“What’s wrong?” asked Sam, clearly noting my bafflement.
Before I could so much as articulate a single syllable, my eyes instinctively shot up to the window at the sight of movement across the way. That building heat in my chest roared to life, making my knees out-and-out buckle.
Sam wasn’t kidding. My new neighbor wasn’t wearing much of anything, apart from a pair of black jeans that hung dangerously low, revealing the chiseled V-shaped section of his lower abdominals that rivaled Apollo himself.
I outright gawked, feeling my phone slip from my limp fingers. It clattered on the hardwood, but I didn’t care. I just kept staring.
This couldn’t be.
This couldn’t be.
This couldn’t be.
My new neighbor slipped on the matching black dress shirt in his hands, but didn’t bother buttoning it. Instead, he simply rolled the cuffs up his sleeves just enough to display the black metallic tattoos brandishing his left arm.
“You okay?” Sam reiterated.
I didn’t move—couldn’t move.
My neighbor.
He all so casually looked up, not the least bit surprised to find me ogling at him, and straightened the collar to his opened shirt. That taut frame flexed as he raised his arms, lazily resting them on the top of the opened window. A slow, devious smile pulled at his lips.
Finally regaining control over my body, I stumbled back a step, still unable to peel my eyes away from him. I whirled, preparing to bolt for the door. I was cut short though, smacking into something—hard.
Sam.
I’d run right into him.
“Geez!” he yelped.
My momentum toppled us over, and I landed on top of him as he smacked down on the area rug.
“Owww.” He winced with a laugh, and I rolled off him with an apology. “What’s with you?”
Ding dong!
Shit!
He couldn’t possibly have gotten over here that fast…
I shot up from the carpet, ignoring Sam’s insistency, and raced for the staircase.
“Don’t answer the—” I rounded the banister, just in time to see my Aunt Jenna pull the front door open. Crashing to a halt at the bottom of the landing, I was paralyzed in place as magnetic icy eyes and bleached blonde hair greeted me on the other side of the entryway.
“Hello, lovely,” Blaine purred.
Chapter 2
Bad Romance
Both Hanna and Jenna stole a look over their shoulders at me, seemingly waiting for a response from my end. I just stood there, open-mouthed and stunned silent.
My aunt cleared her throat, turning back to Blaine. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m your new neighbor,” he announced all too merrily. That pirated grin of his ticked up a notch, seeing both Hanna and Jenna light up at the revelation.
I dashed to the door, swiftly slamming it shut in his face.
“Kat!” Jenna bellowed. “What the hell?”
I’d warned my aunt about Blaine—well, as best as I could—when I moved here. And I’d shown her a photo of him, just in case something like this ever happened. As far as Jenna knew, he was a crazy ex partly responsible for the massacre at my previous school. There was no way she’d be entertaining him, unless…
As the Crown Prince of Lust, he had the power of biokinesis. It was the ability to project illusions onto ordinary humans. In particular, he could change his appearance. Eye color, hair, you name it. And the fact that Jenna stared stupidly at me like I was cuckoo for Coco-Puffs, it was safe to say that Blaine had glamoured the heck out of himself. To her and Hanna, he probably looked liked a freaking altar boy.
“Well?” my aunt insisted.
Well what?
What could I tell her? That our new neighbor was a High Prince of Hell that just so happened to wield dark magic? Yeah, because that didn’t sound delusional or anything…
Jenna shook her head, brushing me aside. To my complete and utter horror, she pulled the door back open.
Sure enough, there Blaine still stood, batting eyelashes and all, his face masked in perfect innocence. “I’m sorry. Did I come at a bad time?”
“No, no, not at all,” Jenna assured. “You’ll have to forgive my niece. She’s, ah…”
“In need of some serious caffeine,” Hanna declared, gesturing him inside.
My aunt seemed to share in the sentiment, because she stepped aside from the door as well. “Would you care to come—”
“NO!” I didn’t care how crazy I looked. There was no way this nutcase was getting an invitation into my house. Jenna and Hanna cast me another matching set of mystified glares. “I mean…uh, we were just about to leave,” I said, looking to my friend.
“We were?”
“Yes,” I growled, cutting Hanna a glare of my own. “And my aunt had a rather long night, so she was hoping to actually get a little rest.”
“It’s not that big a deal,” clarified Jenna. “Really.”
Another set of footsteps galloped down the stairs, and I turned to find Sam by my side.
“Where’s the fire?” he laughed, wrapping an arm over my shoulder. Blaine’s brows immediately piqued at the gesture, his calculating gaze seeming to scope out this new addition to the crowd. He didn’t seem particularly pleased.
Good.
“I guess we’re heading out,” said Hanna, snatching up her jacket from the coat rack. “Would you like to join us? I’m dying for a mochaccino, and the Wilmount Shopping Center has the best coffee house in town.”
My spine stiffened as I looked to Hanna, realizing she was addressing Blaine.
That mocking smile of his returned with a vengeance. “Oh, I’d be delighted.”
