by RK Close
“No, he never told me that. That’s a pretty shitty thing to do. Were the two of you friends?” I ask, keeping my face blank.
He seems confused by my words, but his face is more thoughtful than it was a moment earlier. He continues to watch me, study me.
“Are you toying with me, Sam?”
“What do you mean? I asked you an honest question. Do you think Adam and I are friends? He is a big bully, and I wouldn’t put it past him to steal your girl from you. I could totally believe that,” I say, raising my brows in a knowing fashion.
I stand and walk over to one of the paintings and act like I’m studying it. It horrifies me to turn my back on him, but I play my part.
“Are you trying to convince me that you are not intimate with Adam?”
I give him a disgusted look. “No, we are not intimate! I don’t even like him. He practically killed me the first night we met. I have never once asked him to invite himself into my home or my life. He does what he wants, when he wants, and to hell with everyone else,” I say passionately.
Most of it is true, so it isn’t that hard of a part to play. I’m actually breathing hard when I finish my rant, and I’m sure my face is a mask of pure pissed-off.
He isn’t completely sold, but he is intrigued. Zac continues to watch me closely, his elbows on his knees, and his fingers steeple, as if in thought.
“I was curious as to why you were in the company of a Hunter. I thought it odd that Adam would allow it. Actually, you caught my interest because over the years I’ve not known him to keep any woman’s company beyond a single evening. I couldn’t help but notice that he seems infatuated with you. And you don’t even like him. That’s rich!” He claps his hands together like a child. “Unfortunately, I’ve no need for my original plan if you are not in love with one another, but if he fancies you, he will still feel the loss all the same. I was hoping to cause him greater pain, but your untimely death will have to do for now,” he says.
With those final words, I know my life is forfeit. Before I have time to think about the horror that awaits me, he moves. In a blur of motion, he’s on me, but just as quickly Zac flies across the room and smashes into the opposite wall. The impact leaves a huge hole that barely missed two precious works of art. Zac is lying on the floor, and seems dazed by the blow. Shaking his head, he glares at me with enough venom to make my legs buckle.
I look around for my rescuer, but there’s no one. He narrows his eyes at me as he rises from the rubble. Zac stands, adjusts his leather jacket, and runs his fingers through his hair. He walks a few steps closer to me, but stops about fifteen feet away. He’s still trying to slay me with his eyes, but takes time to brush drywall powder from his shoulders.
I’m too afraid to move, and I don’t understand why he hasn’t killed me yet.
“You have an uncommonly powerful charm, Sam. Where did you get it? It’s priceless, and there are only six in existence that I know of. How would someone like you come across something of such great value? No Hunter would ever part with it, so how did you acquire it?” he asks, hate and loathing behind each word.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, but my hand has found the pendant, and I clutch it for dear life. He’s afraid to come closer, I realize. I take a single shaky step toward him, and he backs away. The pendant feels warm and alive in my hand. I can feel its power like a tangible presence. Zac hisses and backs away further when I take two more steps in his direction.
“We are not finished. This is not over, Sam. I simply have more opportunity to plan our time together. I will take my time with you, and we will share such exquisite pain before you die…or not. Maybe I’ll keep you forever. I promise to be with you soon,” he says, and then he’s gone in a blink of an eye.
I hate when they move like that, but I’m so relieved that I cry out. I begin shaking violently and slowly slide down the wall. Tears are running down my face and I can barely see. I crawl on the floor to my briefcase, and with shaky hands pull my phone out. It takes me a minute to be able to find Adam’s number. My strength is sapped, and my hands won’t stop trembling. He answers before I hear the first ring.
“Samantha! Where are you?” His voice is hard with lots of edges, but I can hear the thread of concern under it all.
“I…Phoenix Museum…” I barely whisper. I’m certain he can’t hear me.
“I’m coming for you,” he says, and I let the phone slide from my fingers.
***
I don’t know if I pass out after the phone call or simply lose track of time. No one enters the exhibit that I’m aware of.
