NEVER FALL FOR THE FORBIDDEN (NEVER FALL SERIES) (11 page)

Chapter Eighteen

              Annasara wearily walked into the hotel room kicking off her shoes and resting her body down on the bed. Calling Triton, she received no answer and wondered what he could be doing at this time of evening. Her heart felt heavy with confusion mixed with a bit of anger. Thunder clapped loudly outside the windows as she closed her eyes trying to put the strange events of the day behind her. Falling asleep, Annasara dreamt of the nursery, she held a child tight; she yelled as an unknown force ripped the child from her arms and left her locked in the room. She banged on the door until her hands her raw and bleeding, yelling for someone to release her. The pounding grew louder as she opened her eyes, realizing she was awake; no longer trapped in the room and the dream.

             
Lifting her body from the warm spot on the bed, she peeked through the eyehole to see Triton arm up pounding again. Jolting at seeing his rough appearance, Annasara swung open the door and let him pass. His skin paler than ever, his clothes soaked, dark puffy circles rimmed his eyes.

             
“You alright?” she asked as he lumbered past her sat wearily on the bed. Kicking of his boots, he rested his arms on his knees his head in his hands. Annasara took a seat next to him rubbed his back and shoulders. Raising his head, he put an arm around her and held her close. “I will be fine. I am not feeling well.”

             
“Oh you poor thing caught out in the rain. You will catch a cold. You want to take a hot shower?” she suggested.

             
“Sure, go run the water for me.” He told her. Annasara went into the bathroom. Triton ran his hand roughly down his face. With much hesitation, he got up and looked at his reflection in the mirror
.
He could barely stand the sight of him self
. I should have never come here
, he thought
. Nothing will ever be the same. What is done is done. There is no going back. 

             
After the shower, Triton joined Annasara who was already in bed. A concerned look wrinkled her face. He needed a distraction.

             
“What’s worrying you?” he asked.

             
“The butler, Mr. Whitsby practically threw me out of the house today. He treated me as if I was there to steal the art, not categorize, appraise, and ship it. I just don’t understand it. When I asked what time to be there tomorrow, he said, tomorrow? Like I was crazy for asking.”

             
“Do not go back if he upsets you.”

             
“I have to go back.” She sighed.

             
“No, you will not.” He said in a tone stern enough to surprise them both. Triton bit his tongue, he did not want to lead her into asking too many questions.

             
“I only have ten or so more pieces to do. I have to finish in order to be paid. See, I had to take this job, sales at the gallery are so slow, I can make enough to pay off the second mortgage I have on the house.”

             
“Let me help you. I have plenty of money.”

             
“No, I told you before; I can not accept your help. Maybe if we were serious-”

             
Triton sat straight up in bed, “Serious? I am very serious. Would I have come all this way, risk what I have if I was not serious!” Triton felt hurt and wounded by her words.

             
“We have not talked about commitment; we only know each other a few months.” She said.              

             
“Commitment?”  He barked. He had enough. He was tired and cranky, exhausted mentally and not in the mood for this argument. Afraid it would bring about the change and he would not be able to control his need to feed he had to leave. Throwing back the covers, he leapt from the bed, pulled on his pants, shirt and stomped into his boots.              

             
“Do you have a problem with that?” she said.

             
“You’re damn right I do!” he yelled.
This commitment means everything to me and she is talking like this is a casual fling!
He told himself.

             
“Where are you going?” she asked, surprised that he was acting so commitment phobic.

             
“I need some air.” He said slamming the door on his way out.  Annasara scoffed and fell back on to the pillow.
What the hell has got into him? He certainly was committed enough to come over every night and then come all this way. Relax, he is probably just in a pissy guy mood because you worked all day and he was alone and he can’t rescue you with his money. He will have a few beers at the bar and come back tail between his legs.
She thought about the circumstances more, and then thought about her own situation and made a decision.

