by Kim Faulks
I braced my hand against the wall as the steel door slammed shut.
Nova Flynn was gone, running for her life, no doubt—and I wanted her to run.
She should run and never look back.
She’s nothing but food. A human.
My fangs nipped the lining of my mouth. Blood slipped over my tongue, the need for food was so close to the surface and yet, I wanted nothing more than to stay here inhaling the only thing that pretty little human left behind. Her scent.
The torture was deliciously cruel. My cock twitched, drawing my focus to another need. Her nun-like clothing only prodded the demon inside me. She tried to hide her body, her scent, and her fear. The woman couldn’t have been more mistaken. I wanted to pluck the buttons from her pretense. I wanted to expose every delicious curve and lick the heat from her skin.
The hired help turned from the doorway and caught my stare. Black pupils widened to swallow the brown of her eyes. Her pulse sped. The sluggish thud picked up pace. I could almost feel the clench of that pulsing muscle in her chest, almost feel the heat of the blood driving through her veins.
The hollow cavern of my own was barren. I was a monster—hated and feared and that’s exactly how I needed to stay.
“I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t realize you were there. Please… don’t hurt me.”
The bartender froze and dropped her gaze. Chrome shimmered, leather shone, the sickly scent of perfume filled my nose, erasing the sweet smell of Nova.
They all looked the same. They all tasted the same—I glanced to the bolted door at the sound of an engine roaring—except for her.
Nova Flynn was definitely not the same.
I turned and left behind the woman’s fear and the thrashing of her heart—but I could never leave behind the monster I’d become—not now—not ever.
Raymond Burrow smiled. “I’m sorry you’ve come all this way for nothing.”
I stared across the table at one of the richest men in this county and smiled. “No need to be, as always I enjoy the two-hour drive out here to see you.”
The flinch was barely detectable—but I detected it. Raymond Burrow touched the corners of his mouth with a starched white napkin and cast it aside, like he did with most things—and like he was trying to do with me. Although, unlike the scrap of fabric, I wasn’t so easily discarded.
The five men behind me took turns to draw my attention to their close proximity, and the array of semi-automatics hung around their necks. I could hear them fidgeting, shifting from one foot to the next and adjusting the straps on their AK-47’s.
I paid them no mind, my focus was on one thing. Money. “Rurik is not—”
Burrow stopped me with a wave of his hand. “Don’t waste my time with threats. It’s a waste of time. I don’t need Mr. Rurik’s services any longer and I’ve no intention of making good on our deal.”
A maid entered the room from my right and skirted the table. She moved with barely a sound, collecting Burrow’s plate and utensils. His gaze drifted over her back as she bent in front of him—then turned to peruse the swell of her ass under her mid-thigh black skirt.
I focused on the scattered crumbs glistening against the walnut table and waited for her to leave. “Must I explain the definition of a contract, Burrow? I assumed the big bad vamp you signed the deal with spelled out non-negotiable. Maybe I was wrong about you—maybe you are as simple as you are greedy.”
His gaze cut to the over-muscled mercenary at my side. He moved fast… for a human. I gripped my fist and waited for the crack of the butt against my head. The impact scattered my thought… just one simple thought. But it came back to me just as quick.
I whipped my head to the side and stared at the pumped-up jock. “Thank you. I’d forgotten how much I hated the sight of guns.”
I had the paid-by-the-hour thug by the neck before he registered I’d moved. “I seem to recall being shot once, ruined a good suit. Come to think of it, I was shot by someone suspiciously like you—were you in Istanbul in eighteen ten?”
The imbecile’s eyes widened. His mouth gaped, but the choked hiss wasn’t the answer I was looking for. I clenched my fist, and even when his bones cracked and shattered, I still hadn’t finished. Muscle turned to pulp, blood bulged like an overfilled balloon, until with a pop it burst.
His skin tore. The tiny slit widened in a sickening sound like shredding wet paper filled the air. His body crumpled to the ground, taken by the sheer weight of his over-muscled torso. His head sat on the top of my fist like one of those bobbing toys humans liked so much. I gave it a bit of shake, but there was no spring, no bounce. The thing just wobbled on the top of my fist, then fell.
