by Kate Serine
But as I fired, the creature merely grabbed my calf with its other hand and began to pull its way up my leg, hand over hand, that blood-chilling growl growing in volume. I was out of ammo, kicking and fighting, but I could tell I was losing ground. I tried to scoot back, using my elbows, but it was now at my knee, my thigh. . . .
Those horrible claws dug into my waist and jerked me sideways and into the claustrophobic darkness beneath the bed. And there in the blackness I saw a face, its features distorted and monstrous. Red eyes blazed like hellfire as it glared at me. And when its mouth curved into a hideous smile, its white fangs grew longer even as I watched.
“Jesus, no,” I whimpered.
Dracula laughed as he edged up my body, his hands rough as they skimmed up my belly and found my breasts. “Come to me, Beatrice,” he growled. “Come to me now. . . .”
I awoke with a start, bolting upright. Instinctively, my hand flew up to my neck to search for the evidence of Dracula’s assault upon me, but I found nothing there. I sagged in relief and dropped back against Nicky’s pillows.
It had been a dream. Just a dream. A horrible, terrifying dream, but nothing more.
Thank God.
I rubbed the inside of my wrist against my forehead, not surprised to find my hairline drenched in sweat. My clothes clung to me and I began to shiver in spite of the thick down comforter that still covered me. With a deep breath, I threw off the covers and then bolted from the bed, taking several quick steps away from it before pausing to look back and make sure nothing waited to grab me and drag me under again.
I leaned against the wall and heaved a sigh, then laughed a little at myself. “Don’t be such a baby, Trish.” I chuckled, trying to reassure myself that I was being ridiculous. I was a grown woman, for crying out loud! I was a little old to be afraid of monsters hiding under the bed. And then I turned on the lights.
It was at that point that I tasted a distinct coppery taste in my mouth. I touched my fingers to my tongue and was startled to see blood on my fingers when I pulled them away as I had the other night in my apartment. “What the hell?”
Wondering if I’d bitten my tongue during my nightmare, I headed to the bathroom and filled my palm with water, then filled my mouth. When I spit it out in the sink, streaks of red clung to the sides of the porcelain as they made their way to the drain. Frowning, I looked in the mirror, crying out when I saw my mouth filling with blood. Gagging, I spat into the sink again, then turned on the water and filled my cupped hand, rinsing out my mouth and spitting once more. But the more I tried to stop the blood, the more it came, spilling out over my lips and down my chin, dripping onto the porcelain in horrifying crimson streaks.
I choked and sputtered, the blood now coming so quickly I couldn’t get it out of my mouth fast enough.
Oh, God. . . .
Tears of panic blurred my vision as I groped for the hand towel hanging on the rack, using it to try to absorb the blood and keep me from drowning. But it wasn’t working. I choked again as blood flooded my throat. Desperate to clear my airway, I coughed in a violent burst, spraying blood onto the mirror, and caught a glimpse of my frantic, wide-eyed expression in spite of the blood obscuring my reflection.
I whimpered, feeling my lungs growing heavy as they filled with fluid. But then my father’s words drifted to me as if whispered in my ear:
You must control your fear, Beatrice, or your fear will control you. Never let your mind slip into the abyss where chaos reigns. . . .
I closed my eyes, trying to regain control, bringing my racing heart back to heel. With one last sputtering cough, I opened my eyes again, determined to take on my tormenter with my last ounce of strength.
But the blood was gone. The bathroom was pristine once again. My face and hands were no longer covered in red. I swallowed, a faint metallic taste the only evidence that anything had even occurred. My knees went weak with relief and I sagged against the vanity, bracing myself for a moment, my head hanging down between my shoulders. After a deep, cleansing breath, I lifted my head again and met my own eyes in the mirror.
“What the hell was that all about?” I whispered, my throat still tight with lingering fear. As if in answer to my question, a streak of blood suddenly appeared on the mirror. Then another. And another. I began to tremble as I watched the blood trickle down, forming letters, until a single word materialized.
