The Braddock Boys: Brent

by Kimberly Raye

  It was an admission she’d hoped to hear her entire life. And while the circumstance wasn’t one she would have predicted, a rush of satisfaction went through her anyway.

  “You’re smart and beautiful.”

  She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror and noted the flush to her cheeks. The sparkle in her eyes. She was different now. She felt it from the tips of her toes to her fingers.

  “What did you do to me?”

  “Nothing. It’s just great sex. That’s another perk of being a vampire. I’m pretty good in the sack.”

  “What else?” she heard herself. This was crazy. She should be crawling out the nearest window and running for help instead of playing twenty questions.

  “I can see myself in a mirror like everyone else,” he went on. “But that thing about bats is a myth. I can transform into other things if I want to, but it’s usually more trouble than it’s worth. I can levitate. And I have fangs.”

  Because he was a vampire. A night stalking, blood-drinking vampire.

  Her memory raced and suddenly everything started to make sense. The sudden change of his eye color. The way he moved so swiftly and silently. His sudden appearance in her room that first night. His dark good looks and the dangerous pull that seemed to lure her closer against her better judgment.

  An image rushed at her and she saw him, his fangs poised, his eyes glowing.

  “You were going to bite me, weren’t you?”

  “I wanted to. I wanted it more than anything, but I wouldn’t have done it. I didn’t have to. I’d already fed.”

  “On who?”

  “On you, Abby. Vampires don’t just feed off of blood. We also crave energy. Sexual energy. Your orgasm fed me enough to curb my bloodlust.” Silence settled as she tried to process everything he was saying. “Open the door. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

  She wasn’t sure why she believed him except that he’d had plenty of chances to turn her into a human Happy Meal if he’d wanted. The fact that he hadn’t echoed through her and suddenly she wanted to flip the lock more than she wanted her next breath.

  She wanted to know the truth about him. How long he’d been a vampire, who had turned him and why. She wanted to know everything and that need stirred her fear even more than the fact that he had actual fangs.

  It was just sex, she reminded herself. She didn’t want to know his background. His life. Him.

  She just wanted a few wonderful memories to tide her over for the rest of her orderly, routine life.

  Emotion push-pulled inside her and she shook her head frantically. This was too much. It was time to stop right now before she did the unthinkable.

  She wasn’t falling for him. She wasn’t falling for anyone, man or vampire.

  Never, ever again.

  “Get out of here.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “Get out right now before I call the cops.”

  Silence followed for several long seconds, as if he was trying to decide whether or not to believe her. He shouldn’t have. She was bluffing, the same way she’d done time and time again on mission after mission. She knew how to persuade people. To survive.

  That’s what this was about. Survival. Of her body. Her heart.

  Oh, no.

  Panic rushed through her and the words tumbled out. “If you don’t get out of here, I’m going to scream bloody murder. I mean it.”

  The thud of a door punctuated her sentence, and just like that he was gone.

  She stood there for several long moments listening to the pounding of her own heart before she finally slid the lock aside. Sure enough, the bedroom was empty and a strange sense of loneliness swept over her.

  She snatched up her clothes which lay in a heap where she’d left them. Her gaze shifted to Brent’s T-shirt that still lay draped over the back of a nearby chair. Before she could stop herself, she reached for the soft cotton and slid it over her head. His scent filled her nostrils and she had the disturbing thought that she’d just lost the one thing that mattered most.

  Nuts.

  She hardly knew him. And he hardly knew her. They were virtual strangers.

  So why did she feel so empty inside?

  The question haunted her as she picked her way around the room, snatching up clothing and straightening the covers. Finally when there was nothing left to spend her energy on, she crawled into bed and burrowed beneath the covers.

  And then, for the first time since she’d skinned her knee so very long ago, Abby Trenton started to cry.

  15

  SHE’D SEEN HIM.

  She’d really and truly seen him.

  Dread and denial whirled together to make his gut ache and his hands tremble. Sure, he knew that she’d glimpsed the truth a time or two when his control had slipped, but it had been so quick that she’d probably written it off as her imagination.

  But this time she’d gotten a good, long look.

  There were no excuses he could make. No escaping the truth.

  He couldn’t make her forget. Even though it was a trick of the trade, it didn’t work with her. He’d tried it that first night when she’d followed him from the Dairy Freeze and it had been useless. She had a strong will. She knew how to conceal her thoughts and hide behind a mental barrier.

  Bottom line, she knew how to keep him out of her head. So he was SOL. He couldn’t make her forget all about him.

  As depressing as the thought was, he found a small sense of solace in it. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want a woman to forget him. He didn’t want to blend into the background like a bad dream or vanish in a puff of smoke. He wanted to stand out. To have a permanent place in her memory. In her life.

  He ignored the last thought and focused on gunning the engine of his Camaro. He needed to get out of here. To stop thinking and just drive.

  He pulled out onto Main Street and headed for the city limits. It was time to pack up and leave. Dillon could text him any information that he might eventually uncover about his sister-in-law’s whereabouts. And Cody?

