Vampire Next Door

by Angela Snyder

  The newlyweds danced to their first song. It was a country song that Laurel didn't recognize, but she was too mesmerized by the beautiful couple to even care what the song was.

  When Ashley and Gavin finished their first dance, the DJ announced that it was time for the bridal party dance. Adam was at Laurel's side in an instant. She stood, and he held out his arm with a big smile on his face. When she wrapped her hand around his arm, he led her out onto the parquet dance floor. Rascal Flatts' song "My Wish" began to play, and all the couples started to dance.

  Adam pulled Laurel in close. She looked up at him. "I only get one shot at this, so let's make it count," he joked.

  She chuckled. Adam was a great guy, and she had no doubt he would find a girl someday and sweep her off her feet. However, Laurel knew she wasn't that girl.

  As they danced, she was surprised at how well Adam could dance. Most of the couples stayed in one spot, turning slowly, but Adam was leading her all over the dance floor, turning, twirling and dipping her. Laurel felt like all eyes were on them, and she was right. At one point, she caught Sebastian standing near the back of the room. His eyes were definitely on her. She couldn't tell from his expression whether he was mad or simply amused, but knew she would find out soon enough.

  The song came to an end, and Adam pulled her in close one last time. "Are you really engaged?" he asked with eagerness in his voice.

  Laurel raised her hand and flashed her ring to him. He frowned. "Well, at least I got one dance," he said with a wink. Then he walked away.

  The DJ began to play "At Last" by Etta James. Laurel glanced to where she had seen Sebastian moments before, but he was gone.

  "May I have this dance?" a voice asked from behind her.

  Laurel whirled around and saw Sebastian standing there with a smirk on his face. He looked so handsome and absolutely adorable. "Yes," she said, walking into his open arms.

  She stared into his eyes as they danced. "I thought you would be mad at me for dancing with Adam."

  "Well, he certainly wasn't getting paid to like you." He paused. "But at least he minded his manners." He grinned and pulled her in close, a lot closer than Adam had. "I believe this was the first song we ever danced to," he commented.

  A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "If I had only known that night why you didn't like my cooking."

  His lips grazed across her lips, and his teeth gently scraped down her neck as a shudder ran through her body. "Your speech was very touching," he whispered in her ear. "You have a way with words." His gaze met hers again.

  "You have a way with…everything," she breathed.

  They danced without saying another word for a while. Then he said, "I want this some day."

  She looked around the room. "A big wedding?"

  He shrugged. "Big, small. I don't care as long as I get to marry you."

  She placed her head against his chest and closed her eyes. "I love you," she whispered.

  He kissed the top of her head. "Ditto."

  They danced until the song was coming to an end. Sebastian twirled her out and brought her back in close to him and held her for a few seconds. Their eyes locked, and the connection they shared was palpable.

  The DJ announced, "We're going to speed things up a bit."

  A loud and fast Black Eyed Peas song came on, and Sebastian grinned. "Not my style," he said.

  Laurel laughed and said, "I didn't think so." She glanced at the doors leading out to a large patio overlooking the lake. "Would you like to get some air?"

  He nodded and took her hand in his as they made their way to the doors.

  * * *

  The sun was setting behind the mountains, and the sky was lit up with shades of purple, orange and red. Sebastian held Laurel's hand as they stood at the railing on the edge of the large stone patio. A few other people were scattered outside, but it was one person in particular that caught Sebastian's attention. It wasn't so much his appearance, but the thoughts in his head. He was thinking of one name in particular — Laurel Parker.

  Sebastian tensed and gripped Laurel's hand tight, pulling her behind him quickly. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

  "Nothing…yet," he said. He felt more comfortable being a shield between her and the stranger.

  The boy couldn't have been more than eighteen years old. He held a piece of folded paper in his hand, and he looked around at each of the women outside as he walked. Unsatisfied with who he was looking for, he continued on until he finally reached them.

  He peered around Sebastian and studied Laurel for a few seconds. "Laurel Parker?" the kid asked.

