by Sky Winters
Nora gave a slight smile. “Okay,” she said, uncertainly clear in her voice. “For now.”
“I should make it clear that the penalty for being caught would be a swift death for me, and a different kind of death for you,” he said, his tone dire.
Nora nodded, now understanding the nature of the circumstances that they were both in.
“Now,” said Kieran, closing the last few feet of space that remained between them, “as much as I like to see you in that dress, seeing you out of it sounds even better.”
Nora blushed and smiled, as Kieran moved his hand under the filmy fabric of the dress, and up, along her thigh.
Chapter 13
Several days passed as planned, with Nora staying in the apartment, and Kieran telling anyone who asked that yes, he enjoyed his purchase from the auction, and no, he wouldn’t be requiring the complimentary disposal services of the Hell’s Kitchen society. For a while, it seemed that the ruse would be successful. That was, however, before Ian showed up unannounced.
“Aye! You’ve still got this one, huh?” he said, perplexed, when Nora came into the room.
“Yes, she’s still here. And not another word about it,” said Kieran, his voice grim.
Ian ran his hand back through his spiky hair. “Jeez, you know what a no-no this is, right?
Kieran breathed in, barely masking his impatience. “Yes, I’m aware of what a ‘no-no’ it is.”
“And what about you, lady; what do you have to say about this? You talk him out of it at the last minute?” Ian gave Kieran a friendly swipe across the shoulder. “I always knew this one had a soft spot.”
“We’re keeping this secret, for now,” said Nora, her eyes shooting over to Kieran, who made a look that Nora interpreted as “the less said, the better.”
“I’ll say yeh are!” Ian said, shaking his head once again.
After Ian left, Kieran was pensive and dour. Nora tried to ignore it at first, but Kieran was the type of man who, when upset, had a black, dark cloud around him.
“What’s wrong?” Nora asked, running her hand through his hair.
“This was a mistake,” he said, not turning to look at her.
“But, I’m happy here with you.”
“And I’m happy with you here. But this was a foolish thing to do. It’s only a matter of time before someone else shows up and sees you here, or until Ian has a few too many and runs his mouth to the wrong person.”
“Like the Italian?”
“Yes, like Marcus. If he were to find out…” Kieran’s voice trailed off.
“So, are you saying you wish you would’ve just eaten me that first night? Just sucked my blood for real right in the middle of sex?”
That prompted a reaction.
Kieran blasted out of his chair and turned to face Nora, standing inches from her face. “No. I will never regret what I did.”
And with that, he stalked off, to some faraway corner of his vast apartment.
Kieran returned a time later, a grim look on his face.
“Ian was right,” he said, staring deep into Nora’s eyes. “I was foolish to think I could keep you here.”
Conflicted feelings danced in Nora’s stomach. On the one hand, she was happy at the prospect of freedom. On the other, she’d grown close to Kieran over these last few days. Not to mention the incredible sex.
“So, what are you going to do?” she asked, her voice wavering.
“Take you back to your apartment. You’ll have to lay low for a while, but you should be fine. I’ve heard rumors of vampires who’re, morally-opposed, you could say, to our traditions, and have purchased humans simply to release them. And gotten away with it.”
“So, you’re just going to drop me off back home, and I’m supposed to forget this whole thing ever happened?”
“I can leave you with some money, to compensate you for your time and… the inconvenience.”
Nora felt herself grow angry at Kieran’s heartless resolution to this problem. “You don’t get it,” she said, her voice a yell, “there’s more going on here than that!”
Kieran raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Such as?”
The anger mixed with sadness in Nora began to boil over. But as she forced it downward, feeling it heat her limbs, something strange happened. The glow that she could detect, the one that she hadn’t seen from any of the vampires, began to emanate from Kieran. It was a strange color, a soupy blue lightened with traces of yellow. It struck Nora as sadness, but a sadness laced with confusion. Nora stepped back, shocked at the appearance of her powers.
“What is it?” Kieran asked, the colors ebbing and flowing around him like an aurora borealis.
Nora stumbled backward.
“Nothing, nothing. I’m just not happy one bit about this, is all.”
That seemed to satisfy Kieran. “In that case, grab your things. I’m taking you to your apartment.”
She complied, snatching the few articles of clothing that Kieran had bought for her from her room, tossing them into a cloth bag, and storming into the main room. Kieran said nothing, simply gesturing her for her come with him. They made their way down to the car and drove out and into the Manhattan evening. Fuming, she typed her address into his phone, and said not a word as they made the drive from Hell’s Kitchen to Harlem. Eventually, they reached her apartment, a worn brick building.
Kieran looked over the building, displeased. “I don’t know how I feel about you living in a place like this.”
“What do you care? You’re just going to drop me off here and forget about me.”
“Some money is going to appear in your bank account in the next few days. Use some of it to find a safer place to live.”
It was no consolation. Money wasn’t what she wanted. Nora felt overcome with emotion. She didn’t want to say another word, for fear that she’d break down into a weeping mess. So instead, she opened the door of the car and prepared to step out.
“Wait,” said Kieran.
Nora stopped where she stood, but refused to turn to face him. A tear tickled down her face.