Mine.
I slid to the ground, my legs no longer able to hold me. Trembling, I tried to pull myself back to my feet so I could get the hell out of there, but nothing seemed to work. Then it hit me—I was in shock. I needed to get to my phone and call—
Who?
I wanted Nicky. I wanted to hear his deep voice calling me “doll.” I wanted his strong arms cradling me against him. I wanted him to smooth my curls and kiss my lips and tell me I was safe. But he’d left me. Abandoned me. I was completely alone.
No. I wasn’t alone.
There was someone I could call on. Anytime.
Mustering what strength I could, I pulled myself up to the sink and turned on the hot water full blast, letting the steam build and cloud over the mirror as Lavender had once taught me.
“Trish!”
I started at the sudden sound of my name. “In here!” I called from where I had collapsed roughly thirty seconds before.
Damn, he was fast!
Gideon burst into the bathroom, his sunglasses hiding his eyes, but his concern evident in the scowl he wore. Without a word, he bent and scooped me into his arms, carrying me out of the bathroom and into the hall as if I weighed nothing.
Too bad I wasn’t in the mood for a rebound at the moment. I totally would’ve gone for the whole strong, silent, ass-kicking vibe Gideon had going for him. As it was, I was just damned relieved to have him there. I rested my head against his chest as he swept me down the stairs.
“You’re safe now,” he said, his voice clipped as we reached the foyer. “I’ll take you to my king.”
“Like hell you will.”
My eyes snapped open. Nicky stood in the doorway, his clothes torn and bloody, proof he’d had his own hellish night. His fists were clenched at his sides, near his weapons, ready to go medieval on Gideon’s ass. My heart did a cartwheel of joy, but the rest of me was still too hurt and angry to let on how happy I was to see him.
“I suggest you step aside, Blue,” Gideon said, his tone even and unconcerned, yet uncompromising. “She was in trouble and called me to her. I am bound by honor to offer my protection and will do so. I will take her to the safety of my king’s estate, and then she may grant you an audience there. If she wishes.”
“Grant me an audience?” Nicky echoed, his Chicago accent growing thicker in his anger. “Fuck you, Tiny. If she’s in trouble, she can count on me.”
Gideon regarded him mildly. “Obviously not.”
Nicky looked like Gideon had just punched him in the nuts. But Gideon wasn’t done yet.
He carried me forward until he was up in Nicky’s grill, glaring down at him from his towering height. “If I were to have the love of such a woman,” he growled, “I would do anything in my power to protect her, no matter the cost.”
I thought of the story Lavender had once told me about her relationship with Gideon and how he had risked his life to stand beside her when she was on trial for transplanting us all. I had no doubt that Gideon meant what he said. Whoever eventually caught his heart was going to be one seriously lucky gal.
But there was really only one set of hearts I was worried about at the moment. And mine was still too hurt to play nice. “Let’s go,” I murmured when Nicky merely stood there, his jaw clenched in anger at being called out.
The next thing I knew, I was standing in a bedroom the size of my entire apartment. A fire burned in the fireplace, casting soft amber light throughout the room.
“Is this the king’s estate?” I asked, the rather masculine decor a little on the tame side compared with what I’d seen when I last visited the man
sion.
“Not exactly,” Gideon mumbled, still holding me in his arms. “I did not want to disturb the family, so I have brought you to my home on the estate instead.”
I glanced around. “Is this . . . um, your bedroom?” I asked, suddenly feeling a little awkward.
“What if it is?” he asked, pegging me with that gaze that was somehow still penetrating even behind his sunglasses. “Would you object?”
Suddenly his face felt a little too close to mine. “Listen, Gideon,” I said as gently as I could manage, “you’re a really nice guy, but—”
His chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. Then he lowered me to my feet. “This is one of my guest rooms.”
I felt my face light up like an inferno. “Oh. Of course. I knew that.”
He waved a hand toward a wardrobe that stood against one wall. “You will find anything you need in there,” he assured me. “Feel free to take whatever you like.”
