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“Truck, are you worried I’m going to get
hurt?” Julie looked over at him and he was looking down at the
plate he was scrubbing.

He glanced at her for a few seconds, then
looked back down at the plate. “I’m scared to death we both are.
But babe, I promise I will destroy anybody who tries.”

Julie hopped up and started putting the
dishes from the drying rack away.

Neither one of them said much more the rest
of the day. They watched TV and played board games with Dan and
Ellen. Julie’s mind would flash to her recent revelation and she
wondered if Trucker could really be enjoying himself. To her relief
the day flew by, and she was happy when her parents excused
themselves to bed.

“Did you really enjoy yourself today?” Julie
asked the minute they were finally alone.

“Yes, it was one of the greatest days ever.”
He grinned and stroked her ear.

“Why?” she wondered, after seeing his world
she figured that day would be the opposite of fun.

He pulled her over so she was laying against
his ‘heartless’ chest and started playing with her curls. “Baby, do
you have any idea how good and pure you guys are?” he asked.

She could barely manage to shake her head no.
He started trailing his massive hand up and down her arm with
butterfly-light caresses. “You and your family make me feel normal.
I would rather be with you and your family than anywhere.”

“Because you’re good.”

“Angel, will you ever realize what I am.”

“Will you?” she whispered more to herself.
She wished he could see his good side. His family has told him
about his evil side for so long, he was blind to who he really
was.

“I guess I need to go, you want me to come
over tomorrow?”

Julie raised her head as Trucker slid his
hand just below her ear and stroked his thumb across her
cheekbone.

“Duh.” Julie brought her hand up and pulled
his hand away from her neck, squeezing his fingers.

Trucker lowered those crystal clear, sky blue
eyes to meet hers. His incredibly long lashes swept down over his
cheeks. Something inside her twisted.

“I’m going to show you my good side before
you get slammed with my bad.” He slowly leaned into Julie. Her
mouth parted waiting for him to descend, when her cell phone went
off.

I was getting back

to you on your

questions about me and

Trucker. Just give me

a call later.

❤ Emily
❤

“What the . . . You talked to her?” He was
furious. Julie saw a vein slither down the side of his face. “How
dare you.”

“No, No, Truck, I didn’t. I’ve never seen or
spoken to her since the day I met her at your house.” Julie was
beside herself.
Oh, baby, I would never speak to her. I’m
horrified of her and horrified of hurting you.

“Get it through your thick skull. She’s
dangerous to you and your parents upstairs.” Trucker’s eyes had an
eerie glow to them. It was the most frightening thing Julie had
ever seen in her life.

“Please, I would never.” She grabbed for him.
He shrugged her off, slinging her against the back of the couch,
and stormed for the door.

“If you walk out without believing me, don’t
come back.”

She didn’t mean it. She wanted his attention,
but the last thing she heard was the door slamming. She pitched the
phone across the room. Julie sat there for the longest before
getting up and headed to bed.

That night was the first night she cried
herself to sleep. She didn’t cry for herself but for Trucker.

******

Hearing the alarm go off, Julie saw a beam of
sunlight shining in her window and felt the despair of not seeing
him. She got ready anyway.

She went downstairs to find her dad up,
eating breakfast. Dan was dressed for work, but as always took time
out for Julie.

“What do you have planned for today?” he
asked.

“I don’t know. Trucker was coming over, but
he left a little mad at me. So I don’t know.”

“What happen?” he asked, concerned.

“A misunderstanding.”
He couldn’t
understand I would never go behind his back.

Julie heard a faint tap and someone shuffling
on the doorstep. Immediately, she ran to the door, slinging it open
so hard, she knocked a hole in the wall.

“Truck, you came.” She sucked on her bottom
lip, trying to find the right words. “I never have, I never will
talk to her.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” He reached in his back
pocket and pulled out a brand new smart phone. “Here’s a new phone
and a new number.”

Julie’s face was stuck between confused and
what the hell. “Why and how so fast?”

She ran her finger along the screen, a
picture of them appeared. He had already made their picture the
phone’s wallpaper. She smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you.”

