Chapter Twenty
Chelle
“They’re outside,” Daddy whispers to us, holding his finger up to his lips so that Mommy and I will stay quiet. Mommy holds me tight. Too tight, and I squirm under her embrace until I feel wetness on my arm. I look up into Mommy’s face to see tears dripping down her cheeks. Why is Mommy crying? Mommy isn’t supposed to cry. I’m scared. Daddy is crouched down in front of us as we sit on the hardwood floor in the closet that smells like Skittles’ cage in my room. Mommy told me it was cedar wood when we first got Skittles. We are hiding from someone, but I’m not sure who. Daddy kisses Mommy on the lips and then me on the cheek and tells us to stay in the closet. That he will take care of things. He closes the door, leaving us inside as darkness covers us and Mommy holds me even tighter.
“Mommy,” I whisper. “What’s going on?”
“Mommy? Mommy?”
“Chelle. Chelle, wake up.” Lane’s voice was in my head. My eyes fluttered and then opened to see everyone standing around me.
“What happened?” I asked.
“You fainted, then you were calling for your mommy. Again.”
“Fainted?”
I leaned on my hands to sit up, but Maggie stopped me. “Whoa. You need to stay put for a few more minutes. “Do you remember anything before you fainted?”
I shook my head. “No.” That was a lie. I remembered very well. I’d been thinking about trying to remember my mom and dad and the spell I’d chanted. Then all of a sudden, everything changed and I was little again. It was like the dream I’d had, only this time, it felt so much more real. “I remember feeling very lightheaded. But I’m fine now,” I insisted and pulled myself into a sitting position despite Maggie’s protests.
Lane held out his hand and helped me to stand, and I tipped a bit off balance, grabbing my forehead with my palm. “Sorry.” I gave him a small smile, still unsure of my physical ability to remain standing.
“Do you think it was the spell?” Maggie asked Vanessa.
She shrugged. “Maybe. Did you have a vision right before you passed out?”
“Um…no. Not before. But during,” I admitted. There was no harm in telling them. “It was similar to the dream I had the other night, only more vivid. I’m a child, hiding in a closet with my mom, I guess. We’re scared, I think. But I don’t have any idea why.”
“Give it time. It should all come back to you. And if what just happened is any indication, it’s going to happen soon.” V smiled and placed her hand on my shoulder.
I started to take a step when I felt dizzy again. “Whoa.”
Lane led me to a chair. “Sit down. When was the last time you fed? And I’m not talking about tonight’s dinner.” I knew very well what he meant. I’d lied to him about feeding for the last few nights. I hadn’t gotten any blood from that asshole biker, and, of course, I hadn’t fed from Josh.
“I…I think last Wednesday.” Today was Tuesday, so it had been almost a week since I’d had any fresh blood in my veins.
“You lied to me?”
“I’m sorry,” I cowered, and instantly hated myself—and Lane—for it. He turned to walk away, shaking his head, making me feel ashamed. No, not ashamed. Just incompetent. Then something came over me. I had to stand up for myself. If I just gave in and acted like a scared little girl, I’d never make it in this horrible and frightening world I’d been forced into. I needed to be strong. I needed to be that girl in the bar I’d been last week. I’d been strong then, and at the beach. Just a little forgetful, that’s all. “Lane! Stop treating like I’ll never be good enough!” I shouted.
He was on me in a flash, his hand at my throat, his teeth bared. He spoke slowly and through a tightly clenched jaw. “I should have let you die. You’re nothing but trouble.”
What the hell?
I heard a few gasps from the others.
That stung. I felt a sob building in my throat, but I held it in as he continued. “I’ll treat you any way I think I should, until you learn,” he shot back. “Don’t ever lie to me again.” He let go of my neck, and I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.
