Roman (The Clutch Series Book 1)

by Heidi McLaughlin

  I’m going to ask her to move in with me soon. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile now, and I love her completely. She belongs to me, where I can protect her and look after her. If I had a human heart, it would have jumped from my chest when she told me she was falling in love with me. She works so hard to protect her feelings, to not be vulnerable, I feared she might never truly love me the way I love her. If I could find a way to spend my eternity with her, I would do it in a second. But I will make her my everything for the time we do have together. Her family situation’s still unresolved, and I neglected to talk to her more in-depth about the conversation she had with her father. When she is with me, I tend to get lost in her.

  Since Fiona left, and I have my own business to attend to, I call Melody’s office to arrange a meeting. It’s been far too long since I’ve received an update, and I want to know what’s going on with my license, and the sale of the casino. We haven’t made any progress on the applications, and I’m determined not to have a human partner still, so I’d like to hear in person whether or not we are at a standstill. I’m sure I’m going to get some song and dance about the power outage and such, but this deal is taking far too long, and I do not have a good feeling about it. As much as I know it will upset Fiona, I am prepared to do what needs to be done to finalize this sale, and if that means a meeting with her father myself, I intend to do it. I’m not about to let a fat, aging crook dictate how this is going to go down.

  I can’t compel him; he wears a cross, and I’m not about getting beheaded in front of my peers by any of the Sisters, but I don’t think I’d get in trouble if I made a threat. I wouldn’t kill him over this, but I’m not above playing the role of the monster that I can be when provoked, mainly to get what I need. That singular human is not going to be the reason I don’t get what I want, and Fiona will learn to forgive me if things escalate.

  Melody gets back to me and indicates that she is at her office but can meet me out for a drink, which I have no use for if I'd like. I have no use for a drink, so I let her know I’ll be coming to her office. Her inability to remember basic common facts about vampires is annoying, especially since she apparently wants to fuck me. You’d think she’d remember some details. If I had nerves to get on, all humans except Fiona would be on them right now. My perception of their inferiority has risen to the surface since the power outage. They scatter like ants, and I have a growing desire to crush them.

  Since I have all day to myself, I take the human route to Melody’s office across town. Traffic is a nightmare as it tends to be most of the time in Las Vegas, although sitting in the back of a taxi gives me the opportunity to observe what’s happening on the Strip. After a few days of chaos, an uptick in looting and crime from the outages, it seems that things are back to normal. Families are walking about taking pictures, whores are on the street corners handing out cards, and gamblers are parading in and out of the casinos like normal. The only indication that anything had happened in the last few days is the three bodegas I see that have a broken window boarded up, but it’s hardly noticeable unless you are looking for it. The greed and the gluttony are back at the forefront, just another day in Sin City.

  I walk into Melody’s office, which is a storefront in a strip mall. Typically, I would deal with a business that had a more significant office, a more sophisticated longstanding look to it, but her firm has helped other vampires with great success, and that is good enough for me. The receptionist greets me with lust in her eyes.

  “Good afternoon, Roman.”

  “Good afternoon. I’m here to see Melody.” I have no interest in waiting, and surely she knows this. She doesn’t speak, as if she’s in a trance, staring at me. Weak humans do this. You don’t even have to compel them, they practically compel themselves. Her red hair reminds me of Lachesis and is falling in tendrils around her face which I find disturbing. My eyes scan her neck, where I can see the variety of different bite marks, indicative of being bitten by many vampires, in various stages of healing. Patience thinning, I tap my finger on the counter to snap her back to my needs. “Where is she?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll call Mel.”

  “No need.” I walk past the little counter. I’m not going to sit in the waiting area like a commoner while she buzzes Melody, whose heartbeat I can hear from where I stand.

  Melody looks up from her desk as if she is surprised to see me, and she immediately begins fidgeting.

  “Roman, hi there! Have a seat.” She gestures to the chair across from her desk. I sense something isn’t right, and my patience is growing thin already.

  “What is going on with my property?”

  “Well, it’s been a crazy couple of days with the power outages and electrical storm--”

  I interrupt her. “That has no significance in my business, Melody. What is going on with my property? You are not telling me something.” I lean in, narrowing my eyes at her, compelling her. I’m done being tolerant and accommodating today; something isn’t right, and I want to know what it is now.

  Entirely under my control now, her voice is even and serene. “There has been another bid. Someone outbid you on the property.”

  I slam my fist down violently on her desk, cracking the fake wood. “Who is it!?” I demand.

  The fear evident as her lip trembles, she replies. “I don’t know. The bidder was anonymous. I have no way of finding out who it is. These things are sealed. But we can enter a new bid and go from there if you wish, but this doesn’t solve our issue of… the license.” She’s scared, and it fuels me to an extent. It feels good to be angry, the hate flowing through me like fire.

  “I don’t care about this fucking license! Find out who is trying to steal my property from me. I will take care of the license myself. I’m done playing games and waiting around, Melody; do you understand me?”

  “Yes Roman, but I don’t know… I don’t have a way to get the information you’re looking for. I’m just a broker…” Her fear is real, and I use it to my advantage.

