The bartender shrugged, pointing to Della. “Sounds great, but this one’s cut off.”
Liz and Della burst into laughter.
Victor returned and placed a peck on my cheek.
“I need to talk to you,” Della said, “alone.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you need to say to my husband, you can say it in front of all of us.”
“I’ve known Victor for ten of your lifetimes,” she hissed. “How long have you known him? A little over a year?”
“He married me the day he met me,” I snapped. “Can you say that? Not to mention, I’m carrying his child.”
“Can you tear yourself away from your mate for fifteen minutes, or are you really so insecure?”
I kissed Victor on the lips. “Go ahead. I trust you completely.”
She grinned. “Perhaps you shouldn’t. After all, I have the power to drive a man crazy.” She then met my gaze head on. “I can even make them start wars.”
Victor grabbed her arm. “Enough, Della.”
“Mmm, Victor. Still so sexy. I remember when you used to grab me like that and throw me up against a wall and—”
“Della!” he shouted. “I don’t appreciate you tormenting my wife.”
“I need to talk to you,” she said, “and Charles too.”
“No, Della.”
“But it’s very important and concerns our safety. It’s about Ethano.”
Victor turned to face me, and before he got a word out, I said, “Go ahead.”
“I’ll only be a minute,” Victor said, kissing me on the lips.
I let out a huff as she shot me a victorious smile, then walked outside with our husbands in tow.
“Don’t be jealous,” Liz said. “They’ve been over for a long time now. Can’t you tell she hates him?”
“Right, when she isn’t mentioning all of her make-out sessions with him. I guess I am a tiny bit jealous. The woman’s gorgeous, and he loved her for a long time. What’s my one year against her hundreds? And like she said, he even started a war because of her.”
“But who did he choose to marry, and who is carrying his child?”
“Me,” I said.
“You worry too much. Victor loves you. Besides, I’ve known Della since I was a teenager. Trust me, she doesn’t want Victor, and Victor surely doesn’t want her.” She waved the bartender over. “Two lemon shots please. And can you make one with Sprite? This little lady wants to join in, but she’s expecting.”
“Congratulations!” the redhead said.
I guzzled down my nonalcoholic shot and sucked on the lemon.
“You’re the best sister ever,” she squealed.
“No…you are.”
The bartender wiped the counter, and Liz slurred, “I love my sister! Do you know she came through a portal to rescue me? She even married a dangerous, warlord king. She even put on a ring and became—”
I grabbed Liz’s arm and cut her off before she spilled our secrets. “She’s way over her limit. I’m gonna take her home.”
The bartender nodded. “Good idea. Between her and your toilet-loving friend, I think they’ve had enough.”
I looked into her eyes. “And you won’t remember any of it.”
“You’re compelling her,” Liz squealed, hanging on to a chair. “How cool is that?”
“Shh!” I said. “Let’s go.”
Liz stumbled out the door and hung on to me. Glancing around, I looked for Victor, Charles, and Della, but I didn’t see them. Waves of anger flooded through me, and I refused to hang around for another minute. We were parked at the far end of the parking lot, and I hoped Liz could walk that far without puking or falling over.
“You’re pissed,” Liz said as we made our way to our parked car.
“Damn straight.”
“Don’t you trust your man?”
“I do.”
“Then stop worrying.”
“Hey, you!” a man’s deep voice called from behind.
I spun around to a tall, lanky man dressed in black. He had brown eyes, bushy eyebrows, and greasy brown hair. I didn’t even flinch when he pointed a gun directly at us. After being shot with an arrow through the heart, I knew he couldn’t kill me with a gun, but I was certain a bullet would sure hurt like hell.
“Give me all your money,” he demanded.
I snorted. “Seriously?”
“Dead serious, lady.”
Liz pointed at me. “You don’t even wanna mess with this lady, mister—especially when she’s pissed at her man. She’s bad to the bone. If I wasn’t so drunk, I’d snap you in half like a twig!”
“You’ve got five seconds,” the gunman said, ignoring my sister’s very real threats.
“I’m not in the mood for this.” I set Liz down against the brick wall.
“Go get ‘im, sis!” she said.
I inched toward the burglar. “I’m not someone you should mess with. Now turn around and leave before I do something we’ll both regret.”
“Just hand over your purse, lady!” He waved the gun. “I swear I’ll kill you if you don’t.”
“Go for it,” I said. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Do you need help?” Liz shouted.
“No, I’ve got this,” I said.
“Hand over the purse now!”
I met his blue gaze straight on. “No.”
“You’re dead.” Narrowing his gaze, he fired the gun.
Chapter 21
In slow motion, I could see the bullet flying toward me, and I caught it with one hand, between two fingers. I casually opened my hand and held up the bullet. “Is this what you intended to kill me with?”
He stepped back. “What the…?”
Holding my hand out, I concentrated and the gun, crumbling it into a ball of hot metal.
The man dropped it and came at me with a knife.
The blade bent to the left, making it useless.
“Is that all you’ve got?” I asked.
“You’re some kind of freak!” He darted into the darkness.
