Infamous: (A Bad Boy Romantic Suspense) (30 page)

“I’d like that, if you think it’s safe,” I said, pushing my food around my plate so it looked like I’d eaten more than I had. Neither vampire noticed. They’d clearly stopped paying attention to culinary tricks a long time ago since they didn’t need to eat people food to live. My stomach growled but I was too nervous. The idea of getting out of here and into the city, where I could conceivably escape this entire mess, had my stomach doing somersaults.

“It’s too risky,” said Robert, eyeing both of us.

“We’ll have Solosha with us, watching the whole time. And I know you have some other things guarding the place. I’ve heard them waffling at night,” Dimitri said with a wink. I looked at Robert sharply but he studiously avoided making eye contact.

“Yes, well, you can never be too careful,” he said gruffly.

“Oh, you definitely can. But I want Emma to be safe, too, so I think this is a fine compromise. Plus it will shake up whoever is watching. They won’t expect us to leave the house,” Dimitri offered. It was vaguely sound logic, though I doubted whoever was interested in me would see it as anything other than an opportunity. Just like I did.

“Fine, but I’m coming with you. I have a flat in the city as well. We can switch between places and keep them guessing,” Robert said. I gulped. Well, that was a wrench in my potential escape. Dodging Dimitri I felt more sure of. Robert? He was too clever by half.

The one thing working in my favor was that neither of them seemed to even consider the possibility that I would want to leave. It would be too foolish. And it was. But it was also the only way I could see out of some half-life spent running from people who wanted to use me and a decision about eternity I just wasn’t ready to make. I had no doubt the council was going to force the issue even if this other situation was resolved. There was no way I was getting out of this alive. Literally.

While I was packing, Tina came in looking serious. She closed the door behind her and held out a plain wooden box.

“Here. I think you may need this,” she said. I took it and opened it. Then gasped.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes. The boys won’t think to give you something, but since it’s some kind of changeling, I have a good notion this will help. Or at least buy you some time,” she said.

“I…thank you. If you’re sure,” I said, hugging her.

“Very. Keep it close,” she said, kissed my cheek, and left.

I took the blade out of the box. It was clearly very old and, I suspected, something personal of Tina’s. The handle had intricate carvings of shape-shifting creatures. It looked silvery and I suspected it was. So I guess that part of the myth is true; silver can hurt them. I slipped it into my bag, not sure I felt any safer, but I definitely felt armed.

I rode alone with Dimitri in a sleek black car. Robert was going to follow later. We didn’t say much for a while. I kept thinking about the knife in my bag, and he was looking out the window in an unusually pensive way.

“I will keep you safe, you know,” he said suddenly, moving to sit by me. It was a pretty spacious backseat. I was getting used to traveling by chauffeur, I have to admit. But I kind of missed driving. It had been a while and, like a lot of other things, it was a reminder of the freedom I didn’t currently have.

“I know,” I said and hoped I sounded surer than I felt. I wasn’t convinced anyone could keep me safe.

“I mean it. I know Robert has concerns but…” He took my chin in his hand and gently turned me to face him. His eyes were intense, glittery, and he was more serious than I’d ever seen him. It was disconcerting.

“Emma, I know you don’t take me very seriously. And that’s fine, I’ve avoided being serious most of my very long life. But when it comes to your safety, I would never hesitate. Not for a moment. Not even if it meant my own death,” he said.

“I…don’t want you to do that, Dimitri. I’m not worth that kind of sacrifice,” I said, feeling uncomfortable. I didn’t want anyone giving up their lives, undead or not, for mine. That was too big a responsibility.

“You are, Emma. You’re worth more,” he said, and kissed me. It was a soft kiss at first, feather light. I sighed and touched his face, stubble a little rough against my fingertips.

He kissed down my neck gently and pulled me into his lap. The car was on smooth road and he rocked his hips against mine creating a burgeoning heat between my legs. He pulled my top down baring a breast, then softly sucking on the nipple. I tipped back, offering myself.

