Eternal Hearts (A Darkness Within)

by Jennifer Turner

  She chewed at her bottom lip for a few moments before she finally drew a deep breath and nodded. “I trust you. Whatever it is, I wanna try it.”

  Drake took a few steps back and prepared himself for the screaming rage of a pissed off vampiress. “Close your eyes and take off your shirt.”

  The shadows in her eyes went wild. “What did you just say?”

  “I need more skin available.” He motioned from her neck to her toes. “You’re wearing a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and socks. All I’ve got to work with is your face, neck, and hands. I can do it with just those, but it’ll go a lot faster if I have more available.” He lost control of his mouth and broke into a wide grin. “Look at it this way, at least I didn’t tell you to close your eyes and take off your pants.”

  She tapped her foot against the mattress. “I told you I’d trust you…please don’t give me something else to regret.” And with that said, she closed her eyes and pulled her shirt up over her head.

  All Drake could do was stare at Toni’s body as her shirt fell to the floor. While she certainly couldn’t give him a run for his money in Scar Wars, as she’d called it, he knew plenty of supernaturals who’d lose in a competition against her.

  Namely, almost every other female vampire he’d ever met.

  Aside from the two she’d already shown him, six more gunshot wounds dotted her chest and abdomen, and that tally would only hold if no others were hidden under her black cotton bra. Multiple single lined scars marred her tanned skin, most ranging from one to two inches, some even smaller. But it was the long, discolored swath of pale skin that ran from just inside her right wrist, all the way up the inside of her arm and over her shoulder that really drew his attention.

  Only one weapon left that kind of scar on a vampire…

  The sun.

  He shook his head. The scar didn’t look like a punishment though. It looked as though she’d opened a door at Noon, which was an amazing feat to begin with considering most vampires her age couldn’t even wake up during the day, let alone stand up and open something.

  But why would she test the sun?

  Drake let go of the question he couldn’t begin to answer as his eyes moved over Toni’s body again. Standing on the mattress in front of him, not only did she almost match his height, but she defied nearly every truth he thought he’d established for a vampiress.

  Not an ounce of make-up painted her face. Her dark hair fell free past her shoulders, not expertly styled or arranged. She didn’t smell of expensive perfumes or exotic fragrances, only mild soap and shampoo. And he was sure the worn low rise jeans and simple black cotton bra that hugged each curve of her athletic body could beat out the finest lingerie any day, hands down.

  He swallowed the dry knot forming in his throat as he stared at her closed eyes. No matter what his instincts wanted him to believe, she wasn’t like every other vampire. She stood in front of him not as a perfect vampiress, but as a flawed woman, whose skin told the tale of a life she’d fought to live. A life that probably hadn’t worked out the way she thought it would, but one she’d accepted, and from what he could tell, tried to make the best of.

  And making the most of what fate blindly threw at you was something Drake understood in ways most people never would.

  He sucked in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “Are you ready?”

  Toni nodded, even though she didn’t know what she was supposed to be ready for. “I think so.” She turned her head when she heard the whisper of something soft hit the carpet. “What was that? What did you do?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” His voice was close but quiet. “Just keep your eyes closed and move a little closer to the end of the bed.”

  She carefully inched forward until she felt the edge of the soft mattress underneath her toes. The last thing she needed to do was fall off the damn thing. “Now what?”

  “I need to ask you a few questions.” His warm breath seared her lips. “And I need you to be as honest as possible.”

  She squeezed her eyes closed tighter. He couldn’t be more than a few inches away. “Okay.”

  “When was the last time you fed?”

  “It was a…” Her thoughts scattered when his strong arm circled her waist and he pulled her tight against him. She searched for words as she made direct contact with his bare chest. “You took your shirt off.”

  His heated lips curved against her cheek, sending a shiver spinning through her. “You fed the last time I took my shirt off?”

  “No,” she breathed. “A week ago. I fed a week ago.”

  He nuzzled into her ear and whispered, “Human or animal?”

  She tensed as his stubble scratched against her cheek. “Human.”

  “Were you intimate with your vessel?” His rough fingertips played at the small of her back. “Did you earn the blood?” He swirled his hot tongue down her neck to the junction of her shoulder, but then tautly rolled her skin between his sharp teeth. “Or did you take it?”

  She sucked in a sharp breath as the animal inside her woke with a low growl. Scarlet flames flickered and danced against her eyelids. She struggled to keep her voice steady. “I earned it.”

  “How did you feel? Were you nervous?” He caught her right hand and pressed it flat against his solid chest. “Or were you excited?”

  She swallowed hard as his heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her palm. The heat radiating off his muscled body seeped into her cold skin, taunting her already stalking beast. “I was…hungry.”

  A damningly seductive laugh rumbled through his chest straight into hers. “Okay then.” He paused for a second, as if she’d given the wrong answer. “How did it taste? When the blood touched your tongue, was it hot?” He breathed against her mouth. “Spicy?” The hand at the small of her back slid up her spine and into her hair. “Sweet?”

  She moaned when he fisted her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her throat. She fought for control of the monster growing inside her, but with each ragged burst of his warm breath against her skin, every graze of his hot lips across her neck, she slipped a little more.

