In My Veins

by Madden, C. A.

  He smiled and showed his sharp teeth. They didn’t look fake or plastic like a costume would.

  All logic left my body as my heart rate started increasing. He looked at my chest and my stomach twisted as I started thinking of what he could possibly want with me. The way he was staring at my chest had me feeling like I was not going to get robbed, I was going to get raped. This monster is a pervert.

  The monster tightened his grip on my wrists causing a shot of pain to go through my body as he brought his ear to my heart. I heard a growl leave his chest and I realized that he wasn’t wearing some sort of weird costume. No. This was real. A real monster.

  I was frozen. My mind was screaming at me telling me to yell for help or run but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even move my mouth. The only thing ‘moving’ was my increasing heart rate which seemed to be turning him on or whatever the hell that growl meant. Maybe it meant he was hungry…

  The thought caused my heart rate to increase even more.

  I finally got my mouth to open so that I could scream but he switched to grabbing my wrists with one hand and pressing my mouth shut with the other. His smile got bigger as I struggled to get out of his tight hold. As the hair swept away from his eyes the familiarity was even more obvious now. But I still couldn’t figure it out. It would be insane to know him and forget. It’s not a matter of who he was but what he was.

  Chapter Seven

  He brought his face closer to mine. Taunting me and daring me to guess who or what he was. I realized that moment that I was probably about to die. I didn’t care if I knew him or not, I just wanted to get away. I prayed that it was a nightmare and I would wake up any moment but his grip around my wrist felt too real to be a dream.

  I closed my eyes anyway, hoping I was wrong. Even if I wasn’t, I didn’t want to see his face as I died. “Please let me go…” I forced myself to say. I was finally able to speak once I closed my eyes.

  I was slammed onto the ground and his hands were ripped away from my wrists. I slowly opened my eyes to see the monster fighting with someone. I was being saved?! I tried to see who the new person was so I could tell them to run away too but they were too busy fighting, and from the looks of it, winning.

  I caught a glimpse of the new person’s eyes and they looked reddish. I had to blink twice to make sure I was seeing things right and I was. He had bright red eyes and was growling like the monster before. As he was growling I noticed he had similar teeth to the person before too. Almost…like a vampire. If vampires were real, these two were definitely vampires.

  I panicked wanting to run away...but I still couldn’t move. I wanted to help the new one.

  “Run away!” The new one yelled. He sounded so familiar…“Run!” He growled again making his voice lose the familiarity.

  I nodded nervously, whoever...whatever it is, was trying to help me for some reason. I stood up with shaky legs and ran towards my car.

  I drove to my apartment. Surprisingly, I didn’t get into an accident from shaking like a chihuahua and driving way over the speeding limit.

  I ran into my apartment as soon as I reached it and immediately locked the door. I triple checked my locks, not that the locks would keep away a monster. Or vampire. Or whatever the hell it was.

  I felt like I was about to have a panic attack. I had never had one before but I could just feel one coming. I patted my pockets for my cell phone to call James but realized it wasn’t with me. I had dropped it…

  I had to talk to James. I needed some comfort.

  I grabbed the house phone and ran to my bed to hide under the covers for some added comfort. I felt like a kid under my blanket as I dialed James’s number. He had to be worried since I dropped my phone. I couldn’t be alone and I really hoped he’d come over.

  I was about to press call when my doorbell rang.

  I panicked. What if it was the monster vampire thing? But would a monster vampire thing ring the doorbell or just break down the door?

  I guess they wouldn’t.

  I slowly walked towards the door and looked out the peep hole. My heart was racing until I saw that it was James. Finally feeling like I could breathe I quickly opened the door and hugged him.

  He held me tight and pushed me into my apartment. Holding me by my waist with one arm he locked the door with the other.

  He guided me to my sofa and sat us down. I buried my face in his chest and started crying as he stroked my hair.

  “It’s okay baby, you’re safe now.” He said softly.

  “I was so scared…” I sobbed. I couldn’t believe I was crying but seeing James had a weird effect on me. It was reassurance that I was okay but it was also proof that that wasn’t a dream. I was partly in denial till that moment.

  “I’m here. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

  I cried with my face buried in his neck. He stroked my back trying to calm me down. I felt embarrassed for crying but I was too scared not too. After I calmed down and was had staggering breathing he pulled me back and wiped my tears with his fingers.

  “Can you tell me what happened?” He asked still holding me close.

  “I don’t even know…” My heart was still racing but his arms wrapped around me helped slow it down. I felt like I ran a marathon. He was in a black V-neck t-shirt that showed off his arms. Definitely on the top five list of my favorite James body parts. He was slightly sweaty and breathing hard. I realized he must have parked far away.

  “It was so scary…” I said with a shaky voice, “it was like a monster.”

  He cringed at my choice of words. He probably thought I was insane. Probably thinking ‘great, girlfriend went off the deep end after meeting my family. What do I tell them now?’

  “What…how did you get away?” He asked, but I could feel that he wanted to ask me something else. Probably something along the lines of, ‘did you eat something funny today?’

  “Something saved me…”

  “Something?”

