Bound Through Blood (17 page)

Salena woke up in Devin's arms. Her head was lying on his chest, and his arm was tightly around her. Her first instinct was to pull away, but then something else took over; something made her want to stay. She tried to remember the events leading up to this. With pain, she remembered Gabriel's assault on her. Then she remembered finding Devin in pain and feeling like she had to do something for him. She had felt like she had to help him. She remembered experiencing genuine concern for him. Now, lying there, she felt content and not afraid. Something actually felt right about it. She had no idea why, but she didn't want to fight the feeling.

Devin felt Salena stir and looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. She wasn't trying to pull away, so that was good. Testing the waters, he gave her a squeeze, and she responded by nuzzling closer, and that was a good sign. He didn't want to disturb the moment, but he knew they had to leave, so he told her "We must go now, we have to get to the ocean before it's too late."

"You have said that before about the ocean. Why is that?"

Devin fought to find the right words; he didn't want to terrorize her anymore than she had already been. Then again, considering what Gabriel did to her today, she might like to hear this. Once again, he chastised himself for letting Gabriel get to her today. It was his job to protect her, and he had failed—like he had failed with Abigail. No, not like with Abigail; Salena was alive and well, and she was going to stay that way. "I have to lead Gabriel to the ocean. The only way to kill him—to kill a vampire—is to tear out their throat and drown them in saltwater. I have to do this while I'm still a vampire, before it's too late."

Salena looked at him thoughtfully, "Will you get to keep the purple eyes?"

Devin's eyebrows rose in surprise and fear. His eyes had only appeared purple once before in his entire existence—when Abigail fell in love with him. It might already be too late, in which case, the only thing they could do is run—run fast.

Gabriel headed back to Salena's house to look for her and Devin. Sadly, they weren't there; however, the neighbors were there checking out the damage and, well, he just couldn't resist. He took care of the husband first by snapping the middle-aged man's neck like a twig before tossing the body into the shrubs. The wife just stood there watching and screaming the whole time until Gabriel had killed the man, then she decided it was a good time to run. She ran into their house and Gabriel could hear a lock click. Amused, he strolled after her and broke the front door down with one punch.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he called out in a sing-songy voice. He loved playing hide-and-seek with his prey; much like what he was doing with Devin and his woman.

Gabriel walked through the woman's kitchen, slamming cabinet doors and drawers, and commenting loudly, "My, my, my—look at all these dirty dishes. You really need to be punished for that." He strolled leisurely through her living room. "Tell me," he shouted while slamming the hall closet door—which was all just for show—he knew exactly where she was. He could smell her perfume and her fear. "Does your husband, oops—did—your husband punish you for that?" He headed up the stairs, making sure to stomp, so she knew where he was; so she knew he was getting closer. "Did he spank you? Slap you?" Walking into the bathroom, he whisked the shower curtain aside and banged the door shut. Oh yes, she knew he was close now; he could hear her heart pounding from terror. "Did he fuck you hard? That's what I'd do; I'd take you from behind, so I could spank your pale, white ass. It is pale, isn't it?" He tried the master bedroom door, which of course was locked. Just as he was about to break it down, he heard a cell phone ringing from downstairs. It was probably in her purse, which he'd seen hanging on the coat-rack in the foyer. "Uh, uh, uh," he chastised her while breaking down the door and spraying wood all over the plush carpet.
Such fine carpet, in such a fine house, and a safe neighborhood..
.
well, maybe not today.
"You left your cell phone downstairs; how, oh how, will you call the police?" He heard soft sobs coming from behind the double door closet. "Not that they could help you, though, right? I mean, you did see what I did to your husband; how I snapped his neck with my bare hands, right?" Her sobs grew louder. "Maybe bullets won't stop me." He paced slowly to the closet, while knocking items off her fancy dresser along the way. "Maybe, I'm friggin' Superman." He flicked the brass knob of the closet door with his fingernail and then pulled slowly, but the clever woman had tied the knobs together. "Maybe I'm Spiderman, or maybe," he forced the closet door open and caused the wood to splinter, "I'm a vampire."

She screamed and scrambled to get away, but he grabbed her by her hair and yanked her up to her knees.

He looked down at her with his coal-black eyes, which reminded her of a shark's. "Don't you want to play with me? Smart lady, tying the doors shut, but did you
really
think that would keep me out?" Pulling her up to her feet, by her hair still, he led her to the bed and shoved her down, face first. He grabbed her shoulder and flipped her over. "Look at me," he shouted. "Did you think you could keep me out?"

Sobbing, the scared witless woman shook her head side to side.

Gabriel laughed menacingly and flashed his fangs. Her eyes just about popped out of her skull at the sight of them, and she tried to back away on the bed. Gabriel laughed again and grabbed her ankle with a reflex faster than a cobra's strike. He traced his fangs with the tip of his tongue. "Do you like them? You look so surprised—I told you I am a vampire. Did you think I'd lie about something that important? Take a good look; these aren't plastic, hon."

