In his pocket, the revamping potion burned. Out of his reach now, it taunted him, making him believe he would rather be pure evil than completely and irrevocably dead.
“Is this what you want, Julian? Do…you want to kill the only person who might restore you to a fraction of your former glory?” Lambert rasped the words, even as Julian inched his own hands toward Lambert’s throat. He couldn’t strangle the vampire, but he might be able to choke off his maddening soliloquy. He’d have cursed Enoch with his own last breath, but he’d probably already taken it.
The opponents held, muscles shaking, wills clashing until a scream tore through the night.
Zoe! Julian’s heart clenched as if a blade had pierced it.
The sound distracted Lambert for a split second, and Julian wrenched himself away from the battle. He stumbled to his feet and managed a few dizzying steps before orienting himself. The sound had come from the direction of the back gate, which might as well have been miles away rather than just a few hundred yards.
Damn her! She’d followed him. Hester was supposed to protect her.
Dark shapes closed in around him, blurry and indistinct beyond the splotches of color that hadn’t completely faded from his vision. Lambert’s men would try to keep him from her…
His only weapon was the broken stake, and he brandished it at the shadowy forms of Lambert’s guards as he backed away. Enoch rolled to his feet, wiped his hands on his pants and addressed his men. “Let him go. For now.”
Julian might have argued, but there was no time to linger. He had to find her. If she died tonight, then Lambert would win because Julian would indeed be nothing.
He ran, not caring that they might follow him, not allowing himself to acknowledge that this was all part of the game.
He’d nearly reached the back gate when a man stumbled out from beneath the willows. He was tall and narrow, with blond hair and a stricken expression. He held Zoe limp in his arms. Blood trickled from telltale puncture wounds beneath her jaw.
She was pale as death.
The man reared back when he saw Julian. A low sound of abject terror escaped his thin lips. “Go away…leave us alo—”
“Zoe…is she still…” Julian’s knees threatened to buckle under him. If she’d been drained, he wouldn’t survive it. He wouldn’t ever forgive himself.
“Don’t touch her!” The man turned to run, but tripped over an exposed root and landed on his knees. Zoe’s body rolled into the decaying leaves beneath the old tree that sheltered them.
“Let me help.” Julian clamped a hand over the man’s shoulder and pushed him aside. He scooped her up in his arms and clutched her to his chest.
She moaned weakly, and relief washed over him, staggering him with the force of it. “Why did you bring her here?” This man, kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear, had to be Bryan. He had to be the jealous friend who hadn’t tried hard enough to keep Zoe for himself.
“Who…? You’re him. You’re the guy who kidnapped her.”
“She came willingly.” Julian swung around, his stride stronger now that he had a reason to go on. “Do you have a car?”
“My SUV is parked by the gate. We…we…”
“We have to get her home. Now.”
“No!” Bryan raced after Julian. “She needs to go to a hospital. Some thing…some creature jumped out of the shadows and grabbed her. It bit her.”
“I can see that. She needs somewhere safe to recover.”
“The hospital. My God, we have to call the police.”
“And tell them what? What did you see?”
Bryan stumbled in the underbrush, righted himself and caught up to Julian. “A bat?”
“Right. A bat. If that’s what you want to believe.” Julian never broke stride. Zoe’s head lolled against his chest. Her eyelids fluttered but remained closed.
Just a few more sips, and she’d have succumbed…while her good friend, Bryan, stood by whimpering.
“You shouldn’t have brought her here. What were you thinking, putting her in danger like this?”
“She insisted on coming…because of you.” Bryan’s tone dripped with blame. Under any other circumstances, Julian would have lashed out, refusing to take responsibility for someone else’s misfortune, but tonight, he couldn’t dispute the unspoken accusations.
This was his fault. He’d given her hope he had no right to give. He’d punish himself for it later, though. Right now his only concern was keeping her safe from Lambert.
