Michael eyes the horizon nervously, “It may not be something I have to worry about.”
“I’m going to get you there. Trust me.” Grey says pulling into the parking lot. He gets out and with his super speed picks Michael up out of the car, throws him over his shoulder and heads for the safe house.
He gives no thought to humans seeing him, the danger doesn’t concern him. There’s an element of empathy that’s managed to break through the madness of the Thirst. He has to get Michael to the safe house before he dies. He focuses all of his energy on that one task. Then he can move on to the next.
Grey dodges the few humans on the street, leaving a brisk wind in his wake. People turn and stare, trying to capture the streak on their phones. He leaps over a car pulling out from a side street.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Michael presses out.
“Do not throw up on me.” Grey grinds out, “This is an Armani suit and probably cost more than any dwelling you’ve ever lived in.”
The sun creeps over the horizon and Grey can smell Michael’s burning flesh. Michael begins to cry out in pain. Grey pushes forward harder, praying he can beat the sun to the door of the safe house.
He whizzes up the front steps and breaks through the front door whisking Michael straight to the darkroom in the basement.
“What in the blazes?” A proper woman with her hair in a tight bun calls out from the front hall.
Grey makes his way back upstairs adjusting his suit. “Miss Barb.” He tips his head taking her hand and kissing it.
“Well, if it isn’t Grey Hart, here in the flesh.” She purses her lips, “I suppose you just deposited Charles' little problem in the darkroom?”
“Yes, and he’s in rough shape. I got him here as soon as possible, but we didn’t quite beat the sun. He’s going to need a lot of blood.” Grey warns.
“Oh Lord, it figures.” She inhales a deep breath, “Tasha, we have an emergency in the dark room.”
A slender young woman comes from the kitchen with a handful of towels and large bag. “I’ve got it Miss Barb.”
“Here, let me take that, please show Mr. Hart out.” Miss Barb takes the items from Tasha and warns, “Mr. Hart can charm the dew off a honeysuckle, just see him out and come downstairs. I’m going to need your help.” She finishes with a scolding look in Grey’s direction.
“Thank you, Miss Barb.” Grey smiles and heads for the door, “I can see myself out, please take care of Michael.”
“We will, and you take care of yourself.” She disappears down the stairs and Grey steps outside the house.
He opens his Lyft app to see how close a driver is. He can withstand the sun but has the feeling he’s going to need all of his strength for what’s coming next.
Chapter Twelve
Mila peeks out the peephole in the door. “Shit.” She turns around.
“What’s wrong?” Hera asks standing behind her laden with bags.
Mila eyes her luggage, “Seriously? Do you actually have more stuff? I told you we needed to travel light.”
Hera huffs out, “I didn’t know how long I’d be gone and I’ve picked up a few essentials.”
“This is going to be impossible.” Mila walks away from the door defeated.
“Why?” Hera looks out the peephole. “The Brownie. This is easy, all we have to do is toss a coin down the corridor, and he’s no longer a problem.”
“That’s not going to work,” Mila says looking out the peephole again. “The elevators are close, but if it isn’t on our floor, we could end up falling down the shaft if we phase in there.” She starts to think.
Hera puts her bags down, “You’re making this so much harder than it has to be.”
“What are you going to do?” Mila asks in a panic and blocks Hera’s way to the door.
“I’m going to drain him, and then we walk out.” She tries to get past Mila.
“No, we can’t do that. He hasn’t done anything wrong.” Mila protests.
“Neither did any of the men you robbed at the strip clubs.” Hera rolls her eyes, “I don’t see how this would be different, other than I promise you that Brownie doesn’t have so much as a coin on him.”
“The men in the strip club were different. They were...disgusting and happy to use women for their own repulsive urges.” Mila’s confused that the thought both makes her ill and hot all at once. “I have got to get a grip on myself.”
Hera looks out the peephole, “Okay, so let’s just slide a dollar bill under the door and when he comes to get it, we knock him out. He’ll be fine, we don’t do any permanent damage.”
Mila lets out an exasperated breath and pushes Hera out of the way to study the emergency escape route on the door. “Here’s what we do,” She presses her finger on the map, “We phase into the adjoining rooms until we reach the stairwell. Then we’re out of here, he doesn’t see us, doesn’t get hurt, and all is well.”
“What about the vamp?” Hera points out. “We don’t know where he is. He could be in the stairwell.”
“No, I don’t think so.” She remembers the spark she felt at the club when he was there.
“Okay, so that’s what you want to do, you want to phase from room to room until we get to the stairwell, with all of our bags and then hustle down the stairs.” Hera laughs, “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m ridiculous? You’re the one that brought half the underworld in your suitcases.” Mila motions to the bags walking away in a huff. “And your essentials. Do you have any better ideas?”
“Yeah, slip a dollar under the door and knock him out.” She peeks out the door.
“You know, Brownies have very good ears,” Angus calls from outside the door.
Mila and Hera freeze in place staring at each other. Hera looks at the door, “What do we do?”
“Let me in. I don’t mean you any harm.”