  She peeked out from behind Sebastian to look at the stranger standing in front of her. "Yes," she said, sounding unsure.

  The boy was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and clearly did not come from the wedding reception. "I have something for you," he said.

  Sebastian snatched the note before Laurel could even touch it. "Where did you get this?" he demanded, stepping forward.

  The boy cowered under him. "S-some guy paid me fifty bucks to give it to a woman named Laurel Parker," he said, his voice wavering from fear. "He said she has brown hair, green eyes and would be wearing a purple dress."

  Sebastian stared into the boy's eyes. "Did he tell you his name?"

  "No."

  "Have you ever seen him before today?"

  "No."

  Satisfied that he was telling the truth, Sebastian said, "Go. Now." He watched the boy practically run from the patio. His eyes darted to the piece of paper in his hand. He carefully unfolded it and read the handwritten words. "I'm watching you." He crumpled the paper as his hand formed into a fist. "It's from Matt," he whispered through gritted teeth. His eyes darted around at the people on the patio.

  Laurel gasped. "Matt told that kid my real name and that I would be wearing a purple dress. How would he know all of that unless —?" Her voice trailed off. "He never left. He's been stalking me this whole time." She looked out over the woods. "He could be watching us right now," she said quietly.

  Sebastian closed his eyes and listened intently. "No one is in the woods. I don't think he's close, but he has definitely been close enough to see what you're wearing and know where you were going to be today." He tucked the piece of paper in his pocket. He was mad at himself for letting his guard down. He took for granted that Laurel would be safe, but he couldn't protect her 24/7. "Maybe we should call the police. They could do a quick search of the area."

  "No," Laurel said quickly. "It's Ashley's day, and I don't want to ruin it." She turned to him and grasped his hands in hers. "You're here with me. I'm safe with you."

  "We have to be even more careful now, Laurel," he said, sternly. "I will not lose you." He pulled her into his arms and held her. He promised himself to stay by her side. But in the back of his mind, he wondered if that was going to be enough to keep her alive.

  CHAPTER 45

  LAUREL'S EYES DRIFTED to the clock. It was three minutes until closing time. Sebastian would be picking her up any minute for their date. She liked the idea of having a nice relaxing evening out on the town. Ashley was still on her honeymoon, and Laurel had been super busy running the store by herself for the week after the wedding. She made up her mind that she was going to call Susie in the morning to see if she could help.

  She went over to the register to start closing it out when the buzzer for the door sounded. She smiled and looked up, expecting to see Sebastian. Instead, there was a man in a tan coat outside. "Are you closed?" he asked loudly through the glass. He had a thick southern accent.

  Laurel hadn't finished everything for the night, but it was only a couple of minutes until closing and letting in a stranger while she was alone in the store didn't sound like a good idea. She nodded to the man to indicate that the store was indeed closed.

  He looked disappointed. "I need a gift for my niece. Are you open tomorrow?"

  The store was closed on Sundays. Laurel frowned. "No."

  "Could I
just come in real quick and pick out something for my niece?" the man asked.

  Laurel stared at the man. He had a large nose and a mustache. A beanie hid any trace of his hair. She didn't recognize him, but he looked harmless enough. The fact that Sebastian would be showing up any second made her reach for the button to buzz the man in.

  "Thank you, ma'am," he said as he walked in.

  "No problem. Is there anything in particular I can help you find?" Laurel asked, hoping to hurry the sale along.

  "Well, like I said, I need a gift for my niece."

  "How old is she?"

  "Eight."

  Laurel led the way over to the kid section of the store that contained various books and toys. "I'm sure you'll be able to find something here."

  "Okay. Thank you."

  She left him alone in the aisle and returned the cash register. Her eyes darted up to the clock. Only a minute had passed. She anxiously stared outside and waited for Sebastian's car to pull up to the curb.

  "Do you own this bookstore?" the man asked.

