“If it weren’t for Charlie, I probably wouldn’t have survived last night.”
“Then we’ll make sure he lives. But this isn’t over.”
Ella nodded, looking back to the ground.
At least she had the grace to be ashamed. He swore to God, he was obsessed with the woman, but he couldn’t get the image of her running from him out of his mind. She truly believed he was a danger to Clara.
Was he? He pushed Ella away for her own safety, and he wasn’t even close to getting the rebel vampires off the earth realm.
“Good-bye, Lucian,” she said, effectively dismissing him.
He shook his head and turned away from her. He couldn’t say good-bye. He was too busy trying to figure out whether he was relieved to find her or pissed off.
“We’re leaving, Dean. The human comes with us.”
Garret strode over to him. “Listen, I don’t know what the hell your problem is or what you think you are, but I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Leave him alone,” called Ella from the porch.
“If you want me to protect him, I have to keep an eye on him all night. That means he’s coming with me. Unless you plan to invite us all in?”
She eyed him, as though trying to decipher his intentions. “You said you’d help.”
“What the hell do you think I’m trying to do?”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to do. That’s the problem.”
He took a deep breath. “Go inside, Ella. Don’t invite anyone in.”
He grabbed Garret’s arm and thought of Dean’s apartment.
“What the fuck?” muttered Garret. “Where am I?”
“New York City. Make yourself at home and tell me everything you know about Ella.”
Garret frowned. “New York? Are you out of your mind?”
Lucian shook his head. “I don’t have time for your disbelief. Tell me about Clara.”
“She’s none of your goddamn business.” Garret crossed his arms defensively over his chest.
“She’s my daughter.”
“Fuck,” muttered the human.
“Pretty much,” said Lucian.
Dean materialized next to the door and Garret backed away. “Was I drugged?”
“Do you feel drugged?” Dean grinned. The grin disappeared when he looked at Lucian. “So...that happened.”
Lucian was in no mood to discuss it with Dean or the human. His questions would just have to wait. “I’m going home. Watch the human. Make sure he doesn’t blow a gasket when you change.”
Before he heard a response, he transported home. He fell into his bed, fully clothed.
A kid. Him. It was just what he’d been aiming for, but he never expected it to happen like this.
He thought he’d crack what made Ella special and find some sorceress or witch who knew about the realms and dangers involved and was prepared to take on the risk. He would have a son and heir to continue his lineage and help to replenish the dwindling population.
What was he supposed to do with a daughter? Once his men found out, they would be elated. It was all great while she was young. Before long, she would be grown. Judging by her speech and appearance, it was happening a bit faster than normal.
How long had it taken him to reach maturity? It was so long ago he couldn’t even remember. There was no formal calendar for him to record the days and years. There were no annual birthday parties to mark the passage of time.
The times were so different now. He couldn’t just lock her in a room to keep her protected. Especially not with Ella as her mother.
He bit his lip at the thought of Ella. God, she still kissed the same. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, there was something between them. He heard her heart kick up when he was close, and there was no denying that she kissed him back.
If they’d been alone and had a few more minutes, he would’ve had her pressed up against that post, legs wrapped around him.
He opened his eyes, breaking the fantasy.
Ella wasn’t with him. She was hiding in her house, thinking of all the ways he was going to ruin her life.
He let her go for her own protection, but the vampires found her anyway. It didn’t seem as though it was a planned attack. If it was, there would’ve been more than one vampire sent. Just some freak coincidence.
Maybe not that freakish. Just another sign that the vampire problem was getting bigger.
It was time for him to re-evaluate his plan. Distance wasn’t the answer. It was time he and Ella became reacquainted.
Ella looked out the front window for the fiftieth time in the last hour. The sun was well over the horizon and there was no telling when Lucian would show up again.
She had no doubt he would. He wasn’t the type of man to discover a love child and take off running.
Not that Clara was a love child. More like a lust brought on by a dramatic situation child. A lust that had apparently more than survived over three years of separation.
God, she should’ve fought him. Should’ve run faster and farther.
She heard movement down the hall and jerked her head to the side, but it was just Reno making his way to the back door.
Clara always slept in, averaging ten hours a night. Ella assumed it took a lot of energy to grow and learn as fast as she did. She probably ate twice as many calories a day compared to normal four-year-olds. Of course, she wasn’t four. She was two. And a half. The half was very important.
Did Lucian notice the rapid aging? He must’ve. It was impossible to miss. Though, he probably didn’t spend much time around kids. For all she knew, he’d think that was normal.
She almost felt bad for him. He’d seemed so uncomfortable around Clara, tripping over his words and carefully considering every syllable.
She didn’t blame him. She hadn’t known anything about children before Clara. Dad didn’t have much family, so there were no kids to grow up around. She’d seen babies and held them, but never felt anything more than a “that’s cute...have your baby back” while they were in her arms.
Clara was different. Every time she looked at Clara, her heart would swell with pride and her maternal instincts would take over.