The next thing I know Adam is there, and he scoops me up and carries me. I can’t imagine what we must look like to other visitors. My head is buried against Adam’s chest until he places me in the passenger side of my car moments later. He closes my door, gets in the driver’s seat, and starts the car. His face is a mask of fury, but he doesn’t speak to me.
***
The drive home is a blur and I don’t remember the details. I’m not even sure how we arrive at my condo but we’re here. Adam lays me on the bed and covers me with the bedding. I think I’m in shock. I can’t speak, and I don’t want to. I feel…numb. My body can’t seem to stop shaking and it’s taking all my reserves to continue.
He sits on the edge of my bed and moves my hair away from my face. He leaves his hand on my head for a few moments, and I think it feels nice.
He reaches over, turns off the bedside lamp, and starts to rise.
Grabbing his hand in desperation, I say, “Don’t leave.” My voice sounds so small and distant, I can almost believe it belongs to someone else.
He settles back down and continues to hold my hand while gently stroking my hair. After a long while, I feel my body begin to let go of the tension. Once my body stops convulsing, the tears flow freely. I don’t know how long I hold Adam’s hand, crying until the peace of sleep finally claims me.
Chapter 18
I open my eyes, unsure of where I am for a moment. Blinking a few times, I see Adam’s profile before me. He’s lying on his back with one well-muscled arm behind his head, his eyes closed. I lie there without moving and study his face.
His lashes are sinfully long and dark against his face. His features are hard marbled edges that scream to be touched. Adam’s beautiful in a purely masculine way. His presence here is comforting. And a little voice in my mind whispers that I’m not alone.
Inevitably as I lie here, uninvited memories from the night before come crashing like violent waves inside my head. I inhale sharply, and Adam opens his eyes as he turns to look at me. His face flashes concern for an instant before it smooths back to the unreadable mask. His eyes search my face.
His attention makes me feel self-conscious so I look away as I roll onto my back. The moment suddenly feels too intimate, and I can’t help but feel vulnerable again. I loathe feeling helpless.
Once again, I fell apart, and he picked up the pieces and brought me home. Why does he keep saving me? Why does he care?
Sitting up, I swing my legs over the side of the bed. I try to clear my head of the fear that threatens to suffocate me once more. I’m safe. The sun is up. I’m home.
My hand finds the pendant hanging against my chest. I feel rather than see Adam rise from the bed behind me. He moves around the bed to stand in front of me. Raising my gaze to his I see him looking at the pendant in my grasp.
“Your Hunter succeeded where I failed. When did he give you the Pog an bhais?” he asks with a hard look in his eyes.
When I don’t answer he pulls his gaze from the pendant, and looks at me, waiting. I’m awake now and anxious to know about the pendent that saved my life.
“The what? I can’t even pronounce that. What is it?” I ask, confused, but interested.
This relic is the only reason I’m alive right now. I’m eager to learn every detail I can.
“It’s called the Kiss of Death, and there are few in existence,” he
says, turning to leave the room.
I jump up to follow on his heels. Looking down at myself I notice that I’m still wearing my now wrinkled clothing from yesterday. I feel gross and self-conscious. I’m torn between hounding Adam for information and taking a shower. Curiosity wins over hygiene, and I follow him into the kitchen.
He starts gathering what he needs to make a pot of coffee. I watch him with wonder as he moves about my kitchen as though he’s done this task hundreds of times and knows where everything is. It’s pointless to ask since he ignores certain questions, so I don’t even bother to ask how he knows my kitchen so well.
I lean against the counter and watch him start the coffee maker. Next he pulls out a pan from the cabinet and eggs from the fridge.
“Why don’t you take a shower while I make you something to eat?” he asks as he works.
My mouth hangs open. I would never expect this domestic display from him. It feels weird and nice at the same time. Closing my mouth, I head for the shower. I can now say that watching a man perform domestic tasks is surprisingly sexy.
Does he know how to cook eggs?
