason not to take your Mama. Give us one, say, two billion reasons not to take her next."

Orlando carefully listened to the man's voice, heard the demand, and fell to the bench next to the grand entrance. His hands cupped his face and he began to scream out his agony into sweaty palms. It sounded like a m.u.f.fled, if not quite stifled cry. Agony rode through the room and threatened to claim both the surviving Spenser men as they listened to the man on the other end of the phone.

Almonzo rested a hand on his twin's shoulder as the voice continued to spill from the speaker phone. When the demands and terms were laid out, Almonzo didn't have a lot of options except to call their bluff.

"We want proof our father is dead and then we'll pay you whatever you want but we want the vial of blood you have in exchange for our family's safety." He shook his head at his brother to let him know he didn't buy it for a minute that the extortionist would honor his terms. "And just so you know, we'll pay double for the safe return of Samuel Spenser, just in case you are under the misguided impression we wouldn't pay more for his safety."

Their father drew breath as surely as they both sat there together and Almonzo would bet the two billion they wanted on it. His father didn't die for rogues. He fought hard and it would be one reason many of their own would keep him alive. He'd be live game for those who wanted him dead. Many would consider him a prize catch. More would want to watch him suffer than to see him through the gates of h.e.l.l. Escorting him there proved dangerous because retaliation forced a vampire's hand.

The voice of a true h.e.l.lion meeting his match poured through the phone. "We'll see what we can arrange. But for the time being, a.s.sume your father is dead."

"For the time being, a.s.sume if he is, then everything you love from your mortal brides to your unborn children will be at risk. I will protect what I have here in Scotland as I'm sure a man of your stature protects what he holds dear but make no mistake about it. I will kill for my father and mother, and all I hold precious in this life." Almonzo disconnected the phone.

"Why'd you hang up?"

"I'm not going to get into a p.i.s.sing contest with them. I'll kill their families and their future if they harm one hair on Father's head."

"He's dead." Orlando shook his head. "I feel it."

"Then your d.a.m.n sixth sense you pride yourself on nurturing just malfunctioned, because our father is alive! d.a.m.n it, brother, they have no reason to kill him. Think about it and think about this too while you're doing something rather useful. If Sabbats were behind this, they would have taken me while they had the chance and they've had several. We have a pending problem and unfortunately, it's getting worse by the hour. I'd like to blame Darian or any other Sabbat but I fear we have a new enemy too."

Orlando looked at him for a long time before he dared to ask, "Who?"

"We have no idea who we're dealing with here and when you don't know who your enemies are, you have no other option but to guard yourself from your friends and acquaintances."

Orlando's lips pursed and he nodded slightly. "Then we'll stand ready. Father would expect nothing less."

Chapter 22

Orlando rose to meet his mother and Almonzo as they joined the rest of the family in the pod. The young Spenser women were dressed in black gowns and the rest of the family appropriately garbed in black attire as well. Suits and ties for the men and black dresses for the women and mourning the loss of one of their own came particularly easy. They looked the part.

Almonzo met several elders in the foyer. He greeted them with a handshake, a slap on the back and a polite palm placed easily on their shoulders. He turned them away and then nodded to Tate after they were gone. "No one comes in here. Everyone pays their respect on the lawn and everyone greets the family there. No one is coming through our doors tonight."

Tate nodded. "Understood."

Marion dabbed her eyes. "You're sure this isn't real?" She questioned Almonzo first and then Orlando.

"Mother, we're as sure as you are and that's not enough security for any of us but it will have to be enough for now."

Orlando moved his hand to her back and pressed gently between her shoulders, holding out the other hand to guide her forward. "Mother, just remember, we need to be believable. We need to grieve openly and we must do it with a keen eye on our family." He nodded back to Natasha and Tabitha and then slid out the front door.

Almonzo walked over to Constance and took her hand. "Okay, little one. Stick close."

Her black eyes looked up at her older brother. "You look very nice today, Almonzo." She turned back to glance at Tabitha. "He looks real purdy."

Tabitha giggled and brushed her hand across the little girl's cheek. "You look real purdy too."

"Don't tempt her with the hillbilly slang, please. Before long she'll be old enough to ride a cowboy, if you know what I mean." Almonzo grunted against the thought and then pa.s.sed by them.

He stood at the front door. "Remember, you don't want anyone here to ever have a good shot at your heart. The bows on the rooftop are going to have their own sedatives in them to take a shot at intruders but they can't stop an arrow intended for one of us."

"Be careful." She mouthed the words to him.

"You too." He said them aloud. "I love you."

"I know you do." She smiled and he shot her a d.a.m.n-you look so she added, "I love you too."

He nodded. "You're getting better at it."

She snickered when she saw her sister's face. "I'm getting better at saying I love him, that's what he meant."

"Oh, for a minute there, I thought he might have been talking about the s.e.x."

The girls laughed and then faced forward, ready to antic.i.p.ate what they faced on the lawn.

Constance put her fingers over her little mouth and ran on ahead to take her brother's hand again. The doors opened and immediately Almonzo stepped outside onto the lawn. He shot his brother and mother an unusual frown then turned back to look at Tabitha.

