by J. P.
“What do you think she’s going to say?” Jake asks.
“I’m not sure, but I have a feeling it can’t be good,” my dad says with a sigh.
There’s a knock on the door, and everyone jumps.
“I’ll get it,” my dad offers as he leaves the room.
Tyler and Elliot stand against the wall. Tyler’s face is still red from his argument with Luke.
“Can we get out of here after this?” Luke asks me.
“Sure, where do you want to go?”
“Literally anywhere,” he says with a laugh.
“Should we invite the others?” I ask, nodding my head towards the couch across from us.
“No—” Luke starts to say.
“Invite us where?” Sean shouts from across the room.
“Shit,” Luke mumbles from my side.
“I’ll tell you later,” I shout back. He gives me an enthusiastic thumbs up with a stupid grin. I turn to Luke and see the disappointment written across his face. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. We can just ditch them,” he says with an evil smirk.
I elbow him playfully, and he laughs.
“Hello, everyone,” Marcy addresses as she steps into the room. She’s wearing a form-fitted green dress that falls to her knee. Her heels click as she makes her way across the wooden floor. “How are we all doing?”
“Good” is mumbled around the room.
“Great.” She looks around the room, and her lips move as if she’s counting. She nods to herself once before she clears her throat. “Now that we are all together let’s begin.” Marcy claps her hands together once as she beings to walk around in a circle, looking each one of us in the eye as she speaks. “I’ve had a few agents keeping an ear out to see if anyone is stepping up as the new leader of Malum.” She pauses as she looks around the room for a reaction, but no one gives her one. “So far, I haven’t heard of anybody wanting to take on the responsibility. However, there are whispers that the followers of Malum want one of Ethan’s children to step up and take over.” She stops and looks at Luke. “I have heard certain rumors about you in particular,” she says to him. “They are calling you the Prince of Malum. Is it your intention to continue your father’s work?”
Luke looks at her as if she might be crazy. “No.”
“Really?” Marcy raises her eyebrows. “Why do I not believe you?”
“Marcy, Luke has been nothing but helpful to our cause,” my dad says in Luke’s defense.
“I understand that, Aaron, but the last thing I need is for another lunatic to start parading around, killing vampires.” As she speaks, her eyes don’t leave Luke. She finally breaks eye contact as she looks at the floor and sighs. “If you’re telling me you won’t get involved, fine. I do have to insist, however, that you are taken to a safe house.”
“What?” Luke asks. “Why would I need to do that?”
“I can’t take any chances,” she tells him flat out.
“Marcy, that’s unnecessary,” Elliot cuts in.
Her eyes find my dad and Elliot, and she scowls at them. “I respect you both very much, but if you don’t allow me to do my job, I’ll have no choice but to remove you from Chrome for the time being.”
“You’re threatening to give us a time out?” Elliot snorts. “That’s bullshit, Marcy, and you know it. I’ve been around this kid,” he gestures to Luke, “enough to know that he won’t betray us. If you can’t trust me, trust Aaron.”
“Because he was such a great judge of character the first time around,” Marcy fires back.
Everyone in the room stops breathing as my father turns red with anger.
“You’re being childish,” my father tells her.
Marcy looks around the room and lets out a deep breath. “Yes. My stress level is through the roof, and do you know why?” she asks my father. She doesn’t wait for an answer. “We finally have him, Aaron.” She slowly starts to make her way towards my father. “Ethan is dead, Malum is about to be disbanded, and the one kid that could possibly put it back together again is living in your house. I’m not saying I want to kill him, I’m just saying let’s keep him somewhere so we can make sure he will never be tempted to take on the position.”
My father shakes his head. “He won’t.”
“It’s arrogant of you to be so sure.” She turns away from him and looks to Luke, who’s been glaring at her. “I want you in a safe house.”
Luke laughs lightly as he shakes his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I will have to decline.”
“That’s not how this works,” Marcy says, annoyed. She lets out a deep breath, and her face shifts from frustrated to calm in a matter of seconds. “Think of it this way, I have safe houses everywhere in the world. I will put you in a house in the Bahamas or in Italy. You can start over, live a long, happy, life wherever you choose. What else could you possibly need?”
Luke glances at me so quickly, no one else notices.
“You think about that while we get to the next order of business,” Marcy says before she turns away from him. Her eyes find me, and I feel my stomach sink. “While I didn’t hear of anyone wanting to take over Malum, I have heard that many people are looking for Nina.”
“What? Why?” Jake interrupts.
“Because before Ethan died, he sent a message to every vampire he knows saying Nina is a fast healer. He made about a thousand vampires curious as to why someone with one human parent would have this ability. People want to capture Nina to continue his research.”
My skin starts to crawl as I think about the experimentation that Ethan did. Suddenly, I realize that all eyes are on me.
“In order to keep Nina safe, I want her to come to the Chrome headquarters with me where I can keep an eye on her. She will be the safest there,” Marcy says.
My eyes immediately find my dad, who is staring back at me. He cocks an eyebrow at me as if asking if I want to.
“With all due respect,” I begin before Marcy groans.
