Zeke is a jerk, but he doesn’t deserve to die. And if he knows the truth behind this place, even though I can’t see how he would have found out, maybe he really is just trying to warn me—to protect me, even though he’s going about it entirely the wrong way.
My heart is pounding as Maximus returns holding a glass of amber liquid. Whisky, brandy, I don’t care. I take it as soon as he reaches me and drain it in three swallows, relishing the fire as it burns its way down my throat.
“That was very expensive Remy Martin you just guzzled,” Maximus says, raising an eyebrow.
“I didn’t ask for anything expensive,” I retort. “But it was nice, thank you.”
He gives me a long, measured look. “You’re afraid of me,” he says at length. “I can smell it on you.”
I’m unable to suppress a snort. “Are you surprised? This kind of thing might be normal for you, but for me, it’s…” I trail off, unable to find the right words.
He leans in and once again places his hands on my bare shoulders. His touch sizzles through my flesh, sparking the now-familiar lust deep in my belly, my desire heightened by a whiff of his delicious aftershave and, perversely, the knowledge of just how dangerous he is.
He’s no good for me. If I was ever entertaining any notion of an actual relationship with him, I now know that can never happen. Should never happen.
“Sabina,” he says gently. “I would never, ever hurt you. Everything I do is to protect you—and others. Please don’t fear me. I couldn’t stand it.”
“I don’t fear you.” Even as I say it I wonder whether that’s true. Mere moments ago, I was thinking about how safe I feel here and with him, whereas now…
“You got another message from Zeke, didn’t you?”
Crap. I had hoped he’d forgotten. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter.”
“Show me.”
Maximus can be incredibly stubborn when he wants to be and I know by now that there’s no point in trying to dissuade him. “I don’t need to show you. I can tell you what it says.”
“Go on then.” He’s frowning down at me and I suddenly feel a wave of resentment. We’ve only known each other for a week. He knows next to nothing about my life or what I’ve been through. He’s never met Zeke. Yes, I love submitting to Maximus sexually, but we’ve never had a conversation about starting any kind of relationship, let alone a D/s one. And yet here he is, sticking his oar in everywhere, acting like he owns me. I don’t like it.
“Fucking leech whore,” I recite, fighting to maintain an even tone. “That’s all it said.”
Maximus’s blue eyes are almost black with fury. A muscle ticks in his jaw.
“Why leech?” I say. “And why do I have the feeling you know what he means by that?”
There’s a long pause. Maximus just stares at me.
“How come I always have to answer all your questions but you don’t always return the favor?” I fold my arms across my chest. “Why leech?”
“I’m going to kill him,” Maximus says slowly.
“You will do no such thing!” My resentment is slowly building into anger. “Why should you? What has he done to deserve it?”
Maximus looks incredulous. “You’re defending him? That dirty sonofabitch?”
“You don’t even know him! And no, I’m not defending him; he shouldn’t be sending me nasty texts. But that’s no reason to kill someone!” My heart is hammering against my ribs now, and I realize I’m as frightened as I am outraged. “God, anyone would think you enjoy killing people!” I pause. “Do you?”
He hesitates for a split second before replying. “Of course I don’t.”
That tiny pause was enough. “I’m going home,” I tell him, sliding off the stool. “I need some time to think.”
His huge frame boxes me in, preventing my escape. “Sabina,” he growls. “Don’t leave. Let’s talk this out.”
“Please,” I say, forcing myself to lower my voice. “I promise we will talk. But not right now. You have to work, and I really need to be alone for a while.”
“I don’t want you to go,” he admits. His tone is softer now, too. “I’m worried about you being alone. After that message—”
“It’s not the first message, and it might not be the last. But nothing’s happened. Nothing’s going to happen. I promise you I can take care of myself. I’m going straight home.”
“You’ve been drinking.”
I roll my eyes. “Three sips of brandy.” I’m so fired up, it barely had an effect anyway.