***
After a quick shower I dress in yoga pants and a large sweatshirt. My hair is in a wet bun at the nape of my neck when I return to the kitchen. Still feeling like I was run over with a truck, but noticeably cleaner, I emerge from the bedroom. I notice the drapes are drawn tight, making the room darker than I usually keep it during the day.
A plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and blueberries sits on the table along with a steaming cup of coffee. I look from the plate to Adam, who is sitting in the opposite chair. He watches and waits. I smile shyly and sit down.
“Wow, who knew you could cook? How do you know how to cook eggs when you don’t eat them yourself?” I ask as I start to devour the food.
I missed dinner during all the craziness last night, and only now realize how famished I am. He looks pleased by the way I’m inhaling my food.
“I learn a great deal from watching others. It’s not a gourmet meal. No skill required,” he says, still watching me eat.
After finishing half the plate, I ask, “What is the Kiss of Death? What does it do?”
Again he is looking at the pendant hanging from my neck.
“From what I’ve heard no vampire can harm you as long as you wear it. I’ve never seen one. The charm is exceptionally rare and valuable. I’m surprised the Hunter would part with it. You obviously mean more to him than I originally assumed.” Adam looks at me thoughtfully. “I may kill him after all,” he says sounding sincere. “Tell me what happened last night.” His face is hard lines again.
I’m starting to believe he likes to talk about killing Gabe to draw a reaction from me—or maybe he likes saying it.
“Zac set me up. He claimed to be a new client, so I went to meet him, but of course that was bull. I was certain he was going to kill me.” My mind is wandering into that dark place again.
“It was like he was thrown across the room when he tried to attack me. At first I thought you had found me, but then he started talking about the charm I was wearing. He was furious that I had it.” I become lost to the memory, staring into my coffee cup. “I hate him!” I blurt, and shake off the nightmarish thoughts.
Without meaning to, my hand finds the pendant, and again I clutch it tightly.
My gaze returns to Adam. His eyes have the faintest glow about them. I don’t know if he’s reacting to my anger or his.
“He has other ways to reach you. You cannot be alone, even during the day. Not even the charm will stop him when he sets his mind to something,” he says.
Now Adam looks like he’s lost in memory. Could he be reliving one of his own nightmares from the past?
What scares a vampire?
I want to ask him about the woman Zac spoke about, but I don’t know if it’s the right moment. Sounds like we will be spending plenty of time together, so I wait.
“Don’t you need to eat?” I ask carefully. I certainly don’t want any misunderstandings during our forced time together.
Adam raises his eyebrows at me, and I know what he’s implying. I shake my head at him, and sip my coffee.
“I’ll take care of that when I need to,” he says as he rises.
He walks into my bedroom, and I hear the shower going after a minute. Oh, boy. I don’t know about this. He doesn’t even close the bathroom door. I think we need to lay down some ground rules. It would be like him to walk through my condo naked just to see my reaction. I choose to sit on the patio until he’s done.
After a short time, I can hear him speaking to someone. Curious, I walk back inside and see that Adam is dressed in the same clothes as before. His hair is damp, and he’s talking to someone on his cell phone. The smell of my soap hangs in the air as I pass him. Lemongrass.
“I don’t care what you have to do, Jacob, but get your ass here by tomorrow.” He ends the call and slips the phone in his pocket. He runs his hand through his hair, then walks over to the curtains to pull them closed again.
“Who is Jacob?” I’ve visualized Adam as a loner up until now. Before he can answer my front door buzzes. We glance at each other before I move toward the door.
“Are you expecting anyone?” he asks, coming up behind me silently.
Before I can answer he stops several feet from the door and tenses. I stop when he does. My face goes white from his reaction.
“It’s your Hunter,” he says, with a serious hint of displeasure.
He stays behind me, and I give him a dirty look.
“Go away,” I hiss, but he doesn’t move. I roll my eyes at him and turn to answer the door. Gabe is standing in the hall, looking as displeased as Adam.