His insult actually hit me quite hard. In Tastia, I’d been accepted as an Immortal with unique abilities, but in my world, I was considered something entirely different.
Liz’s clapping echoed against the brick walls. “Way to go, sis! My sister, the invincible superhero. You could so slay a dragon. We should go back through the portal and try our luck. There’s a dragon who lurks on Sohino Mountain, and—”
“C’mon.” I picked her up, and she stumbled forward.
“Being Immortal isn’t half bad, is it?” she said.
“Speak for yourself,” I said.
“Man, all those hormones are making you grumpy.”
“I never asked to be Immortal. You did.”
“I know you’ve been through a lot,” she said. “You should go on a reality show.”
I let out a long breath. “How many drinks did you have anyway?”
“I think you would love a reality show. I mean, you love the spotlight.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“You stood in front of all those people and lectured about your paranormal research.”
“I didn’t do it for attention. I did it to obtain grants so I could fund more expeditions—all to find you.”
She paused, then finally said, “That’s so sweet. You’re the best sister in the world.” Her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug.
“Sarah, wait!” Victor’s voice called out through the darkness.
I glanced over my shoulder but didn’t see Della and wondered why she’d left.
He caught up to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Where’s Della?”
“Staying at a nearby inn.”
“What?” I said. “She told me she needed a place to stay.”
“I bet she was just yanking your chain,” Liz said, “trying to get a rise out of you.”
“And she’s your frien
d?”
“Not everyone’s perfect,” Liz retorted. “Knowing her, she was just trying to piss you off so Victor would get pissed. She loves to piss off Victor. I think she still harbors a lot of hate for him.” Liz leaned on me, slurring her words. “Trust me, you’ve got nothin’ to worry about.” She then clung to Victor. “Right? Tell my sister how much you love her.”
He met my gaze. “She means more to me than life itself.”
“And?” Liz asked, motioning him to continue.
“My love for her is deeper than the ocean,” he said.
The way he said the words so effortlessly melted my heart, and I simply had to kiss him.
“That’s so sweet!” Liz squealed and nudged me in the ribs. “You got yourself a great man.” She glanced around. “Speaking of that, where’s mine?”
“He’s on his way,” Victor said. “Della asked to speak with him in private. We are to meet them at the front entrance. Della—”
I rolled my eyes and cut him off. “Charming ex you have.”
“I realize you do not like it that she is here, and I am sorry it’s so awkward.”
“I’ve gotta get Liz home,” I said, opening the car door and helping her in the passenger seat. I made sure she had her seatbelt on, then shut the door. When I turned around, I met Victor’s gaze. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
“I cannot promise you that everything is going to be perfect,” he said, “but I can assure you that you have my heart forever.”
I stared into his blue eyes. He didn’t know how relieved I was to hear those words.
“Do not doubt my love for you just because an old flames blows into town. I don’t love Della. I feel nothing for her other than friendship, but I do care about her as such, and I cannot knowingly allow harm to come to her. When it comes to my love, that is all for you and only you, my dear.” He touched my face. “We’re going to have a baby and be a family, and I will make the best life for you that I possibly can.”
He tilted my face up and brushed his lips softly against mine. I believed every single word he said.
* * *
Thunder roared, and lightning flashed. Rain pounded against the window as I snuggled against Victor and he held me in his arms. Being back in my old bedroom brought back so many memories.
“I love listening to the rain,” I said. “It makes me forget about all the pain, like it’s washing it away with its peaceful rhythm.”
“I’ve always loved the rain as well,” he said.
I turned and almost fell off the bed. I laughed. “Spending the night in a twin bed isn’t the same as our wonderful bed back in the castle.”
“I’m with you, and that is all that matters. This small bed allows us to be closer.”
I twisted my head so we were lying face to face. “I love you, Victor. I’m sorry I got jealous of Della.”
His blue eyes twinkled. “I love you, not her.”
“And I believe that with all my heart.”
He softly touched my face. “You’re my life now, Sarah—forever.”
“Victor, I can honestly say my life changed the day you kissed me.”
He kissed my lips, and I cupped his face.
It was still funny to me that we’d shared our first kiss the day we got married. I only married Victor to steal the ruby ring that now adorned my finger, and I was sure Victor had no intention of falling for me; all he wanted was revenge and power. But when we kissed, there was something truly amazing and magical about it, and we couldn’t control the attraction we felt. Love doesn’t discriminate, and despite our differences the fact that we came from two completely different worlds, we were two lonely souls meant to find one another.
In the beginning, I tried to run from Victor and ignore the feelings I was starting to feel, but when fate threw us back together, I couldn’t deny my heart any longer. When you meet the man you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with, your heart will tell you, his kiss will tell you, and his touch will tell you. It was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, and there was no denying it.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” He’d truly rescued me from the depths of hell, when my grief threatened to destroy my sanity. My voice wavered. “I want to stare into your eyes and never look away.”
He smiled, and I loved his smile more than anything. “I thought about you every single minute we were apart. I hungered for your touch, your kiss, the warmth of your skin against mine.”
Thunder crashed as a flash of light lit up the sky.
