Leilani

by LM DeWalt

  Sliding down on the sofa, I lay my head back and rested my feet on the coffee table. Christian stayed silent, giving me a moment. “What if we go ahead with the surgery? At least give it a chance?”

  “We could do that. It is only a chance that the outcome will be negative. I think we should focus on the positive,” he said, laying his head back and turning to look at me.

  “Right. He’s a strong kid. What if he does beat it? He’s a fighter, I think.”

  “Yeah. If anybody can beat this, it’s him.” He said it, but I heard no conviction in his voice.

  “You have doubts, don’t you?” I sat up again so I could see his face.

  “I have no doubts about his will to live. That seems pretty damn strong. But you heard what the doctor said. This tumor is large. It’s spreading quickly. If they had caught it sooner, his chances would have been much higher,” he explained.

  I nodded and sighed. I knew the hunters cared nothing about him. They took care of his material needs so they could continue to use him. Nothing more. “If we go ahead with the surgery and the outcome is bad, can we do anything to save him? I mean, can we reverse the paralysis if it happens?”

  Christian sat up and looked at me with raised eye brows. “I truly don’t know. What are you thinking?”

  “I’m not going to let him die. How can you even think that?” I stood and walked to the window. He followed.

  “Lily, you can’t be serious. He’s just a kid.”

  “That’s exactly why I’m thinking it. He’s too young to die and he’s too young to live the rest of his life paralyzed, unable to do anything for himself, to enjoy anything. That’s not a life. Either way, he’s doomed.”

  “Think about what Aaron would say.”

  “Who cares what Aaron would say? I don’t give a damn. Do you see him here? Do you see Kalia by our side while we’re dealing with this? No! They don’t care. They turned their backs on me, on us. I don’t give a rat’s ass what they think!”

  Christian laughed despite the anger in my voice. “I understand how you feel about them right now. I also know that in time, you’ll forgive them and remember how much you love them. Maia may have been with them longer than you, but I honestly believe someone as cold-hearted as her can’t keep up the charade too much longer. She will show her true colors to them eventually and your relationship with them will be mended. What then? You know how Aaron feels about making more vampires.”

  “As much as I want to believe what you’re saying, the point still is that they love Maia. If they end up finding out the truth and she pleads hard enough, they will most likely forgive her. Where does that leave me? Still out of their lives. She didn’t want me there from the start and she will make sure I stay away. I have to forget about them. Aaron’s opinion no longer matters in any decision I make.” I turned away from the window and went back to the sofa. Even though I was looking down at the street, I could not remember anything I saw. My anger was starting to boil again at the mere mention of Aaron’s name. How could the love I felt for him cause so much pain and anger now?

  “So you’re really considering turning Jose Luis?”

  “I haven’t really given it too much thought yet. I just know I can’t let him die. I’m sick of losing the people I love.” My eyes burned with the start of tears. “I can’t handle anymore.”

  Christian kneeled in front of me and took my hands in his, his eyes softening as my tears finally spilled over. “Is this about you or him?”

  “How dare you insinuate that I could be that selfish?” I tore my hands away and stood.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it as harshly as it sounded. I understand how much you’re hurting after all the loss, even Ian’s, but do you think Jose Luis would be better off like us?”

  “I don’t know. I would just rather he be like us than not be at all. Does that make sense?”

  “It makes perfect sense.”

  “But why would you think I feel anything for Ian after all he did?”

  Christian opened his mouth but a knock at the door interrupted his response. Fiore and Aloysius would not be knocking and we weren’t expecting anyone else. Christian rose to answer the door but it opened before he could reach it. Mariana entered alone.

  “What are you doing here?” I snapped before she could say anything.

  “Let me explain,” she looked at my angry face with fear. “The driver, Tomas, he was in the car as soon as you left to go to town. I watched him from the window and he was dialing his cell phone. I wouldn’t have given it much thought, since he was free at the moment, but he looked nervous. He kept watching me as I watched him, his hand covering his mouth as he talked. I got suspicious so I went outside.”

  “And? What did you hear?” I asked standing in front of her, hands on my hips.

  “Nothing, that’s the problem. As soon as I stepped out the door he shut his phone, dove to the passenger side, and ran. I searched the car since I thought I saw him throw something toward the back but he must have taken the phone with him. I was only a few minutes behind him but, somehow, I lost him. His footprints disappeared suddenly.”

  “What do you mean suddenly?” I didn’t try to hide my annoyance.

  “I followed them for a couple of miles, just before town, and the tracks stopped at a tree. I figured maybe he climbed up but when I looked, he wasn’t there. I even climbed it myself. He just disappeared.” Mariana stepped back a few paces and tried to smile, faltering when I glared.

  “That doesn’t even make sense!”

  “Lily, do you think maybe…Melinda?” Christian suggested.

  “Why would she do that? If she was there, she would have been after us, not the driver. And besides, wouldn’t they have taken the opportunity of us being in Churín to go get Jose Luis?”

  “That does make more sense,” Christian crossed his arms and frowned. “We need to find the driver and clear this up. Why would he run? Why would he risk his own life? He was surrounded by vampires, totally defenseless.”

