by Jackie May
My blood turns cold in my veins, and my stomach churns. I may trust Parker some, but I don’t like that those other guys are vampires. And enforcers from Henry’s clan, no less. I wish they would leave. Hell, after tonight, I wish even Parker would leave. I could go forever never seeing another vampire again, and it would be too soon.
As if he can read my thoughts, Parker’s face crumples. He steps toward me, longing in his expression. My heart speeds up as he comes closer, only it’s not stemmed from my fear of vampires. There’s a physical connection between us that ignites like wildfire when we get close.
“It’s good to finally see you again, Nora,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
He takes my hand in his and softly rubs his thumb over the back of it. I shiver at the contact, and heat flares in his eyes. I get caught in his gaze and can’t look away. My mouth dries up, and I swallow thickly.
I focus on his thoughts in an attempt to get my body under control. Parker’s relieved that I still react this way to him. I’ve been avoiding him since the Henry thing a month ago. He thinks it’s because I fear his kind. I do fear vampires, but that’s not why I’ve been ignoring his calls. I’m afraid of my attraction to him. The feelings he stirs in me are intense and dangerous, and I’m not ready to feel those things.
“Nora, this wasn’t Henry’s fault,” he says, loyal to his master to a fault. “He didn’t know about Josephine’s instability. In fact, if she weren’t already dead, he’d have killed her himself for this. He’s devastated that you were hurt because of him. Our whole clan is upset.”
He’s not going to convince me that his clan is full of wonderful people tonight. I pull my hand from his, because he’s making it hard for me to think straight. “Just forget it, Parker. Damage done.”
Parker steps back, disappointment bleeding from his eyes. I look away, hating that I’m hurting him. If I knew how to give him what he wants, I would.
I try to sit up again, and this time I almost succeed. Oliver moves forward and puts a few pillows behind my back to help me stay sitting up. After I’m situated, I look to Nick. “Is Terrance going to get into trouble for killing her?”
“Nah. She had it coming.”
I smirk. Justice in the underworld takes some getting used to.
“Do you know why Josephine attacked you?” one of the nameless enforcers asks.
I flinch at the sound of his voice and give Nick a pleading glance. I may not fear Parker, but I want the other vampires out of this room and far away from me. Both Nick and the vampire who spoke frown.
“I understand your history with vampires isn’t pleasant,” Enforcer Dude says, “but you need to overcome your fear of us. We can sense it, and it sets off all of our instincts. Perhaps that’s why Josephine lost control and attacked you tonight.”
I scoff. “Seriously? You think she lost control? No way. She came here for no other reason than to kill me tonight. She even said so. She monologued as she tortured me. She kept ranting about how she used to be Henry’s favorite and how he didn’t pay her any attention anymore because of me. She thought he’d love her again if I were dead, or something like that. Real nice lady. A lot in common with Henry, actually. They both broke my face.”
Enforcer Dude sighs but doesn’t argue. He doesn’t really look surprised, either. I bet poor, jilted Josephine complained a lot before she went off the deep end of the crazy pool tonight.
“Still,” the other enforcer says, his voice haughty as if I’ve insulted him, “I’m sorry about Josephine, but you can’t be so afraid of us. We are predators. You are tempting to us for many reasons.”
Parker places a hand on the guy’s shoulder when I glare at him. “We aren’t all monsters, Nora,” Parker murmurs.
“So you keep telling me. And yet…your kind keep hurting me. Over and over again.” I sigh. “Look, I don’t have the energy for this conversation. The bitch was jealous of Henry’s obsession with me and wanted me out of the picture, so she tried to drain me. End of story. Can we be done now?”
“I’ve got what I need,” Nick says. He glances at Parker and his cronies. “You?”
Parker sighs. “I think we’re good.” He nods to his two enforcers, gesturing for them to head out. They both look back at me, but the less rude one stops when he reaches the door. “Henry really cares about you, you know. You should give him a second chance to prove himself.”