“We’re not letting you in.” Mila calls out nervously then stands in front of Hera, “Seriously, what do we do?”
Hera holds up a finger and widens her eyes conveying a message. She goes to the desk in the main room and picks up a pen and paper and starts jotting something down. “Maybe we should just let him in.”
“Are you mad?” Mila says before reading the note.
Hera rattles the paper in front of Mila’s face, “Read.”
You phase out of here. We’ll meet up at the emergency spot.
Mila nods her head knowingly. “I don’t think it’s safe to let him in, but we’ve got to get out of here.” She plays along.
“What do you want with us?” Hera calls out the door.
“Nothing really, I was sent here to keep you safe,” Angus says tugging proudly at the lapel of his brown jacket.
Hera giggles, “You’re going to keep us safe?”
“Yes. My friend, Grey. He needs to speak with you. He can help you.” Angus sounds pretty convincing.
Hera scrawls something on the pad,
Go, I’ll meet up with you in an hour.
Mila takes the pen and paper.
How will you get out?
Hera rolls her eyes, “Trust me, I’ve handled far worse in my time.”
“Not worse than The Directive,” Angus answers thinking Hera’s speaking to him.
Hera waves Mila off, “I’m not worried about The Directive.”
Mila phases out into the next hotel room, then the next. Two more times and she looks out the peephole with a clear view of the door to the stairwell.
Fear and exhilaration fills her. She doesn’t know if it’s safe if there’s someone there. The brownie likely heard their plan. She paces for a moment and hears stirring in the room. The occupant is waking up.
With no other choice, she closes her eyes and phases into the stairwell. She inhales a scent that stops her in her tracks. She wants to follow it, there’s something magnetic about it. The sound of a door slamming startles her out of her dreamlike state. She peeks over the railing of the stairs and sees someone coming up
the stairs. She phases down two floors past whoever it is and gets on the elevator on the next floor.
Chapter Thirteen
“Angus! Where is she?” Grey can smell her scent heavy in the air. It’s driving him beyond madness.
“She’s in here. I did just as you said, no one in, no one out.” Angus nods proudly.
Grey pushes past him throwing the door open, nearly ripping it off the hinges.
He sees the woman from before standing in the middle of the room with three large suitcases all around her, with a snarky smile she asks, “Are you my ride?”
“Where is she? I have to find her?” Grey frantically stalks through the suite.
“She’s gone,” Hera says showing no fear.
“I have to find her.” Grey says desperately.
“You won’t.” Hera smiles sweetly.
“I will find her, and you’re going to help me.” Grey insists doing everything in his power to not lose the last of his control.
“Nope.” Hera shrugs.
Grey fills with rage and starts toward Hera.
Hera lifts her arms and Grey freezes in place, “Listen vampire, I forgave you for disturbing me earlier, but you’re going to have to leave her alone.”
Grey bucks against the invisible binds yelling in a crazed tone, “I have to find her. I love her!”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with here. I’m older, smarter and more powerful than you could wish to be.” Hera gets directly in front of Grey and leans into him, “You’re out of your league.”
Angus struggles in his binds, “He doesn’t want to hurt her.”
“How could you possibly love her, you don’t even know her name.” Hera laughs, “You’re a fool, she’s not going to be in this realm much longer anyway.”
“What do you mean?” Grey asks as a streak of pain shoots through him at the thought of never being with her.
“She’s here on a wild goose chase to find her mother,” Hera says with a lilt of sadness in her tone. “But honestly, I doubt we’ll ever find her, even if she is still alive.”
“I can help.” Grey pleads, “But I have to find…” Grey searches his mind trying to think of her name, something pops into his mind, and a smile stretches across his lips, “I have to find Mila.”
Hera glances between Grey and Angus. “How did you know her name?”
“I just did,” Grey says still pleading not letting on that he heard it earlier. “She’s my Bloodmate.”
Hera rolls her eyes, “That’s not possible.”
“It is possible,” Grey says hanging his head. “There was a part of me that thought it was just a myth, but what I feel for her is very real. I haven’t met her, but I just know, she’s my Bloodmate.”
“Well, that would complicate things quite a bit,” Hera says still not releasing the men.
“How?”
“Even if I did believe you, there’s no way for you to be together. She has to go back to the Underworld, she can’t stay here forever.” Hera pulls her lips to the side.
“I’ll go with her. I don’t care, I have to be with her.” Madness creeps in, and Grey can feel that he’s losing himself.
“You’re just a crazy vampire. I’ve seen your kind before, thinking love is the only way that you’ll feel life again.” Hera waves her hand pacing toward the window. “We would never allow a filthy vamp in the Underworld, that’s why they go somewhere else when they cease to exist.”
“I had a very fulfilled life, or so I thought.” Grey laments.
“Honestly, mum, Grey here is one of the most balanced vamps I’ve ever met. The way she drives him nuts, I believe this whole Bloodmate problem he’s having.” Angus says looking at Grey with sadness. “The poor sod hadn’t had a live donor in a hundred years, and then yesterday, he couldn’t stop himself.”
“Maybe he was just hungry.” Hera dismisses Angus’ words.