Chapter Nineteen

             
“She has no idea what I have sacrificed to protect her and she is talking about commitment!”  He vented as he paced the floor between the two beds in the room he rented.  Sitting up on the bed the hooker, rested on her elbow and watched him as he walked back and forth. “Shouldn’t you be talking to her about this instead of wearing a hole in the carpet?”

             
The comment went over his head as he continued his tirade. “Then she said she was doing this for the money, and would not accept my help. She insists on paying her own way.”

             
“This isn’t the 17
th
century anymore. Some women want to be independent. Take me for example, I’m independent, I do what I want when I want, no rules man.”

             
“But you take men’s money.” He scoffed.

             
“True but I work hard for it. Speaking of, you can pay me anytime.”

Triton
now paid attention, “Right but why would she want to go back to that house? I cannot let her go. The stakes are too high.”

             
“How is she supposed to know, you said yourself she had no idea about you and your-condition.”

             
“I could never tell her.”

             
“Well maybe she feels you are not letting her in, she cannot trust you if you clam up and run away instead of talking to her.” Triton took a seat at the edge of the bed. “I cannot do that. I will never be able to tell her who I really am, what I really am. What I just did. She’s good and pure to understand.”

             
“Well I am not pure, but I understand. Here.” She offered her wrist. Accepting hesitantly, he clamped down and drank heartily. When they finished their transaction, Triton paid her fee and asked. “You alright?”

             
“Yeah. You should go. She’s waiting.”

             
Triton nodded in agreement and left to make his apologies to Annasara.

             
“Sara, open up.” He said knocking softly on her door. He listened, his hearing tuned keenly in to find her not in the room. Sniff. Sniff. He breathed in deep to follow her scent, but what he smelled made his stomach turn. Vampires gorging themselves, close. All around the scent lingered, trailing down the hallway and corridors.
I hope I am not too late
! he thought as he rushed to the stairway. He stopped to take in the direction of the blood odor that permeated the air. Trailing into the room, he put the hooker in. Sprawled across the white sheets, the dead woman’s body lay face down, the neck visibly torn open the sloppy work of two or more vampires. Triton cursed under his breath. Quiet snickering laughter echoed the hall, taunting Triton to just try to and catch them. The vampires had no idea who or what they were dealing with and in seconds Triton showed the first just how much power and force he truly possessed. Hissing at Triton with canines gleaming, the vampire mentally challenged him try to stop him from getting to Annasara before he did. Cunning agility had Triton holding him against the wall before the male could finish his thought.

             
The second vamp listened closely from a flight of steps below. Calling out the first vamps name, he heard the slight thump, thump, thump of footsteps. He called again. The thumping grew louder as the pounding revealed not to be footsteps. The head of his partner came to stop at his feet. The face on the head frozen with agonizing fear, the second vampire shrieked out. The vampire turned to pull open the door. On the other side, Triton stood in complete elder status, his powers so dominant the other vampire pissed himself in fear.

             
“Going somewhere?” Triton grabbed the vampire’s throat with one hand, squeezing it enough to get his point across.

             
“Who-who are you?” the vampire choked out as Triton held him over a railing his feet dangling in mid air twenty stories high.

             
“I will ask you this one time only, so listen very closely.” Triton said tightening his grip. “Where is she?”

             
“In the lobby, we were waiting for her to leave; she’s in line for a cab.”

Triton
dug each finger slowly into the flesh of the vampire.

             
“Your powers are tenfold of Januar’s. Blood oath me to your clan. I have never seen such power. I can help you beat a female’s clan that is close; she’s trying to destroy us all. I can help you.”

             
Triton smiled, “I don’t need your help.” With a single motion, Triton cut off the vampire’s head. The body turned to ash and floated away leaving no trace whatsoever.

              Sliding the sheath back into his boot he leaped effortlessly down the flights of stairs, to make it out to the lobby in time to see Annasara slipping into taxi. Rushing in a fevered brisk walk out to the curb, Triton hailed the next cab in line and instructed the cabbie to follow closely.

