I cocked my head. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
He straightened immediately, the military training of his past surfacing as he erased all emotion from his face. “Ask away.”
“Are…” I bit my lower lip, trying to think of how not to offend him. “Are you gay?”
His eyes slightly narrowed. It would have been unrecognizable to even the most highly trained human. “Why does it matter?” His tone was a harsh bark, terse.
I threw up my hands. “It doesn’t. It was a stupid question that you don’t have to answer.”
I grabbed my dirty clothes off the bathroom counter and headed into the closet to toss them in my hamper. When I returned, Drexel was still standing in the same spot. His jaw was clenching, his eyes were squished shut, and he was running his fingers along his palms. I’d clearly upset him.
I carefully approached him, placing a hand on his bicep. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I guess Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell should be carried over into the vamp army, too.” I tried to lighten the mood, but only stuttered into worse territory. I sighed. “I’m sorry, Drexel. I should have just let it go. It’s not important.”
That’s when I saw it, the single red tear that slipped down his cheek. I walked around him, facing him. I used my thumb to wipe away the stray droplet. He opened his eyes, more tears sitting in the wells of his eyes.
I smiled softly at him. “It doesn’t matter.”
He chuckled lightly. “I’m supposed to be the tough guy here.”
“From what I can tell, you’ve been strong your whole life. Everyone deserves a moment of weakness.”
“I’m a disgrace to the marines of my human years. The CIA is more liberal, but the upper executives are all hardcore Republicans with the belief that I’m a living abomination. The vamp army has adopted the same idea as the U.S. human Army, yet when you’re surrounded by men originating decades and centuries ago in a time when the mention of it was taboo, I’m not accepted. I’m not acceptable. You must swear on your life not to tell a soul.”
My heart broke for him. I couldn’t imagine living all of eternity forever forced to hide who I truly was, forced to pretend I didn’t desire who I actually did. I placed a hand on his cheek. “Your secret is safe with me.”
He nodded. I watched as he hid all that had been unveiled moments ago. In mere seconds his face was an unreadable mask. “Let’s go.”
When we pulled up to Mel’s house, the first thing I noticed was an unmarked car parked across the street from her house.
“Friend or foe?” I asked.
“Friend. Bladang.”
Drexel led me to the front door. Before I could knock, the door flung open and I was in Gabi’s arms. “O.M.G. You scared the bejesus out of me, chica! Don’t you dare do that again.” She squeezed me tighter to emphasize her point.
I hugged her before gently disentangling myself. “I’m okay, really. A little sore, that’s all.” Most of my wounds had healed. At the house I’d checked my back. It had been bad, but the bruises were already fading to a yellowish-brown color.
“Oh.” She promptly released me, as if only now realizing that I’d sustained injuries.
Drexel shut the door behind us.
Gabi’s eyes traveled from me to him. “Who’s the bear?”
“Be nice,” I snapped. “He’s my personal bodyguard.”
“I thought Kellan was your bodyguard?”
“Yeah, well, he’s too busy discussing offensive tactics with Auggy and Kalel.”
“I don’t know how I feel about him and Kalel being all buddy-buddy now.” Gabi tugged me by my hand into the living room and plopped down on the sofa, dragging me with her. Drexel remained standing, but planted himself right beside the couch.
“Kellan’s needed a few new friends. No offense to Craig; he’s great. I just think it’s about time Kellan had more than one person to turn to.”
“I can relate.” Gabi nodded her head towards the kitchen. Jack poked his head out at that precise moment.
“I heard that, my dear,” he chimed in.
“I know.” She smiled.
“What happened while I was gone?”
“Nothing really. We saw a few vampeens nosing around in the backyard, but they disappeared pretty quickly.”
“Good.” I stood up. Drexel took a step to the side to allow me to pass. “I’m going to go downstairs for a bit.”
“Sure.”
Drexel followed me down to the basement. Mr. Hartford and Craig were quietly pacing around the coffin. I noticed several weapons tucked into their pants and a bulge in their pockets. They weren’t taking any chances, not that I blamed them.
