A Night at Club Vampire 2 (15 page)

Nigel waved the rolled up 'New York City Scooper' at her, then tossed it onto the bed, as if disgusted to even have it in his hands. He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and looked down at the floor.

Lacey glanced quickly at the paper lying a foot away from her on the bed, in the spot where Nigel should be. She didn't bother to look at the story. She knew what it said. She didn't know what to say to him. What could she say to make things right? Somehow she didn't think a simple "Sorry" would cut it.

At the foot of the bed laid a black Club Vampire T-shirt and jogging pants with the Club Vampire name pasted across the rear of them. Lacey assumed they were meant for her, so without a word she reached for them and put them on.

Once dressed she chanced a glace over at him, to see he was watching her again, with hardened grey eyes. "You know Lacey, I suppose this is partly my fault. I failed to ask the simplest question about your occupation when we met. As I have learned the hard way, that would have been a useful piece on information to have. I sometimes forget how conniving and cut-throat reporters can be. The lengths they will go to in order to get the
big scoop
."

Lacey perched herself on the end of the bed, watching him, still unsure of the right words to make it alright. She longed for time to roll back twenty-four hours so she could undo what she had written in that article.

Nigel took a deep breath and continued; his voice cold and devoid of emotion, "Surely you can understand why I never grant interviews to anyone? You spent two days at my club and filled the front page of your little trash magazine with assumptions, lies, and half-truths. You really did go to great lengths to get a story."

"Nigel. No. That wasn't it. I wrote that yesterday. After the attack on me. I was upset, angry. I wanted to..." Lacey stopped and chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "I don't know what I wanted. I wanted revenge."

"If I recall I was the one who killed the vampire who was attacking you. I would have stayed and explained things to you. Explained about the club and what I was. You told me to leave, demanded it, to be precise."

Lacey fought back the tears that threatened to escape. Taking in a deep, shaky breath, she nodded and stood. "I think I should leave." She wanted to apologize and beg his forgiveness. But how could he forgive her for lying to him, then discrediting his club -

discrediting him - in such a malicious fashion? In truth, she had made many assumptions in that article. She had written it while emotional, and that had been highly unprofessional of her. She looked around briefly for her own clothes and noticed a neatly folded pile on his dresser. She gathered them up and held them tightly to her breast.

"I have the car outside waiting for you," Nigel told her as she made her way to the bedroom door.

Lacey, stopped in the doorway, taking a look back at Nigel. She tried to catch his eyes with her own, but he refused to make the connection, averting his gaze from hers. "For what it's worth, I'm sorrier than you'll ever know, Nigel." She whispered into the room.

Pivoting on her heel, she left.

Part of her hoped he would come after her. Stop her before she made it to the limo. But he didn't. The club was deathly quiet as she made her way downstairs. She was reaching for the exit leading to the back entrance where the limo would be waiting, just off the main floor when a voice called out to her.

Spinning around she saw Trinity jogging up to her, her long hair swaying back and forth behind her in a ponytail held tight at the top of her head. Lacey couldn't help but think that even first thing in the morning with no makeup and wearing a jogging suit, Trinity was stunning.

As Trinity approached she gave Lacey a weak smile. It was evident by Trinity's expression that she knew what Lacey had done. But she appeared to be trying to look as though she didn't. "I thought I would come along for the ride. Do you mind?" Trinity stated, reaching out and giving Lacey's shoulder a quick, lightly reassuring squeeze.

"Not at all," Lacey replied. All she wanted was to be alone, but who was she to refuse?

The two women exited the building and slid into the back of the waiting limo. The driver seemed to know where they were heading, not even bothering to ask for an address.

The ride was silent for the first five minutes, until Trinity finally broke the silence.

"One thing that I have realized over the past several months is that vampire men, they're not like normal men."

Lacey turned her attention from the city buildings passing by the car window to Trinity sitting across from her.

Realizing she had Lacey's undivided attention Trinity continued, "Vampire men have a blatant sex appeal, and powerful sex drives," she smiled widely, giving Lacey a quick wink, "as you have come to discover for yourself."

In spite of herself, Lacey found herself laughing a little and she nodded her agreement.

"The thing about vampire men, especially ones as old and as powerful as Nigel, is that they are very proud. They're proud, determined and protective. When they find that special someone they're loyal, without a fault and expect the same in return. Being what they are, and living with the secrets they have, they need women in their lives they can trust and depend upon. It's like every human male trait ten times over. That is a vampire man."

Lacey took a deep breath in and let it out in a loud huff. Why was Trinity telling her this? Rubbing in the fact that she d lost Nigel only a few days after meeting him? "Please don't take this the wrong way Trinity, but what does this have to do with me?"

"What you did to Nigel was heinous. I won't sugar-coat it to spare your feelings. I wouldn't think to insult you by doing that. But what I am saying is that if you want him.

And I mean, if you
really
want him. Then you need to go to him and prove you can be the kind of woman he can depend on."

Lacey shook her head. "He'll never talk to me again. You didn't see the look in his eyes.

He hates me.
Really
hates me." How could he forgive her? She doubted
she
would have been able to forgive
him
if the roles had been reversed. How could she expect him to do something she doubted she'd have in her heart to do herself?

The limo pulled up to her building. Gathering her belongings, Lacey reached for the door handle to get out. Trinity stopped her, reaching over and taking hold of Lacey's wrist. "If I were you and I cared for him, as I suspect you may, then I wouldn't let him go without a fight." The two women locked eyes for a moment, then Trinity released Lacey's wrist, reclining back into the leather seat.

"Thanks for the talk. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's too late," Lacey said, as she opened the door and stepped out of the limo.

****

Nigel had been pacing since Lacey had left. His mind was whirling with thoughts, doubts and regrets. Had he done the right thing? Should he have stopped her from leaving? How could he trust her after what she had written? If she had just asked for an interview he would have given her one.

