“What part should I explain?” he said. “Who I am, or why I’m here?”
“Everything. I need to know all of it.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
Serenity lifted her eyes to his, her lower lip trembling. “I don’t believe you. You’re hiding something from me.”
He pressed his lips together. “I’ve never done this before. I don’t know where to begin.”
“At least tell me your name.”
He smiled. “I can do that much, can do he said, and then, as though they were being introduced at a formal party, held out his hand. “Sebastian,” he said. “Sebastian Bandores.”
She smiled back and took his hand. His fingers were cool from the night, but she didn’t drop his hand; she didn’t ever want to let go.
“Serenity,” she told him. “My name is Serenity.”
“I am honored to meet you, Serenity.”
“Your accent?” she asked. “You aren’t from here, Los Angeles.”
He laughed. “I cannot believe I still have an accent. I was born in Spain, but I have spent many, many years in America.”
Serenity took the nugget of information and stored it inside her heart.
“And what about your name? Serenity,” he said her name slowly and carefully, as though tasting each syllable. “Unusual, but beautiful.”
She shrugged and glanced away, unable to take the compliment. “My mother was a modern hippie,” she said, by way of explanation. “The kind that liked to interpret free love as being a slut, and smoking weed as taking and drinking whatever the hell she could get her hands on.”
Serenity couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice.
“What happened to her?” he asked.
“Drug overdose when I was fourteen. She went to a friend’s house for a party and I never saw her again.”
“I’m so sorry,” he told her. “What about your father?”
Again, she shrugged. “I never knew who he was. I don’t think my mother did either. After she died, my stepfather took charge of me, but I was nothing more than a housekeeper to him. He was free and easy with his fists if I didn’t do things exactly the way he liked. I counted myself lucky he didn’t want anything else other than cooking and cleaning from me.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”
He reached out and touched her thick, dark hair. Her curls ran through his fingers like silk. “You have no idea how beautiful you are?”
She turned her face away, embarrassed. Serenity had never seen herself as beautiful.
“My husband will be out of the hospital tomorrow.” Mentioning him filled her with embarrassment, though Sebastian already knew she was married. “I can’t stand the thought of spending another day with him.”
“Then you understand what must be done.”
Adrenaline surged up inside her; the thought of leaving more petrifying than anything she had ever done. Taking years more of beatings terrified her less.
He reached out, fingertips barely brushing the soft skin of her che ek.
“Take me with you!” She threw out the request, a crazy appeal to someone who was little more than a stranger.
“I can’t. You have no idea what you’re saying.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t care. You must want me, too. Why else would you be here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Stop saying that! I’m not all right!” Tears flowed down her cheeks. “Isn’t that obvious? I’m so fucking far from all right I don’t even know what it means anymore.”
“Whatever you’re doing with your life, it can’t be worse than the hell I live in.”
Angrily, she wiped at the tears and stared at him in amazement. “Then enlighten me? Explain why you came here, yet you’re willing to let me go back to my old life?”
He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “It’s impossible. I will never make you happy and however bad your life seems now, it can be worse.”
“Why? Are you married?”
He laughed—a small, cold, frightening sound.
“I want to take you with me, Serenity. I want it more than anything but, the damage I would cause is much worse than anything he ever managed.”
“So let me make the choice!” she begged. “If you want me,” she moved closer, closing the gap, the air between them crackling. “You must let me make the choice.”
She sensed him wavering for a moment, a second of indecision, and then he pulled away. “I won’t,” he said. “I can’t.”
He stood up and stepped back, taking with him time, space, and everything between.
Sebastian disappeared.
“No!” she yelled at the empty room. Throwing back the sheets, she leapt to her feet. “Come back! Please come back.”
The room was empty, the drapes flapping in the breeze, as if he’d never been there.
Serenity fell to her knees, sobbing, from shock, partly. The rest of her hurt; mourned the loss of him. How could he come into her life and leave again so quickly?
Who was he?
They hadn’t so much as kissed and already he held her heart in his hands. The thought of straying from her marriage never crossed her mind before, no matter how bad things got. Of course, she’d thought of leaving Jackson. What sane woman wouldn’t? Never for another man, though. No one else had so much as caught her eye.
Sebastian. His name whispered through her mind like a caress. This whole thing was crazy. She needed to get a grip.
After all, wasn’t she ignoring the obvious? How did he move like that? To be in one place and then suddenly, no longer be there? People didn’t do that. Not without a stage and props and a whole heap of people backstage helping make the illusion work. Tricks were the only explanation; a combination of smoke and mirrors and distraction, not real magic.
