by John Corwin
"Stephen made believers of us." I decided to tell her about my special intuition and how I'd removed the vampire part from Stephen. I opted not to tell her about the Custodians. They might not react well to someone like Isabel knowing about them and I didn't want to put her at risk.
Isabel leaned back, taking a sip of her tea, eyes narrowed in thought. "There's just one thing I don't get. If Stephen was really so fast and strong, how in the hell did Tyler hold his own? How did he pin down the vampire?"
I sipped at my own tea, collecting my thoughts. I'd thought about this conversation of course, but when faced with the reality of telling my best friend my boyfriend was in reality a demon of all things, my mouth shut down.
"Oh my God. Tyler's a vampire too, isn't he?" Isabel's blue eyes filled with concern. "Please tell me he's a good one."
If only he were just a vampire. I sighed. Closed my eyes. "Not exactly, Izzy." Opening my eyes and cringing, I said, "Tyler is a demon."
Isabel's mouth dropped open in almost comical fashion. She blinked several times, her mouth moving without uttering a word. She shook her head, bit her lip and stared at me. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Heads turned our way at the outburst.
I made a shushing noise. "I know, I know, it's a lot to take in, but he's actually a good demon." A nervous laugh burst through my closed lips. It sounded so silly.
Isabel gulped her tea. Raised her hand, and ordered another. "I didn't think there was any such thing as a good demon," she said in a loud whisper.
I groaned. Where to begin? It had seemed so simple in my mind. "Apparently, they're not exactly like the Bible says, though I must admit I went mental when he told me."
Understanding lit Isabel's eyes. "That's what the fight was about, wasn't it? When you left Tyler for a week?"
"Yes." The memory of that day stabbed at my heart. "Perhaps I should tell you everything." So I did, detailing how Tyler had been Thomas, how he'd originally saved us from Stephen, and why I decided he wasn't really evil after all.
"He sounds more like an angel to me," Isabel said, ending a moment of silence between us that had lingered once I finished my strange tale. "And I think you're right. He's not bad. Just...different."
"He claims he can't love." A hot tear pooled in my eye. I wiped it away. "It's a foreign concept to him. Oh, Izzy, what should I do?" Even with sadness pressing against my heart, it felt so wonderful to be able to ask my best friend for advice. Finally!
She gripped my hands and smiled. "Follow your heart, sis. There's something very sad and tortured about Tyler's past. It just seems impossible that a thinking, intelligent being can't love."
"But I'm falling for him." I felt another tear course down my cheek. "I don't want things to end up like Peter. I don't think I could take it again."
A snarl curled Isabel's lip. "Peter." She practically spit the name like a bad taste. "If you want a real demon, don't look any further than that asshole." She hissed out a breath. "And add Chris to the list while you're at it."
"Were we just blind to the truth with them?" I pulled back my hands and wrapped them around the large warm mug of tea. "Or were we just young and stupid?"
"Both," Isabel said. "I wish I could say I felt smarter now, but all I really feel is older."
I laughed. "Too true."
"With Jack, I feel so safe. I never felt that with Chris. But sometimes I still feel afraid. I wonder if it's real, or if the truth will rear its ugly head."
"At least Jack probably isn't a demon." I smiled.
Isabel rolled her eyes. "Well, if nothing else, we'll have lots of stories to tell our grandkids."
We burst into laughter, causing those patrons that hadn't noticed Isabel's first outburst to look our way.
"Now I wish we'd come someplace that serves alcohol." Isabel gazed at her tea with a sad look. "I think we could both use a drink."
Pondering the remark about grandparents, I remembered the upcoming dinner tonight. "I'm taking Tyler to dinner with my parents."
Isabel gasped. "You think your dad will know a demon when he sees one?"
"He's just a preacher, Izzy." I snorted. "Pray I never have to tell my parents about Tyler's true nature."
"Talk about freaking out." She gave me a quizzical look. "Isn't it a bit soon to introduce the boyfriend to the 'rents anyway?"
