Maybe not as wonderful as you think, Gale thought evilly. Cole was as much a predator as any of the ancients. Though she lacked their subtly when it came to threats to their family and Gale had no doubts this man was an ill wind.
Maria stay out of this man's sight. When we get back make your excuses to go to your room. He felt Maria's acceptance and the beast in Daniel. It was cawing at his mind demanding blood for so much of thinking harm to his lifemate. Maria laid a hand on Daniel's arm and gently tugged him forward and away from the raging monster inside him.
Don't worry, Cole will take care of him. There was the same anticipation in her thoughts as there was in Gale's. Together they lead the way back to the house. Gale opened the door wide enough to allow Ben to slip in beside him. He then directed the big cat to his enclosure off Maria and Sarah's bedrooms. The big cat went grudgingly, he didn't like the stranger. As the three Carpathians led the human to the kitchen Gale couldn't help but think that Joseph would find this situation a little bit comical.
They turned into the kitchen and Gale couldn't help but notice the man was looking around discretely. Like he was trying to memorize the layout of the house and note anything important. He was also making note of the floors. Gale's instinct was to kill the man here and now and get rid of the body. No one would know.
Unless he has help. A small voice whispered in his mind. Gale sighed,
True. In the kitchen was Cole sitting at the head of the table. On her left was her crazy lifemate Joseph. His black was still tipped in blue. Mr. Kael made a gasp of recognition. He knew who Cole was. Cole's chopsticks paused halfway to her mouth as she took in her guest. Something nasty and feral shifted behind her eyes when she caught sight of their uninvited guest. Then it was gone. Maria came bounding up to the table and looked through the different Chinese food that had been laid across the table. After grabbing a plate and piling noodles high she turned to leave.
"You need to have some vegetables too." Maria made a pouting face but went back and put a few pieces of broccoli on her plate as well.
"I'm going to work on homework, Daniel promised he'd help me." Cole nodded. Daniel went to follow Maria but Cole stopped him.
"I know you don't like Chinese, Daniel, so there's pizza on the counter." Daniel took his queue, nodded his thanks, and grabbed two slices of pizza. Once they left the room Cole put down her chopsticks and interlaced her fingers together and looked their guest straight in the eye.
"So, who are you?" The man had been surprised by the food, he hadn't expected that. It took him a moment to realize he needed to answer.
"I'm Rodney Kael, I'm a reporter. I already told your-." He turned to point to Gale when Cole interrupted.
"Can you prove that?" He turned back to Cole and swallowed. He suddenly felt like a rat that had been dragged before a mob boss. He quickly dug out his press pass and ID. Gale took them from his hand before he could take even a step toward Cole. He gave it to his sister as she turned them over in her hands expertly. "What do you think love?" She handed it to Joseph.
"It's worn like it's been in his wallet or pocket. No telltale signs of forgery." He sniffed the press pass. "Smells of coffee and alcohol. It's legit." Joseph handed the two pieces of identification back to. She looked at them thoughtfully before she picked up her cellphone that sat beside her plate and typed in the number. The phone rang a few times before Gale heard a man on the other end pick up and he was not happy.
"Hello Marven, this is Cole Savage." Gale almost laughed as the man's tone did a one eighty. He apologized for his rudeness and asked Cole what he could do for you.
"I'm glad you asked, I currently have a man detained in my home, he claims to be one of yours. His credentials are legitimate." Gale heard the groan from the other side of the phone and Mr. Kael's name. "That would be the one." Marven explained that Mr. Kael had asked for time off to work on some personal things. He had no idea it would have anything to do with Cole or her family. Cole reassured him. "It's alright, I just wanted to make sure I didn't have a stalker. Some of the wealthy people around her area had been targeted by murders over the last few years." Marven apologized again. "It's quite alright. How is Suzanna doing?" He explained that she was doing much better after her bought with the flu. Marven then inquired about a piece of jewelry that he had ordered. "She will love it. My husband is just putting the finishing touches on it." He thanked Cole and then they hung up. Cole turned her gaze to Mr. Kael and gestured for him to sit at the foot of the table.
Kael slid into the chair and tried not to fidget under the weight of this woman's gaze. Her brother towered next to him looking at him very menacingly. With what he had just heard he would be shocked if he still had a job when he got back. He hadn't realized vampires would be chummy with his boss. Even on a first name basis with Marven and his wife.
"So this is how this is going to go, Mr. Kael." When he looked into Cole's eyes he saw a fire there and the threat of death. "I'm going to ask you a question. If you chose not to answer or I think you are lying, I will have cops called, and I will press charges for trespassing and whatever else. However if you answer, I will then answer a question from you." Both her brother and husband were about to protest, but she held up a hand to silence them.
"You can't prove anything." He had been careful, for all they knew he had just wandered onto the property. He could press charges against them for illegally detaining him. Cole smiled at him much in the same way a cat smiles at a mouse it's about to eat. Cole pulled up a laptop. On it were several different screens of views over the property. His heart had a sinking feeling in it. Then he saw himself sneaking through the bushes.
"As you can see, I can prove you knowingly have been stalking my family. So now, does my agreement seem fair to you?" grudgingly he nodded.
"Why are you on my property tonight?"
"I was looking for proof." He watched this woman to see how she reacted, but she was very good at keeping things close to the vest. Even her husband was unreadable.
"Your question."
"How did your parents die?" Her husband turned to her a look of sympathy in his eyes as he took his wife's hand and gently squeezed it. But there was no suspicion in their eyes. Could he have been wrong about this family? No he was sure they were vampires. Cole took a deep breath.
"As far as the ME could tell, my father died of a punctured heart, the same happened to my grandfather. The windshield shattered and the shards pierced their hearts. My mother and grandmother died of shock from blood loss." Rodney nodded. What she said lined up with the report he had read, but he had been unable to talk to the person who had actually done the autopsies. "My turn then, what is your interest in my past?" Rodney smiled.
"Things in your past don't add up. Your family's companies and your own history doesn't make sense. You all suddenly appeared starting with your grandparents." Cole tapped a finger on the table to a rhythm he didn't recognize. "My question?" Cole nodded with amusement playing on her lips like she talking to a small child.
"Of course."
"Did you kill or your husband kill your friend from the circus," he pretended to get out his notepad as he looked at her face. It wasn't fear or anger in her eyes like he expected, more like grief. She had actually cared about the man. "Jason. I'm sorry I don't have a last name for him."
"Jason didn't have a last name. No, I did not kill him. I was under the impression he had run off with a maid from a local inn. I had always hoped he was happy somewhere."
