“I saw him. He let it slip.” Arden shrugged and reached out as if to touch her.
Kat jerked back, shuddering at the thought of his touch. “Please, don’t.”
“What’s wrong with you? Don’t be like that. Whether you like it or not, you need me. Unless you want to be the next one he takes out.”
Kat was enraged and shaken by Arden’s revelation. Her temper reached the breaking point. “And what if I do? At least I’d finally be rid of you. I want you to leave. Now.”
A menacing smile slowly spread across Arden’s face. He advanced on her, seemingly enjoying the panic and anger she exuded. “No. Not until you agree to come with me. I want to keep you safe. Why can’t you see that?”
It was all a lie. Kat could see right through him. This was about him trying to control her, regardless of whether what he said about Luca was true. The way Arden’s eyes shone, that glimmer of pure evil, instilled terror within her. She’d known it would come to this. Their back-and-forth conflict could only go on for so long. It had to come to an end, one way or another.
“Just get out,” she shouted, bracing for a physical altercation. “I don’t want you to do anything for me. Don’t you get it?”
Arden’s energy grew hot until it burned. Kat couldn’t escape it, despite how hard she tried to shield against it. If he really wanted to, he could scorch her to a crisp with little more than sheer will. He was powerful, more so than she. And he had to be stopped.
He grabbed her so hard that his fingernails bit into her flesh, drawing blood. Forcing her against the kitchen counter, Arden shook with rage. The counter dug into her back as she resisted.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, bitch?” Arden yelled into her face. His eyes were wild, no sign of sanity remaining within them. “I gave you everything! And this is how you repay me?”
An emotional tornado spiraled inside Kat as anger and despair grew into a raging storm. She glanced around for something, anything to use as a weapon. She feared how quickly the situation could get much worse.
“Repay you? For decades of endless hell? I don’t owe you fuck all.” In a bold move, she brought her knee up hard, straight into his groin. Arden immediately let her go and staggered back a few feet.
Glancing frantically around the kitchen, Kat’s gaze landed on one thing. Arden spied the silver dagger as she reached for it. After Luca had left, she’d slid it in behind some decorative canisters on the counter. The sound of metal sliding on the granite countertop echoed around them.
Recognition flickered in Arden’s eyes. He struggled to straighten, his movements stiff and pained. “I know that dagger. Where did you get it?”
Kat’s heart seized, and her mind went blank. How could he know? “What difference does it make? It’s going to end your miserable existence.”
“That’s Malcolm Alexander’s dagger. What the hell have you been up to, Katarina?”
They faced off, separated by little more than a few feet of linoleum. She clutched the dagger tightly, ready to use it. He looked as if he didn’t doubt she would.
“It’s a damn silver dagger. How can you determine whom it belonged to?” she questioned, hoping to buy some time. She could feel it—the breakdown of the moment. Once one of them made a move, it would all be over.
“You don’t really think I’m that stupid, do you? I knew Malcolm well. And I know that is his dagger. The telltale A carved into the handle kind of gave it away. There is only one place you could have gotten it.”
There was nothing she could say. The truth was staring each of them in the face. As desperately as she wished she could deny it, there was no point. But she had no intention of confirming his suspicions. The series of emotions that swam through Arden’s eyes didn’t scare her. She was ready for him now. With Luca’s dagger in her hand, she had never felt more secure or determined.
“You fucked the vampire hunter. You good-for-nothing little tramp. You played right into his hands. Don’t you think that’s what he wants? Your trust?”
“Shut up!” Kat took a step forward, raising the dagger. Surprise flashed across Arden’s tight features, and he reacted defensively. The power he directed at her hurt, but it wasn’t enough to overwhelm the strength of her burning need for his death.
“You’re a traitor, Kat.” Arden’s voice shook with vehemence. “I’m going to make you sorry.”
He moved, which was all Kat needed. She reacted without conscious thought, the dagger slicing through the air. There was a moment of resistance when the blade came in contact with Arden’s chest, then a pop as it sank deep inside.