  My heart was racing again as I remembered the familiarity in both of them. I looked up at James’s eyes needing some comfort. His beautiful grey blue eyes, were looking into mine. They were not bright red or an unnatural color. But they were filled with worry.

  “How did it look baby?” he asked again.

  “It was…similar to the other one. But different from a monster. It…he... wasn’t a monster. It told me to run away…he saved me.”

  He took a deep breath and forced himself to smile, “Thank God.”

  He pulled me to his chest again and made me rest my head on his shoulder.

  I buried my face in the crook of his neck as he buried his in my hair. I always loved how he smelled. A cross between the pricy cologne he uses and his own manly scent. He kissed the top of my head and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “James…could I ask you something?”

  He noticeably tensed but quickly tried to hide it. I wondered if he knew what I was going to ask and was hoping I wouldn’t, “Of course baby.”

  “Could you maybe stay here tonight? I…I’m scared to be alone…” I asked and regretted it, “Or not… I’ll be okay if you decide not to.”

  “Even if you didn’t ask, I was going to camp out front” he said and pulled me closer again.

  Chapter Eight

  I woke up in James’s arms. It was still dark. James’s breathing was even and the apartment was quiet. Judging from the minimal city noises I was hearing outside it was extremely late or early depending on how one would look at it. I didn’t want to move and wake up James. The fact that he was with me and not at the comfort of his own home was making me guilty enough.

  Waking him up at whatever time it was would make me feel worse.

  “Can’t sleep?” He asked giving me a quick squeeze in his arms.

  “Did I wake you?”

  “No…” he said pulling away, “Are you okay?”

  I nodded, “I’m okay.”

  He nodded back and pulled me close to him again, “Then sl
eep baby. You need rest.”

  “I know…” I mumbled cuddling into his hard chest. I took in his scent again, feeling creepy, but he smelled too good not to. He ran his fingers down my spine sending a chill throughout my body but it felt good. Before I knew it my eyes were heavy and I was fast asleep.

  I woke up to the smell of breakfast. My favorite meal of the day even though I’m always too lazy to make it. I walked into the kitchen to see a fresh pot of coffee, toast popped out of the toaster and James making eggs. He looked at me and smiled, “Good morning beautiful.”

  I groaned knowing he was lying. Who looks beautiful in the mornings?

  He laughed, “Not a morning person?”

  “Good morning.” I smirked wrapping my arms around his waist and getting in the way of his arms as he cooked. He adjusted so he could give me a morning kiss and he examined my face, “Did you sleep okay?”

  “I did because of you. Thanks for staying over.” I said shyly.

  “You couldn’t have kept me away baby.” He said finishing up his cooking, “I hope eggs are okay.”

  “They’re perfect. I’ll pour our coffee.”

  He stayed with me until I had to go to work. He hesitated letting me go but I reminded him that he had a production empire to run too. But I let him convince me to drop me off and pick me up for a few days till I get over the mugger.

  ***

  I was jumpy since the attack. Few days went by and I hated going to work. The only good thing about it was the time I spent with James in the mornings and nights. But I was paranoid having to sit by the window and look over the parking lot. I always felt like I was being watched from there but I had to remind myself that that was ridiculous. I was a few floors up and wouldn’t even be visible from the parking lot.

  James insisted that I stayed with him but I had to decline that offer. As much as I wanted it, I couldn’t change my life because of a mugger.

  After some sleep, thanks to James, I was convincing myself it was a mugger and the other guy was an innocent bystander who helped. It had to have been. The only reason they looked different was lighting and my lack of sleep because of work. It was the only explanation that made sense.

  I was also having nightmares of the… mugger. The worst was probably the monster mugger showing up in my home and attacking me. But what was extra weird about this dream was that James was the one who saved me from him. I wish I would dream of the other person, so I could have a better look at it even though it’s just a dream.

  For some reason I felt like I couldn’t talk to others about it, both the dream and the attack. So I didn’t tell James of the dreams and anything else to anyone else. Especially Tiffany or my mom. They would both freak out and make me go back home.

  I drank my coffee in my little cubical, not being able to concentrate. I stared at the coffee and remembered Lana the gypsy telling me I needed to be careful. Could this have been what she was talking about? Do I still need to be careful? Will I be attacked again?

  Maybe if I go see her again she could tell me if I would be attacked again. But James had asked me not to go…

  Maybe I could ask him if I could. I felt so stupid having to ask permission from my boyfriend, but he seemed so opposed of it that I would feel guilty not asking before I did.

  I felt stupid for even wanting to see a psychic or whatever she was.

  I stared at the blank screen on my computer. It wasn’t totally blank, I had an inbox full of emails I had to reply to for work but it might has well been. I could not concentrate or think to save my life. I could just feel Jennifer’s eyes on me. She was studying me and could probably see my inability to work. I looked up in her direction and her eyes met with mine.

  “You look more relaxed than usual. I noticed your new boyfriend drops you off lately. He picks you up too?”

  “Why do you care?” I snapped.

  “No need to get hostile, just curious.” She shrugged and walked back to her desk.

