“Plenty of time,” She smiled at Marco.
“Why don’t you run your ideas by me this time,” Marco said it casually and Cara wondered if he wasn’t actually interested in spending more time with her. She blushed. He could also just be interested in having more oversight of the party. It was possible he didn’t fully trust her abilities yet.
“I’ll do some brainstorming then stop by your office later today?” A flash of their naked bodies in his office passed through her mind.
Marco nodded with a quick hum of approval and walked back into the house. Had she seen the same desire on his face? She wasn’t sure.
A few hours later, with a bundle of ideas, she walked back into the main house. Just as she walked in the same dilemma as before stretched in front of her. Would he be in the hidden office or the main office? Cara sighed at herself.
The doorbell peeled in a crescendo of chimes and Cara stopped walking forward. She turned, deciding that she would come back later. Then Cara stopped. Would Marco be expecting female company? A little wash of jealousy brushed over her and Cara stood still where she was.
The door opened and Cara heard footsteps. Instead of walking out of the main house and back the way she came, she walked to the side of the hallway and stood behind one of Marco’s amazing sculptures.
“…we can talk about it later,” a voice rang through the house. Cara’s breath caught in the back of her throat. She moved to get a better view. The first man… the one with the lighter hair was… Cara felt her hands begin to tremble. She was looking at the back of Dimitri. Dimitri who promised she would end up as dead as his brother Stavros. Dimitri who wouldn’t stop until Cara had stopped breathing.
Cara’s body convulsed. What was happening? Why was Dimitri here? He’d tracked Cara here, somehow he’d figured it out, or maybe he was just here by coincidence?
Dimitri went up the stairs toward Marco’s open library office and disappeared from view. Cara watched as Marco followed up behind the two men a moment later. Cara stepped out from behind the statue. Every part of her was screaming to turn and run in the opposite direction but her feet were moving toward the staircase. She had to know.
Cara’s senses were on overdrive. Her body was sensitive to every sound, the feel of cold air across her skin, the smell of jasmine that had swept in when the door had opened.
She closed her eyes for a moment when she made it to the staircase. She’d begun to feel safe, begun to feel that nothing would, or could, find her in the depths of Marco Martinez’s house.
Cara stepped carefully onto the stairs and made her way up.
“…since you came out to Vegas,” Dimitri was talking.
"I was really sorry to hear about your brother," Marco's full dark voice came down to meet Cara. He was talking about Stavros. Of course, they would, Cara had only known about Marco because of Stavros.
“That’s why I’m here actually,” just the sound of Dimitri’s voice was dangerous. Every part of Cara wanted to be as far away from Dimitri as possible, her hands were sweating, her breath short.
“Have you seen this woman?” Dimitri’s voice sounded again above where Cara sat on the staircase. Cara’s heart hammered out in her ears.
There was silence for a moment.
“No, who is she?” Marco responded casually enough but Cara knew the photo was of her.
“She killed Stavros,” Dimitri’s voice was murderous. “She killed my brother and she won’t get away with it.”
“Killed him?” Marco said the words slowly.
Chapter Five
“She killed him then ran, we followed her as far as Miami,” Dimitri’s voice was hard.
Dimitri had followed her here. He’d been able to trace her. How?
Cara imagined an all-out search going on for her. How could she have thought she would make it out of this alive? Dimitri had the time, money, and motivation. Of course, he would find her, of course.
One thought niggled its way into the back of her mind. She'd been putting the idea off as unimportant, but now the importance of it struck her… She was only safe with Marco if Marco didn't hand her over to Dimitri. All it would take is one word from Marco and Cara would be dead.
Cara turned and silently jogged down the stairs. She ran to her room, grabbed her bag, and ran out of the house. Cara had taken a tour of the property when she’d first come to the complex. She’d always known that she might need an escape route. She ran along the waterfront. Dimitri would take the main driveway out and she couldn’t risk being seen.
Now where would she go? Where would she be safe? Nowhere.
This had been her only hope for survival. To spend her days next to one of the most powerful dragon shape shifters in the country. Possibly the most powerful man in the country. Now Marco would know all about her, where she’d really come from, what she’d really done.
Cara’s hands shook as she made it past Marco’s private property line. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest. She felt so stupid, had she really thought this was going to work? She had been so naïve. Cara would be lucky if she made to another day.
She took the public bus back to the greyhound station but didn’t go in. She took up a lookout from across the street. At some point she would have to risk it, to go in and get a ticket… it didn’t matter where she went anymore. One place would be as dangerous as the next.
Cara pulled her hat down and pushed her sunglasses onto her face. She was sitting on a stoop that pulled back into a doorway where she could look out without being seen.
“Were you planning on catching a bus out of here or were you just going to sit here all day?”
Cara jumped, her body swinging back against the wall. She looked into the darkness behind her and saw Marco.
"You came for me? You're giving me to him?" Cara felt her chest pump with air, her heart thumps out a deep beat.
Marco looked at Cara for a long time. His eyes were burning a deep gray. He moved toward her then put a hand out to touch her shoulder. Cara looked at the hand then back into his face.