A blue SUV sat just outside the gate in the spot where Hester’s Impala had been. It didn’t surprise Julian that the witch had taken her car back. She hadn’t expected him to survive long enough to need a ride.
But Zoe had. She’d come to save him, and because of him, she could have died, or worse. She could have been turned. He cursed under his breath at Bryan’s slow movements. The other man was fumbling with his keys by the driver’s side door.
Who locks a getaway car? Did he really think his biggest concern this evening would be having his SUV stolen from the service road of a deserted golf course? If not for Zoe’s limp body in his arms, he’d have grabbed the keys himself or smashed a window. Lambert’s hungry new recruits had already tasted Zoe. They had to be hovering nearby, eager to finish their meal.
Finally the alarm chirped once, and Bryan flung the door open. Balancing Zoe between his chest and the SUV, Julian pulled open the back door, then hoisted her into the seat.
Against the navy upholstery, the pallor of her skin was ghostly. She’d survive, but she’d be weak. Whoever had done this hadn’t merely been feeding. This was a purposeful attack.
The engine roared, and Julian slid into the back seat. He gathered Zoe against him and met Bryan’s terrified gaze in the rear view mirror. “Drive fast, but don’t be reckless. With all this blood, we can’t afford to be pulled over.”
“But she needs to—”
“Do as I say. I’ll take care of her.”
A moment later the SUV was barreling in reverse, then swerving onto the main road. Julian cradled Zoe, bracing one arm against the front seat. “Apparently you both went to the same driving school,” he muttered when the tires screeched. At this rate, they’d have a police escort before they made it halfway back to her apartment.
“I don’t like what you’ve done to her,” Bryan said when they turned onto the highway. “She’s sacrificed a lot for you, and I don’t think you’re worth it.”
Julian longed to rise to that bait, but his heart wasn’t in it. “I’m not,” he replied instead of arguing. “She’ll understand that when she wakes up.”
“If she wakes up. What if she bleeds to death?”
“She won’t. The wounds are already healing.”
That drew a startled glance. The SUV swerved slightly. “What?”
“They’ll be gone in the morning. I really don’t feel like explaining it to you. But you’ll see. Can you step on it? And watch the road. There’s a radar trap up ahead.”
“I know the one.” Bryan slowed down just enough. He glanced back over the seat. “If anything else happens to her, I won’t be held responsible for what I do to you.”
Julian took the threat silently. Part of him was glad Zoe had a protector, even this pale shadow, a boy in a man’s tailored suit. Another part of him was jealous as hell that this puny human thought he could lay claim to the woman Julian lo—
How foolish he was to think he loved her. He wasn’t capable of that kind of depth. She thought she loved him because she was young and idealistic and easily seduced.
Or had she seduced him? Had she made him want to reclaim a shred of his lost humanity? He held her a little bit closer and gave Bryan another pointed look via the mirror.
“It will be your job to see that nothing else happens to her. After tonight, I’ll be out of her life for good.”
Chapter Sixteen
Julian waited at the foot of the stairs with Zoe in his arms. Above them, Bryan searched for her spare
key above the door frame.
“It’s not here,” he said finally.
Inconvenient though it was, that gave Julian a stab of pride. She’d learned something from him, anyway. “Maybe she was tired of people barging in when she wasn’t home.”
Bryan grimaced. “She must have a key on her. I’ll check her pockets.”
Julian held up a hand, stopping Bryan halfway down the narrow staircase. “Never mind, I’ve found them.” From his own pocket, he retrieved the keys he’d taken from her and tossed them to Bryan. “Hurry up before her neighbors come out here asking questions.”
“They don’t speak English.”
Julian bit back another sarcastic reply, but his fingers itched to strangle the next pithy comeback right out of Bryan’s skinny throat. He hoisted Zoe on his shoulder and climbed the stairs as soon as the door to her apartment swung open. Once inside, he went directly to the bedroom and placed her gently on the mountain of pillows that spilled across her bed. “Get something to clean up the blood. We need to keep her warm. She’ll be weak and groggy when she wakes up, and she’ll need something to boost her energy, but she shouldn’t be in any pa—” Julian halted his instructions and stared at Bryan. The other man stood in the bedroom doorway, a crisp sheet of white paper in his hand. “Perhaps you could read her mail later.”
