Authors: Toni Kelly
“Shit.” He smoothed a hand through his hair and knotted it into a fist. “You didn’t know, did you?”
She pursed her lips slightly in an attempt to control any trembling. She’d asked for this, wanted the truth. And yet, she hated the weakness which shook her insides as a result. Crossing her arms, she lifted her chin. “I want a yes or no answer here. Was I meant to live past four weeks?”
* * * *
Luke climbed the stairs to his apartment, taking the menial task to digest everything Lorenzo said. Christ, what was he to do with Savannah? He had not seen her since the morning, but so much had changed in such a short time. Once again, Lorenzo had been proved right. Her seemingly potent blood made a trip back to Boston a suicide mission. He had been careless. His desire to eradicate greed had become an obsession, and it might cost an innocent woman her life. He rubbed his eyes. He could not allow Savannah to pay for his wrongs.
As he neared his door, the scent of another caught him off guard, and he tensed. Not fully vampire yet not completely human either. Broderick, the man he wanted to see. But why would Savannah open the door to a complete stranger?
Luke smoothed his hand over his throbbing arm and slipped a key into the lock. The fact his PI showed up in person versus calling him meant he probably knew about Savannah’s blood. Perhaps he’d come to explain why he’d sent him a victim whose blood could burn him to death.
“Luke.” Broderick stood diagonal to where Savannah sat on a sofa chair. She wore a white terry cloth robe that nearly matched the pallor of her skin. Her eyes grew wide and her lips trembled. He did not need to be Sherlock Holmes to understand something had happened.
He took off his lightweight coat and laid it on a table as he entered the living room. “Now, does this not look cozy?”
Broderick hung his head then met his gaze. “We need to talk.”
“I quite agree,” Luke said.
“She told me she knew.”
“You know better. You should have known better from the start.” Luke inhaled a deep breath. Even as an immortal he had never been able to completely shake the habit of breathing, but nothing eased the immense pressure building in his chest. Uncapping a decanter, he tilted the intricately detailed crystal and poured a glass of whiskey with as much composure as he could muster.
Broderick looked at Savannah then back at him. “I know I fucked up but I’ve a lot going on. It doesn’t excuse it though. For that I’m sorry.”
“No, it does not.” Turned away from Broderick, he ran a hand through his hair. He had not planned for Savannah to find out about him this way. He sensed her stand behind him. Her breaths were short and the sweet scent of her sweat mingled with that of the whiskey he sipped. “I will not hurt you.” He faced her. “I give you my word.”
Gaze fixed on him, she took a step back. “I knew you were different.”
“After what happened this morning, I believe we can say we are both different.”
Broderick frowned. “What happened this morning?”
Savannah bit out a sarcastic laugh. “I wasn’t planning on killing you. I’d say your different is a bit extreme, wouldn’t you? You’re a freaking vampire. A blood-sucking monster—”
“Savannah.” Broderick moved toward her.
“No.” Luke drank the last of his whiskey and set his glass on a marble side table. “She is right. Still, you should find solace in the fact that I cannot drink from you without risking death.”
“Shut up, Luke. She isn’t right.” Broderick looked at her. “You aren’t.”
Tears glistened in her eyes, and she shook her head. “How could you let me come to care for you?”
Luke tightened his hands into fists. “I tried to end it before it started. You did not want to hear I am not right for you.” The words pained him but they were necessary.
She nodded and wiped at her tears. “What now? Are you going to kill me? Is that why you brought me here?”
“Perhaps I originally intended to, yes.” His chest seized. “I did not know you.”
“So it’s okay?” She took another step back. “I won’t make it easy. I promise you.”
“You need not fear me.”
“You expect me to believe such a blatant lie after everything you told me?”
“If I wanted you dead, you would not have a chance to make it difficult. I admit I brought you to Rome as a victim, but I made a mistake.”
Sniffling, she lifted her chin. “I want to leave. I’d like to go back to Boston.”
Luke glanced at Broderick, who now leaned against the kitchen island with his head bowed. “It is not a simple situation,” Luke said. “You know I am a vampire. You saw what your blood did to my arm this morning.”
“Yes.” For the first time since he’d entered, her expression turned contrite. She averted her face. “It wasn’t on purpose. I don’t know what happened.”
“Nor I.”
Broderick lifted his head, met his gaze.
“That is why you are here,” Luke said. “You know something about her blood.”
Broderick rubbed the back of his neck. “I think we should discuss this privately.” He nodded at Savannah. “She’s received enough shocks for one night.”
“Don’t even try to protect me.” She crossed her arms.
“When were you going to tell me the truth about her?” Luke asked.
“I didn’t know.” Broderick lifted his hands. “I swear. I’m still not sure about everything. I only have hypotheses.”
“It is your job to know. I pay you to know.”
“I told you I had other concerns.” Broderick sighed. “This may take a bit.”
“I have time,” said Luke.
“You mentioned her blood and your arm.” The investigator glanced at Savannah then back at him. “What did you mean?”
Rolling his sleeve up, Luke walked forward and lifted his bandage. Blood seeped from the jagged cuts on his arm.
“Shit,” Broderick muttered under his breath. “This is bad.”
“I didn’t mean to.” Savannah rubbed her face. “And I truly did feel miserable about it until I discovered you wanted to kill me.”
