It’s a fairly large office with a chair next to the desk and two more in front. The glass walls look out into the main room, where desks and a bulletproof glass wall shield the department from the front door.
Mari and Tilda sit in front of the desk. I stand next to Mari with my hand on her shoulder. Ion eases into the other chair.
The chief sits behind his desk. “Mr. Radu, are you proposing that you take this prisoner off my hands?”
“Are you opposed to that, Chief?” There’s no censure or judgment in Ion’s voice.
“It’s very irregular, sir. However, I doubt the county or state has a facility that can hold him, and having him here puts people at risk. Our judicial system would be at a loss for how to deal with him. He came to kidnap one of our residents.” Jorge’s gaze shifts to Mari. “He’d been keeping Miss Schwan against her will for seven years. He’s dangerous, and he needs to pay for his crimes. I’m just curious, if I give him to you, what will you do with him?”
“I’ll try to make him see reason.”
Mari stiffens next to me. “How can you do that? Pierre has no sense of right and wrong, no conscience. He feels justified in what he did to me and all the others in his lifetime. He thinks it’s his vampiric birthright.”
A fatherly pride blossoms in Ion’s smile. “You’ve hit on it, Mari. I’m going to give him those things that he lacks.”
“You’ll give a six-hundred-year-old murderous vampire a conscience? Is that even possible, Ion?” I’ve never heard of such a thing. Granted, there are many things I don’t know, but the idea of Pierre feeling regret and guilt sounds unattainable.
Leaning back, Ion frowns. “It’s a terrible thing to witness, to be honest. He may want to repent, or he may still support his behavior.”
Jorge leans his elbows on the desk. “What do you do with him if it’s the latter?”
“I won’t kill him, if that’s what you’re asking. I can keep him safe, and I can keep the world safe from him. He’ll also get the choice to remove himself from society.” A sorrow shadows Ion’s dark eyes.
“Suicide?” My tone is more incredulous than I want, but it seems unlikely.
Ion nods. “Only if that’s what he wishes, rather than living within a moral code which aligns with modern society.”
“He doesn’t seem the type to take his own life.” The chief is right.
“At the moment, Pierre has no conscience. He regrets nothing he’s done in the past or present, as he believes it is his right to control others and murder for blood. I am going to give him the ability to regret his choices. Some of the vampires born like Pierre choose death rather than living with what they’ve done. In human terms, it would be like curing a sociopath and showing them the wrong they did. If they could feel empathy, those deeds might be too much to live with.”
Chief Martinez stares at the top of his desk for a long time. I’m sure he’s torn between his human regulations and laws and what’s best for his community. It’s a tough spot to be put in. The Great Revelation put a lot of pressure on the human world and its beliefs. “You can take him. I’ll file the forms, sighting you with European jurisdiction. The longer he’s in my town, the better the chances are that someone gets hurt. If Sam wasn’t here on Wednesday night, I don’t want to imagine what might have happened.”
Ion smiles and shakes Jorge’s hand. “I like this town. Perhaps one day I’ll return. I will come tomorrow to collect him. Tonight, I’d like to spend catching up with my old friends and newer family members.”
I can’t think of anyone in my past I’d rather be in my neighborhood.
We all stand.
As we exit the office, Max asks, “What about tonight? What do I do with him?”
“He’ll be fine. I recommend ignoring him. If you have other people to keep in there, call me and I’ll get him early. He shouldn’t be near humans or monsters if it can be avoided.” Ion shakes Max’s hand.
Max nods and pulls his shoulders back before giving Tilda a long look and heading over to the front desk, where Willa is working.
When we step out onto the street, all three vampires pull veils over their faces and cover their hands.
Tilda stops and takes a deep breath. “I’ll just say goodbye now. Thank you for freeing me.”
Mari takes both of her gloved hands. “Where will you go?” When Tilda stares back without answering, Mari adds, “You can stay here. I have an extra house you can stay in while you figure out what you want to do. We are family now.”
A tear slips down Tilda’s smooth skin. “Are you sure?”
Wrapping an arm around Tilda, Mari walks her to my truck.
Ion says, “I’m delighted to see you have found your mate, Samy. I always hoped you would be happy and in love. Such a big heart deserves to be loved, and I can see my granddaughter is the one.”
Turning at the word granddaughter, Mari throws herself into Ion’s arms. “I can’t believe I have a family.”