  “I will find him,” Mariana said with authority. “I know where he lives. I know his family. I recommended him for this job.”

  “Please tell me you checked him out before you hired him,” I stood eye to eye with Mariana and she didn’t back away this time.

  “Of course I did. He has a wife and two children. He drives a taxi but is barely surviving trying to pay for his kids’ school. He used to drive for Aloysius whenever he came to Peru but Aloysius would rather take taxis or just appear where he wants. He’s too private. I figured this was a good opportunity for Tomas to make some extra money.”

  “And why didn’t you stay in contact with us?”

  “It was kind of hard to talk while running. Besides, I had no signal most of the time,” Mariana explained and looked at her watch. “I’m going to go pay a visit to his wife. He might be there.”

  “No, that will be all for now. Giovanni is in charge. I will send him. You can take the rest of the night off,” I put a hand up when she tried to speak. “That will be all, Mariana.”

  “But, ma’am, you’re not in charge here. Aloysius…”

  “He may have hired you for this job but it’s us you’re guarding. I will decide what happens when he is absent.” I opened the front door and ushered her out. Margarita was just relinquishing her seat outside the door to Vicente, her replacement for the night. I stopped her before she could walk down the hall. “Margarita, can you get a message to Giovanni for me?”

  “Of course,” she answered. I told her what I needed and gave her the address I got from Mariana. “Please make sure Giovanni goes personally. He can call my cell when he has something to report.”

  “Very well. I will go to him right away.” She rushed down the hall toward the elevator with Mariana following. Mariana left without saying goodbye. She was angry that I wasn’t buying her story, but I didn’t care. I was tired of letting others take the lead in my life.

  “You don’t believe her, do you?” Christi
an asked as he bolted the front door.

  “Was it that obvious?” I asked and rolled my eyes. “There’s something about her…I’m not exactly sure why but I don’t like her.”

  “Remind me to never get on your bad side,” he replied as he took my hand and led me toward the spiral stairs.

  “Where are we going?”

  He smiled and looked at my eyes as he pulled me by the hand. “I liked the way you took charge. Think you can do that again upstairs?”

  I laughed but quickened my step. A few hours alone with Christian was just what I needed to help me decompress. The rest could wait until morning.

  EIGHT

  “You are truly amazing, Mrs. Rexer,” Christian whispered as my lips trailed down his chest and over his perfect stomach. He jumped when my tongue reached the top of his jeans and his fingers wound in my hair at the top of my head.

  I raised my head enough to gaze into his eyes as my fingers fumbled with the button of his pants. As I slid the zipper down, my stomach turned and jumped and my fingers started trembling as I pushed his pants down his muscular legs. I never thought a man could make me feel as if every time with him was the first. It had been different with Ian, not because I hadn’t wanted him that way, but because his passion seemed more like an act than true desire. Had I felt that then and was just blinded by what I thought we had? Christian kicked his pants off the bottom of the bed and sat up. “Lily, what’s wrong? Why are you thinking about him?”

  Guilt turned the fluttering in my stomach into a tight knot. “I don’t know. Believe me; the last thing I wanted was for him to pop into my head.”

  He took my arms and gently guided me to sit by his side, taking my face in his gentle hands, so unlike Ian’s. “Do you still feel love for him?”

  “What are you talking about? How could you ask me such a question?” I grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands off my face.

  “Please don’t be angry, it’s just that…Well, he was your first love. It’s only natural that you should still feel something for him, and…”

  “And what?” I said though gritted teeth.

  “Lily, I love you and I know you love me. That is not even an issue. But Ian was a huge part of your life, of who you are and how you became what you are. I would totally understand if you still feel something for him.” He touched the back of my hand with his fingertips, asking my permission to hold it in his. I looked at his calm face and relented, entwining my fingers with his.

  I swallowed hard before I answered. “I’m honestly not sure what I feel for him. I know I should hate him. I want to hate him for everything he did, for all the losses we suffered because of him, but something inside me won’t let me.”

  He nodded and stayed silent, waiting for me to continue. If I were in his shoes, I don’t think I could listen to any of this. The man should be sainted. “I know the connection between a vampire and a maker is supposed to be stronger than any other, but, he’s dead. He caused so much pain and anguish. I should hate him. Instead, I feel sorry for him. I pity him for his past and for what he became. I pity him for his loneliness and selfishness. He died because of his selfishness.”

  “You have to remember one thing,” He turned my face to look into my eyes. “He only wanted you back when you fell in love with me. It was like a game to him, a challenge. Before that, he stayed away for years. He left you, remember, not the other way around.”

  “I know. If I can figure out why he left me in the first place, maybe then I can finally hate him,” I suggested, still feeling guilty for my feelings, whatever they were.

  “If that’s what you need to get some closure on this, I will do whatever I can to help you,” he smiled before continuing. “But, Lily, I still don’t think you could hate him. Regardless of what he did, your heart is too full of love to fit hate in it, no matter who it’s for. That is just one of the many things I love about you.”

  “I do love you. I never loved him the way I love you. I feel like my love for you could consume me, all of me. It was different with him. I think I just felt like I needed him. I was young and inexperienced and needed him to take care of me. I think I thought that if he didn’t love me, I was nothing. I don’t feel that way now. I know who I am but I want you to love me, not need you to. Does that make any sense?”

