Secrets in Blood

by Patricia D. Eddy

  She sighed. He hadn’t taken much, but she hadn’t eaten since this morning. She laid her head on his chest. “Si.”

  Nic scooped her up in his arms and started to run. His life mate weighed almost nothing. He would carry her for the rest of her life if she let him. The feel of her slight body against his chest, the way she turned her head into his neck when he increased his speed, and the warmth of her breath ghosting over his skin all served to cement their bond. If only he could convince her to stay…but then…what to do about her humanity?

  After half an hour, they came upon a bridge built high over the river. Nic set Evangeline on her feet, and they both gaped at the size.

  “I’ve never…wow.”

  Wonder sparkled in Evangeline’s eyes. Regret squeezed Nic’s heart as he realized the only construction she had ever seen had been the catacombs and the cabin. He could not wait for her to see Italy. No media could properly represent such natural and architectural beauty.

  “We should follow it now, west,” Nic said. “But until we contact Carlo, we should not risk flagging down a passing car. Anyone we meet could be loyal to the Hand of God.” He started to scoop her into his arms again, but she protested.

  “I’m fine now. I can run.”

  Something in her voice stayed his stride, and he turned her to face him. “I fear for what your father is planning. But I also fear for what we…the Conclave…must do to stop him. Once I make the call, there may be no turning back. They may insist on his capture.”

  She looked over at him, her face suddenly sober. “Nic, my father is a monster.”

  The intense fear that laced her words and the sudden grip of ice around his heart had him reaching for her, but she pulled away and headed for one of the massive bridge supports, running her hand over the rough concrete.

  “He had me shot, kidnapped, stabbed, and burnt to a crisp. He wanted me restrained against my will, caged, just as you were, so he could use my body. He’s my fucking father. He’s supposed to love me.”

  Nic took a step towards her, but she retreated. “No, let me finish. If he’s willing to do all of that to his own daughter, he’s never going to stop until he’s killed every vampire in the world. Including you. I can’t let that happen. I won’t. Because,” she shook her head, the tears spilling onto her cheeks as he slipped his arms around her, “I just won’t.”

  Melting into his embrace, she whispered, “I won’t. I won’t.” The unspoken words blared across the quiet between them. She did care for him. Perhaps as much as he cared for her. His heart swelled with an emotion he had not felt in the eight hundred and twenty-three years of his vampire life. But he would not name it. If he did, he would never be able to walk away from her.

  22

  Evangeline yelped and leapt behind Nic when the first car sped by. Shit. She’d never seen anything move that fast.

  A large truck—Nic called the monstrosity a semi—seemed to shake the entire forest. “You could fit six dorm rooms in that thing,” she said. When his unease seeped into her heart across whatever bond they’d unwittingly formed, she linked their fingers.

  Speaking of her life down below saddened him, or perhaps dragged terrible memories to the surface. She hated thinking about him bound and caged for so long, afraid and alone.

  “What are we looking for?” she asked when he scanned the horizon. She couldn’t see much in the semi-darkness of dusk, but his eyes luminesced, and he squinted into the night.

  “A service station.” At Evangeline’s frown, he explained. “Most gas stations have pay phones. This time of night, this far from Seattle, we should encounter no more than one or two humans or vampires. Assuming we find a phone, I can call Carlo.”

  After another car passed, headlights illuminating their hiding place for a brief moment, Nic drew Evangeline against him and brushed his lips over the bonding mark. The contact calmed them both, and she wondered how long they could go before they wouldn’t be able to ignore the bond between them any longer.

  A light beckoned them from a short distance away. The flickering—a warning or a beacon, she couldn’t tell—drew his gaze. “Will you wait here while I investigate?” he asked, his eyes never still, scanning all around for threats.

  “No.” She pulled an arrow from her quiver, prepared to do whatever she needed to in order to fight for both of them.

  “I had to try.” His worry touched her, and he brought his hand to her lips.

  “I know.”

