by Zenia, Zara
He found me. Turning my phone off.
I’ll be there in five minutes!
I set my tablet down and pull my legs up to my chest on the sofa. I stare at the TV screen, but I’m not really watching it. The next thing I know, there is a pounding on my door.
“It’s me!” Bella calls through the intercom by the door.
I get up and turn the bolt lock and the handle lock to let her in. She immediately engulfs me in a hug, and I burst into tears. “I don’t wanna leave here! I love it here! I love Tucson! My life is finally perfect! How did he track me, Bella?” I gasp out between hiccupping sobs.
“I don’t know, Care. But we’ll fix this—I promise.” She rubs my back. “Give me your phone.”
Wiping my tears, I shut the door, lock it and head over to the sofa, handing her my phone.
She turns it on and reads the messages. “Is this all you got from him?”
I shake my head. “Voicemail,” I whisper and recall the call to the center. “And I think he called my job. He knows I’m here and where I’m working.”
“Fuck. Okay, first thing we’re going to do is get some sleep, then, tomorrow morning, we’re going to get your number changed again—”
“I’ve got an eight a.m. class.”
“You’re skipping.” She frowns at me.
“I— okay,” I agree, sadly. I hate missing classes.
“Good. Now, as I was saying, we’ll stop at the police station first, show them the messages and the voicemail, and make sure the restraining order is still in place. Then we’ll get you a new number, and you should call James—”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to drop this mess in his lap, Bella. This is my problem, not his.”
Bella frowns at me. “You have to at least let him know you’re changing your number, right? And you should tell him why.”
“But I don’t want him involved. It’s not his problem.”
“He’s not involved… you’re just going to let him know you had to get your number changed.”
I sigh. “Can’t I just tell him when I see him?”
“Did you already make plans to see him?” Bella arches a brow at me.
“Well, no, but, I’m sure—”
“What, that you’ll see him at Club Toxic? And what if you don’t? Or worse, what if you do, and he’s tried calling only to find your number disconnected? He’ll think you ghosted him! No, you’ve got to tell him before we change your number.”
“Fine.” I huff out an annoyed breath, but I know she’s right. I hold out a hand for my phone.
Bella hands it to me, and I click on his number and hesitantly type out a text.
Hi, it’s Carolyn. I wanted to let you know that I have to change my number. My ex found me or at least somehow got a hold of my number, and I’m having it changed tomorrow. I just didn’t want you to try to call or text and find it disconnected. I’ll send you the new number as soon as I have it.
“There, are you happy?” I say, but the phone rings in my hand. I glance down and see it’s James.
“Hello?”
“Your abusive ex?” James asks.
“Er, yes, but it’s okay, I’m getting my number changed,” I say, unsure about the harshness in his tone.
“Good. Text me when you have a new number, okay, pet?”
“Yes, sir,” I say with a smile.
He chuckles. “Sweet dreams, pet.”
Feeling calmer now, I say, “Thank you, sir.”
He hangs up, and I wonder why he kept the conversation so brief and why his voice sounded so harsh when he first spoke. Is he busy with another sub?
Chapter 8
James
Thoughts of Carolyn bother me for the remainder of the night. I am in the middle of meeting with a realtor, so I kept our conversation brief. When she first mentioned the other night that her first experience had been with a man who was more abuser than dom, I worried that he may have traumatized her too much, luckily our play proved she was ready. Now, I worry that I did not ask enough questions. I will remedy that as soon as possible. I don’t like the thought of another man in her life, let alone one who might harm her.
“What do you think?” the realtor asks, “I know it’s not exactly downtown, but it is private, as you were looking for privacy.”
The house is just outside of the downtown area, in a secluded neighborhood and surrounded by a privacy fence with a gate across the drive. It is a bit more palatial than I intended, but it does suit my needs. The garage is large and would allow me to set up a new smithing shop where I could continue to create things as well as park my car. The house has four bedrooms, three baths, a living room, dining room, kitchen and a full basement. There are windows that would need to be dealt with, as well as a sliding glass door, but I could fix those easily enough. Outside the sliding glass door is a nice sized pool, which I am actually looking forward to using. “I’ll take it.”
“I know it’s a bit more of a drive than—wait, did you say you’ll take it?” He blinks at me owlishly.
“Yes. I’ll take it. Who do I make the check out to?”
“Um, er, to Banter Realty. It’s twenty-three hundred a month, with the same as a security deposit. Are you sure?”
“So, if I make the check out for an even fifteen thousand, that will cover me for the next six months? And if I decide to stay, will the rental money be put toward the cost?” I am really hoping that Lucius will allow me to stay and that Aubrey will not bother to track me here, that he's finished getting his revenge for what I did to his sire and nestmates.
“Er, no, sorry. But should you wish to make an offer, I’m sure the owners will be more than happy to negotiate with you.”
“Very well.” I pull out my business checkbook and write out the check. “May I have the keys and the remotes for the gate?” I ask, handing him the check.
He takes it, nodding. “Um, sure.” He hands me the keys with the remotes and puts the check in his pocket. “Can you give me a ride back to my office, so we can draw up the paperwork and transfer all the utilities to your name?”
