Vamps in the City

by Crissy Smith

  A kick to her side took her thoughts from Grant to the man in front of her. She grunted through the pain and managed to keep her balance.

  “Pay attention,” Adam ordered.

  Paige scowled but didn’t respond. Adam was a good sparring partner, but there was still something that seemed off about him. She tried to shake the feeling when he was near but something in the back of her mind nagged at her.

  They battled for another fifteen minutes before he called for a break. Paige collapsed on the mat.

  Adam grabbed two waters then sat down beside her. She gratefully took the bottle and guzzled down half of it.

  “You weren’t concentrating today,” he observed.

  “Sorry.” She knew he was right.

  “It will be easier the longer you’re away from each other. He is a good man but you can’t stay here.”

  Paige looked up in surprise. Everyone else had tried to talk her into staying.

  “Yes, I know,” he chuckled. “Everyone wants you to stay. You’d be safer here. But you weren’t meant to be caged.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Grant’s your Master now. Or as close to a Master as you’ll ever have. The longer you stay here with him, the more of yourself you’ll lose.”

  He sounded so sincere and concerned that Paige wondered how she had ever felt uncomfortable around him. “Samantha stays with you.”

  He shook his head. “Samantha will never be as strong as you. It just isn’t in her makeup.”

  Paige frowned. “I thought you loved her.” It didn’t make sense if he loved Samantha that he would talk about her in such a way, and with a distinct sound of disappointment.

  “She needs me, and I am happy to do my part. Grant doesn’t love you, and he never will,” Adam told her.

  Paige almost dropped her bottle of water. “What?”

  “I’m sorry, Paige, but I’ve known Grant a long time. Every time a pretty girl comes in, he’s the first one at their side to offer help.”

  Paige couldn’t believe it. She shook her head. That wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. They were connected, bonded.

  “The bond,” Adam said as if he could read her mind. “It’s not like he meant to.”

  “Well, no…” She knew he hadn’t meant to, but if they had been meant to be…

  Adam lowered his voice as he continued, “Grant fancies himself a hero. That’s why he still chases after his sister.”

  “He just wants to protect her. To bring her home,” Paige argued.

  “If she wanted to be helped, why hasn’t she come to him?” Adam questioned back.

  Paige didn’t have an answer for that so she sat quietly.

  “There’s so much you don’t know about when you were taken. But I was here. I saw everything that they were doing. They could have gotten to you sooner.”

  Paige wanted to correct him, to call him a liar, but she just wasn’t sure. What if he was right? Maybe Grant had asked her to stay because he knew she wouldn’t.

  “Did he tell you that the man who took you—who changed you and the others—that he eventually killed, was his uncle?” Adam asked finally.

  Paige felt her stomach drop and bile rise up in her throat. No way! Grant had never told her that.

  “I’m sorry, Paige, but you needed to know,” Adam said sincerely.

  Paige felt the betrayal deep in her heart. She had known that Grant hadn’t been telling her the whole truth and now she knew why.

  Grant had never even hinted that his own uncle had been the one to turn and torture her.

  Paige jumped to her feet and turned her back on Adam. She wouldn’t let him see her cry. She only knew one way to protect herself.

  “You have to back me when I say I’m ready to leave,” she told Adam quietly.

  “Paige,” he started but she shook her head.

  “You’re right. I need to get out of here. The sooner the better.”

  Chapter Seven

  Grant called out to Paige as he came around the corner to the training room. She was headed back to the rooms at a fast pace. She didn’t look back as she sped up. Confused and worried, he hurried to catch up with her.

  As she turned the corner to her room, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

  “I was just coming to find you,” he said and tried to turn her around. She jerked from his grasp. “Paige?”

  When she didn’t look at him, he blinked in front of her.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did Adam hurt you?” he demanded.

  Paige shook her head.

  “Paige, what’s wrong. I can feel that you’re angry and hurt,” he questioned desperately. If Adam had hurt her, Grant was going to kill him.

  “Damn empath! Just leave me alone,” she snapped and tried to push past him.

  “Hey! Wait!” Grant responded and reached for her. What the Hell?

  Paige backed up as far as the narrow hallway would allow. “Don’t touch me,” she demanded softly.

  “What happened?” he asked gently, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

  “Nothing,” Paige lied. Grant knew it was a lie. Not only was it obvious, but he could practically feel it. “I just got done with training, and I’m hot and sweaty. I’d like to go shower, if you don’t mind.”

  Grant took a step towards her. “Don’t lie to me, Paige.”

  Paige’s eyes widened before they narrowed. “Don’t tell me what to do, Grant.”

  She turned to go again, and Grant lightly touched her shoulder. “Will you come to my room later? To talk? Let me help you.” He would beg if he had to. He’d thought they were past her keeping things from him. He’d been so excited to get back and share what he’d found out, but now his skin crawled, knowing he was losing her.

  Paige dropped her head. His fingers ached to reach out to her. “I’m leaving tonight.”

  “No! Paige no,” Grant grabbed a hold of her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did, what went wrong, but please don’t leave. Not like this… You’re not ready.”