Well... maybe or maybe not.

He tried to understand what must have been running through her head when she d written the article. She had been though a lot. Not too many humans live to tell about being attacked by a vampire, and watching one being killed by the man you had just slept with, then having to vacuum its remains from their living room rug, alone and confused.

She was a writer, so of course she would go to her computer in her rage and frustration.

But to drag his club through the mud like she had, by making allegations, drawing unwanted suspicion to him and his club, was one giant fuck up! To top it all off, she hadn t even tried to explain herself. She gave him a half-assed apology as she walked out the door. He'd shown her his real self. He let her into his heart and all he d got in return was hurt and betrayal. It was events like this that reminded him that he was better off alone. He'd been alone for a thousand years; he could be alone for a thousand more.

"To hell with it all!" he mumbled, storming out of his bedroom and heading for his bar fridge of blood. He needed a good stiff drink of O-negative to clear his mind. As he drank the metallic liquid it reminded him of her, how she had trusted him enough to allow him to drink from her last night.

"Fuck," he growled angrily, throwing the glass he had been drinking from across his office. It slammed into the wall across from him, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces.

Angry with himself now for making the mess, he marched back into his apartment and snatched up a broom and dust pan.

Nigel halted in his tracks as he was about to walk back into his office. The smell...her smell...her shampoo...the scent of wild berries - travelled through the air towards him from the office. Walking into the office he was shocked to see Lacey leaning against his desk, eyes cast downward.

Realizing he was back in the room, she looked up, her eyes meeting his.

This doesn't change anything, she still did what she did
, he reminded himself. She betrayed him. Plain and simple. Coming back to apologize, if that was indeed why she was here didn't change that fact.

Nigel pasted a look of indifference on his face before addressing her. "Did you come back hoping for more material for tomorrow's article? Perhaps if you take a look around you might find a dungeon filled with child slaves; or that we're mutilating animals in the kitchen for the purpose of satanic rituals."

Lacey winced as if she had just taken a slap across the face.

"Oh wait," he turned and set to work sweeping the shards of glass from the floor, "You don't actually need evidence do you? Nor for it to even be true for you to write it do you, Lacey?" Finished cleaning up the glass he walked over to the waste basket, a couple feet from where she was standing, and dumped the broken shards inside. He set the broom and dustpan next to his desk, and turned his attention back to her. His head cocked to one side, eyeing her intently, he asked: "So tell me, why on earth are you back here?"

****

Nigel's glare was so intense, it made her want to flee the office and never come back.

Even if it meant never seeing him again.
I should never have come back, why did I allow
Trinity to talk me into it
?

But Lacey knew why. She wanted him, she
needed
him. She'd screwed up and now she had to pay her dues for that screw up. If it meant allowing him to vent his anger, then so be it. She'd take what was coming to her, if it meant there could be a chance they could make their relationship work.

"I'm sorry, Nigel," Lacey said as she chewed nervously on her lower lip, awaiting his reaction. None came. He simply continued to look down at her with those angry, hurt-filled eyes.

Taking a deep breath to settle her rattled nerves she continued. "At first coming to the club was a job. Meeting you, the
elusive
Nigel and getting an interview or the
big story
that would kick start my career:
that
was the goal."

Nigel nodded. "Some honesty. That's refreshing, coming from you."

Despite the verbal lash he d given her, Lacey tried to let it pass and not allow his harsh words to sway what she'd gone there to do. "After that first night with you, I was angry over Terry-Ann. I knew someone did something to her. She doesn't remember anything for close to twenty-four hours. It was like her memory had been wiped clean."

This time it was Nigel's turn to flinch. Her suspicions were confirmed. He had ordered it to be done. Instead of being angry at the validation of her suspicions she let the discovery go. She'd gotten more than her fair share of revenge for that.

"Of course then there was Sunday morning when I was attacked. You just popped out of nowhere, killed the man - thing - that attacked me, then took off."

Nigel put a palm out, "Wait now, we discussed this already."

Lacey nodded, "I know, I'm just trying to explain
why
." She hesitantly placed her hand over his, which was planted on the desk next to her. He didn't move his hand from hers which she took as a good sign.

Looking back up into his eyes, she noticed the hardness that had occupied them moments ago had softened. Maybe she had a chance to make this right. "You'll never know how sorry I am. I would do anything to take it back, or make this up to you..."

The tension in his body seemed to relax as he considered her words.

Not sure if she was making the right move or not, but taking the risk of rejection anyway, Lacey took a step closer to him, placing the palm of her free hand flat against his chest. "You have no idea just how much I want to be with you. It wasn't until a couple days ago that I realized how much I need somebody, not just anybody, but you. I need
you
Nigel. Please..."

She didn t have time to finish her sentence before his mouth came crashing down onto hers. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him. He kissed her with more passion and intensity than she'd ever felt before. Relief flooded through her as her lips parted to him, allowing his tongue entry. She clung tightly to the front of his shirt, pressing her body against his.

Dare she believe this meant he was willing to forgive her mistake? Could they move on from this? As much as she didn't want to leave the security of his arms, she needed to know for certain that what she thought his actions meant were accurate.

She relaxed her hands, releasing his shirt from her grip and pushed herself away just enough so she could look him in the eye. The anger seemed to have disappeared, replaced by what appeared to be red hot desire. For her.

"I need you to tell me. Can we work through this? Can you forgive me for not being honest with you?" she asked. "I will never,
ever
lie to you again." Time seemed to stop for her as she stood looking deep into his eyes, awaiting his response.

Nigel gave her a slight smile, as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Do you still want that interview?" he asked.

Did she still want an interview? Of course she did, but she wouldn't do one on him.