by Margot Fox
“Well, perhaps some of us… I can't speak for all vampires. What I can tell you is that this is not a mistake. You are not like a million other girls, Tesa. You are a rare, rare thing.”
The way he was staring at her, she felt like he could read her thoughts. Mentally he was reaching out to her, she was sure of it. She felt the connection intermittently, as though it was being knitted together.
It's happening, she told herself. Don’t screw it up now.
“Go on,” she nodded.
“It's all connected, you understand,” he began again, his voice authoritative and philosophical. “I know that to your kind, we probably seem like monsters, like adversaries in a fairy tale. But the truth couldn't be farther from that. Since the beginning of everything, we've always coexisted. Just because we had to live in secret, doesn't mean we weren't always there. And it's all been fine, you see? It can actually be… It can be completely wonderful , if you let it.”
“If I let it,” she repeated. The words actually seemed quite reasonable when she heard herself say them out loud.
She edged a little closer, the bare skin of her knee brushing against the outside of his thigh.
“Well yes,” he insisted. “You can understand that, can't you? These sorts of… unions... are common among my kind. A real union, a deep and… timeless sort of union. It's better, even, than the sort of life you thought you could have.”
She nodded. A better life? Yes, she wouldn't mind that at all. Better than running away from place to place, just before the county police found her? Just before she got arrested for shoplifting or vagrancy or whatever? More than one sleazy employer had filed charges against her in retaliation for her not sleeping with them. She felt like she was always on the run, always one step away from being somebody else's victim.
Wouldn’t this, in fact, be ever so much better?
“All right. I think I see it, Stark,” she whispered. She raised her hand tentatively and slid it along the sheets until her fingers touched his knee.
“Perhaps… Perhaps I could… assist your brother. Perhaps, I mean, if you and I —”
His features hardened suddenly, like concrete. She could see a knot in his jaw flexing. “Tesa, I'm sorry. I believe I already told you —”
“But I can feel it! I can sense that you —”
“— you sense nothing! ” he bellowed. Faster that she could see, he was standing, pacing back and forth. “There's nothing to sense, Tesa. Your kind misinterpret eye contact as romantic interest! It's absurd! What is wrong with you? Perhaps Gunner is correct. Perhaps you really are this feral, uncultured— ”
“Hey!” she objected.
Uncultured? Screw that guy!
He paced back and forth a few more times so quickly that she had a hard time keeping up with him visually. Finally he stopped, leaning forward, his knuckles on top of the bed. His eyes were determined and hard, bright as pennies.
“What you do not seem to understand, Tesa,” he growled, the threat plain in his voice, “is that we don't have to ask . This is only a courtesy, my dear. A bounty of decorum that you are quickly exhausting.”
Tesa pushed herself back toward the headboard, drawing the quilt up over herself reflexively. In a half a second, Stark had completely changed. The gentle, polite, slightly fatherly man was gone. In his place was a furious lunatic with the strength of twenty men.
“Just get out,” she said in a shaky voice, unable to conceal her fear. “Just get out, Stark.”
And just like that, the image was gone. His face went as blank as the moon. He blinked slowly.
“I'll have Jamie bring your breakfast,” he said formally, standing up tall and smoothing the tail of his shirt.
“I don't want it!” she insisted. But it was too late, Jamie was already at the door, then placing the silver lidded tray at the foot of her bed. She could feel herself start to salivate as the scent of breakfast meats filled the air.
“Gunner has insisted,” Stark replied briskly, turning on his heel and striding toward the door.
Without even thinking, Tesa hurled herself toward the end of the bed and snatched the silver lid off the tray. She flung it toward the door, intending to catch Stark before he could disappear like he always did. But instead, it careened, hitting Jamie on the shoulder. He dropped to one knee on the floor, his eyes wide with betrayal and hurt.
In a moment, Tesa was crouched at his side.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm so sorry, Jamie!” she chattered. “I can’t believe I did that. I was trying to hit Stark!”