  As they jogged slowly towards the light, a nondescript shape coalesced and sharpened. A building with a faded, broken sign and red paint peeling from the overhang in long, narrow strips was dark inside. The gas pumps had been removed, thick bolts standing straight up from the concrete pads. Chains secured the glass doors, and a faded sign in the large window warned potential customers away.

  Nic sniffed the air. “I do not sense anyone. But stay close to me, per favore.”

  Along the back of the building, empty garbage bins lined the wall. “How long has this place been abandoned?” Evangeline asked.

  Movies hadn’t given her enough information to understand everything around her. She’d never be able to survive out here in the world alone.

  “Years. More than ten if I had to guess.” Nic grabbed the chain and grunted as he snapped the metal in two. But the door wouldn’t budge. “Locked. I don’t want to break the glass if we can find another way in.”

  Evangeline scanned the building, then pointed to a drainpipe affixed to the corner. “The roof?”

  With a grin, Nic pulled her close. “There should be an access panel up there. Wait here for me, si?”

  Nodding, she ducked down behind the garbage cans as he scrambled up the pipe, catching his hand on the eaves and pulling himself onto the roof. A few moments later, a lock snapped, and one of the doors opened. “Evangeline?”

  A single fluorescent bulb illuminated the small convenience store. Empty shelves spanned one side of the room, and the other held drink coolers. A door marked “Office” stood open. Stars shone from the open skylight. The store had been picked clean.

  Nic eased the pack from his shoulders and tossed the satchel into the office while Evangeline rubbed her arms, a knot forming in her stomach. “We’re going to have to go back, aren’t we?”

  Winding his arms around her, Nic pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You are not going anywhere near your father ever again.” The stiff set to his shoulders and the hint of fear in his voice didn’t reassure her. “Carlo will come and then take you somewhere safe. If there is still a vampire police force in the United States that is trustworthy, they can assist me. We will capture your father and stop him from making more of that cursed serum.”

  “No.” As Nic eased back to fix her with a hard stare, she continued. “We can’t be more than a quarter of a mile from each other without feeling horribly ill. You’re not going back there without me. Neither of us would survive that. And…what if you…died?”

  The dull glow from the streetlights cast shadows over Nic’s face. “I am terrified of losing you, Evangeline. Bringing you back to that place…risking you at all…it goes against everything I am.”

  “I know,” she murmured, resting her cheek against his chest. He felt so good, so strong and protective. Every moment she spent with him, she wanted more. If they managed to get to Italy, could she ever leave him? “You won’t lose me. Not if we stick together. But you can’t tell me you’re at full strength—or that you can focus well enough when you’re feeling the pain of being far away from me. I know I can’t.”

  The rumble of his voice in his chest comforted her. “You are right, cara. Very well. If Carlo comes, if he can convince the Conclave to send others, we could be five or six easily. Perhaps a small army if the police force assists us.”

  Nic gestured to the phone on the long-abandoned counter. “The phones have been disconnected. We will need to use the pay phone outside.” He glanced towards the glass doors. “You can wait here if you�
��d like.”

  His emotions, so transparent over this new bond, belied his words, and Evangeline shook her head. “I’m coming with you.”

  Relief softened his handsome features, and she took his hand, letting him lead her back outside.

  The promise of warmth lingered at the edge of the cold night. Stars twinkled overhead. They crammed themselves into the narrow phone booth, and he held her close as he lifted the receiver and dialed.

  A high-pitched female voice answered. “Pronto?”

  “Per favore, Giancarlo Vescovi,” Nic said.

  “Si, signore. Un momento.”

  The line clicked, and music floated into the booth. Evangeline chewed on her lower lip until Nic brushed his thumb over the still-tender flesh. When the line clicked again, a male voice answered.

  “Pronto?”

  “Giancarlo?”

  “Chi è?” The man’s question gave Nic pause.

  “Carlo mio, non riconosci la mia voce?”

  Carlo swore. “Merda. Nicola?”

  “Si, amico mio.” Nic pulled Evangeline closer. “In inglese, per favore, va bene?”