“I’m sorry it had to be like this.”
And with that, Nora slammed the door of her car, made her way to her apartment, and as soon as she shut the door of her tiny studio behind her, collapsed into wracking sobs.
Chapter 14
Over the next few days, Nora did her best to keep a low-profile. She wore baggy clothes and hid her face behind sunglasses and under hats. And sure enough, just as Kieran promised, when Nora checked her bank account a few days after being dropped off, she saw that the total was bigger than it had been before. A few zeros bigger. But the money was no consolation. Aside from getting a new phone and buying some takeout so she didn’t have to leave the apartment, she felt no desire to do anything with it. Despite the circumstances in which Nora and Kieran met, she still felt something with him, a closeness that she had never felt before.
After a few days of hiding out, Nora finally felt ready to at least begin the process of putting her life back together. When her new phone arrived in the mail, she set it up and, not knowing who else to call, dialed Carly, one of her few acquaintances in the city.
“Nora,” Carly said, her voice equal parts surprised and excited, “to what do I owe this honor?”
“Hey, Carly,” said Nora, her voice uncertain, as though trying to remember how to communicate with people who weren’t emotionally-distant bloodsuckers. “How’re you?”
“Me? Who cares about me? It’s been months since we talked; how are you?”
“I’m fine, I just…” Nora’s voice trailed off.
A moment passed.
“You don’t sound fine,” said Carly.
“It’s just that there was this guy, and he… he…” Nora couldn’t hold it in. She let out a series of whimpers before a flood of body-rocking sobs overwhelmed her.
“Lady, lady,” said Carly, “get over here right this minute. I’ve got some wine. Let’s split it and then go get somethi
ng to eat. My friend works at this adorable wine bar in the village. You can tell me everything.”
“Okay,” said Nora, “but only if you let me treat.”
Carly laughed. “I won’t try to talk you out of that. Just call an Uber and get your little ginger butt over here.”
Nora felt the first bits of a smile spread across her face. “Okay. Thanks, Carly.”
“Love you, lady.”
Nora put down the phone, and realized that she was beginning to feel a little better. She got up, undressed, and went to the dresser to pick out something to wear. She considered something Kieran had bought her, but decided it was too soon for that. Hearing nothing but the typical sounds of the city beyond her window, she flicked off her hearing aid.
But when she opened the drawer and looked into it, she noticed something strange. There was another one of those small wavering color shapes. But this one wasn’t around anyone standing near her. It was coming from her belly.
Nora stumbled backward, her eyes fixed on the glowing waves emanating from her stomach.
That can’t possibly mean…
But now that she was looking at it, she sensed it. Just like she was able to sense the thoughts and emotions of people around her, she could now sense that there was a presence within her.
A baby. Kieran’s baby.
Her head began to swim.
But he’s a vampire! How could a vampire, a dead person, get a living woman pregnant?
She turned her hearing aid back up, bringing the sounds of traffic back to her ears and dissipating the whirling mass of colors from her stomach. Nora know this would need to be addressed, and soon, but for now she was just going to try and enjoy a night with her friend. She called an Uber, and waited. When it arrived, she clambered in and spent the drive staring out at the passing city lights, reminded of her drive that first night to Kieran’s place. She found herself thinking about him. His gorgeous face, his touch that was somehow warm and cool at the same time, his rich, musky smell…
A hard press on the brakes by the driver snapped her out of her reverie. “Here,” the driver said in a gruff voice.
Nora climbed out of the car and walked up to Carly’s building. Unlike her own simple walkup, it was a modern condo complex, with a sleek, modern lobby that more resembled a luxury hotel more than an apartment building. She approached the doorman, and he directed her toward the nearby elevators. A brief ride up later, she was on the tenth floor.
She only had to knock once before the door flew open, revealing Carly’s beaming face.
“Hey, girl!” she said, before screaming and throwing her arms around Nora.
Leading Nora inside, Carly gave her a look over. “You okay, lady? You look like you saw a ghost or something.”
You’re in the ballpark.
Pretty, blonde, and with a constant sunny disposition, Carly was everything that Nora felt she lacked. They’d met through a mutual friend from Omaha, who figured that since they were both moving to the city at the same time, they ought to get to know each other. They got along, but Nora couldn’t help but be a little envious of how, between her glitzy publishing gig, her great apartment, and constant cycle of handsome men, Carly managed to easily find all the things that seemed to remain out of Nora’s reach.
And I bet she hasn’t ever gotten abducted by a secret society of vampires.
Carly poured them a couple glasses of wine and, though Nora’s problems were the reason they were meeting, Carly seemed more interested in talking about the Financial District guys who’d been chasing her the last month or so. But Nora was fine with this; she barely wanted to talk about Kieran, let alone the fact that she was now carrying his child.
“You okay? You’ve barely touched your pinot,” said Carly, pointing to Nora’s glass with a manicured finger.
“I’m getting there,” Nora responded with a smirk. She knew that a girl not touching her wine was nearly the same thing as wearing a big sign that said I’M PREGNANT, and looked around for the sink where she could dump it out when Carly used the bathroom.
