Blood and screams fill my ears. Metal scrapes a path down the concrete tunnel pummeling over the iron ties and uprooting the gravel below. As it nears the next station another train is steadily filling with hundreds of passengers oblivious to the horrendous track of events racing toward them.
I can smell death all around me and I scream and cry for them. Suddenly my eyes fly open and I see his face.
It’s twisted in agony, “Adonia!” he shouts shaking me.
I can’t stop screaming my body is not in my control. Finally he shakes me one last time and I cup my mouth silencing my scream. But I’m shaking all over.
He grabs my face, “Adonia!” he pleads. “It’s not happened yet. Please calm yourself.”
I stare at him trying to comprehend his words then everything becomes clear. This is my gift. This is my chance.
I jump to my feet, “We have to help!” I shout.
He stares at me and I see the mask of indifference then he transforms and grabs my face, “There’s time.” He says calmly, “We can call the authorities and alert them.” He walks to the office phone on the desk as I watch in absolute panic. Seconds later he is speaking swiftly with someone and I see the tightness surround his eyes.
He closes them then takes a deep breath, “What other means of communication do you have?” he asks angrily.
I don’t hear a reply I only gauge Khai’s reaction, which is pure hot rage.
The breath leaves my lungs and I stare in absolute horror. Seconds later he drops the phone and peers at me, his lavender eyes shining bright.
The images of the victims and the carnage flash back over my eyes. Over and over the blood and screams ring my ears. I grip my head and squeeze trying to shake the tragedy away.
Khai pulls my hands back and grabs my head, “Breathe,” he whispers, “Breathe, baby. Just focus and breathe. I’ll fix it.”
I focus on his beautiful eyes, “Please,” I beg through tears, “They’re all going to die. So many people…the children,” I whisper.
He shakes his head, “Adonia, I need you to calm yourself. I can feel your heart and you are dangerously close to a coronary event. Please, breathe and calm.” He says sternly and reaches for his phone in his pocket, “I’m going to go to the control station under the subway and use the manual controls. Stay here.”
“No way!” I shout, “I’m coming with you.”
He grips my arm, “No.” he growls, “It’s far too dangerous, Adonia. Be sensible. Do not leave this office until I come back for you.”
I shake his hands from my arms, “I’m coming—”
The ominous sound that erupts from his chest and barrels out of his throat scares me like nothing ever has. He doesn’t say anything but then he doesn’t have to, I know. This is Khai unleashed and barely hanging on.
I just stare at him, “Please,” I whisper.
He stills and I watch his fists ball at his sides. He steps back and takes several deep breaths. “The last time I left you in a secure place you left. Do not defy me again, Adonia.” His voice is harsh and clipped.
I blink several times but nod. I never want him to be angry with me. The thought sends me into a panic. He reaches up and touches my cheek, “Just stay here until I return.” His voice is softer.
“Ok.” I say shakily. “I’ll stay but please hurry and be careful, Khai. If anything happens to you it’ll kill me.”
He scoffs, “Don’t let my safety be a worry for you, Adonia. That’ll never be an issue. Calm down and go sit. Wait for me.” He turns and I watch the large maple doors close behind him leaving the image of those lavender eyes burned in my memory.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
KHAI
The thought of me coming to the rescue of other humans is laughable but the stress and horror that I witnessed Adonia go through is enough to make me move a mountain.
I watched the wreck unfold in her thoughts and I know exactly where and when it will take place. The very same train car I came across days ago underneath my building. The disaster I foretold is going to happen.
I take the stairs to the subway on 96th St. and shove past the daily commuters. I see the security door that leads to the main terminal and I pull breaking the metal lock from the wall.
Harsh fluorescent bulbs that buzz and flicker overhead as I walk through the labyrinth of doors illuminate the dingy hallway. I scan the area for others and note that two men are standing inside a break room discussing a game and smoking cigarettes.
I walk through two sets of doors then into the main terminal station. Control panels line the wall and light up with hundreds of buttons. I take a moment and scan the area and find the main switch.
The call system on the cable car is disconnected and there is no way to contact the conductor. The only option I have is to do a hard stop. It will cause the car to buckle under the strain of the worn bearing but it will stop the clash into the other set of cars ahead where the main tragedy lies.
I’m near the cable car now because I can hear the scrape against the metal axel rod. I walk to the station and eye the keypad and press the worn digits. A screen pings to life and shares a series of options from an electronic menu.
I swipe through several different screens then finally locate the car electronically. I have to enter several key codes and numerous passwords to bypass the system but eventually am allowed access and I select the hard stop.
I hear the metal protest on the track then the crack of the main axel as it bends and breaks away from the frame. The car buckles in half sending the passengers against the glass windows as it tips over and buries into the concrete wall.
I hear the screams waft up the tunnel as the car finally slams to a halt sending several people through the windows and onto the track below.
I drift through the minds remaining on the car and count forty-seven still alive. The building will be buzzing with law enforcement within minutes. I need to get out. I open the door and hear three men running toward the control room so I duck into a side stairwell that leads to a back exit onto the street.