"You know how my parents travel. It's been months since the last time I saw them. I might as well take advantage of the opportunity."
"You don't think old Patrick is gonna get out the shotgun?" Isabel waggled an eyebrow.
"It's my mum I'm worried about." I sighed. "Dad is like a teddy bear compared to her."
"Your mom is like the British Prime Minister." She laughed. "Maybe you should video the occasion so I can get my reality television fix."
I glanced at the time and realized it was nearly four. Where had the time gone? "Well, speaking of dinner, I suppose I should get back."
"Oh, wow." Isabel glanced up from her watch. "I guess we really did need to catch up."
I dropped her back at the flat, resisting the urge to go upstairs myself. I had everything I needed at Tyler's. My phone rang. Speak of the devil.
"Hello sexy," Tyler said. "When will you be back?"
My lips spread into a grin, and heat gathered in my stomach at the sound of his voice. "I'm on the way now. How was your reunion?"
He chuckled. "Awkward. We chatted about business, about family, and the subject of the weather even came up."
"Delightful."
"Yeah...not really." He went silent for a moment. "I kept expecting him to say why he'd really come over, but he never did."
"Oddly enough some fellow named Howard Moore was coming over too." I relayed the brief phone conversation between Brandon and the other man, and gave him the license plate number. "I don't think they expected to find you there for some reason."
"That is odd." I heard Tyler scratching what sounded like the stubble on his chin. "Maybe Hugo rarely used this place. Maybe they intended to do some corporate espionage."
"What exactly are the terms of the test Cyrus decided to put his children through?"
"I don't quite know that either," Tyler said. "There's a lot I don't know about Hugo—"
"There's a lot we don't know about the Rock family in general. I think it might be a good idea to familiarize ourselves with what you've gotten yourself into."
Tyler chuckled. "Good point."
The mention of Hugo's name knocked loose the idea I couldn't put my finger on earlier when I'd run into Howard. "You said the last thing Hugo thought was, 'Why?'"
"Yes."
"Did you pick up any other stray thoughts?"
"No—" he stopped. "Now that you mention it, I remember something about a glass of wine. He fixated on it."
"Did you sense any emotions?" I asked.
"He was so far gone I only got the faintest impression of anger, fear, and maybe betrayal."
I snapped my fingers. "Now I know why Brandon was so surprised to see you."
Tyler chuckled. "Oh?"
"Hugo was supposed to be dead."
He went deathly quiet for a moment. "If you're right, I need to be as careful about avoiding Hugo's family as I do the Exorcists."
"It would appear there's no shortage of people who want you dead."
"Yeah." He sighed. "Let's discuss this more when you arrive."
"I was hoping we might do something other than talk." Just thinking about how precious our time together was made me long to feel his skin against mine and reassure myself that nobody would take him from me.
"You must have read my mind," he said in a low voice. "See you soon."
When I arrived, I had to call Tyler so he could open the gate into the parking deck from inside the penthouse. He met me inside the garage after I parked the car. Without uttering a word, he pinned me against the wall with a long, deep kiss. I felt his erection pressing against my stomach through his jeans.
"Do you p
lan to take me here?" I gasped for breath after the long kiss, and longed to feel him inside me.
He glanced up at a domed security camera. "Do you want to give security a show?"
I giggled nervously. "On the other hand, let's wait until we're upstairs." A hot blush hit me as I thought about something else. "Does the lift have a camera?"
An amused grin spread across his face. "No."
Relief washed away some of my blush. "Oh, thank Heaven."
The lift doors opened, and we stepped inside, riding it up.
"I assume filming ourselves having sex is out of the question?" He looked somewhat serious about the question.
I felt my eyes widen with indignation. "Indeed it is, Mr. Rock."
He pulled me out of the lift as we reached his floor, holding my hands captive with one of his as he ran kisses up and down my neck. "I seem to recall someone not wanting to be spanked either. You changed your mind about that."
I could hardly speak from the thrill of his lips on my body. "That is very different, sir."
"It is?"
"Yes." I shivered when his teeth bit my lower lip.