I want to laugh—no way in hell is that happening—but I don’t want to piss off another vampire by rejecting his sire, so I shrug noncommittally and look away. Parker waits until I meet his gaze again before he follows his enforcers out. “Please call me when you’re feeling better,” he murmurs, then leaves.
Once he’s gone, I shiver. “Henry’s not going to stop obsessing over me. If his vampires are going to start going crazy because of it, I might have to quit the club.”
Terrance stops pacing the hall and storms back into the room to glare at me. “No.”
“He’s right,” Wulf says, crossing his arms and frowning at me. “You don’t run. You never run. They will chase. You stay, and you pretend like they don’t terrify you.”
“That’s not enough,” Nick says. His eyes fall on mine. “Those guys were right. You need to get over your fear of vampires. Maybe your fear is justified, but it’s also tempting to all predators—which most underworlders are. If you’re going to be a part of this world now, Nora, you can’t fear it anymore. Find a way. Hate them, fine. But get over your fear.”
Great. How am I supposed to do that? I’m making headway with most underworld species, but it seems like every vampire I meet tries to kill me. They’re the monsters that murdered my mother in front of me when I was six. It’s hard to let go of a lifetime of nightmares and fear.
“I’ll host a party!” Cecile blurts, seemingly out of nowhere. “A party for Nora.” The smile she gives me is both sincere and full of wicked delight. I’m pretty sure I have another meddler on my hands. As if my werewolf boss isn’t enough.
“I’ll invite lots of decent vampire friends of mine for you to get to know. There are some wonderful ones out there, Nora. If you meet a few who aren’t assholes, like Henry, you’ll learn to love them as much as you like the rest of us.”
“A party? Full of vampires?” I groan and close my eyes as I sink back into the pillows behind my head. “I must be really out of it right now, because I can’t believe I’m about to say yes to that.”
Cecile claps her hands. “Yay! Don’t you worry about a thing, darling. I’ll keep it small, with an exclusive guest list.”
“I better be invited,” Nick says. He’s smiling now, as if he approves of this plan.
“Gorgeous, darling, it wouldn’t be a party without you,” Cecile purrs, making the man shiver when she runs a finger up his arm. I get the feeling she only affects him because he lets her, but she’s definitely stirring feelings in him now. He closes his eyes and lets out a long, satisfied breath. “All right, enough of this.” He looks at me. “Go home and get some sleep. Lots of sleep and protein. Enzo worked a miracle, but you’re still really low on blood. Rest for a week. I’m not kidding. A full week. At least.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Mother.”
He winks, then turns his fierce gaze back to Cecile. “And you. Keep the guest list small, and have Nora in mind when you plan it. She needs this.”
“Of course!” Cecile chirps. “It’ll be like the good old days back in England. It’ll be a coming-out party for Nora into underworld society. I’ll only invite the best of the best.”
“Small!” Terrance orders, while I groan again.
I’m in trouble. Someone has unleashed a monster.
Terrance, Cecile, and Wulf all go back to work. They’d kicked everyone out—or maybe everyone ran screaming when the body parts started flying—but everything still needs to be closed out and cleaned up. I don’t envy them that job. The vampires took the remains of their dead clan member away, but the blood left
behind has to be… Ugh. Nasty. Hopefully magic will be involved.
“You got her?” Nick asks Oliver, referring to me. “I’ve got to head out. Got to go babysit some stupid Washington yahoo about some demon business.”
I smirk. He sounds thrilled about that.
Oliver nods and gives me a grin. “Yeah. I’ll get her in bed. Don’t worry.”
I choke on a laugh, and Nick snorts. Oliver has to think back on his words, and then he chuckles and shakes his head. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Better not be,” Nick teases. “At least not for a week. Then I say go for it.”
I groan. “Oh, shut up, Nick.”
“Nora. I’ve told you a hundred times. It’s Gorgeous. GORGEOUS. Not Nick.”
I smile a big, toothy grin. “You got it, Nick.”
Nick rolls his eyes and heads out the door, grumbling about beautiful smartass women. I laugh to myself and then call him back. I’ve got one last question for him before he leaves. “Hey, Gorgeous?” I humor him just this once.