The remnants hit the floor with a splat, spinal fluid and blood mingled together like the draw-back of a syringe. I shifted my boots. “That shit stains the leather.”
The pathetic cry across table gathered no speed. Instead Burrows shot to his stubbly little feet and wobbled. Humpty Dumpty came to mind—I smiled and lifted my finger to my lips, drawing the remnants of the dead thug’s blood into my mouth.
Chunks of his mid-day meal flew from Burrow’s mouth, splattering the lovely sheen of the table. Bits of lettuce, and what I thought was chicken, hit the floor with a plop as I turned my focus toward the pathetic piece of shit.
“You may play by human rules, and yet you expect me to follow the same courtesies. Rurik made himself perfectly clear when you came begging on your damn knees. Do you remember that day, Raymond? The day you stumbled into my office, begging and pleading, not just for revenge, but money and power? You’re just as pathetic today as you were when your third wife left you for the damn pool boy, and the last of your money rimmed your damn nose.”
I stepped over the twitching corpse, avoiding the vomit, and started toward Burrow. “The most dangerous thing you’ve ever done is underestimate me. If I were you, I wouldn’t do that again.”
“I’ll pay. I’ll pay.”
The wheeze was all I needed. I smiled and nodded, picking a piece of lint from his collar while the rest of his shirt remained splattered with food and spittle. “Now that’s more like it. See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
He shook his head, eyes wide, shell-shocked. I had that effect on most people, and mostly they ran. They didn’t stand their ground… except Nova Flynn.
That thought grew wings and took flight. A snarl slipped from my lips, dragging a cry from the human in front of me.
Nova Flynn.
Has anyone told you to never piss off a woman?
Burrow fumbled with his jacket, wrenching a phone from inside the pocket. His fingers tapped. I followed the movement, and, at the same time, taking in the four mercenaries who backed away slowly, their weapons lowered with little more than a passing thought.
But it was Nova who occupied the rest of the space in my head, the gutsy mortal who waltzed into a vampire bar with nothing more than a purse full of money and an acid tongue.
Nova… that’s exactly what the woman was, a damn supernova—blazing across my night sky, outshining everything else in my universe. Legends were built upon supernovas—lore crafted with them in mind—both filled with fear and excitement. I had to wonder, which one was she?
Would she burn me if I touched her? Would she turn me to dust? I thought about that, ceasing to exist, returning to the nothing.
“You missed a zero.”
The tapping stilled. Burrows jerked his head toward me. Sweat glistened on his forehead. The hollow under his eyes had become sunken and dark, turning his skin ashen—the man didn’t look well—no he didn’t look well at all. “What?”
“A zero. You missed one. One million with six zeros, not five. Be a good human and correct that before you confirm.”
His fingers shook as he pressed the damn screen. I’d already turned by the time his thumb left the greasy print behind. I stepped over the body and plucked a mobile from my pocket. A single word flashed CONFIRMED.
I slipped the phone inside my jacket a
nd walked from the house. No one bothered to escort me when I left, unlike when I’d arrived. I guessed no one really cared anymore. Mortals… they were so obsessed with death—not dying to be exact.
I climbed into the Camaro and turned the key. Three hundred and twenty-three horses growled to life, whispering a language I heard with every ounce of my body.
All I could think about was Nova. Long auburn hair and the sweet scent of seduction flooded my senses like the accelerator of the beast under me.
A hard thud tore through my chest.
The sound was so alien I slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop just inside the estate gates.
My fingers were at my chest, delving through the buttons of my shirt to press against my skin. I had imagined it. The empty cavern I called my chest was barren, dormant like the earth would be long after the sun had died. I had no life… I had nothing, and yet….
Nova Flynn.
I closed my eyes, letting her flood my senses, letting her consume me. The sharp sting of my fangs was instant. I shifted in the seat, and shifted again as my trousers tightened. Jesus Christ, no.
