‘Mary, please.’ Dad cut her off, rising. I could feel the magic boil inside him. Then the nurse walked in and smiled at seeing me awake. She was an elf with beautiful glossy blond hair, wearing a blue uniform.
‘Mr. La Caz is insisting on seeing you, Miss Taylor. He has been very persistent,’ she said, frowning. She might as well have said, This fucking vampire wants to come in. But it was going to be over my dead body.
My mother clapped with enthusiasm and grinned. She was already excited at the prospect of seeing Nathaniel. Dad looked livid. I had a lot of explaining ahead of me.
I knew I had to get this conversation with La Caz over with, so I said, ‘Fine, I’ll see him.’
She nodded and swiftly came back with the half vampire himself, who looked pale. My mother sighed and stared at him with utter admiration. Dad, on the other hand, had his hands in his pockets, ready to cast a spell.
‘Julia, are you all right?’ he asked, his deep voice filled with concern, his hazel eyes searching for injuries. I nodded and looked at Dad, trying to tell him to leave me alone with Nathaniel, but clearly seeing he wasn’t going anywhere.
‘C’mon, Jerry, let’s leave them alone,’ Mum said, pushing my dad out the door. He looked as if he was going to tear Nathaniel to pieces with his eyes, but he had to leave.
God, this is humiliating.
For some reason, my anger faded away and I just wanted him to embrace me. A great silence swept through my room and magic charged the air again. My body was letting me know he was there.
Nathaniel sat in the chair next to my bed and took my hand. ‘Julia, I was so worried about you. God, I’m glad you are all right.’ His skin was soft; his touch caused a riot of emotions that galloped through my body. ‘I shouldn’t have let you leave; I should have remembered you would be in danger from the kidnappers at that hour of the night.’
‘Nathaniel, you don’t have to do this. I’m fine; there is no need,’ I said, but my voice was small and even if I tried, I couldn’t pull away from him. His thumb was massaging the sensitive centre of my palm.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t call you and I’m sorry that you had to find out about that creature that I fed on the other night. I was so angry with myself when I found out you were nearly taken away, so I followed the ambulance to hospital.’
He is a professional charmer, so you shouldn’t believe him. You ended this a few hours ago. Just repeat what you said in his office.
Chapter thirty-four
Oh fuck, I can’t stop thinking about you, either.
I wasn’t good when it came to listening to my inner voice. My pulse rose, bringing these raw, wild emotions that were mounting within me. ‘Why did you have to kiss her?’ I asked in a hoarse tone. ‘And then feed on her?’
He looked away, squeezing his fists. ‘Because I couldn’t stop thinking about your delicious smell and I’m not the kind of guy who makes an effort to attract women. Women come to me. Sometimes even elves,’ he added and smiled. ‘I'm not used to not having what I want. So when I went out on Sunday, she was just there, wanting me.’
‘So you couldn’t control yourself and decided that you’d had enough of playing Julia?’ I asked, swallowing the tears.
‘I regret this so much,’ he said, leaning towards me. ‘I want to try again, only with you.’
But I knew he could never commit only to me. ‘Nathaniel, please, this isn’t going to work. We aren’t good for each other. You are just going to hurt me more, plus I’ve got too much on my plate right now.’
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. ‘I’m going to try harder, Julia. I promise it will only be you. Since I first met you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I can’t imagine being without you.’
Oh fuck, I can’t stop thinking about you, either.
‘But this is not who you are, Nathaniel, and I wouldn’t be able to stand any other woman with you. I don’t think you know what you are saying,’ I insisted, but these words were crushing me.
‘I haven’t made myself clear enough. I don’t want other women, and I will deal with my thirst. But let me be with you, show you I can be the man for you.’
I sighed. ‘But you can’t just change your nature, Nathaniel.’
‘You’re more stubborn than my father.’ He grinned and leaned near me. ‘I can repeat what I did to you in my office, just let me and I will take you to heaven.’
My throat was dry and the image of him between my legs sent a tremor through my whole body. My stomach tightened, but I had to stand firmly and see whether he was willing to change. ‘My dad wasn’t happy about you being here, so I need to talk to him first,’ I said.
