by L. R. Potter
She felt strong arms wrapping around her from behind. She felt his breath against her cheek as he pressed his face against her head. “This seems… insurmountable,” she said quietly.
“It’s not. We just have to be careful, that’s all.”
“But don’t you see? It won’t matter how careful we are. That maniac knows who I am, but I don’t know who he is. He could be anyone that I come in contact with… the paperboy; a client; the florist; my neighbor… just anyone.”
To lighten the mood, he said with a grin, “Do you really think it could be the paperboy?”
She placed her head back against his chest, leaned into him, and sighed. “What do I do? Please tell me what do I do?”
“Trust me,” he whispered in her ear.
She swallowed. “I do.”
He pressed his lips against her head. “Good, now back in bed with you. You supposed to be resting. Tomorrow’s a new day. Everything looks better after a good rest. You’ll see.”
She nodded, but she didn’t really see how a new day was going to change any of her current circumstances. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her back toward the bed. With a firm tap on her bottom, she went back to the bed and crawled back under the covers. He handed her two tablets and a glass of water. She stared up at him as she dutifully swallowed the pills. He pressed his lips against her forehead.
“I need to go downstairs and do some work for a little while, then I have some errands to run. How about this afternoon when I get back, and you’re dressed in something other than a T-shirt, I give you a tour of Night Shade. I promise there’s more to this house than just this bedroom,” he said with a grin.
“I’d like that,” she said somberly.
He brushed her hair from her face with a tender hand. Leaning down, he pressed his lips softly against her own. “Try not to worry, okay?”
Exhaling, she only nodded. With one last kiss, he went to his dresser and pulled out jeans and a yellow shirt. She smiled at the sunny color. It made her feel better for some reason. He dressed quickly and after one last smile to her, he left, closing the door behind him.
Her smile faded. What was she going to do? It was so easy to give the reins to Lynx for now. But eventually, she’d have to face this on her own. Memories of her dream from the night before rolled through her mind. Did being confined in a metal box have anything to do with her attacker? She shivered at the thought. Control? She wished she had some.
Chapter 10
Her cellphone woke her. She struggled to wake through the fog of her medicated sleep. “Hello?” she answered groggily, not recognizing the number.
“Ms. Marks?” a serious-sounding female voice asked.
“Yes, this is she,” she replied, struggling to sit up and get her mind in gear.
“Ms. Marks, this Natalie Caruthers from County General. I’m calling about Ian Marks’s hospital bills. I’ve been told you are the one responsible for his estate, is that correct?”
She shook her head at the term ‘estate’. She wouldn’t consider what she’d shoved into those boxes much of an estate. He’d just been taken too young… before he’d really had a chance to live. “Yes, that’s correct.”
“Ms. Marks, I need you to come and sign a release for the automobile insurance company to release the money for payment to the hospital.”
She gathered her long hair in one hand and wound it up. “When do you want me to come by?”
“Today, if at all possible. We’d like this taken care of as soon as possible.”
She cleared her throat. “I just got out of the hospital, is there any way I can come by sometime next week?” she asked, knowing Lynx would have a fit if she left Night Shade.
“Ms. Marks, I’m afraid we need this taken care of today. It should have been taken care prior to his body being released to you. I’m sorry to say, there are jobs on the line if this isn’t resolved today.”
She heaved a huge sigh. Lynx wasn’t going to be happy. But this was her responsibility. “Hmmm, okay, I’ll be by… say, at four o’clock?” she said.
“That would be wonderful. Thanks so much,” Ms. Caruthers said.
Arabella clicked the phone off. Immediately, she punched in Lynx’s phone number. It rang and rang, then switched to voicemail. She left a message telling him she needed to be at the hospital within the next couple of hours. Clicking off again, she sighed heavily. What was she going to do if he didn’t call back in time? She was under no illusion that he would go ape-shit crazy if she went out without him. Dammit! Why didn’t he answer the phone?
She sat patiently for the first hour, then called again. As with the first call to Lynx, it went to voicemail. Groaning in frustration, she threw the phone down on the bed. Why wouldn’t he answer the phone? What if she were dying? She had no choice, even though he wasn’t going to like it, she was going to have to go by herself.
She glanced down and realized the first of many problems with her promise. She literally only had the shirt on her back! She’d have to get a taxi to take her to her house for clothes, then she could pick up her car at the same time. She’d have to borrow some clothes from Karmyl. Not knowing where she was, she dialed her cellphone.
It rang three times before she answered. “Well, hello stranger!” her voice rang out. “I’m surprised Lynx allowed you to do anything as strenuous as using the phone.”
“He isn’t here at the moment. This is my get-out-of-jail free call,” Arabella said with a laugh.
“How are you feeling? I checked on you earlier, but you were asleep,” Karmyl said.
“I’m okay, just tired. Listen, I need to borrow some clothes. Is that okay?”
“Of course, whatever you need. Just have Lynx show where they are. I’m at the club… paperwork, I hate it! I should be home in a few hours,” Karmyl replied.
“Well, Lynx isn’t actually here at the moment. Can you tell me where your room is?” she asked.