They stared at one another as if time had stopped. Kat didn’t let go of the dagger’s handle. Instead, she gave it another hard shove. Arden shrieked and jerked away. He let out a second scream when the blade withdrew, coated in his blood. It pumped from the wound, spilling all over the kitchen floor.
“Missed the heart, bitch,” he choked out before falling to his knees. Struggling to get up, he practically dragged his body toward the door. A trail of blood followed him.
Kat watched him slither away like the snake he was, wondering why she didn’t take the opportunity to finish him off. She watched Arden throw himself out the door to the lawn below the front step. In a blink, he’d disappeared into the night.
She slammed the door shut and leaned against it, clutching the bloody dagger to her like it was something warm and comforting. Arden knew about her and Luca. And he was by no means dead. After a full day of rest, he would be healed. And he would come after her again.
She slid to the floor as crimson tears stung her eyes before overflowing down her cheeks. She didn’t give a damn about Arden, didn’t even care if he came back for her. What he’d said about Luca hurt. Though she didn’t know Luca well, she didn’t get the sense he was that low. To sleep with her with the intent to kill her? No. It couldn’t be true.
With hands bloody from both her tears and the dagger, Kat made herself get to her feet. After dropping the dagger into the sink, she shuffled down the hall to her room. Once she had cleaned up a little, she would pay a visit to Luca. She needed answers.
* * * *
What was she thinking? A one-night stand was hardly reason enough to be standing on Luca’s doorstep but that was bullshit, and Kat knew it. Looking for an excuse to walk away wouldn’t change anything, least of all the truth. He’d given her his home address before departing her house. Surely it was an invitation.
She stared at the door, her hand raised to knock. When had she become so weak? She should be kicking the door down in a violent rage. Why was she there anyway? Really, what was she thinking would come of it? Maybe she should just go and let whatever was bound to happen play out.
As she turned to go, the door swung open. The sound struck her like an anvil. She didn’t turn to look at him until he spoke her name.
“Kat? I didn’t expect you.”
Her senses homed in on the lively blood pumping through Luca’s veins mingled with the crisp, masculine cologne he wore. She ached for him. There was no denying it any longer. She’d fallen for him, hard.
“Luca…I needed to see you. I hope you don’t mind. I really shouldn’t have shown up unannounced like this.”
He stood framed in the doorway, his dark hair mussed in a way that was nothing but sexy. He studied her, and she felt like the most beautiful woman alive. The way he looked at her was deep and meaningful, and shook her to the core. Stepping back to allow her entry, he shook his head.
“No, I’m glad you came. I’ve been thinking about you.”
The way her heart soared at his words felt like a million tiny butterflies fluttering their delicate wings against her insides. There was no preventing the beaming smile that came to her lips in response. It was a relief to know she wasn’t the only one. Not many moments had passed since their night together when she hadn’t thought of him.
Luca’s town house was simple but welcoming. He didn’t have the newest furniture or the biggest TV,
but the place felt lived in. She liked that. His scent was everywhere.
A bottle of whiskey sat open on the coffee table in the living room. Beside it, a handful of stakes and a hefty canister of gasoline. He closed the door behind her, and she faced him, hoping so much that Arden was wrong.
“I saw Arden tonight,” she began, brushing off his offer to sit. “He told me something about you, and I need to know if it’s true.”
“Right to it, then.” Luca reached for the liquor bottle. “I should have known this wasn’t a casual visit. If it means anything, I saw him tonight too.”
That caught Kat off guard. What kind of game was Arden playing? “You did? Here?”
After taking a long swallow from the bottle, he shook his head, a lock of hair falling into his eyes. “No. At a local bar. He just wanted to talk. Or so he said. Either way, it wasn’t important. Please, go on.”
Confused and irritated, Kat wished she could turn back time and plunge that dagger into Arden’s black heart after all. Damn him!