***
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, getting into the same car with the homicidal sociopath that ruined my life. A fatal stabbing, a sinister speech, a drive off the bluffs, perhaps...but certainly not this. Five minutes into the car ride, and Sam seemed to have formed a bromance with his newest passenger as he and Blaine discussed manga—at great length. By the time we reached the shopping district, it was clear Hanna and Sam had fallen under the dark prince’s spell. The three laughed and chatted all the way to the coffee house.
“God, he’s so cute,” Hanna squealed, stealing a glance over at the guys parked in the corner booth.
I snuck a peak as well, my skin immediately crawling at the sight of Blaine as he gave me a little wink.
“And it’s about as subtle as a TNT bomb that he’s crushing on you,” she further laughed.
My stomach roiled at the thought. Oh, he was more than crushing on me. His affection was so strong, in fact, that he’d happily start the apocalypse. Seriously, one roll in the hay with him, and all Hell would break loose—literally.
“Oww!” I flinched, more out of surprise than actual pain. An invisible force coiled around my left ring finger, sending a warm tingling sensation to radiate across the tattooed band covering the skin.
“You okay?” asked Hanna.
“Ah…yeah. I just cut my hand is all,” I lied, curling my fingers into my palm. “I’m gonna go clean it off.”
I stepped out of line and made my way to the back hallway. The employee entrance was at the end of the corridor. I could make a run for it.
But what about Sam and Hanna? Would Blaine do something to them in retaliation for me running again? He knew all about Reese and Carly and even Mark helping me, and he had more than ample opportunity to go after them if he really wanted to. Yet, they were all okay.
And we were in the middle of a public setting.
My fight or flight response kicked in like a MoFo, and I took off down the hallway, ducking out of the back door.
What was the plan?
We’d taken Sam’s car to get here, so driving wasn’t an option. I could take the bus, though public transport wasn’t exactly known for its speedy service. It wouldn’t take Blaine too long to realize that I’d fled, and with that damned connection b
etween us, he’d be able to track me down almost immediately. I needed the fastest way out, one that would take me far enough till our connection was too weak for Blaine to trace.
Taking the long way around the building, as to avoid the front windows of the coffee shop, I made it back to the parking lot, spotting the bus stop just a couple blocks down. I couldn’t risk just sitting here, waiting for a car service to come and pick me up. So I’d call them before grabbing the bus, taking it down to Main Street where I’d meet the hired driver.
Sounded like a plan.
I continued stealing glances over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t being followed. Nothing. A soft blue light emanated from the stupid rune on my ring finger, forcing me to shove my sleeves down to hide it. As soon as I reached the sidewalk on the other end of the lot, the redline bus pulled out onto the street up ahead. Crap. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to myself—which sprinting in the middle of a public venue tended to do—but I really didn’t have a choice. I took off down the sidewalk, managing to reach the stop in time. A half dozen other passengers filed onboard, and I slinked inside as well, taking a seat in the back.
I still debated over what car service would have the fastest pick-up as I pulled out my phone.
“Who ya’ callin’?” purred a silvery voice beside my ear.
I shrieked, practically falling off my seat as I whirled around—to see Blaine seated in the row right behind me, his chin perched on his arms as they rested across my backrest. He beamed an angelic smile that had me bolting out of my seat, scrambling against the flow of traffic as people entered the bus.
Everyone yelped and hollered, but I didn’t stop, issuing out an endless reel of apologies until I finally fought my way back off. How the hell had he found me? How had he gotten on without me seeing him? How the hell was I going to get away…?
Darting across the sidewalk, I leapt over the lofty bushes blocking my path to the nearest parking lot. There were countless shops I could take cover in, but that wasn’t really a plan. I couldn’t just sit and wait for him to find me. God, I wished Reese would answer. I’d left him countless texts during the car ride here, explaining what had happened, but he hadn’t answered yet. Not surprising. He usually worked Sundays, and wasn’t in reach of his phone.
Reentering the shopping district, I rounded the large manmade pond in the axis of the south wing, finding ample crowds to get lost in. There were at least a hundred different retailers in the massive outlet center, so I had my fair share of options. Turning the corner towards the food court, something tempted me to cut through the loading entrance. It led back out to another section of the parking lot, but on the opposite side of the center. Not until I yanked the heavy iron door open at the end of the dank hallway did I recognize that pull. That inexplicable urge humming beneath my skin…
Crap.
“Well, now, aren’t you just a feast for the eyes,” Blaine drawled as the heavy iron door slammed shut behind me.
I spun around, yanking desperately at the handle. It was locked! The only thing on this side of the lot was a bunch of empty loading trucks. And no people. Except one.
“You know, you could at least try to look happy to see me,” he chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
“What do you want?” I growled, recoiling back a step until my spine met the locked door.
Blaine tilted his head in appraisal, as if to get a better look at me. “What are you offering?” he mused, his gaze scoping every inch of me.
“How about a kiss with my fist?” I snarled.
He clicked his tongue. “Temper.”
My own gaze shifted behind him, and he rolled his eyes, knowing full-well I was going to try making my getaway again.
“Relax, alright. I come in peace,” he assured, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
“Coming from a psychotic murderer? I highly doubt that,” I growled.
Blaine’s brows knitted. “And who exactly am I accused of ‘murdering’?”