He spins around, giving me a sly grin. “Yes, beautiful?”
I groan internally. He’s incorrigible. “Does the FUA keep old records?”
The question catches him off guard. His brain flips into work mode, and he answers professionally, for once. “How far back?”
“About fifteen to twenty years?” I suck in a breath as if it might give me the courage I need to say my next sentence. “My mother and I were attacked by vampires when I was six. They nearly drained me and left me for dead, but they were brutal to my mom before they killed her.”
Nick’s eyes bulge, and his mouth pops open. Oliver, however, gives me a sympathetic smile. He’s heard this story before. I gulp and hedge on. “That’s how I found out about the underworld, and it’s the main reason I’m so scared of vampires. I’ve always been terrified of them—long before Henry. He and Josephine were both just affirming my fear.”
Nick’s response is earnest. “No kidding. I’m sorry, Nora.”
I shrug, not knowing how to respond to that. “I was thinking it might help to know what happened to those vamps that attacked us. Do you think you still have it on record? My mom’s case?”
Nick’s brow furrows, and he shakes his head. “Your case wasn’t known. No way. If what you’re saying is true about the two of you, we wouldn’t have left a witness alive.”
Meaning they’d have killed me to keep the secret of the underworld safe. I cringe, and Nick shrugs. “Sorry. It’s harsh, but true. You and your mother slipped through the cracks somehow.”
Of course. A dead end. My entire life has always felt like one giant dead end. “But there had to have been other victims who didn’t,” I say. “Henry told me they were rogues. He said regular vampires would never do what they did to us. They must have had other victims around the same time that didn’t fall through the cracks. I could give you a time and a place. I could even identify them by face. Henry got in my head and made me relive the memory, so I know what they look like. If you arrested them or something—it’d give me peace of mind to know.”
Nick scratches the back of his head and slowly nods. “Yeah, that sounds doable. Though, to be honest, something like that is way more Ren’s department than mine.”
“Okay, I’ll ask him about it.”
“If you want to search for your mother’s killers, I could do that, too,” Oliver offers. “It would be pretty easy to look up.” He gives me a small smile that’s a little sad. “I’d be happy to help you.”
Of course he would. He’s the sweetest, kindest man that ever existed. He’s also the most adorable. He’s tall and slim, with wavy light brown hair and beautiful amber eyes. He doesn’t wear glasses, but his look screams geek that doesn’t know he’s hot. I love that about him, because I’m usually surrounded by too many cocky, testosterone-filled men who love to peacock around. My sweet, humble best friend is a breath of fresh air.
“I’d love your help. Thanks, Ollie. My hero, as usual.”
Oliver grins while Nick snorts. “Aw, how sweet.”
Oliver and I both flip Nick off, and he laughs his way out the door. “Night, guys. Nora, do me a favor and try not to get attacked for at least the next twenty-four hours.”
“I will. Good-bye, Nicky!” I grin at Oliver when Nick grunts curses down the hall.
Once we’re alone, Oliver sits down on the edge of my bed as if he’s been patiently waiting his turn for my attention. He’s always so quiet when others are around. He’s a big-time introvert and a little shy, but more than that, he’s just the type of guy who knows I appreciate him no matter what. He’s happy to stand in the background while all of the other more dominant personalities monopolize my time. I like that, because it means, in the end, I get more one-on-one time with him, and alone time with men is not something I get a lot of. Aside from Terrance, Oliver is the only man I trust enough for that.
“I think you’re the only person in Detroit who dares tease Nick Gorgeous,” Oliver says, still chuckling a little.
“Aw, he’s a big softy. It’s Cecile who scares me. Did I really just agree to a coming-out party?”
Oliver laughs. “I think so. And Cecile is known for throwing exclusive, swanky parties, so have fun with that.”
“I will. I’ll be hiding in the corner with my best friend, mocking all the stuffy rich people pretending they’re in some Jane Austen novel.”
“What?” Oliver gasps with mock outrage. “Who is this imposter best friend that’ll go to parties with you?”
