“What do you say we christen this place?” His dimple winked at me with his smirk.
“Lead the way.” I smiled, leaning into his chest.
We both turned around and came face to face with Drexel. He had an awkward expression. “I’m, uh, just going to step out for a bit.” He quickly disappeared out the door.
“Aw. I feel bad.” I stuck my bottom lip out.
“I don’t. I’m ready to ravish you, Miss Jackson.” Kellan hefted me into his arms and took off for the spare bedroom, kicking the door shut behind us. I laughed as he tossed me on the bed, quickly covering me.
Chapter 25
Kellan went with Mel and me to withdraw from school on Monday. It was surreal to be back in the halls full of humans who were clueless to the paranormal world running parallel to theirs.
“Hey, Lexi.” Jason walked right up to me, his book bag haphazardly hanging from one shoulder. He had a pep in his step, a cockiness to his approach. “You ready to go out on that date?”
Mel choked on a laugh, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the interaction. Kellan stood back. He knew I would handle him. He knew I needed to be the one to handle him.
Jenny and a group of her friends walked by at the moment. She rolled her eyes, trying to act as if it didn’t bother her that he wasn’t paying attention to her.
I no longer envied them. I cocked my head a bit, trying to dig deeper to see if I’d suppressed those feelings of inadequacy and desire. They weren’t there, though. Had I really come full circle already? Had I finally embraced my own life, my current status, whether it made me popular or not?
“You just gonna leave me hanging?” Jason grabbed my hand.
I didn’t jerk back, but I didn’t feel the slightest of sparks. I wasn’t giddy, which I knew was how I’d have been as a human. He was the popular jock; he was the All-American dreamboat so many girls fantasized as being the center of attention. I didn’t realize how much progress I’d made, didn’t recognize the transition I’d undergone, until this point. I had actually shed my biggest human insecurity: ineptitude. Every one wants to be loved and accepted for who they are, and the best crowd to receive that fluffy image is with the popular group. Suddenly, what they were, what they represented, was nothing more than a superficial manifestation.
I squeezed his hand, meeting his eyes. “Thanks for the offer, Jason, but I don’t have any interest in being with you or a part of your crowd. If you’d open your eyes, though, you’d eventually see that Jenny, despite her dramatic antics, really does care about you and wants to be with you. I don’t think it’s about the status quo with her. I’m confident, though, that, once you two mature a bit more, you’ll be able to work things out.” I let go of his hand. His quickly fell to his side. He narrowed his eyes at me. “Good luck with her, Jason.” I patted his upper arm before breezing past him.
A quick glance over my shoulder showed him still standing there. I could see his jaw working, like he was opening and closing his mouth, trying to process my words and respond. Hopefully this would bring about an epiphany for him.
Kellan pulled me into his wings. “You handled that very well.”
“Thanks for letting me handle it.”
He nodded once.
***
We glamoured our way through the withdrawal process. We were of the legal age to withdraw; however, the guidance counselor wanted to protest our move. In the end, she gave us the information for an online GED prep course and a weeknight class option at another local high school.
“Well, that was fun.” Mel raised and dropped her brows, like an exclamation point to her sarcasm.
“Yeah,” I sighed. I linked hands with her and Kellan as we walked out the school doors. It would be the last time we were inside these walls. It was a bittersweet moment.
“We should do something crazy,” Mel exclaimed.
“Like turning vamp wasn’t exhilarating enough for you?” I eyed her sideways.
She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s loud, not exciting. That school was atrocious. I wanted to snap the neck of every flashy and obnoxious teen in there.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I think it would have been worth it.” She lifted her shoulders, skipping off ahead of Kellan and me.
“Craig’s going to need a leash for her.” I laughed.
“I heard that,” she called.
“I know,” I said.
Kellan shook his head. “What am I going to do with you two?”
“No clue.” I pushed past him to the car where Drexel was anxiously waiting. He’d been pacing beside the car, keeping an alert lookout on the building. He gave a visible sigh of relief as we approached.
“Get in,” he ordered.
I hesitated for a moment. “Is everything okay?”
“No, get in.”
“Oh, God. Lex, I want to be dropped off immediately. I don’t think I’m ready to kick some vamp ass. Humans, all day, but vamps… a little intimidating still.” Mel settled into the back seat next to me. She was forever fidgeting since becoming a vamp.
Kellan climbed in front with Drexel. “We’ll drop Mel off first, and then you can tell us what’s going on, Drex.”
The burly vamp nodded his head. He immediately started the SUV and took off towards the main road.
Kellan’s phone rang, and he quickly retrieved it from his pocket. A glance at the screen showed an unknown number. For some reason, the hairs on my body stood on end.
“Yeah?” Kellan answered the call, not an ounce of uneasiness in his voice.
I could only hear a muffled male tone on the other end, which meant that he was speaking low and fast.
“Compton.” Kellan promptly hung up, shoving his phone back into his jeans.
“What’s going on?” I focused on Kellan. I couldn’t see his face.
“Later.” He immediately shut me out.
The drive to Mel’s seemed to take forever. Craig was waiting in the driveway for her. I hugged her. “I’ll call you later.”