Again, the woman tried desperately to get away, but he twisted her ankle while pulling her body closer to him, where he was standing by the side of the bed. She yelped in pain while he pretended to soothe her.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to bite you. Well, not
yet;
I've got other plans for you first." His eyes roamed over her form. "You really aren't my type; sorry if that hurts your feelings, dear, but," he shrugged his shoulders, "I feel it's important to be honest with one another at times like this. Don't you?"

When she didn't respond, he twisted her ankle to the point of breaking until she nodded in agreement. "That's a good girl. Now, as I was saying, while you aren't my type, I feel sorry for you after seeing the limp dick you were married to, and you are kind of feisty; feisty women turn me on." He unbuttoned his pants and exposed his rigid flesh as proof.

Her sobs came louder and more forceful, and she covered her eyes.

"Oh, come now, look at me." When she didn't, he again turned her ankle, "Look at me." She obliged his sadistic behavior. "Have you ever been with a man as gorgeous, as endowed, and as perfect as I am? Sure, I bet you were attractive in your younger years. What are you now about forty-five, forty-six?"

She nodded, afraid to anger him.

"Even back then, did you ever have a man touch you who looked like this," he gestured his free hand over his form.

The terror-stricken woman shook her head back and forth.

He chuckled, a low unwelcoming chuckle. "Good girl, you told the truth. Of course," he began while ripping her tweed slacks off her, "if you don't want to watch, you don't have to." He forcefully grabbed both of her legs and flipped her over on her stomach. He lifted her up to her knees and drove himself forcefully into her dry passage. The louder she screamed and cried, the harder he plunged. Before bursting forth inside her, he rolled her onto her right side, grabbed her left wrist, and sank his fangs in.

Her violent screams of death filled the empty house while her blood filled his mouth. Then all was quiet and Gabriel left. Who knows when their bodies would be discovered? Who cared?

Devin and Salena were back in New Orleans now. She insisted on going by her house, which was still in ruins. This made her burst into tears, and this made Devin even angrier with Gabriel for causing his love pain. He tried to pull her away from the house, just as an ambulance and two police cars pulled up to her neighbors'. One of the officers was Ann Marx, who'd helped Salena before, and who now saw the damage done to her house. The other police entered the neighbors', while Officer Marx approached Salena.

"Miss Saunders, did you report this breakin? I don't think I've heard anything about it, and your other cases are still open."

Salena was sure she was blushing, "I just got home from um," she looked at Devin, "from a trip. So, I just saw it."
I'm glad I got to change my clothes before the cops showed up.
She thought and was pretty sure Devin was thinking it too. "What is wrong with the Robertsons?"

Officer Marx looked at her note pad, "We got a disturbance call from the neighbor on the other side of them. Not sure yet what happened."

Salena and Devin both saw a gurney with a body bag exiting the house, while another was being wheeled from the shrubs. A male officer yelled to Officer Marx, "We got a double here." Salena didn't need to have that explained—her poor neighbors.

Officer Marx went back to her interview with Salena, "Did you two see or hear anything from next door?"

Devin answered the question, "No ma'am. Just as she said, we returned from a camping trip only a few minutes ago. We didn't even notice their door was broken down, or we would have called you ourselves. We were ready to report the breakin on Salena's house when you pulled up." He smiled a tight smile at her, concealing his fangs.

Officer Marx looked up at the absolutely gorgeous man, "And your name is?"

Devin looked evenly at the police officer, "I am Salena's boyfriend, Devin Antonescu," which he spelled out for her.

"That's an interesting last name. What nationality is that?" the officer inquired, but Salena wondered that herself. She didn't even know he had a last name.

"It's Romani, ma'am. My family came from Romania."

Turning back to Salena, who'd just been standing there quietly, the officer continued, "You need to come down to the station to file a report on your breakin. I'll make sure one of the officers here looks around first, okay?"

Salena just nodded and looked up at Devin for direction. He met her eyes, then told Officer Marx that he'd already checked the house, and no one was there. Then he excused himself and Salena from the officer's company, telling her they were going to go check into a motel; then they'd stop off at the station to file the report.

Thankfully, all the officers left behind the ambulance and the coroner.

Salena looked up at Devin, with tears in her eyes for her neighbors, "Do you think it was—" she didn't have to finish her sentence because Devin was nodding.

Gabriel had been at the neighbors' house too; he was sure of it. He'd already checked Salena's house and grounds, before the police had shown up, and tried to sense his brother. Gabriel wasn't nearby, but he might come back.

Salena looked around, just now remembering the cat. "Hey, I wonder what happened to my new furry friend. I haven't seen him lately."

Devin nudged her and replied with his vampire grin, "Sure you have."

"What?" then she caught his implication.
Well, wonders never cease on this adventure.
She shook her head at him. "That was you the whole time? How?"

"Yep, I had to keep my eye on you. Vampires are great shape-shifters. Just like when you went off into the ditch, I'd been following you and helped you out."