  His brother would just have to get married without him. It wasn’t like Brent was going to stand in as his best man. He’d made it clear that he didn’t like weddings. Hell, he’d made it clear that he didn’t want Cody to get married, period. Impossible.

  It would never work, no matter how much Cody wanted it to. He was too different from Miranda.

  And if he turned her?

  The possibility stuck in his head. One he’d never considered because he’d never wanted to doom anyone to his same fate. He’d been a vampire over one hundred and fifty years and he’d never turned anyone.

  And he never would.

  Especially someone he loved.

  It was hard enough living with the pain of rejection. But living with the knowledge that he’d destroyed someone’s life? That he’d doomed them to a fate far worse than death?

  Not no, but hell no. He wouldn’t do it even if Abby begged him.

  Not that she would. She feared him. She’d made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. She was probably on the phone at that moment, ranting about vampires and how he’d deceived her. And while he doubted anyone would believe her, particularly after she’d had a few drinks down at the local bar, he knew it was just a matter of time.

  He gunned the engine and crossed the railroad tracks at the far edge of town. A turn to his left and he was heading for the Interstate, dead set on getting the hell out of town before people started to get suspicious.

  They would. He had no doubt about that.

  At the same time, he owed his brother a word of warning. Cody had told him not to get too close, but Brent hadn’t listened. While his gut told him that Abby wouldn’t turn on him, he couldn’t be sure. Not after the way she’d kicked him out. He picked up his cell phone and dialed.

  “Meet me at the new house,” he told Cody when his brother picked up on the third ring. “What’s wrong?”

  “Just get in the c
ar and drive. Fifteen minutes.”

  “WHAT’S GOING ON?”

  Brent looked at his brother, not knowing quite what to say. “She knows.”

  “Who knows?”

  “Abby.”

  “Abby who?”

  “She’s the woman I’ve been seeing for the past few days. She’s new in town. She’s here looking for Rayne.”

  That got Cody’s attention. “Why would she be looking for Rayne?”

  “She says she’s a receptionist, but I think she’s military.” In fact, he knew she was military after their conversation last night. While she’d played it off as if it were only her background, the pieces had quickly fallen into place.

  “We knew it was just a matter of time,” Cody said. Rayne had married his sister-in-law a few weeks after being turned into a vampire in the mountains outside of Afghanistan. He’d been attacked and left to fend for himself.

  Not knowing what else to do, he’d come home one last time before going on the run from the authorities and himself. He’d been a fledgling vampire. Scared of what he’d become. Fearful that he would hurt someone.

  But he’d found a support system right here in Skull Creek with Cody and the handful of other vampires who’d taken up residence in the small town. They’d taught him to control the hunger, to feed it slowly so that it didn’t devour him.

  Still, the fact that he was coping didn’t change the truth—he’d run away from the military and they’d all known it was just a matter of time before someone came looking for him.

  They’d all believed it best to meet the threat head on, bending whoever showed up to their will so that they would forget all about Rayne and the fact that he was AWOL.

  A plan that might have worked if anyone other than Abby Trenton had shown up.

  She was stubborn.

  Determined.

  Sexy.

  The thought struck and he stiffened. It didn’t matter how sexy she was. It was over.

  He was outta here.

  “I’ll call the others and see if we can’t influence her and send her on her way.”

  “It won’t work.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I know. She’s got a strong will and she’s not easily influenced.”

  “She can’t be that strong.”

  “Trust me, I’ve tried. She’s not like everyone else. She won’t bend. She’s got the tenacity of a pit bull. No matter how much I stare into her eyes, I can’t get her to listen to me.”

  Cody didn’t say anything. He just stared at Brent long and hard before his face cracked into a smile and he started to laugh.

  “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear anything I said? She knows and she’s going to blow the whistle on all of us. There’s no way you can win in this situation. She’s too stubborn.”

  “You’re falling for her,” Cody finally said once his laughter had died down. “Hook, line and sinker.”

  “Bullshit.” There was no falling involved. He’d already fallen. Hard.

  “You sure as hell are. She’s gotten to you.”

  “She’s going to tell the world we’re vampires, little brother. If you have half a brain you’ll get the hell out of here before she does.”

  “I’m not leaving,” Cody said after a long contemplative moment. “This is my home now. I won’t give it up.”

  “You’re crazy.” Brent turned and started for his car.

  “And you’re scared.”

  The comment brought him to a dead stop. He turned on his brother. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re afraid to get close to anyone. Afraid they’ll hurt you. Afraid they’ll let you down. But that’s no excuse to keep walking away from everything and everyone.”

  “I can do whatever the hell I want.”

  “True, but you’ll always be alone if you do.”

  “Maybe I like being alone.”

  “And maybe you’re full of shit. You’re so used to running that you don’t know how to stop. I know. I used to do a lot of running myself, always walking away when people got a little close and things got a little too intense. But then Miranda changed all that.”

