by Martha Woods
“I see you still enjoy flirting with me." She could hear his smirk. "You truly do always seem to surprise me, Mia. Now, please, what brought this on? You rarely ask something so bluntly. At least, you have yet to do so with me, and I believe I hear strain in your voice. Something has happened. Tell me, please. You know I will listen to you.”
He would listen. Mia knew this well: he always listened when she spoke about home and work. Of course, when she spoke of home, she had usually glossed over the details about Dixon. “I’m probably just being paranoid, Vaughn, but there was this guy at the hospital, and something about him just...” She sighed now, running a hand through her hair. “Something about him just felt off. He was friendly, but… I don’t know, Vaughn.”
“Relax, Mia. Your instincts exist for a reason. If they were telling you something was wrong, then there most likely is something to it. Now, what about this man do you find worrisome? Did he say something strange, or did he threaten you?”
Frowning, Mia looked up toward the locked door, for a moment almost nervous that someone could hear her. It wasn’t something she had to worry about, since this room was easily looked over. Besides, there was no reason to eavesdrop on the nursing station. Ethan had left; she had seen him leave. It was fine. She was safe. Still, her heart was beating faster the more she thought about the encounter. He hadn't threatened her, but she still felt threatened.
“This first strange thing is that he was inside the children’s ward, yet he said he was here for a casual checkup. I didn’t realize that until he left, but there was more than that. I’ve never seen that guy before—I already told you, strangers are uncommon around here. Said he had car troubles or something.” Mia hesitated and took a slow breath, tightly closing her eyes as she struggled to recall everything from the conversation.
“He, uh, he mentioned you. It was weird. He asked if I ever met you—I’m so sorry, Vaughn. I’m just being silly. I honestly don’t know why I feel this way, why I’m acting this way.” She hated that her voice came out in a whine, but this was exactly the kind of thing Dixon had always criticized about her. Worrying over nothing. Seeing excitement where there was none. The last thing she wanted was to annoy Vaughn the same way.
“What was his name?” There was a pause, and Vaughn spoke again, his voice soft but firm. “What did he say his name was, Mia? Please, it’s very important.” He sounded a little urgent.
“Ethan. He had a thick accent. Do you know him? Is he a friend of yours?” Silence followed her question, and Mia found herself growing rather unsettled, frowning now. “Vaughn, are you okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine. Mia, I need to go now. I have some business to take care of. I’ll speak with you later today, I promise.” His voice was shaky, and he spoke unusually fast.
“Wait, Vaughn—”
He spoke up before Mia could continue. “I keep my promises, Mia. Do not forget that.”
The phone clicked, and Mia was left in silence. She tried not to feel hurt, but stared at the receiver in some surprise. Slowly setting the phone down, she hesitated and allowed her hands to rest in her lap. It was rather strange, that entire conversation. At first, Vaughn had seemed eager to listen and comfort her, but, his mood had definitely changed near the end. When she had mentioned Ethan's name. Something about the man had struck a chord in Vaughn—something about the man’s name seemed to frighten him. Mia had never really imagined that anything could frighten Vaughn. Such a calm and collected man… Who the hell was Ethan? Could he be just a friend? Could he be a hunter? But why would Vaughn act so strangely in either case?
Standing from the desk, Mia adjusted her jacket once more before calming herself and stepping out of the small office. She needed to finish her rounds and distract herself from how strangely the day had gone so far. To try her best to not to think about Vaughn, about his shaking voice.
Chapter 7
As Mia returned to work, she honestly did try her best to keep her mind off Vaughn and this Ethan fellow. But it didn’t work. She kept finding herself fussing over both men's words and the rising tension. This wasn’t how she had expected the day to proceed, especially after such a beautiful morning. Mia had thought she would be blissful, lost in her fantasies of Vaughn and their encounter. But now, her worries about Ethan took precedence. A shame, really. She had been enjoying replaying the way Vaughn had held and kissed her through the night: it was comforting and had kept her smile ever-present during the morning.