  “I thought you dead, my friend,” Carlo replied.

  “By rights, I should have been. We are at a pay phone along a stretch of deserted highway. I have much to tell you, but I will not risk my promessa sposa longer than absolutely necessary.”

  “Your…betrothed? Vaffanculo, Nicola. You are too old. You never sought to bond. How did this happen?”

  “I do not know. We have not completed the process. But that is a topic for later. We are in danger. Alone. I need you to come. Bring clothing, money, a car, and weapons. Is Pietro still with you?”

  “Si.”

  “We will need him. And a doctor—Vittoria.”

  “I do not understand, Nicola. Why do you need a doctor? Is your sposa ill?”

  With a sigh, Nic pulled Evangeline closer. “No. For the past eighteen years, I have been a prisoner of the Hand of God. They are testing a weapon against the vampire race—a serum that can weaken us, turn us mortal. I suspect a high enough dosage could kill us easily.”

  “Merda. How do you know this?”

  Evangeline felt the pain of Nic’s memories. He squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his arm around her. “They tested the serum on me.”

  Concern sharpened Carlo’s voice. “Are you injured? How badly?”

  “I am well enough. My Evangeline saved me. Her bravery—and her blood—are the only reasons I am alive.”

  “Her blood?”

  “Evangeline is human.” Nic tensed, almost cringing.

  “Human? You swore to me you would never use the incantesimo to control a human,” Carlo said, the accusation in his tone unmistakable.

  “He didn’t.” Anger welled deep inside her. “I’m here by choice.”

  Long moments of silence filled the small space until Nic cleared his throat. “Evangeline escaped with me. She risked her life for me—more than once. And she has paid the price.” He toyed with a lock of her hair as he stared up at the ceiling of the phone booth. “We are running out of food and have only the clothes on our backs.”

  “She was also a prisoner?” Carlo asked.

  Darting a glance towards the darkened highway, Nic replied, “Of a sort. We will explain when you get here.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Washington state. Along Interstate 90. There is an abandoned service station slightly west of milepost one-seventy-four. How quickly can you come?”

  The clatter of computer keys trickled over the line. “Less than twelve hours. Pietro is in Spain on Conclave business. I will need to stop for him. I can bring some clothing from your home. But for your…Evangeline? What size is she?”

  Before Evangeline could answer, Nic rattled off her sizes as easily as his own. “Ensure the clothing is appropriate for the wilderness and stealth. We may all be in the forest for a few days. I trust you can find proper supplies?”

  “Si. Is that all?”

  “Food. Good food. We have been living off of berries and whatever we could hunt since we escaped. Before that…I have not had a proper meal in eighteen years.” The longing in Nic’s voice saddened her.

  “Blood?” Carlo tapped his keyboard again.

  “Not for me. Evangeline’s is the only blood I will take now. But enough for you, Pietro, and Vittoria. You cannot feed off of any humans here—even in an emergency. Any of them could be infected with the serum.”

  “Si, si. I understand.”

  Nic switched to Italian for the last minute of the conversation. Evangeline wished she could understand him. Despite their connection, she wasn’t on steady ground.

  “What did you say to him?” she asked when Nic hung up.

  “Mi dispiace, tesoro. I told him that if we survived, I would bring you to my home—if you agreed. I suggested he have clothing delivered there for you. Even if we do not bond, you will have a safe place to rest and decide what you want to do next.”

  Nic led her back into the convenience store, then dragged one of the heavy metal shelves in front of the doors to seal them inside.

  Hopping up onto the counter, Evangeline hugged her knees to her chest. “Before Will…kidnapped me, I decided to go with you.” His relief washed away a physical weight pressing down on her shoulders. “I didn’t know how long I’d stay, or what I’d do once I got there…but being as far from Henry as possible sounded like a great idea. Now…I don’t know if I can walk away from you. Or if I want to.”

  Resting his back against the counter less than a foot away from her, Nic shoved his hands into his pockets. “If you asked, I would settle you at my home, then…leave. Go to Spain or Germany for a time to let the bonding fade. We would be ill for some time. Weeks, months…I don’t know. But then the bonding would fade. You would be free.”