Jamie knuckled his shoulder and averted his eyes as he stood up again. Tesa knew the cover was actually quite heavy and figured she'd hurt him a decent amount.
“It's no matter, miss,” he said through gritted teeth. He aimed himself toward the door.
Her fingers plucked at his shoulder, trying to drag him back. “No, really, I'm so sorry! ” she insisted. “Really, it was such a mistake.”
Jamie turned toward her, and for the first time she noticed his eyes were green. Definitely not vampire eyes. So she'd hurt a regular human? She felt awful.
“Jamie, that’s just so not like me… I am losing my mind! You have to help me get out of here. Can you give me my phone? Can you please just give me my cell phone? You have to know where it is!”
He shook his head and scowled. Gently, he nudged her aside and headed toward the door.
“Please, Jamie!” she pleaded. “People are looking for me! You have to help me!”
He stopped suddenly, looking her over. He almost looked sad, it occurred to her. After taking a few deep breaths, he finally spoke.
“Miss, you don't know what you're talking about.”
And then he was gone.
CHAPTER 6
“Fine, then I will just run.”
Stark sighed and lifted his hands helplessly. “Please don’t do that,” he said.
Tesa looked around the room for something else to pick up, or rip, or crush, or throw… But what would be the point? She couldn’t hurt Stark. He would just jump to the side in that too-fast-to-see way he had, and she would have yet another broken figurine to sweep up. There were already several shards of porcelain and glass littering the corners.
“May I remind you that you are the one who wanted to leave the premises?”
“I want to be free !” she shrieked. “FREE!”
Stark held his hands out, palm up, then let them drop to his sides.
“You. Can’t. Keep. Me. Here.”
He shrugged and looked like he was searching for something to say. “I wish there was another way, Tesa. Truly I do.”
“I’ll jump out of the car,” she said threateningly. He just shook his head.
“I’ll tell everyone!”
“No one is looking for you, Tesa. You know that.”
“I’ll scream.”
Nothing.
“I’ll stake Gunner through the heart, or whatever,” she said, though she wasn’t entirely sure that even worked.
“You could try…” he chuckled.
Tesa hated him laughing at her. “I’ll run!”
Stark closed his eyes and shook his head wearily. “If you make Gunner chase you, chances are good you will regret it.”
“I’ll go to the police!”
Now he looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “I think we both know you are not going to the police.”
She wasn’t so sure. Could she do it? Maybe there would be a police car on the way, and she could throw herself at it? That could be like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Would the police accept a fake name? The name of someone without an arrest warrant in every county across the midwest, perhaps?
Oh officer, thank you for saving me from my billionaire vampire kidnapper! No, that’s all right, I prefer to remain anonymous.
Yeah. That was not going to happen.
Tesa wanted to scream. She ground her teeth together and tensed her hands into fists. Get a grip! she thought fiercely. Th
ere will be a way. Calm the hell down and maybe he’ll let his guard slip, sometime…
She refused to say anything else and stood there pouting furiously. After some minutes Stark just opened his hands.
“Well…” he said slowly. “That’s that, I suppose. Jamie will drive you to retrieve your belongings.”
“Nah, I will drive her,” Gunner said from the doorway. “Jamie is no longer a fan.”
Tesa rolled her eyes. “Do you always just… appear like that?”
Gunner nodded with a grin. “I like the drama,” he said, wiping a line of dust from the top of a gilt picture frame and lithely avoiding crushing a shard of Japanese enamel near the moulding.
Tesa took deep breaths and tried not to launch into a verbal attack or throw anything else. She looked at the pile of shattered porcelain by the door with regret. Tiny gold-flecked heads had rolled away from tiny painted lace and fairy wings. It had been a really pretty figurine, and she missed it already.
Calm the hell down. Do it.
Gunner appraised her with a smirk. “Are you going out like that? You know you have options, right?”
Tesa looked down. Jean mini, blue silk halter top, red lace bra. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
He looked meaningfully at Stark and rolled his eyes. “Oh, nothing,” he sighed. “There’s still time to change before tonight. Come on, let’s go.”