Did Sebastian disappear in such a way using tricks? Or was Serenity admitting she believed in magic?
She laughed into the empty room and clamped a hand over her mouth.
The laugh, too close to the hilarity of a crazy person, scared her.
Crazy…
The idea flickered in her mind, a dangerous flame lighting a fire of self-doubt. Perhaps Sebastian didn’t even exist? Maybe her sick mind conjured up his strange way of moving and her obsessive attraction to him?
Her heart tripped a beat. She didn’t want to go there, but her mind pulled the idea closer. She thought back to times she’d seen him. Had anyone else been present? Had she witnessed him interacting with another person?
With relief, she remembered the woman in the hospital canteen. He had spoken to her and she took money from him. Serenity knew she hadn’t imagined the woman. Then she remembered the coffee he bought and how it burned her mouth. She hadn’t imagined that, had she?
Suddenly exhausted, Serenity tugged her sweater over her head and pulled off her jeans. She dropped the clothes over the edge of the bed and slid under the covers. The sheets were smooth and cool against her skin and she sank into the mattress with pleasure. Her bedroom window stood wide open, the drapes pulled back. A light breeze swirled around the room, gently lifting the material. She knew the morning light would wake her, but she was too tired to get out of bed to close them.
At least tomorrow she wouldn’t have to worry about Jackson questioning her about work or calling her there. She would tell him they gave her an emergency family day to take care of him. He would believe the excuse and it would buy her another day.
Another day to figure out what the hell was going on with her life.
Serenity reached out and flicked the switch on the bedside lamp. The room plunged into darkness and she quickly fell into a deep, troubled sleep.
Chapter Six
The sound of a bell ringing dragged Serenity from a deep sleep. She tried to ignore it but the insistent jingle forced her awake. She opened her eyes, heavy-headed and disoriented, trying to figure
out where the sound came from.
The telephone.
Sebastian! The thought got her moving. Not even pausing to pull on any clothes, she scrambled out of bed and raced down the stairs, praying the phone wouldn’t ring off. She ran bare footed across the carpet and into the living room, crossed to the telephone and snatched up the receiver.
“Hello?” she said. Her voice came out thick with sleep and breathless from the brief sprint.
“Serenity?”
Her heart dropped with disappointment. The voice didn’t belong to Sebastian but to her ex-boss.
“Yes, Peter,” she cleared her throat. “I’m here.”
“I’m sorry to call you so early,” his voice came through the receiver, not sounding the slightest bit apologetic. Serenity flicked a glance at the clock on the DVD player. Almost eight-thirty.
“I’m glad I caught you before you went out,” he continued.
“I don’t have anywhere to go now, Peter,” she reminded him. “You made sure of that.”
There was an uncomfortable silence from the other end and a smiled touched her lips, pleased she’d made him feel awkward.
“I take it you’re not calling to offer me my job back.”
“I’m sorry, Serenity, office protocol. You were on your third warning.”
Fuck your protocol, she wanted to say, but held her tongue.
“What can I do for you, Peter?” she said instead. “I’m assuming this isn’t a courtesy call.”
“I need you to come in and clear your desk out. You left some things.”
“Throw them out,” she told him. She didn’t care about the photograph, box of tissues and hand cream on her desk.
“We can’t do that. It’s office...”
“Protocol,” she finished for him. “How did I guess?”
He sighed as if she was the one putting him out. If he’d been in the room with her, she would have throttled him for the sound.
“Just come in when you can,” he finished.
Serenity hung up the phone without bothering to say goodbye. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate. She wanted to ignore the request, but didn’t want him calling back when Jackson was home. She didn’t want to imagine how that conversation would go.
Her legs gave way and she sank down on the sofa. She didn’t normally sleep so late. Usually she’d be well on her way to work by now and Jackson would be the one sitting on the couch, but the late night had taken its toll. She needed to get to the hospital. Hopefully Jackson had taken a turn for the worse during the night and the doctors had decided to keep him in a bit longer.
Guilt jarred through her at the thought. When had she become such a bitter person?
He’s done that to you. Made you what you are today.
Except that wasn’t the whole truth. Jackson had certainly played his part, but she’d been dealt many bad cards in her life. Her husband was simply the latest. Feeling sorry for herself didn’t help anyone. She’d rather be stronger, a better person than she’d become.
Sebastian made her want that.
Serenity forced herself to her feet and climbed the stairs to the bathroom. She needed to go to the office and pick up her things before collecting Jackson from the hospital.