“Maximus.” A plump woman with a sleek, midnight-black bob has appeared at his shoulder. “Do you have a moment?”
He turns to address her and I seize the opportunity, sliding past him and hurrying towards the stairs. I don’t dare look back at him; I can already imagine the way he’s glowering.
But I don’t care. I’m tired of his constant nagging, his constant implications that I’m helpless, incapable, and unable to look after myself. I’ve taken care of not only myself but also my siblings for nearly thirty years now, and I don’t need some guy I’ve known for barely a week to appear and tell me I’m incapable of it.
Not to mention the revelations of the past hour. He killed Ethan. Fucking killed him! If he did the same to Zeke, I’d never be able to live with myself.
Once in the coat check area, I mumble a quick goodbye to Augustus, who’s hovering around there as usual, and make a beeline for the exit. I just want to get home, get into my pajamas, and have some time alone with my thoughts. There’s so much to unravel that it’s overwhelming me right now.
I also need to figure out how to get Zeke to back off—before it’s too late.
21
Maximus
By the time Laurie has finished bending my ear about Liam and whether he’s single, Sabina has vanished.
Fuck.
To say I’m angry would be putting it mildly. I’m incandescent with rage and frustration. How dare she protect that filthy shifter? How dare she judge me for doing her and the rest of the world a favor and getting rid of Ethan? How dare she disobey my direct order not to leave?
I’m on duty but I don’t care. Lucius will understand. I thread my way between the people on the dancefloor and find Tiberius at the bar.
“I’m leaving,” I tell him. Then, “Where’s Leann?”
“I sent her home.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
“She’ll be fine.” Tiberius narrows his eyes. “Can’t say the same about you. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
My old friend lets out a bark of laughter. “Sure you are. I can feel the fine tension vibrating off you.”
I clench my fists at my sides. “Fuck you.”
Tiberius pats the empty stool beside him. “You’ve been acting weird all week. Why?”
“I have not!” I’m bristling.
“Yes, you have. Even the boss has noticed.”
That’s hardly surprising. Lucius notices everything.
“What gives?” Tiberius continues. “Are you burned out? Do you need a break?”
The derisive snort escapes me before I can suppress it. “No.”
“Does it have anything to do with that delectable blonde I’ve seen on your arm so often these past few days? What was her name? Sabina?”
The mere mention of her renews my desire to go after her but suddenly the temptation to tell someone about it all, to get a second opinion, is too strong. I sit down heavily on the stool and motion for the girl behind the bar to bring me a beer.
“Yes. Sabina.” I sigh.
“She must be special. I’ve not seen you like this with a woman in a long time.”
“I haven’t felt like this about a woman in a long time. It scares me,” I admit.
“With your history, I’m not surprised,” Tiberius says frankly. “So why did she just shoot out of here like a bat out of hell?”
My beer arrives and I take a long swallow. Then I tell him everything: how
I met Sabina, about Ethan, Zeke and his messages… right up to the events of this night. “She keeps saying she can handle it,” I say at length. “But she has no idea he’s a shifter.”
“How do you know that?”
“She’s not afraid of him. And her reaction when she found out about me—about what we are—I think she would have mentioned it if the second guy she was dating in a row turned out not to be entirely human.”
Tiberius contemplates my words for a moment. “I think it was the right thing to let her go. She said she needs some space and time to think. No doubt she feels smothered by you at the moment.”
“Smothered?” I bristle again.
“I know you want to protect her but, Maximus, you don’t own her. You’re not even officially in any kind of relationship with her! She’s a grown woman, not a child, and you risk scaring her away if you come on so strong. A GPS tracker? Really?” He scoffs. “Gods. Modern technology.”
“I think she’s already been scared away,” I admit, and the realization that that might be true feels like a rock in my gut. “I killed Ethan for her, and instead of being grateful—”
“She was shocked?” Tiberius finishes for me. “Come on, that surprises you? You need to see things from her perspective. You know humans—normal ones, anyway—don’t take that kind of thing lightly. Death is a punishment reserved for the worst of the worst, and even then, there are so many people who don’t agree with that. Most countries have abolished the death penalty altogether.”