This was hers. The most important thing she’d ever done or created and she needed to keep her safe.
There was still time to run. She’d thought about it all night. Packing up Clara like she’d originally planned. She had a duffel bag of cash and a supernaturally smart daughter. It wouldn’t be easy to track her down.
But he would. Finding her was one thing. But if she took his daughter from him, he would stop at nothing to track her down and bring both of them back.
Or just Clara. What would she do if he took her? What could she do? Go to the government? Ella didn’t even know whether they knew about the myotis or vampires. If they did, the kidnapping of a girl would be the least of their concerns.
No, playing nice was her best option. She just had to stop thinking of Lucian as the beast who took her and trapped her. This was the same man who warmed her with his body and obsessed over keeping her safe.
He would be a loving father to Clara. How many times had Clara asked about her father in the past couple of months?
No matter how many times Ella insisted Clara’s father was “out of the picture and not coming back,” Clara kept on asking.
Now she could know. And who wouldn’t want a handsome, powerful, and caring father? They might have a hard time getting to know each other, but soon enough they would get into a rhythm.
Of course, this was assuming Lucian hadn’t killed Charlie overnight. She’d been calling him all night, but he never answered his phone. “If Lucian said he’d keep him safe, he’s going to,” she muttered to herself.
“Your friend is fine,” said Lucian from behind her.
Ella jumped at the sound. “God, Lucian! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”
She turned to see him in the living room, flanked by Clara’s little pink kitc
henette set and the television. His oversized frame looked completely out of place.
He shrugged. “Isn’t it bad to ring the bell when there are small children in the house?”
She snorted. “Yeah. Good luck getting that girl out of bed when she doesn’t want to.”
The corner of his mouth tilted up. “She’s a heavy sleeper?”
“Yep. It’s one of the...different things about her.”
“Is she very different?”
Ella considered it for a minute. “I don’t know. I don’t have much to compare her to. Sometimes she seems so old when she speaks. She eats more than normal children. Sleeps more, grows more. She hasn’t changed into, um, whatever it is you turn into.”
“That’s good,” he muttered.
“Is it? I really have no way of knowing.” She crossed her arms in front of her, suddenly feeling cold in her long-sleeved sleeping shirt and pajama pants.
“So what have you been up to?” he asked.
The question seemed so casual. Something that would be asked of a long-lost friend, not whatever it was they were. “I work at the local library. They had a big computer overhaul when I moved to town and I was hired to help out. Charlie’s been helping me with self-defense. He says I’m pretty good.”
Lucian chuckled for a second. “He mentioned that.”
“He’s really okay?”
“He’s a bit confused. It was a lot to take in. Experience has taught me that changing in front of a mortal is the best way to tell him the truth.”
She bit her lip. “This is all my fault. I should’ve never called him that night.”
“You called him to save you from a vampire?”
“I didn’t really know what to do. It was the first one I’d seen since—well, you know when. Charlie is former military. I figured he could help. But I had it taken care of before he got there.”
“How exactly did you pull that off?”
A prideful smile came to her lips. “Well, I have some vampire mace I sprayed in his eyes and I stabbed him in the heart with a silver knife when he was blinded.”
“Vampire mace?”
“You said they couldn’t cross the river because it was laced with silver. So I have some canisters I filled with silver chains and water. Eventually the metal leaks into the water and, voila. Vampire mace.”
Lucian laughed. “Funny. We have something similar to that. A bit more sophisticated, but the same general idea.”
Ella smiled but didn’t say anything. Should she offer him coffee? Did he drink coffee? File that under things she should know before sleeping with a crazed kidnapper. “Did you want something to drink?”
“Water is good.”
She turned toward the kitchen and heard his footsteps behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood. He really wasn’t the type of guy a girl should turn her back on.
“The pregnancy was short. That was another thing different about Clara. Six months total.”
“Was it hard? I don’t really know what that means, but don’t women talk about their pregnancies being hard...”
“That is a thing, yes. It’s difficult to judge since I’ve never been pregnant before and don’t know anyone who has. I didn’t go to a doctor because of the unusual circumstances. I did take a class or two beforehand, though.”
“You’re rambling. That means it was hard, doesn’t it?”
Ella frowned. “There were a lot of backaches. I was pretty much bedbound for the last two months.”
“I should’ve been there,” hissed Lucian.
“Right. You should’ve kept me your prisoner so you could wait on me for those two months. I survived.” The last thing she wanted was for him to regret his decision to let her go.
Reno chose that moment to wander into the kitchen. Stretching as though his life was so hard, he made his way over to Lucian and leaned against his leg.
If the dog liked him, that had to be a good sign. At least, that’s what she told herself.
“Hey, buddy.” Lucian bent down to scratch the dog, causing Reno’s tail to become a blur of motion. Lucian looked to Ella. “Not the best guard dog, huh?”
She shook her head. “Babysitter dog. He and Clara can keep each other amused for hours.”
“Good to know.” More silence.