He stood, eyeing me intensely. ‘He doesn’t like me because he doesn’t know me yet, but this can be changed. Besides, your mum thinks that I'm a perfect match for you.’ He smirked, licking his upper lip.
I rolled my eyes. ‘She doesn’t know your true nature, but she thinks that anyone who can charm her is good husband material for me.’ I laughed.
‘So it’s sorted. I just need to convince your dad and we should be all right,’ he said.
I blew out a breath. ‘My dad is more stubborn than I am, and he doesn’t like your involvement in this whole investigation, so no one is going to convince him. Besides, I didn’t say yes to anything yet. I’m considering your new proposition.’
‘Is that so?’ he asked, raising his eyebrow.
‘Just ask my dad to come in without my mum, please, so I can talk to him.” I gave him a flirty grin. ‘And don’t be so sure of yourself.’
He nodded and left. I didn’t want to leave Nathaniel alone with Mum, but I had to deal with the crisis with Dad. After a minute or so, Dad came back, looking worn out.
‘Dad, before you say anything, let me just tell you I didn’t plan this. We met during a business meeting; we went out a few times and I was very careful,’ I began, feeling awkward, trying to convince my father to let me date a vampire. He wasn’t going to take this lightly.
‘Julia, I thought you listened when your grandmother told you all about vampires. He will go out with you but when he doesn’t get what he wants, he will get bored. I don’t even want to talk about what kind of business he is involved with.’
‘Oh c’mon, he is not even a real vampire. And I’m not going to marry him. We’re just seeing each other, not even dating yet,’ I remarked, pulling a face. I still had a pulsing headache.
‘Can you imagine what your grandparents are going to think when they find out their granddaughter is dating a Dhampir now that your cousin is missing? Your grandma will flip,’ Dad warned.
‘Let me deal with Grandma. Just trust me, Dad. I don’t even know if it’s going to work between us.’
Our conversation was interrupted by the nurse who came in early. ‘I apologise for the intrusion, but your test came back negative, so the doctor agreed to release you today,’ she said, smiling. ‘You passed out because you released too much energy and the same charm kept you unconscious for several hours. You will have a headache, but other than that, you should be feeling like yourself again soon.’
Too much energy, huh? Well, I guess Nathaniel knew what he was talking about when he made me come in the office.
‘So I can go home?’ I asked, glancing at her in disbelief.
‘Yes. Sometimes this can be caused when you are stressed or nervous, but you are fine, so we don’t need to keep you,’ she said, as if she understood what I was going through.
‘I think you should stay with us,’ Dad said, narrowing his eyes. ’I don’t want you to be alone in your apartment.’
‘There is no need—’
Dad fumed. ‘Julia, there is no discussion. Someone tried to kidnap you today and they might try again.’
‘All right, fine, but it’s only for tonight.’
‘One night? You must be joking,’ Dad snapped. ‘Anyway, I was going to ask you before. Do you remember the person who tried to take you away? You mentioned that they we
re giants and they were driving a black van.’
‘Yes, I remember a van. The giant trying to manhandle me was dark haired, broad and muscular, but then I passed out.’
‘At least we should have a clear profile when I check the CCTV. Fortunately your boyfriend agreed to cooperate,’ he muttered, and then left me so I could get changed. I put on my work clothes. My left side was still sore, but I ignored the pain and prepared to leave. Mum entered the room, looking flushed.
Oh boy, let me just wait for it.
Mum’s eyes were glowing with enthusiasm. ‘Oh Julia, Nathaniel is gorgeous! I don’t understand why you haven’t mentioned him before.’
‘It’s slightly complicated, Mum, and if you left him with Dad, this is not going to end well,’ I said, wanting to stop Dad before he did anything to Nathaniel.