I take another pull of my beer. It’s true. England, for one. If what happened to Caroline had happened today, her killers would never have been hanged. They would have been locked up for a few years—fed, clothed, sheltered, given access to a TV. Then they would have been released back into society. The mere idea is nauseating. On the other hand, then I would have been able to avenge her myself…
“I don’t doubt that Sabina likes you very much. And it’s obvious you care deeply about her,” Tiberius says gently. “But it’s still early days. She’s had her entire world view altered by finding out about our existence. Not to mention, have you ever met this Zeke guy?”
“Haven’t had the pleasure yet,” I say. “I’ve seen a picture, though.”
“Don’t you trust Sabina’s judgment at all? If she doesn’t believe he’d really harm her, then perhaps she’s right.”
“Perhaps. Or maybe she’s wrong. Caroline obviously thought it was perfectly safe to walk home without waiting for me—” I begin but Tiberius lays a soothing hand on my arm.
“Not to minimize what happened, but that was over a century ago. Different times. Different woman.”
I go to take another swig of beer and realize I’ve already finished the bottle. “This is exactly why I never wanted to fa—get involved again,” I mutter, horrified as I realize I was about to say fall in love. Was that a slip of the tongue, or is it true? Have I fallen in love with Sabina?
“Why?” Tiberius says. “Love is a wonderful thing. It changes people, usually for the better.” He narrows his eyes. “Although I’m not sure that could be said about you specifically. You turn into a possessive, obsessed—”
“Watch it,” I growl.
“Be that as it may. If you want my advice, you should give the little blonde some space. By constantly telling her she’s unable to look after herself, you’re basically insulting her. The same applies to this ex of hers. She dated him. She should know him enough to be able to ascertain whether he’s an actual threat. By implying she doesn’t, you’re letting her know you don’t trust her.”
“I do trust her.”
“Fine, you trust her, but you don’t trust her judgment.”
I chew on that for a moment. As reluctant as I am to admit it, he does have a point. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe this is for the best. End it all now, before things go too far.”
“End it all?” Tiberius chuckles. “You really are out of practice, aren’t you? There is a middle ground, you know—between sticking to someone like glue, and never seeing them again.”
“I’m no good for her,” I say, realizing with a pang that I truly believe that. “She should meet a nice, human guy who will give her babies and grow old alongside her.”
Tiberius rolls his eyes. “She should be the one to make that call, don’t you think?”
I suddenly want to be alone with my thoughts. I’ve been so focused on protecting Sabina from Zeke, not to mention distracted by what she does to me physically, that I’ve never really thought about what I’d be robbing her of if she stayed with me. I remember having similar discussions with Caroline but that was so long ago and, truth be told, aside from how deeply I loved her, I don’t remember much about the rest of our marriage. It was all overshadowed by her brutal death.
“Thanks,” I tell him. “For letting me bend your ear.”
“Any time.”
I get up off the stool and roll my shoulders.
“If you’ll let me give you one last piece of advice?” Tiberius asks.
“You’ll do it anyway, regardless,” I say drily.
“True.” He’s grinning. “I’ve known you for a long, long time. I’ve seen you with countless women but this one is different. And that’s special. It’s rare to find someone you feel so strongly about—especially when you’re as old as we are.”
I can feel the corners of my mouth lifting.
“Yes, you’ve been distracted these past few days but you’ve also been smiling a lot more. And you say she’s a little masochist? That you have great chemistry?”
“Gods, yes,” I admit, a pulse of desire shooting through me at the mere thought. “I can’t get enough of her in that regard.”
“Don’t be too quick to throw all that away. Give her a day or two to calm down and process everything. Then talk to her. Be honest about how you feel and find out what she wants.”
