Take It Like a Vamp (16 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Casey held Nick’s hand as they walked on the sand. They’d had the perfect, lazy evening. But the last few minutes he’d become tense. Back on the terrace, she could feel it rolling off of him in waves.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, she tugged his hair. “I just remembered that you stole one of my gifts and you never gave it back.”

He’d been staring out at the sea, but she saw the pain in his eyes before he focused in on her. Crap. Time for their talk.

“This one wasn’t right for that particular moment,” he said carefully.

“Well, when would be the right time?” she asked,

“I don’t know,” he said sadly. “It’s something I want so much, but I’m afraid once you know the truth—you’ll want to take the jet back to Dallas and never see me again.”

“Nick, there’s nothing you could say that would tear me away from you. I’ve already thought the worst. Mafia boss, assassin, criminal master mind.” Her heart stopped in her chest when something else popped in her mind. “You’re not married, are you?”

He shook his head. “Of course not. You know me better than that.”

“Okay. Do you have some kinky sex thing that involves…BDSM, or something?”

“No.”

“Okay. The only other thing I can think of is a slave trader of some sorts. I know the mafia can get into some pretty bad stuff these days.”

“Casey, I’m not in the mafia.” Nick’s brow furrowed. “If you believe I could be any of those things, why are you here?”

“I want to be with you.” She smiled sweetly as if trying to encourage him. “And whatever you tell me isn’t going to change that. I wore a bikini for you, dammit. Give me the gift or tell me what’s going on. If you’re interested in my preference, I’d like the gift first.”

He chuckled, but it sounded forced. “I thought you didn’t like presents.”

“Well, I’ve changed my mind. I’m a woman. We do that. Who am I to say you can’t spoil me rotten? Just don’t blame me when I turn into some horrid harpy who wants diamonds and fancy shoes every week. And a pool boy named Adolfo,” she teased.

He scooped her up and kissed her. “You’d be my horrid harpy, so I wouldn’t care. And I can guarantee you, there will never, ever be a pool boy named Adolfo. I’ll make sure you never need him.”

“So you’re going to clean my pool yourself?”

This time he laughed so hard he nearly dropped her. “How do you do that?”

“What?” She asked.

“Make me laugh. I don’t even remember laughing until I met you.”

“Now that’s just sad. Put me down, and stop trying to distract me. Just tell me, Nick. Get it over with. Let’s do good news, bad news. You give me the present, which I assume is good news. And then you can tell me the bad news. Okay?”

He closed his eyes. “I’d rather have another day with you, because if you choose to leave, I want to make love to you at least once more.”

Oh, holy hell. It was bad. No matter what he said, she’d made up her mind that she wouldn’t run.

“I’m not leaving, but you’ve got to do this. It’s tearing you up inside. I can see it.”

He put her down, and pulled the present out of his pocket.

Never had such a tiny box seemed so ominous.

She opened it slowly, dreading what might come next. When the last of the wrapping paper was gone, he took the box back from her and opened it. The biggest diamond ring she’d ever seen was there in a blue Tiffany box.

He went down on one knee and her breath caught in her throat. “Please marry me, Casey. I can’t live another day without you. I want to make you mine for eternity.”

Marry?
Oh. Hell.

“Um. Wow. This is unexpected.” Her legs gave out and she sat on one of the loungers. “Nick, we just found out we…care about each other, at least in a sexual way.”

He sighed. “But we’ve loved each other as friends for months, Casey. I would do anything for you, and there isn’t another person in the world I’d want to commit to.”

“Nick, I want the same thing. Truly, I do, but why the rush for marriage? That’s a huge step.”

Not the worst idea every. Many a fantasy featured her as Mrs. Nick Christos, but everything was moving at a frenetic pace. There was more to the story. And she had a horrible feeling she wasn’t going to like it.

He sat next to her on the lounger and closed the box. “That part has to do with the bad news.”

Was he dying?
Oh, God
. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not sick. I promise you.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank, God. You scared the crap out of me. Spit it out,” she warned. “I can’t take this any longer.”

“I’m a Vrykolakas.”

Was that a disease? He’d just told her he wasn’t sick. “Um, okaaaay. Sorry, but what is that exactly?”

The intensity of his gaze burned through her and she shivered. “A werewolf, who was turned into a vampire.”

Casey rubbed her forehead. She didn’t hear him right. “You’re a vampire who used to be werewolf.”

He nodded, and the man looked absolutely serious. She waited for him to burst out laughing. He was bat-shit crazy. “This is some kind of joke. You’re trying to play out my
Twilight
fantasies. I never should have told you about my crush on Edward, or that I wanted to see him and Jake do the crazy.”

“Come with me.” He held out his hand.

Mind whirling, she hesitated a moment before putting her hand in his.

This was Nick. She’d help him through this delusion. It would be tough, but she would see him through it. Unless he was joking. He
had
to be joking.

In the dim light of the bedroom, he let go of her hand.

“This may upset you, but I will not hurt you. What you’ve read and seen in movies is not indicative of the Vrykolakas. I’ve been trained since birth to control my urges. You’re safe. Do you understand?”

Since her voice didn’t work, she nodded. Before her eyes, fangs popped out of his mouth and his eyes flashed to black. She gasped, more from surprise than fear.

What. The. Fuck.

His face melded into normal, and he reached for her.

She held up a hand. “Wait.”

Immediately he stepped back, the pain in his eyes tearing her heart in two. This was Nick. He cared for her.