  Free. She’d never been free. Not truly. “I don’t want you to go. I want…shit. Can we not talk about this right now?”

  “As you wish.” Nic offered her his hand, helped her off the counter, and led her back into the office. “I cannot imagine this floor is very comfortable—or clean—but we should be safe here for the night.”

  Evangeline pulled the blanket from the pack while Nic moved a desk, file cabinet, and bookcase against one wall. She could smell him. The unique, spicy scent that clung to his skin tortured her sanity. That was the only explanation for the ache in her core.

  “Tell me about Italy,” she said when they’d stretched out on the hard linoleum.

  His voice took on a wistful tone. “My home overlooks the sea. Sorrento—most of Italy—is old. We do not tear down buildings and rebuild like much of America. We repair. Preserve. Honor who and what came before us. The basilicas of Rome are some of the most beautiful examples of art and architecture in the world. From the outside, they are often nondescript. But inside, they are full of the most breathtaking frescos. I saw many of them built.”

  “Are you…religious?” Evangeline peered up at him in the semi-darkness. She knew so little about the man holding her.

  The tension in his breath answered her question, but still, she waited for his explanation. “Before I was turned, si. Carmella prayed every day. I was not so devout. But after her death—and my son’s—I’m afraid I cursed God many times over. After so many centuries, seeing war, famine, death, the plague…I do think God exists—even if only in the minds of those who believe. But I am also certain that all living beings have free will. I did not believe in miracles.” Nic brushed a kiss to her lips. “Until you. Now…I cannot dispute their existence.”

  Several minutes passed before Nic spoke again. “And you, cara? What of your beliefs?”

  Worry settled in her stomach. His. She couldn’t blame him. Not after what her father’s “religion” had done to him. “I was never a very good catechism student. All of the kids in the catacombs had to memorize the Hand of God’s Bible. Henry would…get angry if I didn’t pass my tests. I can quote any chapter and verse you name
. But, none of it ever made sense to me. And after he ‘killed’ you, I knew he’d lied to me. You weren’t evil. Dangerous, maybe. Evil, no. Watching him shoot you,” she shuddered, “I started to question everything. At least…in my own mind. And then, one of Henry’s buddies left a computer unsecured, and I found CNN. I was thirteen.” She reached for the backpack and withdrew her notebook. In the dim glow of the single bulb, she showed him all the notes she’d taken that day.

  “You were a smart child.” Nic scanned several pages. When he came to the paragraph about his disappearance, he sucked in a harsh breath. “So the American media believed me dead. And the government was trying to pass the Blood Slave Act. Merda. I fought against such an act for several years before my capture. I hope this foolishness didn’t spread to the rest of the world. I will feel much better when we are back on Italian soil.”

  Sitting up, Nic tucked the notebook back in the pack, then flicked off the light. In the darkness, Evangeline’s thoughts raced. As she settled against Nic’s sculpted chest, she thought back to the conversation he’d had with Carlo. “Why did you say you’d only take my blood now?”

  Nic pulled her closer. “Feeding from another—even bagged blood—would be akin to cheating on you, and I will not do that.”

  “What?”

  At her confusion, Nic stroked the marks on Evangeline’s neck, sending a shiver of need through her. “You know now…vampires bite each other during sex. The blood exchange is the most intimate act we experience. Perhaps even more intimate than the sex act itself. But if we bonded, not only would I taste your blood during sex, but you would hold my life in your hands—in your veins.” He lowered his voice. “Tell me. Do you experience pleasure when I feed from you?”

  “Yes.” The ache between her thighs intensified.

  He shifted her so he could kiss the bonding marks. “You find it intimate?”

  Evangeline thought she might implode if he kept this up much longer. “Yes.”

  “Sensual?” His fangs scraped over her skin.

  “Oh God. Yes.” Thrusting her hips against him, she wanted to beg, but this whole bonding process terrified her.