Authors: Jez Strider
“Now what?”
I was afraid to even ask the question.
Living outside of “vampire society” suited me just fine.
I didn’t even know what vampire society meant!
“Dante escaped and returned to a mansion he has nearby.
Many of his followers now back me as the society’s Master.
A dictator can only rule for so long before there is rebellion.
You know about rebellion better than most.”
He straightened his silk tie before looking back at me once more.
“I had planned to protect you by claiming you as mine, but with that ring, I doubt either of you will agree to this plan.”
When I looked toward Marcus, I expected him to be grinning over the victory, but he just looked deep in thought and concerned.
“Why would she be safer if she were your…mistress or whatever the hell she would be?”
Surely he wasn’t considering agreeing to that plan.
Antonio pinched the bridge of his nose.
He was weary.
The stress he’d been enduring because of me was clearly visible.
“Dante has been spreading rumors, many of them true about
Evelina
.
The vampires feel threatened by her potential power and influence.
Being with me wouldn’t protect her from Dante’s devout legion of followers, but the others, they wouldn’t risk crossing me by harming my companion.”
“This is insane!”
I cried out, standing to my feet.
“I’m not a threat to anyone.
Seriously, I just want to be left alone.
I don’t want to be part of a vampire society!”
Both men outstretched their hands in a motion to calm me down.
Marc had moved closer and Antonio was on his feet.
I felt cornered.
Not just by the men, but by my circumstances.
After a few moments of silence and several deep breaths, I regained some of my composure and sat back down.
The guys looked at each other before each took a seat near me.
“First, we have to take care of the problem with Dante.” Antonio explained.
“That place is like a fortress with all his minions doing his bidding.”
He gave a tired shrug.
“I’ve been trying to figure out how to get to him.
There have been a few volunteers who have offered to try to infiltrate his group.”
One person had already died because of me and I didn’t want anyone else to.
“No.
I still think about that girl that was enthralled by Dante.
She was shot because of me.
Marcus almost died because of me!
We need to do this without any more casualties.”
“Give me the address.
I can have some bikers I know ride by the place.” Marc said with surprising calm.
“They won’t get hurt.
It’d cause too much attention for the vamps to attack a group of people just passing by.”
Antonio looked to me for approval and I nodded reluctantly.
I had just said I didn’t want to put anyone in danger, but there was something I had realized.
It was up to me to get rid of Dante and I had to get my hands on that address.
Way too much had happened in a short period of time.
My mind was clearing up of all the hysteria and I was becoming, as a great band once said, comfortably numb.
I had tried to seem disinterested when Antonio had written down the address and given it to Marcus, going so far as to lay down on the sofa and pretend to be taking a nap.
They had been speaking quietly to each other, which was pointless, since my hearing had intensified.
I’ll admit that it pissed me off.
Perhaps I should have been flattered that they knew me so well.
Antonio was giving warnings to watch out for me since I was recovered and to never underestimate me.
Marcus was all nods and agreement.
Once again, I had to scold myself for letting him read my journal.
The paper with the address was slipped into Marc’s wallet.
I wasn’t watching, but I heard the gentle crackle of the worn leather and jingle of the chain as Marcus opened and closed it.
Antonio walked over and gently touched the top of my head.
With effort, I keep my breathing steady and made no reaction.
I’d never been able to keep my heart from racing at his slightest touch, but this time I found that I had the resolve.
He left without a word.
Marcus was quiet in the kitchen.
Finally, I heard him toss the empty beer bottle in the trash.
His footsteps sounded across the room and then the door to the bathroom shut. My eyes flew open.
I’d never moved so fast, silent, and agile.
The wallet was still lying on the counter, but my phone was across the room on the dresser.
Antonio had me break my old phone, so I was glad for this one the guards had dropped by as a gift one day.
“Shit.”
I mouthed as I pulled the paper out and read the address.
The toilet had flushed.
I’d just have to remember the location for now.
I put the paper back as I had found it.
Despite my newfound prowess, I tripped as I rushed to get back onto the sofa.
The coffee table nearly had an imprint of my face on it, but I caught my balance just in time.
Marcus came into the room just I’d gotten back into position.
“Babe?”