But he wasn’t…human.

Her mind and heart were at odds, and she felt her world spiraling out of control. She put a hand to her forehead, and when he stepped forward to offer help, she batted him away again. “I need some time,” she said. “And maybe some of those pills Jake gave me for shock. But right now, I’m going to walk on the beach. Give me thirty minutes.” Turning on her heel, she ran from the room.

Mr. Perfect was a monster. The toothy kind.

There was always a catch.

…

Nick shoved a hand through is hair.

He’d lost her. The horror on her face when he changed said it all.

“Fuck!” Pain twisted around his heart as a machete ripped it to shreds. A life without her wasn’t possible for him. Their short time together would cause him an eternity of pain so fierce he couldn’t endure it. If only the Council hadn’t pushed his hand, he could have hidden this part of himself from her for as long as necessary.

For centuries he’d waited for this woman, though he hadn’t realized it until yesterday. She was his, whether he wanted to admit or not. He loved her. That she showed up at this particular time in his life only proved how much the universe despised him. The ultimate death would be his only release. But if he allowed Alvinia to kill him, the blood of many innocent lives, possibly Casey’s, would be on his hands.

No. Protecting her was a priority. He’d do whatever necessary to save what he believed to be most precious.

For several minutes he stared at the floor.

Casey, I love you more than you will ever know.

Enough that he would endure any pain necessary to make sure she lived a long and happy life. Had it been a half hour? He’d lost track of time. Forcing himself up, he did what was necessary.

After sending a text to Mason, he found her meds. Pouring a glass of water, he searched for her. He didn’t have to go far. She was only a few yards away, sitting in the sand. Her legs tucked against her chest and her arms wrapped around them. He swallowed hard.

“Hey,” she said as he approached her, but she didn’t look at him.

He sat down beside her and crossed his legs. “I have your meds.”

“Good. Hold onto them for a minute. I want to be clear-headed for this next bit.”

He couldn’t stand to hear the words from her mouth. She had to go, he understood. But he didn’t want to hear her say it. “The jet will be ready to take you home in an hour,” he said and then started to rise.

“I thought we were staying until Tuesday.” She lifted her head and stared at him.

For the first time in a long time, he couldn’t read her expression. “I assumed you’d want to get the hell away from me as fast as possible.”

“Nick, I swear. Why do you always jump to conclusions? I told you I wouldn’t leave you and I meant it. I want to be with you. How many times do I have to tell you that? Dude, you talk about my self-esteem problems.”

Nick’s brain went blank. “But you ran away.”

“Of course I did. Yesterday I was attacked. Today you brought me to Greece, asked me to marry you and then the kicker—you used to be a werewolf and now you’re a vampire.
Fucken-A.
It’s a bit much, you know? I needed a few minutes. Any sane person would.”

“Yes, you’re right of course. Your bags are still packed. Hugh will deliver them to the plane. By the time you get home, security in your apartment will have been upgraded. You’ll have twenty-four-hour guards in the hall outside your door. I’ve arranged for a car service to take you back and forth to work for the next few months until I can sort out my situation with the Council. The service will take you anywhere you need to go. I’ll keep you safe, I promise,” he said.

She clapped her hands in front of his face. “Nick!” she said sharply. “I’m. Not. Leaving. You.”

His mind didn’t comprehend the words.

Grabbing his face, she kissed him. An electric shock zinged through his heart. The taste of her awakened his senses.

She let go of his face and sat back. “Did you hear me that time?”

“You’re not leaving?” he asked incredulously.

“Maybe you should take my meds, you’re really out of it.”

“I don’t understand. I frightened you.” He studied her face. When she rolled her eyes at him, his heart leapt with hope.

“I wasn’t scared so much as freaked out, Nick,” she said seriously. “You laid a lot on me tonight. You’re a vampire and you want to marry me. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one. But I care about you. While this is an unusual situation, I’m not giving up on you. But I have some questions for you. And I need you to tell me the truth about all of it.”

I’m not giving up on you
. “Ask me anything.”

“Do you drink human blood?”

“Yes, but not the way you think. We use blood bags and feeders. Those women you thought I dated, they’re feeders. They’re supernatural creatures designed for vampires and those like me. Every three weeks I need to ingest blood or I grow weak. There are others who must feed daily. But I’ve been around a long time, and I don’t need as much to retain my power.”

She chewed on her lip. “I don’t like the idea of you chowing down on other women. Does that mean you’ll need to feed on me?”

“No. That’s not a good idea, even if you wanted to do it. I would never take the risk. And I wouldn’t feed on other women if it made you uncomfortable. There are males, or I can drink the blood from the bag, as I mentioned.”

“Have you ever killed anyone for their blood?”

“No. My father and mother trained me here at our home to control those urges. I have killed in battle, but only to save innocents or my own life.”

She took a deep breath. “You said you’ve been around a long time.”

“Eight centuries.”

“Whoa. Man, I could have used your help in college. I sucked at history and you actually lived it.”

She still joked with him. The burden on his shoulders lifted slightly.

“I feel like we’re playing twenty questions, but I need to know this stuff. Okay?”

Sitting the water glass in the sand, he reached her hand. It was cold, and the air outside was warm. The doctor had warned him about this. She might be in shock.

“Casey, you’re cold. Please, at least take one of these pills. I promise I will answer questions for as long as you want, but I’m worried about you. This is probably more of shock than what you went through yesterday.”