He placed me on the seat then delicately pulled my pants down and pulled my hips to him. He kissed me through my underwear making me damp. He was careful to only touch the outer lips, excruciatingly soft, so that I was begging him for more.

My underwear was gone in a moment and his mouth was on me, slipping around my bud. I arched, so sensitive, and then he slid a finger inside. I came, riding a wave of pleasure.

Then he was inside, full and hard. I clutched at him as he said my name over and over on a sigh. He took his time and I came again, eagerly, then again. I bit his neck as he thrust deep and cried out, bringing me with him.

I curled up in his arms in the car as he draped his jacket over us. I was tired and fell into a half waking doze.

“I will always protect you, Emma. Always,” Dimitri whispered.

It was going to be harder to leave than I thought.

To my surprise, Dimitri’s hotel room in Venice was a small, cozy affair set above a bakery. It smelled like cake, which I had a feeling would start off great and end up being kind of annoying. It was basically a bed and a bathroom for me, and then a separate room without windows I assumed was his version of a “lair.” From the windows in mine I could see down the canal for at least six blocks in one direction. It felt a little like being in a movie, even though it was well past 1 a.m.

But I knew I wouldn’t be able to do any of the romantic things I’d seen in films. I’d get to watch other people while I stayed “safe” in this room, locked away like the princess in a fairy tale. Only it wasn’t fun to be a damsel, it was torture. Which is what all the sanitized versions of fairytales don’t tell you.

Dimitri put his arms around me while I stood there.

“You look so serious. And beautiful,” he said.

“Don’t,” I said, not in the mood for compliments.

“What?” he asked, turning me around. I put my head on his chest, not wanting to look him in the eye.

“Just feeling overwhelmed,” I said, hedging. I was worried he’d somehow see in my face that I was planning on leaving. I inhaled his scent and tried to savor the feel of him. I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to do that.

We went to bed and he made love to me again, slowly, tenderly, and when I came I shouted with passion and regret.

I woke the next morning alone in a beam of sunlight so bright it made my head hurt. There was a note on the pillow next to me.

Emma,

Robert would like to see you tonight. Take Solosha and be careful. I won’t be far but I have a delicate matter I need to take care of. Remember my promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you.

Dimitri

I sighed and put the letter in my bag. Aside from a few clothes he’d bought me, it was the only thing of his I’d have once I left. I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d get away from Solosha, of course. I mean, how does one escape the wind? But going to and from Robert’s was the perfect opportunity. I’d have to figure it out.

Packing was easier than I thought. I didn’t have much anymore. I opened my passport and looked at the smiling, naïve girl in the photo. It wasn’t a flattering pic, they never are, but I missed that person. I looked over the stamps I’d acquired from various airports. Amsterdam, London, Hamburg. Paris and Venice weren’t on it because we hadn’t gone through any of the regular airports. It was like I had never been there. Which felt surreal, much like everything else since that night in the alley.

I thought about Tasha for the thousandth time, how I hadn’t called her or texted her. She hadn’t either, though. She was very likely hooking up with some hot guy or girl, or three, and would be positively stoked about my current love triangle predicament. Sans the vampire part, probably. Or she might think it was pretty cool.

I typed in a text to her, something benign about being back home already…then deleted it. I did the same with a text to my mom. I didn’t want to lie to anyone or potentially get them caught up in any of this. So I wiped all the contacts from my phone and tossed it in the garbage. I immediately felt naked without it.

Waiting for evening was excruciating. I had to show up to Robert’s and pretend everything was going along fine for this to work. My only shot was the time between leaving his place and when I should be back at Dimitri’s, so no one would be looking for me for a little while and I could get away. It wasn’t a big window and there was still Solosha to somehow get around, but it was my chance.

What I was going to do after, I still hadn’t figured out. I couldn’t go home, but I couldn’t stay here. Maybe I’d become some kind of wandering nomad until it was safe again. Or maybe I’d get eaten. Who could say? One crisis at a time was all I could handle.