Karmyl laughed. “It’s a pretty intimidating house until you’ve been through it a couple times. From Lynx’s room, turn left and follow the hall all the way around. My room is on the far end, last door. There’s lots of stuff in the closet, including jeans. There’s shoes as well. Help yourself,” Karmyl said helpfully.
“Thanks, Karmyl.”
“Sure thing. Feel better. I’ll see you tonight.” With that, Karmyl clicked off.
Arabella stretched and rose from the bed, pulling the T-shirt down as far as it’d go just in case she ran into anyone in the hall. She opened the door cautiously and stuck her head out. There didn’t appear to be anyone around, so she followed the hall around to Karmyl’s room. As promised, there were tons of clothes packed into the closet. She found jeans, shirt, and tennis shoes. Glancing around the opulent room, she found a writing tablet on her bedside table.
Quickly, she jotted a note for Lynx in case he made it back before her. She took it back to his suite and placed it on the nightstand. She called the taxi service, then closed the balcony doors, before heading down the marble staircase to the front entrance. She was under no illusions Lynx was going to be happy about her going out today. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been paying attention to his words. But what choice did she have? Ian’s issues were her responsibility.
Her house looked as it’d always had, the stark white exterior with the shiny black shutters. She was ashamed at how she’d let the flowerboxes go. They’d always been her father’s pride and joy – and he’d had so very little of that in his life. She hesitated only briefly before slipping the key into the front-door’s lock. She pushed the door open and entered cautiously. It appeared exactly as she’d left it.
Quickly, she went through the house and did what she needed to do around her house and packed a small suitcase. She changed into her own clothes and packed Karmyl’s borrowed clothes into her case. Heaving a sigh of relief that nothing bad had happened which would bring Lynx’s ire, she quickly locked the house back up and headed to her garage for her car. Once i
nside the car, she took a deep breath and before starting her car, and being a big chicken, instead of calling, she texted him to let him know she’d already gotten her clothes. He was not going to be happy!
~X~
At the time Arabella was packing her suitcase, Lynx was sitting in a bar. He was there to drink… just not alcohol. He’d seen Arabella’s two calls, but couldn’t bring himself to answer as he sat in this bar looking to basically seduce another woman. It felt wrong. It made him feel as if he were violating some unwritten law. Were there actually any laws which could co-exist between vampires and humans? He didn’t think so. Their very basic needs separated them. But he didn’t really have a choice. He desperately needed to have at least two more good feedings before he began his fasting for the Blood Haze. And since he wouldn’t feed from Arabella, he was forced to resort to more drastic means. He’d have to pick up a woman from the bar, drink from her, then haze her.
He needed to go online and find a permanent donor now that he was in a committed relationship. He could only imagine what Arabella would think about him feeding from random women. He’d thought briefly about just biting the bullet – so to speak – and just feeding from her. Her blood was exquisite and there was none he wanted more than hers, but he shied away when he remembered her look of betrayal. Outside of the fact, she’d practically been drained just days before. No, for now, he’d do it this way until he could make better arrangements.
He’d almost given up – it wasn’t just about him any longer, there was Arabella to consider when he drank from someone. He wanted them clean and drug-free. Which was surprisingly hard to find in a bar in the middle of the afternoon. A middle-aged woman with light-brown hair walked in and glanced hesitantly around the bar before taking a seat at the bar. He watched as she ordered a drink and kept her head bowed. She was obviously battling something.
He sighed and slid out of his booth and slipped into the seat next to her. He lifted a hand to the bartender. “Can I get two of whatever she’s drinking?” he asked. The bartender nodded and went to get them.
He turned to the woman. “Hi, I’m Ty,” Lynx said, giving her an alias.
She lifted pain-filled eyes up to his and gave him a small smile. “Hi. Becky,” she answered.
The bartender brought them the drinks. He tipped his glass to her before pouring the drink down his throat. He just wanted this done. A part of him felt guilt for adding to this woman’s problems. What was wrong with him? He was a responsible feeder. She’d not even know she’d been fed upon.
“Do you come here often,” he asked her?
She shook her head slowly. “No… no, today is special. I’m… well, I guess I’m celebrating.”
He gave her a small smile. “And what are you celebrating?”
“I got divorced today… after sixteen years. Yea, me,” she said with a mocking salute of her drink before she downed it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “That’s the way it goes sometimes. How about you? You married?” she asked.
“Nope. Foot-loose and fancy-free as they say,” he said.
She nodded before lifting the drink he’d gotten her and tossing it back as he had done. She grimaced at the taste. She turned to him and studied him for a long moment before saying, “Listen, do you want to get out of here?”
He studied her and felt bad for what he was about to do. “Absolutely!”
~X~
Lynx had just finished feeding from the sad barfly, had hazed her, and was exiting her car, when his cellphone notified him of an incoming text. He waited until he’d gotten into his car before pulling his phone out of his pocket. Don’t worry about my clothes, I stopped by and got them myself. See you at Night Shade ~ Arabella.
