by Anya Nowlan
“Now that’s some heavy stuff,” Ruby muttered to herself, forgetting for a moment Harlan could hear her every heartbeat and breath, so her mumbling was probably clear as day to him.
“It’s a lot to take in, I get that,” Harlan agreed, as they pulled up to a little piece of suburbia just outside of town.
Ruby appreciated his honesty, and the insight his story gave her. She couldn’t imagine being put in a situation like that – turned into a vampire without his consent, and spending who knows how many years following Julius around, killing vampires who had strayed from the rules.
Harlan’s respect for human life was clear, made remarkable by the fact it seemed many of his kind saw themselves as above regular people. And she realized, aside from being freakishly fast and strong, and drinking blood to survive, Harlan was just a man, trying to get through life while staying true to himself.
It sent an ache through her to think of him wandering around alone, feeling cut off from both vampires and humans, and filling his time with one distraction after another. Yet despite his rocky history with Julius, here he still was, in New York trying to catch Grant at his Maker’s request, so the man couldn’t hurt any more people.
“I’m sorry for everything you’ve had to go through,” she said, feeling like the words weren’t enough to convey what she felt, but not knowing what else to say.
“You don’t need to feel sorry for me,” Harlan smiled at her as he pulled up to a well-kept, two-story house. “Many would kill for the gift of immortality, and the powers that come with it.”
“What I meant was,” Ruby said, shaking her head, “I think you’re a better man than you give yourself credit for.”
Harlan turned silent for a moment as he looked at her. There was an expression on his face she couldn’t quite decipher, but it was gone in an instant as he grinned at her.
“Are you complimenting me, Ruby Danvers?” he asked.
“Oh, shut up,” she rolled her eyes at him, getting out of the car.
Harlan appeared at her side as she started walking up the driveway, but stopped halfway there, muttering something under his breath.
“What is it?” Ruby asked, her head on a swivel.
I don’t think I can take any more ambushes today.
“We have a visitor,” he replied, sounding none too happy about it. “Time to meet my Maker,” he sighed, taking her hand as he led her to the house.
15
Harlan
With the taste of Ruby still fresh in his mind, and her warm hand in his, the last thing Harlan wanted was to get into it with Julius. But from the waves of power emanating from the house he’d rented, it was clear Julius was inside waiting. And for him to make the trip here all the way from Romania meant that something was up.
It’s never good news with him.
Harlan found himself wanting more time alone with Ruby. Just a moment of not tracking down leads or avoiding gunfire would be nice, but it seemed that was too much to ask for.
“Wait, Julius is here?” Ruby asked as they reached the door.
It was unlocked, and Harlan pushed it open.
“The one and only,” he replied, walking inside and looking around.
“Is he here about Grant, or…?” Ruby trailed off, clutching his suit jacket tighter around her.
“We’ll know soon enough,” Harlan said, just as his Maker rounded a corner, his gaze immediately fixing on Ruby.
“So it’s true,” Julius remarked, not bothering with a greeting. “I thought Lucinda was pulling my leg when she said you had picked out a bride for yourself.”
“Hello to you, too,” Harlan said with a sigh. “You here to sate your curiosity or…?”
“I haven’t gotten a progress report from you lately,” Julius replied, his eyes moving from Ruby’s bloody hands to Harlan’s bare, red-stained chest. “I take it things have been heating up?”
“You could say that,” Harlan agreed. “This is Ruby. I found Grant with his fangs in her throat, one thing led to the next, and now she’s my betrothed.”
“Not for real though,” Ruby hurriedly said, and Harlan suppressed a frown.
It wasn’t that he had suddenly decided he wanted Ruby to actually be his bride, that was ridiculous. She would never want to become a vampire, and Harlan could never get attached to a human like that.
It was just too painful.
But something about Ruby’s quick dismissal of their relationship still irked him. Vampires could be very possessive when it came to things and people they cared about, and he felt that side of him rise to the surface.
“It was the only way I could think of to get Grant off her,” Harlan added, as Julius continued to stare at them, still as a statue.
Some older vampires got that way when they weren’t around humans much. Since there was no need to blend in, they didn’t fidget or adjust themselves as people tended to do without even thinking about it.
Since they didn’t get tired, they could stand in one place without moving an inch for days. If that place was out of direct sunlight, of course.
“So you had Grant in your sights. What happened?” Julius asked, just as Harlan had predicted he would.
He knew Julius was just pure calculation. In his Maker’s mind, it would have been better to let Ruby and that other woman die in order to catch Grant before he could hurt any others.
It was logical, Harlan had to admit. But it was also a far too calculated and cold approach for him. He tended to go with what felt right, despite it getting him into trouble more than once.
“He saved my life, that’s what happened,” Ruby spoke up, her fingers tightening around his. “Hi, by the way,” she added more softly.
“Well, then,” Julius said impassively. “I seem to have missed a lot. Why don’t you two fill me in?”
Harlan couldn’t help but sigh at that. This had ‘interrogation’ written all over it.
