The Dark Proposal (The Claire McCormick Trilogy) (12 page)

She got home to the apartment in the early afternoon. Monica was substituting so Samantha welcomed her home. Even she noticed something was off about her. After pestering her about what was wrong, Claire gave in a bit.

“Daniel and I had a big fight. I don’t know if Monica told you, but we’re having disagreements over whether we should move in together.”

“You’re not going to, are you?” Samantha said. “You haven’t been dating long enough.”

“Yes, that’s what I told him,” Claire fibbed. “But he’s being a bit of jerk about this. He practically said he won’t take no for an answer.”

That’s when Samantha lectured her on how some guys were not worth it and she had to set her priorities straight. In the end, she left the decision up to Claire, but made no secret she wanted her to not leave the apartment for someone who was being pushy.

That evening, Claire sat on a bench outside the building where Daniel taught his English 101 evening course, mindlessly playing games on her phone. It was just something to do while waiting several minutes before class let out.

While it was mild for a late November night, she was shivering. She tried to breathe the way yoga instructors taught her while she was still a student, but the anxiety was still with her. She was however, able to think her situation over a little. Reflecting on what Samantha had told her earlier, she decided that would be a great way to talk sense into Daniel. It was too soon for such a commitment. He would have to accept that. And if he dared to hurt her again, she would contact the police. She knew it was something she should have done before, but back then she had been too overwhelmed with shock to even think properly. But now, despite her nerves, she was thinking carefully.

Loud footsteps suddenly sounded inside the building and Claire looked up. The evening classes were done and the students were leaving. Putting her phone in her shoulder bag, she waited for the crowd to thin out before entering. She walked down one of the halls to the small classroom where she found Daniel packing up his satchel. No one else was in the room.

She cleared her throat and he looked up. She forced a smile and said, “Hey.”

A more genuine, or perhaps secretly sinister, smile came to his face. “Hello there! A bit daring tonight, aren’t we?”

“Well, it’s been a while.” Claire was amazed at herself. She almost never came to his classrooms after the students left. Perhaps the anticipation and anxiety made her do this.

“Indeed,” he said. He snapped shut his bag, put it on his shoulder and began leaving the room. Claire followed along side of him.
 

As they left the campus for the bus stop, they chatted about their long weekend. She mentioned her family, while he talked about spending time with his friends. She knew this was all an act before they went to his TriBeCa apartment, and then the real Daniel would show himself.

The express bus arrived and they boarded it. This bus was to take them straight into Manhattan instead of to the ferry. Daniel graciously paid for both of them since money was tighter for Claire.

When they sat down in the back, he put his arm around her and kissed the side of her head a few times. The kisses felt heavy and cold.

During the hour long ride, he kept his arm around her shoulders and they barely spoke to each other. Claire leaned her head on his shoulder to give total strangers the impression all was well.
 

Once in Manhattan, they got off in TriBeCa and began walking toward his apartment, hand in hand. Flashes of what happened Wednesday night were going through her mind and she fought to remain in control. This was going to be a difficult night and she was going to have to survive somehow.

Inside, Daniel removed his leather jacket and tossed it on the couch. Claire took off her coat and placed it on one of the dining room chairs. They turned to face each other.

There was a pregnant pause with both waiting for the other to speak or make the first move. For a second, she wondered if this was going to be the moment he would make her like him or kill her instead.

“No, Claire,” he spoke suddenly. She jumped, startled. “It’s up to you to say yes. And remember I did tell you I can read your thoughts.”

“Then please stop, because you’re freaking me out,” she said.

He arched one eyebrow, and for a moment, she feared he would attack her. But instead, he crossed one arm across his chest and put the opposite hand under his chin, as though contemplating something.

“I see you’ve accepted somewhat of what I revealed to you,” he finally said.

“A little.” She felt like she preparing for war.

“What?” He sounded curious. “Is there something else you can’t comprehend?”

