“Where is she, detective?” Edric snarled. He didn’t seem to care about the gun, as though being shot didn’t matter to him at all. “The blonde bitch. Where are you hiding her?”
Edric stepped forward, his head lowered slightly, like a beast stalking his prey. “I dream about her, you know? Her blood on me, inside of me.” He rubbed his chest, his hand slipped lower to cup his cock. Adley’s gut hardened and fell away. Ants made of ice crawled across his skin and he shivered.
Shoot him. Empty the fucking magazine into this sick fuck and be done with it! He wanted to. But he had to know. He had to try and understand. “Why?”
“Why? Why what, detective? Why be what I am?”
He stopped with his head cocked to one side. His eyes narrowed. “And you know what I am, don’t you, detective?” Edric’s voice slithered along Adley’s skin, constricting his gut. “You know exactly what I am. Why don’t you say the word, detective?”
“Yeah, I know what you are.” Adley growled. “You’re a sick, fucking bastard, who enjoys torturing women and children!”
Adley stared at Edric’s mouth as the cold chill filled his gut. The piece of shit mouth cracked open in a smile. Adley stared at his incisors, extended over his lower lip. The hair on the back of Adley’s neck stood up as his wild-ass theory turned into reality. His eyes glanced at the gun and then back to Adley. “You think that worries me?”
Adley heard the faint sound of sirens over his pounding heart. It was now, or never. He didn't think. He couldn't think. He had to end this fight, here and now. The image of Eve came to him and the desire to protect her overwhelmed him. He’d do this for her. He bought the gun up swiftly, took aim and fired.
He was hit, thrown into the air, and smashed to the ground in the spot where only a heartbeat before, he’d been standing.
“I want you to understand detective. I want you to get the full fucking picture. So, I want you to tell me what I am.”
Edric’s fangs were so close they grazed Adley’s cheek. He didn't want to speak. To say the word would make this all too real. But as his world tilted and spun, he knew he’d been right all along. “You’re a fucking vampire.”
Edric's eyes sparkled. There was life in his eyes now, life where there’d been none before. This animal was no ordinary killer now. Adley could find no name, only a word—annihilation. He leaned in close. The scent of blood wafted and the manifestation that had been Edric Hasting smiled. Two long fangs grew over the flesh of his bottom lip. They glistened in the sun, traces of flesh and blood stuck between the deadly white spikes. Adley shuddered and glanced toward the open door.
“She was delicious, detective. But not as delicious as your honey-blonde whore will be.”
Adley allowed the killer to have this moment of gloating, and he used these precious seconds to his advantage. The bastard never saw the bullet coming. Adley lifted the gun and in one smooth motion and fired into Edric Hasting’s face.
Chapter 27
Eve
EVE DIDN’T KNOW who she was angrier with, herself or Adley. How could she let this happen? Fall in love with a stranger? What kind of woman am I? The guilt and shame she could almost ignore, but she couldn't ignore the look of revulsion on Adley's face after he kissed her, or the way he clawed at the door to escape. How had she been so bloody stupid and so incredibly wrong?
She sat in the diner, looking out at the shining, alternate world, the one that always seemed to hover just out of reach. A place where dreams came true and people lived happy lives. Where you were raised with parents who loved you, then you met the man of your dreams and he swept you off your feet. That world was meant for everyone else, but not for her.
The waitress slid a plate along the counter. The sound startled Eve and she crashed back to reality.
“Sorry.” The waitress looked down at Eve’s dirty clothes first, then her swollen stomach.
Eve stared at the plate, her sandwich blurring with her tears. She knew how she looked—young, pregnant, and alone. The look of contempt from the waitress was enough to push her to the edge. Could she just leave and walk away? Her heavy heart wanted her to consider doing that in one moment, and chastised her in the next.
Her thoughts turned once again to Adley. There was something between them. I know there is. Eve touched her lips. And I know he felt it too. Her heart set a new beat when he was near, it skipped and then smashed against the walls of her chest.
She’d known she was attracted to him from the first morning and the feeling had grown every day they were together. So why would he pull away from her? Was he afraid to love… or afraid to love her? Her hand drifted over her hard stomach and she felt the muscles tighten under her hand. She’d been having twinges all day, her stomach hardening and then easing. There was no pain and no need to worry Adley. He had to be afraid to love her. There was no other reason.
Eve took a bite of her sandwich. She’d grown stronger than she ever thought possible. Leaving her mother, barely surviving on her own, but she’d made it somehow. And she would do it again in a heartbeat, every cold night, and every hungry day. But being without Adley now, she understood how much she cared, how much she craved. She didn’t think she could walk away…. Not like that. No, she had no other option. She had to fight.
She refused to wipe her face, allowing her tears to dry as she finished her meal. They’d be the last she’d shed. Instead, she would fight for him, for her son, and for their love.
She made her way back to the motel, her hormones providing a roller-coaster ride of emotions. She was going to walk up and tell him how she felt, and if he didn’t feel the same… well, she’d just have to deal with the consequences.