Sitting in the living room of the house, with his and Ruby’s hair still slightly damp from the showers they’d taken, Harlan faced Julius while Ruby remained close by his side.
The place was spacious, carefully decorated in grays and beiges, with high ceilings and generic artwork on the walls. It was nice, but not nearly as fancy as Harlan knew Julius was used to.
Clad in a fresh suit with Ruby wearing one of his dress shirts, Harlan leaned back into the couch as Julius looked to be processing all that he and Ruby had just told him.
“So, you think the rumors of Grant partnering up with Theo are true, and it was Theo’s goons who ambushed you in Ruby’s apartment,” Julius finally said.
“That’s the theory,” Harlan replied. “Those guys were way too well-prepared. Someone had to have given them information about what to use and what to expect.”
“Plus, the whole snake motif is big with Theo,” Ruby nodded. “It’s like his trademark. He stamps it on the drugs he brings in and so on. And two of the men at my place had visible tattoos of snakes. It has to mean Grant and Greene are working together.”
“It’s not exactly proof but it does seem to add up,” Julius agreed. “That gives us some new leads to follow,” he said, and Harlan got the distinct feeling the man was cooking up some sort of plan in his head.
I know my Maker well enough by now to see the gears turning.
Glancing over at Ruby, looking as beautiful as ever, and managing to even make that way-too-big-for-her shirt look sexy as hell, Harlan felt more worried than ever. Grant had clearly gone insane, getting into bed with human criminals and sending a hit squad after him and Ruby in broad daylight.
He has to be stopped.
But Harlan knew Ruby would insist on being a part of any plan to catch Grant, and that terrified him. Ruby was just far too vulnerable, her skin too soft and her bones too breakable… She was too human for this mission, and Harlan was thoroughly not okay with putting her in harm’s way.
The further she is from me, the safer she’ll be.
The thought of being
away from her was not a pleasant one. His little fiery Ruby, one hell of a woman, and a partner that truly had his back. How could he have such strong feelings for her already?
The more time I spend with her, the harder it will be to say goodbye… And I will have to say goodbye.
“So reasoning with Grant is now out of the question,” Julius commented. “You were the closest friend he had left, and he tried to have you killed. Safe to say you’re off the man’s Christmas card list,” he added dryly.
“Hold on a second,” Ruby interjected, turning to Harlan. “You were friends? With that monster? And how is this the first I’m hearing of it?” she rattled off, voice rising higher than usual.
Thanks for bringing that up, Julius, Harlan thought to himself, throwing a glare his Maker’s way.
But as Ruby’s expression turned from shock to anger, Harlan realized this moment was an opportunity to make a selfless choice. One that would benefit all parties in the long run. He could never have Ruby to himself, just to share a few fleeting decades together before death inevitably came between them. That would be torture.
And he couldn’t face off against Grant while worrying about her safety. Which was exactly why he had to push her away. This wasn’t the life for her. She still had a long road ahead of her, to mend from what Grant did and find her purpose again.
I would just stand in the way, he thought, even as it pained him. It’s time I let her go.
16
Ruby
“I never said we weren’t friends,” Harlan shrugged, and Ruby was taken aback by his sudden aloofness.
“Well, that’s a pretty big thing to leave out, don’t you think?” she asked, frowning at him.
Julius was sitting eerily still opposite them, looking like he had no interest in this conversation whatsoever. Not that Ruby wanted him to intervene, but the man’s extreme stoicism did strike her as a little annoying. Like he was above it all somehow.
No wonder Harlan doesn’t like him very much.
“It’s why I was chosen for this task, because I know him,” Harlan replied, and Ruby couldn’t help but think something about him had changed all of the sudden.
Harlan always had a quip or a joke ready, but now he was like a stone wall beside her, wearing a neutral expression she couldn’t read. Almost getting whiplash from his sudden change in demeanor, Ruby continued staring at him, waiting for a resemblance of an explanation.
“And?” she prodded. “You’re still going to rip his head off if it comes to that, right?”
The question came out a little more blunt than she’d expected, but it was out there now, so there was nothing she could do about it. Did she think Grant deserved to die for how he had murdered Sarah, or how he had tried to kill her, twice now, if she were keeping count? She wasn’t sure.
As a cop, she had had to deal with catching criminals. What happened to them next wasn’t up to her. She had never wanted to play judge, jury and executioner, but things became muddy when personal feelings and the supernatural came into play.
How would you even go about imprisoning someone who is immortal?
“I’m going to hand Grant over to Julius, and Julius will transport him back to Romania, where the old families live,” was all that Harlan said.
“Wait… You’re supposed to bring him in alive? What about the head-ripping stories and the… Thing with, you know…” she trailed off, throwing looks Julius’ way.
Was Harlan really going to show Grant special treatment, like he’d condemned Julius for doing? That was just more hypocrisy than she could handle.
It occurred to her that Harlan had probably kept this information from her on purpose, knowing she might not help him if she knew Grant was just going to be shipped back to Romania like a lost, murderous puppy.