“He told me something—about you. I didn’t want to believe it, but I can’t help but feel that it’s true.” The words caught in her throat. Suddenly she was terrified to hear Luca say it was true and she was nothing but another damn vampire to be rid of. The very thought pained her. Was this love? Was it supposed to hurt like this?
“All right.” The color drained from Luca’s face, and he downed another swig of whiskey. “Ask me anything. I would never lie to you.”
When she focused, Kat could hear his pulse increase in tempo. He was anxious, fearing her question. That, in turn, made her hesitant to ask. A small vision played out in her head. Walking out the door and disappearing from town altogether was immensely tempting but also wouldn’t change anything. She had already begun to feel for him.
“Are you planning to kill me?” Blurting out the question was the only way to force it through her lips.
Luca stared at her like a man facing the firing squad. Either he hadn’t expected that exact question or he didn’t know how to answer it. He took a step toward her, and she backed away. If he touched her, she would crumble. And she refused to allow that until she knew the truth.
“No, Kat.” Two of the simplest words, yet she longed to hear them more than anything. “I am not planning to kill you.”
“But you have to, don’t you?” She rushed her words, forcing it all out while she had the strength to do so. “If you want your life back, you have to take down every one of us Arden has made. Don’t you?”
Luca’s face fell. He sat heavily on one of the two sofas and abandoned the bottle. “Aw fuck!”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Kat shook with emotion, her voice scarcely a whisper. Of course it was true. She was a vampire, and he, the hunter. Though she’d hoped with everything in her that Arden had lied, she’d known it wasn’t so. And that hurt her beyond belief.
“Let me explain, Kat. It’s not so cut-and-dried. Not anymore.” He peered into her pleadingly.
Mustering the darkest glare she could, Kat crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to continue. What could she say? She already felt like an idiot. After nearly two centuries of walking the earth and discovering what animals men were, she’d still fallen for one.
“It’s true. The end of Arden’s bloodline is the key to my freedom. But, Kat, you’ve got to believe me. I never expected any of this—I never expected you.”
He stared at her with such sadness. Kat’s heart broke as she looked into those forlorn puppy-dog eyes. “You can’t drive a stake into the heart of someone you fucked?”
Luca flinched at her words, and she hated herself for saying them. He had never been anything but nice to her, even that first night in the cemetery when he could have attempted to dust her. She’d kissed him, and he hadn’t lifted a finger against her. Instead, he’d kissed her back.
She flushed with heat in remembrance of that night. In some ways, it felt like it had been so long ago. Who would have thought just a matter of days could change everything for her?
“I can’t drive a stake through the heart of someone I don’t see as one of the monsters.” Luca got to his feet, ignoring her defensive stance. His hands were warm against her bare upper arms as he pulled her close. “I’ll be honest with you. I am so fucking confused. I don’t know what to do anymore because I have sought one thing for so many years. But I know I can’t harm a single red hair on your head. I won’t.”
Closing her eyes, Kat sank into the strong arms of the man she couldn’t get off her mind. She was filled with a heady blend of physical and emotional longing. She wanted him so badly, she could feel it from the tips of her toes to the center of her soul.
“What are you saying, Luca? Do you have feelings for me?” Before Kat allowed herself to enjoy the feelings that swept her with a lively glow, she needed to know.
His breath came hot against her ear when he sucked the lobe into his mouth. A shiver shot down her spine, flooding her with excitement. “I didn’t plan to. All I know is that I have craved you every moment since the other night. Hell, even before that night. And it wasn’t just the sex. When I left your side, I left a piece of myself behind.”
Could he possibly be any sweeter? Kat couldn’t have resisted those words if she’d tried. His scent tantalized her, drawing her attention to the blood rushing beneath the surface of his skin. It was mouth-watering, pure, and strong. She ached to taste him, but it wasn’t about the blood hunger. It was about knowing Luca in a manner more intimate than even sex.
