“Is that what you call it? A moment? Felt more like a fleeting nanosecond. Meaningless and too unimportant to notice. Like our friendship.” I smile.
“Har.” She narrows her eyes.
“Har, har.” I narrow mine back, still grinning. And just like that, our uneasiness fades and a two-century-old bond takes a step in the right direction. She is willing to do what it takes to be forgiven, and I am grateful for it.
“Michael, there’s something else I need to say—just in case this is my last chance. I want to be completely honest and tell you—”
“No.” I hold out my hand. “There is no need to say more. You have been instrumental in helping me get Miriam back. That is all the apology I require.”
Lula stares for a long moment and then exhales. “Then let’s go get your librarian.” Lula stands and lifts a determined chin.
I stand, too. “Let’s. But I think you really need to put on something more suitable.”
Lula glances down at her white furry onesie for grown-ups. “Sorry. I was getting nervous about tonight—thought it might help if I dressed like a teddy bear. So I could hug myself.”
“You do realize you’re the ruler of all vampires, yes? We are the deadliest species on the planet.”
She shrugs. “Maybe so, but Mr. Nice scares the hell out of me.”
Cannot say I blame her. He is unpredictable, merciless, and fast. “Just remember to see with your ears, not with your eyes. You will hear Nice coming before you see him.” The air makes a whoosh noise when being pushed out of the way so fast. Similar to the sound when you use a flyswatter.
Lula nods nervously.
“Are you certain you don’t want me to go inside and grab Miriam?” I ask.
“No. We’ve been over this already. You’re the one she trusts most and can help her with…whatever’s been done to her. I need to stay behind to keep Nice from coming after you should Alex and the men fail to subdue him. Also, if we succeed, I’m the one who has to ensure he’s punished for his crimes.”
Nice stole my mate. A big vampire no-no.
“Thank you, Lula.” I take her in my arms and hug her, unsure if this is the last time we will see one another.
“Get…off…me,” she grunts.
“Oh, sorry.” I let her go. “I powered up with a bagged lunch. Forgot my strength.” I exhale. “Wow. That suit really works. I feel comforted. One more for the road?”
Lula laughs and walks away. “Oh, stop teasing me.”
“I was serious.”
She leaves, and I stand there in the empty dining room. I’ve been in hundreds of battles and planned hundreds more missions. My part in the Great War secured our victory; however, in all those dangerous, bloody situations, not once did I doubt my success, but tonight, I have no idea what will happen. I could lose the woman I love. I could lose Lula. I could lose both. And that would be unbearable.
Four hours later, under the cover of night, I am standing outside a small, two-story, faded green motel with a steep sloped roof. The establishment is exactly the sort of place I would never look for Mr. Nice. He is known for being flamboyant, eccentric, and enjoying the pampered life—chauffeurs, private jets, and servants. A king, in his mind. A feared, ancient vampire to the rest of us.
Spicy Bubba at the wheel of the black van, I wait anxiously for the signal. Everyone is in place. With their infrared equipment, Miriam has been spotted in the room toward the back of the suite. Nice is a wild card.
My heart is pumping. My muscles burn with adrenaline. Not one piece of my body is calm.
“Come on. Come on…” I whisper to myself.
“Won’t be long, sir,” says Spicy Bubba. He is a large man with a gut and kind eyes. Looks like he enjoyed eating before he was nibbled on by a vampire. “You just tell me when to punch it.”
Before I can respond, I hear the go signal: a hooting owl. I hear a crash, a scream, and deep voices barking orders: “Get on the ground. Don’t move. Located the target.”
Somewhere in the commotion, Lula is telling Miriam to come with her.
“But why? What’s happening? Where are we going?” Miriam yells from inside the suite.
“Shh… Just come along and be quiet, or people will get hurt,” Lula says.
A few moments later, Miriam appears with Lula, who’s gripping her by the elbow. It is dark out, but there is a second where my eyes meet hers. Miriam does not smile. Either she does not remember me, or she couldn’t care less about seeing me again.