I finger the phone burning a hole in my pocket, wondering how the hell I’m going to resist contacting her for long enough to give her space. “I can’t even message her?”
“I never said that. But if you do, keep it light. Don’t ask her where she is or what she’s doing. Wish her good night, a good morning, that kind of thing. But hey, that’s just my advice. Take it or leave it.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Am I really getting advice on how to handle a woman from someone who prefers men?”
Tiberius shrugs. “Love is love.”
As I make my way back over to my stool in the corner, his words echo in my mind. Love. Do I love Sabina? It’s far too soon for that…
Isn’t it?
Sabina
I wake up after a restless night feeling like I haven’t slept at all. Felix has jumped on my chest and is kneading me intently, purring like thunder. I scratch beneath his chin where he likes it, wincing when he shifts and his claw catches my nipple through the sheet.
“I’m surrounded by sadists,” I murmur drily.
Maximus didn’t come after me last night. I was sure he would. Not that I wanted him to; I was glad to get a little time to think. Unfortunately, all the thinking I did seems to have led nowhere, as I’m just as confused this morning as I was when I finally dozed off.
Maybe Zeke was right to warn me to stay away from Club Toxic. My life has been nothing but complicated since I went there. And it’s only been a damn week.
I need to meet up with Zeke. That’s one decision I have made. For one thing, I need to get him to stop messaging me, otherwise Maximus really might hurt him. And for another, he needs to know that that kind of behavior is not okay. Even if I’d never met my vampire gladiator, I’d tell Zeke to back the fuck off.
Reaching out, I pluck my phone from the bedside table. My heart sinks when I see the new message notification, but it’s from Maximus. How angry is he that I ran out on him last night? Holding my breath, I open it.
I’m sorry I freaked you out. I’ve been coming on so strong because I’m worried about you. Sweet dreams, pet.
I bli
nk, stunned, scanning the words twice more to make sure I’m reading them right. I was expecting anger, not remorse. It’s a very pleasant surprise.
Felix, apparently irritated that I’m no longer paying any attention to him, jumps off me and slinks off, presumably to curl up in his favorite box. I often envy him his uncomplicated life. Sleep, eat, groom, poop, repeat. He doesn’t have to worry about crazy ex-boyfriends or BDSM clubs full of vampires.
Will I ever get used to that idea? I scramble out of bed and head to the kitchen for some coffee. While it’s brewing, I reflect on the way I ran out on Maximus last night. Maybe it was unfair of me. It’s no wonder he’s so protective after what he’s been through. Then again, I’m not his wife. Officially, I’m not even his submissive.
Truth be told, I have no idea what I am to him. A play partner? Something more? What do I want to be?
I don’t know. Maybe I should get out now, before I’m too attached. It’s not like we could realistically have any kind of future together, after all—at least, not one I can picture easily.
You’re already attached, a little voice tells me, and I realize I’m holding my phone, my finger hovering over the button to message him. But he’ll be asleep now; the sun is high in the sky. I put the phone back down, deciding to text him later.
By the time I’ve lounged around and drunk some coffee, showered and dressed, put on some makeup and had some toast, I’ve made up my mind: I need to confront Zeke as soon as possible. Not only do I want it over and done with, but then his messages will hopefully stop and there’ll be nothing left to antagonize Maximus, as that’s the only thing we really butt heads over at the moment. Also, it’s Sunday, and I’m hoping Zeke will be able to carve out some time for me this afternoon.
Taking a deep breath, I get my phone and send him a message asking whether he’s free to meet. He replies almost immediately: So glad you’ve finally come around. Tonight, 7 pm, the parking lot outside Biscuits.
I sigh. Seven o’clock is later than I had hoped but at least it’s still today. Biscuits is a little diner we had lunch at once. It’s not open in the evenings but that’s fine, it’s not like I want to have dinner with him. I just want to tell him to back the hell off, which shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes.
Her Vampire Addiction (Midnight Doms Book 9) Page 15