Carly went on about more about her boy troubles, and Nora, wanting to see just how dependable her powers were, tried something. As Carly talked, she reached up to her ear as though adjusting her hair, and dialed down her hearing aid. Sure enough, as soon as the sound of Carly’s chattering voice decreased, a swirling mass of color appeared around her; this time hot pink, which Nora decided was fitting. It was a good color for a girl talking about her boy-chasing. Her curiosity satiated, Nora turned her hearing aid back on.
“I’m going to hit the girl’s room; then let’s go get some tapas,” Carly said, drawing out the second ‘a’ in ‘tapas.’
“You do that, and I’m gonna kill this glass,” said Nora.
As soon as Nora heard the bathroom door shut, she went to the sink, glass in hand, and dumped the rose-colored liquid down the drain. And as she watched it swirl and disappear, she felt the day’s revelation weigh on her. She really did want to tell Carly about it, but where to begin? “Well, first it starts with a kidnapping, then an auction…” She decided to keep it a secret for now, at least until she could talk to Kieran again.
Carly returned after another minute, and one more Uber ride later, they were at a cute little tapas and wine bar in the village.
Settling into her seat, Nora’s appetite took complete hold of her as she looked over the menu.
“For you, miss?” asked the waiter, an olive-skinned man with black hair, a black moustache, and model-good looks.
“Hmm,” said Nora, looking things over, “I’ll have the bruschetta. And the croquetas. And the calamari. And you know what? I’ll have the cheese and olive plate, too.”
“Very good,” said the waiter with an impressed tone to his voice. “And for you?” He turned to Carly.
“Hey, sorry,” said Nora, getting his attention, “I’ll take the chorizo al vino, too.”
“Um, just a glass of rose and a couple of cheese empanadas,” said Carly, looking at Nora with a raised eyebrow.
The waiter nodded and headed off.
“Eating for two?” asked Carly.
“Huh? No. What are you talking about? I just haven’t eaten anything all day.”
“Sure,” said Carly. “Girls gotta eat.”
And with that, she went back into the laundry list of wealthy men. After a time, the waiter brought the food, and Nora tore into it with wild abandon. She hadn’t eaten all day, that was true, but there was a hunger deep within her, a ravenous hunger, that wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how much food she put away. After about ten minutes, Nora had polished off the entire plate of calamari, the bruschetta, and most of the cheese and olives.
“You’re not fucking around, lady,” said Carly, cutting into one of her empanadas.
Nora sat back, letting the food settle. But as full as she felt, she could’ve eaten even more. She was considering ordering a little more food when the waiter slid up to the table and placed two large glasses of blood-red wine on the table.
“Compliments of the gentleman at the bar,” said the waiter before departing.
Who would be buying them wine? Nora turned around to look, and saw only one man sitting at the bar. He wasn’t facing them, but Nora could see from behind that his hair was slicked-back, jet-black, and curly, his clothes were finely-tailored and made of fabrics of deep, flashy colors, and the polish of his shoes could be seen from across the restaurant.
Then he turned in a slow, deliberate movement, and Nora saw who it was: Marcus Ricci.
When he turned, he made deep eye-contact with Nora, it mouth still curled in that same sneer, his eyes narrowed, as if to say, “I caught you.”
He rose and sauntered over to the table. “My apologies to the two of you for intruding on your evening, but I couldn’t let two beautiful women sit in the same room as me without sending a little something to thank them for giving me the privilege of looking upon their beauty.”
“Oh, wow,” said Carly,
flustered, “thank you.”
Nora said nothing.
“I won’t keep the two of you,” he said, “but do enjoy the wine. It’s one of my favorite selections.”
And with that, he turned, threw some cash on the bar, and left.
“I don’t normally go for the Euro-types, but, man, he was hot,” said Carly, fanning herself with her hand.
“I don’t want to be weird, but we need to go, now,” said Nora, now gripped with fear.
“Lady, what’s gotten into you? We have two giant glasses of wine to finish!”
“Please, can we go now?”
Carly’s face flashed with a look of concern. “Sure, let’s pay and go back to my place.”
They settled with the waiter and walked out into the brisk evening air. Nora walked with quick steps, eager to make the walk back to Carly’s place.
“Hey, wait up,” said Carly, calling out, “what’s the rush?”
“It was that guy,” Nora said, the words blurting out of her.
“The Italian guy? What are you talking about?”
Nora kept pace, and whipped around another corner. But when she turned, she was face-to-face with Marcus Ricci.
“Yes,” he said, eyes narrowed like a predator’s, “what about that Italian guy?”
Then he waved his hand in front of Nora and Carly’s faces, and a great, dark black flooded her vision before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Chapter 15
Nora awoke in chains again. Yanking against her restraints, the heavy chains clanked and rattled, and she realized after moments that any struggling would be in vain. Looking around, she saw that she was in a windowless room with walls of dark cherry wood. At intervals of every few feet, there was another set of chains bolted into the wood. Classical music drifted into the room through invisible speakers.
Chained-up in another goddamn fancy room.
More time passed, and the moments before she was knocked-out began to come back to her.
This must be Marcus’s place, but where is he?
Then a voice cut in through the classical music. “Is my little guest awake?”