“Hey!” I say, smiling.
I’m actually happy to see him. Especially after last night.
I open the door wide, and motion for him to enter. He doesn’t move, and I realize he and Adam are glaring at one another. The vicious look on Gabe’s face is a bit of a shock. He’s usually so mild mannered, but he looks like he’s ready to kick some vampire ass at the moment.
Looking between the two of them, I roll my eyes and pull Gabe into the condo. I turn and push Adam further into the room. They both allow me to manhandle them into opposite positions in the living room, but they never take their eyes off one another. I sit on the sofa, but they both remain standing.
“Oh for crying out loud! Will you both sit down so we can talk about the psycho vampire running around Phoenix?” I stand and cross my arms over my chest.
What is with these guys?
“Adam, this is Gabe. Gabe, this is Adam.” Gabe takes a seat first, and Adam follows suit.
Gabe is the first to speak. “I was hoping you were keeping better company by my return. Why is he here, Sam?” Gabe’s body language is anything but relaxed, and both men look as though they are ready to pummel one another at any moment.
“Keep talking, Hunter, and I’ll cut out your tongue and feed it to her cat,” Adam says as his eyes start to glow.
Oh shit!
“I’d like to see you try, Vampire,” Gabe says, as the temperature in the room seems to get colder.
They both stand before I see either of them move. Wilbur lets out a little cry, and runs to my room. Maybe I should follow him.
I didn’t miss the fact that Gabe moved almost as fast as Adam. I feel like I’m moving through water as I jump up to place myself between them. This doesn’t feel like a safe place to be, but I don’t know how else to keep them apart. I’m taking a huge gamble that their concern for my safety will outweigh their desire to rip each other to shreds.
“Stop it, both of you! If you can’t sit here like adults, then you can leave. What is wrong with the two of you?” I ask, annoyed.
The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end. I shiver visibly and glare at Adam.
“Can you turn it off! I’m freezing,” I say, waiting for them to leave or sit back down.
Still glaring at o
ne another, they sit back down. I don’t dare leave them alone, so I grab the throw off the sofa and wrap it around my shoulders before sitting back down.
“If you two are done with your pissing contest, I’d like to say thank you, Gabe.”
I can actually feel electricity or something else in the air that I can’t explain. I noticed it when they started bantering with one another.
Power comes to mind. The air feels charged with it, almost tangible.
Gabe looks at me, confused. “What for?”
I seem to have his full attention again as he pushes his glasses up on his nose, looking more like the Gabe I’m used to.
I must admit that this Bad-Boy-Gabe is rather attractive, as well. Who would have thought he had it in him? He must know what Adam is capable of, and still he isn’t backing down. Either he knows how to defend himself, or he’s not as smart as I thought he was.
“I was attacked by a vampire last night, and the pendant you loaned me saved my life,” I say, giving my words a moment to sink in.
Gabe throws an angry look at Adam, and asks, “Where were you?”
“She did not tell me she was meeting someone, and she does not ask permission, if you have not noticed. What are you implying, Hunter?” Adam asks, and the hairs on the back of my neck start to tingle again.
I can feel the hum of energy, and I have the impression that it’s coming from both of them.
Okay…Gabe is not as normal as I originally thought.
“Stop this! I can’t do this if you keep looking to pick a fight with each other. I’m okay, Gabe. Adam has already saved my ass a few times. This was a result of my own carelessness. I’m still trying to figure out all this vampire crap—it’s a lot to take in. What I need is answers. Gabe, what are you, by the way?” I ask finally.
Gabe looks uncomfortable, but he turns his body toward me in his chair.
“I can see that he’s already told you that I’m a Hunter. That is to say, my family hunts anything preternatural and dangerous to the average human. It’s a family thing, passed down for more than two thousand years. It’s not something I chose, I was born to it,” he says, and looks over at Adam. “I won’t share any more information in front of him. Can we go somewhere more private, or better yet, he can leave.”