“I don’t know what it is about you, Kat,” he continued, sliding his hands down her back in a loving caress. “You’ve got me under your spell. And I don’t even want to break free.”
As lovely as his words were, she had to face reality. “What about Arden? And everything else? This feels like punishment for all the wrongs I’ve done.”
Pulling back so he could look into her face, Luca shook his head forcefully. “No. Don’t talk like that. Love is never a punishment. I’ll kill Arden, all right. With him, it’s different. I want him dead.”
“What about me? I need to die so you can be free.” Kat’s voice rose until it bordered on hysterical. The truth was daunting—it was justice in its most horrific form.
“Stop that.” He gave her a slight shake before crushing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. “I don’t want to think about any of that. I just want to love you.”
He kissed her again, his tongue dipping into her mouth, exploring her. As desperate as she was to melt into his seductive touch, she felt the need to resist. They had to figure out what to do now that Arden knew about them. She had to tell Luca.
“Wait,” she gasped out, her lips moving against his. “Arden—he knows about us. He saw your dagger.”
A low groan escaped Luca, and he cursed softly. “What happened? He couldn’t have been too willing to let you come here.”
“No. He wasn’t. He got aggressive, so I stabbed him. I missed the heart. It won’t take him long to heal.”
Luca cast a glance at the gas can on the coffee table. “Shit. Then I guess I’ll have to get moving on my plan while he’s weakened. I’m burning that fucker’s house to the ground with him inside. It seems to be the easiest way to get the rest of them too. I’ll go just before dawn.”
Kat bit her bottom lip nervously. “Are you sure? I don’t want anything to happen to you. I won’t be able to come with you at that time of day.”
“No. And I don’t want you to.” Gently kissing her forehead, he held her as if he’d never let go. “I’m not risking you for anything.”
Her heart surged with emotion, but her common sense refused to let her enjoy it. “What are you saying, Luca? Really.”
He stared at her for so long that she began to expect the worse. Something was going on between them, and it had to be laid on the line now, before it was too late. Everything about Luca felt so right. All he had to do was touch her, and nothing else mattered. Theirs was a love most forb
idden, yet here they were.
“I’m falling in love with you. I can’t get you out of my head. Not since that very first kiss.” Luca sighed and held her tighter. “We can be together, Kat. You just have to tell me that’s what you want.”
A tornado of thoughts battled with the swell of emotion, each threatening to consume her. She was conflicted, overcome with joy, and stricken by worry. The vampire and the hunter in love? It was such a paradox. Could it be? She wanted so badly to believe it.
The warmth of Luca’s living flesh, his sweet breath when he kissed her, and the lively aura of his being—all of it called to her, enticed her to believe. There was nowhere else she’d rather be.
“It’s what I want,” she murmured. “To be here with you always. Can that dream actually come true?”
Luca took her hand and led her away from the living room, down the hall to his bedroom. She followed him with a renewed sense of hope in her heart when he softly said, “It already has.”
Chapter Ten
“Do you trust me?”
Luca raised an eyebrow in response to the unexpected question. Reclining on the bed, one hand beneath his head, he watched Kat dig through his closet, clad in nothing but a little white thong. They had hours yet before sunrise. He wanted to make love to her. And she’d insisted he lie back and let her run the show.
“I do trust you, Kat.” He didn’t even need to consider it. Had either of them ever truly wanted to kill the other, it would have happened. “Why do you ask, sweet thing?”
Since confessing his feelings and giving words to his newfound emotions, Luca felt liberated. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his very soul. And even though it meant never living a natural human life or death, it didn’t matter. He no longer felt imprisoned. Not as long as he had her. If anything, it was too perfect. They had all the time in the world to be together.
Kat slid onto the bed with the grace of a dancer, her perky breasts bobbing as she moved. Watching her sent a surge of blood racing to his already hard cock. He’d been ready for her since she’d appeared on his doorstep.
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