Tainted Blood (54 page)

The power flickered again, this time I set about lighting several candles which I placed around the apartment in anticipation of the power not coming back on. Once I was done with that task, I curled up on the couch in my warm jammies, wrapped my fleece blanket around me tightly, and stared down at my cell, excitedly awaiting a very overdue call from Oliver.

I’d sent Felix a text asking him if he knew when Oliver would be calling, but he didn’t respon
d
which may have been because he was tired of me nagging him. I probably wouldn’t have responded to me, either. On the other hand, I worried he wasn’t answering me because Oliver wouldn’t be calling, that maybe something had happened, and Felix didn’t have the heart to break it to me. I sighed loudly and waited.

A huge rumble of thunder shook the apartment and I pulled my blanket around me tighter. A moment later, the power was out. I was thankful that I’d lit the candles when I had and especially thankful I’d lit so many. The apartment was aglow with candlelight. It was actually rather romantic. It was just too bad that I didn’t have my special someone to share it with.

Another flash of lightning lit up the dark sky outside and I could have sworn I’d seen the silhouette of a person outside my front window. The blinds were down and closed but that last flash of light had been really bright and it truly looked like someone was there. I sank back into the couch, suddenly afraid of what was on the other side of the window as I stared at it. I waited for another lightning flash and hoped desperately that my imagination was playing tricks on me.

A light knock on the door a moment later caused me to jump and a small, muffled screech escaped me. Shrugging out of my fleece, I set my cell on the coffee table, slowly crossed to the locked door and peered out the peephole. All I could make out was a dark figure. I silently tiptoed past the TV-stand to the window where I was able to peek through the blinds for a better look.

From what I could tell, it was a guy—tall, lean, wet jeans from the rain, and a black, soaking wet, zipper sweatshirt with the hood up. His hands were shoved into his front pockets and his classic Converse were very wet.

Oliver!

I ran to the door and flung it open. “You’re back!” I shouted and threw myself on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. In my excitement, I didn’t notice that his lips didn’t feel right. It was the moment that I buried my face in that perfect space between his shoulder and his neck and breathed a sigh of relief that I realized something wasn’t right. I froze, there in the arms of a man that wasn’t Oliver. I pulled away as arms that didn’t feel right held me against the wrong brother.

“Not the greeting I was expecting, but I’ll take it,” Oscar said, looking down at me with dark blue eyes and a wicked smile.

I scrambled out of his grip and tried to get into the apartment and get the door closed before he made it inside. I failed.

“Don’t be rude, Laney. After such a welcome, I thought for sure you’d invite me in.” Oscar closed the door behind him and locked the deadbolt.

I was shaking, chills running through me, as I backed away from him. Oscar unzipped his black hoodie and dropped it to the floor in a heap of wetness. He had on a plain white T-shirt, that was slightly damp, and I could just barely make out what looked like a dark tattoo on the left side of his chest. I’d seen the tattoo before, when Julz had shared her memories with me—memories that hadn’t helped me understand her or her issues at all.

Oscar moved closer and I continued to back away with every step he took toward me. I had a very uneasy sense that I could not escape him. But I tried. I dashed to my room thinking of the closet. If I could just get inside, get the panel closed… But he was in my doorway before I could make it.

He grabbed me, wrapped his arms around me so that my back to his chest. He covered my mouth with his cold hand so I couldn’t scream. Screaming, that was probably something I should’ve done when I’d first realized it was him. Hindsight is 20/20.

My mind reeled as I frantically tried to think of a way out of this situation. I considered biting him and immediately vetoed that idea. Biting Oscar was a bad idea. Julz had consumed Oscar’s blood and look at how bat-shit crazy she was. No, biting was out.

Elbow! I thought of Kiera telling me the elbow was the strongest defense. I tried it, elbow right to the gut, and it surprised him, causing him to step back far enough that I was able to nail him in the boy parts with my knee. He folded and I ran. My hand was on the knob to the front door when he tackled me. I hit the floor facedown and I had no room to struggle.