             
“Keep up with that yellow cab; I’ll pay you double your rate.” He ordered. The driver obeyed for a few blocks until, suddenly the taxi veered left onto an empty side street. Tires screeched as Triton nearly fell over as the sedan came to a halting stop. Swiftly turning around, the cabbie showed his fangs, thinking he would be making a meal of another tourist. Expecting like so many before, a screaming resistance, the vampire taxi driver showed his full strength. Annoyed and amused at the same time, Triton gave him smirk that turned to a sneer and said, “Are you fucking kidding me? Keep driving!” Confusion painted the drivers face until Triton revealed half of his vampire power. “Holy shit!” the cabbie replied, turned around, threw the cab in drive, and tore out off the street onto the boulevard. Triton took his attention off the driver long enough to try to catch a vibe of her direction. “Keep going north.” Triton ordered, not realizing driver pulled out from under the seat a loaded .22 pistol. Pop! Pop! The shots registered before the impact into Triton’s chest. It was not the first time he had been shot, but it was that the lack of pain that surprised Triton. Looking in the rear view mirror the driver laughed, as he did not see Triton sitting up. Thinking he put him out of commission enough to be able to pullover and drink him dry, the cabbie nearly lost control the cab as Triton moved to the front seat so stealthy, he was sitting next him before he blinked. Clawing and punching at Triton, the driver lost control of the taxi. Up over the curb, the two men fought for control of the steering wheel as the car came crashing back down to the street. Traffic honked and swerved as the two foes slashed, beat, and punched each other in a deadly struggle for survival. Triton had enough, with one final hard blow he knocked out the driver. “Shit” he yelled as an approaching semi’s highlight blinded his view. Wrenching the steering wheel to the right, Triton brought the cab back to the correct lane. Pushing aside the vampire, the body slumping against the passenger side as Triton rolled down the window to take in the night air. Not a trace of her filled his senses.
Where would she be going this time of night?
There was only one place, the last place he needed her to be, Januar’s mansion.

Chapter Twenty

             
Only single light shown within the house, a small table lamp set on the kitchen table. Peeking into the rear door Triton saw exactly what he expected, Annasara sitting across from Mr. Whitsby who conversed to her in an unexpressive manner. Annasara dropped the mug of tea she was drinking as her face went sheet white from whatever news the butler gave her. Rising to her feet, Triton watched her expression holding the most shocking pose. Triton feared the worst, his secret revealed. Who he was, what he was, what he kept from her.
She would never understand
, he thought
. I have to explain, now!

Bursting into the room, the two faces jolted from each other’s stare to see Triton rushing in a frantic panic.

              “Do not believe anything he tells you!” Triton shouted pointing at the butler. Annasara’s face flushed a deep shade of red, “What are you doing here?”

             
“What the bloody hell!” Mr. Whitsby gasped. “You should not be here!” The man said to Triton.

             
“Sara, you need to come with me now.” Triton said outstretching his hand to her. Looking from Triton to the butler and back to Triton, Annasara              spoke, “Really, what is going on?” She looked to the butler, “I apologize for the intrusion. Thank you for the information. We will be going now.”

             
Annasara walked to the door. Grabbing her elbow, Triton led her out roughly. Shaking her arm from his grasp, Annasara huffed away toward the front sidewalk to hail a cab. Triton caught up to her, “What did he tell you? What did he say?” Annasara stood silent, shocked at his behavior. “Not that it is any of your business, but I was just offered double my salary to accompany the art to London to oversee the unpacking and handling. What were you thinking bursting in like that?”

             
Triton blinked to clear his thoughts, “I thought you were in danger.”

             
“Danger? Are you crazy? Are some psycho jealous freak? Is that why you came here? To spy on me?” she said waving down a cab.

             
“No, I followed you, I wanted to make sure…” he stumbled on an acceptable response. Annasara saw the secrets he held in the worry lines on his face. He backpedaled to no avail.

             
“You came here to get to the art. You used me to get a look at the collection.”               She accused.