I climb the two flights and exit onto the crowded street. Sirens and medical responders begin barreling down the street shoving past cars and tourists.
I hail a cab and ride back to the office building. When I enter the lobby people are already buzzing over the television that has breaking news flashing across the screen and images of a news reporter standing in front of the roped off entrance at 96th St.
When I step off the elevator I see her sitting outside my office door. The pain and worry etched across her face makes me livid. I hate what this stress is doing to her body. I can feel her heart overworking in her chest and her arteries are swollen from the stress and making the blood pump harder to reach inside the chambers.
When she sees me her eyes widen and she jumps from the chair and meets me as I cross the room. She wraps her arms around my neck and cries into my shoulder.
“I don’t know if I can handle something like that happening to me again,” she sobs, “All those people,” she whispers.
I pull her into my office and close the doors, “Adonia, it’s over you are going to have to settle down. I don’t like the stress you are putting on your heart.” I put my lips to her ear, “Hush.”
As the words leave my lips I feel her whole body sag in my arms and she calms instantly.
I stand there and hold her against me feeling the adrenaline subside in her body. She’s finally calmed and the violent images are replaced with me—my face.
I pull back and look down into her eyes, “It could have been much worse. You need to learn how to handle this better, Adonia. We can fix most things but you have to trust in that. You can’t allow this to take over your body and mind like that again.”
Tears streak her face, “How?” she creaks.
“Trust me.”
She wipes her cheek, “Take me home?” she asks softly.
I nod and walk over pulling her coat and purse from the chair. She meet
s me at the door and we walk out past the many faces staring in our direction. I know most of them heard her frantic screams as the images began.
Amanda stands from her chair as we pass, “Is there anything I can do for you sir? Miss Kostas?” she asks with genuine concern.
I shake my head, “No. Thank you, Amanda. Please have my calls forwarded to my cell and reschedule my afternoon.”
She nods and returns to her computer picking up the phone. The elevator is mercifully empty as we load in. I place my key in the bank and select the lobby bypassing all the other floors.
Peter is waiting out front as we walk out the door. I open her door and slide in beside her. I feel her fatigue and the drain this put on her mentally and physically. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her into me. “We’ll have to put some normalcy into our lives because we’re beginning to attract attention from many people. Exposure.”
She lifts her head and stares at me, “What do you mean?” her voice is broken as she speaks.
“The office. We must figure a way for you to handle this more subdued and subtly, until then we should stay out of sight. I’ll work mostly from home and conduct a majority of my meetings from the home office.”
She shakes her head; “Don’t rearrange your life for me Khai. Go to the office and attend to your work. I can stay out of sight. I don’t want to cause you trouble.”
I grip her face and lean in to kiss her lips, “I’ll rearrange anything for you, Adonia. I’ll sell the fucking thing if need be, all I want is you—your safety and happiness—all the rest is nothing.”
“You’re too good to me. Please, work. I’ll be fine, truly.”
“Let’s start planning the wedding,” I say trying to bring her spirits up, “Anywhere you want anything you want—just say it.”
Her eyes brighten and I feel the surge of joy and excitement flood her body. I grin, “So anxious to seal your fate away with me.”
“I’d go to the courthouse today,” she beams at me.
I smirk back, “I’d rather have an actual holy man do the honor as opposed to a balding clerk that never even looks up from the pages in his hand as he recites in a God awful monotone voice.”
She laughs loud, “I see you’ve done your research.”
“A man needs to know these things, baby.”
She shakes laughing as we ride down Madison Avenue. When we stop at the house I pull her from the car and walk inside. I stop in the foyer, “I’m going to make a few calls, go lie down and I’ll check on you shortly.”
She smiles and disappears around the corner past the kitchen. I wait until I hear the dip on the bed before I walk back to the office. I power up my computer and attach my earpiece. I have two overseas conference calls lined up back to back and I ferret through my email to collect the data and call Amanda.
“Connect the conference line when the participants are joined. I want the meeting broadcast with video feed.”
She begins typing on her keyboard, “Yes sir. I’ll connect you shortly.”
I hang up and respond to several emails before she finally calls and sends the video feed to my monitor.
An hour later we end with three new diversities planned for my environmental imitative.
I scan the house and reach her sleeping, finally resting after days of monumental stress. She’s dreaming of her wedding dress. I want to make her happy—I dial Amanda. She picks up immediately, “Get me the best wedding planner in Manhattan and have them at my house tomorrow morning.”
“Yes sir.” She says and I can hear the smile in her voice. “Anything else?”
“Who are my evening meetings with today?”
She pecks the keys on her keyboard, “Roger Pontin at 6:15 and Jerry Anastas at 7:00.”
“Cancel Jerry and have Roger directed to my home office.”
“Yes sir.”
I end the calls when I catch her scent. I turn and she is framed in the doorway. The afternoon sun is flooding in behind her casting a glow around her.
She’s stunning.
I walk around the desk and thread my fingers into her hair. My tongue traces her lower lip and I can taste the sweet saltiness of her sweat as I glide into her mouth. She moans as I caress her tongue and lick softly.