Having considered herself a good judge of character, Ruby didn’t want to believe that’s what had happened. She had thought Harlan a genuinely decent, honest man who cared about people as much as, if not more than, he did for his fellow vampires.
Now, as he just blinked at her while she grew more and more agitated, she was beginning to think she had made a terrible mistake by putting her faith in him.
“What exactly have you told this human about me?” Julius asked Harlan, choosing the absolute worst time to finally say something.
“Not now!” Ruby blurted out, whirling around to face the impeccably polished vampire in a three-piece-suit.
Julius looked as expressive as she’d seen him, raising both brows at her, as if he were incredulous anyone dared speak to him that way. Even Harlan looked taken aback, silently looking from his Maker to Ruby and back.
Oops. Maybe snapping at a very old, very powerful vampire isn’t the best call.
“Ruby,” Harlan started, folding his hands in front of him and staring right at her. “I think it’s best if Julius and I take it from here. This is vampire business, after all.”
Ruby could hardly believe what she was hearing.
“Don’t you fucking dare talk to me like that,” she said, shooting up from her seat. “You’re the one who showed up at my apartment, claiming to be my future husband and dangling revenge in front of my nose so I’d go along with your little plan. And now that we’re closer to catching Grant than ever, I’m suddenly out?”
She could see Harlan’s jaw clench as he stared up at her, those sparkling green eyes of his now looking pale and flat. Yet he didn’t look exactly angry, more like he was holding something back. But Ruby was too busy working herself up into a frenzy to analyze Harlan’s body language.
“You’ve been a great help to me, and I will always respect and… admire you,” Harlan replied, and Ruby noted the odd pause in his words. “But it’s time we go our separate ways.”
Feeling like everything she thought she knew was suddenly swept up in a tornado of insanity, Ruby could do little else but glare at him. After they had just had sex in his car, after he had told her that story about how he was turned, after he had taken bullets for her, Harlan was suddenly kicking her to the curb with all the emotion and consideration of a pet rock.
Anger, disappointment, confusion and disbelief all swirled around inside her, but most strong of all was the feeling of hurt. Despite these entirely crazy circumstances, she had allowed herself to be vulnerable with Harlan, to open herself up to him.
He had made her feel like no other man, and somewhere deep in her heart, she had even considered giving in to this connection between them, and seeing where it led after their mission was over.
What an idiot I’ve been.
As Harlan stood up to walk over to her, she instinctively took a step back. A pained expression flashed across Harlan’s face as he fished something out of his pocket and stretched out his hand, staying a decent three feet away from her.
“Here,” he said, and Ruby saw he was holding the keys for his Corvette in his palm. “Take my car back into town. Keep it. Go stay with family, or friends, or get out of New York altogether while we take care of Grant.”
“I’m not taking your car,” Ruby argued, crossing her arms in front of her.
This time, when Harlan took a step closer, she stood her ground. There was an intensity in his eyes she’d only seen when he had been kissing her, and it caught her off-guard, her hands falling slack at her sides.
Harlan reached out and took her hand, pressing the keys into her palm. His cool skin against hers brought back all the emotions she had felt when he had been touching her just a few hours earlier, calling her beautiful and making her feel like the only woman in the world.
“Please,” he said quietly, his voice filled with something she couldn’t describe.
Having him so close was unbearable after what he had just done, so she snatched her hand away, while holding back tears. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry.
“Fine,” she ground out, feeling bitterness swallow her up. “I hope I never see you again, partner,” she said, before turning on her heel and marchin
g out of the house.
As the front door slammed shut behind her and she walked toward the Corvette, which now only served to remind her of what a mistake she had made by letting her lust cloud her judgment, she heard a loud crash from inside the house.
It sounded like something heavy hitting a wall and then falling into pieces, but she couldn’t be sure. Her steps halted for a moment, as silence was followed by a door slamming somewhere in the home.
Clutching the keys in the palm of her hand, she forced herself to keep walking. She knew what she had to do next.
There was no turning back now.
17
Harlan
Fists clenched at his side, Harlan had to stop himself from destroying another piece of furniture as he stomped through the house, looking to get away from Julius.
“Harlan, wait,” the man said, and Harlan promptly ignored him, running to a bedroom and slamming the door shut after him.
“You think a door will stop me?” Julius asked from the other side of it only a second later.
“I thought maybe your manners might,” Harlan sighed. “A closed door generally means, ‘piss off, I don’t want to talk to you’.”
He should have known that wouldn’t stop Julius, as he stepped inside anyway, fixing him with that cold, unreadable gaze all too familiar to Harlan.
“I thought you might want to discuss how you just sent your betrothed packing. Now I might be able to pull some strings and get you out of paying for the fact you claimed a human you had no intention of turning.
“What I don’t understand, though, is why you pushed her away in the first place, when you clearly have feelings for her,” Julius said, crossing his arms as he leaned on the doorframe.