He stroked his face where her lips had
lingered. An impeccable smile lit up his face before he thought to
answer her. “How? It was an extra one my mom had lying around. Why?
Because you’re my world, and I’m going to keep you safe and away
from that beast. Don’t give that number to anyone. I mean anyone
other than your parents and me. Understand?”

“What about Tiffany and Tori?”

He rolled his eyes. “No.”

“Please, Gene and them are the only friends I
have.”

“Okay, but no one else.” His mouth suddenly
lowered over hers. “I mean no one,” he repeated into her lips. She
wanted to argue with him, but his quick and rough kiss stopped her.
He was irrational when it came to her. So there was no changing his
mind anyway. She tucked the phone in her back pocket, knowing it
was a dead subject as far as Trucker was concern.

Dan coughed the words, “Excuse me.”

Julie flipped her head and turned beet red.
“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, Mr. Dan, are you headed to work?”

“Yeah, be good to my baby girl,” Dan said as
he walked out the door and passed by Trucker.

“Always, tell my dad hi if you see him.”

They both watched as Dan got in the car and
drove away.

“Is my dad safe, Truck?”

“Very, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” His
voice drifted as he planted the softest kiss on her forehead.
“Baby, about last night, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. All I saw
was red,” he spoke with a firm shake to his head. “She had your
number and was trying to talk to you. I’ve never had the feelings I
have for you before.” Trucker smacked the doorframe causing Julie
to draw back from him. “I’ve never tried to protect someone. Please
understand how dangerous we are. If you knew the evil in me, than
you would know what I’m fighting just to be with you.” He glimpsed
at her and tried to smile, but she could see the torment behind his
facade.

“I wish I could feel it, even if it was for a
moment.”

“Be careful what you wish for, Angel.”
Trucker put his arm around her and pulled her toward him.

She felt the coolness of his skin and was
instantly calmed.

“Please don’t tell me you don’t want me to
come back again. That almost killed me. I wasn’t leaving you. I was
keeping you safe.” He reached up a hand and combed his fingers
through his hair.

“I’m sorry. I never meant it. I just wanted
you to talk to me and believe me.”

He slowly kissed the throbbing vein in her
neck. “Angel, I’ve never wanted anybody like I want you,” he
murmured against her skin. “My nerves are on fire. I’m on edge
about this weekend.” He paused, trying to reform his thoughts. “I
can only do so much. You have to be careful. It would destroy me to
lose you now.”

Julie led him over to the couch, pushed him
down, and straddled him. He raised his left eyebrow twice and
smirked. Julie was at a loss for words. She held up her pointer
finger and got up to get him a package off the kitchen table.

“I made you something. I know you don’t like
my handy work, but I think you’ll like this.” She smiled and tossed
a sloppy wrapped present at him. He bounced it in his hands.

“You’re my greatest gift.”

“Just open it.”

He meticulously unwrapped the present, his
face beamed when he saw it. It was a small leather band. The
leather had seven small silver beads braided throughout, the beads
spelled out TDC&JDE.

“It’s not as nice as your other one, but I
thought you would like it.” Julie shoved her hands in her back
pockets. He glanced up at her, and smiled his mega-watt, million
dollar, Trucker Castleman smile.

“I love it, it’s perfect.” He smooth his
fingers across the leather and blinked back tears.

“Anytime it gets too much, you can look at it
and know I. Am. Yours.” She sat down in his lap then kissed his
cheek. He nodded his head as Julie tied the bracelet on him.
“Truck, it’s not ever going to be easy is it?”

“No it’s not, but I promise you it’ll be
worth it.” He rubbed down the length of her face. She turned to
kiss the palm of his hand.

“Angel, are you ready for this weekend?”

“Yes, but first, Trucker, tell me more?” she
asked. Julie laid back against his chest, and started fiddling with
a button on Trucker’s shirt. “More about ... demons?” She hated
questioning him, but she needed to know.