“This was on the table. I think you’d better read it.” Bryan handed the note to Julian. Scribbled hastily in red ink was a warning that made him blind with rage.
This time she was lucky.
You had your chance tonight. And you won’t get another.
Disappear or the girl will die.
Julian crumpled the note.
“Hey, that’s evidence!”
“You never saw it.” Julian stuffed the page in his pocket and went back to the bed.
With her lips parted and her breathing finally deepening to normal, Zoe looked peaceful and perfect. Julian brushed strands of golden hair from her forehead and pressed his lips to her cool skin. “I’m sorry, my pretty little gypsy.”
He rose and pushed past Bryan who still hovered ineffectually in the doorway. “I was never here,” he said and left without a backward glance.
Zoe dreamed of tropical islands, parched deserts and the billowing mist of a steam bath. When she finally broke free of the heavy sleep that seemed to hold her immobile, she found herself buried under layers of blankets. The sweat-soaked sheets clung to her. The pillows that surrounded her like a protective wall tumbled silently off the bed when she flung the covers aside.
Cool air hit her damp skin, making her shiver. Her T-shirt stuck to her body, and her jeans—she’d slept in her jeans?—felt plastered to her legs.
Completely disoriented, she lay staring at the bedside alarm clock for a moment, trying to make sense of the glowing numbers. One…one…four…three. Eleven forty-three?
A quarter to twelve. Twelve what? Noon? What day was it? How many strawberry margaritas had she had? Her limit was two, except on special occasions, and she couldn’t remember anything particularly special about last night.
“Good morning.”
Panic froze her at the familiar sound of Bryan’s voice.
She rolled slowly to face the doorway where he stood, shirtless, rubbing a towel over his damp hair. “I took a shower. I hope you don’t mind.”
Good lord! Had they…? No. They hadn’t. Of that she was reasonably sure.
“Um…what …?”
He crossed the room, and the sympathetic expression on his face scared the hell out of her. The last time he’d looked at her like that had been at her father’s funeral. “Who died?”
“You. Almost. You had a bad night. What do you remember?”
“I remember… Oh, my God. Julian. Is he all right? Did we get there in time?”
Bryan’s expression blanked, and Zoe’s heart grew tight. “Bryan, what happened? Where’s Julian?”
“He’s gone. Thank God. It’s probably better that you don’t remember.”
She hauled herself up to a sitting position, knocking more pillows and blankets out of her way. “Tell me!”
Bryan lowered himself to the bed with a deep sigh. “I’m not sure of all the details myself, but I’ll tell you what I know. You dragged me out to the old golf course looking for this guy, and somebody jumped us. I got hit in the head with my own flashlight and got knocked out for a couple of minutes. The last thing I remember was hearing you scream. When I came to, he had you.”
“Who?”
“Julian, I guess. Dark hair, good looking. The guy who’s been on the news. He was…”
“He was what?” Zoe’s heart lurched, as if it were trying not to beat.
“He was biting you. You had blood all over you.” He reached down beside the bed and picked up a T-shirt, the one Zoe remembered putting on yesterday at Hester’s. Half of the light pink cotton was stained a dark, dirty red.
Her hand flew to her throat, but Bryan caught her fingers and pulled them away. “It’s gone. It’s okay. There aren’t any marks, but last night, it looked really bad.”
The pain in her chest traveled up, tightening her throat, making her eyes sting. He’d done it. He’d taken Hester’s potion and turned himself into a monster. “Are you sure it was him? The place was probably crawling with vamp—” She caught herself but Bryan nodded.
“Vampires? That’s what he is, isn’t he? This guy you’re involved with is a vampire. I believe in them, Zoe. After what I saw last night, I believe in them.”