“Hey,” I waved. They both looked up.
“Hello, Lexi. Hello, Drexel,” Mr. Hartford greeted us.
Craig eyed Drexel suspiciously. After a few moments, he finally said, “Hey.”
“How is she? Does she seem okay?”
“We can’t open the Dracula chamber to check.” Craig motioned to the small windows near the ceiling in two places. They weren’t large, but they were letting in quite a bit of sunlight, which was a no-no during one’s transformation.
“Oh, yeah.” I sucked my lower lip between my teeth, staring down at the bright pink box. “I’m sure she’s okay. I mean, the coffin didn’t hit the floor.”
“She was jostled about pretty badly, though.” Steven’s forehead creased as he stopped his pacing.
“If she was hurt, she’d heal like a vamp, though, right?”
“It depends on how far into her transformation she was, how much of her cells had been reprogrammed already.” Mr. Hartford placed a hand on top of the casket.
I came up beside him, setting my hand atop his. “She’ll be fine. She’s a fighter.”
“I can’t argue that one,” he said with pride.
We all settled into an amicable silence for the next several hours. The sun was just about to set when Aunt Claire came downstairs.
“Hey, how is everything going?”
“Not sure yet,” Mr. Hartford answered.
“Just a few more hours till you see that everything is fine.” She turned to me. “I made an appointment for you and Kellan to see the condo tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. If you like it, then we’ll put in an offer. If not, we’ll keep looking,” she assured me.
“Thanks.”
“Of course. I’ll be upstairs if anyone needs me.” She waved and headed back up to the main level.
Another hour passed before Kellan got there. I excused myself to go see him with Drexel in tow. He’d just stepped into the living room when I arrived.
“How did everything go?”
“Good.” He opened his arms to welcome me in. I snuggled into his chest, allowing him to wrap me into him. “You look very sexy in my shirt.”
I smiled against his hard pecs. “Thanks.”
“What did I miss?”
“I’m more concerned about what I missed.”
“I’ll pull you in when the time’s right. For now, I’m asking you to trust me.”
I peered up at him. “I trust you. I just don’t trust them.”
“Auggy and Kalel have your best interests in mind, too.”
“Not the same way you do.”
He nodded his head in agreement. “Claire told me about the appointment tomorrow. She said you had the specs on the property.”
I scrunched my features. “I left it in my other pants. Sorry. I already know it’s the one, though.”
“How?”
I swallowed the serum threatening to rise in the back of my throat. “Because it’s the one Jack showed us in his vision in Puerto Rico.”
Kellan stiffened in my arms. “Then we shouldn’t get it.”
“There’s no use trying to escape fate, babe.”
He took a swift step back. “So you’re saying there’s no point in trying to escape my fate?” Every one in the room looked towards us.
“Of course not.” I sh
ook my head adamantly. “You know that’s not what I was implying.”
“Then explain what you were.”
“That I like the place and it’s probably the one I would have chosen anyway.”
Jack stepped into the living room from the dining area. He zoned in on me, causing me to fidget. “It is the one. All others would fall through, forcing your hand to follow fate’s ordainments.”
“No offense, but I don’t need your little mind shit right now.” Kellan grimaced.
“Kellan!” I cut my eyes at him. “I’m sorry, Jack.” I threw the apology over my shoulder, the heat of my anger focused on one man. I felt the telltale blaze illuminating my veins. “I don’t know why you’re so touchy lately, but I have too much on my plate to deal with a melodramatic vampire, too.”
“It’s funny how quickly you can dismiss me.” He gave a humorless snicker.
“You know that’s not what I’m trying to do. You know you took what I said out of context and applied it to a completely different topic.” Electricity crackled on the surface of my skin.
“Then maybe I should take you kissing Kai out of context. Maybe I should take what you did with the Bladangs out of context. Maybe I should take how often you’ve lied in the past supposedly to protect me and others out of context.”