‘Don’t be silly, Julia. Dad loves him already. Oh my, you two have to come for Sunday dinner,’ she continued, smiling widely. ‘I can’t believe it. I’m going to tell—’
‘Mum, please, I don’t know where this is going to go yet. He is afraid of commitment, so stop right there and let me deal with this,’ I said, standing in front of her, thinking about the memory charm. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t work, because Nathaniel was still waiting for me outside and my father was interrogating him. Mum frowned, but she didn’t stop ranting about his great features. Dad was talking to Nathaniel with his usual tense expression. Nathaniel appeared relaxed.
At least he’s still here. Maybe Dad hasn’t threatened to kill him yet.
I glanced at Dad, letting him know I needed a private word with the vampire, so he pushed Mum aside. My stomach tightened as I faced him.
Chapter thirty-five
Whoever is doing this doesn’t care about the consequences.
‘I’m going to stay with my parents tonight. Dad doesn’t want me to go back to my apartment,’ I said.
‘It’s reasonable, Julia.’ He shrugged. ‘And I’m going to dig more and talk to a few people. I might have a few suspects.’
‘Keep me in the loop, I need to know.’
‘Of course, stay with your parents tonight and I’ll call you tomorrow. From now on, you are not going out without Roberto,’ he stated, pursing his lips to tell me there wasn’t any room for negotiation.
‘I need to go, Nathaniel. Thank you for coming here and checking on me,’ I said.
He nodded, smiling and whispered, ‘You won’t get rid of me so easily.’ He chuckled and added, ‘Okay, goodnight.’
‘Goodnight, Nathaniel,’ Mum said, waving and smiling like a little girl. I wanted to die; this was so humiliating. Dad gave Nathaniel a stiff nod, and the three of us walked away.
It was nearly one o’clock in the morning when Dad dropped me and Mum home. He had to get back to work. I vaguely remembered the giant who tried to kidnap me, but he mentioned that he was going to speak to Todd, the werewolf who worked for Nathaniel’s corporation, who had seen everything.
I had a few messages from Jennifer…ten, actually, and a few missed calls from Rufus. I called and explained to Jennifer briefly what had happened. Then I drifted off to sleep, feeling more relaxed than I had in a very long time.
When I woke up, it was a miserable day. I heard the rain banging on the window, and the house was silent. I glanced at my watch, realising that it was four in the afternoon. My body was really sore and I could barely move my back, but I was still alive. I was back in my old bedroom and the posters of the Spice Girls were still on the walls. Mum was still at work, so I went downstairs to get something to eat.
My parents’ kitchen was large, with a wooden table in the middle; when I found a cottage pie in the fridge, I was in heaven. Mum always knew how to make me happy. After I reheated my delicious dinner, I switched on the TV just in time for the afternoon news.
‘In the past few weeks, more and more people have been reported missing. Many families have reported to the police the disappearance of their relatives in mysterious circumstances. My colleague Susan is speaking to a gentleman in South London who witnessed one man being snatched from the street and driven away in a black van.’
Whoever is doing this doesn’t care about the consequences of being seen.
I listened as the presenter spoke to an old human man standing at the bus stop who had witnessed a kidnapping. He described the scene exactly the same as it happened to me yesterday and to Claudia, or at least as closely as could be expected from the human perspective. Black van, two very large men (giants, obviously), who snatched a very fair-haired person (most likely a fairy or elf) off the street, threw the person in the van and dashed away.
I could only hope Dad could get those bastards. I finished my food and checked my phone. I had twenty missed calls from Rufus, two from Nathaniel, and one from Nicky. My boss was worried, so I decided to speak to him first.
‘Julia, thank God you answered. Are you okay?’ he gasped.
‘I’m fine, just a little bruised, but hold on; how did you—?’
‘News spreads quickly in London. Let’s say I was in the right place at the right time,’ he said, sounding serious. ‘What the hell were you doing outside La Caz Corporation anyway?’
‘I just needed to see Lucinda,’ I replied. I couldn’t tell him the truth, but sooner or later he was going to find out there was something going on between me and Nathaniel La Caz.
‘I think I will have a chat with her,’ he continued, sounding angry. ‘She can’t just demand to see you. It’s unprofessional. These kidnappings are terrible. First your cousin, now you. Other giants are involved?’