"Your argument isn't very well thought out." His other hand reached under my bra, gave my nipple a pinch.
"Oh!" I gasped. "You're making it very...hard for me...to think."
He chuckled. "I wanted to spank you again today, but unfortunately, we don't have much time."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, pressing my tongue against his. I nibbled on his ear and whispered, "Then I suppose you'll just have to fuck me the old-fashioned way, Mr. Rock."
He growled. Picked me up and took me into the den where he threw me on the couch and practically ripped off my clothes. "My pleasure, Miss Glass."
After a shower, I threw on one of the more casual dresses I'd tossed in the "yes" pile, and found a pair of conservative flats in the myriad of shoeboxes.
"You still haven't modeled all those shoes for me," Tyler said in a pouting voice.
"Men aren't that good at picking out shoes anyway." I gave him a dismissive wave of my hand. "You didn't miss out on anything."
He swept me into his arms. "Don't think you're getting out of it, Emily. I will have my show."
I gave him a raised eyebrow. "Really now, do you think you'll just bully me into it?"
He leaned in, pressing his nose against my neck and drawing in a deep breath. I shivered, and felt my eyelids flutter, an electric chill raising goose bumps on my skin.
Tyler pulled away and shrugged. "No, I guess not. Oh well." He made a show of brushing lint off his jeans.
I tried to growl, but sounded like an angry kitten. "You don't play fair."
He gave me an innocent look, pooching out his lips. "Who me?"
I hugged him around his waist. "Yes, you." I snuggled up to his chest. "You bring the wine, I'll try on the shoes."
"Along with the lingerie I bought you?"
I laughed. "Perhaps I'll have you try on boxers and cowboy boots."
"Hmm." He made an appreciative noise. "That could be very fun. Especially with lassos."
Somehow, we made it down to Joe and the car without tearing off each other's clothes and making a mess. As we climbed into the backseat, my stomach gave a nervous twist. I tried hard not to think about the significance of tonight, but it really was so much more than a dinner with my parents.
I just prayed they liked Tyler.
Chapter 37
Joe pulled in front of Parker's on Ponce, a classy looking affair.
Tyler winked, and kissed my hand. "I'll get your door." He slid out of the back seat, came around to mine, and helped me out as though I were a delicate flower who couldn't manage the distance to the ground. I loved it.
He offered me his arm. I laced mine through his, leaning my head against his shoulder. The hostess's eyes went wide when she saw Tyler. I looked around the room and noted other females, seemingly in light trances, following him with their eyes. It wasn't just his looks, I knew, having witnessed the same thing when he was Thomas. But if I'd been a cat, I likely would have puffed up my fur and hissed.
Mine!
Mum and Dad sat in a room near the back. Mum's eyebrow arched a fraction when she saw us, but unlike the other females, she didn't seem entranced with Tyler.
"Mum!" I hugged her, feeling a rush of happiness at seeing her again after so long.
She held me at arm's length and looked me up and down. "You look well. I'm glad to see you're not stick thin again. I suppose that means this one"—she looked at Tyler—"is treating you appropriately."
My face went hot. "Mum!"
Dad interrupted us by crushing me in a bear hug and kissing my cheek. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you, Em."
"Well, now that you've both thoroughly humiliated me, let me introduce Tyler." I extended a hand toward him.
Tyler gave them a boyish grin and shook their hands. "Tyler Rock. Very pleased to meet you."
Dad glanced at Tyler's hand, quite likely noticing it felt a bit warmer than usual. He held onto it a fraction longer than absolutely necessary, and gave him a smile, which bordered on sinister. "Treating my little girl well, I see."
"Yes, sir. She means a great deal to me."
"Good to hear. After what I had to do to her last—"
"Dad, please!" I scowled at him.
"You're a very pretty boy," Mum said. "Popular with the girls, I'd warrant."
The heat in my face notched up a hundred degrees.
"Thank you, Mrs. Glass," Tyler said. "But the only woman I have eyes for is Emily." He looked at me and gave me a heart-melting smile. "Why don't we have a seat, and you two can interrogate me all you want?"