“Get in the van,” Lula commands.
“I can’t. I won’t. I’m not leaving him.” Miriam jerks her arm free.
I do not believe it. She is fighting to stay. What has Nice done to her?
“Yes. You will,” Lula growls.
“Or what? You’ll kill me? Like I haven’t heard that one before.” Miriam shakes her head.
Nice threatened her. That’s why she’s still with him. But no. That doesn’t explain why she’d want to stay. He has scrambled her brain.
My blood boils. “Miriam, get in the van. Do not argue.”
“I didn’t ask to be rescued,” she snarls.
“All the more reason you need rescuing,” I snarl back and open the side door.
Miriam doesn’t move.
“God help me, woman, if you do not get in that van, I will throw you in and…and…well, you could get bruised or something, and I would feel very bad.”
“Ugh.” Lula shoves Miriam inside and jerks the door shut. “Go, Spicy Bubba. And don’t stop until you’re at the safe house.”
Spicy Bubba starts the engine, and I come around to the other side, sliding in beside Miriam. I tell myself it is to protect her, but really, it is to keep her from leaving. What has happened to her?
The van pulls away, and when I look over my shoulder, I see Mr. Nice. Lula tackles him.
“Stop the van,” I say. I cannot leave Lula to fight him alone. He is too strong.
“Sorry, sir. But Lula gave me strict instructions not to stop.”
“If you do not stop, Lula will not be around to punish you.”
“I’m a man of my word, and I made a promise,” he argues back, putting the pedal to the metal.
I glance to my side at Miriam, who is staring straight ahead, her entire body rigid. “You’ve just made a huge mistake, Michael. And I will never forgive you for it.”
CHAPTER FIVE
We drove all night and the next day, too, only stopping for bio-breaks for Miriam, which she did not appreciate. Mostly because we could not risk her trying to make a run for it at a gas station, so it was all bushes and trees for her. When we did stop for gas, the driver planned ahead. He let me and her out somewhere quiet, where Miriam could not cause a scene, and then he circled back for us. It kills me to treat Miriam like a prisoner when we were once so close, but until I discover what has been done to her, I have no choice. Unfortunately, she refuses to talk apart from a handful of words to Bubba.
Like now.
“I’m hungry,” Miriam says.
“How much farther?” I ask Driver Spice.
“Another twenty minutes,” he replies, pushing the speed limit. There are few cars on the road this late, which is a relief. I fear Miriam might attempt to flag someone down, though the fact she has not is encouraging. Perhaps a part of her wants to be rescued.
“I am sorry. You will just have to wait a bit longer,” I tell Miriam, taking every opportunity I can to soak in the sight of her. I still cannot believe she is here, but I am so glad she is. I missed her more than words can describe.
I just hope that Lula is all right. She said she would call me when it was safe, but still no word.
“He’ll find us here. You know that, right?” Miriam tucks a lock of her messy blonde hair behind her ear and gives me the death stare.
“How wonderful. You are finally speaking to me.”
She continues glaring, the headlights from the other vehicles illuminating one side of her lovely face. “He won’
t give up until I’m by his side again. He’s not a quitter, unlike some other vampires I know.”
She is right. In a way I did give up. After I returned to Lula and dealt with the rogue council members, I felt beaten down, drained. Seeing the state I was in, Lula vowed to continue the search. She sent a team of men to pick up where I left off, while I did what I could to keep from going mad. But I never stopped hoping.
“What will happen if he does find you?” I ask. “What will he do?”
“You mean after he kills you?”
“Is that why you stayed with him? Did he threaten to kill me if you left?”
She laughs bitterly, throwing back her head. “You and your enormous ego.”
“Miriam,” I grip her arm, “talk to me. Just tell me what happened. Were you with him because you wanted to be? Because if that is the truth, then I will let you go right now.”
She stares deeply into my eyes. “I really want to be with him, so pull over.”