“So that’s how you want it, Kellan? You’re ready to fight and pick apart everything we’ve done to each other in the past?”
“If that’s what it takes to make you realize.”
“To realize what?” I yelled.
“How petty, ignorant, and immature you can be. How freaking selfish you are.”
His words stung, like a whip slicing my skin. I expected those words from my enemies. I expected those words to be spoken by anyone but him. He was supposed to support me, not tear me down.
All the fight left me, my body ceasing to be a conductor. I walked past Kellan and out the front door. Tears stung my eyes as I descended the front steps and headed for the sidewalk.
Drexel was beside me every step of the way. “He wasn’t thinking straight. He was seeing red,” he offered, keeping pace with me as I strolled down the sidewalk.
“I know.”
Chapter 20
We were near the entrance of Mel’s neighborhood when a car slid along the curb. Drexel yanked me behind him.
“Back away from her now.” I’d recognize that angry voice anywhere.
I pushed Drexel aside. “It’s okay! Stop.” I held my arms straight out, stopping Kai’s onslaught.
“Who the hell is he?” Kai demanded.
“Just calm down. The army assigned him as my bodyguard.”
Both men sized each other up, their chests puffing as they breathed in each other’s scent. When they both lost the rigidity in their bodies, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Kai, this is Drexel. Drexel, this is Kai. He’s one of the Bladang leaders.”
“Hi.” Kai extended his arm. I was surprised by his gesture.
Drexel seemed to be, too. He hesitated before returning the greeting.
Kai swung his eyes back to me. “Why are you outside when you’ve got a big target on your back?”
I shrugged.
He cupped my face. He was completely serene as he gazed down at me. “Leka, it’s not safe for you out here. You would need a lot more than one vamp to fight an army, which is what you have coming after you.”
“Me and Kellan got into a fight.”
His features grew tight. “Babooz. I can’t believe he let you go. Just because you have a disagreement doesn’t mean he shouldn’t protect you still.” He grabbed my hand with the ring on my finger. “This is worthless if he isn’t willing to honor it even when he’s angry.”
I stared down at my ring, at my hand wrapped in Kai’s. As much as I wanted to defend Kellan, I didn’t have a justification in this moment. From where Kai was coming from, he was right. It left a kink in my relationship, a weak spot.
Kai gathered me into his arms, enveloping me tightly. “I’m sorry, Leka. I didn’t mean to upset you more. I just have strong feelings about what a man should do for his fiancé.”
I pressed my face into his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. Kai was home, just as much as Kellan was. I couldn’t explain it. I don’t know that I even wanted to try. In some ways, it was nice knowing that he would be there if things didn’t work with Kellan, but what was I supposed to do now, when I wanted comfort and the only one to give it to me was Kai?
“We should go.” Drexel’s voice was urgent, his eyes focused on something in the distance.
I followed his gaze. My stomach tangled at the sight of Kellan coming right for us.
KELLAN
My heart lurched at the sight of Lexi wrapped in Kai’s arms. I couldn’t get pissed at her because I’d just told her off, but I sure as hell was pissed at him.
At the fastest human run possible, I approached them. Kai didn’t bother backing away from Lexi, despite how awkward she seemed to be feeling.
I pushed his shoulder. “Take your hands off her.”
“Kellan.” I ignored the plea in her voice.
“You need to get over yourself, brah. I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. That ring on her finger means nothing if you’re going to let her go outside with a target on her back alone because you’ve got something up your ass.” He kept an arm around Lexi’s waist, but the rest of him was leaning into my space.
“She had him.” I pointed to the massive bodyguard behind him.
“One guy can’t hold off an army of attackers. Every man counts right now.”
“I don’t know where you get off telling me how to act and what to do with my fiancé, but you need to back the hell off.” My blood was pumping, rage rising. My gums were begging for me to shred him.
“Guys, please don’t do this.” Lexi moved, placing herself in front of Kai. I dropped my gaze to her. Her eyes were pleading with me. “Please, Kel.”