  Laurel swung around and saw the man standing a few feet away. He didn't have anything in his hands. She hoped he wasn't going to take all night to find a gift. "Yes, I'm the owner," she answered.

  "Well, I just can't seem to find anything," he said. "But then again I really didn't come for a present for my niece."

  There was something about the tone of his voice that seemed almost menacing, and Laurel found her fingers fumbling for the phone under the counter. "What did you come for then?" she asked, although she wasn't sure that she wanted to know the answer.

  "Well, I came for you, Jane," he said, his southern accent slowly fading away as he spoke. He reached up and peeled away the large prosthetic nose and mustache. "Or is it Laurel now?" he asked.

  Panic ran through her as the man's true identity was revealed when he stripped away the disguise. "Matt," Laurel whispered. A chill reached deep within her, bringing a shiver to the surface. She picked up the phone and started to dial Sebastian's number. Before she could push the final digit, Matt had his hands around her neck.

  "I should have made sure you were dead the first time!" he yelled. His hazel eyes were wide with anger.

  Laurel stared up at the ceiling as her peripheral vision began to turn black. When she was to the point of almost passing out, Matt released her. She gasped to put air back into her lungs and collapsed into his arms. "You're not going to die that easily," he said, lifting her up over his shoulder.

  She was vaguely aware of him carrying her out of the store. He threw her into the backseat of his car, and then the car was speeding away from town. Laurel coughed and wheezed, trying to catch her breath from the attack. She grabbed the headrest and pulled herself up in the seat. Two bright headlights were shining into the rear window, and she knew it was Sebastian.

  Matt's eyes darted to the rearview mirror. "Damn it," he murmured under his breath. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and the car took off toward the mountain road where Laurel and Sebastian had shared their first kiss.

  The car barely made the sharp turns as it fishtailed and scraped along the guardrails on its ascent. Sebastian's headlights trailed behind, and fear ran through Laurel. He wasn't going to make it in time.

  At the crest, Matt stopped the car in the pull-off spot. He killed the engine and jumped out of the car.

  The back door opened, and Laurel kicked and screamed as Matt reached for her. She needed to kill time until Sebastian caught up. He would be able to save her.

  Matt pulled a knife from his pocket and swung it towards her. It made contact with her forearm, cutting a deep gash into her flesh. "Get out or I'll kill you now!" he screamed.

  Her entire arm was covered in blood in a matter of seconds. Matt grasped her and roughly yanked her out of the car. He pulled her to him with her back against his chest and held a knife to her throat. He slowly backed up to the edge of a steep drop off, stepping beyond the safety barriers.

  Sebastian's car skidded in the gravel and came to a rest. Within seconds, he was out of the car and standing a few feet away from them.

  "Don't come any closer. I'll slice through her neck!" Matt yelled.

  Sebastian put his hands up defensively. "Let Laurel go. Kill me," he pleaded. "Kill me instead."

  Matt let out a guttural laugh. "Kill you? I've seen what you can do. I don't know what the hell you are, but you're not human."

  "You're right," Sebastian said. "So let her go, or I'll kill you so slowly you'll be begging for death."

  Matt pulled Laurel closer to the edge. "I don't think you're in a position to bargain."

  Sebastian took a step closer.

  Matt pushed the knife further into Laurel's throat, and she could feel a trickle of blood run down her neck. "Matt, don't do this," she whispered.

  "Laurel, I just want you to know that I love you," Matt said. He took another step, and then they were falling backwards.

  Laurel closed her eyes as she felt gravity pulling her down the side of the mountain. But then she felt a strong hand grabbing her hand and pulling her away from Matt's grasp.

  "No!" Matt screamed as he continued his descent alone.

  Sebastian held onto Laurel's hand and said, "I've got you. I'm not letting you go." He quickly pulled her up and into his arms.

  "Sebastian," she gasped. He had saved her life once again. Tears streamed down her face, as she held onto him harder than she ever had before.

  Matt's screams continued until finally they were silenced. He was dead.