He called out softly and I gave a sleepy, unintelligible grumble before opening my eyes.
“Yeah?”
Sitting up slowly, I looked around the room.
“Is he gone?”
Lying made me feel like complete and utter crap.
And no matter what the reason, what I was doing was dishonest.
He nodded as he walked into the kitchen then picked up his wallet and keys, putting them in his jean’s pocket.
“You should probably think about his offer.
He can protect you better than I can.” This obviously pained him to say, but it made me love him that much more.
I wouldn’t want to depend on Antonio’s protection even if we were a couple, but it touched my heart that Marcus would put my safety above what he wanted.
“There’s nothing to think about,” I said.
“I’m not going to be his girl just because of some crazy society that I don’t even know for sure exists.”
Casually, I walked over to the dresser and picked up my phone.
He followed me, pulling me tightly into his arms and hugging me.
“I just had to tell you it was okay and I’d understand.”
The words meant the world to me as he whispered them against my ear.
His lips pressed against my forehead in a soft kiss.
I smiled.
The affection was great, but I wanted to get the address into the phone’s GPS before I forgot it.
“Go downstairs and work for a while.
I feel much better and I know you’re weeks behind.”
I gave him a playful shove toward the door, wanting to lighten his mood.
The hesitation was evident as he looked at the door.
“I’ll tell the guards to keep an extra watchful eye and I’ll be right downstairs if you need me, okay?”
“Of course.
I’m going to call Ash and tell her I’m feeling better.”
My personality was bubblier than normal, but I guess he assumed it was just because of my health and the engagement.
If he had any suspicion of the plan forming in my mind, I’d never get away with it.
Heck, I didn’t even have a good plan, just a vague idea.
Marcus was still reluctant, but I knew his business was at risk of failure if he didn’t get back to work.
My funds were low, too.
Becoming a veterinarian had been an expensive endeavor for me.
I’d had to pay for college, even falsify my documents to get into school.
Then the business cost and I didn’t turn much of a profit.
Much of the work I did was for free or reduced cost.
I couldn’t bear to turn an animal away that needed help, even if the owner’s couldn’t afford treatment.
So, I was in no position to give Marc much money.
Not that he would have taken it anyway.
“I
’d wouldn’t
work, if I could afford it.” It sounded like an apology, but he shot me that sexy, youthful grin.
“Nobody’s
gonna
say I can’t support my woman.”
He walked out the door and I couldn’t argue.
Besides, I needed to be supported at this point.
I didn’t particularly like that I was broke, but I was glad I didn’t have to worry about it.
As soon as he was gone, I pulled up the navigation app.
I stared at the screen for a moment.
What was the house number?
Why was I so very bad with numbers?
My head felt like it was about to explode as my blood pressure skyrocketed.
I entered down the street name.
That much I could remember.
Surely I could find a mansion on a street without the exact house number.
Getting the address was the easy part.
Soon I had to figure out how to escape my little safety net.
There was a computer and internet access in the apartment.
I wanted to do research before I embarked on my crazy plan.
Once I was finished, I cleared the history and brought up several websites about weddings.
If Marc checked the computer, I wanted him to think that’s what I had been browsing.
I couldn’t get what I needed by myself without raising suspicion, so I called Ashley.
Ash was thrilled to hear from me.
She told me all about how her kids were doing, updated me on our favorite shows, and was thrilled when another local veterinary clinic gave her a job the day after she applied.
“You know, if you decide to reopen, I’ll come back.”
Honestly, I hadn’t been in the mood to talk when I picked up the phone and called her, but it was good to hear she was doing fine.
“I’ve got mouths to feed, you know?
I had to go somewhere.”
She said.
“I understand.
I’m not even sure I’ll ever open the clinic back up.
Time will tell.”
I said
,
making sure we had plenty of small talk before I dropped my requests on my friend.
She was perceptive and eventually asked before I even had the chance.
“What do you need?”
“You’ve missed your calling.
I think you were meant to be a therapist or maybe a psychic.”
Despite the fact that Marc was downstairs in the shop and I was alone, I had locked myself in the bathroom and turned on the fan to drone out my voice.
I sat on the side of the bathtub as I talked to my friend.