He stopped abruptly and turned on his heel, his dark eyes piercing me with a glare. With a low growl I only heard because of my vampiric hearing, Massimo stormed back over, faster than he should have been moving in the presence of so many humans.
I looked around nervously to see if anyone noticed his abnormal speed as he reached my side and grasped my upper arm in a punishing grip. Without a word he took off again, easily dragging me along with him. I stumbled the first few steps before I was able to right myself and move along, keeping up with his pace.
We walked like that for several blocks, Massimo’s grip never letting up. I knew if I’d been human he’d have bruised me with his tight grasp. Knowing better than to try to escape again, I dutifully walked alongside him.
When we’d traveled several blocks away from Parliament, Massimo led us down the stairs of a subway station. He hopped over the turnstile, dragging me over it behind him. I quickly looked around, but thankfully, none of the human workers had seen us.
My maker walked along the length of the subway tracks and finally came to a halt on a deserted stretch of platform. We stood there silently, both of us looking in opposite directions with his hand still tightly grasping my arm.
I heard the roar of the subway car before it came rushing past us, the wind it caused blowing my hair away from my face. When the subway stopped, and the doors opened, Massimo dragged me into the last car which was mostly empty. He took a seat at the rear and pulled me into the chair next to him. Once seated, he finally removed his hand from my arm.
“If you even think about moving from that seat, I’ll kill everyone on this train,” he whispered.
I turned wide eyes toward him, but he was already faced away, staring out the window, his body perfectly still. This man was out of his mind. And just as I’d suspected, he had no regard for human life.
I fought off a shiver at the thought of his threat. Did I really think he’d risk exposing himself by murdering everyone on the train if I tried to leave? A little voice in the back of my mind that was steadily growing stronger whispered: yes, he would.
I clearly needed to watch my words and actions around him. Play my cards right until my two weeks were up and then get as far away from him as I could. The decision to choose Nicholas over Massimo had already been made even before hearing his deadly threat.
I cautiously moved my hand to the front pocket of my jeans, fingering the phone Nicholas had given me. Once we got where we were going I’d try to find some privacy, so I could contact him. He’d programmed his number already and I longed to pull out the phone and send him a text now. However, that voice of warning in the back of my mind urged me to keep the phone hidden from Massimo. If he knew I had a way to contact Nicholas, he would most likely take it from me. Then I’d be left with no way to reach him for two whole weeks, and that was unfathomable.
The subway train slowed as it approached the first stop, and Massimo gripped my arm once again as he stood and walked toward the doors. Once the doors opened, he dragged me through the station and up a set of stairs.
We walked another few blocks before descending into a second subway station. We got off that train at the first stop and repeated this process another two times. After the first repetition, I realized Massimo was working on losing anyone who may have been following us. Why he felt the need for such secrecy, I didn’t know.
We finally arrived at an apartment building and Massimo pulled out a small key ring, unlocking the outside door and leading me to a set of elevators in a dingy hallway. When the car arrived, he pressed the button for the seventh floor and we rode up in complete silence.
The elevator came to a stop, and he dragged me through the doors and down the hall. We stopped in front of a door with the number 712 affixed to the front. Another key opened this door and Massimo shoved me inside before slamming it closed.
We were in a short entry hall that was empty save for a pair of sandals. I looked curiously at them, noticing they looked like women’s sandals. Does he have someone else here?
My maker brushed past me and I followed him to the end of the hall that led to a small living room and an open kitchen. The carpet was threadbare and stained with a ratty-looking leather couch that had been patched in several places and a small television set sporting aluminum wrapped antennae.
I stood awkwardly in the living room while Massimo stalked past me, down another hallway and disappeared through one of the doors. With a shrug, I wandered into the off-white kitchen with wooden cabinets and a dirty floor. I was no snob, but pride surged through me as I realized Nicholas’ place was much nicer than Massimo’s.
The slamming of a door had me whipping around to face a scowling Massimo.
“I need to go out. You will stay here, or I will find your false maker and kill him,” he deadpanned.
I gaped. “You can’t kill Nicholas!”
Massimo covered the space between us and took both my shoulders in his firm grasp. His fingers pressed into my skin painfully and I bit my tongue to prevent a whimper from escaping.
“Let us get something straight. I can, and I will kill your foster maker if you give me any trouble. I am much older and stronger than him. He would be no match for me,” he said proudly. “If you do as I say, I will leave him alone. Only you can assure his safety. Think about that while I am gone.”
Chapter 24
He shoved me away and quickly exited the apartment, slamming the door on his way out. When I heard the elevator door close, I finally let myself succumb to the terror that was clawing its way out of me. Sinking to my knees on the kitchen floor, I fell forward on my hands struggling to get my breathing under control. The frantic gasps were coming quicker and more violently the longer I thought about Massimo’s threat.
Could he really kill Nicholas? I had no doubt he would, but could he? He said he was older, which was what Nicholas said too, so I believed that. I fervently hoped Nicholas was taking some kind of safety measure. Were there vampire security guards? Nicholas said they had all types of professions, so I didn’t think that was out of the realm of possibility.