Her smile had faded a few hours ago, and now Mia just kept her head down. Keeping her hands busy helped clear her mind, helped her focus on the issue at hand. Though she had enjoyed a delicious night with Vaughn, a passion she had never known before, it didn't mean she was free and clear. She had been trying not to think about it, but Mia couldn’t stay trapped away in her fantasies forever: she would have to deal with the consequences of her actions sooner than later.
Mia would have to face Dixon. Tonight.
“Honey, you are working yourself to the bone. Haven’t you been keeping an eye on the clock? Your shift ended nearly an hour ago. Usually, you just race on out of here like you're being chased.” Ms. Gabble came up beside Mia, who was lingering by the water fountain. Mia laughed awkwardly stepping aside and sipping from her paper cup.
“I just wanted to make sure that I took care of all my chores before heading out for the day, that’s all!” There was some truth to Mia’s words: she really had been attending to several duties that needed to be performed by the end of the night, though they could have easily been left to the night shift. Usually, they were. Mia just needed something to do, something to keep her mind off the fact that Vaughn had sounded so strange on the phone earlier. And the fact that she couldn't pretend Dixon didn't exist for much longer. Vaughn had never hung up the phone on her before. She didn’t like it—not in the slightest.
“Sweetheart, at this rate, you’re going to do all the work for us and leave the night shift twiddling their thumbs. Come on, love, pack up and head home. Your husband is going to be missing you soon.” The older woman smiled gently, patting Mia’s hand as the girl forced her own smile to her face, slowly nodding. Yes, she should head home. That would be the best idea. Even if she was terribly frightened of the fact that Dixon truly was waiting for her at their humble abode.
Gathering up her personal items, Mia finally bid the others in the office goodnight and made her way from the hospital. She didn't stop anywhere this time. Mia didn’t want to drag Vaughn into this, as much as she wished he could be there to protect her. It wouldn't be fair to him. This wasn't his mess to clean up, and she had to figure it out on her own. It was high time to stand on her own two feet, for once.
The drive home seemed far longer than usual, as Mia drove in silence, suffocating within her thoughts. The more she thought over what had happened the night before, the more she feared what might happen when she confronted Dixon. Should she even face him on her own? She couldn’t deny the fact that he had crossed a boundary, one there was no return from. And Mia wasn’t going to stand by and allow someone to hit her—allow someone to abuse her. Not anymore. She'd had a taste of what life could be like—passionate, uninhibited, boundless—and she decided then and there that she would face him, yes, one last time. She needed some kind of closure, some kind of end to their nightmare of a marriage.
Mia pulled into the driveway and sat there for quite some time, flexing her fingers around the steering wheel. She was terribly nervous about confronting the man. Could she have this conversation over the phone? Wouldn't that be safer? Sure, but she couldn't let herself do that. Mia wanted to face him—she wanted to be brave and admit that she no longer loved him in person. That way she could leave with her head held high. Pride still intact, able to face those who would demean her choice, who would talk trash about her. Better to leave with dignity than turn tail and hide. At least Mia knew her mother would approve and be on her side.
Quietly stepping out of her car, Mia took a moment to gath
er herself, her confidence, before heading toward the door. Her heart pounded against her ears, her hands shaking even before reaching the doorknob. Never had she felt such fear while simply entering her own home. If she were to look in a mirror, to see herself at this very moment, she would have no idea who she was staring at.
Mia pulled open the door. She stared past the threshold for a long moment before stepping inside her house.
“Dixon?” she called out, her eyes drawn to the singular source of light. It was emanating from the kitchen, and Mia felt her stomach twist. “Are you home?” Had he left the light on after falling asleep, or was he just sitting and drinking in silence? The closer she drew, the more her fear intensified. The thicker the tension within the house seemed to grow. Her palms were clammy, her breath quick. Maybe she should just forget it, run back to her car… admit defeat. No.
