B0089ZO7UC EBOK (14 page)

When I raised my voice he finally realized what I meant.
 
“Oh yeah, yeah.
 
Let me call for Janet to take her home.”
 
I knew he wasn’t going to take her and leave me alone with Antonio.

“Oh come on.
That brutish woman that treated me like a criminal!?”
 
Fate pooched out her bottom lip into a pout.
 

“Well, I will make sure she knows you’re my new friend and to treat you well.”
 
This seemed to please her and she nodded, still smiling like a silly girl with a crush.
 

Janet was promptly upstairs.
 
The bodyguard crossed her arms as she waited impatiently.
 
“Babysitting costs extra.”
 
She said and Antonio shot the woman a glare that made her lower her eyes to the floor.
 
“Sorry.”
 

“Follow the lovely Fate and make sure she arrives at her destination safely.”
 
Antonio ordered.

As they were leaving, Fate called back to Antonio.
 
“You’re an awesome vamp, Sir.”

Antonio genuinely laughed then turned back to Marcus and me. The three of us were alone once more.
 
“I could definitely go for a bite of that one.”

Marc came across the room in long, angry strides to confront Antonio.
 
“Is that how your fill your void of a life?
 
Hurting women’s hearts with your smooth words?
 
Charisma bullshit.
 
That girl isn’t even eighteen yet.”

“Guys, stop it.
 
What did you have to tell us anyway?”
 
I tried to distract the men so they wouldn’t get into a fight.

An arrogant grin spread across Antonio’s face as he stared at my fiancé.
 
“Why don’t you ask
Evelina
how old she was the first time she gave a man pleasure?”
 
He didn’t acknowledge that I’d spoken.
 
“Or how old she was the first time she gave it to me?”
 

I rushed across the room to get between them, but I didn’t make it before Marcus turned to look at me then quickly swung back around with his fist.
 
He made contact with Antonio’s lips and I could smell the blood before I even saw it drizzle from the corner of his mouth.
 
“I can’t tell you the first time, but I can tell you’ve had her for the last time.”
 
Marc said in a menacing tone.

“I’ll kill you, human.”
 
Antonio growled.
 
When I finally wedged myself between the two men, Antonio’s fangs were extended and he was on the precipice of losing all self-control.

“If you don’t stop, I will kill you both!”
 
I screamed at the top of my lungs in frustration.
 

“Tell us what we need to know then get the fuck out of my apartment.” Marcus said, walking toward the kitchen.
 
I knew his hand was hurting, but he wouldn’t concede anything in front of the vampire.
 

Two men fighting over a woman is much more appealing in theory.
 
When it’s actually happening it can be terrifying and heartbreaking at the same time.

Antonio glared the whole time, his playful mood completely gone by this point.
 
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a fancy card.
 
“It’s an invitation.
 
Dante’s throwing a big party soon and inviting vampires from all over to revel in the festivities.
 
I’m sure you can guess the sort of activities this will entail.”
 
He handed me the invitation.
 
It was addressed to him.
 
“It’s a trap, but the event may offer some opportunities.”

“What if I went?
 
I may be able to figure something out if I get inside.”
 

It was a stupid to hope the men would agree and on cue Marcus said, “Hell, no” while Antonio gave a fervent and firm “No.”

“Fine!
 
It was just an idea.”
 
Well, that wasn’t even worth the attempt.
 
I thought to myself before looking to Antonio.
 
“Thanks for the information.”
 

“I’ll let you know if I find out anything else.” He shot Marc a threatening look, before leaning in and kissing me passionately on the lips.

Marcus was charging across the room.
 
“Motherfucker….”
 
But, Antonio was gone out the door before he could catch up.
 
He yelled out, though no one was in sight.
 
“Run!
 
Coward!”

I stood frozen in place, afraid of what to say, just looking down at the invitation.
 
Marc snatched it out my hand as he stormed by me and tossed it in the trash.
 
“Pussy ass vampire….”  He mumbled.  I knew how he was when he was angry, so I gave him his space to cool down.
 
Longer than usual…this was beyond being mad and pushing past furious.

Just over a month had passed since Dante kidnapped us.
 
Between feeding on Marc and drinking the blood from the bottles I’d had Ashley bring, I was the strongest and healthiest I had ever been.
 
The previous night I had decided that it was time.
 
The date of Dante’s party was upon me.
 
Unfortunately, when I awoke that morning, my head ended up draped over the toilet.
 
I hadn’t felt sick in a couple of weeks, so I figured it was nerves or perhaps pure fear.
 
Either way, there was no turning back.

