After Sundown: Redemption

by Eden Robins

  Alyssa slowly dropped her arm back to her side. She had to fight the urge to go to him. Something about the way he spoke reinforced her need to help him. He was standing proudly in front of her, yet she sensed his need, his hurt and his loneliness.

  “Christian, I—”

  He pressed his fingers to her lips. His eyes filled with pain and something else. Was it longing? Before she could figure it out, he shuttered his expression. His stare turned hard and cold.

  “It’s over. I can’t do this. Let’s go.”

  He dropped his hand, turned away from her and walked from the room.

  * * * * *

  Christian drove her home. Neither of them spoke. Alyssa sat stiffly in her seat and stared straight ahead. The frown on her face told him she was deep in thought and that she was perplexed by his actions. He wasn’t sure he understood them himself.

  After they had made love the first time that night, Christian had made a decision. But Alyssa had sidetracked him from that and they made love again. The second time had been wild and intense. It had confirmed his weakness. And strengthened his resolve. This woman was a danger to him. She made him long for things he shouldn’t. She made him want to forget about his guilt, forget about his anger and forget about his promise to make up for the horror and death he had reaped on so many. Apples and sunshine. She made him want to live again. And he could never do that. He had chosen his path and he had to stay with it. For Elena, for all the humans he had viciously killed and for himself.

  When they reached her condo she unlocked the door, then turned slowly towards him.

  “Do you need to come in?”

  Alyssa’s voice was cold and distant. She would not reach for him again. He’d made it clear back at his house that he didn’t want that. Didn’t want her. Alyssa had her pride, as she should. She held that around her now as she faced him.

  “Yes.” He said nothing else. Didn’t need to. They understood each other completely.

  She walked in first and he followed close behind.

  She sat down on her couch and waited the several minutes it took him to check all of the rooms and windows in her condo.

  When he was finished, he came and sat down on the chair facing Alyssa.

  “I’ve called a, uh, friend to watch over you the rest of the evening. I have to find out what Bazhena’s up to, but I can’t do that if I stay here with you. You can trust the guy who’s coming over. He may seem kind of rough, but he won’t hurt you. And he’s very good at his job.”

  Alyssa frowned at his words. She wasn’t happy with his decision. But she clamped her mouth tightly together and nodded her head.

  She stood up abruptly, walked towards the door and opened it halfway.

  “Well, that’s everything then. I guess you better go,” she said, facing him coldly with her chin held high.

  Christian stood up at her words.

  “I can’t leave until my friend gets here. I’m not leaving you alone, Alyssa.”

  She wanted to scream!

  She was so angry she could barely keep it in.

  Christian infuriated her. First they have one of the most passionate, moving lovemaking experiences she’d ever had and then he just dropped her like a hot potato. As if she meant absolutely nothing to him. He didn’t seem like the love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy, but maybe she had been wrong about him.

  He hadn’t ever actually said he cared about her. His actions had made her believe he did, but who knows? The guy was a vampire. Maybe his wiring was different. Maybe immortals didn’t feel the same way mortals did. Whatever it was, it left her feeling very confused.

  And extremely furious.

  Alyssa should just take him at his word. He had said it was over. So it was over. Isn’t that what she wanted in the first place? She didn’t need a man in her life right now. Things were going pretty well for her. Her stalker had been caught. Her last speaking engagement was tomorrow night. After that she could get back to her life, her practice and maybe even write another book. Other than the fact that a crazy vampiress had tried to kill her, her life was great.

  So what if he made her feel cherished. So what if just the sight of him made her heart skip a beat. So what if she felt a connection with him that she had never felt with another person. He didn’t want her. It was over.

  Well she wasn’t about to beg. No way. She would never do that. She wouldn’t stoop to the level her mother had. Never. She didn’t need him that much.

  The jerk.