Walking back to the motel was difficult. Every step now was like pushing a wheelbarrow uphill. But Eve put her body on auto-pilot and let her mind roam elsewhere. She didn’t know how this would play out. Putting herself out there… putting her heart out there. Maybe Adley would leave her, frightened off by the notion of a young pregnant woman clinging to him… No, he wasn’t like that. And neither was he the type of man who’d lead her on. Somehow, she just knew him. He’d be kind. He’d let her down gently and at the end when this was all over… they’d part as friends. Being friends was better than nothing, wasn’t it? Eve swallowed hard. Yes, if she couldn’t have the kind of love she hoped for, then she’d take what he’d give.
She rounded the corner of the motel parking lot and stopped. The car was gone. Has Adley left me here? Maybe he was hurt, angry and left… She was sure the baby booted her chest, or it could have been the wrenching of her heart. She walked up to his room, her heart in her throat wishing she could turn away and run. There was no note stuck to his door. Maybe he’d left one on hers.
There was no note on the door to her room either. Despair wafted over her like a foul stench. Her hands shook as she gripped the safety chain. Tears blurred her vision, making it impossible to slide the fucking thing across. She clenched the metal links in her fist, feeling the flesh of her palm pain under the pressure. He was gone… gone. A sob escaped and she screamed her hurt and shoved the chain across.
Anger fought the ache in her heart, neither won. She brushed her tears from her face. She wasn’t going to let him leave her like this. Her back killed, neither standing, or sitting helped. What she needed was a hot bath, something to take the pressure off for a little while, and then she’d go after him. She’d find Adley and do, or say whatever she had to.
The sight of the deep bathtub caused her to groan. She nodded, urging herself to hurry. What if I can’t find him… what then? Eve’s hand fluttered to her stomach. She shook her head. I can’t think like that. She swallowed hard and felt the anxiety closing in, the fire already starting to burn inside her.
She glanced up and caught sight of herself, her eyes wide and dark. I can’t go back to that again. The memory of the Valium dulling her thoughts returned. Her son kicked her and she doubled over.
“It’s okay. I’m not doing that. I’m
not going to hurt you.”
The pressure inside eased and she breathed deep. She pulled off her clothes and carefully stepped into the bath. Her thoughts were painful, her head ached. She needed a minute to relax, enough time for her to think. Eve stayed there, slowly washing until the water grew cold. With a heavy heart she climbed out of the bath. There were no answers here, none she could find. She dressed, tied up her wet hair and walked to the window. Pulling back the corner of the old curtain, she looked out. Darkness had fallen in the time she’d spent in the bath. The outside world didn't look as inviting as it had an hour ago. The car space still sat empty. As hard as she tried not to imagine the worst, it came anyway. Had he really left? Maybe he hadn’t really cared at all?
The empty spot where Adley had parked gave her no answers. She let the curtain drop and walked back to the bed. She was tired, emotionally drained and feeling vulnerable and for tonight, there was nowhere else to go. She pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed. What hope she had was now gone, left with the love she felt. The ache in her chest left her numb… as though she’d died inside. Her eyes closed and the last thought she had was of Adley. Where are you?
“Eve! Eve, please!”
The cry and thump on the door jolted her awake. Her heart thundered in her chest and at first, the terror of another night returned.
“Eve!” Adley cried. “If you're in there, please open the door. I... I need you.”
The desperation in his voice clawed at her very soul. Eve fought frantically with the sheets to get to him. “I'm coming.”
She scrambled from the bed and stumbled to the door. She switched on the light and tore at the safety chain, which rattled in her hands and finally came free. She jerked the door open. Adley stood outside, his hands braced on the door frame, trembling. He looked defeated.
“Adley… what happened?”
He didn't answer right away. He just lifted his head and stared right through her with dark, haunted eyes. “I failed you.”
The meaning of his words was lost on her. She shook her head. “No Adley. You could never fail me. Come in, please, and we’ll talk.”
He waited there, as though he debated with himself, before he stepped inside. The front of his shirt was dark. The fabric clung to the hard muscles of his chest and stomach. Eve held onto the door and stared. The stains looked like… blood. She reached out and touched his chest.
“Adley, are you hurt?” He shook his head, his shoulders bowed as if under an invisible weight. His shirt was cold, slick. She slowly pulled her hand away, her fingers were sticky, wet, glistening under the harsh motel lights. The metallic scent of blood filled the air. Eve stared at Adley and stumbled back. Memories assailed her, dragging her back to the night she had worn the blood of another. The room around her faded as the crimson staining her hand seemed to become brighter.
She’d never seen Adley like this before, cold and withdrawn. As though he’d been changed from the man he was hours ago. What the hell happened? She was shaking the last of the sleep from her mind now, waking up with a blinding clarity. Something was very... very wrong.
Adley hadn’t looked her in the eye since she’d opened the door. The ground was the focus of his attention, although she knew he was aware of every movement she made. He trembled as he dropped his head. Eve stood transfixed. Unable to understand what was happening.
Adley Scott was weeping.
Fear, love, and an innate desire to protect drew her to him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled his body into hers. At first he resisted, but she held on. “Eve, don’t. I'm covered in blood.”