“I’m not taking you to Dimitri and I didn’t tell him anything… yet.” Marco sat down on the stoop and Cara looked at his strong back, perfect shoulders and the line of his neck.
Cara looked out at the road, at a greyhound just pulling out of the station. She could run for it, maybe she would make it to the bus. Would he follow her? Could she afford for him not to? Cara sat down next to Marco.
“You were Stavros Costas’ girlfriend?” Marco’s torso leaned forward onto his knees.
“Yes,” Cara was surprised to hear her own voice so deliberate and open.
“And now he’s dead?”
“Are you asking if I killed him?” Cara looked at Marco and felt her eyes fill. She had no control over herself or her emotions. She was just on display for everyone to witness every thought that passed through her head. “Well, I did. I killed him.”
Marco nodded, not saying anything.
Cara took off her sunglasses and wiped at the tears sliding down her cheeks, “Aren’t you going to ask me about it?”
“Do you want to tell me about it?” Marco’s face looked perfectly untroubled.
The odd thing was that she did want to tell him about it. She’d had everything so bottled up inside of her for more than three weeks and she’d not been able to confide in one person. The nightmares kept her awake, afraid of falling asleep. The horrible memories would come flooding back with one clang of a pan on the stove or the slam of a car door.
Cara took a deep breath and let her body find an even rhythm. She pressed her hands together.
“I don’t know how well you knew Stavros,” Cara looked at Marco but he said nothing. “He was… difficult. Sometimes he was, well, he was almost violent.” Cara had never said those words aloud before. “Not almost… he was violent,” Cara felt her body contract and she looked at Marco but he showed no reaction, just continued to look at her.
“I knew I had to leave him, I just did
n’t know how. So, one night he got… the way he gets… and I was stupid, I told him I was leaving, that he couldn’t keep treating me that way and…” Cara remembered the look in Stavros’ eyes when she’d said those words. His face had gone red and Cara watched his skin begin to change, his body, he was going to transform into a dragon and she would be dead. The door was on the other side of Stavros and she’d needed to get out, to get away.
“So, I pushed him,” Cara stared at the space of pavement between her feet. “His head hit marble and the sound… the sound his head made when it hit…” Cara felt as if she was staring down at him again. “The blood pooled out around him, so much blood. He didn’t transform, he didn’t get up, he didn’t hit me, he didn’t even open his eyes. I killed him.” Cara looked at Marco. She noticed for the first time that his hand was on her knee.
"And Dimitri?" Marco asked.
“He walked in to find Stavros dead… and me standing over him. I’m surprised I’ve made it this far alive. He can transform too, only he’s more ruthless than his brother was.”
“So you came here, to me, because I’m the only one who can keep you safe.” Marco wasn’t asking he was stating it as fact.
Cara studied Marco’s set jaw, his strong hands.
“You can stay with me,” Marco turned his face to her, “I won’t tell Dimitri. You’ll be safe.”
“Really?” Cara was beyond surprised. Marco had no reason to help her, to keep her safe. She’d gotten herself into this mess and it would only be natural for him to leave her to herself.
“Come on,” He stood. “Let’s go back—you have a party to plan.” He smiled and Cara felt a lurching sensation in her body. The feeling scared her, this man may be protecting her but he was not hers, he didn’t love her. She had to remember that—as soon as he could get his hands on another woman he would.
Chapter Six
Cara spent the rest of the day and all of the next deep in plans for the party Marco was throwing. She forced herself not to think of Dimitri. There had been something magical about telling Marco her whole story but she did worry about the false sense of closeness she felt with him because of it.
Cara reminded herself more than once that there was nothing between her and Marco, she remembered the way he’d practically pushed her out of his office after they’d fucked the first time. She reminded herself that it was just a fuck and nothing more, that there could never be anything more with a man like him.
Despite all these warnings that she peppered herself with, over and over again, she let herself believe every now and again that Marco was looking at her, noticing her more, that he wanted to review her party plans more than was strictly necessary.
“Don’t be an idiot,” She whispered to herself as she walked back into the house on Thursday in the late afternoon.
The party was coming along and it was to be a huge gluttonous affair, dancers on stands, a Moulin rouge environment, more alcohol than any group of people should ever try to consume. There would be strip tease, and burlesque, and at the end of the night, there were a small group of women willing to do a little extra for hard cash.
“I’m just double checking everything, she’s not all there, you know? Not the brightest bulb. This deal means too much to me,” Marco’s voice came floating down the hall. Cara saw his secretary first before she saw Marco and it took all that time for Cara to realize that he had been talking about her. That she was not all there, not the brightest bulb. Cara felt her face flush hot.
She had actually let herself believe that he’d wanted to spend extra time with her, that he liked her, maybe more than all the other bimbos she’d seen him with so often.
“Hi,” Cara stopped walking in the middle of the hall. She didn’t want him to say anything else, couldn’t bear to hear another hurtful thing come out of that mouth she’d pictured so many times. “I was just coming to review the plans with you…again.”
“Oh,” Marco looked at his secretary then at Cara.