The guards had been becoming bored with all the inaction, so I knew they would probably be easy to slip by.
 
Marcus and I ate dinner and I suggested we share with the guards.
 
I’d offered to cook.
 
He was so innocent and oblivious.
 
It pained me to drop the sedatives into his drink.
 
The drugs had been in the med kit Ashley retrieved.
 
They wouldn’t hurt him, but I was still feeling guilty.
 
I needed him to be out cold so that I could make my escape.
 
Drugging the guard’s drinks didn’t bother me quite as much.

We’d made love for possibly the last time after dinner.
 
Afterward he drifted into a deep slumber.
 
I debated staying as I leaned on my elbow beside him and watched the soft rise and fall of his bare chest.
 
Sometimes doing the right thing is the most difficult.
 
How could any of us ever be happy in this prison?
 
I quietly climbed out of bed and gathered up my supplies.

A few days earlier I had sewn a little hidden pocket into the purse.
 
Inside, I put the blood thinner and a small needle and syringe.
 
The clutch would be searched, I knew this.
 
I just hoped the items would remain hidden. 

Dante demanded perfection.
 
I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror as I pulled my hair up as I’d worn it long ago.
 
My curls draped delicately.
 
As I transformed myself, I tried to convince myself that I was the courtesan once again.
 
I had been more than a common whore and I had to recapture who I had been.

This was the ritual I followed for years.  I gave my lips a little pout after putting on my lipstick.
 
Then I practiced my most seductive smile.
 
If the vampire didn’t believe I was sincere, he may never give me the chance to kill him.
 
The dress fit like a glove, hugging my body in exactly the right spots.
 
His obsession would be my only advantage and I had to feed it.
 
When I was ready, I piled my make-up supplies into my purse to cover the secret compartment.
 

There was nothing left to do except get out.
 
I paused again and watched my sleeping fiancé.
 
 
His dog had climbed into bed and was asleep beside him.
 
If someone had told me a month before that’d I’d be engaged, I would have said they were insane.
 
Now, the hardest part of this whole endeavor was building the nerve to leave him.
 
 
I looked down at my ring that he’d so spontaneously purchased.
 
We were both crazy, but I didn’t care.
 
With effort I worked up the nerve to take off the ring and I sat it on top of a note I had placed on the nightstand.
 
It simply read, “I love you.”
 
Had I told him before?
 
It seemed like I had but when I thought back, I didn’t remember.

I gave the apartment one last look, before opening the front door as silently as I could.
 
His wallet on the kitchen counter caught my eye.
 
He may have remembered the address but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take it just in case he’d forgotten.
 
Everything was quiet when I went back to the door.
 
My boots sounded loud as I walked down the hallway and stairs.
 
I didn’t hear anything when I got downstairs except for the breathing of the guards who were unconscious.
 
They were both asleep at a cheap folding table in their chairs. Cards from their poker game were spread across the table along with a few that fell to the floor. It was tempting to take their weapons and storm Dante’s manor guns blazing.
 
I shook my head.
 
No.
 
I would stick to my plan.  I needed to survive.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

When I stepped outside, I breathed deeply.
 
I don’t know how I’d stayed inside for so long.
 
The escape from
Versaille
came to mind and I almost turned around.
 
It may have been like I was being imprisoned here, but it was ultimately my choice to go along with it. I was about to walk into a real hell, where I couldn’t leave if I wanted to.
 

The streets were silent as I walked swiftly toward the corner of the block.
 
Moths fluttered around the dim lights lining the pathway.
 
I put my phone up to my ear after dialing for a taxi.
 
The GPS put Dante’s mansion, or the road it was on, approximately twenty miles away.
 
My money should just barely cover the ride.
 
I wasn’t planning on leaving my fiancé there unprotected.
 
 
The best bet was to call the police to the apartment after the taxi arrived.
 
Bright lights and cops would surely deter any attackers.

I finally rounded the corner and stopped just short of running into Antonio.
 
He was leaning up against the wall and shaking his head.
 
My grip on the phone slipped and it crashed to the pavement.
 
It was a mixture of fear, relief, and frustration when I realized who was standing in front of me.

His eyes traced my form, up and down my body.
 
One of his fangs was faintly visible as he casually licked his bottom lip.
 
 
“Isn’t it dangerous for whores to be walking the streets, amore?”
 
He said the word “amore” bitterly and it made me take a step back.

“It’s none of your business what I’m doing.”
 
 
I reached down and picked up my phone, intent on continuing as planned.
 
Of course I wanted to cry and run away from the hurtful words, but that wasn’t going to happen.
 
“Have you been watching me all this time?”