After the Fall: A Vampire Chronicle (Book One) by Mary Ellen Gorry Read Free Book Online Page A

cops. He must have noticed the name did not ring a bell and that she was getting jumpier each second that passed, because he continued in a hurry.
                  “Father Lorenzo? I think you met him the other day at the hospital?”
                  An image of snow-white hair filled her mind - the priest from the hospital. There had been so much else to think about, so many other things to be concerned about, that she had forgotten about him.
                  “I remember him,” she admitted. “We talked all of five minutes before the police kicked him out. You work with him?”
                  “Yeah,” the guy said. “We…counsel people, especially in times of grief. I’m very sorry about what happened to your family.”
                  She wished people would stop saying that. Of course they all felt sorry for her. Sorry and grateful that nothing so tragic has happened to them. She was the one whose entire life had been irrevocably changed. She didn’t need people to feel sorry for her. She could handle everything on her own.
                  “Thank you,” she finally said anyway, for lack of anything else to say.
                  “May I have a seat?” he asked, and she gestured for him to sit. He sat in the chair across from her.
                  “I have to admit, I don’t really understand why you’re here,” she replied, still puzzled as to what was going on. She hadn’t asked to talk to a counselor, and she hadn’t heard of this sort of thing being done before. Christian could see the puzzlement on her face, and for some reason, he suddenly felt terrible about these false circumstances under which they were meeting; he wasn’t lying to her, but he certainly wasn’t telling her anything near the truth.
                  Upon approaching her, he had found that up close, Caroline Gallagher was still pretty. From past experience, he had found that there were some girls who looked good from a distance, but whose flaws became more apparent the closer one got to them. Monets, his brother used to call them. But a Monet Caroline Gallagher was not. Her hair was a thick, chocolate brown mane that fell to her shoulders, nicely framing her face. Her face itself was a bit contradictory - her full lips were those of a woman, while her short, pert nose and her wide eyes were that of a child. Her eyes were a dark blue, the color of the sky or the ocean just after sunrise, but behind their blueness, Christian could see the heaviness and sadness this young woman was feeling inside, and that she was trying extremely hard to hide. His heart went out to her.
                  “Father Lorenzo is acquainted with Father Reed, who told him the funeral,” Christian explained, trying to satisfy Caroline’s residual suspicions. “They both felt it might be beneficial for someone to talk to you, see if there was any way in which we could help you out in this difficult time. I know it’s not a lot, but sometimes just having someone to talk to can be a great help.” Lies, all lies. Christian felt like dirt, but there was no avoiding it. It had to be done. He certainly couldn’t tell her the truth, but he had to find out what she knew. He hardened his resolve.
                  “So, you’re a counselor, and you work with priests?” Caroline asked, still confused.
                  “Basically. My job is to help people in need.”
                  “Like a spiritual Superman?”
                  “Actually, yes.”
                  She smiled, and Christian was stunned by how much it transformed her face. And it was infectious - he couldn’t help but smile back. But just as suddenly as the smile appeared, it was gone again.
                  “I really appreciate the offer, but I’d rather do this on my own.” She didn’t add that she