Deny Me If You Can (13 page)

Megan kept moving forward with her gaze locked
on the next corner that she had to round to get to the club, but her steps had slowed down. Before she knew it, she stood still, just staring at the corner. Just a few more steps and she would be by the club, but she didn't move. Everything within her screamed that she should run, that she should stay away.

When she tried to take a step
, pain struck her in her chest. Megan gasped and bent forward from surprise. It hadn't been a physical pain. It had been an emotional pain.

The bond.

It was Jaromir. There was no doubt in her mind. He knew that she was nearby. Maybe he felt it, and by sending her those emotional feelings filled with despair, sorrow and longing, he was trying to tell her something.

It said run, save yourself.

Without a second thought, Megan turned around and headed the way she had come. Now she was sure that something was wrong. She didn't have to wonder, but knowing didn't calm her. Instead, she became even more worried. Jaromir wasn't safe and everything within her told her to find him, to go to him and to keep him safe. The feelings were so strong that she was sure that she would kill anything in her way in order to reach him. She realized that her vampire traits were stronger now, and right now that was a good thing. It took away the tip of her fear and filled her with anger and determination.

Megan stopped in her tracks.
She wouldn't leave. Jaromir needed her, just like she needed him. Something was happening to him and she couldn't allow that.

Megan was just about to
start walking toward the club again when she noticed something moving in the corner of her eye. She barely had the time to turn her head around when someone pressed a hand against her mouth from behind and another hand grabbed her by the waste. She was pressed against a warm and strong body.

Megan screamed but her sounds were muffled by the hand against her mouth. She
wiggled for all she was worth to get free when a familiar voice spoke behind her.

“Calm down, Megan. It's me, Shane.”

He let go of her and Megan spun around. “You scared me! Wh
at did you do that for?”

“
Shh,” he silenced her. “Keep your voice down. It's not safe here.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. Megan followed him, confused and worried like never before.

“What is going on?” she asked.

“I'll tell you soon. Just stay quiet right now.”

Megan didn't dare to do otherwise. Shane never let go of her hand while he led her through allies without lighting. It was difficult to see anything and she almost stumbled on her own feet, but Shane never let her fall. He was immediately there when she managed to slip.

“Thanks,” Megan said.

“You're welcome,” he answered.

Shane opened a door that was hidden deep down
inside an alley and they went inside. Megan found herself inside a fancy looking bar. It was like she had went back in time to the twenties. Everything seemed to be made from wood. Everything from the floor, the walls and even the chairs that were decorated with comfortable looking cushions. The light was dim, and when she looked around she saw several vampires staring at her with grim faces. Megan counted fast and wondered what was going on when she counted about fifteen vampires.

“It she the one?” a woman by the bar with red hair asked. She put down the glass she was holding and approached Megan. The woman looked her over. “She is tiny.” She gave Shane a doubtful look. “Are you sure you have the right woman?”

Megan had no idea what was going on, but when she looked at Shane she saw irritation in his eyes, but he stayed calm. “I'm sure. Stop wasting time. Time is something we don't have.”

The other vampires slowly approached her t
oo, making Megan feel surrounded. She swallowed and couldn't help but wonder if she was safe or not. All the vampires glared at her. They looked her over and she almost expected them to jump her, but no one did.

“What is going on?” Megan asked with a weary look at the vampires
who stood nearby.

“We need your help,” a female voice said to Megan's left.

Megan turned around and recognized the woman. Megan had met her along with another woman and a man in the hallway to Jaromir's club while running away from him. Megan noticed that all three of them were there. 

“Where's Jaromir?” Megan asked.

“That's what we want to talk with you about.” The woman came closer. “I'm sorry, we didn't get to chance to introduce ourselves last time we met.” She reached out her hand toward Megan. “I'm Carolyn, and this is Gloria and Ivan.”

Both Carolyn and Gloria were blonde, but Carolyn looked older
and had wisdom in her eyes while Gloria radiated innocence with her big eyes and doll-like face. She had obviously been young when she had been turned. Ivan, on the other hand, was noticeable with his snake tattoo around his throat. His red eyes said “don't mess with me”.

Megan
took Carolyn's hand and shook it before she gave Gloria and Ivan a nod. “Hello.” They nodded back. “Thank you for talking with me yesterday. It helped me a lot.”

“You're welcome,” Gloria answered.

“So can someone please tell me what is going on? I'm worried.”

“That's reasonable,” Shane said. “Can you still feel Jaromir?”

“Barely. The bond is weak, but it's strong enough for me to sense that something isn't right, and you better start talking before I go crazy from not knowing.”

Shan
e grinned and his gaze darkened. Apparently, he liked her feistiness.

“You two are made for each other,” he said
and pointed toward a table. “Sit down. You will want to sit when you hear what I have to say.”

That didn't sound good and Megan tensed, but she s
at down. Being surrounded by vampires didn't ease her tension, but she didn't believe that they would hurt her. Instead, they all looked sad or worried, and their anger was impossible to miss. She had felt it in the air as soon as she had stepped inside the bar.

“I will get down to business because we don't have much time,” Shane said when he sat down next to her.

The other vampires came closer. Some stood, others sat. Carolyn and Gloria sat down by the table while Ivan stood behind Gloria with his hands on her shoulders. Megan suspected that they were a couple. The possessive grip Ivan had on Gloria's shoulders told Megan that he cared deeply for her.

Shane took a deep breath. “Jillian escaped the prison.”