“You better.” She narrowed her gaze, authority in her tone.
I nodded. “Go.”
We watched to ensure that she and Craig got inside safely. The moment the front door closed, I curled my hands firmly around each male’s shoulder. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
“Sanders called. Someone was trying to sniff out your new residence from the outside. He intercepted, but the person got away.” Drexel stared out the windshield, no emotion in his voice aside from a bitter irritation.
“Auggy sent some guys over, but they couldn’t find anything. Whoever he or she was didn’t leave a trail of any kind, scent included.” Kellan fisted his hands in his lap.
I promptly released their limbs, sliding back into the rear seat. “Let’s go, then.” I kept my tone neutral.
I pulled out my cell phone and quickly dialed Kai’s number.
“Leka?” He sounded surprised.
“I have a quick question.”
He hesitated a moment. “Of course.”
“What security firm do you use for your compounds?”
“All of our security measures were created in-house and operate in-house. I don’t trust easily.” The last part of his statement sounded like it was aimed more at me than the topic.
“Would you be open to sharing for the right price?”
I jumped as Kellan punched the dash.
“This is a company vehicle. You dent it, and it’ll be your hide on the chopping block.” Drexel’s eyes glared darts at Kellan, his face an icy veneer.
Kellan’s response was a sharp huff. His outburst split me. He wasn’t happy about my call, but he also knew that we needed to feel somewhat safe in our new place if it was ever going to be considered home. That’s what had happened with my parents’ house. It’d lost its appeal after everything. I was no longer comfortable there, constantly walking on eggshells.
Kai still hadn’t responded. “Um, don’t worry about it, Kai. I
’m sorry I asked. I’ll… uh… I’ll figure something else out.”
“Don’t. Your safety is important. I’d rather have a hand in the pot and know that there’s no crack.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll be over in two hours. Make sure your vamp keeps himself in check. I’m doing this to help you,” he bit out. As if things couldn’t get any more awkward.
“Thanks.” I hung up, not wanting to prolong the discomfort.
The drive back to the condo was tense. No one spoke. Drexel faced the front, focusing on driving, while Kellan stared out the passenger window. His right hand ping-ponged between his chin and his temple. A sour feeling washed over me. I didn’t understand Kellan’s rationale.
Abruptly he turned on me, his eyes red. “It’s my fucking place to protect you, not this musclehead or Kai. It’s my place. You’re wearing my ring, not theirs.” His tone was pure acid. I could see the storm brewing inside him. It wasn’t about me, though. This was his own insecurity that he would have to deal with. I couldn’t change it for him.
I averted my eyes, fidgeting with my hands in my lap. The moment the car was parked, I leapt out. Drexel easily caught up with me.
“He’s pissed at himself, not you,” the bodyguard stated.
“I know, but it’s uncomfortable when he lashes out at me like it is my fault.”
“He bottles it up inside. Eventually he’s going to do more than yell. Be careful.”
I stopped, grabbing Drexel’s forearm. I steadied him with a level gaze. “Kellan isn’t perfect, but he would never lay a finger on me.”
“You know him better than I do, but it’s clear he’s unstable.”
“Because everyone keeps threatening him. First my grandfather tries to kill him, then Kai tries to move in on me, now God knows who is lurking around a place we’ve barely moved into.” I shook my head, my gaze traveling back to the car across the garage. Kellan sat in the car, pinching the bridge of his nose. I furrowed my brows, looking back at Drexel. “He’s always had issues with coping. I thought they were in the past, but perhaps not.” My heart splintered at the admission. As much as I wanted to defend Kellan, his actions spoke louder than any words I could have said.
Drexel placed a steady hand on my back. “Let’s go talk to Sanders.” I let him lead me inside.
The ex-army vamp immediately pointed us to an office on the left side of the lobby. He closed the door and immediately flicked the lights off. A few taps on a computer had a projector rolling down from the ceiling. A moment later footage appeared on the screen.
“This is the perp. It’s not the best angle, but whoever it was knew about our external security measures.” Sanders frowned.
I studied the grainy image. The person was dressed in head-to-toe black with a ski mask on. He or she was scaling the building with a rope.
“From what we can gather, he hooked the railing of your balcony and was using it as leverage to climb the walls. A neighbor several floors below you contacted us when she caught a glimpse of someone outside her window.”
“What do you have in mind?” Drexel crossed his arms over his chest, a glower on his face.
Sanders stared at Drexel for a few seconds too long. My heart softened. I didn’t know what had happened in the past, but the man still cared about Drex.
“I’ve already gotten the approval from William to add a few flush cameras on the balcony. Nothing short of closing in the space will keep them from trying the same toss-and-climb thing, but at least we will have an immediate visual and can act quick enough to hopefully catch the intruder.” Sanders turned to me. “As for you, I don’t know what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, but don’t let him leave your side. I’ll also have a guard checking your floor more often. If push comes to shove, I’ll permanently assign someone to your floor.”
I wanted to argue that I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I knew it didn’t matter at this point. “I have a friend who’s coming to install some security features later.”
“How long have you known this friend?” Sanders leaned back, wrapping his arms around his chest.
“I trust him.” I knew Kai, just like Kellan, wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.