  “It makes perfect sense and you don’t have to worry. I will love you for the rest of eternity. That’s not even a question in my mind. You are the air I breathe, but our first loves often feel like the true thing, no matter how real they truly are or aren’t. Ian was your first love. Let me be your last.”

  My stomach welcomed the butterflies back in full force and I reacted without speaking. I moved to straddle his legs and pulled his face toward mine with more force than I intended. My mouth crushed his as my legs pulled me up and positioned me where I needed to be to be one with him. As he kissed me back with as much force as I kissed him, I saw Ian’s face as he smiled and winked at me, and then it rippled and wavered before disappearing from my mind.

  Let me go, please…

  For now…For now, my love…his voice echoed in my ears as I made love to my husband like I never had before, without holding anything back, without an ounce of guilt.

  The front door crashed against the wall and footsteps echoed on the metal stairs. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my robe from the back of the door, locking the door as I slipped it on with one hand. “What is it?” Christian asked, sitting up and pulling the sheet up to his chest.

  “Smells like Aloysius, but something’s wrong,” my answer was cut short by the knock on the locked door. I unlocked it and pulled it open a crack. “What is it? Is it Jose Luis?” I asked and moved aside so he could enter.

  “No. I called the hospital a few minutes ago. He’s sleeping peacefully. It’s…I think we might have seen Leilani tonight,” He placed his hand on the door knob. “May I come in?”

  I turned to make sure Christian was covered before pulling it open. “Where? How?” Christian asked but didn’t meet Aloysius’s amused gaze.

  Aloysius looked between Christian me, and smiled before continuing. “Fiore and I decided to go to a café after we fed. We liked the taste of coffee and decided to enjoy a cup while we talked. Anyway, as we were sitting there waiting for a second cup, we happened to glance across the street. Do you remember the witch I followed one night, the one I bit?” I nodded, remembering the night he came home with his shirt covered in someone else’s blood. “She was walking across the park and toward the sidewalk, holding a little girl by the hand. She didn’t notice us watching her until I stood. That’s when she panicked and ran, dragging the girl with her.”

  “It could’ve been anybody. Maybe she has a kid,” I suggested, trying not to get my hopes up.

  Aloysius shook his head. “I thought about that too, but, why run?”

  “I’m sure she didn’t forget what you did. After all, you cornered her in a dark alley and bit her. She was probably afraid of you,” Christian said. He stood with the sheet wrapped low around his waist. The butterflies invaded again as soon as I glanced at him.

  “We weren’t close enough to them to do anything. Besides, there were a lot of people around, too risky. She has powers she could have easily used from that distance.” He shook his head again. “She was more concerned about protecting the girl.”

  “So what did you do?” I asked.

  “There was a glass wall separating us from them. We had to go through the restaurant to get back out onto the street. By the time we got outside, they were gone, probably jumped into a taxi.”

  “Shit!” I balled my hands into fists as I walked toward the closet.

  “What is it, Lily?” Christian asked.

  “Well, now at least we know she’s alive,” I walked into the closet and threw on the first outfit I found, not caring whether or not it matched. “The problem is we don’t know where she is. If they know we know, and by the woman’s reaction I’m almost positive they do, then they will be movi
ng her off the mountain tonight.”

  “If she was being kept on the mountain, we don’t know exactly where. It could take hours, if not days, to find the right house and, by that time, they’ll be gone,” Christian still stood with the sheet wrapped around his waist and turned to me. “Are you going someplace?”

  “Um, no. I figured some clothes would be good considering Aloysius is in our room. Actually, think they’d let us into the hospital to talk to Jose Luis?” I knew it was a long shot but I needed to know more about Leilani.

  “Those nurses are stricter than nuns on Sunday. I would venture to say no,” Aloysius backed toward the door resting his hand on the frame. “We will find a way to get to her. I think our first priority right now is Jose Luis. Have you made any decisions yet?”

  I looked at Christian but he remained silent. “I want to turn him,” There was no hesitation in my voice.

  “Very well. If that is your decision, I will support it.” Aloysius turned to leave then stuck his head back into the room. “Have you ever done it before?”

  “No, not on purpose, anyway,” I thought of how I accidentally turned Christian. “Do I have to do it myself?” I asked with a bit of doubt.

  “Yes, unless you want his attachment to be to someone else. When the time comes, I can guide you. There is nothing to be afraid of.”

  “But…What if it doesn’t work? I mean, what if I mess it up?” I was suddenly panicking at the idea.

  “Believe in yourself, Lily. If you only believed in yourself half as much as the rest of us do, your life could be very different.” He hurried down the hall without another word.

  “What was that supposed to mean?” I turned to Christian, who had finally dropped the sheet and was picking his clothes up off the floor.

  “I have no idea. But then again, that man is always cryptic,” he said with a smile that betrayed his frustration.

  “I was wondering,” I paused on my way out the door and turned to Christian. “Ian drained your blood and I gave you mine, unknowingly, of course.” Christian nodded. “Technically, we both made you.”