  “You will figure it out. And you will get it fucking handled. Do you understand me? This is not a request any longer. It is a demand, and you will obey me.” The venom flowing from me is potent, and watching her tremble pleases me. I’m furious she allowed this to happen, and if it were three hundred years ago, I’d rip her throat out, feed on her and leave her drained corpse as a lesson to the others.

  “I understand,” she whispers.

  “I will be back. Get this taken care of.” I need to feed, now. My anger is overwhelming, and my thirst needs to be satiated immediately. I storm from the office, slamming the glass door behind me, which shatters.

  I head to Clutch on foot, not even attempting to calm my anger. She had one fucking job, and in typical lazy human fashion, she has failed me. It’s a long walk to the bar, but it gives me time to think of a new plan. It’s time for Mr. Weston to have a one on one with yours truly. I’ll put another bid in, that’s fine I have the money, but I’m done fucking around with human bureaucracy. I don’t want to lose Fiona, so I need to calculate how this will go down, and I’ll do that after I feed.

  Storming past Corban, I go directly to Selene with impatience.

  “I need to feed. Now.”

  Crossing her arms petulantly at me, she grins. “Oh, Fiona out of fuel?”

  “Not now, Selene. Get me someone.”

  Realizing that I’m not interested in our usual banter, she comes out from behind the bar and stands next to me. “You know how this works, go pick one. They’re all ready and willing participants, Roman,” she whispers, gesturing around the room at the primarily female humans all anxiously awaiting a bite.

  “Not a woman. It needs to be a human man.”

  “Interesting choice, Roman. You switching teams now?” She smirks at me playfully.

  “Enough!” I hiss at her. “I made a promise to Fiona I would not feed on another woman. Find me a man. Now!” I demand again.

  Rolling her eyes at my attitude, sh
e huffs. “Fine. Go in the back. Room four. I’ll send someone back to you in a minute. Lose the attitude while you’re back there.”

  I don’t respond and storm to the back where feeding rooms are lined up in what’s almost a mini hotel hallway. Each room has a bed, a couch, and a first aid kit in case things get out of hand. I want to bite, my anger bringing out my animal needs.

  A knock at the door grabs my attention. “Enter,” I say.

  The door opens toward me, and standing before me is a young man, no more than twenty-five. Well dressed and handsome, he has innocence in his eyes as if he’s not done this before. Setting my concerns aside, my eyes scan to his neck and see his jugular pulsing.

  “I’m Nicolai. I’m here to feed you,” he says, no reservation in his voice. Still standing in the doorway, he must be waiting for me to say something.

  “Come here,” I growl, exposing my fangs. “Shut the door behind you and lock it.”

  28

  Fiona

  I haven’t seen Leslie since she found out about Roman and me, but I called her anyway to join Lana and me for a bit of retail therapy. Of course, I’ve gotten in the habit of keeping my fang marks hidden, at least from the public. Roman doesn’t know about the cream I bought, and I’m trying to keep it that way because I don’t want him to think I’m ashamed. I’m not. I’m scared of what my father might do if he finds out I’m still seeing Roman.

  Lana squeals when she sees me. We hug in the middle of the store, much to the annoyance of the clerk, who is huffing as she walks by. Mentally, I flip her off. Between Lana and I, we’re about to spend a boatload of money in here, which will probably give the clerk a nice commission check.

  “I’m so happy you called, I have news.”

  “You’re pregnant,” I say, jokingly. Unless Lana has ditched her vampire trainer boyfriend, there’s no way she could be pregnant, right? The thought makes me go still. Roman and I don’t use protection, and I’m assuming he’s sterile because technically he’s dead and… my hand presses against my abdomen as I silently tick off the days since my last period. “Oh, God."

  Lana shakes her head. “I’m not, are you?”

  I look at her and see nothing but horror stretched across her face. I cover my mouth, and we quickly exit the store and rush through the casino to the elevators. Lana presses the button repeatedly as if doing so will make the lift move faster. My stomach’s queasy and my legs are quivering. I hate this feeling except for when Roman is the one making them shake uncontrollably due to the orgasm he’s given me. What if…? No, I can’t think like that.

  Lana and I step into the elevator. She holds my hand, trying to reassure me, but it’s not working. “You haven’t used condoms, huh?” she asks as soon as the last person steps off.

  I shake my head. “I didn’t think we had to.”

  Lana sighs. “I’ve heard of women carrying half vampire babies. Some die in childbirth.”

  “Who, the mom or the baby?”

  “The mom,” she says quietly.

  We arrive at my floor and quickly rush to my apartment and into the bathroom where I drop to my knees and rifle through the cabinet under my sink. “I know I have a test in here.”

  “Do you think it’s the same? I mean, can it tell if you’re pregnant with a vampire baby?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to try. I have to know.” Lana leaves me to pee on the stick. After I do, I set it on the counter and wash my hands, refusing to look at it, knowing deep down I’m screwed.

  Roman and I just met. Our relationship is far too early to bring a child into it, and what would I tell my father? He will surely disown me for getting knocked up by a vampire. I open the door and let Lana in. She immediately goes to the stick and watches it. I don’t want to know if it’s changing because I already know I’m pregnant. I should’ve had my period by now.