Cara blushed again and looked away from him.
“Great, we were just…” Marco looked unruffled, “Why don’t you come with me?”
Marco’s secretary walked off in the opposite direction and Cara followed Marco along the well-lit hall.
Marco stopped by one of the large windows and reached a hand out for her folder. Cara placed the folder carefully into his hand. She needn’t really come over here for this, she could email plans to him just as well, then he wouldn’t have to lower himself to the level of even talking to her. Cara felt her body grow hot.
“Did I do something wrong with the first party?” Her voice was harder than she’d meant for it to sound.
“No,” Marco looked up at her surprised.
“Have I made any glaring mistakes so far in planning this one?” Cara knew that if Marco wanted to find a mistake in her work then he would and could but she’d really been trying so hard to be careful.
“What are you trying to get at?” Marco closed the folder.
“I was just wondering what makes you so sure I’m not the ‘brightest bulb’ if I haven’t made any major mistakes.” Cara was horrified to feel her eyes sting with tears. Crying was not a solution to this, it would only make things worse, but she wasn’t at all sure that she could help herself.
“I heard you talking just now.”
“Ah,” Marco tapped the folder on his hands a few times. He looked back at Cara, “You really can’t take any of…”
“Excuse me, Mr. Martinez?” his secretary’s voice came from behind them. Cara brushed at her face, trying to hide any sign of emotion or tears. She felt a hand on her arm and Cara was moved. She turned to find that it was Marco’s hand on her arm. He’d moved her behind him and now she understood why. Standing next to his secretary was Dimitri.
“You lied to me,” Dimitri’s voice was harsh. “She killed my brother, this is none of your business.”
“You should leave,” Marco’s voice was calm. Cara could see his muscles clenching and releasing.
“Someone saw her here, at your little party…”
Cara wished that she could close her eyes and find herself somewhere else. The heat of Marco's body was almost too much for her but at the same time, she found herself pulling in closer and closer to him. He was her only protection.
“You need to leave my property and never come back,” Marco said slowly.
“Why are you protecting her?” Dimitri moved closer. “I made a promise,” Dimitri’s voice grew louder and Cara knew he was speaking directly to her. “I will not give you up so easily.”
Cara pulled in closer to Marco. Her body was shaking, her whole being felt pulled apart.
“Out,” Marco walked forward toward Dimitri. The two men stared at each other before Dimitri seemed to understand his disadvantage. He looked at Cara over Marco’s shoulder one last time before turning and leaving the house. Marco walked him out the door and watched him drive away off his property before coming back to Cara.
Marco took Cara by the elbow and gently helped her to sit down.
“Are you ok?” He asked looking her over. Cara nodded, not at all sure if she was.
“Come on,” Marco stood and helped Cara to her feet. “You can do your work in my office for a while until you’ve calmed down.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” Cara heard her voice, vulnerable and cracking. The entire thing didn’t make sense to her. It was one thing to keep the information from Dimitri it was another to outright defy him, Marco was creating an enemy of another very powerful man—and he was doing it only for Cara’s sake.
“Well, I can’t just hand you over to him, now can I?” Marco tried to sound light hearted but Cara could hear the seriousness underneath his words.
Marco watched over Cara for the next few hours in his office then made excuses for her to stay with him for dinner. He was sure that Cara could see through his excuses but she was too emotionally distraught to say anything or perhaps even to care. He could see
that she wanted to be near him and some part of him wanted to be near her as well, to keep an eye on her, to make sure, with the solid knowledge that sight provided, that she was nearby and that she was well.
But something else surfaced with these feelings. He felt a new disgust for himself, a disgust at how protective he was being. He could protect her without pouring attention over her or seeing her every moment. It was unlike him to care so much what happened to one woman.
Not that he would hand her over to the likes of Dimitri but he knew of others that would help, other places where she might even be safer since Dimitri wouldn’t suspect them…but he couldn’t relinquish control of her safety, give the power over to someone else who might slip up. He didn’t trust Cara’s protection to anyone else.
That night Marco didn’t even let Cara go over to her own room.
“If someone snuck in looking for you, they would never go to my bed,” Marco said as he showed Cara into his room. “You can wear whatever you like to sleep in. I’ll just be in the adjoining room.”
“But no one would ever be able to sneak in here,” Cara understood the amount of security that was showered upon this property. “I think I would be quite safe in my own room anyway. I don’t sleep much as it is.”
"You'll sleep here," Marco said. It was a phrase that meant, end of discussion and Cara wasn't about to argue. She watched him walk through to the adjoining room then soon heard him leave the room and watched as he made a loop around the house. Could he really be this worried for her, a woman that meant nothing to him but a fuck in his office during a party?
Cara put her head down on Marco’s pillow. The smell of his musky scent was potent and helped her relax. Though she’d had trouble sleeping for weeks Cara closed her eyes and drifted off into an untroubled sleep. When she woke to find Marco seated in the small living space just next to the bed she didn’t think strike her for a second that he’d been there all night. She smiled at him and felt rested for the first time since she’d left Vegas.
A Secret Baby for the Vampire Page 63