Moonlit Guardian
Page 14
Then reality slammed into her. If this was the man she had been dreaming about, the man whose name was in Alfred Dunn’s diary, then he wasn’t a man. He was a vampire, and he had her by the throat. He could kill her at any second.
She opened her mouth to scream, but his large hand left her throat and clamped over it before she could get out a sound. “Be quiet, woman. We’re in a dark alley with two dead bodies. This is not the time to draw a crowd.”
Aria looked around the alley for her attackers and found them lying on the ground, motionless. Scar Face’s head lay at an awkward angle. The one called June Bug, a heftier version of Scarface, stared toward the sky, his eyes frozen in horror. “What did you do to them?” she asked as the man released his grip on her throat.
“I broke their necks,” the man, the vampire, said as calmly as if the fact he'd just taken two lives meant nothing. He continued rummaging through her backpack, chuckling as he pulled out the wooden stakes and tossed them aside. “What?” He stopped his perusal to look at her in annoyance, obviously feeling the glare of her accusing eyes and reading the thought behind them. “It was either kill them or watch them kill you. Personally, if I were you I’d be happy with the choice I made.”
“They were just teenagers!”
“They were murderers and rapists. Besides, breaking a man's neck isn't half as cruel as dislocating his testicles.” He looked at her pointedly, then continued his search, his eyes gleaming as he pulled out the diary and let the backpack drop to the ground. He opened the book and perused the pages. “Where did you get this?”
“None of your damn business,” Aria growled. “What’s it to you?”
“Do you know my name?”
Rialto. The name echoed through Aria’s mind as she stared into the man’s eyes. He watched her intently, curiously. She knew his name. She knew his body and the way he tasted. The wild, spicy smell that enveloped him now was even a remnant from her dreams. She knew him, and she didn’t. The thought terrified her.
“Should I?”
“No.”
“Then why did you ask if I did?”
“Because you do.”
If he truly was a vampire, he wouldn’t want anyone to know. But he knew that she knew who he was. Aria looked at her backpack. It was too far away and he stood between her and it. The crosses around her neck hadn’t stopped him from grabbing her by the throat. She was defenseless against him, so she did the only thing she could think of. She turned and ran.
Running as if her life depended on it, and she was sure it did, Aria ignored the tight feeling in her chest and the throbbing pain ricocheting through her body as she reached the end of the alley . . . and ran right into a hard chest.
“Rialto!” She spoke the name in a confused daze as she looked up into his angry face. “How did you . . .” Her voice trailed off as fear silenced her. He had been right behind her. How could he have just stepped out from around the corner at the end of the alley? Nobody was that fast, and he wasn’t even sweating.
“So you do know my name. How?”
“I don’t know.” Aria started to inch her way backward, but was stopped as Rialto clamped one of his hands on her arm, squeezing just hard enough to make her flinch. “I swear I didn’t know that was your name, not for sure.”
His eyes narrowed. “Then why did you just say it as if you were sure it was my name?” He shook her when he didn’t get a response. “Where did you hear it?”
“In my dreams,” Aria blurted as she fought back tears. Oh God, he was going to kill her. He was going to suck her blood until she was completely dry and leave her behind just like her mother.
Just like her mother.
“You killed my mother, didn’t you?”
“No.” He released her arm and closed his eyes, his jaw set tightly. She saw the vein in his temple bulge before he reopened his eyes and looked at her, a strange combination of hatred and sympathy coating his gaze. “I would never kill an innocent, as I’m sure she was.”
“Well, one of you bloodsuckers did. You are a vampire, aren’t you?”
The side of his mouth, his too luscious not to notice mouth, turned up as he handed her backpack to her. “And you’re a vampire huntress, I assume. I’d guess that you’re still in training, hmm?”
“Don’t mock me, you bastard,” Aria spat, instantly regretting it when his eyes blackened in anger. Her mouth went dry as she watched the muscle in his jaw clench, wondering if he would soon show her his fangs. She suddenly realized she hadn’t seen any.
“You’re right,” he said tightly. “I am a bastard, and you, my dear, are a pathetic vampire hunter. Take your little bag of goodies and let’s get out of here before someone exits the back of that club and finds those bodies.”
“I'm not going anywhere with you!”
“Yes, you are. You've already tried to outrun me, and you’ve seen what a waste of time and energy that was. You have no choice in the matter.”
“Are you going to kill me?” she asked, hating the way her voice trembled.
“That's up to you. Let’s go.”
Aria thought over her options. Staying in a dark alley with a man who might or might not be a vampire wasn't exactly safe. Maybe following him would buy her the time she needed to come up with a plan.
“I know you don't trust me, but think about it,” he said, again seeming to read her mind. “Why would I save your life if I wanted you dead?”
He had a point, Aria conceded. Still, she was reluctant to move.
“I gave you back your weapons. I wouldn't do that if I intended to attack you. You play nice and I'll play nice.” He waited for a response, his eyes displaying his growing irritation as she remained silent. “Look, lady, if I wanted to kill you I would just do it. I wouldn't be standing here discussing it with you!”
Aria gave in and nodded in surrender. If he wanted to kill her, he could do it right here. And he had saved her life. She shifted the backpack on her shoulder and followed him out of the alley. He was right. Running from him was pointless. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace where we can talk.” He didn’t glance back, and Aria found herself admiring the way his broad shoulders filled out his black shirt as she walked behind him. She mentally scolded herself as her eyes, of their own volition, traveled the length of his back. What was wrong with her? The man, or vampire, could very well be leading her to her own death and she was checking him out?
“What do we have to discuss?” she asked.
He stopped abruptly, nearly causing Aria to run into him, before he turned and gazed down at her. Way down. He had to be six-four at least. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-six. Why?” Aria couldn’t define the look he gave her, but it made her shiver.
“Because you know my name, although we’ve never met, but I don’t know yours.” He glared at her, the look hard and assessing. “And apparently I’ve been dreaming about you since you were just a baby. It’s time I find out who the hell you are and what danger we pose to one another.”
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