The second heavy thud sealed the deal, echoing through the empty pit. My eyes flew open. My legs were fucking jelly as I tromped on the accelerator spitting stones and dirt everywhere. There had to be an explanation.
My heart… this heart had stopped beating over three hundred years ago.
Nova
“I’d like to pick up Steffie’s shifts.”
Mr. Walker stared at the schedule and frowned. “I’m sorry, Nova. I’ve got an extra three hours on Saturdays and that’s it. I wish I could do more. Between us, I wasn’t going to replace Steffie, just close one more register at night.”
I nodded and stared at the floor. “I understand. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me. I’ll take those three hours, if that’s okay.”
His smile was weak. But there was nothing weak about his heart. “Of course. If anything changes, you’ll be the first to know.”
The warm touch on the back of my hand took me by surprise. “You’ve been working here for two years now, child. I hope you know you can come to me if you have a problem.”
His hands felt so soft, so comforting. The brush of his thumb reminded me of my mom. She used to do that just before, motioning me to follow her into the kitchen where we’d bake cookies and eat them hot out of the oven. I missed that so much. We’d sit at the kitchen table and talk for hours about everything.
I blinked away the memory. “Thank you, I appreciate it, Mr. Walker, but I’ll be fine.”
“That’s good to hear, love. The offer still stands, at any case.”
The way he said love conjured memories of another voice. I wrung my hands and muttered, “Well, I’m off, call me if you need.”
I hurried out of the room, untying my apron strings. I’d done everything to keep him out of my head, busying myself with washing counters, using the sharp sting of bleach to counteract the memory of his scent.
But there was no scrubbing my mind. No changing how the stainless counter reminded me of his cold, stony body pressing me into the wall—and no changing how my pulse sped. My breasts grew heavy and my nipples puckered, rubbing against the lace of my bra as I moved. I closed my eyes and tried to force the feeling aside.
I’d washed and scrubbed until the deli gleamed and still, I wasn’t spent—I wasn’t done—I needed…. I needed to walk. I needed to rid myself of everything he was.
The automatic doors opened and I was hit with an icy autumn headwind. My teeth chattered. This was good. I needed this.
One step after another, cars blurred, as did the buildings as slowly the beaten, overcast sky turned black and blue. A touch across my mind had me turning to scan the parked cars over my shoulder. That caress continued, growing heavy until my slow thoughts finally recognized the feeling.
Someone was watching me.
I turned back, quickened my pace until my thighs burned. The feeling intensified. I crossed the street, trying to get away from it. Three more blocks and I’d be home. Three more blocks and I’d be safe…. How safe were you the other night?
I could blame the frigid bluster for the chill in my bones, but I’d be lying. The caress on the back of my neck turned into an icy grip that tightened with every step.
Whoever it was wasn’t just watching me… they were following me.
My big brown building hunkered like a guard dog. The thud of boots behind me forced me to balls of my feet as I pushed into a run. My heart thrashed inside my ears. Get to the building. Just get to the building and everything will be okay.
I stumbled up the steps. I stabbed the buttons, swore when I missed, and tried again. The loud buzz and click of the lock did little to comfort me.
I slammed the door shut behind me. The entrance was empty. Safe. The cool air burned in my lungs. Still, I sucked and swallowed like a fish fresh out of water. I waited. Maybe they hung back when I started to run? And maybe there was no one there at all?
The streetlights flickered on, bathing the pavement in an ugly yellow hue. I clenched my jaw. “Come on, show yourself you sneaky bastard.”
Inside, my mind was racing, ticking off names on my list. It was a damn short list. There could be only one—and that name was out of the question.
He didn’t know where I worked.
He didn’t know anything about me.
And even if he did, why would he care?
And, why the hell had I gone to that bar?
I released my grip on the handle, leaving the bitter view outside and trudged toward the stairs. I shoved the key into my lock and readied myself for the onslaught. The demanding questions that always came when I was late, or with every little thing. Like he could talk. He was the one who got us in this damn mess in the first place.