“What is it with you people and refusing my help?”
“I appreciate it, but I was just held prisoner by Malum. I don’t want to be Chrome’s prisoner too,” I tell her.
Jake clears this throat. “I thought this house was safe.”
“All of Malum knows you live here. This house was compromised the second Luke told them you lived here in the first place. Nina needs to move somewhere safe. Now.” Marcy has a new edge to her voice as she stares down Jake.
“We can all go with her, right?” Paul asks.
“No. There are too many of you. Nina would be safest if she were to go alone.” Marcy crosses her arms over her chest as she sits down on the coffee table in front of me. “Nina, you should go pack. We will be leaving as soon as you’re ready.”
I feel my head starting to spin and open my mouth to protest when Marcy interrupts.
“This is non-negotiable.”
All of a sudden, everyone starts talking at once. Jake and Paul start arguing that I can’t leave, Luke and Olivia start arguing that he can’t go to a safe house, and Mason and Sean take turns defending Luke and me.
“Excuse me,” my dad’s voice booms. The room goes silent. “Thank you.” He turns to Marcy. “I appreciate you trying to keep my child safe. However, I cannot be parted with her for another day. We have kept Nina alive this long, and we will continue to protect each other as a team.”
“Aaron—” Marcy begins as her eyes pop out of her head as she rises to her feet.
“Thank you for your protection, but it is no longer needed,” my dad finishes.
“You’re making a mistake. Don’t be foolish. You’re letting your heart get in the way,” Marcy snaps at him.
“The last time I did that, I got the three greatest gifts I have ever received,” my dad says as he looks at Jake, Paul, and me.
“What about Luke?” Marcy asks as she runs her tongue along her teeth.
“He is more than welcome to stay with us, where we will protect him to the
best of our ability,” my dad answers. Luke seems to sigh in relief beside me.
“No,” Marcy snaps. “You want to put your daughter in danger, fine. But Luke is too dangerous. I cannot allow you to keep him here, where he will be persuaded to continue the largest organization of rogue vampires.” She stomps her foot as if to punctuate her point.
“Marcy—” my dad begins.
“You’re being idiotic and naïve.” Marcy lets out a deep breath, and her demeanor is calm again. “You know how important this is.”
My dad looks away from her and studies the floor before he runs a hand down his face.
“This is for the safety of everyone,” Marcy adds.
Luke stares at my dad for four seconds before he springs to his feet.
“Luke—” my dad begins.
“I know I betrayed the Blair family in the beginning, but since then, I have done everything I can to make it right again. I’ve protected them, fought for them, betrayed my own family for them. They trust me.” Luke frowns as he glares at Marcy. “I know you don’t, but I give you my word, I will never continue my father’s work.”
Marcy looks like she could explode. “I will be back for you tomorrow. If you refuse to walk out with me, I have no problem dragging you out with a stake in your heart.”
The whole room goes silent. My eyes get wide as I stare at Marcy, shocked that she said that.
Luke storms out of the room and stomps up the stairs.
“I wish I could say this has been fun, but it was not.” Marcy turns on her heel and struts out of the house, slamming the door behind her.
My father clears this throat. “Nina, I need to speak with you.” He doesn’t wait for my answer as he walks outside into the backyard.
Everyone’s eyes watch me as I follow my dad to the yard. I shut the door behind myself and hurry to catch up with him. He looks stressed, his face illuminated only by the deck lights.
“We need to talk,” he says as he sits on the ground at the edge of the deck. He pats the spot next to himself, and I sit beside him. “I’m sorry if Marcy made you nervous.”
“No,” I say as I shake my head.
“Good. What I said back there is true. We will always be here to protect you. I don’t want to be separated from you again. Not when I just got you back.” He gives me a warm smile. “Unless you think I’m making the wrong call.”
“No,” I repeat as I shake my head. “I want to be here, with you and with Jake and with Paul.”
“Then it’s settled. We will all stick together.” My dad pulls me into a side hug. “We always do better when we’re together.”
“I agree,” I say as I hug him back.
“I think we might have to relocate,” he says suddenly. “Marcy was right. Everyone knows where we are.”
“But then they will just find us again, and we’ll have to move until there’s nowhere else to go. Why don’t we try and stay for a while and defend our home? We have more people on our side that can help us.”
“I don’t want to ask that of them,” my dad says with a sigh.
“I don’t think you’ll have to. Sean and Mason will volunteer, and so will Elliot.”
My dad considers this as he clicks his tongue. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.” He looks out into the trees in our backyard.
I feel a lump in my throat as I build up the courage to ask my next question. “What are we going to do about Luke?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do.”
“You don’t think she’ll actually kill him, do you?” I ask.
“No,” he answers immediately. “She would never. She’s just scared. She tastes victory, and she doesn’t want to give it up.” My dad frowns as he looks back at me. “Maybe you can talk to him, encourage him to go.”
“What?” I ask. “I…I don’t want him to go.”
“I know, Nina, but I don’t want things to get messy tomorrow.”
“You said she wouldn’t kill him.”