“Is this how it’s going to be? Every time we fight you’re going to run to him?” I couldn’t keep the acid from my tone. I was trying to curb my vampire instincts, trying to keep from pummeling someone, but she wasn’t making it any easier. The fact that she’d gone right to him killed me.
“I didn’t — ” she began.
“Are you that immature?” Kai laughed. I couldn’t hold back the growl that escaped. That sent him barreling with laughter. “Oh, God. You are. This isn’t about Leka — this is about your own insecurities.” He moved her to the side, stepping forward. “Let me give you a little piece of advice. Never let go what you’re not willing to give up, angry or not.”
“Let me give you a little piece of advice. Never touch another man’s woman unless you’re willing to lose your manhood for her.” I grabbed him at his lower ribs and jerked him towards me as I bent into him, effectively kneeing him in his jewels.
He hunched over for a minute before coming up swinging.
“Guys, stop!” Lexi’s voice was a distant reprimand as I defended myself against Kai’s attack.
His fist swung towards my face, but I blocked it with my forearm. His other swung low at my gut. I tried to leap out of the way, but he caught my hip. I charged at him, trying to tackle him to the ground, only to be ripped off him by Lexi’s bodyguard.
“Stop!” Drexel ordered. “You are in public, well within the sight of humans who could call the local police. The last thing we need is to explain an assault with no evidence remaining.”
Lexi stared at me. She didn’t even bother to hide her disappointment, which made me feel more awful than before. I didn’t mean to say the things I did. I didn’t mean to constantly let her down. Maybe she was better off with someone else.
I studied her for a moment, watching as her chest rose and fell behind my shirt. Damn it. She was mine. There was no way I could give her up. So I was stupid sometimes, so I made mistakes and acted like a complete ass. I loved her. I just had to try harder.
Feeling the fight leave me,
Drexel let me go. I took a step towards Lexi, but she took a step back. My chest tightened, my gut twisting. I tried not to let her see how much that hurt me. “Kai, drive her back to Mel’s.”
He looked me up and down before grabbing Lexi’s hand and leading her to his car. I stood there, watching her walk away with the other guy, my heart cracking at the reality that I could be losing her right now.
“Give her time and flowers. You really messed up,” Drexel said. He jogged across the street and hopped into the back seat of the SUV.
I sighed. I would need a lot more than flowers to make up for this one, but I would do it. Because I love her.
LEXI
The sun was gone and the moon was steadily rising in the sky by the time we pulled into Mel’s driveway. Why did twenty-four hours fly by some days and drag on others? Usually I found time dragged on the worst of days.
“You okay, Leka?”
I studied Kai’s profile, trying to get my bearings, trying to find solid ground again. Kellan had given me over to Kai. He said for me to go with Kai, right after he fought him for touching me. Did the drama ever end? How could we bring peace to our kinds if we couldn’t even find peace in our relationship?
“No. I’m not okay. Take me back to him, please.”
“You can’t be serious,” Kai scoffed.
“Oh, I’m dead serious. And if you won’t take me, then I’ll just get out of the car and go there myself on foot.” I lifted my chin to challenge him. He narrowed his eyes at me and puckered his lips. “Please, Kai?”
He began mumbling under his breath. I only understood half the words, though. He threw the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. We found Kellan strolling at a slow human pace, his hands in his pockets. His muscles pulled on the sleeves of his shirt as he walked.
I leapt out of the car before Kai put it in park and ran straight for Kellan. I knew without looking that Drexel was behind me. Kellan looked up right as I hit the grass lining the street in front of him. I was ready to light into Kellan with a vengeance.
“You listen up and you listen good, mister. You are never to speak to me that way again. I don’t care how angry you are at me, you are never to call me a name, never to deflate my intelligence, and never to talk down to me, period. This is an equal relationship. We’ve both made mistakes, and we’re both going to make mistakes again. That doesn’t give the other person the right to tear them down over it, though.
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