I needed to get myself together. I wouldn’t do anyone any good falling apart on the kitchen floor. With a sigh, I walked back into the living room, set my backpack on the ground, and plopped onto the couch. A musty smell wafted from the cushions, but I ignored that and pulled the phone from my pocket. Pulling up the text app, I shot a quick message to Nicholas.
Me: Made it to Massimo’s apartment.
The phone beeped, signaling an incoming message almost immediately.
Nicholas: Are you alone?
Me: Yes, he just left.
Nicholas: He left you alone already?
Me: I was glad to get rid of him.
Nicholas: Why? Did he hurt you? Tell me and I’ll come get you right this minute.
My heart skittered, and my fingers flew across the screen. I could not let Nicholas get involved.
Me: No, he didn’t hurt me. I’m fine. He’s just a jerk, but we already knew that.
Nicholas: Are you telling me the truth?
Me: Yes. I promise, I’m fine.
Nicholas: Why did you walk around in circles before stopping in Harlem?
I rolled my eyes. Obviously, he’d been watching the progress of the GPS tracker I wore.
Me: I’m not sure. I think he was trying to make sure no one followed us.
Nicholas: He’s paranoid. That’s not a good sign. I want to make sure you tell me if he’s mistreating you. I’ll get the court to repeal their decision and get you out of there.
My heart beat frantically in my chest. Could the court really protect us from Massimo? My gut clenched, and I fought down my panic. I couldn’t let Nicholas get involved. I needed to wait out my sentence, so Massimo had nothing to complain about. If I did my time with him he’d have no choice but to let me go at the end of it, right?
Me: I’m fine. Stop worrying.
Nicholas: I care about you. I can’t stop worrying.
My heart thumped unevenly, and I smiled down at the phone. It wasn’t love, but it was something.
Me: I know. I’m fine. I promise I’ll tell you if I’m not.
There was something that was still bothering me. Something that I hadn’t been able to let go of since earlier. Staring at a phone on the other side of town made me feel braver than I was. I decided if there was a time to get answers I was afraid of hearing, now would be it.
Me: Why don’t you want to bond to me?
There. I said it. It was a little blunt, but I figured it was best to not beat around the bush. If I was going to ask an uncomfortable question like this, I might as well get to the point.
It was a few minutes before Nicholas responded, and my heart kept pace with the seconds that ticked by. What was taking him so long?
Nicholas: I think you misunderstood. It was never a question of if I wanted you or not. I would never bond with you just because you were scared of the alternative. A bonding is forever. That’s not a decision to make when you’re being forced.
His answer relieved some of my doubt. But what did it really answer? He still hadn’t said if he wanted to bond with me or not. He just said he didn’t not want to bond. That still wasn’t a definitive answer.
I still didn’t know if I wanted to bond with Nicholas. I’d never felt this strongly about someone so quickly and it had me doubting myself. My heart knew I loved him, but my head argued that doing something as permanent as bonding was premature.
I pocketed my phone, knowing I could think myself in circles for hours. Standing from the couch, I picked up my bag and figured I’d have a look around the apartment to see if I’d be getting a room or sleeping on the smelly couch. It would have been nice for Massimo to give me a tour, but Massimo wasn’t nice.
With a shake of my head, I walked down the only hallway in the small apartment. There were three doors and I tried the closest one first.
The door was unlocked, and I swung it open to find a small linen closet, sheets and towels neatly folded lined the multiple shelves. Closing that door, I walked over to the next and tried the handle. This door opened just as easily to a tiny blue and white bathroom. With a sigh, I realized there must be only one bedroom in the apartment and that meant I’d be on the couch. I highly doubted Massimo was chivalrous enough to give up the bed for me.
As I walked down the hallway, an odd scent reached me, and my nose twitched. The smell became stronger as I got closer to the door, and I hesitated for a moment. With a deep breath, I quickly turned the handle and pushed the door open. The force had it banging against the wall and almost closed again. I stopped the door with my hand and stuck my head in. Not seeing anything from that position, I stepped in.
The smell was stronger in this room and I pulled my t-shirt over my nose to help lessen the scent. I made my way into a basic bedroom with white walls and a wood-framed bed. Picture frames were lined up on an old dresser, and I walked over to pick one up.
A cute couple both looking to be of Hispanic decent smiled adoringly into the camera in the first picture. I smiled at it, unable to stop my reaction to their happy faces. The next picture frame I picked up had that same couple at the base of the Statue of Liberty. The next few frames had similar pictures of the couple at various tourist attractions around New York City.
Who were these people? Did Massimo know them? That seemed unlikely. Was he squatting in their apartment? Were they out of town? I had a bad feeling they weren’t on vacation.
I made a lap around the bedroom, stopping when I reached a closed door that looked to be a closet. The smell was stronger here. With a shaking hand, I grasped the handle and turned, flinging the door open.
Two sets of unseeing eyes stared up at me from pale faces. I gasped and jumped back, unable to stop the squeak that escaped my lips. My trembling hand covered my mouth and nose as I realized what the awful smell had been. And where the couple from the pictures were.