I nod. “Of course. I need to go back into town anyway. I have a few things to shop for before I move in, and I’ll need to check out of my hotel.”
“And you probably need to notify your moving company too—”
I glance at the human man and smile. “Of course.” I did not feel the need to explain that my brother burnt to a crisp nearly all of my things back in Canada. The only things I managed to bring with me are in a storage unit, where I stopped shortly before going to Club Toxic. “But not until morning.”
“Right. So how come you needed to meet so late?” he asks. “Are you a vampire or something?” He chuckles like he’s made a joke.
I’m tempted to show him how right he is, but I just smile and shake my head. “Allergy to the sun. I love it, but it does not love me.” I chuckle, giving credence to the comment, even though technically it’s not a lie.
“Oh, that sucks.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” I grin and pull out through the gate, clicking the remote he’d given me for it.
When we reach his office, I sign the paperwork for the house, transferring the electric, cable/internet, and water to my name and head back to the hotel to check out. Once that is done, I drive to the nearest twenty-four hour Walmart to pick up black out curtains and a few other essentials—sheets, towels, a laptop, as well as a futon and a TV that could be mounted on the wall—and head back to my new home. The futon will serve until I have better furniture delivered, and the blackout curtains are just a temporary fix until I build the remote control system I had in mind to lock the house down like Fort Knox during the day.
As I pull back through the gate, shutting it behind me, I note that my nearest neighbor is four acres away. My new property sits on three acres surrounded by Arizona Ash, desert willow trees and a five-foot high brick wall. I’ll probably have to hire someone to cut the lawn, which isn’t too large, mostl
y decorative, surrounded by concrete and rock gardens with cacti, other bushes and plants suited to the weather here in Tucson.
I’ll also probably have to hire a housekeeper to come in, someone who works nights. That thought makes me nervous. Maybe Augustus will have some ideas. If I can trust him.
Setting those thoughts aside, I get everything into the house and start hanging the blackout curtains in all of the rooms. Just like the vampires in Dracula and other such works of fiction, we do have to sleep during the day. We aren’t dead to the world from sunrise to sunset, but it’s pretty close to that almost like we’re in a sleep coma. I can hold out for a few minutes after sunrise, but not for long because I pass out. We pretty much all live nocturnal lives. Some much older vampires can make it a few hours into daylight or wake early. Sunlight can kill us if we are exposed for too long. They also got it right that wooden stakes can kill us. Though we have no issue with crosses, and I’m pretty sure I could walk into any church I want and not get fried like a steak. But we don’t fucking sparkle. Ever.
After setting up the futon and mounting the TV, I hook up all the proper wires to it. While enjoying a documentary on spiders, I set up my new computer. Luckily, when Aubrey had shown up, I’d just finished shipping out the orders from my online business. Now, I log on and check it to see if anything new has come in. I do most of my business online, so I don’t have to deal with people face to face. And I keep my address private, never directly shipping from my home. Which makes me wonder exactly how Aubrey found me in Canada. I’d been there since the end of the Revolution, aside from the various trips I made around the world exploring. I just can’t figure out what gave me away. Perhaps he’d found me by accident? Saw me in town mailing off orders and followed me.
Shaking my head, I decide to let it go. Right now, I need to find a place to purchase furniture. I don’t want it to be shipped to the house. When I can, I try not to allow people into my private domain. It is bad enough that the human from the realty company had been here, but it was necessary. And I did give him a check from a business account that I set up with an alias, so he doesn’t have my real name. I find a local furniture dealer that is open till ten most evenings. I decide to rent a truck and go get it all myself.
Tuesday night, I am up as soon as the sun sets, and I dress. I head for the U-Haul company and rent a fairly large truck, leaving my car in their parking lot, as I plan to return the truck this same night. I head to the furniture dealer, pick out a bedroom suite, living room furniture, kitchen and dining room furniture and have them load it all up in the truck. The manager is thrilled with my purchase and even offers to have a couple of his workers help me unload the truck.
“Thank you, sir, but that won’t be necessary. A few of my friends will be helping me out.”
“Well, if you need anything else, Mr. Vanzant, you just come see me, and I’ll be happy to help you.”
I nod and smile at his use of the alias name I’d given him. “I will be sure to do that, sir.”
Once everything is loaded, I climb in the truck and drive it to my new home. It doesn’t take me long to get it unloaded and put in the right rooms. One of the pleasures of being a vampire is our strength and speed, both of which I use to get it all done quickly. Because using both the strength and speed depletes my energy, I think I could use a sip of blood. That thought leads me to think of Carolyn again.
After I drop off the U-Haul and pick up my car, I send her a text.
I am heading to Club Toxic. Will you come?
I wait a few seconds, but she doesn’t answer right away. Frowning, I decide I will go home and shower first and then give her a call. After my shower, I check my phone, but there is still not a return message from her. I hit the button to call her at her new number.
“Hello?” she answers hesitantly, sounding unlike the impressive, assured young woman I’d held in my arms a few nights ago.
“Carolyn? What’s the matter? You sound frightened,” I say, concerned.