I lightly punch Oliver’s arm, but he’s got me laughing. I’m so grateful for him. “Seriously, though, you’ll come, won’t you? I’ll need a wingman to keep me sane.”
Oliver grimaces, and then when I make a pouty face, gives me an over-the-top sigh. “Of course I’ll come with you. I’ll hate every second of it, but I’ll come anyway.”
I grin. “And that’s why you’re my best friend. You’ll dive into exciting trouble with me, but you’ll also suffer miserable, boring parties with me. Thanks, Ollie.”
Oliver pulls a Nick Gorgeous move and mutters something under his breath about cute nicknames and not being able to refuse me. My grin grows even bigger, and I close the small gap between us, leaning against him and resting my head on his shoulder. He gives my leg a quick pat to let me know he’s thrilled with the rare gesture, but otherwise holds still and doesn’t touch me. Oliver is one of the few people in my life who really understands my aversion to physical touch and is very careful to give me space.
After a minute, my eyes start to droop, and Oliver breaks the silence. “All right. Time to get you home.”
I try to stand up, but I simply don’t have the energy. With a defeated sigh, I hold my arms out to him. He scoops me up with surprisingly little effort, making me wonder what kind of muscles he’s hiding beneath his dress shirt. I’m surprised that I want to know. Oliver is my best friend, and that’s how I’ve always seen him, but being in his arms like this is surprisingly exciting. “Do you work out?” I blurt suddenly, then cringe, because I sound so stupid.
Oliver laughs. “You’re a lightweight. And I swim a lot.”
A swimmer. That explains it. It also fits him. I can totally picture him calmly doing laps in a quiet pool. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a swimsuit.
Without the fear I normally have around men, I allow myself a moment of indulgence to explore this new interest. I bury my face in the crook of his neck and inhale deeply. A faint hint of aftershave floods my senses and makes me shiver.
Oliver freezes, and his whole body stiffens. All those swimmer muscles I was thinking about suddenly flex to life. Hope washes through me from Oliver, along with his thoughts. Did she just smell me? Is it possible she’s attracted to me? Is she just exhausted, or could she feel the same way I feel about her? What do I do? Do I ignore it? Do I say something?
His nervous rambling touches my heart, and out of nowhere, I press my lips lightly against the side of his neck before pulling a
way from his skin. Both of us suck in sharp breaths. “Nora…” he rasps.
“Sorry,” I mumble, not knowing what else to say. I’m as shocked by my actions as he is.
He swallows and slowly relaxes his body. “I’m not sorry,” he murmurs with a tiny chuckle. “Feel free to kiss me whenever you want.”
I relax. He’s so good at making me feel comfortable. I consider his offer and surprise myself when I realize I wouldn’t mind a kiss from Oliver. The thought scares me a little, but thrills me more. Maybe Oliver is the key to getting over my issues with intimacy. “I’ll work on it,” I finally say.
He chuckles again and squeezes me a little tighter to him as he starts walking. He carries me all the way to my car, which is parked right out front, waiting for us. Leave it to Terrance to think of something as small as my car, even after I’ve just been nearly murdered. I’m not even surprised to learn that Oliver already has my keys. He helps me get settled in the passenger seat, and then he climbs behind the wheel.
I fall asleep in the car on the way to my place and don’t wake up again until I’m lying on my own bed, Oliver removing my shoes. “Sorry. Go back to sleep,” he says softly as he sets my shoes neatly on the floor at the foot of my bed. He then proceeds to help me pull the covers back and tucks me in. My heart melts a little at the sweet gesture. I haven’t been tucked into bed since my mom died. I’m surprised that I love being taken care of this way.
He perches on the side of my bed, and his face becomes serious as he looks down at me. “You okay?”
I want to be strong and tell him I’m fine, but I can’t lie to him. “Not really. Physically, yeah, I’m just exhausted. Emotionally…?” I bite my lip and will myself not to cry as I say, “Can you—would you mind staying? I really don’t want to be alone tonight.”
Oliver’s mouth falls open, and he sucks in a silent breath. “You would trust me like that?”