“We are horrible and hideous monsters who
only want to destroy you.” His voice trailed off, and he started
clicking his tongue. His fear was almost palpable. She tilted her
head up to glimpse into his eyes. The pain in them left her
lost.

“You’re not like that.” She reached up and
stroked his unbelievably soft facial hair. She wished she knew how
to soothe him. He didn’t speak for a few seconds.

“Yeah, baby, I am. Part of me thrives on it.”
He slipped her legs off his and stood up, scratching the back of
his head. “Part of me wants to be good, be the man you
deserve.”

She wrapped her hand around his lower arm.
“You are good.”

He flipped around and fell to his knees.
“Angel, you bring out that part.” He rubbed his forehead against
hers. “If something happens to you . . . because of me.” He
vigorously shook his head.

“You won’t let anything happen to me.” She
traced over his lips. “But I need to know more.”

He sat back down beside her. “What do you
want to know?” His mouth was draw in a cautious straight line.

Oh, where to begin. I don’t know enough to
know where to begin.

“Are there different types of demons?”

“Yes, Emily and her mom are shape shifters,”
he explained.

“A what?” Julie’s mind was running so fast.
She felt like it was going to explode.
This is more than I ever
dreamed.

He took her trembling hands in his. “Angel, a
shape shifter can take on the shape of anything or anyone. It’s a
great tool in spying. Todd, remember him?” Trucker asked. Julie
didn’t respond so Trucker continued. “He’s a jokester.”

He felt her shiver in his arms. The sight of
his angel, his sweet Julie, with her big green eyes and a pouting
lip almost crazed him. “I promise no one’s going to hurt you. Just
breathe and I’ll protect you from all this.”

“That snake that bit you?”

Trucker nodded. “Is a shifter.”

Julie started gnawing on her fingertips. “You
killed him?”

“No, Angel, we can’t die until our mission is
fulfilled. I guess you can say we’re bullet proof.” He smiled a
wicked grin. “He wanted to hurt you so I just left him to suffer a
few hours.”

Trucker looked over at Julie and pulled her
hand away from her face. “Yes, babe, I enjoyed it. There are only
three people I don’t enjoy hurting. My mom, my sister, and
you.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

“You wanted to know. You wanted to know more,
and Angel, I’m the worst kind out there.”

“What kind are you?”

“A power demon.” He pulled his hands down
over his face, flustered.

“I thought you all wanted power.”

“We do, but I crave it. Ugh.” He leaned
forward on the couch, his elbow resting on his knees, his legs
apart. “I absorb power from humans.”

“How?” She felt her hand go to her mouth, but
he didn’t even comment on her nail biting.

“I told you that all your myths come from our
traits. Right?” He glanced at her over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” she said and nodded.

“Emily is a shifter. They love to change into
animals. They can run and be free. Hence, the werewolf myth was
born. Todd is a jokester, in other words he loves to play tricks on
you. Make you see things that aren’t there. He’s the topic of many
a ghost stories.”

“And?” Julie asked and by the look of dread
on Trucker’s face wished she didn’t.

“I feed.” He gripped her hand and placed it
onto his chest. “I absorb power that way, thus a modern day vampire
is born.”

He feeds off humans . . . blood. NO!
She jerked her hand away.

“You drink . . . blood?” she whispered.

“Yes, angel and yes, I like it.” His eyes
peered at her steadily, studying her.

“When?”

“I use to a lot, but you changed that.”

“When was the last time?”

“The night before you went with me. The night
of the bonfire.”

“You haven’t fed since then.”

He took a deep a breath. “Angel, I want to be
good for you. I want this life with you.” He slammed his head on
the back of the couch and slouched. “I need you more than I need
that.”

“Who was it?”

“Who was what, baby?”

“At the bonfire, whose blood?”

His hand fisted up at his side. “Why do you
ask questions that will just hurt you?”

“I want to know. I need to know.”

“Courtney,” he whispered. “I wanted you so
bad . . . I was hurting and it made me feel better. I wish it were
anybody but her. But she was there and she was easy.”

“Show me.”

“Show you what?”

“How you feed without touching a human?”