“Why would I do that?” I harrumph and fold my arms over my chest. “Clearly there’s something wrong with you.”
“But you just said—”
I hold up a hand to stop her. “I did not mean it. He is insane, and you are one of the smartest women I have ever met, so if you want to be with him, then logically—”
“Michael, I’m sure this isn’t easy for you, but if you care about me, even a little, you’ll let me go.” She lays her hand over mine and squeezes. “He’s my husband.”
And I saw fear in her eyes when she said she loved him. All right, fine. She also made goo-goo eyes, but I know something’s up. “Well, this husband of yours kidnapped you.”
“And so did you, just the other night. Does that invalidate your feelings for me? Does it make you any less honorable or worthy of love?”
Damn, woman. She is too smart. It is what I adore about her. “Then following your own logic, you will forgive me for taking you, just as you have done for him. Dare I say, I might get you to marry me, too.”
“Michael! Stop. I haven’t seen you in five years. Things have changed. I’ve changed. And I’m married, committed, and extremely unhappy about my life being torn apart by a group of people—vampires—whatever—who don’t understand a thing. So take me back to Nice this minute, or so help me, I will never speak to you again.”
I exhale sharply and inhale slowly. “I cannot do that.” I need her too much. So if there is any chance of breaking through, I must take it.
“Why?”
“I am not convinced you are telling the truth. Not even a little.”
“Really? And how exactly do you propose I convince you? Because obviously my word isn’t good enough. Neither is the fact I never once tried to call you or come home.”
“Ha! Exactly!” I point a finger in her face. “The Miriam I know would never leave hundreds of thousands of books and millions of dollars of priceless items curated by generations of Murphys. Not to mention there’s your public library, which is your life’s passion. You. Love. Being. A. Librarian. It is who you are.”
“Who I was.” A flicker of sadness fills her eyes.
“If I believed that for a moment, then I would not have dedicated the last four years of my life to caring for and expanding your library.”
“You were watching over my library but not looking for me? That makes no sense, and it just proves whatever you feel for me isn’t real.”
How can she say that? “I spent the first year looking for you until circumstances forced me to delegate that responsibility. But make no mistake, I never gave up hope, Miriam, and I never stopped showing my love—well, at least to your library, and we all know how much I hate the whole sharing thing. Nevertheless, I cared for your library as if it were my own life’s work—proof of my absolute devotion.”
“You really did that? I thought you were joking.” Her voice undulates, though it is only for a fraction of a second.
“Of course I did.” I speak softly. “It was the only thing I could do.”
Our eyes lock, and I cannot help hoping the vulnerability I see signifies that a piece of her heart still belongs to me.
“Well,” she straightens her spine, “you wasted your time because I didn’t want that. In fact, I’d be happier if you donated everything to another library. The nonbooks can go to a museum. The house can be sold and donated, too.”
Who are you? Now I know something is awry, and there is no doubt in my mind, heart, and soul. Miriam would never surrender her books. It is contrary to her nature. The question is, how to get her to crack and tell the truth? What did Nice do to her?
“Very well,” I say, lifting my chin and looking out the windshield. “You have three days to convince me.”
“Three days? I can’t be apart from him that long.”
“Why’s that? Does your undying love have an expiration date?” I cock a brow.
“Well…well, no. It’s just that he is my husband, and I love him and…”
“And?” I prod.
“You have no right to keep us apart.”
Wrong! You’re mine, and you know it. “I am sorry.” I clear my throat. “I do have the right. At least until his trial, when he will answer for stealing the love of my life and frying her magnificent brain.”
I want my words to sink in, so I do not look at Miriam, but I smell her fear. It fills the van like a rotten-apple-scented candle.
“A person can’t be convicted for stealing something they were given willingly by the rightful owner,” she argues.
“Agreed. Except for the fact that—” I cannot believe I am about to say this. What sort of vampire am I? “—you are not an object to be possessed, Miriam. You are a gift to be cherished, always free to go elsewhere if neglected. You are a once-in-an-existence kind of woman.”