  Alyssa felt tears sting her eyes. She bit her lip to hold them back. Anger ate at her. She wanted to yell at him. Ask him what the hell he was doing, but she wouldn’t do that. Her pride wouldn’t let her.

  Be patient, be patient, be patient. He’s leaving soon.

  The chant helped a little. Alyssa took a couple of deep, calming breaths. She began to calm down.

  She started to shut the door again, when Christian growled low in his throat. She swung her gaze to him. Their eyes met and locked. She couldn’t look away. His stare had become cold and distant. He cocked his head sideways, as if studying an insect. The chill that went through her had nothing to do with the weather. At that moment, Christian looked inhuman. He looked…like a vampire. The hackles rose in her as he swiftly strode towards her. He suddenly seemed to double in size.

  It wasn’t necessarily that he grew taller. He grew…fuller, more threatening. His presence took up all the space in the room. It was menacing, there was no other word for it. His lips parted into a snarl and his sharp, elongated teeth were exposed. She felt herself cringing even as she struggled to maintain her composure. Reality hit her like a semi running into a tree. This was no ordinary man, this was a creature who, from everything she had read, could crush her like a bug.

  But habits die hard and Alyssa forced herself to stand in the face of his oncoming rush. He drew nearer and nearer, until she could see the red of his eyes glowing bright. He reached her quickly. Then placed his hands around her waist and lifted her up as if she weighed nothing.

  Christian studied the door to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Alyssa partially blocked his view, but there was little doubt in his mind about what he saw. Bazhena had been here. While he searched through Alyssa’s condo, lost in his own thoughts, she had been here. She wasn’t as weak as he had thought. He cursed under his breath. She was taunting him. Flaunting his carelessness in his face. She had left her trademark symbol on the door. Christian remembered Bazhena telling him about it when he had first been turned.

  “I leave this symbol at every kill scene as a reminder to all men that death is close at hand. To let them know that it’s just as easy for a woman to kill a man as it is for a man to betray a woman. Look well at it, Cristobal, so that you will remember what I do to the men who betray me.”

  Back then, the sight of her handiwork had left him nauseous. At first he could only stare at it, wondering at the fate of the victim. He soon learned that Bazhena reveled in killing men. And it was rarely quick. She didn’t like quick deaths. She wanted it to be long and drawn out. She wanted her torture to make a man scream for his own death, scream with the last breath he had. “Cristobal, you’re special. You remind me of my one true love. The one who said he loved me, but left me for another,” she said, petting his head softly.

  Christian shook with revulsion. He needed to escape. At that time, Bazhena’s will was strong and his power undeveloped. She controlled him through pleasure and mind control. She only allowed him to feed when he was completely weak from hunger. And she made him feed off of her.

  “I am everything to you now. I decide whether you live or die. Never forget this,” she softly crooned.

  He knew one day he would fight to leave her, but only when he was strong enough. Until then he could do nothing. So he bided his time, planning his revenge.

  Christian brought himself back to the present. He closed the remaining distance between he and Alyssa, reaching her before she could turn around. He lifted her up
and thrust her behind him. His clear view of the door did little to comfort him.

  This was no coincidence. Bazhena meant to kill Alyssa. Her message was clear. And Christian knew that he would never let that happen. Not again. This time he had the power and the discipline. This time, he would finish things with her once and for all.

  “Did I miss the party?”

  Alyssa moved from behind Christian and gasped at what she saw. She fought the urge to step back. The stranger standing in her doorway was one of the largest men she had ever seen. He was well over six-feet and he had a weightlifter’s build. Muscles mounded over muscles. Her gaze scanned his body and returned to his face. He lifted one eyebrow in question. Alyssa felt her face flush with embarrassment. She had practically devoured the guy with her eyes! His gaze heated up as he did a slow perusal of her. When his eyes returned to her face, intense interest filled his stare.

  Christian’s growl diverted her attention.

  He placed his arm possessively around her waist.