Mum's eyes lit up. "And confident too, I see." She looked at Dad. "Yes, let's have a seat before we make Mr. Rock feel unwanted."
"Tyler, please, Mrs. Glass." My boyfriend pulled out a chair for me, and I sat.
"You may call me Victoria."
Dad smiled. "Mr. Glass will do just fine."
"Dad!" I scooted forward in my chair. "You'd better behave if you ever want to see me again."
He chuckled, and took a seat across from Tyler.
After we ordered drinks and food, Mum said, "Are you perchance related to Cyrus Rock?"
Tyler's eye twitched ever so slightly. "He's my father."
"So you're a member of that Rock family," Dad said. "How's the contest going?"
"Contest?" Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you meant the inheritance test." He shrugged. "Going well, I suppose, although I think it's a farce."
That raised a few eyebrows. "Oh, really?" Mum said, her voice heavy with disbelief. "So you don't much care about the people whose livelihoods you hold in your hand?"
"Oh, quite the contrary, Victoria. I think it was an act of utter callousness for Cyrus to hand his children these companies and make a game of it. There are plenty of other ways to test the business mettle of someone. Then again, the entire process is nothing but disgusting nepotism." He shrugged. "I guess it's the way of the world, though. Emperor Cyrus wants his children to fight it out for the empire."
My father seemed a bit taken aback by Tyler's brutal honesty. "And yet you accepted the challenge. You could have bowed out."
Tyler paused for a moment, quite likely because he didn't really know Hugo's reasoning for accepting the challenge. "I could have, yes." He nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe I'm not worthy of such power. I hardly think anyone is, to be honest. I hold power over thousands of lives whether I want to or not. It's more responsibility than I care to think about at times."
"You seem acutely aware of that responsibility." Dad folded his arms on the table. "How does the power to manipulate so many people make you feel?"
The waitress arrived with our drinks. Tyler tasted his red wine and leaned back. "It scares the hell out of me."
"Scares you?"
Tyler squeezed my hand with his free one and smiled. "I've been manipulated. I've been forced to do things and
endure bad treatment from those who are more powerful than me."
"Like your father?" Mum's eyes glittered with intensity.
I felt Tyler's grip tighten on my hand for an instant, and thought he might be thinking about his other father, the unearthly one. "Really now," I said. "You don't have to grill him about every little aspect."
"No, it's okay," Tyler said, smiling uneasily. "No one is free from manipulation, no matter how powerful. The power frightens me at times. At other times it makes me feel somewhat heady." His eyes hardened as they seemed to focus on something in the distance. Then he looked at my parents. "I'm no longer the same person I was. My experiences have led me here, and I plan to do right by those people who work for the companies my father entrusted to me. And if it means losing my inheritance, so be it."
Mum and Dad exchanged looks, and their eyes actually looked troubled.
"Something wrong?" I said.
"No," Dad said after a second's hesitation. "Tyler is different from others of his...social status."
"I hope that's a good thing." Tyler sipped his drink and grinned.
"Yes," Mum said, giving him an even look. "It is. Provided you're being honest."
I wasn't sure if I should breathe easy or grab Tyler and run for the hills. Then again, I hadn't seen my parents together for quite some time, so I decided to turn the tables on them. "What exactly are you two doing in Atlanta?"
"Counseling, primarily," Dad said, leaning back and looking at ease once more. "The massacre at Edenfield High has been pretty traumatic for the students."
"Did they ever figure out what happened?" I asked. I, of course, now knew it had likely been vampires responsible for the tragedy. The work of the Custodians had likely concealed the truth by the time my parents arrived on the scene.
He shook his head. "Not exactly. And two of the students are still missing after the attack."
"Two?"
"A boy they detained for questioning and his girlfriend."
"Good lord," I said. "I can't believe that sort of thing still happens in a civilized society."
Tyler chuckled. "Civilization is just a veneer."
"Are you a believer?" Mum said.
Tyler's amused grin made an appearance. "In people?"