  She stiffened in his arms. What the Hell was going on?

  Paige met his eyes searching. “I’m not ready, or you’re not ready to lose your bed partner?” she questioned.

  Grant jerked back like he’d been slapped. Where had that thought come from? “You can’t really think that.”

  Paige lifted her chin higher in challenge.

  Very slowly, Grant let go and stepped back. This was it. She did believe it. She was going to leave him. “I see,” he said softly, his heart breaking.

  “Bye, Grant,” she replied and walked away from him.

  He didn’t say anything else as she walked away. What could he say? He loved her, he needed her, but she didn’t want him.

  He leaned against the wall, full of so much hurt. Paige hadn’t even given them a chance. He slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands and he started to cry.

  He’d never been a Master before. He’d never turned anyone in his life, but he knew what he felt for Paige was more than just that type of connection. Their souls belonged together.

  “Grant?”

  He didn’t lift his head as Sam’s voice reached him.

  “Grant?” Sam’s large hand came down on his shoulder.

  “She’s leaving me,” Grant told his best friend with a sob. “Why is she leaving me?”

  “Shit!” Sam exclaimed and knelt in front of him.

  Grant lifted his face hoping to find comfort in his friend. All he saw was worry.

  “We need to talk,” Sam told him standing.

  Grant accepted the hand Sam held out to him. He had to get control of himself. He was crushed, yes, but that didn’t mean he was just going to let Paige walk away.

  She could learn to love him. He knew she felt something for him. He would use that. Use whatever he had to, because he knew he would never survive without her.

  “I won’t let her go,” he told Sam quietly.

  His friend nodded. “That’s mo
re like it. Come on.”

  Grant followed Sam down the hall to his friend’s room. Once inside, Grant started to pace as he worked out a plan. Sam left him alone to think as he leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “She’s scared,” Grant shared his thoughts out loud. “And whenever she gets scared, she runs. I won’t let her run away from me. We belong together. I know she feels something for me.”

  Sam nodded. “I think there is more to it than that.”

  Grant paused and lifted an eyebrow in question.

  “I’ve been watching. Adam is different now that Paige is here. Before we couldn’t keep him away from Samantha. Now it seems like every time you are with Paige, he’s around somewhere.”

  Grant frowned. He hadn’t noticed that.

  Sam grinned. “You’ve been a little preoccupied.”

  “Okay,” Grant said slowly. “You think he’s after Paige?”

  “I don’t know,” Sam told him with a shrug of his large shoulders. “I don’t feel any threat from him, but it’s like he’s just there watching.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Grant asked.

  “Like I said, I didn’t feel any sort of threat. I wanted to make sure. You have enough on your mind.”

  Grant had to smile at his friend. “Always taking care of me.”

  Sam blushed, actually turned red. “It’s what we do.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. It was. Sam and he had been best friends since they’d started school together.

  Their paths had crossed and that was all it had taken. Sam’s family had been wonderful, filling a hole in Grant, without his father around.

  Of course Grant hadn’t known why his father had left. He only had the stories his mom used to tell him and his siblings. Turned out, his mom was very inventive with some of those tales.

  He shook that thought from his mind. He wouldn’t dwell on it just then.

  “What am I going to do?” he asked Sam.

  His friend sighed. “Whatever you have to.”

  * * * *

  Leaving had been the hardest thing Paige had ever done. Every part of her mind, body, and heart screamed at her to stop. But she couldn’t.

  Grant didn’t want to her the same way. Didn’t love her like she loved him. Yes, for the first time in her life she had fallen in love. It hurt so much not to be loved back that Paige knew she would have never survived it.

  So she took her few possessions and hit the road. She drove all night, only stopping when the sun forced her to.

  Grant’s face wouldn’t leave her mind. It was almost as if he was beside her in the car, telling her to turn around.

  As soon as the sun had gone down, she was on the road again. She’d been driving for hours and it wasn’t getting any easier being away from Grant. Plus she was hungry.

  Seeing a sign for a motel, she changed lanes on the freeway to exit.

  Paige followed the exit to the road that led to the small motel. It looked clean and well taken care of, next to a restaurant and a bar. She wasn’t interested in the restaurant but the bar looked promising.

  Paige parked in front of the motel and rented a room from an elderly man. He smiled pleasantly and directed her to the back entrance where she should park. Paige thanked him and headed off to drop her things and head out to dinner.

  Opening the door of the room, she was pleased with the accommodations. The room was clean and well organised with a bed, nightstand, and closet. Paige sat her two bags on the bed and went to the restroom. She washed her face and stared in the mirror.

  She was pale and her eyes had dulled. She needed to feed. She had tried the night before, but images of Grant had haunted her and she hadn’t been able to. There was only one man she truly wanted to be with.

  With a long sigh, she grabbed a clean pair of jeans, underwear, and shirt from her bag and headed for the shower.

  After showering, dressing, and doing what she could with her hair, she pocketed her room key and some cash then headed to the bar.

