Part 17 (1/2)

'It's about Dani,' Sienna went on.

'Dani?' Jason repeated, surprised. 'What about her?'

'She took off with Ryan,' Sienna said. 'She told Belle they were going to Le Fleur.'

'The hotel?' Adam asked, frowning.

'What hotel?' Jason demanded.

'It's mostly for honeymooners. It's a very private inn on the beach,' Sienna said. 'That's the thing. Belle is worried. She thinks Dani and Ryan are so upset about having to break up that they might have gone there to do something drastic.'

'Drastic like turning Dani into a vampire?' Jason asked.

Sienna nodded.

'But they can't!' Adam cried. 'The test showed that Dani is genetically incompatible with the vampire genes. If she undergoes the transformation, she could go insane. She could die!'

'All true,' Jason said grimly, already running for his car. 'But Dani doesn't know that, does she?'

Twenty.

JASON HEADED FOR his car at a dead run. He had to get to Dani. Ifhe was too late if she'd already undergone the transformation . . .

He couldn't even think about it.

When they got back to where the cars were, Jason didn't hesitate. He jumped into the Bug and started it up. Adam squeezed himself into the tiny backseat, and Sienna took shotgun. 'Where is this hotel?' Jason demanded.

'It's just up the coast a few miles,' Sienna said. 'Ryan's family owns it. That must be why they went there.'

Jason hit the gas and screeched out onto the road, heading for Pacific Coast Highway. As he drove, he fished his cell out of the glove compartment where he'd left it when they broke into the lab. He hit speed dial for Dani's number.

'We're sorry,' said an electronic voice. 'The wireless customer you have reached is unavailable or has traveled out of range-'

'Dammit,' Jason muttered. He hung up and dialed again.

The same message greeted him.

'Can't reach her,' he told his friends.

'If she's really planning to do this, she probably doesn't want to be reached,' Adam pointed out.

Jason slammed his fist against the steering wheel. 'I knew she would do this if she found out about transforming! She doesn't think before she does things.'

'You never told her?' Sienna asked. 'About your aunt wanting the two of you to become vampires?'

'No. I wanted to get all the information first,' Jason said. 'I wanted to prevent Danielle from doing something like this. I didn't want her to even know it was possible to turn into a vampire.'

'Well, if you didn't tell her, who did?' Adam asked.

'Ryan must have,' Jason said. 'If he's done it if he's turned her, I'll kill him.'

'Slow down,' Sienna said, putting her hand on his arm. 'There's no way Ryan would do this on his own. He would never in a million years try to talk Dani into transforming. None of us would. We all know how dangerous it is.' She paused, then went on carefully, 'Do you think it could have been Bianca's idea?'

'She told me she wouldn't say anything to Danielle,' Jason said, not wanting to believe that his aunt would do such a thing. 'She promised.'

'But she's not herself, Jason,' Sienna said gently. 'Bianca has the transformation sickness. We know that now. There's no telling what she might do.'

Jason whipped the Bug down the ramp onto PCH. He floored it, picking up speed. How long had Dani been gone? How long did it even take to complete the transformation? Was he too late already?

Frantic, he grabbed his cell and dialed again. The same message answered him. He hung up and dialed Aunt Bianca's number. The phone rang, and then her voicemail picked up. 'Aunt Bianca!' Jason yelled into the phone. 'I need to talk to you! Dani's in danger. If she transforms, she'll get sick. You have to help me stop her.' He hung up. PCH was only two lanes here, with sheer bluffs on one side and a steep drop down to the beach on the other.

'There!' Sienna pointed to a sign. 'That's our exit. Go slow, the road isn't paved.'

Jason hit the brakes as he made the turn onto a dark, narrow lane. He wouldn't have even noticed it was there if Sienna hadn't told him. The Bug skidded on the loose gravel as they went downhill toward the Pacific.

'Here.' Jason shoved his cell at Adam. 'Keep trying Dani.' Adam turned on the speaker and hit re-dial, but Dani's phone didn't pick up.

'Doesn't matter. We're here,' Sienna said.

Jason turned the Bug into a small parking lot near a white Cape Cod style inn with an antique gas lamp glowing outside the front door. He shut off the engine, grabbed his cell phone and leaped out of the car, running for the entrance. The lobby was tiny just a wooden desk and a big fireplace with a couple of overstuffed chairs in front of it.

The woman at the desk jumped when she saw Jason racing in. 'Can I help you?' she asked, frowning.

'Ryan Patrick. Is he here?' Jason demanded.

'We need to see him. It's urgent,' Sienna explained.

The receptionist checked her computer. 'Yes, he has cabin six,' she said. 'I'll call over for you.'

'Never mind,' Jason said. He was already out the door.

'I saw a sign for the cabins this way,' Adam told him. 'Down the stairs.'

Jason veered to the right and hurried down the steps that led toward the beach. Several private cabins lay spread throughout the dunes, each with a cabin number lit by a tiny lantern. He spotted cabin six right away.

'Dani!' Jason yelled, racing toward the cabin. 'Dani!' He pounded on the door, but there was no answer. Jason tried the k.n.o.b. The door swung open, unlocked. The cabin was empty.

A wave of panic washed over him. Where was his sister? What had happened to her?

'We'll search the whole place,' Sienna said, sensing his terror. 'Don't worry. We'll find them. We'll stop them.'

'I'll check the bar,' Adam called, sprinting back up the steps.

'I'll check the hot tub,' Sienna said, disappearing in the other direction.

Jason wasn't sure where to check. While he thought about it, he pulled out his cell and hit re-dial.