  The men’s gazes locked and clashed. The testosterone in the air practically choked her. Something unspoken passed between them, but she wasn’t sure what it was. The stranger finally broke his stare and glanced back at Alyssa. His gaze had faded to one of impersonal regard. He nodded his head towards her.

  “I’m Jason.”

  “Jason is going to stay with you until morning.” Christian explained, sliding his arm from her waist.

  “What’s this?” Jason asked, pointing his thumb at the door.

  “Bazhena,” Christian responded grimly.

  Alyssa hadn’t noticed the outside of her door until that moment. When she had opened it earlier, her gaze had stayed firmly on Christian, urging him to leave. She followed Jason’s gaze and nearly gagged from the sight of her door. Now she knew why Christian’s eyes had turned red and his teeth had elongated. Blood. The smell of it registered immediately. She was suddenly becoming an expert on its scent. Her mind tried to deny what she saw, but it was useless. Pieces of what must be someone’s intestines hung from the doorway. Skin and hair lay on the floor in the hallway. Alyssa thought she saw an eyeball through the long dark hair, but she couldn’t bring herself to look closer.

  Nausea rolled over her. She covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, she barely made it to the toilet. The entire contents of her stomach emptied in seconds. She continued to gag for a few moments longer, as the image of what she had seen branded her mind. But there was nothing left to come up. She flushed the toilet, washed her hands and face, then brushed her teeth.

  Closing the lid of the toilet, Alyssa sat down on it. Resting her head in her hands, she struggled to get herself under control. She took several deep breaths. Tried to think about anything except the door. But it kept popping up in her mind, like some horrible, grinning jack-in-the-box toy.

  * * * * *

  Christian glared at Jason.

  “Don’t get any ideas. She’s mine. Watch over her. Protect her. That’s it.”

  “I’m not the one who expressed interest first. Your woman practically ate me with her eyes.”

  Christian bared his elongated incisors.

  Jason shrugged his shoulders.

  “Whatever. She’s not my type anyway.”

  Christian snorted.

  “You’re a gargoyle. What is your type?”

  “That’s for me to know and you never to find out, vampire. You just go do your job and I’ll do mine. Your woman is safe from me, unless she wishes otherwise. I’ve never been one to turn down a lady.”

  The gargoyle’s cocky grin made Christian want to smash his fist into the creature’s face. He held himself back.

  “Keep dreaming, gargoyle. The lady’s wishes are mine and mine alone,” Christian replied with a tight smile.

  He didn’t have time for an ego contest. He had to find out what Bazhena was up to.

  He strode towards the door. “I’ll clean this mess up before I head over to Twice Charmed. Vlad’s meeting me there. I’ll have my pager and phone on if you need to contact me.”

  “Later.”

  Christian hesitated before walking out the door. Swiveling his head around, he stared at the closed bathroom door. He should say goodbye to Alyssa. He should make sure she was okay. But he already knew she was. He could sense that her thoughts were slowly returning to normal. He wanted to check on her anyway, reassure her that she would be safe, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. But he didn’t.

  He couldn’t bare the sight of horror and repulsion that was most assuredly written all over her face. Alyssa finally understood. This was no romantic fairy tale. He was a monster. He hid it well behind a civil exterior. Nevertheless, he still had the beast inside him, fighting to claw its way out of him and rage at the world.

  He pinned Jason with his gaze.

  “Stay with her until first light. Her aunt will be here come morning. Protect Alyssa with your life, gargoyle. Because if anything happens to her, you’re dead.”

  “I’m shaking in my boots,” Jason replied, sarcasm lacing his voice.

  Christian narrowed his eyes and growled low in his throat.

  “I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job, vampire. I’ve managed just fine without your advice for hundreds of years.”

  Christian nodded. “Good, we understand each other.”