When I pull back she breathes deeply, “I need to interrupt your workday more often.” She rasps.
“I love your interruptions and do feel free to distract me anytime you like.”
She smiles and I can see her corneas begin to focus as she gains her composure.
I grin, “Having a little trouble with your eyes, love?”
She rolls them at me and smiles. “Nope. 20/20, baby.”
“20/30, actually.”
She laughs, “You’re impossible.”
My office line rings and she pouts then kisses me on the corner of my mouth, “Distraction time over.” She says as she turns and shuts the door.
The calls flood my line the rest of the afternoon. I order Amanda to move her things to my home office indefinitely. I have a private entrance apart from the house she will work from.
She ushers Roger in promptly at 6:15. Our meeting is cut short when Adonia walks in surprised to see Roger then mortified at her interruption. It makes me laugh and they both stare at me as if I’ve grown an additional head.
“Did you need something, love?” I ask dryly.
“Uh—I—I’m so sorry. Please excuse me.” She whispers and turns to leave.
“Adonia?” I call and she turns blushing a delicious shade of red, “This is Roger Pontin of Pontin Investments.” I gesture to him, “Roger this is my fiancée Adonia Kostas.”
He grins wide, “Pleasure to meet you Miss Kostas.”
She smiles shyly, “Very nice to meet you.” She turns back to me, “Pardon the interruption but I’m leaving to meet Tiffany. I’ll be back shortly.”
Irritation burns up my spine. “I knew nothing about this.” I clip.
She cocks her head to the side and fists her hips, “That’s because I’ve just made the arrangements.” Her cool voice carries the words across the space.
Roger is darting between our faces like a tennis match clearly entertained. I level my glare at her, “Not alone. I’ll join you. Give me five minutes.”
She glares at me before she walks out, “It was nice to meet you, Roger.” She lilts over her shoulder and my irritation turns to rage as her laced words spike his arousal.
I dismiss him through the private entrance and walk to the kitchen where she is drinking a glass of wine.
She narrows her eyes at me and pins me across the island bar. “Quite the show, Garai.” She hisses.
I pinch the bridge of my nose reining in the wrath that is threatening to break free.
“I don’t like surprises, Adonia.”
She walks slowly around the bar and halts inches from my face, “Well you are going to be a very unhappy man then because I’m full of them.”
The woman is maddening. She erupts emotions in me that I’ve never experienced.
But the electricity she creates is consuming. I’m addicted to the way she makes me feel, makes me live.
I grab the back of her neck and crash my lips into hers pummeling her mouth with my tongue delivering all the conflicting emotions in a brutal, long, hot kiss.
I pull back and rest our foreheads together, “You drive me so fucking mad I feel like losing control.”
She nods, “Ditto.” She breathes and just like that the atmosphere changes.
I grip her hand, “Who is this Tiffany and where are we to meet her?”
She swallows and blinks up at me, dazed. Finally she says, “She’s my best friend and I miss her. I’ve so much to tell her.”
I nod. “Very well. I wish to meet this Tiffany, but before we do there is a stop we need to make.”
She frowns, “What stop?”
I begin pulling her to the garage “I want everyone to know who you belong to. Your left finger is bare and we are going t
o change that.”
She huffs in protest as we walk fast through the foyer. I open her door before she can protest and back out into the street.
“You don’t have to do that, Khai. I don’t need a ring just a band when I say I do.”
“As my mate you will share my life and wealth and that means accepting gifts graciously. I said I wanted representation on your finger and I going to fucking put it on there.”
Her lips press into a hard line but I can feel the pleasure float through her. She suppresses her smile and looks out the window.
I pull to the curb at Tiffany’s and open her door. A concierge is at our side instantly and escorts us into the store.
“I want to look at Grecian style settings. Olde world with a flawless stone and intricate filigree.”
He nods and smiles. Adonia is staring at me, mouth open. I grin and pull her following the concierge.
He leads us to a case in the center of the store. Lines of shining diamonds fill the clear space but my eyes go directly to the one at the top.
I point, “That one,” I say immediately, “We’ll take it.”
Adonia gasps and stares at me, “Khai, that’s too much!” she screeches.
I level a glare at her but smile wide, “It’s always too much with me, love.”
She gapes at me as the man pulls the ring from the case and reaches for her hand. She watches as he slips the platinum creation easily on her finger. It has a brilliant oval center stone with delicate pave diamonds surrounding in an ivy pattern connected with a fine filigree encircling the sides.
She gasps, “It’s stunning.” She whispers.
I shake my head, “You’re stunning that is just good craftsmanship.”
The man stifles a laugh, “Very true, sir.”
I turn to him, “I have an account. Garai Enterprises. Bill me.” And I turn for the door. Adonia pulls my hand and gapes at the man, “How much is it?” She asks horrified.
He just smiles, “1.3 million.” He says proudly.
“No fucking way,” she shouts, “You are not paying that much for a ring on my finger.”
The Last Vampyre Prophecy Page 21