But I didn’t back down once he released me. Instead, I stood and took a step toward him. “You did this to me. Yes, I lied to you! I lied because you would have taken away my freedom! Again!” I shouted at him. “You stole my life, and gave me what? A life of imprisonment? A life where I can’t even walk outside and soak in the sun’s rays during the day. A life where I’m a slave to you at night? I don’t want to be a prisoner anymore, Lane. I can’t live this way. I won’t. You can bully me all you want. Go ahead and kill me. You’re right, you should have let me die.”
“Stop this!” Cian came between us, shoving his brother back away from me, but I wasn’t finished. I still had more to say, and nobody was going to stop me. I pushed past Cian’s arms.
“I screwed up, Lane. I didn’t compel the asshole that clocked me on the beach. I’m not perfect. But neither are you. You’re the one who killed me, remember? Sure, I know it was an accident, but it doesn’t change what you did. At least, I’m working on my flaws. And I’m making progress. You know how I know I’m making progress?” He didn’t answer. Nobody answered. They all just waited, silently, giving me the time, and in a way, the courage I needed to go on. “I know because a few nights ago, I was with a human and I didn’t even try to feed off him. Do you know why, Lane? I didn’t feed from him, because…because I like him, and I didn’t want to hurt him or take something from him without his consent.” Shit. I paused, realizing I’d just told them about Josh, but when no one gasped or said anything, I finished my rant. “So, you tell me, Lane, who’s the bigger monster here?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Josh
I jolted awake when the sound of a siren shrieked outside. The fog running through my brain made it all seem as if the loud shrill initiated from the interior of my apartment, maybe even inside my head. I looked around. I was on the sofa, again. It was still dark out, and an empty bottle of scotch stood next to another half-full one in front of me on the coffee table. I picked up my phone to see what time it was, but only saw blurry, fuzzy white lines across the black screen. I rubbed my eyes a bit and chanced another look; two-thirty in the morning. I yawned then strolled into the bathroom. My eyes fell on the bed as I passed. The sheets were still rumpled from a few mornings before, left that way after Chelle had hurried away from me without an explanation. I hadn’t used the bed since.
When I finished with the toilet, I figured I might as well take a shower. There was no way I’d be going back to sleep. Not with all the horror going on in my brain. A murder seen by a little girl so horrific she’d somehow wiped it from her memories. Another murder, one that could have been prevented by two little words. Two fucking little words.
Don’t go.
I clutched at the pain in my stomach then hurried back to the toilet and puked up a shitload of whiskey that had settled in my gut, retching until dry heaves indicated there was nothing left inside of me. Nothing except the vision of all the blood dripping from the monster’s lips as he threw Emily onto the ground like she was nothing more than an old rag doll. Her neck slashed across the throat to hide how he’d really killed her.
I wasn’t skittish when it came to viewing dead bodies. I’d seen my share. But thinking of the possibilities that could make a child completely block out a murder got me thinking about the most horrific sight I’d ever witnessed. Maybe Chelle and I had more in common than just lust.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chelle
I held my head high, my eyes fixed on Lane’s, my arms crossed over my chest, feeling very much the conqueror. But that feeling quickly diminished as Lane and Cian stared at me. I thought that maybe I’d gone too far. Revealing anything about Josh was a mistake. I should have dematerialized. But I didn’t budge. I stood and stared at my Maker. Sucking my lips into a thin line. All the others stood around, silently waiting. Even Cian, the only one in the room who could ev
er talk sense into his brother. Everyone waited for Lane to say something.
“You were with a human and you didn’t use him for food?”
I shook my head.
“And you like him.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Is this the same human you mentioned the other night? The one you said meant nothing to you?”
“Yes. I lied. Or I was trying to convince myself. Either way, yes.”
“You plan on seeing him again.” It was a statement not a question.
“Yes, I hope to.” I thought about the way I’d left Josh the other morning and that I hadn’t been back since. Would he want to see me again?
“You didn’t tell him what you were?”
“No.”
“Do you plan to?” I wondered if this was a trick question. If I said yes, would Lane threaten to compel Josh to forget me?