What the hell! He’d been very clear, she wasn’t to leave the estate. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. They were going to have a long, serious talk about this. Guilt over his feeding and frustration with Arabella’s basically flat-out lying to him swirled together in his mind until all he wanted to do was get home and wring her pretty little neck! God! If anything happened to her…
The tires on his dark sedan screeched to a stop when he shoved the car into park as he pulled up in front of Night Shade. He was really boiling now and didn’t even take the time to park the car in the garage. He stalked up the house-steps. He ran up the marble stairs and burst into his suite. “Arabella!” he snapped.
Silence met his bellow. He marched into the bathroom, but all was quiet. Where the hell was she? He stomped back into the suite and glanced around the room and saw the note she’d propped up on the nightstand. He snatched it up and his body froze. Lynx, I tried to reach you. The hospital called and needed me to sign…
His heart stopped. The hospital! Of all the places in the whole world for her to go, that was the worst. He dug his cellphone out and called hers. It rang once, twice, three times; four, five… then, Hi, this is Arabella, please leave a message.
Damn! Voicemail! He punched off and immediately his phone began to ring. So startled, he almost dropped it. Glancing at the phone, he felt both relieved and angry at the same time. Without preamble, he clicked the phone on and snapped, “Where the hell are you?”
Silence met his words. “Arabella?” he said with a little less bite.
Her voice watery, she replied, “I’m at the hospital. I’m sorry I missed your call, but I was just finishing up…”
“You told me you wouldn’t leave the house! You lied to me! Do you know how stupid…” even though he didn’t hear the click, he knew the instant she’d hung up. Everything in his day ran through him once more, his guilt at the brokenhearted barfly, his frustration at her attacks, and her final act of defiance of hanging up on him. Rage flooded him and he bellowed as loud as he could. Punching redial on his phone, he bellowed in frustration once more when it went straight to voicemail. Dammit, dammit, dammit!
~X~
The tears she’d striven so hard to contain throughout the long ordeal with the hospital over Ian’s hospital bill, dealing with the insurance company, having to explain over and over, that yes, she was his only remaining relative, spilled from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She was tired, she had a headache, and she’d already felt battered enough before Lynx’s phone call. Now, she just wanted to sit down somewhere and cry. Being here, brought back all the horror of the last few weeks.
She was standing by the elevator wondering where she was supposed to go – Night Shade or her home - when she felt someone step up beside her. She swiped at the tears and took a deep shuddering breath. A shiver went down her spine. From under her lashes, she glanced at the man standing next to her. The man was tall so she couldn’t see his face without lifting her head and give away the fact she was staring at him. She gained a little comfort in the fact she could see the scrub pants he wore, so obviously he worked at the hospital. He glanced in her direction as well. “Hey,” he said. “Do you remember me? From the other day?”
She looked up and smiled as she recognized the man. “Yes, hey.” Still her unease grew for some reason
“How’d things work out with your brother?” he said.
“As good as could be expected,” she replied.
“Everything okay?” he asked with a kind smile.
“It’s… been a long day.”
“Oh, well, here’s the elevator. I think I’ll go down with you… if you don’t mind, that is?” he said.
All her instincts were screaming at her to wait for the next elevator, but she just shook her at herself. Lynx and her imagination were making her way too paranoid. “No, of course not.”
~X~
Lynx stood for several long moments with his phone clutched in his hand. Sitting down on the bed, he slowly allowed the anger to slip away. While he’d directed his anger at Arabella, most of it didn’t belong at her door. Should she have stayed safely in bed, absolutely; however, he’d never given her a chance to explain. That he
’d acted irrationally was obvious. She wasn’t his to control, no matter how he wished he could.
Anxiety had him back on his feet. With agitated steps, he paced in indecision. He hated this. He hated these feelings of vulnerability. He hated that he was here and she was right in the middle of the vapor’s lair. Finally, unable to stand the thought of her there alone and in harm’s way, he moved swiftly down the stairs and grabbed his motorcycle from the garage. He wanted to get there as fast as possible. He needed to see her, touch her, and make sure she was okay… make sure, they were okay. God! Talk about over-reacting.
Slipping on the back of his sleek machine, he roared down the streets with as much speed as possible. It took him fifteen minutes to finally reach the hospital parking lot. He drove around a moment and spotted her car. He didn’t know whether to feel relief that she was still there, or fear that she was still there. Parking close to the front of the hospital, he moved swiftly to the lobby and stopped at the receptionist’s desk. An older woman with short, white hair sat behind the desk. She smiled up at him.
“Can I help you?” she asked smiling.
“I’m supposed to meet someone here, but she didn’t tell me which office she was going. Can you tell me?” he asked.
Pulling out her logbook, she said, “What’s her name?”
“Arabella Marks.”
The woman scanned the books for what felt like hours. “Ahh, here it is, she went to the business office, it’s on the fourth floor; with Ms. Caruthers.”
“Thank you!” he said before dashing toward the elevator. He punched the button impatiently. What a mess he’d made out of everything. Once again, he wondered if he could do this. He’d not felt this helpless since Celeste… and he didn’t like it – not one bit! Impatience had him turning from the elevators and heading to the stairs.