Read Online Quinn's Undying Rose (Scanguards Vampires #6) by Tina Folsom - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tina Folsom
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broke.
Undeterred by her anguish, he continued his questioning. “What happened to her?”
“She grew up as the farmer’s daughter. She married and had children. Only one survived. Charlotte died at the age of sixty-eight.”
Quinn turned away, but not before she’d seen a wet sheen suddenly covering his irises.
For the first time, she wondered whether it had been a mistake to hide his daughter from him. Maybe he would have loved her, cared for her. Doubts that had risen years ago resurfaced again. Had she been wrong? Should she have accepted him after he’d come back from the war, after he’d come back a changed man? No, not a man, a vampire. Could they have had a life together? No matter. It was too late now. She couldn’t turn back time, even if she wanted to.
“Did she know you were her mother?”
Rose nodded even though Quinn remained with his back to her. “Not at first. But I told her later. I looked out for her. She was never in need of anything. I protected her. And she made me swear to protect all her offspring too once she was gone.”
“She knew what you were?” he asked, disbelief in his voice.
“She was a brave girl. Never afraid of anything. When I told her, she accepted it. She made me show her my fangs. She showed no fear.”
She’d been so proud of Charlotte then. To have a daughter who had accepted her, loved her. Her descendants hadn’t been as welcoming. When she had told Charlotte’s son who she was, he’d tried to stake her right there and then, his country bumpkin prejudices too deeply ingrained in him to listen to her explanation. She’d had to wipe his memory of her to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. That was why she had not revealed herself to the others, but simply watched over them from afar, just as she watched over Blake from a distance. He had never met her, didn’t know who she was. And she wanted to keep it that way.
“You were disgusted with what I had become,” Quinn recalled in turning back to her, his face composed. “Yet you became a vampire shortly after that. Don’t deny it: you look the same as you did when I came back. You must have gotten turned within a year of my return.” His voice turned to stone again. “I want to know what happened. Everything.”
The dangerous undertone in his voice was unmistakable. But she couldn’t comply with his request. If he knew how she’d gotten turned, he would suspect what else she had done. And if he found out, she would be as good as dead.
“It’s not important. What’s important is that our grandson Blake is in mortal danger. I need your help to protect him. I can’t do it on my own.”
As hard as it was to admit that, she needed his expertise. After all, he was a bodyguard, and of all the things that she’d found out about Scanguards and the people he worked with, she knew they were the best. If anybody could prevent Keegan from digging his claws into Blake, it was Quinn.
“What makes you think I will help you after all you’ve done to me?”
She gasped. “After all I have done to you?” Had he already forgotten what he had done to her?
“Yes, you! Would you like me to make a list for you?” His glare intensified. He lifted his hand, counting with his fingers. “You tossed me out after I came back from the war. I professed my love. You stomped on it. You hid my daughter from me. And then you even made me believe you were dead when in reality you were living as a vampire. You became what you hated so much about me. Yet, you never came back to me, not even after you became what I was. Why is that, Rose? Why did you do all this to me? Did you hate me so much for taking your innocence, for leaving you with child?”
There was a hunted look in his eyes. Involuntarily, she reached out her hand, wanting to soothe his pain. He jerked back, as if he couldn’t bear her touch.
“I can’t talk to you right now.”
He turned on his heels and stormed out faster than she could get another word
Undeterred by her anguish, he continued his questioning. “What happened to her?”
“She grew up as the farmer’s daughter. She married and had children. Only one survived. Charlotte died at the age of sixty-eight.”
Quinn turned away, but not before she’d seen a wet sheen suddenly covering his irises.
For the first time, she wondered whether it had been a mistake to hide his daughter from him. Maybe he would have loved her, cared for her. Doubts that had risen years ago resurfaced again. Had she been wrong? Should she have accepted him after he’d come back from the war, after he’d come back a changed man? No, not a man, a vampire. Could they have had a life together? No matter. It was too late now. She couldn’t turn back time, even if she wanted to.
“Did she know you were her mother?”
Rose nodded even though Quinn remained with his back to her. “Not at first. But I told her later. I looked out for her. She was never in need of anything. I protected her. And she made me swear to protect all her offspring too once she was gone.”
“She knew what you were?” he asked, disbelief in his voice.
“She was a brave girl. Never afraid of anything. When I told her, she accepted it. She made me show her my fangs. She showed no fear.”
She’d been so proud of Charlotte then. To have a daughter who had accepted her, loved her. Her descendants hadn’t been as welcoming. When she had told Charlotte’s son who she was, he’d tried to stake her right there and then, his country bumpkin prejudices too deeply ingrained in him to listen to her explanation. She’d had to wipe his memory of her to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. That was why she had not revealed herself to the others, but simply watched over them from afar, just as she watched over Blake from a distance. He had never met her, didn’t know who she was. And she wanted to keep it that way.
“You were disgusted with what I had become,” Quinn recalled in turning back to her, his face composed. “Yet you became a vampire shortly after that. Don’t deny it: you look the same as you did when I came back. You must have gotten turned within a year of my return.” His voice turned to stone again. “I want to know what happened. Everything.”
The dangerous undertone in his voice was unmistakable. But she couldn’t comply with his request. If he knew how she’d gotten turned, he would suspect what else she had done. And if he found out, she would be as good as dead.
“It’s not important. What’s important is that our grandson Blake is in mortal danger. I need your help to protect him. I can’t do it on my own.”
As hard as it was to admit that, she needed his expertise. After all, he was a bodyguard, and of all the things that she’d found out about Scanguards and the people he worked with, she knew they were the best. If anybody could prevent Keegan from digging his claws into Blake, it was Quinn.
“What makes you think I will help you after all you’ve done to me?”
She gasped. “After all I have done to you?” Had he already forgotten what he had done to her?
“Yes, you! Would you like me to make a list for you?” His glare intensified. He lifted his hand, counting with his fingers. “You tossed me out after I came back from the war. I professed my love. You stomped on it. You hid my daughter from me. And then you even made me believe you were dead when in reality you were living as a vampire. You became what you hated so much about me. Yet, you never came back to me, not even after you became what I was. Why is that, Rose? Why did you do all this to me? Did you hate me so much for taking your innocence, for leaving you with child?”
There was a hunted look in his eyes. Involuntarily, she reached out her hand, wanting to soothe his pain. He jerked back, as if he couldn’t bear her touch.
“I can’t talk to you right now.”
He turned on his heels and stormed out faster than she could get another word
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