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“You do know that a relationship between a human and a vampire rarely works out.”
“Wait a minute,” Maggie said. “Cian and I were doing quite well.”
“Until Jewels killed you,” Cian reminded her.
“Exactly,” Lane said. “A relationship between a vampire and a human will undoubtedly either become too difficult to maintain, or somebody will get killed. If you care for this guy as much as you say, I suggest you not see him again.”
“Are you forbidding it?” I asked.
“No. You want to be your “own” person. Do what you want. I release my hold on you, completely. Do whatever the fuck you want,” he said and walked out of the room.
I started to follow him. I didn’t want him to be so angry with me. “Let him go,” Cian said. “He needs to process it all. He cares about you, he just doesn’t know how to show it. He feels like he’s the one who failed.”
“But he hasn’t failed. I’ve learned to control the urge. The bloodlust.” The room began to spin again and I reached up to my forehead.
“Sit down, Chelle,” Gage said, holding a bag of blood out for me. “Here. Drink. You’ll feel better. You might not want to drink that guy’s blood now, but if you don’t take some nourishment before you see him again, you won’t be able to control yourself.” I took the plastic container from him and put it to my lips, sucking in the ever-so-needed victuals.
As I sipped on the blood, Lane strolled back into the room. I stiffened. He walked over to me, and reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a leather band with a brown circular piece of leather attached to it. Small wings were intricately etched into the leather and it had a strong maroon tint to it. He put it around my neck. “This is something to keep you from harm, so I’ll always be with you. I made it the day after I turned you. It’s been soaking in my blood. I still believe you are making a mistake, but I won’t stand in your way. I just want you to be safe.”
“Thank you, Lane. This is lovely.”
“Now, who is this human you’re seeing?” Lane asked.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to respond because I knew the minute I said Josh’s name, they would know who he was. So, I just kept drinking but stole a glance at Maggie. Unfortunately, Cian caught it.
“Why is she looking at you?” Cian asked Maggie. “You knew about this?”
She nodded. “Just today.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because she asked me not to, and…it really wasn’t any of your business.”
Oh, my. I thought for sure Cian would pop a vein knowing she’d kept something from him. But instead, he nodded. “You’re right. It really isn’t.”
I exhaled a sigh of relief as he skimmed his knuckles gently down her cheek. The last thing I’d wanted was to cause a rift between Cian and Maggie.
Then he turned back toward me. “But, I don’t want any trouble here in the mansion, so I’m going to ask again, who is this human you are seeing?”
“His name is Josh.”
“Josh. Josh who?” he prompted.
“Josh…Barrett.”
“Magdalena, is this the same Josh Barrett you used to work with?”
“Yes.”
“A reporter? Of all the humans in San Francisco, you had to go for a reporter?” Cian sounded awfully calm about it, even though I detected a bit of concern.
“Cian, I was a reporter when you and I started seeing each other.”
“Yes. I know. But this reporter knew you before you changed. This could be trouble for us.”
“I won’t bring him here,” I said. “I haven’t told him anything about me or any of you.”
Lane stepped closer to me. “Chelle, there’s no crime in a human-vampire relationship, even though I don’t like it and I don’t think they work out most of the time. If you do tell him what you are, just remember, if he can’t or won’t accept it, then you must compel him to forget you. Regardless of your feelings for him. Do you understand?” Lane said.
“Yes. I understand.”
“Good,” Lane said. “Now, we have a few hours before we go on tonight. I think a good hunt is in order, and Chelle needs some fresh blood. That stuff in the bag was probably months old. Who’s in?”
“I’ll go,” Gage said.
“Wait, I thought you released me from our bond?”
“I did. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help you. You’re welcome to go off on your own or not go with us, either way, I think you need to feed.”
“I think I’ll stay home.” Maggie kissed Cian briefly on the lips. “Have fun. Vanessa and I have some catching up to do.”