I wasn’t going to be getting free.

I screamed into the carpet. I was scared as hell and my heart was beating to emphasize that fact. “Please don’t kill me,” I said in a voice that barely sounded like my own.

Oscar’s lips were right next to my ear and in a tone that he may have thought was meant to comfort he said, “I have no intention of taking your life, Laney. I only want to talk.” I was far from comforted.

He pulled me to my feet and then released my hands from behind my back. I hugged myself as he stepped in front of me. He brushed a chunk of hair that had fallen free of my ponytail behind my ear. He tipped my face so that I had no choice but to look into his sapphire
blue
eyes, his dark lashes framing them and making them stand out even more.

“We are nearly family, Laney.” He smiled gently at me and I saw the tips of his fangs peeking out between his lips. That only made me more scared.

Oscar’s fingers brushed down my arm until his hand found mine. He pulled my hand free and wrapped his cold fingers between mine. “Come, beautiful Laney. Let’s talk.” He guided me to the couch and pulled me down to sit beside him. I was shaking so badly. When he released my hand, I hugged myself again, hoping I could make my fear less visible.

“I hear Oliver has lost his way.”

“Oliver will be fine!” I protested rather loudly and it surprised me how strong my voice sounded considering how weak I felt.

Oscar smiled, but it was with bitter amusement. “Right, Oliver will always be fine.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I couldn’t believe I was challenging this madman.

“It means exactly what I said. Oliver will always be fine. He has always accepted what has happened to us, he will make the best of any situation he is given and he will carry on. It’s how he’s always been. But given his predicted outcome as a human, this is probably a better life for him.”

I felt my forehead scrunch in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

He smiled, like he was proud of himself for figuring something out. His fangs showed and a shiver ran through me. My eyes fixed on his fangs and he noticed. His smile fell and my eyes met his. “It is impolite to stare, Laney. Didn’t your aunt teach you that?”

I felt my temper flare at the mention of my aunt. I glared at him. “You killed my aunt,” I growled. At that moment I was ninety-five percent sure I could rid the world of Oscar. That was, until he said, “I didn’t.” I lost all of my resolve and I believed him. I don’t know why, but I did.

Oscar twisted a ring on his left ring finger, his dark, wavy, damp hair falling into his eye as his did so. The ring was a match to the one I’d seen on Julz’s finger. They were the same rings that I’d seen the two of them exchange, along with wedding vows, in the memories Julz had shared with me. I fought back those memories as Oscar continued to speak of my aunt.

“I’ll admit that I sent an acquaintance to your aunt’s home but it wasn’t to harm her. I wanted nothing to do with your aunt. I wanted you.” His blue eyes met mine for a moment, and the glow of many candles made them glitter. “You see, I’d followed you before, to your aunt’s. I even watched you sleep one night, but I have never wished you or your family any harm.”

I was holding my breath. He’d been in my house, the house where I grew up. The house my aunt lived and died in. I wanted to ask when he’d watched me sleep, but he kept
talking and, in
reality, I don’t think I really wanted to know. It would’ve just freaked me out more than I already was. Which was just about to the max.

“I know about your losses, Laney. Just as you are aware of mine. I have done my research on you, but what stumps me is how very little you know about yourself.” His eyes lifted to mine again and I noticed a taunting spark. He was trying to get a rise out of me. I refused to let him. “But,” he continued as he brushed that same fallen chunk of my hair behind my ear and cupped my face with that same hand. An icy chill ran through me when his skin touched my face, I shivered. “I imagine there are many reasons why the people you most trust, the ones closest to you, keep such great secrets from you.”

“What are you talking about?” Damm
it!
The words fell out before I could stop them. I was playing right into his game and I was pissed at myself for it.