  He sucked then bit at the hollow of her throat. “Well?”

  She could barely catch her breath, let alone think. “I don’t remember.”

  “You don’t remember?” She felt his fangs grow and scrape her throat just as he pulled his mouth away. “Maybe I can help.”

  Toni dug her fingernails into Drake’s chest as the rich, metallic scent of his blood overwhelmed her senses. Her fangs slid into place as the animal roared in her mind. All she could hear was the hammering of his heartbeat in her ears, all she could feel was his hard body pressed against every inch of her, and all she could taste was the unbelievable power of his blood tainting the air.

  He used his hold on her hair to tip her head up. “Open your eyes.”

  She did as he asked, but all she could focus on was the thin rivulet of crimson marring his bottom lip. He was so close, all she had to do was lean forward and she could taste him. She could taste the man responsible for stealing every ounce of oxygen from her trembling body.

  “Toni,” he said, then slowly licked his lip, catching the droplet of blood on his tongue, “you have to let go.”

  “I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers. “I just can’t.” But that’s exactly what she did when he claimed her mouth with a passionate kiss that sent pure heat surging through her veins. She let go of the animal inside her, forgot about trying to maintain control…forgot about everything but the incredible taste of his tongue as it slipped between her parted lips.

  Spicy with just a hint of sweetness, that tiny drop of blood sparked a firestorm of sensations she hadn’t felt since the day she died. Her nipples tingled and tightened against his hard chest. Goosebumps pebbled her flesh. Warmth spread between her thighs. And the steady, thumping rhythm in her ears…wasn’t his anymore.

  When he released her hair then slid his hands down her back and grabbed two tight handf
uls of her ass, Toni wrapped her arms around his neck and let instinct guide her. She devoured his mouth, meeting each thrust of his tongue with one of her own, wanting nothing more than to drown in the delicious taste of him.

  In a matter of hours, he’d gone from a complete stranger to someone she would never forget. Someone who made her laugh, someone who made her feel wanted…someone who made her feel human, even though she wasn’t. And for that, he would always hold a special place in her heart, even if he walked out the door tomorrow and she never saw his gorgeous face again.

  She tangled her fingers into his soft hair as he broke his amazing kiss to bite at her lips. “Thank you, Drake.”

  He pulled back from her mouth slightly, his dark blue eyes filled with what she could only guess was a strange mixture of curiosity and wonderment. “For what?”

  “For staying with me when you didn’t have to.” She brushed her lips over his and lightly sucked at his bottom lip. “For just being here…”

  Drake stared deep into Toni’s beautiful eyes as their breath mingled. He couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be at the moment. “Thank you for letting me.” The words had barely left his lips when the doorbell screamed through the room.

  He closed his eyes tight. “And that would be Robert.”

  Her entire body tensed. “Oh my God.” She repeated the phrase at least four more times as she wiggled free from his arms then jumped off the bed. “I have to get dressed.” Her eyes went wide as she looked him over. “You definitely need to get dressed.”

  He caught his shirt when she plucked it from the floor and threw it at him. “But what if I don’t want to?”

  She wrenched her t-shirt over her head. “You have to,” she snapped when her head emerged. Her eyes darted over the room as her arms filled the sleeves. “The bed’s a mess. There are pillows everywhere. Do you know what it looks like we were doing in here?”

  He smiled at the rosy hue staining her cheeks. “It looks like we were doing what we’d probably still be doing if he hadn’t rung the damn bell.”

  If looks could kill, he’d be dead where he stood.

  When the doorbell chimed again, followed by a few sharp knocks, she raked the tangles from her hair in record time then went to work at smoothing her clothes.

  “I hate to break it to you,” he said as he slid his shirt on. “But no matter how straight your shirt is, you still look guilty.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at her. “Now, I happen to think you look rather cute with your face all flushed and your lips all swollen and pouty…but you still look guilty as all hell.”

  “Just wait till he leaves.” She stabbed a menacing finger in his direction. “We’ll see how cute you think I look then.”

  She stomped over to the door and pulled it open, revealing Robert, who held what looked to be a bottle of blood and an electric warmer. “I apologize if I interrupted anything, but I promised I would check in on you, and Christian also asked me to bring you this.” He inclined his head towards the blackened glass bottle. “If you’d allow me entrance, I’ll gladly set it up for you.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said, sounding somewhat confused. She pulled the door open and stepped off to the side so he could pass her.

  Drake offered nothing more than a smile when Robert gave a quizzical look to his position on the messy bed. He wasn’t about to say anything. He’d prefer the old man let his mind run wild with the possibilities.

  After Toni pushed the door closed, only a few seconds passed before she stood at Robert’s side, watching with fascination as he plugged the warmer into an outlet in the kitchen then set the bottle in it.

  “Why did you just put a bottle of wine in a warmer,” she asked. “Isn’t wine supposed to be cold?”

  The fatherly grin from earlier reformed on his face. “Actually, it depends on the age and particular type of vintage. However, this isn’t wine, my dear, this is blood. Christian felt it only fair, since he requested you remain in your room, that he provide you with a proper meal as well.”