  Outside she stopped once to sense around her and didn’t feel any other vampires in the area. She relaxed a little more.

  She heard loud country music coming from the bar as she stepped up to the door. The bar was dark and smoky when Paige went in. She could see men playing pool in the back, couples dancing and others on bar stools with beer or other drinks in front of them. She took a seat on the side of the bar from which she could see the door.

  “Hello there,” the bartender greeted her. He was around her age with dark brown hair and pretty green eyes.

  “Hello,” Paige smiled back trying to gently thrall him. She wanted to be able to step out back with him later but didn’t want to draw any attention to herself.

  “Name’s Curtis. Don’t remember seeing you around these parts,” he said with a thick Texas drawl.

  Paige continued to smile at him. “Just passing through.”

  “Well,” he tipped his hat back. “First one’s on me. What’s your poison?”

  “Whisky.”

  His smiled broadened. “My kind of girl.”

  He placed the glass tumbler in front of her and poured top shelf for her but was called by another patron before he could start up more conversation.

  Paige tossed her drink back. Vampires could eat and drink—it just didn’t do anything for them. And she couldn’t get drunk. She’d tried.

  The bartender was headed back towards her when she sensed a vampire. It was overwhelming, all of a sudden, like he was moving fast.

  Chapter Eight

  Just as the bartender reached her, Paige looked at the front door and watched him step in. She sucked in a breath, not believing it. She was hundreds of miles away from California. She would have almost believed he wasn’t there, in the same room with her, but she felt him throughout her entire body.

  Grant’s eyes narrowed as the bartender leaned across the bar and offered Paige another drink. She nodded in agreement, not taking her eyes off Grant.

  Could he track her that well? What did he want? And why was she so relieved to see him?

  Grant walked towards her with such determination on his face that she grew nervous. She looked around for a back door. She shouldn’t have bothered—the moment she took her eyes from Grant, she sensed another vampire. She knew this one too.

  Standing in the back, Sam leaned against the wall. He even sent her a little wave.

  Paige straightened as Grant reached her. Curtis put her drink in front of her and frowned at Grant.

  Grant leaned close to her and picked up the drink. He threw it down his throat and smiled at the bartender. It wasn’t a nice smile. It was a warning and Curtis seemed to understand. He asked them nervously if they wanted another drink.

  He looked relieved when Grant shook his head no and passed him a twenty.

  Grant watched him walk to the other end of the bar before turning to her. He grabbed her arm, firm but gentle at the same time, and pulled. “Let’s go.”

  “You can’t force me back,” she said quietly, wrapping her feet around the stool to stay seated.

  Grant turned that not so nice smile on her. “Get off the stool, Paige, or I will carry you out.”

  “I’ll start a scene,” she threatened. Why she was fighting him she wasn’t sure. She wanted him to take her back even if she tried to deny it to herself and him.

  Paige followed his eyes as they shifted. He nodded to Sam, who started forwards. “Good because we’re hungry.”

  Sam wore a hard look on his face that matched Grant’s. Because she didn’t really want to start a scene or want anyone to get hurt, she caved.

  “All right, I’m coming.” She stood and Grant wrapped an arm around her back.

  As he steered her towards the door, Sam caught up.

  “Hello, Paige,” he said pleasantly.

  Paige looked back to see him smiling.

  “Hello, Sam,” she grumbled back.

  When they reached outside, she moved
away from Grant. “Where are we going?”

  Grant smiled again. “To your motel room.”

  Well, crap, of course they knew she had a room.

  They walked silently to the motel. Grant couldn’t stop touching Paige, so relieved they’d found her safe and sound. They’d started out just after her, and through their bond, he’d been able to keep up. He’d almost made his move the night before, but she hadn’t gone to feed so he’d just watched. They’d stayed out of sight and followed.

  It wasn’t until he’d known she intended to feed that his control broke. Since they’d bonded, she hadn’t fed from anyone but him.

  He couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow it to be from anyone but him.

  So he’d gone inside the bar to collect her.

  They stopped at the door to her room and he held out his hand for the key. She scowled but handed the key over without a word. After he pushed the door open, he motioned for Paige to enter first.

  She went into the room and they both followed close behind. Sam closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Paige, unsure, moved as far away as possible.

  “So…quick vacation?” she asked, still not meeting his eyes.

  “Feed or shower first?” Grant asked Sam. He wanted to be alone with her.

  “Feed.”

  Grant nodded. “Go ahead.”

  Sam winked at him before he closed the door quietly behind him.

  “Come here, Paige,” he urged. He had to touch her again.

  He stood on one side of the room and she stood on the other side by the closet.

  Paige shook her head. “I don’t want to.”

  He sighed and held out a hand. “Come here. You haven’t fed. I can feel your hunger.”

  Paige crossed my arms over my chest. “You haven’t fed either,” she challenged.

  “I fed last night and will again when Sam gets back.” He motioned for her to come to him. “You haven’t fed since you left.”

  “How do you know? I could have fed yesterday,” she argued.