“Yeah,” she said in a shaky voice. Her eyes were downcast, and when she was ready, she lifted them to look right at him. “I did some research while in New Jersey. There’s a lot of websites about real vampires.”

“Yes?” Daniel raised his eyebrows.
 

Taking a deep breath, she said, “I think you killed Colin Willis.”
 

His face expressionless, he lowered his arms and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He ran one hand over his face as Claire continued.

“I read a blog about his murder. There are rumors going around that he had two holes on the side of his neck. There was no blood in his body.” She swallowed and asked, almost pleading, “Did you really do it? Honestly, Dan?”

Removing his hand, he looked right at her and said, “I think you know the answer to that question.”

She did, and whatever hope she had that he did not murder Willis quickly dissolved. She began to pant in horror at first, but then in anger.

“I mean, you knew as everyone else that there was no evidence of foul play,” he was saying, nonchalantly watching her. “Plus, there were no suspects -”

Claire suddenly pounced on Daniel, arms flailing as she hit him in the face and chest. She was screaming about him being a murderer and how evil he was.

It didn’t last long because he soon caught her flying fists and held a tight grip on her wrists, holding them away from him. His grip was beyond solid, like a steel machine, and his eyes were hollow with rage. For a moment, she thought he was going to attack her again. No, he was going to kill her. She dared to hit him, dared to defy him and now she would pay the price.
 

He held her in his harsh eyes for a moment, and then shoved her hands away, practically pushing her away from him. “Honestly, who else would’ve done it?”

Unable to express her anger, she felt tears come to her eyes. Blinking them back, she blurted out, “Why? Why did you do it?”

“Why not? Our kind has to do what we can to protect ourselves,” he said as he went over to one of the dining room chairs and pulled one out. He gestured her to sit.

But she was too stunned to do so. Staring at him with her jaw hanging open, she said, “Colin Willis knew what you were?” She never heard about her dear professor having any interest in the paranormal.

“Yes, that surprised me as well,” he said, not moving from the side of the chair. Claire flinched, but Daniel didn’t seem to notice and went on talking. “I heard his thoughts the few times I was around him. I must’ve been the one person he was never particularly friendly to. He wasn’t rude, but he kept his distance. I don’t know what he saw in me, but I ignored it. That is, until he started to glare at me.” He gestured again to Claire to sit in the chair he had pulled out, and reluctantly she went over and sat down.
 

He walked a few paces in front of her and continued. “I got suspicious, so I started to read his thoughts. Turns out, some years ago, his sister was killed by one of our own. Even though he was told she was stabbed, he heard stories to the contrary. Like you, he began doing his research. As he got to know me a little more, Colin began putting two and two together.”

 
He narrowed his eyes and his voice turned sinister. “He was plotting to kill me because he believed I was the one who got his sister. He planned to become more friendly to me in order to convince me to hang out with him. It would’ve been a trap, but he probably forgot or never knew that those like me can read minds. I was two moves ahead of him and boy, was he surprised.”
 

Claire shivered when a triumphant smile spread across Daniel’s face. He noticed and turned his head to look at her. He dropped the smile and looked concerned. “I don’t mean to scare you with that story, but I was letting you know what will happen if you don’t agree to being like me and spending eternity with me.”

Seeing she was confused by the sudden topic change, he walked over and squatted down to be at her level. “You can’t run away from this. The secrecy of what I am will start to destroy you and you’ll do something irrationally, just like Willis. I hope you understand.”

She started to nod, and then stopped. What was she doing? Here she was just inches away from someone who was an actual vampire, and just described why he killed someone without remorse, and she was accepting it? She couldn’t. How could she get out this situation? She had to leave and never return to Daniel, ever. He would hurt her, and she would be hurting herself by protecting a murderer.

She stopped thinking and fixed her stare on him. He was reading her thoughts, no doubt about that, and would use them against her.
 