  “Not pregnant,” Lana says.

  “What?”

  “It says not pregnant.”

  I breathe a massive sigh of relief, and instantly tears start to stream down my face. “Hey,” Lana whispers. “It’s okay. Now you know how you feel if you were to get pregnant, but you can’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I texted my guy and asked. He said it’s not allowed unless permission is sought from one of the Sisters, and if they agree, it’s a ritual. So you’re safe. We’re all safe.”

  “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Reality sure has a funny way of showing you how screwed up your decisions are. I’m bonded to a man who can’t give me children unless he seeks permission from the crazy freaks who created him. And up until I took the test, I wasn’t sure I wanted children, but now maybe I do, but I’d never ask Roman to ask the Sisters for help. Hell no, not after what he’s told me.

  I take a deep calming breath and deduce that if Roman and I are to continue, we’ll adopt a child. There’s plenty of children in the orphanage who need good, loving homes, which Roman and I can provide for them. And if the time comes when I need to experience childbirth, we’ll talk about a sperm donor, but until then, I’m going to focus on being in love with my sexy vampire and help him build an empire.

  At Lana’s encouragement, we return to the mall. Leslie’s there, waiting for us, and truthfully, I forgot all about her in my panic. “Where were you? I tried calling.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say, kissing her on the cheek. “I had to run up to my apartment quickly.”

  “For what?” she asks.

  Lie, Fiona. Lie like you’ve never lied before. “I forgot my phone.” My voice rises when I say phone, a sure sign that I’m full of shit and Leslie knows it.

  “I see.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her cheeks. Fuck my life.

  “Let’s shop, shall we?” Lana says, trying to save the day. Together the three of us browse the racks with the latest fashions. Every so often, I look over my shoulder to see if Roman’s out there, watching me. I don’t sense him, but ever since the Sisters’ visit, I’ve felt sort of off when it comes to him.

  Store after store, we buy up the newest trends, loading our arms with bags of items we don’t need. “I’m going to have to spend the weekend cleaning out my closet.”

  “My mom is hosting a charity auction in a month; you could donate your old stuff to her,” Lana says.

  “That sounds about perfect.” I look down at the many bags, wishing Roman would appear and help me carry these to my apartment. As if on cue, the energy I feel when he’s near piques. If it were only Lana, I’d seek him out, but with Leslie here, I can’t. “I think I’m going to go. My arms are getting tired, and I have to start planning the next investor party.”

  “Has your dad decided to issue a license yet for the Majesty?”

  I shake my head, even though he told me I could have it. I have yet to hear back on the bid I put in and whether it’s been accepted. “I’m sure whoever pads his pockets the most will walk away with the prized paper.”

  “Do you want some help?” Leslie asks. Her hands are as full as mine, so I’m not sure how’d she help me. I glance over my shoulder, sensing Roman is near and spot him looking into the window of the store, pretending to ignore us. Thankfully, Leslie has no idea what Roman looks like so she hasn’t caught on to the fact he’s standing behind us.

  “I’m fine, you go on ahead. I can always ask the bellhop to take my bags up.”

  The three of us say goodbye and promise to catch up. I stand in the middle of the mall, watching my friends leave, both avoiding each other.

  “Let me take those.” His silky voice sends shivers down my spine. I’m tempted to tell him about today, but it’s a conversation for later in life, after we’ve been together for a while. Although, I’m going to have to hide the evidence when we get upstairs, not that Roman has any reason to use my bathroom.

  I turn and fall into his arms. His scent surrounds me, making me feel at peace. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  When I pull away, I s
ee the remnants of dried blood in the corner of his mouth. My jaw clenches as I step away and look over his shoulder. Words escape me right now. I don’t know what to say. First, he disappears, going radio silent for days and now he’s fed off someone. “I have to go.”

  I rush toward the casino, weaving in and out of gamblers and tourists. Roman is calling after me, but I don’t stop. I can’t, although I know, he can catch me anytime he wants, putting me at a disadvantage in our relationship. I’m still two steps ahead when the elevator door is about close, barely stepping on in time. Roman’s face is the last thing I see as the doors close.

  Luck isn’t on my side, at least not today. I should’ve known he’d take the stairs to beat me to my apartment. Sometimes, he doesn’t play fair. I guess that’s the nature of the game when dating a vampire. “I can’t talk to you right now.”

  “Then you’ll listen,” he says, following me inside. He slams the door, and I jump.

  “I want you to leave.” By law, he has to do what I say, although it’s a dumb law since no one can enforce it. If the police were to show up, he could compel them to believe he means no harm, and I’d be left with trying to plead with a human zombie.

  Roman moves lightning fast to stand in front of me. His hands are holding my arms to my side. The blood I saw earlier, is now gone, making me more disgusted. “Did you fuck her?” I spit out.

  “No, and if you’d give me a minute to explain.”

  “I saw the evidence, Roman. What are you going to say, your teeth slipped?”

  He actually laughs, even though I don’t find it funny. “You’re a spitfire, you know that.”