“Dixon,” she called out again, her voice firmer now, before stepping into the kitchen. He wasn’t in the room. In fact, it didn’t seem like Dixon was home at all. Her eyes fell on someone else, and her jaw dropped.
The man waiting for her in Dixon's place, sitting calmly at her kitchen table, was Vaughn. He looked so out of place, honestly. Such a collected and polished man, sitting in an old wooden chair with a small glass of water in front of him, a plate painted with black and white chickens hanging on the wall behind him. Mia was rooted to her spot in the doorway, struggling to think of something—anything—to say.
She had never told him where she lived. This fact was the first thing that came to mind, not the fact that Dixon didn’t enjoy having guests in their home, or the fact that Dixon didn't even seem to be here. How had Vaughn even managed to get inside? Had he… broken in? What the hell was going on here?
“Vaughn?” Mia sounded as surprised as she felt. Without lifting his gaze, Vaughn's lips spread into a soft smile.
“I never tire of hearing your voice.” Pushing up, Vaughn edged his way around the table and stepped over toward Mia, his hand gently cupping her cheek and his arm looping around her waist. Without hesitation, he drew her in close, delicately pressing his lips to the curve of her jaw. Though his touch was light and simple, it sent a shock through her system and caused her to gasp. She struggled to remember what she had been thinking a moment before.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice was just above a whisper, staring at him in confusion, brows knitted together. “I mean—how did you even...” Her words trailed off and Vaughn simply smiled, running his fingers through her hair. Though she was upset, Mia couldn’t stop herself from pressing closer when he touched her, from tucking her head against his chest. She had expected to confront some of her darkest fears here in this kitchen, and was pleasantly surprised to find herself being held, feeling safe. But she couldn't let herself get carried away. “Where’s Dixon, Vaughn?”
“He let me inside.”
“I highly doubt that.” Dixon wasn't the welcoming sort. She stirred against Vaughn's chest to frown up at him.
Vaughn laughed gently, hugging her closer. “He did, in fact. I said that I was from the hospital, that I wanted to speak with you. To my surprise, he did not believe me.” Mia laughed at this part, slowly shaking her head. As if she hadn't told Vaughn time and time again that everyone in this town knew each other. “I wanted to speak to him about what had transpired the night prior. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very interested in speaking. Regardless, we were able to reach an… understanding.”
“I’m pretty sure I know my husband well by now, and he doesn’t really react well to new people. He wasn’t very friendly the first time you met, remember?” He smiled, nodding in agreement, allowing Mia to continue speaking. “Vaughn, I need to go and find him, to talk to him. I—I’m still his wife.”
“But you do not love him.” He blinked down at her, frowning as if confused by her thought process.
“That’s between Dixon and me. Privately. We need to discuss what happened the other night. I need to be very clear with him—” Vaughn's frown deepened and he reached out, cupping her face, forcing Mia to look into his pale eyes. The action startled her, cutting off her words. After staring at him for a few moments, her face burned, and Mia found herself laughing nervously. What was he trying to say here? She wrapped her fingers around Vaughn’s hands and slowly pulled them away from her face, shaking her head resolutely. “Vaughn, I need to speak with him. I need to make him aware of the situation. It's… it's important to me to do this right.”
“He does not deserve you.” His words were an intense whisper, a concerned look in his eyes. “Please, Mia, do not speak to him—do not so much as bother looking for that monster. He does not deserve to ever lay eyes on you again. What he did is… unforgivable.” He hissed the last word out between his teeth, his eyes flashing darkly. Mia swallowed. She'd never seen him look so ferocious before. Had he done something to Dixon?
Her chest grew tight and she gave a breathy chuckle, shaking the thought from her mind. “You’re unreal sometimes, talking like that.”
“I could be worse.” He grinned now, pulling her body closer as he pressed his lips against her own. His touch was terribly gentle, almost unbearably so. He pulled back, his mouth mere inches from hers, and said, “You expressed to me a wish, Mia. It is my delight and my duty to grant your request.” He found her hands once more, squeezing them tightly, kissing the backs of her knuckles and wrists. “You want to escape this town, and so we will. You want to travel the world, and so we will.”