             
“No. No!” he said emphatically.  Annasara gave him a death stare, and pulled the cab door open, jumped in and tried to slam the door. As the door flung open, the wafting smell of vampire hit him. He could not let me drive off alone, so he climbed in next to her.

             
“The Ritz.” She told the driver. The driver looked at Triton in the rear view with a contemptuous vampire look. The males held a deadlocked stare down until Annasara realized the cab had not pulled from the curb. She leaned forward, “Driver, please The Ritz.”

             
“Right.” The cabbie said averting his stare from Triton to the traffic. 
How could I make her understand?
Triton contemplated. “Sara, please hear me out.”

             
“No.” she said curtly.

             
“He has something to tell you.” The cabbie piped in but regretted speaking when Triton punished him mentally.

             
“Sara.” Triton whispered, trying to make amends. Turning her face towards the window and away from him, Annasara shed silent tears of anger and confusion, as she could not bare the sight of him. Refusing to say one word to him, she crossed her arms tightly across her chest. The tension permeated the air as Triton felt her distrust growing as much as the driver’s curiosity and hunger for Annasara’s sweet blood did. Triton felt like he walked on the blade of a sword trying to appease Annasara and keep the vampire driver from blowing his cover with his human lover.

             
As the taxi approached the hotel, the driver accepted the payment from Annasara who refused to let Triton pay. Police swarmed around the lobby as they approached the door. They showed their room key, answered a few routine questions about their whereabouts for the evening, and then an officer let them pass. Annasara went to the counter to check for messages. Handing her a plain envelope, Annasara accepted from it from the clerk and walked into an open elevator. Triton followed closely. Again, he attempted to explain as she read the contents of the letter.

             
“Oh my god!” she shrieked, throwing her hand to her mouth.

             
“What is it?” he asked. The doors opened as she looked to him with utter disgust and practically ran away to the room, crying aloud. Triton’s heart raced as he caught her as she opened the door. She shook off his hand s and went immediately to the bedroom. Pulling out her suitcase, clothes, and shoes smashed in a hasty effort.

             
“Will you please tell me what is going on?” he shouted.

             
“Get the hell away from me!” she shouted back.             

             
“What do you mean?!”

             
Annasara stopped packing and walked up in his face, “Here this should explain it.” She shoved the letter into his hand and walked into the bathroom.               Uncrumpling the paper, Triton’s eyes scanned the note.
Due to the interruption and the possible tainting of her market values on the artworks and paintings, as well as of her involvement with a known art dealer whose reputation is polluted and unscrupulous , who has been actively hunting the painting of Madonna and child for years. Annasara was fired and would not receive any compensation for her work.

             
“This is untrue, Annasara, I would never do anything to hurt you.”

             
“Do have any idea what is at stake?” she snapped. He snapped back bolder and harsher than her stinging words.              “More than you know.”

             
He risked everything to come here to keep her safe. Their lives, their being together, his heart, possible exposure to the mortal world, the fate of two clans rested in his being undetected. Everything was on the line.

             
“I probably will lose my job, and I certainly now am going to lose my home. Thanks, thank you so much for using me. I hope you get a great deal on the artwork.”

             
“No! It is untrue. I never used you. I love you. Please believe me.” He said taking her resisting into his arms. She wanted to believe him, trust her heart, but how after all they have been through together, “Then explain this. How do they know who you are?”

             
“You have to understand, the man you are working for, he has a vendetta again us. I told you about the organization I work for. They are very dangerous, and their leader is the owner of that mansion. He brought you here only to lure me here. They used you to get to me. You are in more danger than you are aware of. Just being seen with me could…it would be the end of us.”

Annasara
stared at him, “How can I believe you? Trust you?”

             
Triton felt to his knees, hugging her tightly, “Please if you only knew my heart, you would know it is true. I have never felt anything like this before. Sara, you are my world now. I do not want anything but to be with you and make you happy.”  He held her, begging for another chance. Pulling away from his embrace, Triton’s eyes filled with tears. “Where are you going?” She looked downtrodden and spoke, “Home.”