  When her mouth fell open, Robert raised a hand as if to stop her course of thought. “I’ve been with Mr. Locke for several hundred years now.” He tossed her a wink. “I should hope in that time he would share with me his undead state. Had he not, I would have been rather perplexed as I celebrated 100 years of age and still looked 45.”

  Her eyes lit with understanding. “Oh! You’re his Puppet. I get it now.”

  Drake could barely watch the oncoming train wreck as Robert cocked his silvered head and gave her a slight sneer. “I prefer to be called his Servio. That’s Latin for servant, Miss Tutoro,” he added when confusion marked her face yet again. “The youth’s derogatory term, Puppet, I happen to find rather offensive.”

  Her eyes went straight to the floor, her shoulders shortly to follow. “I’m really sorry, Robert. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  He rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right, Miss, I know you young ones have your own terms for my half-breed status. I suppose you could think of this as a lesson. Now you have some etiquette to fall back on should you meet another half-breed who’s far older than yourself.” He turned and headed for the door. “Are you in need of anything else, Miss?”

  She shook her head. “No, that’s okay. Thanks for the food though.” She frowned as she watched him walk away, but just as he opened the door to leave, she raised her hand as if she’d forgotten something important. “Have a good night, Robert.”

  He nodded as he pulled the door closed, a crooked smile etched into the wrinkles around his mouth. “You have a good night too, Miss Tutoro.”

  Drake stood up when Toni looked at him with a raised brow. “You may have offended him, but it’s not often any vampire other than Locke takes the time to wish him a good night. Technically, Servios are beneath our fanged station. What you just witnessed was genuine shock and appreciation for you treating him like an equal. I think he likes you.”

  Her eyes flicked back to the door. “It must be awful to spend hundreds of years getting treated like a lesser person just because he isn’t a vampire.” She narrowed her eyes on him again. “But you don’t treat him like that.”

  “No, I don’t, and I never will. Like you said back at the elevator, Robert’s a really nice guy. Lord Locke’s lucky to have him.”

  A slow smile curved her mouth, but then she blinked and shook her head. “I think I’m gonna go see if the tub has those jet thingies.” She only made it half way to the bathroom door before a loud beep sounded from the kitchen. She stopped dead in her tracks. “What was that?”

  Drake chuckled. “Your food. Did you forget about it already?”

  “No, of course not.” She rolled her eyes as she spun around and walked into the kitchen. “Because I’m just so used to blood coming in a convenient travel pack like beer. Silly me, what was I thinking?” She grabbed the bottle and held it out towards him. “You want some?”

  He ignored the urge to give his own rendition of the gag face. “No thanks. I much prefer the fresh stuff.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t offer to share,” she sang as she tucked the bottle under her arm, stooped to snag her duffle bag from the floor, and then disappeared into the bathroom.

  And much to his chagrin, she closed the door behind her.

  Drake grabbed another beer from the refrigerator then sank deep into the corner of the couch closest to the main door. He stared up at the ceiling as he opened the bottle and silently cursed whoever invented the doorbell for interrupting a fantastic moment. A moment that had completely broken the number two rule of a protection contract, never touch your mark, but one he’d gladly accept the punishment for if necessary.

  Granted, he had no idea what the punishment would be, mainly because he’d never broken any of the rules before, but it couldn’t be that bad. After all, and much to their dismay, most of the methods The Organization employed in regard to punishment didn’t work on him anyway.

  After swallowing a mouth
ful of his favorite beverage, Drake shook his head. Either way, he’d have to be careful with Toni. She sparked emotions he’d purposely buried a long time ago. And the more he considered the situation, while those emotions certainly felt good, he wasn’t sure they were all that good for him.

  She made him want to be soft and gentle, neither of which topped the list of desired qualities in a contract killer. Soft and gentle would eventually snowball into caring and thoughtful, and caring and thoughtful led directly to re-growing a conscience.

  He shivered at the thought. He didn’t need a conscience again.

  But that one admission was all instinct needed. There’s nothing special about her. You just haven’t gotten laid in a really long time.

  As soon as the thought crossed, Drake pushed it back. That wasn’t the reason, and deep down he knew it. There was something special about her. She didn’t grab at him and beg him to please her like most women. Those women wanted nothing more than a wild screw so they could get off. And, honestly, that’s all he really wanted from them.

  But Toni wasn’t most women. She wanted more; he saw it in her eyes. She wasn’t looking for some guy to give her a few orgasms then walk out the door. She wanted a man who could share the experience with her. She wanted love, acceptance, and someone to care for her.

  Drake leaned forward and set his half empty beer bottle on the coffee table. He wasn’t sure he could be that person. He’d spent so much time killing, so much energy detaching his emotions from the world, he wasn’t sure he knew how to truly care about someone anymore.

  He cast a glance to the bathroom door. Toni almost made him want to try again, but he knew better. His one and only attempt to love someone had failed miserably, leading to the very moment he’d realized that killing was all there’d ever be for him.

  He sighed as he leaned back and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table. If he knew one truth about vampires, male or female, they were nothing if not selfish. They’d do or say anything to get what they wanted, everyone else be damned, which was exactly why he had a job in the first place.