  * * *

  Laurel watched the nurse put a fresh bandage over the stitches on her arm. The wound on her throat had been superficial and only required cleaning. Detective Robbins stood a few feet away in the emergency room. "They're going to send a search party tomorrow to look for the body." He closed the folder in his hand. "I think I pretty much got everything I need for my report." He looked up at Laurel. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are quite the fighter, Ms. Parker."

  She smiled a small smile. "Thank you for everything, detective."

  He nodded his head and left the room.

  Laurel's gaze rested upon Sebastian in the corner of the room. His eyes looked dark. She knew seeing and smelling her blood wasn't easy for him. When the nurse was finished and had left the room, Sebastian was at Laurel's side in a split-second. He cupped her face in his large hands and gazed into her eyes. "How many times can I almost lose you?" he asked, sighing.

  "I hope that was the last one," she remarked.

  He kissed her forehead. "It was," he promised.

  Sebastian stepped back from her, and the doctor entered the room a moment later. "Well, Ms. Parker, you are free to go." He handed her a piece of paper. "Discharge instructions," the doctor explained.

  Laurel stood and walked out of the hospital with Sebastian at her side. "Let's go home," he whispered in her ear. As they walked to the car, Laurel slowed her step and lingered behind. Sebastian turned and asked, "What's wrong?"

  "I don't want to go home."

  "Do you want to go to the store?"

  She shook her head. "So many bad things have happened to me in this town," she whispered. "It's just not home to me anymore." She walked up to him. "You're my home. I just want to be with you."

  He pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. "Then let's leave this all behind and see the world."

  Laurel felt a sense of relief at his words. The stress and misery seemed to leave her body immediately. "Really?"

  "Yes. I will take you wherever you want to go. And if you ever want to come back, we can do that too. I just want you to be happy."

  "But what about my store? I can't just close it and leave Ashley without a job."

  A wide smile spread across his face. "I know exactly what you should do."

  * * *

  Laurel could barely contain her excitement as she led Ashley from her house and towards the store. Ashley had a blindfold over her eyes. "I really want
to know what this is about," Ashley said, nervously.

  "I promise you will love it," Laurel said. Behind them trailed Sebastian and Ashley's husband Gavin. Laurel had told Gavin about the entire plan and had sworn him to secrecy.

  Laurel stopped Ashley in front of the store. "Okay. You can look."

  Ashley ripped off the blindfold and stared straight ahead. "Okay. It's the store. It looks exactly the same," she said.

  "Look up," Sebastian suggested.

  Ashley did as he said and gasped. The new shiny sign read: Ashley's Bookshop. Ashley turned to Laurel with her mouth wide open. Laurel cocked a brow. "You're speechless. I don't think that's ever happened before," she joked. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

  A loud scream emitted from Ashley's mouth as she hugged Laurel. "Thank you! Thank you!"

  "I'd say it's a good thing," Sebastian commented.

  After a few minutes of screaming, hugging and jumping, Ashley finally calmed down. She turned to Laurel, and her face suddenly fell. "But what does this mean? Does this mean that you're leaving?"

  Laurel nodded slowly. "I just need to get away from all this."

  Ashley pulled her into a tight hug again. "Oh, I will miss you so much."

  Laurel patted her back. "I'll miss you too. Try to stop me from coming back to visit." The two of them held each other and bawled like inconsolable babies.

  "Girls," Gavin huffed. "First they are screaming and happy, and then two seconds later they are crying."

  Sebastian shrugged. "Get used to it. You're married now."

  Laurel broke the embrace and dashed the tears from her eyes. "We're leaving tonight."

  "When are you coming back?"

  "I'm not sure."

  Ashley said, "Well, promise that you'll come back in seven months."

  "Seven months," Laurel said, dumfounded.

  Ashley patted her tummy, and Laurel realized that Ashley was expecting. She smiled ear to ear. "Congratulations!" She pulled Ashley in for a hug, and the tears began to flow once more.