In the bathroom, she turned on the shower faucet. Water gushed into the tub, spraying her with a cold fine mist. The boiler kicked into life and the water warmed until steam clouded the room. She slipped out of her underwear and stood naked in front of the mirror.
Steam covered the glass, her reflection a distorted blob. She wiped her palm across the mirror causing beads of condensation to run down the surface. Her reflection peered back; unworthy and untrusting. Serenity didn’t think she was ugly, not on the outside. Inwardly, she felt like a failure. She couldn’t see what drew Sebastian, though she couldn’t deny the attraction. The possibility that he saw something in her made Serenity pause and look at herself in a way she’d never been able to before.
Was it possible for her to have another life? Did she deserve something more than this?
She stepped into the shower, wincing as the hot water hit her skin. Her body adjusted to the heat and she immersed herself in the water like a baptism.
Sebastian, Sebastian, Sebastian.
She ran his name over and over in her mind as scalding water coursed down her body. Steam filled the room and she inhaled, cleansing her lungs. Serenity picked up the soap and ran the bar over her skin, across her flat stomach, across her pubic bone. A tremor of excitement shuddered deep at her core, in a part she thought long dead. She couldn’t remember any time in her adult life where she had physically wanted a man, yet now she imagined her hand was his, her touch belonged to him. Thoughts of Sebastian consumed her.
Too aware of time passing, Serenity forced herself from the warm comfort of the water.
She stepped from the shower, her skin flushed with desire. She wished he was there, taking her in his arms, kissing her, slipping his fingers into her most intimate parts.
The guilt rushed back, but with it came surprise. Serenity endured sex. Now, she wanted, even anticipated it. She couldn’t remember ever wanting someone, but the thought of Sebastian touching her sent thrills racing through her.
Forcing thoughts of Sebastian from her mind, Serenity went into her bedroom and dressed in her usual outfit of jeans and a sweater. On top of the dresser, her ‘S’ necklace nestled in a small dish. She picked the chain up between her fingertips and carefully hooked the silver around her throat. The necklace slipped beneath the collar of her sweater. The jewelry against her skin comforted her. The last memento of her old life, the only thing her mother had ever given her, and as much as she wanted to hate the woman, Serenity found it impossible to let go of the past.
Looking up at her old office building, Serenity felt a pang of regret. She had liked her job; had even been good at it, when she’d been there. Her position included taking care of the engineering company’s payroll and overtime. She coordinated who covered should someone call in sick on a major job. Though a predominantly male environment, the situation suited Serenity just fine. She knew all men weren’t like Jackson. If she worked with women, they would want to know about her; ask questions about her life, her husband, the things she liked to do. Invitations for drinks would come, worse, requests for her and Jackson to come to dinner. Instead, Serenity kept herself to herself, and the men allowed her aloof behavior. They thought her standoffish, probably called her a bitch behind her back, but she didn’t care.
Serenity enjoyed the projects she assisted with, even if she didn’t have much to do with the actual building. She found it interesting to talk to the engineers about the reasons they chose certain materials for certain buildings, why they used a particular joint or strut. There was science and mathematics to the work, a precision. The beauty of a building didn’t draw her; she loved the stability and predictability a great design brought.
When she allowed herself to dream, she imagined herself an architect in another life.
Serenity took a breath and walked through the revolving glass door. From the lobby, she rode the elevator twelve floors up to her old department.
The company secretary, Elise, was talking on the phone as she walked in. Elise glanced up as Serenity passed and gave a tight lipped smile of distant sympathy. Serenity forced herself to smile back, but made no plans to hang around and chat.
Instead, she headed straight to her old desk. Someone had left a cardboard box on the surface and she put the few items remaining on her desk inside.
Peter, her old boss, came out of his private office.
“I didn’t think you’d want to come and say goodbye,” she said without bothering to look up.
Peter perched himself on the edge of the desk and folded his arms across his chest. Reluctantly, Serenity put down the photograph she held and straightened.
He sighed. “I know it’s probably not my place but I wanted to ask if I could do anything to help.”
Gen
uine concern haunted his eyes, but the words stabbed deep inside of her. She hated the thought of people knowing about her home life, but mainly she was angry. The man had the nerve to poke his nose into her business when he was the one who’d fired her.
“What’s wrong, Peter? Guilty conscience?” she said, her voice sharp.
“I... I thought...” but he didn’t finish his sentence. He sighed again and ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Just take care of yourself,” he finished.
The Vengeful Vampire Page 6