“Or maybe he’s in love.” Angus offers, “There’s only one way to find out.”
Hera seems to be giving what they’re saying a lot of thought. She turns around, “Well, I wish you the best of luck.” She piles her smaller bag on top of one of the suitcases with wheels.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Angus asks.
“Leaving,” Hera says strutting toward the door.
The last of Grey’s hope leaves his being, “When you see her, tell her I’ll find her.”
“I’ll tell her no such thing, I’ll be taking her home today.” Hera turns the corner in the corridor.
“She was stalling the whole time,” Angus says still unable to move.
“Just figuring that out now, genius?” Grey says.
“So now what do we do?” Angus struggles.
“We wait for the spell to wear off.” Grey seems to have given up.
“How long will that take?” Angus asks.
“Probably as long as it will take her to get to Mila and get her far away from here.” Grey’s hope is waning. The madness will take him over soon, and he fears he will be lost forever.
Chapter Fourteen
Mila paces the sidewalk in Underground Atlanta. Where the hell is Hera? She thinks hoping that she was able to get away.
The shops are beginning to open, and she feels an intense hunger panging against the pit of her belly. The feeling subsides when she thinks of the vampire, there was something soothing in his eyes.
Their eyes met for only a split second, but it’s burned in her memory forever. There was something eternal in that moment, and she needs to be near him. Curl into his form and stay there forever in the comfort of him.
Mila, what’s wrong with you? You don’t know anything about him, other than that he was looking for her and he’s a vampire.She scolds her wandering thoughts.
A protective wave comes over her, she knows how dangerous it would be for him to even know her. Anger flares inside her knowing what Elomere would do to him, what The Directive would do to him if they found her with him. She’s heard stories her whole life about the evil Directive.
“Together?” She says out loud mocking herself for sounding crazy, she doesn’t know him or anything about him. Except what she felt in that moment.
“Can I help you?” A old man steps down the stairs of one of the shops carrying a sign.
Mila startles, “Oh, um, no, I’m just waiting for someone.”
“Okay,” The gentleman smiles and props the sign up. “I have a fresh batch of croissants, just out of the oven.”
Mila slides her hand into her pocket feeling the wad of cash and considers her growling stomach, “That sounds lovely.”
The shopkeeper waves her inside, “I thought you looked hungry.”
Mila can smell his blood pumping through him thinking that’s what she really wants. Her body tenses, knowing she can’t take his blood. It’s too risky. “You have no idea.”
“I might.” He says going behind the counter. “Would you like anything on it?”
Mila looks around the bakery in wonder at all the delightful goodies in the glass cases. “Everything looks so delicious.”
“Thank you.” He smiles. “Butter? Cream cheese?”
“No thank you.” Mila says, “Just the croissant.” She pulls a five dollar bill from her pocket and reaches across the counter.
“No, this is on the house, I’ve always been a sucker for a pretty girl.” He says handing her the pastry in a small brown bag. “If you need anything else, let me know.”
She can’t help but think, a pint of your blood would be lovely. But she nods and walks quickly out of the shop.
When she reaches the sidewalk the sound of his heart beating blood through his veins floods her senses, she needs it.
“Mila.” Hera’s voice brings Mila out of her blood trance.
“Oh, thank goodness.” Mila breathes a sigh of relief.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re sweating.” Hera asks patting Mila’s forehead.
“All I can think of is draining every human.
I’m so hungry.” She says feeling embarrassed.
“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing we’re leaving.” Hera motions for Mila to follow her.
“The bus stations’ this way.” Mila points in the opposite direction.
“We’re not taking the bus,” Hera says with authority.
“But if we use the portals, they’ll be able to track us down.” Mila protests.
Hera stops in place and takes Mila’s cheeks in her hands, “Sweetheart, I know you wanted to find your mother. But it’s getting too dangerous.”
Mila steps out of her grasp, “What?” She studies Hera for a moment, “I’m not going home. Not now, maybe not ever.”
“You don’t have a choice. The Directive knows you’re here, if they catch you they won’t send you home, they’ll end you.” Hera explains.
“I’d rather be dead than go back home.” Mila’s heart shatters into a million pieces thinking of being in a different realm than the vampire. “I don’t understand what the big deal is anyway. My mother’s here.”
“We don’t know where your mother is, or if she’s alive. But we do know we’re not supposed to be here.” Hera says walking toward the place where she can conjure the portal.
“You never had any intention of helping me, did you?” Mila makes the realization.
“I do want to help you, but now that we’ve been discovered, we have to go.” Hera walks back toward Mila taking her by the wrist.
“No.” Mila holds her ground.
“Stop behaving like a spoiled child. You’re going home. I’m sorry things aren’t ideal for you there, but maybe your father will reconsider knowing how serious you are about not being bound to Elomere.” Hera offers.
“I doubt it.” Mila hangs her head. “Besides, what I want is here. That vampire, I can’t stop thinking about him.”
Hera ticks her head back, “The vampire?”
“Yeah, he was at the club. He thought he was rescuing me.” Mila laughs.
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