I shouldered open the door. Nothing but shadows here to greet me.
Strange. I hit the light and dropped my bag on the counter, then locked the door sliding the chain across. “Jared, babe. You here?”
My boots echoed inside the empty apartment. Maybe he’d collapsed, exhausted after looking for work? Maybe he was in the bath with his earphones in and his iPod blasting away?
Ruffled bed sheets held no sleeping body. The bath was empty, no dirty clothes on the floor to me to pick up. No sign Jared had even been here at all.
I grasped my bag and dug for my phone. What if something’s happened to him? Did I piss off the vampires when I showed up at the club? Did they come for the rest of the money?… I slid my thumb across the screen and hit messages.
WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU SAFE?
Seconds felt like a damn lifetime. No response. I bit my lip. I didn’t want to be one of those clingy girlfriends. I didn’t want to be… say it. You don’t want to be just like controlling like Jared.
My thumb hovered over the call button. Don’t do it, Nova. Don’t be clingy. Jared wouldn’t like that.
A heart beat later I could hear the faint sound of ringing. I swallowed as the call went to message bank.
I cleaned the apartment, needing to keep my mind busy and my hands from grabbing the phone every other second. Something hit the sink in front of me as I scrubbed. A second tear joined it.
Don’t cry. Not now. My phone beeped. The tear fell toward the floor. I was already moving, clutching the Nokia and stared at the screen.
OUT WITH FRIENDS. DON’T WAIT UP.
The lump in my throat wouldn’t go down. Out with friends? My mind raced. I ground the scourer against the sink. My wrists ached with the pressure. “Out with friends, okay. That’s fine. I’ll stay here and deal with your shit, by all means… go have a nice fucking time.”
The stainless sink glinted like a spotlight as I stared at the spotless apartment. Rugs were folded, chairs were cleaned, cupboards were wiped clean and organized with the labels facing out.
Don’t wait up.
I nodded, hearing the words inside my head. My movements were not even mine as I stumbled t
o the bathroom, shedding my clothes as I went. Steam filled the space, yet I felt nothing. I ran the loofah down my arms, then over my breasts. I was such an idiot, maybe he was out celebrating a new job.
So why wasn’t he celebrating with me?
He’s playing you, love. He doesn’t love you. A real man wouldn’t let you walk into a place like this… a real man wouldn’t let you stray one damn foot from the bedroom—not clothed at least. That clipped voice slipped in like an assassin and ravaged my heart. Maximum damage. That’s what the smug bastard was going for. He wanted to shake me, make me doubt Jared.
And yet, he didn’t need to. Jared seemed to be doing a bang-up job on his own. I twisted the taps, ending the stream and stepped from the stall. Sleep, that’s what I needed. Sleep while I waited for my boyfriend to finally give me good news. I toweled my warm skin and slipped on cotton pajamas. The sheets smelled stale, but tonight, I didn’t care. I snagged the comforter and dragged it over my aching body, turning from the cracked open window and the night sky.
Thoughts of Jared were replaced by Kol. I stared at the ceiling, wishing he’d get the hell out of my head. It wasn’t the money that made me uneasy. It was him.
He didn’t leave. Instead, he pushed aside the memories and made himself at home. That twisted smile dragged my thoughts back and held them prisoner. I blamed the damn news reporting them as murderers and monsters. They preyed on that word… vampire—used it to conjure fear. And I had been afraid… I’d been terrified, but there was something else sneaking in, something that I didn’t like… something I didn’t know.
Sandy curls glistened. His breath was ice against my neck, trailing lower, making my body harden and soften all at the same time. But his eyes were the killer, irises so blue they looked like oceans, yet they never moved from mine. His stare cut through me like glass. He peeled back the layers of who I was one at a time—exposing me.
That’s just how I felt under that stare—exposed. I bit my lip and arched my back. My hand rubbed the hollow of my mound through cotton pants. The tip of my finger slipped, cresting the nub, at the height of my crease.