He was looking right back at her, a calm expression on his face, but his eyes were the opposite.

“Claire, what can you tell the police?” he said softly.

“Everything. That you killed Willis.”
 

“And what would you tell the police?” He stood up sharply; his ferociousness returned. “What would you tell them? That a vampire did the work? They’ll think you’re insane.”

“I can always be an anonymous caller. I won’t mention the vampire part.”

He shook his head. “You have no idea what you are dealing with, Claire. Absolutely no idea.”

“Then what am I dealing with, Dan?” As soon as she spoke those words, she knew she made a mistake.

He leaned down to be inches away from her face and hissed, “There are many of us. More than you can count. We’ve eluded mortals for centuries, even the police. There’s no way you can fight us. No way.”

Claire wanted to speak but she knew it wouldn’t work. Instead, she looked down and found the words to say. “What happened to the man I used to know? You were so caring and gentle towards me. Now you’re threatening me.”

“I would be caring and gentle if you stop fighting me.” He was now in the kitchen, getting wine. “Like I told you last week, this is another side to me you’re getting to know.”

“But what if I don’t like this side? I mean, you’re a murderer.”

“I’m only doing what I need to protect myself and my kind. And also, it is in my nature.” Daniel came back to the dining room with the bottle of wine and two wine glasses. She watched as he poured the wine.

“If you’re a vampire, how can you eat and drink?”

He shrugged. “We can do that, but we don’t rely on it. I once went fifty years without eating or drinking regular food.” He handed her a glass. She took and sniffed the wine, but didn’t drink it.

“Claire, don’t think I put anything in it,” he fought not to snap at her.

Choosing not to protest, she began sipping the wine. Daniel walked over to her, leaned on the table and drank from his glass. “Besides,” he went on. “I rather like wine. It reminds of me of the centuries spent drinking this. One constant in Western European life.”

“Did you always live there?”

“No. I lived in the Middle East and Eastern Europe from time to time. I began spending time in the Western Hemisphere starting in the early 19
^th
century, though I would travel back to Europe where most of us are.”

Claire hesitated and then asked in a quiet voice. “How many are there of you?”

“Hundreds. Scattered all over the world.”

“Where did you all come from?”

“It’s a long story, one that would take all night to explain. Maybe someday you’ll learn everything.”

“What’s everything?”

“As in, who we are and why.” Daniel put down his glass and rubbed her arm without the slightest affection. “You can learn, if you want.”

She knew what he would say if she asked, so she didn’t speak it out loud. She just accepted his touch as she drank more wine. She had an unusual thirst for the drink that night.

He didn’t seem to be bothered. Instead, Daniel turned on the TV to watch a British period drama series both he and Claire liked to watch and sat on the couch.
 

Reluctantly, she joined him there and sat stiffly. After a few minutes, Daniel put his arm around her, though not as empty and cold as before. They sat that way for a long while, silently watching the show. It wasn’t a loud silence, but one that appeared to be the kind that exists between a couple. It was like the way things were before the last week.

Towards the end, the program showed the characters at a ball. Since the show took place at the turn of the 20
^th
century, the characters wore costumes from that era. The women in particular wore luscious silk dresses highlighted by every type of gem imaginable on their necklaces, earrings and so forth.

He leaned over and said to her, “You know, you can have jewelry just like those women.” When she frowned, he explained, “I’ve been around for centuries, therefore I was able to gain a modest fortune. That is how I got a TriBeCa apartment, rich wine and old paintings.”

“I’m not really into that,” she lied.

He laughed quietly and went back watching the program.
 

As the episode finished up, Daniel broke the silence. “After this, I am going out with Michel. I should be back in about an hour.”

“Where are you going?” Claire tried to control her eyes from widening.

“You get only one guess,” he said matter-of-factly. He reached up to pat the back of her neck. “I would prefer it if you stayed here until tomorrow morning. Just like before.”

She drew in a breath. “I would like to go home though.”