“Sir,” says Van Spice or Mobile Gum or whatever, “we are here.”
I look at the Southwest-style home we’ve stopped at. It is dark out, but I see it has a small cactus garden in front and a large eucalyptus tree to the right. The walkway is comprised of rose flagstone. It reminds me of a miniature version of Miriam’s mansion in Phoenix.
Maybe it will jar her memories of home, of us. Our first glance. Our first kiss. Our first moment of true honesty when she told me her parents were Keepers—essentially vampire police—and that she had been trained but ultimately rejected their wishes for her to join them. She wanted to be a librarian, always surrounded by books.
“Michael,” Miriam grabs my arm, “I’m begging you to let me go before this whole thing spirals out of control.”
“What will spiral, Miriam? Tell me what will happen. Because it sounds like you are saying there are bigger issues at play, and if so, I cannot help if you are not honest with me.”
“I-I’m referring to the fact that Nice will have your head for taking me, and even if I don’t want to be with you, I don’t want to see you die.”
“Nice will be locked away for a very, very long time.” And I will visit every week to throw tiny tomatoes at him. On special occasions, I will use the big ones.
“He hasn’t done anything wrong, Michael. I went with him willingly. I stayed with him willingly. I married him out of love.”
And I am a leprechaun. Where is mi pot o’ gold! Seriously, why does she think I will buy this? Mr. Nice is a lunatic. He’s the most unlovable cretin I know. “Then why did he hide you away? Why would he not allow you to at least tell me you were safe?”
“Well…we were afraid of whom to trust after the coup. I mean, nobody knew if it was really over or if the vampires who sided with Clive were going to give up. And everyone knew you and I had a history, so I was still in danger of being taken and used as leverage against you—the acting king. It was safer to stay hidden.”
Nice try. “I did not ask why you refrained from going public with your whereabouts, Miriam. I simply asked why you did not tell me.” I dial down my voice to the intimate setting. “Me, your lover, the man who risked his life for you, who kill
ed to keep you safe. And, more importantly,” I lower my voice all the way to the sexual setting and talk slowly, “your…assistant librarian.” I know she loved it when I put away her big heavy books, flexing my muscles. “I bet you missed tank-top Tuesdays, didn’t you?” I purr.
Her face flushes, and her skin gets all dewy. “Weh-well honestly, Michael, I kne-knew you would ne-never accept my choice to be with him instead.”
I scoot in a bit closer so our outer thighs press tightly together. “And what do you like about him?” I ask in a slow voice. “His hard chest? His generous cock? The way he holds you when you scream his name in ecstasy?” All things I know she enjoyed with me. “Do tell.”
She smashes her lips together, and I know it’s because she cannot think of one example. Nothing I’d believe anyway.
“As I suspected. Shall we?” I open my car door and intend to help her out, but as I come around, Bubba opens her door. She pushes with the entirety of her weight, and he falls back.
“Miriam!” I yell, watching her sprint toward a stand of trees.
I am about to go after her, when Bubba says, “Don’t worry, sir. I picked this place because the nearest town is two miles away and the nearest neighbor is a mile.”
“Excellent thinking.” As was the fact he took us here to New Mexico, which happens to be part of the Arizona territory, which I oversee in addition to Ohio. Meaning, I do not need a visa to come here. Anywhere else, we would be required to request permission to stay. Vampires of this day and age are still territorial creatures, but our new governance structures have allowed us to modernize, open global businesses, and travel as needed. Visas are the cornerstone. Hopefully, however, we will not encounter any other vampires even if I am here legally. Bottom line, I am well known no matter where I go, and we don’t want anyone ratting out our location.
“Would you like to go after her, or shall I?” asks Bubba.
I frown. I would never allow another man to put his hands on my librarian. Handsies are my domain. “I will bring her back. You open up the house and put the heat on.”
“As you wish, my king.” Bubba dips his head of dark hair.
The Librarian's Vampire Assistant, Book 4 Page 4