“Thank you, Gideon,” I said, still trying to recover from my embarrassment. “I really appreciate this. It seems like my relying on others is becoming a really bad habit.” I sighed, thinking about how Nicky had taken me in just a couple of days earlier.
My sorrow and disappointment must’ve showed on my face because Gideon gently took me by the shoulders. “I have offered you my protection, Trish, and that offer does not expire. You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish.” Then his lips curved into a grin and he gave me a little chuck under the chin. “But I have a feeling you may not need to stay long.”
I frowned, intending to ask him what he meant, but he had vanished before I could utter a word. I went to the wardrobe he’d indicated and pulled open the doors, wondering what a guy like Gideon could possibly have lying around his bachelor pad when it came to the needs of an unexpected female guest, and so was startled to see quite a selection of jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, button-down oxfords, and shoes in my size and style.
“Damn,” I muttered. “I want Gideon to be my personal shopper. This guy’s good.”
I pulled out the bottom drawer and found a stash of delicates and a few pair of pajamas folded neatly in categorized stacks. There was also a little slip of dark green satin that caught my eye. I held it up and blinked in astonishment when I saw that it was actually a very simple but sexy nighty. Now, just who did Gideon expect me to wear this for? I glanced toward the door, wondering if maybe he hadn’t been joking after all. But since it was warm in the room with the fire going, the flannel pj’s were far from appealing, so I slipped out of my clothes and into the nighty, then crawled into bed.
As exhausted as I was, I was surprised not to fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow instead of the twenty seconds it took. My sleep was deep and blissfully dreamless. So when I jolted awake sometime later, I wasn’t entirely sure what had roused me.
I sat up in bed, drawing the covers close to my chest, searching in the dim light from the fire, which had burned down considerably. And when I saw the figure sitting in a chair in the corner, I had to cover my mouth to muffle the scream it startled out of me. But fear quickly faded as my heart began to pound, making my voice breathless when I gasped, “My God.”
“Hi, doll.”
Nicky stood up and came slowly toward me, his expression twisted with anguish. He’d changed, I noticed. He was in the usual jeans and turtleneck sweater that molded so well to his sculpted chest. I hated that he looked so damned hot—I wanted to be mad at him a little longer, but it was growing more difficult with each step he took.
“What are you doing here?” I managed to ask, my voice choked at the sight of him.
He spread his arms out a little. “I had to see you. I couldn’t leave things the way they were.”
“So, you came to apologize for being an ass?” I sniped.
His jaw tightened a little and he planted his feet where he stood. “I wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay.”
Okay, so no apology forthcoming. . . . Got it.
I threw off the covers and got to my feet, crossing my arms over my chest in a huff. “Well, let’s see,” I drawled, “I was attacked by Dracula not once but twice after getting back from visiting our dear friend Red, who is in the hospital yet again because, as it turns out, Dracula has been attacking her and her unborn child, too!”
Nicky paled and blinked at me, clearly astonished. “Was he there? In the hospital?”
I gaped at him. Was he serious? I’d just told him that I’d been attacked twice and he wanted to know if Dracula had made a guest appearance at the hospital?
“No, Nicky,” I spat. “He wasn’t in the hospital. In fact, I think I’ve managed to draw him away from Red. Thanks for your concern about me, though. I appreciate it.”
“Trish—” He took a step closer, but I held up my hand to stop him from reaching for me. I so wasn’t in the mood for that apology now.
“Where were you, Nicky?” I demanded. “When Red was lying in the hospital and everyone else who cares about her was crowded around the bed, where were you? While I was struggling for my life, trying not to drown in the blood that was filling my lungs, where were you?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and regarded me evenly, but said nothing.
“I needed you!” I hissed. “I couldn’t even call you after the attack. The only person I could depend on was Gideon!”
His eyes flashed with anger, jolting him out of his silence. “What do you want from me, Trish?” he spat. “You tell me my wife took a hit out on me and you don’t think that’s going to fuck with my head?”