“She won’t, but she might stake him a few times to scare him and drag him out.” He frowns as he sees my expression. “I know he’s been a good friend to us—”
“He has been,” I cut him off. “He means a lot to me.”
“I think he means a lot to all of us. He’s been a great addition to the family.”
I groan, frustrated that my dad isn’t picking up what I’m trying to say. “Dad, I love him,” I blurt out.
My dad’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “You do?”
“Yes.” Tears fill my eyes as I think about never seeing Luke again.
My dad wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. “I understand now. I will think about another option.”
“You will?” I ask as I pull back and wipe under my eyes with the back of my hand.
“Yes. I know better than anyone that if you love someone, you stay with them no matter what the circumstance or consequence. Fighting to make it work is worth it.”
I smile at him as I throw my arms around him again. “Thank you, Dad.”
“Anything for you, kiddo.” He perks up like he hears something. “You should head back inside. They are debating on whether or not they should go to the soccer game tonight. Tell them they should go. They’ll listen to you.”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” I ask him.
“Yes. You all need to find time to be kids, especially after that intense meeting. This is the perfect opportunity,” he says before he gives me an extra push. “Go.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I grin at him before I throw my arms around him one last time.
“I love you, kiddo.”
“I love you too,” I say before I turn around and head back inside the house.
“What if there’s an attack at the soccer game, and we are all outed?” Jake cries dramatically.
“I think we should go,” I say, not wasting any time.
“Really?” Sean asks as his eyebrows raise.
“Yeah. Let’s have some fun before everything gets so serious around here.”
“I’m with Nina,” Mason says as he raises his hand, suddenly. “We should have some fun while we can.”
“I agree,” Paul says as he steps forward.
“Great! I’m going to tell Tyler he needs to get ready!” Jake shouts as he literally runs to the stairs at full speed.
I look around the room and frown when I notice a certain blonde boy still missing.
“Where’s Luke?” I ask.
“I think he’s in his room,” Paul says with a shrug.
I make my way down the hallway upstairs when I run into Olivia, who looks frazzled.
“Oh good, please talk some sense into him,” she says as she points to Luke’s bedroom door.
“What?” I ask as she passes me.
“You’ll see,” she says as she keeps walking down the hallway.
31
“Luke?” I ask as I knock on his bedroom door. He doesn’t answer, so I push the door open. I find him shoving clothes into a suitcase like a mad man. “Hey, are you okay?”
He glances over his shoulder and sees me. “Hey.” He rushes over to me and pulls me into his arms. “I’m okay. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I answer as I bury my head in his chest.
I feel Luke lean down and kiss the top of my head before he pulls away from me. “So, our plane tickets are bought, and the hotel is booked. Once we get there, we’ll look at houses.” He zippers his suitcase. “I’m already packed. Let’s go to your room so I can help you grab what you need before we go.”
“Wait a minute,” I say as I hold my hands up. “Where are we going?”
Luke laughs. “Sorry, I forget sometimes that you can’t read my mind.” He yanks the suitcase off the bed and sets it upright. “Hawaii, just like how you always wanted. I know we didn’t think it would be so soon, but this seems like the perfect time.”
“You want to go on vacation?” I ask.
“Yeah, but p
ermanently.”
“You want to move to Hawaii right now?”
Luke sighs. “Things aren’t really looking great for me right now. If I stay here, I’ll be forced to leave, or I’ll be killed.”
“I know that’s what it seems like—”
“That’s how it is,” Luke interrupts.
“I know, but if you stay here, we can help.”
“No, Nina. I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t rely on your family to save my ass every five seconds. Let’s just go. We can finally start over without worrying about all this shit.”
“I can’t run away,” I say as I shake my head.
“You can.” He frowns. “You just don’t want to.”
“Yes,” I admit. “I don’t want to leave my family.”
Luke nods his head as he glances to the floor. “I guess I can’t blame you for that.” He reaches behind him and takes the handle of the suitcase.
“I was just talking to my dad. He said we can try to figure something out. Marcy won’t hurt you. I won’t let her,” I tell him.
Luke sighs as he avoids my stare. “Nina…” Finally, his eyes meet mine. He looks like he’s in pain. “You know how I feel about you.”
I nod, unsure of what to say or where he’s going with this.
“I can’t do this to your family. I feel like an asshole. I have to go. If you don’t want to come with me, I understand.” He sighs as he shakes his head. “In a few months, maybe things will be different—”
“A few months? Luke, what are you saying? Do you hear yourself right now?”
“I’m trying to do the right thing here,” he says with a frown.
“How can you leave after everything we’ve been through?”
“I love you, but I refuse to put your family in this position. I have to go.” He gives me a tight smile before he starts to walk out of his room.
“Luke,” I call out as I follow him down the hall. “You’re not thinking rationally right now.”
Luke freezes before he spins around to face me. “For once in my life, I’m trying to be the good guy. I’m trying to do right by you and your family.”
“You’re not listening. I don’t want you to leave. My family doesn’t want you to leave,” I tell him. My heart pounds as I wait for his response.