He dropped his hand from my face and the chill subsided, yet I continued to shiver. “We were talking about my acquaintance who found your aunt already had company when he arrived that day her life was taken from you. It wasn't me or anyone I know. My hands are clean.” He held them up as if to show me that they were actually clean.

I stared at him. It was very clear that what Oliver had told me about his brother being unhinged was more than accurate. Plus, he seemed to be the master at changing the direction of a conversation. I wanted to question him on the things he’d said but I was pretty sure most of what was coming out of his mouth was complete and utter bullshit. I was positive I wouldn’t be getting answers. At least not any I wanted. But for some reason, I did believe that he didn’t kill my aunt. That was the only thing I believed.

“Now,” Oscar continued, resting his hands in his lap. “I believe you can tell me something that I would like to know.”

I decided to play along. Maybe giving him answers would appease him, and if I was lucky
(which I was pretty sure I wasn’t), he’d
just go away. I swallowed my fear as best as I could and in the steadiest voice I could muster I said, “What do you want to know?”

He smiled a gorgeous smile at me, one that very much resembled his brother’s, but Oscar’s seemed to be underlined with evil. I braced myself for what was coming. Oscar’s beautiful, sapphire blue eyes sparked in the candlelight as he tucked that same stubborn chunk of hair behind my ear, again. In my mind I cursed that chunk of hair.

Oscar was frighteningly close; I could smell him and he smelled…good. I felt a little panicked cry rising up inside of me.
What’s happening?
I frantically thought.

His voice grew deceptively gentle as he said, “That’s my girl. Give me what I want and this will all go so much smoother.” He leaned in, closing that fraction of an inch that separated his mouth from mine and he kissed me.

Ah, shit!
As luck would have it, my plan was backfiring.

Thankfully, the kiss was nothing more than a peck and was over quickly but it was long enough to stir up some emotions that I’d thought had faded.

Oscar settled himself back beside me, our sides touching and now I had another problem. Julz’s memories, the ones that she’d shared with me, the ones I thought had faded and gone away, were surfacing and with them the feelings I’d felt. The feelings she had for Oscar. I swallowed hard and bit down on the inside of my lip as I struggled with my emotions.

Oscar was talking, but I wasn’t listening. Although I pretended to while I searched the room for a weapon.

As my eyes landed on the puddle of hot wax pooled around the base of a wick of a nearby candle, Oscar became wary of my intentions and there was an edge to his voice as he said, “Do you forget that I am faster than you? You would never reach that candle nor will you reach anything else that you think you can use against me. Now, please listen to me.”

I felt tears threatening to fall. I reminded myself that Oscar could feel emotions just like Oliver could and I tried to focus on things that were neutral to me. Like how I felt about…
Well, crap!
I was too stressed to think about anything and Julz’s stupid memories were still fighting their way to the surface.

Oscar continued talking. He was twisting the ring on his finger again. “I made a vow, you know. To have, to hold, and all that nonsense. I know you know about it.” His deep blue eyes glanced to mine. “Juliet told me that you know,” he said.

Okay, the fact that Julz had sold me out wasn’t what I was focusing on at that moment. Julz’s real name was Juliet. Freakin’ Juliet! Of course it was. One of my favorite love stories and one of the greatest of all time! Granted it was seriously tragic, but it would now and always be associated with the tragic love story of my boyfriend’s brother and his vampire creation. Another love that could not be… Or perhaps it was more of that Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot triangle? Isaac being Julz’s Arthur. Oscar her Lancelot. Either way, Juliet—really?

Oscar was still talking. “I’d like to hold up my end of that vow, Laney. Will you help me? Juliet trusts you. She told me. Take me to her so that I may have my wife back.”

“Wow,” I said, and I surprised myself as it slipped from my lips.

Oscar’s attention shifted to me from the ring on his finger. “Wow?” he questioned.

Somehow I just couldn’t prevent the following words from tumbling out of my mouth. “You’re a talented liar.”