I gawked at him. “Uh, ME!”
“I beg your pardon?” He glowered at me, as if insulted. “I brought you back to life.”
“Yeah, after killing me!”
“I brought you back,” he reiterated with such casual indifference, like that made it okay.
I bolted sideways, making it not more than two steps before he cut me off.
“Will you at least give me a chance to explain myself?”
Pretending to sidestep in the other direction, I lunged at him with the fists of fury.
“I’ll take that as a no, then.” Of all things, Blaine laughed, only fueling my rage. He threw his arms up, deflecting each blow with an effortless grace.
You have to be kidding me…
Delivering a perfect roundhouse kick, my foot halted mere inches from Blaine’s chest.
“I appreciate the moxie, love,” he chortled, keeping hold of my caught ankle. “But you’re a bit out of your league.”
“Is that right?” I leaned in, throwing an elbow at his face. He instinctively released my foot, unaware that he’d just given me the opportunity to sneak to his right side. I grabbed hold of his shoulder and bicep, using his weight against him as I jackknifed my legs up. I wrapped them around his neck and threw my body toward the ground. The angle forced him down with me, sending him somersaulting onto the lawn beside us.
“Holy shit.” Blaine let out a breathy laugh as his back hammered into the grass. “I stand corrected.”
“Hardly,” I scoffed, eyeing his current position. I pried my leg out from beneath his neck and prepared to make a run for it. I got as far as the old Civic three parking spaces down before Blaine’s arms hooked around my body, driving me into the side of the hood. The impact set off the car alarm, making my ears nearly bleed as the whaling ignited by my head.
I silently thanked the Lord. Someone was bound to hear this.
Not four whole seconds passed before Blaine slapped his hand on the hood beside me. Electricity surged through his fingertips, and the alarm suddenly died.
Damn it!
Why hadn’t I thought of that? I’d actually stolen borrowed a car using the same demonic technique once before. I could’ve hotwired any car in the parking lot and just driven off! My frustration didn’t go unnoticed.
“That’s what happens when you try to suppress your powers,” Blaine remarked, prying me off the hood. He kept my hands pinned to my sides as he rested me against the passenger door. “It really is a shame you insist on doing this to yourself.”
“Doing what?”
“You escaped from the confines of your parents, only to knuckle down on yourself twice as hard. You’ve been given freedom, yet you insist on climbing into an even smaller cage, and it’s one of your own making.”
“Screw you!” I managed to snake enough room to slam my knee up, preparing to nail it into his groin, but he missed nothing. Before I could even lift my foot off the ground, his thighs pressed against mine, trapping me in place.
“I have to admit, though, I am impressed with your fighting abilities. You been taking classes?” His smile turned feline as his gaze dropped down to my neck, to the faint scars left behind by his fangs. “Or, were they, too, passed onto you?”
I bared my teeth at him, wrenching my weight uselessly under his hold.
“I take that as the latter.”
I had been taking self-defense classes, but my out-of-the-blue knack for kung fu definitely came from…someplace else.
But how did he know that I’d stopped using my runes?
That Cheshire grin of his eased into a smile so full of fascination and childlike delight as his eyes studied the curves and details of my face. “God, I missed you.”
“The feeling’s not mutual.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about me, dreaming about me…” His gaze drifted down my body. “And I see you’ve made some changes. Definitely liking the whole rocker chick vibe. Reminds me of the night of your Rite. Re
member?”
“How could I forget?” I growled. Not only had he ruined my life that night, but also my beloved Sex Pistols top. First time I’d worn it out in public, and it wound up tattered and drenched in my blood. And his evil Hellhound crony had even taken my favorite leather jacket.
Considering all the murder and throat slitting that night, it was safe to say, good times were definitely not had by all.
Blaine scowled however, seeming to find something to his distaste. “Not really feeling the hair, though. Natural is a far better look on you.”
He let go of my wrist, only to finger a section of my brown locks. His thumb rubbed over the ends, and I swiftly slapped his hand away, but it was too late.
Where he just touched rested a smudge of blonde hair, as if he’d rubbed the brunette dye right off.
“What did you do?” I shrieked, slamming a hand against his chest.
He didn’t put up a fight, taking a healthy step back. “I fixed it.”
I looked back down at the ruined section of hair, seeing the natural blonde coloring underneath extending up the rest of the untouched strand, melting away the dye. “What the hell?”
I whirled around to face the side mirror of the Civic. Sure enough, that blemished section of blonde spread across my entire scalp, ridding me of every speckle of brown. In not even half a minute, my long locks were wholly BLONDE again!
“Can’t say that it doesn’t look better,” Blaine remarked lazily, leaning against the side of the car behind him. I opened my mouth, but he just gave me a pointed stare. “You know you hated it.”
I did, but… “Get out of my head!”
He merely sighed. “Look, I didn’t mean to upset you—”
“Then leave me alone!”
“I can’t do that either.”
“So, what then? Are you gonna kidnap me, throw me in the back of some creepy van?”
Covetous: An Urban Fantasy Romance (The Marked Mage Chronicles, Book 2) Page 3