Sanders pressed his lips into a straight line. His lips weren’t overly plump, but still clearly defined. They all but disappeared as he considered me. I could tell he thought I was an immature, ignorant young vampeen. He was probably right on some accounts in comparison to their level of experience.
“He’s one of the Bladang leaders. I trust him.”
Sanders’ chuckle held no humor. “If you’re sure.”
“I am.” My voice was barely above a whisper. I turned on my heel. “I’m going upstairs.”
“She’s not who you’re making her out to be.” Drexel shut the door behind him, shadowing me to the other side of the lobby. “It’s the years he spent as a secret agent. He doesn’t trust anyone.”
I faced him. “He trusts you.”
The big man actually blushed. “We were partners. We had to trust each other.”
“You didn’t trust him, though.”
His expression was stoic. “I had my reasons.”
“I’m sure you did.” We both stood in front of the elevators, waiting silently for the bell to ding, announcing its arrival. “He still cares about you.”
Drexel stared ahead at the shiny metal doors, watching them open. We boarded. He pressed the floor number. The doors closed behind us. We were just starting our ascent when he spoke. “I know.” It was a solemn response.
I chanced a glance at him. He had his guard down, a moment of weakness. Clearly this was something that still ate away at him inside. I felt for the vamp. Heartache was never fun. I linked my fingers with his, letting him know that I was there.
The second we arrived on the correct floor, Drexel’s emotions disappeared behind a façade again. One day he was going to have to come face to face with his feelings, get beyond his past and everything that still haunted him to this day. You can’t run forever.
Even as I thought this, I knew it was the same for Kellan. The longer I was with him, the more I knew about him, and the more I knew about his demons. One by one they’d surfaced. I loved him in spite of his bitterness. I loved him in spite of his insecurities. I loved him in spite of his behavior. But I knew there would come a day when love wasn’t enough. His issues were a lasting wall between us. We would never reach our optimum potency so long as he hid his true feelings from me, so long as he hid the truth from himself.
Chapter 26
Drexel insisted on entering the condo first. He scoped out the space before allowing me to go inside.
I studied him. He hadn’t let his guard down again since the elevator, but I knew his mind was still lost, his heart sinking in an ocean of unknown. “How about some yummy treats?” I smiled, going for a light mood.
His lips lifted slightly at the corners. “Depends on what you have in mind.”
“And that depends on what you’re in the mood for.” I headed for the kitchen and began pulling out baking ingredients.
“When I was a child, my mom made delicious brownies.” He came over to the island in the kitchen. His gaze traveled over the items I was pulling out. “She would give me a plate with a big piece of brownie and a cup of vanilla milk.” He chuckled, lost in a memory. “She said fairies kissed the milk and that’s how it became sweet with vanilla. It wasn’t until I was older that I caught her putting some vanilla beans in it and mixing it with a spoon.”
“You were close to your mom?” I pulled out the KitchenAid stand mixer and began measuring out and dumping the dry ingredients into the metal bowl.
“At one time, yes.” His face turned hard again, and I knew to back off.
“This will be my first time making brownies, so hopefully they turn out well.” I turned the mixer on low and starting cracking several eggs. “Would you mind brewing a bit of coffee?” He quirked a brow. “Hey. Who’s the professional here?” I pressed. That sent him
moving towards the cupboard for the roasts.
We fell into a comfortable silence, working quietly around each other in the kitchen over the next couple of minutes. We both looked up when the front door opened. Kellan trudged into the kitchen. He was calmer than we’d left him.
He stopped in front of the island, watching what we were doing.
I chanced the question. “Are you okay?” I tried to avoid looking at him so as not to push him.
“I’m better than before.”
Kellan stood there for a minute as I finished thoroughly blending the brownie mix. Drexel passed me the coffee, and I measured out a bit and poured it into the mixing bowl.
“A baking pan, please, sir.” Drexel promptly retrieved the right dish and set it on the counter beside me.
Both men watched as I transferred the wet mixture into the pan. I turned on one of the double ovens to preheat before getting out a small pot and a glass bowl. I added water to the pot and set it on the stove, turning the heat on high to later turn down. I tossed some semisweet chocolate chips into the bowl to be melted slowly by the steam from the water.
I washed the mixer’s bowl and put it back in its place. I measured out some powdered sugar and dumped it into the metal bowl. I went to the fridge and grabbed the blood. I measured out a good amount of the blood into the container with the sugar. I returned to the stove. Seeing most of the chocolate soft, if not melted, I turned off the heat. I grabbed a whisk and moved it in the bowl until the chocolate was hot silk. I then emptied the chocolate into the mixer’s bowl with the sugar and blood and combined all of the ingredients. I added a dash of coffee near the end to enhance the chocolate flavor.
My gaze floated to the boys, who were enraptured by what I was doing. I smiled as I continued to work. I stuffed the brownie pan into the oven to start baking. I dumped the small pot of water into the sink and promptly poured some blood into the saucepan. I turned the stove back on, setting the temperature to medium. I placed the pot back on the burner, where it would stay for a minute while the blood reduced into a thicker sauce.
4 Vamp Versus Vamp Page 19