“Julian wasn’t…he was human yesterday. He was good.” Zoe swallowed back tears. She’d tried and failed. She’d lost him forever.
Bryan brushed hair from her eyes. “Look, Z…sweetheart, I know you cared about this guy, but whatever he’s into, you can’t save him. He was biting your throat, trying to drink your blood. I don’t think there’s a rehab for that. Hell, it was the most messed up thing I’ve ever seen. Thank God when he saw me stumbling around, he dropped you and ran off. I don’t think I could have taken him.”
“So you didn’t hurt him?” She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling.
“Hurt him? I’d have killed him if I could have.” Bryan took her face in his hands and forced her to meet his gaze. “Zoe, listen to me. This man is dangerous. He’s going to hurt you. You have to leave him alone.”
She nodded. Of course he was right. Julian hadn’t lied to her. He said he’d hurt her. She’d just been too naïve, too much in love to believe it.
Bryan pulled her to him and hugged her. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Me and Tanya, we’ll protect you. You need to rest for a few hours, then I’ll take you to your mom’s house tonight.”
Numb, wishing she could take comfort in Bryan’s embrace, Zoe remained still until he finally let her go. It was over now. Everything was over.
A few hours later, while Bryan hovered, Zoe ate a cheese sandwich and drank a sugary glass of iced tea. While he called Tanya, she took a shower, and while he called his office and explained why he wasn’t working his usual Saturday overtime, she packed for a short stay with her parents.
She found her keychain on the bedroom dresser complete with car key and showed it to Bryan. “Where did these come from?”
He shrugged. “Your pocket?”
“I didn’t have them with me yesterday.” Julian had taken them when he left Hester’s. Why would he have given them back?
“Then how did you get home?” Bryan asked.
By witch. Zoe mimicked his shrug. “I got a ride. My car is still in Ocean City.”
Bryan gave her a quizzical look and held his hand out for her keys. “Give me the address, and I’ll go pick it up. I can get one of the guys from work to take a ride with me.”
“No, you don’t have to do that. You’ve done enough, Bry. I really appreciate you being here.”
He dismissed her gratitude with a wave. “I don’t mind.”
“I know, but this mess is my doing. I’ve got to clean it up on my ow
n.” Plus, for some strange reason, she wanted to see Hester again. If the witch could make Julian human, then vampire again, maybe she had some potion that could dull the devastation Zoe felt and help numb the pain of her broken heart. Surely that would be easy compared to what Hester had already done, not to mention the least Zoe could ask of her.
Bryan crossed the room and put his hand on her shoulder. “Whatever help you need, I’m here.”
Zoe searched for the words to thank him again, and when she looked up into his eyes, she saw more than friendly concern. He leaned toward her, and she ducked away just as the phone rang.
This could not be happening. She didn’t want to fend off advances from Bryan, not after they’d mutually agreed there could never be anything between them. Besides, she needed a friend right now, not a pale replacement for Julian.
With her heart hammering and her head spinning, she scooped up the phone. Her landlord’s gruff voice crackled out of the earpiece.
“You’re finally back from your vacation, Miss Boyd? How nice.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Haverston. I had to leave town unexpectedly and—”
“And if you want to keep your lease, you’d better get down to the store and talk to the insurance agent. This is the second visit he’s agreed to make, and there won’t be a third. If the company won’t cover damages to the door, it will have to come out of your security deposit.”
Zoe cringed and covered her eyes with her hand. “I’m really sorry. I’ll be right there—give me five minutes.” She hung up the phone, snatched her keys from Bryan’s palm and scooped up her purse. “I have to go to the shop. Can you drive me?” She hated to ask, considering that barely a second ago, she’d wanted nothing more than to get away from him and clear her head.
Bryan hesitated. “Uh, well, normally I’d say yes, but I’ve got to call a client…” He glanced at his watch. “Actually, right now. Can you wait about an hour?”
Uncross My Heart Page 17