“Wait, what’s tonight?”
Stark looked at Gunner.
“Seriously, what’s tonight?” Tesa demanded.
Stark pressed his palms together. “Gunner thought you might enjoy a more social atmosphere. We’re having some acquaintances over… for drinks. Family. Nothing extravagant.”
Tesa’s eyes flew open. “Ooh! Like a party?”
Her imagination raced through a thousand movie scenes of billionaire parties at once. The champagne… the dresses… the dancing… She would meet someone, and he would help her devise a plot to escape this madhouse. He would be tall and handsome, well-mannered and urbane. Like Stark, but definitely not a vampire. Still a millionaire, certainly. But the respectable sort, like a real estate developer or fast food franchisee.
Gunner sneered. “Yes, like a party.”
From the tone of his voice, a cloud of doubt fell over the images in her mind. “Wait…” she said. “Like… a vampire party?”
Stark nodded, watching her carefully.
“Like… a blood party?”
“Wooo!” Gunner bellowed menacingly. Tesa gasped.
Stark raised his hands. “No! No no no! He is kidding! Gunner, why do you do that?”
He rushed to Tesa, who had blanched. She was walking backward to the big four-poster bed. Images raced across her mind from horror movies she had seen. Blood in rivers, young girls with their throats torn out… demons laughing over the mutilated corpses of their victims.
“Tesa? No. Tesa, look at me.” Stark picked up her hands and stared into her eyes. “Tesa, look at me, ” he demanded.
“I don’t want to…”
“Tesa, it’s just a gathering of friends. You will not be harmed.”
“I don’t want to die,” she whimpered vaguely.
“Oh, Tesa, you’re not going to die! I promised you. You won’t. Gunner is just…”
“He’s a douche!” she cried.
Stark sighed heavily and held her in his arms, rocking her.
“Yes,” he agreed softly. “He is a douche. Yes.”
He held her for a few minutes while she gathered her composure. She scowled at Gunner who shrugged and rolled his eyes.
“There, there,” he murmured. “All better, yes?”
Tesa nodded uncertainly.
“Okay,” he said. “Will you be all right to retrieve your belongings?”
“Can’t… can’t you take me?” she said, looking up at him with big, wet eyes.
“Oh… I wish I could. But no. I’m not really... in a state to travel. I’m sorry. You’ll be all right with Gunner. I solemnly swear it.” He raised his hand, Boy Scout style. Tesa had to chuckle.
Reluctantly, she turned to Gunner. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and slipped on her cowboy boots, ignoring the snide look Gunner shot at them. They had a nice, pointy toe, in case she needed to kick him.
“Fine,” she said finally. “Let’s go.”
***
Tesa found it hard to dislike Gunner quite as thoroughly while he was driving her in the Jaguar. The leather on the seat felt like a warm hand on the back of her thigh. The car smelled like lemon oil and purred like a semi-satisfied big cat after a meal.
She shifted in her seat, nudging her purse with her heels. After so long, being reunited with her handbag felt like a major triumph. She knew her cellphone was in there too, and imagined what she would say to Bernie first.
“Bernie! Send help!”
“Bernie! I’m being held captive by billionaire vampire brothers and you have to get me out of here!”
“Bernie! Your daughter is definitely up to some bad shit! Also, send help!”
It didn’t matter. At the first opportunity, she planned on firing up her cellphone and just letting the words flow. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Gunner’s arrogant face when Bernie started yelling at him. Bernie was terrifying.
“You were living at Grant’s place? By the interstate, right?”
“Um, yeah,” Tesa said, moving in her seat and loving the sound of the leather creaking, “how did you know that?”
Gunner shot her a smirk. “We know a lot about you, Tesa. Quite a lot.”
We, Tesa thought. I hope he means him and Stark. Not some secret organization of pervy vampire spies.