Megan gasped and stared at him, immediately forgetting Gloria and Ivan. “What? How is that possible? Jaromir said it was impossible to escape from your prison.”

“And so it is, but she never reached it before some of her friends helped her escape. How she got away is not important right now. What is important is that she is free and that she has Jaromir.”

His words were like a knife to Megan's heart. For a short while, she was unable to breath. Hearing that Jaromir was in danger didn't just scare her. It also awakened a burning rage within her that made her want to kill anyone who hurt him. Jillian was in deep shit. Even if Megan still didn't know what was going on, she would never let Jillian get away with this now. The thought that Jillian was touching Jaromir or causing him pain made her hiss.

Carolyn leaned closer. “You really do
belong with him. Only a true mate, while still being human, would react like a vampire.” Carolyn grinned. “You hiss like a vampire. I'd say that's all the proof I need.”

Megan blushed when she realized
how she had acted. She couldn't understand what on earth had gotten into her! The hissing had been pure instinct.

“Proof of what?” Megan asked.

“That you were born to be a vampire and that you are meant to be his queen. I see it in your eyes. The strength, the passion and desire you have to protect him. No wonder he got attached to you so quickly.” Carolyn straightened her back. “I must admit that I didn't see it coming, you talking with us in the club. You just showed up in front of me, Ivan and Gloria and demanded to have your questions answered. At first it amused me because I had never seen anything like it from a human. Humans usually fear us or avoid us, but you, you just step forward without a second thought.”

Megan cleared her throat. “Well ...”

“What Carolyn is trying to say in short words is that you are Jaromir's true mate,” Shane said and gave Carolyn a serious gaze.

Carolyn sighed. “Yes, I'm sorry. I talk too much. We must get moving.”

Megan looked them over. “Alright. So what do you know and what do you want me to do?”

“We know nothing,” Ivan said. “And that's the problem. Jillian stormed the club with several of her friends.
Only a few people were there because the club was closing for the day. Chaos broke out and several of Jaromir's workers got killed.”

“How many friends does Jillian have?” Megan asked and swallowed hard.

“
Enough to make an impact, and they are more like her own gang or crusaders who she hires to do her dirty work.”

Megan didn't like the sound of
that.

“Just like among humans, there are vampires who will do anything for money. Jillian must have the right connections to gather people like that so fast.”

Megan just nodded. “So what happened next?”

“
Those who could, they fled, others stayed behind to protect Jaromir. Jaromir is one of the best kings we have ever had and if something happened to him, our world would fall apart. We need him.”

“We wanted to stay by his side, but he hissed at us and forced us to leave to get to you. You are as important to him as his next breath and he
wanted to be sure that you are protected. With Jillian free there is no doubt that she will come for you,” Gloria said.

Megan looked at the vampires. “There are many of you here. How many stayed with Jaromir?”

“Only a few.”

Shane straightened his back. “We have tried to find out what is going on in there, but we are met with nothing but silence. Jaromir doesn't pick up his phone. Neither do
es Jillian. She wants something so communication is important, but there is none.”

“That can only mean one thing,” Carolyn said.

Megan expected the worst. The tears that threatened to run down her cheeks were difficult to hold back.

“Jillian doesn't care what happens to her, and the only thing she wants is to kill you and keep Jaromir. She had always been possessive over Jaromir in a bad way.”

“She doesn't love him,” Megan almost squeaked. Talking became more and more difficult.

Carolyn placed her hand on Megan's hand to comfort her. “No, she does not. I don't think she ever has, but I have been watching her over the years. To her, Jaromir is nothing more but fun and power. She wants him because of his position, and imagine what she could do as a queen. She would receive
the same rights and privileges as he has. No one would be able to touch her and she would be able to do anything she wanted.”

“But Jillian has realized by now that her chances of ever getting what she wants are gone. Honestly, her becoming Jaromir's queen has always been zero. Jaromir never held
that kind of interest in her, but she never gave up and tried to force the issue several times.”, Shane said. “Jaromir disliked her more and more because of that.”

“Then you showed up ...” Carolyn said.

“... And the rest is history,” Shane finished.

Megan took a deep breath. She understood Jillian's reasons better now, and t
hose reasons only made Megan dislike her even more. Every step Jillian had taken had been about herself, and only herself.

“Why did Jaromir allow Jillian to stay around him?” Megan asked.

“Because they were close as young vampires and survived the first few tough years together,” Shane said. “They were both turned about five hundred years ago. Things were different back then, darker and more violent. As a vampire, you lived a dangerous life and especially as a young vampire who didn't know much about what it meant to be a vampire. Jaromir and Jillian only had each other back then, and they survived because they stuck together. Eventually, they found others of our kind, and one thing led to another. Jaromir became our king over three hundred years ago, and Jillian was there by his side.”

“She was different back then,” Carolyn said. “More innocent, but the darkness and desire for power awakened more and more with each step Jaromir took closer to the throne. I think, she took for granted that she would become his queen because of their past and tight friendship.”

“But they grew apart somewhere along the way,” Gloria said. “Now there is nothing but irritation between them.”

It was obvious to Megan what would happen if Jillian
won this. She wanted to be a queen, and Jaromir was in her way. Megan didn't doubt for a second that Jillian would kill him if he didn't make her his queen. If he died, she would be able to become a queen anyway. She would take the throne by force, and Jillian wouldn't stop for anything to reach her goal.