She'd completely forgotten about that. She now remembered feeling a shudder and then being mysteriously back on the road. She was going to ask Heloise about that but had been distracted by the tarot reading.
Poor Heloise.
Tears ran down her cheeks
.
Boy, so much has happened, that it's hard to keep track. "So, what now?"

Devin looked at her with a sexy grin, showing her his fangs. "Well, your bed is still intact, and I cleaned up some of the mess he'd made." She didn't need to know about the blood and urine on the floor of her bedroom. He touched her cheek lightly and, leaning down to kiss her, he scooped her up in his arms for the hundredth time in the past couple of days, and he carried her to bed to make love to her. He felt sure she was finally coming around.

It was time to finish this. "Now we head toward the ocean and wait for him to find us."

"But doesn't he know not to go there if that's where he could die?"

Devin shook his head to emphasize his words, "No, that was a secret the elder shared only with me. He knew it would come in handy someday. He knew Gabriel couldn't be trusted, even among his own kind."

"Well, I don't have my car and it's a long trip. My car is still at—" she didn't want to say it.

"I know you aren't ready to go back there. We'll go on foot." He took her hand and led her to the woods, where they wouldn't be seen, and picked her up. This time, though, she kissed him when he cradled her in his arms.

They were headed for danger, Salena knew, so if he truly is her destiny, then she should accept it while she still could.

After the welcomed kiss, Devin took off running at break neck speed; there was no time to waste. He headed toward Holly Beach, where they would wait for Gabriel.

"This is all very complicated business. No wonder you want out of it. But, seriously, why do you want out of it? Why do you want to be human again when you know you'll die someday? And isn't there somebody else who could also turn you human?" she shouted over the pounding of Devin's feet while he ran.

Wow, she has a lot of questions; but she does deserve some answers.

"Oh yeah," she interrupted his thoughts, "and how did you become a vampire?"

Devin slowed down to a walking pace, so he could talk. "Trying to stay in the order of your questions, I'll answer them as completely as I can. I want out because it's lonely, and immortality pales in comparison to the love Abigail and I had—to the love we will have. And, no, there is no one else. If you are lucky to find your soul mate, then you have found the one and only person. It's like a perfect glove; only one fits. That's the other reason I think you are Abigail reincarnated, you fit like a glove." He smiled down at her and winked.

Salena blushed at the insinuation and then thought about that. She was starting to agree; something magical must have occurred to cause her sudden growing affection for Devin, the vampire—the monster—who had killed her friend, and she'd spent days terrified of.
Unless, it was Stockholm syndrome?
she wondered. She shook her head and started picking at her cuticles, since she no longer had nails to bite. She'd been foretold of her truelove by Heloise, Madame Zoyla, and Madame Marietta. She should just accept it because, if he becomes human, she'll be with her soul mate. And, of course, that would be wonderful. If they survived his brother...

"Now, to answer your question about how I became a vampire, I was bitten by a female vampire back in Romania in 1330, when I was twenty-eight. After she bit me and drained my body considerably, she fed me some of her blood. That's how I transitioned."

Salena thought about his words carefully. "Did you have a wife or children at the time?" for some reason—out of jealousy she supposed—she was hoping he'd say "no."

"I had never been married, which was unusual at the time, but I'd never found my perfect mate. I'd never found the one I wanted to spend my life with until Ab—," he caught himself, "—until you."

"You can say her name, Devin. I know she was your first love." She felt a little jealous, though. "Can't vampires hook up with other vampires? Did you try with the girl who bit you?"

Devin gave a low chuckle, "I think you've watched too many
Twilight
movies. It's not really like that. We don't pair off and we don't live together. If a vampire takes a mate, it's a mortal one, and even that is extremely rare. To my knowledge, I was only the second vampire to find my soul mate and have the chance for mortality again. So, you see, our love is unique."

Feeling uncomfortable about the last comment he made, she felt like she had to explain. She looked up into his still-purple eyes, "I'm not sure I'm ready for all that yet, and I can't say if I will be. Today, I felt genuine concern when you were hurt, and then it was about sex. That first time with you was great, even though I was under a spell," she shot him an icy glare, "I just wanted that again without being hypnotized. I wanted to enjoy it on my terms. And I admit that something has changed, and that I am feeling something, but I'm not ready to say I'm in love with you. It would be easier to accept my fate—as it has been laid out for me over the past week—than to fight it, but I still can't say 'I love you.' At least not yet. Can't we just date?"

Devin heard her words loud and clear, but they were just words. He knew there had been a change; he, himself, was feeling it. And if his eyes were changing, then it had to be true. He just had to wait for it to become more significant for her. She would come around; she had to because Abigail was still there, inside her. "Sure, we'll date," he told her with a wink.

Suddenly, a breeze blew past and with it came Gabriel's scent. It was time; it was now or never. He couldn't run; he had to fight while he still could. Grabbing Salena's hand, he told her "We must get closer to the water, Gabriel is near."