  After receiving a text from James saying he was going to pick me up a little earlier than I normally finished for some sushi, I called it a day. My day was supposed to be over an hour ago anyway and I promised myself I wouldn’t stay late anymore. I think that was why he asked me out to dinner today, just another way to get me out of work earlier than I usually do. Aside from a few other people I was the only one left in the office so I waved goodbye to them and made my way to the elevator.

  I walked into the elevator and forced myself not to groan when I saw that someone was already in there. Being alone in an elevator with a stranger was not something I was looking forward to after that attack.

  I could feel his eyes on me as I reached to press the first floor button. Whoever he was, was going to the parking garage below the building. I looked over to have a better look at him and was surprised to see the familiar looking man. He smirked and nodded a hello to me.

  He was really handsome. His eyes were a piercing shade of blue brown and were naturally smoldery. They had a piercing glare to them that was hard to look away from and his dark hair that went barely below his ears was styled neatly, a lot like David’s. He actually looked a lot like David but different too. Where had I seen him before?

  “Karina right?” he asked getting me out of my thoughts. He knows my name? “I met you a while ago at the company get together. I was with Jennifer. Collin.”

  “Oh…hi. Jennifer’s boyfriend right? You work here?”

  “Jennifer’s fiancé.” He corrected me, “I work a few floors up. Law offices…” He smirked as the elevator door closed so we could start heading down. My stomach twisted and I had a bad feeling telling me to get away from him. I brushed it aside telling myself I was just being paranoid. If anything, there is a security camera in the elevator and an emergency button. And most importantly, James was waiting for me in the first floor.

  The fiancé bit explains why I felt uncomfortable with him. Like Tiffany would say, I could probably feel his ‘hateful aura’ so it makes me feel unwanted by him.

  He leaned back in the corner of the elevator he was standing in and kept his eyes on me the entire ride down. I was frozen in my spot, standing and just praying that the elevator would hurry down so I could see James and be put at ease. My heart was racing as I stared at where the elevator doors meet together, telling myself I would run out the minute I could.

  I started tapping my foot on the floor to get my mind off of Collin but it wasn’t working. I heard him chuckle as he got off his corner and walked next to me in the middle of the elevator. He was a little too close to my personal space that I slowly took a step forward.

  I took deep quiet breaths trying to calm myself down. But it wasn’t helping. It was making it worse. I was starting to panic and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.

  The elevator couldn’t be any slower. I needed to see James. And he was right at the bottom waiting for me. James had a way of comforting me. Before I know it I will be in his strong arms and out of this cold elevator. Making me feel safe. He will be there and I’ll be away from the small elevator.

  The elevator finally made it to the first floor and opened, James was standing outside the elevator looking outside the glass doors towards the parking lot. He turned around immediately and looked surprised as I ran up into his arms and hugged him tightly.

  “Are you okay?” He kissed the top of my head as he looked inside the elevator. Worry was etched onto his face and I felt so bad for making him become just as paranoid as me.

  “I’m fine now.” I said and took his hand, “We should get going though. I’m starving.”

  He nodded and glanced back at the elevator one last time as he held the door open for me. I heard a deep growl or something come from him but brushed it off as a guy trying to be manly and ‘not cute’.

  We talked a bit during dinner but I could tell his mind was elsewhere. He’s been edgier than me since the night of the attack and has been extra edgy after picking me up today. He kept looking in
the rear view mirror like we were being followed and kept his eye on the outside of the restaurant from the window.

  “Are you okay?” I asked when I noticed his glare as he scanned the restaurant.

  “Oh yeah, I’m fine.” He smiled, “How was work?”

  “Good…just stressful. Jennifer is constantly following me around trying to get a glimpse of my presentation. I think she lost her creative touch and can’t come up with ideas for hers. If she spent less time trying to figure out what I was doing she would probably come up with better ideas.” I smiled at the thought, “How about you?” I asked and noticed he was still zoned out.

  He didn’t answer.

  “You know… you’re excuse was to protect me. That’s why you won’t let me drive to and from work… but you’re more zoned out than I am.” I said and nudged his leg from under the table.

  He jumped in his seat a little, “Sorry baby, I was just thinking…”

  “About what?” There was something clearly on his mind for a while but he won’t say what it was. I had a feeling he was keeping something from me. I always did. And it was slowly coming to the surface but he was hesitating telling me.

  “I…it’s nothing.” He hesitated and stared at his plate of sushi.

  “James…” I started wanting to change the subject of work and protection, “Why are you so against me seeing the gypsy again?”

  I noticed his jaw tense and his knuckles whiten. His tough guy mask was back as his shoulders stood straight and his eyes looked angry, “Why are you asking?”

  “I kind of wanted to… go to her again.” I mumbled.

  He put his drink down and stared at me. He had never been mad at me before but he looked furious. “No.” he said quietly but firmly.

  “I just want to see her for some comfort. She told me I should be careful and that attack happened. I just want to know if it would happen again. Maybe she’ll have something to tell me---”

  “Comfort? I can be around more. That should be enough comfort, shouldn’t it? I won’t let anything happen to you.” He said almost offended that I would ask to see Lana. His eyes drifted back to the window and he looked worried again.