  “She made you want to stick around,” Brent murmured, remembering the push-pull of emotion he’d felt when he’d stood outside the bathroom door, trying to persuade Abby to open up. He hadn’t wanted to leave.

  No, for the first time in over one hundred years, he’d wanted to stay put.

  “Are you kidding?” Cody smiled. “Miranda made me want to run for my afterlife. Faster, harder than ever before. That’s how I knew she was the one. When a woman scares the bejesus out of you like that, she has to be something special.” He let the statement hang between them for a long moment before he added, “You should try to talk to Abby.”

  “I already did that.”

  “So try again.”

  “And if she calls the cops?”

  “Then you’ll figure something out. We’ll all figure something out. Together.”

  The offer was tempting, but Brent had been going it alone, relying on himself, his instincts, his desperation far too long to stop now.

  He shook his head. “I can’t take that chance. I won’t. And if you have half a brain, you won’t either. This situation is about to blow up.” Then he turned and walked away.

  “What about the wedding?” Cody called after him.

  “I’m sorry,” Brent muttered. And then he climbed into his car, gunned the engine, and left.

  16

  HE WAS LEAVING.

  That’s what Brent told himself as he headed down the Interstate. If Cody had any sense of self-preservation, he would follow. But his little brother had gone off the deep end. Home. There was no such thing. There couldn’t be. Not for them. They were vampires. Cold. Ruthless.

  Scared.

  Like hell. Brent wasn’t scared. He was smart. He’d learned from his mistakes. It was all about survival. He wasn’t running, he was staying alive. There was a difference, even if Cody was too damned lovestruck to see it. He would realize his mistake all too soon and it would be too late.

  Not Brent.

  He was going to stay one step ahead of the storm. He was going to stay alive. Even if it meant being alone for the rest of his existence. Lonely.

  The truth struck and the weight of it pressed down on him. He realized then and there that he wasn’t half as afraid of being strung up and left to fry in the hot sun as he was of never seeing Abby again.

  That thought tore at him far worse than any horsewhip.

  He wanted to fall asleep next to her and wake up with her every morning. He wanted her warm body cuddled up next to him and her sweet smile greeting him when he opened his eyes.

  Even more, he wanted to pick her brain and find out more about her childhood, her life. He wanted to know and suddenly that thought wasn’t half as frightening as the possibility that he might never know. He’d spent his entire afterlife keeping his distance because he thought it would make things easier when it was time to walk away.

  It didn’t make a bit of difference now. His chest ached and his throat burned.

  He was walking away, running away, and it hurt like hell. Far more than anything he’d ever suffered before.

  The realization hit him like a two-by-four and his stomach hollowed out. This was his greatest fear.

  He wasn’t afraid of being discovered. No, he was terrified at the thought of being ripped away from the one thing he wanted most—Abby. And he was doing it himself.

  She doesn’t want you, buddy.

  Maybe not, but he wasn’t going to add to the pain by putting more miles between them. She might not want him, but he was going back. He was going to face her and do everything in his power to show her how good they were together.

  How good they could be.

  And if she freaked and revealed his true identity?

  It wouldn’t matter. That pain was nothing compared to the thought of never seeing her again. Of giving
up. Of not trying.

  He hit the nearest Exit and made a U-turn, because Brent Braddock was through walking away.

  It was time to stop running and start fighting.

  HE WAS KNOCKING on her door again.

  Abby listened to the familiar rap of knuckles and fought the urge to jump to her feet, haul open the door and throw her arms around Brent.

  He was a vampire.

  Even more, he was an annoying, persistent vampire who’d spent the past three days knocking on her door every night.

  She hadn’t answered, but that hadn’t swayed him. She’d half-expected him to kick open the door or morph into a wisp of smoke and slide through the keyhole, but he’d done neither. He’d simply pulled up a chair and talked to her as if they were sitting face-to-face.

  He told her about his childhood. About growing up with brothers and horses and lots and lots of cattle. He talked about the war and how he and his brothers had followed Cody to keep an eye on him. And he told her about the massacre and his suspicions that his sister-in-law had been involved somehow.

  He told her about his life. And damned if she didn’t have the urge to tell him about hers. She didn’t.

  She didn’t say a word because she knew that even if he’d changed his mind about the two of them getting to know each other, it still didn’t make a difference.

  It wasn’t like they could have a future together.

  She had to go back, to clear her name, to keep leading her unit and building her reputation and fighting for what she believed in. She’d worked too hard and sacrificed too much to give it all up to stay in Skull Creek with Brent Braddock.

  No matter how much she suddenly wanted to.

  So she kept her mouth shut and tried not to hang on his every word. During the day, she prowled the town and tried to keep herself busy. She got her hair done and did more shopping and tried to forget the man waiting back at the motel for her. But none of it was half as much fun as it should have been. Even Winona and her infomercials started to seem depressing. By the time Friday rolled around, Abby had all but given up on reveling in femininity.