“The storm grows stronger by the minute,” Victor said, holding me close.
My fingers ran across his lips. “Want to make an electrical storm of our own?” I’d been aching for him since the second I’d found out he was alive. If I’d have had my way, I’d have taken him straight to a hotel the second I arrived back in California and made crazy, wild, passionate love to him all night long, but we had to settle for cuddling in the back of a pickup, under a stranger’s blanket.
He smiled lustfully.
“I need you now more than ever. Make love to me, Victor.”
He ran a hand through my hair. “I want to, but we are guests in your mother’s house.”
“We’ll be quiet,” I whispered, stripping off my white silk nightgown. Hot passion shimmered in his blue eyes, and I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him. “I want you so bad. I just need to feel you deep inside me.”
I leaned forward and held his lips for a long, eternal minute. It was sweet and romantic. At one time, I thought I’d never feel his soft lips on mine ever again. The dark shadow of death had apparently taken him away from me, but love had brought us back together. He pulled me tight against his body. The world fell away as he wrapped me in his arms, deepening the kiss as my tongue danced in perfect unison with his. Emotion overwhelmed me; it was the first time we’d been intimate since I’d thought him dead.
A tear rolled down my face. “I can’t believe this is real.” When he wiped my tear away with his thumb, I reminded him, “I’ll always love you.”
“I have learned much in my hundreds of years of living,” Victor said.
I kissed his lips. “Like what?” I still couldn’t believe he was really in my arms, stoking my hair and face.
“I’ve learned to quit dwelling in the darkness of my past and to appreciate life. I didn’t really appreciate it until you were taken away from me and I feared you dead.” His voice wavered and trailed off.
I cupped his face and stared into his eyes, “I’m going to cherish and treasure every day with you.” More tears welled up in my eyes as his soft lips touched mine. I had mourned Victor with all my heart and soul and thought I’d never see his sweet face ever again. I was certain I’d be doomed to a life of misery without him. But there I was, in the room I’d grown up in, making love to my beautiful king. It was nice and slow, tender and romantic. It felt like fate had given us a second chance, and I, for one, couldn’t have possibly been happier.
Chapter 22
I grabbed my purse from the living room table and turned to Victor. “Ready?”
“Hold up!” my dad said.
“Dad, I told you that Victor and I are going to run some errands.”
My dad patted Victor on the back. “I’ve got other plans for Victor.”
I smiled. “What, Dad?”
He looked at Victor. “We don’t use horses to get around, so it’s about time you learn to drive. If Sarah goes into labor and we’re not around, you’ll need to know how to get behind the wheel, son.”
Victor cocked a brow, intrigued by the idea, though he did look a bit worried.
I looped my arm in his. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” I kissed him on the lips. “Don’t let my dad drive you nuts.”
“I heard that, honey,” my dad said with a chuckle.
I kissed Dad on the cheek. “Go easy on him, all right? And give Charles a few driving lessons while you’re at it.”
“Of course.”
> I laughed inwardly, imagining the two of them fumbling around behind the wheel. It would be a good skill for them to have, a necessity in our world, even if we run at supernatural speed. We had to hide our identity and couldn’t be tracing everywhere.
I went about my day, running errands. I planned to take some money out of my savings account so Victor and I could get our own place. Living with my parents on a long-term basis was out of the question. I’d always been on my own, since the second I’d turned eighteen.
Finally, I had one last stop to make, and then I planned on returning home to have dinner with everyone. My mom was making her famous pot roast, and I couldn’t wait for Victor to try it.
As soon as I walked into the mini-mart, trouble presented itself. With my Immortal ears on high alert, I heard a man demanding money. Not good. How do I manage to end up in the middle of trouble all the time? My stomach clenched as I walked down the aisle and peeked around the corner. I gasped instinctively. Wait. I have nothing to be afraid of. I could stop this robbery with a blink of my eye.
The gunman had obviously thought the store was deserted and that it was the best opportunity to strike. He had scraggly brown hair and was dressed in jeans and a faded denim jacket.
Concentrating, I focused all my energy into my hands, but a thought occurred to me: I can’t go around throwing fireballs! I’ll just have to render his weapon useless, like I did that burglar who tried to mug me outside the club.
The cashier froze, unable to move a muscle.
“Give me the money or you’re dead,” the robber roared.
I focused my energy but suddenly lost the connection. What the heck? I attempted once again, but my powers had been subdued. Why? I tried using my powers once again, to no avail. My heart began to race as Ethano’s name ran across my mind. He had the ability to render any Immortal powerless; it was the gift he’d been born with. I worried that he might have found his way through the portal, and terror flooded through me. I frantically glanced around but didn’t see him anywhere.
“Give me the money!” the man demanded.
I could hear the gun cock. My powers weren’t working for whatever reason, but I was still Immortal, and the poor cashier wasn’t; she couldn’t take a bullet like I could. I tried to remind myself that even if he lost control and shot me, I’d survive, even if it hurt like hell. After all, I’d had survived being shot through the heart with an arrow.
Eternal Fire - Book 3 of The Ruby Ring Saga Page 21