‘Chill, Rufus. I'm fine. The world is still moving. No one is going to take a difficult elf like me.’
‘Julia, don’t joke about this. You won’t be doing any more night shifts for now. I have vampires for that and they can manage.’
‘Oh, come on, I’m not a child. You sound like my father. And may I remind you I already have one?’ I snapped, annoyed.
‘I need to look after my staff, so don’t even try to convince me otherwise. Take the day off today and you can come back tomorrow morning.’
I hung up, telling him how much I hated him. We had an unusual relationship, but he always looked after me, more than he should.
I hesitated for a moment before speaking to Nathaniel. Was he going to commit to me? Or was it just one of his games again? I shook my head, pushing away negative thoughts. I kept telling myself that I wasn’t going to overthink anything. I dialled his number.
‘Julia, how are you feeling?’ His voice was calm and controlled.
‘I’m just a bit sore, but I feel fine otherwise. How about you?’
‘I’m getting ready to drive to the office, but I just wanted to check on you. Is everything fine with your phone?’ he asked.
‘Yes, I didn’t answer because I was sleeping, Nathaniel,’ I said, laughing. ‘When my mum left you yesterday with my dad, I hope he behaved himself?’
‘He is worried about you, that’s all,’ he said.
Which means that he threatened him, for sure.
‘Nathaniel, what did he say? Come on, I know my father. He can be very challenging sometimes.’
He laughed. ‘Well, if you want to know, he mentioned something about marks on your neck. His exact words were “If I see any, I will make sure your face never sees the daylight again.” For a second, I thought he was joking, but then I realised he was seriously considering murdering me.’
‘Hmm, I expected even worse. Well, at least my mother likes you.’
‘Women are my specialty, human women, so there was no surprise there.’ He lowered his voice. ‘So have you had a chance to think about my proposition?’
I bit my lip, hesitating. The truth was, I wasn’t sure whether I could trust him. I could see myself falling for him and then suffering, because I was always the one who ended up with a broken heart. ‘I’m still thinking about it.’
‘In that case, I have to show you that I'm serious,’ he said in a way that s
ent shivers down my spine. ‘When are you free next?’
‘After yesterday, Rufus demanded I take early shifts until further notice, so I suppose weekends are best.’
‘Great. I’m looking forward to pleasuring you even further. Take it easy, Julia.’
‘Good-bye, Nathaniel.’
For some reason conversation with Nathaniel La Caz was exhausting. Even the sound of his voice flashed images of me lying on his desk and screaming with pleasure. At least my magical energy wasn’t causing any trouble; I was hoping I’d be fine for another few days.
Around half past five, Mum came back, but I was ready to return to my own apartment. She wanted to know whether Nathaniel La Caz was available, whether he liked roast dinner, whether he was serious about me and whether I was going to see him again. She had a million questions and I wasn’t prepared to answer any of them.
I had to give her something, so I said he asked me to use his chauffeur from now on. Mum looked impressed, but she still she insisted on me staying for another night. I refused, although her cooking was tempting.
Somehow, Nathaniel passed the message to Roberto that I was staying with my parents because he was already waiting for me outside when I was ready to leave. He nodded when he saw me, and then took me to my apartment without asking a single question.
I spent the rest of the day watching mindless TV and eating junk food, my usual home pastimes. After I soaked in the bath, I called Nicky. Apparently, my dad told her parents that I was nearly kidnapped, and for the first five minutes she shouted at me for being so irresponsible. And after I told her about Nathaniel’s proposition, she said I made the biggest mistake in my life for even considering it.
Chapter thirty-six
Don’t be an idiot, Julia. There is no rush.
When I went to the office the next day, I was working with Kate; it was a quiet day. I managed to find the right candidate for the Wand Maker position. I got a CV from a witch who had a bit of experience in wand crafting. I sent off her CV to the employer. The same day, she had an interview, was offered a position, and everyone was happy. I finished work in the evening and when I climbed into Nathaniel’s car; its owner was waiting for me inside. I had to say that I wasn’t at all surprised.
Paranormal Personnel Saga Box Set - Books 1-3 Page 17