I sat and waited for night.

Anyone watching me as I walked to Robert’s house would have thought I was alone. But I could feel Solosha around me like a warm breeze and catch glimpses of her gray wrappings as she flitted about. Venice was alive with people, laughing and talking, hugging, drinking, and sightseeing on the boats on the canals. I longed to do such a mundane, touristy thing.

I also longed to just sit at a café and drink coffee like any other normal twenty-something would do, reading a properly pretentious book and people watching. That’s all I’d really wanted to do when I’d set out on my little European adventure. But as I’ve mentioned, things never really go the way I plan.

And then I decided, screw it.

I turned abruptly and walked into a little café, ordered a simple cup, and sat at a small table overlooking a canal.

“What are you doing? Robert is expecting you,” Solosha said, a breezy whisper in my ear. I looked around to make sure no one was looking.

“I know. This is for me. I need something normal and everyday for like twenty minutes. He can wait,” I said. I could feel the disapproval in the air (literally), and simply sipped and ignored it. I savored that coffee, enjoyed its earthy acidity, the smooth cream, the dark brown sugar with a hint of cinnamon. I took my time. I watched couples come and go, a man on a bicycle streaming bubbles behind him in an iridescent haze, and all sorts of locals and tourists alike. I tried to commit every face, every ordinary moment, to memory. It reminded me of my humanity and that, whatever else was going on with me, the world was going on just fine. This was weirdly comforting.

“Alright, let’s go,” I said to no one and ignored the strange looks I got from a few passersby. I set off at a brisk pace and with a straight back. As we walked I took my hair down from its messy bun and shook it out. I was feeling lighter all of a sudden.

Robert’s house was, like Dimitri’s flat, surprisingly simple in comparison to his huge estate. It was only two stories and in a simple pale blue. I was let in by a pale older man in a suit who didn’t speak and shown into a small drawing room. Robert was sitting by a fire, reading a book and looking quite a lot like someone about to introduce a movie on
Masterpiece Theater
. I half-expected him to produce a pipe and a smoking jacket.

Instead he got up and came over to me with a smile.

“It’s been too long,” he said, kissing my cheek.

“Just one day,” I said, blushing. He was looking at me so intensely I felt uncomfortable.

“Yes, much too long. I like your hair,” he said and put his hands up to it, letting it fall between his fingers. Then he kissed me, full and warm until I was breathless.

“I should show you the surprise I have ready or we’ll never get to it,” he said, voice rich with passion. I felt a bit weak in the knees.
Steady, Emma
, I thought.

He led me down a small hallway and out the back to a small patio behind the house. It was sparkling with lights and a wide-paneled floor. There was music playing from somewhere that sounded live but couldn’t have been. It was lilting, a little sad, but growing in intensity.

“May I have this dance?” Robert said, holding out his hand and smiling. I took it and was led out onto the floor.

“I can’t really dance, you know. Not formally,” I said, looking at my feet.

“I’ll lead, don’t worry,” Robert said, then swept me along. It was exhilarating, letting him lead. I felt light and didn’t step on his toes at all. I don’t know what we were dancing; it could have been the waltz or something else entirely. All I know is that I was swept along in his strong arms, and when I looked up into his intense blue eyes, I felt the heat between us as we moved. Our bodies were in sync and I let myself pretend this moment could last forever.

He spun and twirled me as though I were a lady in a fine ballgown rather than jeans and a t-shirt. He looked at me as though I were the only woman in the world he wanted to see. His hand around my waist was firm, the other that held my own warm as he lightly stroked my palm with his thumb.

It was a Cinderella kind of evening, even though I’ve always hated that story. Girl gets rewarded for being a floor mat, what a great message. Still, I’d be lying if I said I’d never fantasized about getting into a ballgown and having some intensely romantic night. Sans singing, though. I have a stunning skill at being perpetually off-key.