Her heart skipped a beat and Mia tried to speak, but she found herself unable to formulate any recognizable words. She hated—and adored—how he completely turned her to putty. He left her without words, left her giggling and feeling like a schoolgirl. She had never felt this way before, even during her best times with Dixon.
“That was your request, was it not? Then we will leave tonight. I see no reason to wait. We can gather up anything you need and slip away into the night. No one will see us—no one will stop us,” Vaughn whispered, thumb brushing against her cheek, his lips hovering over her cheek and jaw. “I made you a promise, that I would take you away from this place and that I would never allow someone to harm you again. And if you recall,” his tongue flicked out to brush tenderly against her earlobe, "I always keep my promises."
How wonderful that would be! She sighed and tilted her head, imagining traveling the world with this impossible man, forgetting her troubles, being pleasured in Paris, romanced in Rome… But she snapped back to reality, straightening her spine and breaking off the line of sensual kisses he had been trailing down her neck.
“Vaughn—it’s not that simple! I have a job, a life. I have family here, and—and... a home.”
“There are many other jobs, my love. In fact, there is no need for you to work, unless you so choose. I have enough money to care for you—I can find us a home anywhere. In another country, in a large city. All you need do is tell me where you wish to go, Mia. I will go anywhere, everywhere, for you.” He looked deep into her eyes, holding her face in his hands, his voice sincere.
Her eyes were wide and wet, unshed tears hanging on her lashes as she stared silently up at him. She carefully laced her fingers with his, her hands trembling with emotion. Finally closing her eyes, the tears rolled down her cheeks, and Mia laughed shortly. Allowing her forehead to fall against his, she swallowed thickly before speaking.
“You are talking like you love me, Vaughn.”
“I would not deny it," he said promptly. "I have fallen for you in a way I never knew was possible.”
Oh. She hadn't expected him to say that. Inhaling sharply, Mia stared at him a long moment before pulling away from him, laughing as she wiped away the tears from her eyes.
“Vaughn! You can’t just say things like that. I mean, I do want to leave. That’s true. But there is so much more to it than that. What do I tell my boss, my mother? What about Dixon? What if he looks for me?”
Vaughn watched her silently, his eyes glittering, his lips t
ightening. He spread his hands apologetically.
“I can no longer stay here, Mia. It is far too dangerous. I need to leave—tonight.”
“Because of... Ethan?” A simple guess, but it was easy enough to figure out. Vaughn had only started acting strangely after that man was mentioned, had only started showing this hasty, fearful side after Ethan's presence in town had been brought to light. Slowly, too slowly for her taste, Mia was finally putting the pieces together. She gaped as the realization hit her like a blow to the stomach. How stupid she had been, not to realize it before. How naïve.
“He’s the hunter that hurt you.”
“Yes.” Vaughn's whisper was terribly soft, heartrendingly tortured. His voice cracked as he admitted the truth. "I do not deceive myself into thinking my fear attractive, or honorable. Perhaps it even repulses you. But I can hide it no longer. I… All I can do is flee. All I can do is… beg you to join me." He gritted out his last words, eyes flashing with damaged pride. Mia saw in him the cornered, hunted animal, the raw terror of prey. But she saw too his masculine dignity, his pride, his resolve. His secret desperation that she be at his side.
And something in her broke.
“Vaughn,” she said tenderly, aching for him. The man before her, the creature—the vampire—stared at her for a long moment, his gentle smile looking forced as she cupped his face. Once more, she laid a gentle kiss on his lips and squeezed his hands tightly.
“Let’s go,” she grinned.
Those words seemed to strike him hard, and he took a moment before his own grin spread across his face. Yanking her small form against his own, Vaughn held her tightly, face burying in her hair as he nodded. His relieved sigh breathed out over her, and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. They would protect each other.