She wanted to touch every gleaming surface but resisted, so Gunner wouldn’t make fun of her. She caressed it with her eyes instead: the gleaming metal of the gear shift, the glossy burl wood inlay, the elegant levered covers over secret compartments.
It was nice. Really nice, she had to admit. Yes, she was the victim here, but when would she be in a car like this again? Couldn’t hurt to enjoy it just for a second.
Gunner drove over the farm roads at breakneck speeds, slamming on the brakes and cutting the wheel before a turn so that the back wheels spun out, screaming. Yet, somehow, Tesa felt completely safe as though being carried on a royal litter.
She suppressed a smile and stared out the window at the tall corn as it whizzed by in a blur. Three horses ran alongside them for a few moments when they passed a field, and then they were gone in a blink.
The narrow farm roads gave way to industrial drives, and then to a long highway that was hardly used anymore since the interstate came through. It was dotted with seedy motels, one-room biker bars, and adult bookstores. (The phrase “adult bookstore” always seemed pretty funny to Tesa. The men sneaking in the back door didn’t seem very literary to her.)
Closer to the interstate, short, nondescript strip malls sprang up, and Gunner skidded sideways through the alley that led between two of them. As he cut a corner she saw the two-story, L-shaped apartment complex surrounded a weed-pocked parking lot. All the doors faced the lot.
Gunner spun into a parking space and yanked up the parking brake. He turned to Tesa and raised one eyebrow.
“Which one is it?” he asked, jerking his head toward the double row of apartment doors.
“I thought you knew everything about me,” Tesa said sarcastically.
“I do. I just wanted to see if you were going to lie.”
Tesa sighed through her nose. “Fine. It’s number 21. Right?”
“Numbered housing,” Gunner said. “How quaint.”
Tesa shook her head. “You are seriously a douche.”
Gunner pouted. “You know, I have never understood why everyone says that. By all accounts, a douche is a rather refreshing experience, no?”
Tesa’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, and she finally just shook her head in dismay.
“Can I go now?”
“Are you going
to try to run?”
Tesa paused, chewing the inside of her lip. “Yes, probably.”
Gunner smiled and opened his door. “Great, now we are getting somewhere. Honesty. Let’s go.”
Rolling her eyes, Tesa sighed dramatically and opened her door. Her new tall boots looked especially glamourous against the cracked asphalt. She closed the car door behind her. The sound was so heavy and sexy she wanted to sigh.
The apartment complex looked deserted. Tall blue chicory flowers straggled in weedy spikes along the rusty railing. Somewhere behind the complex, she could hear the squeak of a rusty playground swing.
Tesa kicked an empty forty ounce beer bottle from the sidewalk and made her way up the stairs to the second floor. She could hear Gunner’s sarcastic chuckle behind her.
She knew he was laughing at all this, and laughing at her for being a part of it. But how could she defend it? After days and days trapped in the absolute lap of luxury, the extreme shabbiness of everything really stood out to her.
Could she make a break for it? She looked for possible exits. The other stairs? Or maybe pound on a neighbor’s door?
Not yet, she told herself. Wait until something better comes along. Don’t end up back here.
Holding on hard to the railing, she hoisted herself over the one stair that was mostly rubble. It bothered her, and she didn’t really know exactly why.
How did I think this place was okay? she wondered. I’ve been running for so long, I just got here by mistake. It’s not like I really made a choice, anyway. There was really no place left to go. And now… Well, even if I got away for a second, he’d catch me right away.
Something will come up, she reassured herself. Something better. It won’t be like this forever.
Standing outside Grant’s door, Tesa raised her hand to knock, then stopped. She glanced at Gunner. Wait… was she embarrassed? It wasn’t even her place, but she still didn’t want anyone else to see it.
“I really don’t have that much stuff,” she said weakly.
“I don’t imagine so,” he agreed, scowling at the rusty railing.
“Maybe I could go in alone?” she suggested. In her mind she saw images of dirty clothes on the floor, ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts, and a sink full of cockroach-infested dishes.