  He closed the door without another word. After cleaning up and removing all evidence of Bazhena’s handiwork, he drove to Twice Charmed. It was time to clean up a bigger mess. Bazhena.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Alyssa was in way over her head. If she didn’t know it before, she understood it now. This wasn’t a fairy tale told to frightened children. This was real. There were elves and vampires in the world. They existed. And they weren’t happy campers. Bazhena was one of the unhappy ones. She was an extremely pissed off vampire. And she was after Alyssa. That thought made her want to vomit all over again.

  The sound of her apartment door slamming shut caught her attention. She should go out there. Face whatever she needed to face. She wasn’t a coward. She never had been. But if what she had to deal with tonight was an inkling of what she would encounter in the future, she didn’t know if she could handle it. Alyssa jerked her head up at the sound of someone by the door.

  “Alyssa. You can come out. Christian’s cleaned everything up.”

  Jason’s deep, gruff voice sounded calm and reassuring, but she wasn’t sure about this man who had been assigned to watch over her. She was almost positive he wasn’t mortal. Something about him didn’t seem right or normal. An aura or energy recognized now that she’d spent time in the company of immortals. She wouldn’t want to be around Jason when he was angry. That much she understood.

  “I’ll be out in a few more minutes. I need a little more time,” she called out.

  “I understand.”

  After that, she heard nothing. A few minutes passed and Alyssa finally decided she could get up and leave the bathroom. The nausea had passed and she had managed to calm down somewhat.

  Opening the door, she walked out and saw Jason sitting on her couch reading a magazine. Jonathan was curled up beside him, purring away as if they were lifelong friends. He put what he was reading down and slowly turned towards her. His expression was grim.

  She glanced around, but didn’t see Christian.

  “Where’s Christian?”

  “He had to go.”

  Go? That’s it. The guy just leaves without a goodbye? After everything that had happened? Anger bubbled up inside of her. Her body shook from the fury that engulfed her.

  “Left? He just left?”

  “That’s right.” The man went back to reading the magazine as if it their conversation bored him.

  Jason certainly didn’t use an excess of words. In fact, she got the distinct impression that he didn’t even like talking to her. She guessed, in his book, hitting on her was fine, but talking was kept at a minimum. Alyssa felt like thr
owing something.

  “That’s great. Just great.”

  Jason didn’t respond.

  Without another word, she strode into her bedroom.

  Jason looked up and grinned as the human woman slammed the door behind her. The vampire didn’t realize how deep he was into this. He had sensed the bond between Christian and Alyssa almost immediately. He might struggle on the hook for a while, but the vamp was well and truly caught. She had him exactly where she wanted him. Poor guy.

  * * * * *

  Christian drove down Van Buren Street. As he got closer to Twenty-Fourth Street the area changed. Became seedier. Rundown shops lined the road. With the mental hospital nearby, it wasn’t the most desirable place to hang out. For humans. For immortals like himself, it was perfect. Down here, people tended to ignore the strange and unusual. They minded their own business. Just tried to survive.

  Twice Charmed came into view and Christian grinned at all the cars lining the street and filling up the parking lot. Didn’t mystical creatures have anything else to do? It wasn’t even the weekend and the place was packed. Christian eventually found a parking place, about as far away as possible.

  As he walked up to the club, he saw Vlad pull into a parking space near the entrance. Christian ground his teeth in irritation. How had he found a space so easily and so close?

  Christian walked up to him as he got out of his car. Vlad locked the door and turned towards him with a grin.

  “Patience, my friend, patience. This time of night, people are coming and leaving all the time. You just have to wait it out.”

  Christian grunted his reply as they walked into the club. The bouncer, a gargoyle they both knew, let them in without question. With a quick nod, he waved them past.

  “I don’t have a lot of patience lately, Vlad.”

  “I noticed.”

  Vlad chuckled as amusement filled his eyes.

  “Women. What can I say? It doesn’t matter if they’re mortal or immortal. They just seem to have this way about them that drives men crazy. Sometimes in a good way,” Vlad said grinning wolfishly. “Other times in a damn frustrating way.”