“Of course I knew it!” I yelled. “Why do you think I never said anything? I would do anything to save you pain! Don’t you see that, Nicky?”
“Why?” he demanded, his voice tight. He closed the gap between us and took hold of my upper arms. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me?”
I shoved him hard, pissed off that he could be so freaking dense. “Because I love you, you stupid son of a bitch! I always have!” Now that I was on a roll, I had to let it all out, all the pain, all the frustration from the decades of longing for someone I didn’t think could ever be mine. “I fell in love with you the day we arrived when I saw the soul of you. It killed me to see you with Red all that time. And then when you married Juliet . . . I didn’t think I could ever get over that pain, but I just wanted you to be happy. Then I saw you that day in the lab, and everything I’d been trying to forget came rushing back in an instant.”
“Trish . . .” He reached for me, but I deflected his hand.
“When I saw what was in Juliet’s thoughts that night, it broke my heart,” I went on, not letting him derail me as the words came tumbling out. “Because when you’re not being a total jackass, Nicky, you’re the most noble, honorable man I’ve ever met. And you deserve to be loved by a woman who’s worthy of you!”
He shook his head. “The things I’ve done—especially since Juliet died—I’m not the man I was the day we came over. You don’t know me anymore. There’s a lot I deserve, probably none of it good. But I know one thing for sure—I don’t deserve you, Trish.”
I grunted, disgusted with his self-pity. “Screw it,” I muttered, going around him to get to the door. I didn’t know where I was going; I just knew I didn’t want to be there with him at the moment. “This is bullshit. I’m done.”
“Trish!” Nicky called as I reached for the door.
“I don’t think you could possibly have anything else to say to me,” I shot back, hand on the doorknob. “I told you I love you, and you threw it back in my face. I think how you feel is pretty freaking clear. I see now that I’m just another notch in your belt.”
“I wasn’t finished,” he said, suddenly standing behind me, his body wrapping around mine, his breath hot in my ear. I shuddered as his arm slid around my waist and pulled me into the curve of his body. “I don’t deserve you, but that doesn’t make me want you any less.”
I peeled his arm away from me and stepped out of his grasp. “You want me?�
� I repeated, not about to let him off the hook that easily. “Is that the best you can do? Don’t think you can just kiss me and make everything better, Nicky. I’m still pissed at you!”
He shoved his hands into his pockets, his expression more tortured than I’d ever seen it. “You have every right to be. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You never should’ve had to call Gideon. You needed me, and I wasn’t there for you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “And?”
He clenched his jaw, a fiery look coming to life in his eyes. “And, it would’ve killed me if you’d been hurt, if I’d—” His voice caught and he looked away for a moment and had to clear his throat a couple of times before he turned his gaze back to me and continued, “If I’d lost you.”
I swallowed hard as he came slowly toward me. His steps were tentative, but as he took my face in his hands his gaze was so intense that I frowned at him. “Nicky? Are you okay?”
“Not without you,” he ground out, cupping my face, his thumb caressing my cheek. He smoothed my hair, his amber gaze boring into mine. “Trish, when you saw my soul that day we came over, I saw yours, too. And I got another look that day you held my hand after the attack, kept me alive by what had to be willpower alone. But it wasn’t until I started reading all those damned reports, getting into your head, that I really started to see what an amazing woman you are. And I don’t know when it happened—hell, maybe it was when you threw yourself into my arms that first time—but somewhere along the way, I fell for you.”
I blinked, tears blurring my vision. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, couldn’t believe that the words I’d dreamed of for so long were hanging in the air between us.
“I love you, Trish,” he said, his thumb skimming over my bottom lip. “And, I swear to God, I won’t ever let you down again.” Then he was kissing me, his lips so loving and tender, they stole my breath. If he’d never uttered another word of love to me, that kiss would have assured me what was truly in his heart. And when I snaked my arms around his neck, drawing him closer to me, his kiss became more insistent.