“Will I see you later at the club?” Cian asked.
“I’d like to stay in. V and I haven’t had much time together lately.” Maggie stepped closer to me and whispered in my ear. “This would be a good night for you to bring Josh to the club since I’ll be staying home.”
I gave Maggie a smile and a hug. “Thanks.” As much as I’d like everyone to meet Josh, I wasn’t sure I wanted to bring him to the club, putting him on display for the guys as if I needed their approval. But it wouldn’t hurt to go out with them tonight before seeing Josh. I wanted to see him again so badly I felt an ache between my thighs. Getting some fresh sustenance in me before that seemed like an excellent idea, though I didn’t like the idea of drawing blood from another man. Maybe I’d just take a couple of pulls off Lane’s. Though I hated the thought of going backwards with my progress; that would probably make him feel more like I needed him.
“I’ll go with you guys for a while, but afterwards, I have somewhere I need to be,” I told Lane.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Josh
It was Saturday, my day off, but I had worked all day searching on my computer for information about Adrienne. After several hours of nothing out of the ordinary, I’d discovered that Adrienne had a brother. The reason it had taken me so long to piece it together was because he had a different last name. Alan Reynolds. He was her half-brother. Same mother, different fathers, and he was eighteen years older than she was. Alan Reynolds was a sergeant for the SFPD, close to retirement age, and widowed.
Was he her source?
He had to be. Who other than a brother, or a lover, would someone like Adrienne—a smokin’ hot babe with a job most male reporters would give their right nut for—put her career on the line for?
I sat back and stretched. I’d been sitting in the same position in front of my computer screen for hours. I got up and walked to the window. The sun was on its way down. It was always such a gorgeous sight the way the majestic orangish-red colors played against the clouds as the orb sank below the horizon with the bridge and the vast ocean in the foreground.
I hadn’t eaten all day, and thought I’d give the diner another shot. Who knew, maybe Chelle would show up. I could not get her out of my head.
I sat in the same booth, brooding over the way she’d walked out on me. After several nights of not hearing from her, I should have given up, but I needed her to find me again. So I waited. After two hours, she ne
ver showed, so I just went home. She knew where I lived if she wanted to see me. But I did worry that something might have happened to her. I was sure if she’d been discovered by either the Feds or the SFPD, I would have been updated.
I flipped the lid to the laptop up and stared at the three pictures of Chelle. My God, she was beautiful, even in the picture that must be at least three years old. I glanced at the five-year-old Chelle. She’d been cute, a pretty kid, a beautiful teenager, but most of all, now a gorgeous woman.
I picked up the bottle of scotch. It seemed like it would be another night just like every other night of my life, and if I was to be alone, I’d need the comfort of the alcohol to dull the pain of remembering my past. This was my way of coping with the demons. I wondered just how the hell Chelle coped with hers. Because I could only guess that she had a shitload of them, having witnessed her parents’ murders at such a young age.
The ding-dong sound of the doorbell sang like an old Avon commercial. I set the bottle down and went to the peephole. I peeked out to see Chelle standing there. I quickly opened the door. My breath hitched at the sight of her. She was more than gorgeous in a rock and roll groupie sort of way, wearing the same pink leather jacket she’d worn the other night over some sort of black and white bustier. A pair of very sexy tight jeans hugged her legs. Her face lit up with a beautiful smile when I opened the door. Her cheeks gleamed with a rosy color that she hadn’t had before.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.” Like a horny adolescent, I stood there, gaping at her.
“May I come in?”
“Oh. Yes. Most definitely, yes.” I shook my head at my eager response and my lack of manners. I stepped aside. “Please, come in.”
“Thank you,” she said and turned to me. “I’m sorry I ran out on you the other morning. I wasn’t feeling well and I…I didn’t want to be sick in front of you.”
Captivated by a Vampire: Billionaire, Rock Stars, Vampires in San Francisco (Immortal Hearts of San Francisco Book 2) Page 10