"No." He put his arm up, stopping her from joining him. "I've changed my mind. It's too dangerous. I can't put you out here for someone to take their best shot at. You stay here."

He looked down on Constance and immediately felt guilty. She'd be expected to pay her respects. She had to go. They had to parade a little girl around in front of the elders and their friends. And h.e.l.l, yes, their d.a.m.n enemies. He shivered when he faced the truth. The enemy was out there. He felt his presence.

"Tabitha, I'm going to walk her by the memorial and then bring her back here. Natasha, I think Orlando would feel better if you came back here to wait with Constance and Tabitha too."

"I will not. Orlando needs me and you all need an extra set of eyes. I can help you there." Natasha held her chin high. He knew a defiant mortal woman when he saw one and he looked head-on into pure determination.

"Okay." Resigned to the danger beyond their patio, he stepped out with his little sister's hand locked in his. Without Tabitha to worry about, he could keep Natasha and Constance safe. He knew his mother could take care of herself. He looked over at Orlando and Marion and tried to offer them a smile of encouragement. "Father would be proud."

Marion nodded and a tear drifted down her cheek. "He'd better live to be told about it." As soon as the word fell from her lips, the first arrow fell at her feet. And several more followed.

"Go! Go! Go!" Almonzo took off toward the house in an all-out sprint. He didn't even know where or how he'd gathered Constance up so fast but he held her tightly against his chest. "Tate! Open now!"

As he'd been instructed, the caretaker hadn't shut the doors completely, both because he'd been instructed to do so and because he loved Constance too much to leave her in harm's way. Almonzo handed her off to Tate as soon as he ran through the foyer, immediately looking back for the others. Orlando rushed in with their mother. "Where's Natasha?"

Both brothers glared at one another and without a second to discuss it, rushed back out to find her. "Lock it down, wait in the pod! We'll enter there!" Almonzo didn't look over at Tabitha as he shouted the orders. d.a.m.nation, if he had, he would've died a thousand deaths. Their own loomed. Their extinction existed now. Her blood caused it and yet it was given without choice. Now, he had to forgive her forever and he had to punish those who took it.

Orlando and Almonzo began to give the elders their requests. "Get this place cleared out now. We want everyone gone! We have their respects, they've paid them, now send them away."

One of the elders caught him by the arm. "Your father is alive. If you meet the demands you're required to meet, then it goes against everything we stand for, everything we believe in, and everything your Father worked to avoid in his youth." Almonzo pushed by the elder and chose to ignore the warning now.

"Natasha!" Almonzo heard Orlando's panic strike out at the night air.. "Natasha!"

The grounds began to clear as people hurried to waiting cars and limousines. And then the sky fell onto a clearing and there in the midst of it, stood Samuel Spenser-practically draped over his daughter-in-law's back.

Breathless, Natasha called to Orlando and Almonzo.

"Help!" Her cry was barely above a whisper. The twins saw her before she moved too far from the shadows.

"Father! Father!" Orlando ran to them, grabbing the side of his parent's face. He kissed his cheek and supported him from one side while Almonzo took the other.

Orlando resisted the help. "Please! Take Natasha inside. Hurry! Have Mother call in a few favors and find a doctor we can trust."

Natasha pulled out of Almonzo's grip and clung tighter to the older Spenser. "I'm helping. I'm not a helpless woman who can be sent away when catastrophe strikes. Now work with me here and let's get him inside."

Almonzo looked at his father's battered face and shook his head. "d.a.m.nation, we can pick them. One sister is as stubborn as the next."

The pod doors opened as soon as Tate saw them. "I thought for a day or so you might have checked out on us," he tried to tease as he moved Natasha away from the doors and securely closed them before setting the house's electronic security in a locked-down state.

Constance ran in to join them. "Father! Father! You're home."

"Yes." He seemed despondent and not at all like himself.

Tabitha leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome back. We missed you."

He smiled gently and then literally fell into his wife's arms when she hesitantly stepped closer. "Oh, Samuel, you're here. You're finally back home where you belong." Her arms surrounded him and before she was prepared for it, he slumped against her chest with his full weight.

Chapter 23

"How's your father?" The look of worry spread easily over Tabitha's brow when she saw Almonzo enter their bedroom.

"He's tired." He sat on the bed next to her and she draped herself easily over his back.

"I know someone else who could use a few days of rest too."

He turned quickly to stare back at her. "Are you feeling stressed? Do I need to take you somewhere to get you away from everything here?"

Tabitha grinned. "Now, you know," she beamed with possibilities and he imagined her devious little head reeled with quite a few of them, "we never had a real honeymoon."

"A honeymoon?"

"Yeah, it's a vacation after you get married."

"I didn't know." He appeared dumbfounded.

Sometimes she forgot about the cultural differences. She kissed the top of his head and draped her arms around his shoulders in a loving embrace. "Well, it's not really a big deal." She kissed him on the cheek and then winked. "It's not really a must-do. Most of the time, couples get married and have a lavish wedding ceremony, or not, and then follow it up with a honeymoon."