The ding of the elevator snapped me out of my stupor. I raced to shut the closet door and return to the living room. I plopped back down onto the couch and tried to school my face into a mask of indifference as the front door unlocked and opened.
“Good. You’re smart enough to do as I say,” Massimo said upon entering the living room.
“Where’d you go?” I asked conversationally.
Massimo ignored me and stomped down the hall to the bedroom, closing the door behind him. I released a breath and let my shoulders slump.
He killed those people and stole their apartment, once again showing he was a ruthless murderer. My hand itched to text Nicholas, but I knew I needed to keep him out of this for as long as I could. I wasn’t a human and should have less to fear from him. He couldn’t kill me for my blood, and for whatever reason, he wanted me with him. That should ensure my safety to some extent.
I heard a noise from down the hall and rose from my seat. Massimo stepped through the bedroom door and strode down the hall, heading straight toward me.
“What–”
My question was cut short as blinding pain radiated from my cheek to the rest of my face. The force of the blow propelled my body across the room, slamming me into the opposite wall where I fell into a heap on the ground.
“That was for not staying where I left you in that basement and making me search all over this city for you.”
Blood pooled in my mouth, threatening to choke me. I spat onto the shabby carpet and held a shaky hand to my face. The pain was severe, but I already felt my body mending the bone he’d broken with his fist.
Massimo stalked over to my prone form, pulled back one of his thick legs and slammed the tip of his leather boot into my ribs. There was a loud cracking sound and I doubled over in pain. My side throbbed, and I fought to drag air into my lungs.
“That was for having the nerve to take another maker in my stead.”
He lifted his foot again, this time striking the side of my face with devastating force. My head snapped back, cracking my skull into the wall behind me and leaving a dent. The room spun as I urged my body to stand. I didn’t know if I could take another one of his brutal kicks.
“That was for forcing me to go through their ridiculous court system to get you back where you belong.”
I rolled over onto my hands and knees, struggling to breathe as I tried to gain enough strength to stand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Massimo rear back and let another kick fly, this one aimed at my gut.
All the air in my lungs dispelled with a grunt, and my body flew through the air, landing me on my back. My shirt had ridden up during the attack and I looked down to see a mottled color spreading across my abdomen. He must have ruptured one of my organs.
“That was for making me wait a whole day before you came with me.”
I lay there wheezing in and out of my battered body. My head still spun, and blood was bubbling up my throat and dripping out of my mouth. I tried to roll to my side once more and stand but the pain in my stomach was excruciating.
“Oh! What’s this?”
I looked up to see my maker pick up the smartphone Nicholas had given me. He stared at the phone, his finger scrolling through what I assumed were our messages. I watched as his face turned from slight agitation to blinding fury.
“You want to bond with this false maker of yours?” he asked, his voice low and lethal.
Without waiting for an answer, he stormed over and purposefully stepped on one of my arms that were flung out at my side. He increasingly applied pressure until I heard the bone snap and cried out in pain.
“Answer me.”
I whimpered as his foot continued to press down on my fractured bone. “No, I didn’t. He brought it up, and I told him no,” I lied. I would have said anything at that point to make the pain stop.
“That’s not what this says,” he said through gritted teeth, holding up my phone as evidence.
“I was just asking him a question!”
Massimo ground his foot down harde
r, twisting it back and forth a few times before he finally removed it. I snatched my mangled limb out of the way and cradled it against my chest. Blood was pooling around my head and I didn’t know if it was from my injuries or from the ceaseless tears pouring from my eyes.
“Please, Massimo. I’m here with you now.”
“Do not try to placate me, girl! You are only here because you were forced and because your false maker willingly gave you up.” He laughed humorlessly. “He didn’t even fight for you, Adrienne. He was probably glad to be rid of you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing it were my ears I could close. Nicholas tried fighting for me the legal way, but he failed. That wasn’t his fault. He told me he would have disappeared with me if he could, but he was too recognizable. He’d done everything he could, hadn’t he?
“I gave you this gift and you owe me. I will take my repayment whenever and however I choose. You will obey me, or you will suffer. Do I make myself clear?”
I nodded vigorously, sending the room spinning. I would have agreed to anything. The heavy thump of Massimo’s boots retreated, and I peeked through one swollen eye. When I saw he’d left the room, I breathed a sigh of relief. The beating was over with for now.
I struggled to assess the damage while I lay there helplessly. The different types of pains twisted and melded until I didn’t know where one started and another began. He’d cracked my skull in a few places and at least one rib was broken. It was obvious that I was internally bleeding, and I was willing to bet my lungs had been punctured based on the wheezing, whistling sound each breath made.
Vampires had incredible healing abilities, but I didn’t know how that worked with such extensive damage. How long would it be before I was well enough to stand and walk again? And when I did, what would I do? I couldn’t call Nicholas anymore since Massimo had taken my phone. I doubted he’d leave me alone again after what just happened. He wasn’t stupid enough to think I’d willingly stay any longer.
I heard Massimo walking back down the hallway and closed my eyes again. Maybe he’d think I’d passed out from the pain. I heard a soft clinking noise alongside the thunk of his boots across the thin carpeting.
Blood Debt Page 20