“I told her about vampires,” blurted out Ella.
“I noticed.”
“It wasn’t like I had a lot of options and I didn’t want her to be blindsided by their existence like I was. She has a right to know, especially if she’s going to be in danger.”
“It’s fine, Ella.”
She slammed a hand down on the counter. “No, it’s not fine. She’s just a kid. She shouldn’t have to know about the things that go bump in the night. I should be able to look at her and honestly say there are no monsters in the closet, not check inside holding a silver knife.”
Lucian walked closer. “You’re a fighter. I’m a fighter. I’m sure Clara will do just fine.”
Ella looked at him with a look of disbelief. “You really think it’s that easy? We don’t have any idea what we’re dealing with. I know you don’t know more about raising kids than me, which says a lot since I know nothing.
“She’s smart. Really smart. She needs to go to school, but how can I enroll her when she might look like a ten-year-old by the time she’s in the first grade? At this rate, she’ll look like she’s ready for college before she gets out of elementary school!”
“There are schools we can take her to. Dmitri can help.”
“Dmitri? The one who bit me?”
“He hasn’t bit an unwilling woman for some time.”
“Just to clarify, him using mind control doesn’t make her willing.”
“Then I will have to retract my statement.”
She frowned. “‘Retract your statement’? Who says that?”
He smiled. “I do.”
“That’s so weird.”
“I guess I’m just weird.”
She laughed and looked up at him. When had he gotten so close? If he just took one step closer and bent down, he’d be kissing her.
God, she wanted him to kiss her.
Why him? Others had shown interest. Even Charlie! Perfect, attractive, smart, and great with Clara. Why couldn’t she fall for him?
Not once had she felt this all-consuming need to cover Charlie’s lips with her own. She’d never thought about what it would be like if Charlie backed her up against her kitchen counter, lifting her to sit on the edge. Then she’d pull him closer, kissing him passionately and wrapping her legs around his waist, wishing neither was wearing any clothes.
“What are you thinking?” asked Lucian in a dark and husky voice.
“Bad, bad things,” she whispered.
Lucian licked his lips and closed the distance between them. “I think bad things about you all the time. I don’t want to, but I can’t seem to stop myself. I think of doing things to you that would make you slap me and run away.”
Ella took in a hot breath, fighting everything in her as she kept herself from bringing her lips up to his.
Suddenly, Lucian’s head jerked to the side and he stepped back. Before she could ask why, Clara stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she walked.
She stopped in her tracks when she finally saw Lucian. Big blue eyes shifted between Ella and Lucian.
“Honey, you remember Lucian from last night?”
Clara eyed him. “Did you sleep here?”
Ella covered her hand with her mouth and Lucian smiled at the question. “Lucian just got here.”
“Does your mommy have a lot of sleepovers?” asked Lucian, earning him a swat in the bicep.
Why did his arm have to be rock hard? Was he even flexing?
Clara enthusiastically nodded. “Mommy has sleepovers all the time!”
Lucian stiffened and Ella’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”
The girl frowned at Ella’s shocked reaction. “You
have sleepovers with me and Reno.”
Ella let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. “Those sleepovers.”
Reno moved to Clara’s side and plopped down on the tile directly in front of her.
“He’s a very loyal dog,” said Lucian.
Clara knelt and patted Reno on the head. “My daddy bought him for Mommy.”
Ella bit her lip and stared intently at the tile. She should tell Clara. She had a right to know who her father was. Now that the very idea of hiding from Lucian was out of the realm of possibilities, it was time she knew the truth.
But how was she supposed to break the news? Just blurt it out in the middle of her kitchen? Hey, Clara! This random guy you’ve never met before today is your dad! Start bonding!
She should let them get to know each other, but that was just prolonging the lie. One of her hands rubbed the back of her neck as she tried to think out the situation.
“So, what’s on the agenda today?” asked Lucian, thankfully dropping any conversation about Clara’s “daddy.”
Ella gave him a small smile of appreciation. This was all too much to deal with at once.
Considering she’d half expected him to just take Clara without a second glance, it was a pleasant surprise to see him being considerate of their mother-daughter relationship.
Ella moved to the fridge as she grabbed some eggs. “Well, I have to call in to work since I conveniently told the babysitter yesterday that I was going out of town.”
“Is that a big deal?” He moved out of her way as she grabbed a skillet from the drawer below the stove.
“Well, I’m not fighting supernatural wars or anything, but I do have things to get done. We just ran an update to the inventory management software last week and I’d hate to leave the other staff hanging.”
“Why don’t I watch Clara?”
She jerked her head to Lucian. “Um, well, I—” Lucian alone with Clara? That just screamed bad idea. “Do you know anything about kids?”
“I have to learn somehow.” He looked over to Clara. “You feel like hanging out with me all day?”
Clara considered it for a moment. “I don’t really know you.”
Ella rolled her eyes. Sometimes Clara sounded older than her.
Stealing Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 5) Page 14