“I… I’m just nervous, I guess. Marvin has me looking over my shoulder and worrying every second of the day. I don’t know if I can stay here,” she says softly.
“Here as in your apartment?”
“No, I mean here as in Tucson. I’ve already run once, well more than once if I’m honest, but I thought this time I’d finally gotten away. I changed my name for God’s sake! I moved to another state, but still, he’s found me. He knows where I work, he had my phone number, it’s only a matter of time before he finds my apartment.”
“Is he dangerous? You said he abused you, but this sounds like obsession.” The thought does not sit well with me. I do not like the thought of any other man around her, possessing her.
She swallows so hard, I hear it. “Before I left him, he beat me pretty badly. Bella found me and called an ambulance. I had a punctured lung, my arm was broken in three places, my leg was broken in two places, and he’d strangled me. I was barely alive,” she whispers.
“Carolyn, I can take care of you, keep you safe from him,” I say, pushing thoughts of Aubrey away, surely he was finished messing with me.
She sighs, but I can hear the smile in the tenderness of her voice. “That’s not fair to you. He’s my problem.”
“If you need help, please, come to me.”
“All right. I guess for now, I’m okay. I think he’s still in California. At least when the cops traced the number, it pinged in California.”
“Good. If that changes, let me know,” I say. “I’d still like to see you tonight…will you come to the club?”
“Okay. I’d like to see you too,” she says, but I can hear worry in her voice… she may be considering this may be the last time we meet.
“I’ll see you there in twenty minutes,” I say, setting the feeling that I may lose her aside. I refuse to believe that. This human girl has gotten under my skin in such a short time. I am not about to give her up.
“Yes, sir.”
I hang up, lock up the house, and climb in my car. I make it to Club Toxic in fifteen minutes because I sped to beat her there. I park the Jaguar and head to the door of the club. “Good evening, Augustus. Has Carolyn arrived yet?”
“I haven’t seen her... she in the line?”
I glance back to the line of twenty-somethings in their dance attire waiting to be let into the club and shake my head. “No. Let her in when you see her?”
He nods. “She coming with Bella?”
“I cannot answer that. She did not say so when we spoke.”
“Very well. She know to come to me and not wait in line?”
“I shall send her a text,” I answer as he lifts the velvet rope, allowing me entrance. I send her a quick text telling her to go to the door and ignore the line as I start past the coat room.
“Back, I see,” Tiberius says. “Just can’t stay away?”
“Something like that.”
“Thirsty already?” Theophilus asks, approaching me.
“A bit. Expended quite a bit of energy setting up my rental home,” I answer honestly. “Do you have a room available?”
“The only thing available is a curtained area, would you care to use it?”
“Damn.”
Theophilus smirks.
“Very well.”
“And shall I set you up with a sub?”
“No, Carolyn is coming.”
“Interesting.” He smirks again. “Shall we await her arrival at the bar?”
I agree and head over there with him.
Chapter 9
Carolyn
Cautiously, I keep an eye on my rearview mirror as I drive to Club Toxic. Even knowing the cops pinged his number in California, I want to be vigilant and not let my guard down. Been there. Done that. I’m not about to do it again. As I pull into the parking lot, my phone dings. Fearful, I pull my phone out and check my messages. With a sigh of relief, I see it’s James.
Pet, ignore the line and go straight to Augustus at the door. He’ll let you in.
I climb out of my Blazer, lock it, and with a quick glance around, hurry to the front door where I see Augustus standing guard like a bouncer. Without me even saying a word, he smiles and lifts the rope.
“Thanks, Augustus,” I say and hurry in. I spot James at the bar with Theo and head over. I approach them and stand quietly to the side, head bowed and hands clasped behind my back as I wait for him to speak to me.
“Pet, you are two minutes late,” he says, but there is a smile on his face.
“I’m sorry, sir, perhaps you should punish me?” I reply.
“Perhaps I should.” He chuckles. “I fear my plans with you have changed for the evening, as Theo says there is not a private room available. He does have a curtained area available, and I have accepted it, should you still be willing to play.”
I gulp and raise my head. “A curtained space? You mean do a scene where people may watch?”
“That is the point of playing on the main dungeon floor, pet.” He moves toward me and lifts my chin. “If you say no, I will not be upset.”
Looking into his deep grey eyes, I know I don’t want to disappoint him, and I know he will keep me safe, so I say, “Very well, sir. Yes.”
He smiles, and his whole face lights up. “Wonderful.” He turns to Theo. “Shall we?”
Theo grins a nearly predatory smile that makes me shiver…not in a good way, but in a nervous way, like I’m prey, when I’m already feeling hunted. I take half a step closer to James. James lifts my arm and sets it on his, guiding me as we follow Theo.
Theo says, “Here we are,” as we reach the counter down in the dungeon.
“Come along, pet.”
“You’ll be in the the farthest curtained area. This is a VIP curtained space, and only members with Purple Keys can view.
“Thank you, Theo.”
“Just crack the curtain when you are ready to begin. Once you crack the curtain, VIPs know you are ready. You have about fifteen minutes to prepare.”