“This is my fault.” Broderick bent his head then looked at her. “Your ex did a damn good job of covering up what happened in your accident. When you answered the ad and I investigated you, you fit the bill perfectly. A snooty gold digger who got burned by an up-and-coming lawyer.”
“I see,” she said.
But Luke could sense she did not. He could feel her sadness and ached to pull her into his arms. She would never accept a monster. He turned to Broderick. “We have had a trail for the past few days. Do you think the Ancients know about her?”
“Who are the Ancients?” Savannah asked.
“They are law in vampire society,” Broderick replied. “You can think of them as the rulers of our world, if you like. Whatever they say goes. If they want something, it’s theirs.”
“Wait a minute. Are you telling me someone’s after us because of my blood? Ridiculous.”
Luke cocked a brow. “Is it? What do you think vampires drink? Or did Broderick’s history lesson omit minor details about our oh-so-desirable traits?”
She narrowed her emerald gaze. “Still doesn’t make any sense. If my blood burns vampires, they wouldn’t want to drink it. It might kill them.”
Luke sighed. “Exactly, which makes you either a powerful weapon or a dangerous adversary. Vampires do not play games, Savannah. And it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the possibilities with blood that kills.”
A knock interrupted their conversation and Luke turned toward the door. The scent of their caller was human, which surprised him as he rarely had visitors, let alone human ones. “This conversation is not finished. I will be just a moment,” he said, walking through to the foyer.
Their caller was plain of face and dress. Veins in his neck pulsed and a couple drops of blood stained his collar. Someone recently had fed from him. He was a blood slave. The male dipped a hand into his jacket pocket, removing a small black card. “I received a message to give you this.” He held up the card. “It’s for tonight.”
Luke accepted the card. One side had two moons, a white one and a red one. The white moon bled several drops of red. He turned it over and read an address. “The Palantine Hill ruins?”
The man nodded. “Yes, sir. The entrance to the underground tunnels is through the ruins. You won’t be the only ones there. Follow the crowd through an entrance on Via Fori Imperiali. Arrive around nine tonight.”
“What is this for?”
“A blood auction. I am sure you have heard of them. Both your and the woman’s presence are requested.”
“Who made such a request?” Luke asked.
“I could not say. I was not provided this information.” The human’s heartbeat remained even, his eyes trained on Luke. He spoke the truth. Was this Lorenzo’s way of reaching him?
“Fine. I presume dress is formal?”
“Of course.” The man smiled. “Tonight’s theme is a masquerade.”
“Goodnight.” Luke shut the door.
“What did he want?” Savannah stood behind him as he turned around. Her chin lifted in her stubborn way. He could sense her emotional turmoil. Her expression was one of bravado and yet the pulse in her neck beat rapidly. She bit her lip when it trembled beyond her control.
“Our presence is requested tonight.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I am afraid we do not have a choice.”
She bent her head, averted her eyes. “I don’t want to be a part of this anymore. I want to go back home,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Home no longer exists for you.” He moved closer then turned away because it was easier to remain stern when he did not have to face the fear in her eyes.
Coward
. “Do you understand me? There is no going back. Not if you want any chance at a real life.”
“I understand you. Doesn’t mean I like it.”
15
If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character… Would you slow down? Or speed up?
—Chuck Palahniuk
No going back. Could she ever really understand? She wasn’t sure. The sob building in her chest left no room for air, making her gasp in anguish. A web of tear tracks covered her cheeks, and she buried her face against the soft cotton of her pillows. What had she gotten herself into?
Twisting the ivory silk of her comforter in her hands, she closed her eyes and released soft, controlled breaths. Things could be worse. Right? She might have found herself raped and bloodied on a cobblestone street in Rome. Or worse. She might have bled to death, alone and cold on one Boston winter night.
“Savannah, are you awake?”
Luke. He haunted her even with her eyes closed.
“You are not dressed.”
She opened her eyes, tugging the comforter to her chest. Luke stood in the doorway to her room. She hadn’t heard him open the door. “I told you I don’t want to go anywhere.” And the fact he wanted to continue this pretense of her as his companion drove her nuts. “And I know you understood me because your English is beyond excellent.”
He entered her room and set a velvet box on her dresser. Another piece of jewelry, to be sure. “And I thought you understood you do not have a choice.” For a moment, his eyes seemed to flash burgundy, but when he faced her, they were as dark and fathomless as ever.
Prior to this afternoon, she would have chalked the sight up to some kind of optical illusion. Now, she wasn’t so sure. She rubbed her forehead, suddenly lightheaded. Perhaps she had gone off the deep end. No doubt a result of answering the companion ad of a bipolar vampire whom she feared she’d begun to fall for during the past few days. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her blood burned him and instead of running like an intelligent woman would, she’d somehow let him convince her she needed his help to protect her from vampire royalty.
“Refresh my memory,” she said. “Why do I need to be here?”
“Do not play games with me, Savannah. I never wanted it to get so complicated.”
“Lucky me, otherwise I’d be dinner.” A prospect she’d rather not dwell on.
A frustrated growl came from him, and his exasperation clearly showed by the muscle pulsing along his jaw. “I will not tell you again, Savannah. Get dressed.”