Without thinking, she tore at the buttons on his once-white shirt, exposing his chest, button-by-button, until he grabbed her hands. He pushed them against his chest, until the bones in her hands ached from the pressure. She wouldn’t pull away. She wouldn’t wince. He searched her eyes for something, fear, rejection? If that’s what he expected then he would be disappointed, for those emotions were far from what she felt. For the first time in her life, she allowed her true feelings to burst free.
“Don’t,” he muttered. Panic welled in his eyes. But the word carried no emotion, as though he expected her to be the one to leave and he was helping her make up her mind.
He tried to pull away, but she was the one who held fast, gripping him with all the strength she could muster. He put up a fight. But she held on, pulling him closer, centimeter by centimeter, until his breath warmed her face and the friction of his heaving chest pressed against her stomach.
“I love you Adley.” Eve said the words before she had a chance to realize their power. He froze. His breathing stilled, and even though she knew he might never feel the same, Eve poured out her heart in whispered words. “This feeling I have for you isn't something I planned, and God knows, it's the worst possible timing. But I can't help how I feel… I’m in love with you.”
She waited for him to say something... to say anything.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t….”
Eve’s heart felt like it shattered into a thousand pieces. The shards felt as though they sliced her insides into ribbons. She dropped her head and pulled away from him.
He grasped her arm as she moved, his fingers digging a little too tight. His other hand worked furiously at the buttons of his shirt until he dropped the bloody material to the floor. “I can’t hold you against all the blood.”
He stood bare-chested. And even though his muscles were tight, his chest sculpted and hard, and his presence demanding, she knew, of the both of them, he was the most vulnerable. Eve moved against him, sliding her hand along his neck, feeling where the scar on his face disappeared into his hair, and pulled him down to her.
He dropped his face into her neck and she held him gently. He needed comfort. He needed her. Adley inhaled and Eve could feel his breath against her ear. He was readying himself, inhaling sharply, waiting as though there were no words he could find. She had to be the one to help him find his way.
“Adley, just tell me what happened.”
Eve jumped at the touch of his hand on her stomach. Adley pulled back instantly until she relaxed. She reached for his hand, guiding his fingers back to her stomach. Her hand stayed on his. His fingers splayed wide, covering the top of her bump, holding on to her. Her son kicked and then pushed against the soft confines of his cell, as though he, too, craved the touch of this man.
Adley sank to his knees like a landslide. He looked up into her eyes and held her stomach, running his hands over her unborn child. Her son kicked and pushed as he followed the touch of Adley's hands.
“I failed you.” Adley’s voice was slow and controlled. The soft circular motions of his fingers were mesmerizing, as though his words would be balanced somehow with his caress. But as he spoke, she realized this physical comfort wasn't for her benefit. It was as though Adley used the physical connection to her skin to find the words he desperately needed to say.
“I followed you when you left. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I know you were angry with me after what happened and I didn't blame you. I should never have taken advantage of you like that.” He shook his head. “When I saw you enter the diner, I thought I could just watch you and drive back. But when I drove past the cafe I saw him... I saw Edric Hasting.”
Eve jerked. “Don't worry, as soon as I tell you what happened we’re leaving. I've found us another place to stay. It’s not a motel, so he won't find us there. You see, I figured out he was waiting for someone, another victim....”
“Oh, God.” She somehow felt responsible, as though she was the vortex to this tornado.
“I was able to get her address from the doctors. I thought I could save her... I thought I could save you... but, I was too late, he was already....”
Please no. Eve didn’t want him to continue. Whoever is out there, take care of this woman and her baby. The memories of Edric’s attacks were brutal enough. Eve’s body reacted automatically. Her thighs clenched together and th
e echo of his words haunted her as though they’d been spoken yesterday. I'll be back for you bitch, and you will scream for your death.
“I tried to kill him. I really tried, Eve. But there was nothing I could do. I even emptied my gun into his fucking face. But he just shook off a full clip like they were flies.”
His words made no sense. How can someone get shot in the face and walk away? “I don't understand. That doesn’t make sense. How?”
“I know what he is, Eve,” Adley whispered. “I’ve known for a while. But the thought of it was too unbelievable and I know as soon as I say what he is you’re going to think I’m crazy. But Eve, I’m not crazy.”
“Just say it.” In her mind, she already heard the word. Deep down she’d known Edric wasn’t normal. He wasn’t human.
Adley stared into her eyes. “Edric Hasting is a vampire. I know this sounds crazy, but you have to believe me...”
So many things about the night he attacked her didn’t make sense and she knew her reaction to Adley’s statement wasn’t shock. She’d known all along something unnatural was happening. The glint of long white fangs came back to her. The bone-chilling screams of the officer who came to help her… they couldn’t even help themselves. But the moment Eve knew that her attackers were something other than human was the moment she watched Mercy disintegrate and fall to the ground in a pile of ash. From that moment, she’d known. But forcing herself to come to terms with the realization that vampires were real was another matter. Her body sagged, her panic surged as the realization took hold.
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 43
