Night's Promise (20 page)

Stepping out of the memory, she looked at the doors.

“Duncan, you don’t have to do this—”
she began
.

“I want you to know the truth. You deserve to know the truth about me before this goes any farther.”

He led her down the hall. The longer they walked, the colder she felt, actually shivering from the lack of warmth.

“Why is it so cold?”

“This is my past Melissa. This is the man I was, the man I am. This is the real me, the one you need to see.”
He gestured to the doors.

Looking around she didn’t want to open any of the doors, but she knew she had to see one memory, if only to give him peace.

Opening a door on the right, she stepped through it alone.

* * *

Duncan looked at the woman wearing a once-stylish dress, her face haggard. Hair that used to gleam in the light surrounded her face, now limp and dull.

“I need more time,” she pleaded.

He stood there, not giving her any clues to his thoughts.

“I’ll do anything.”

He considered her offer. It would be nothing to him to pay her debt off. She could clean his house; perhaps warm his bed once she got off the drugs poisoning her system. Even now he could see that she was pretty.

Duncan opened his mouth to accept her offer, but the woman pressed forward, trying to save herself.

“You can have my daughter for more time. Mary Louise,” she yelled.

A girl came out from some back room wearing little more than rags, hugging the wall as she moved. It was clear she was afraid. She couldn’t have been older than sixteen.

“She’s a virgin. She’ll let you do anything you want to her. I promise she won’t fight you. If you give me more time, her virginity is yours.” The girl flinched but stayed where she was, her head bowed as her mother tried to barter her body. “Show him,” the mother ordered. The girl slowly lowered herself to her knees.

Fury consumed him. What mother would give her child to a man for more time? It was the wrong move. The girl’s hands were on his pants as she began to unbutton them. Duncan quickly stepped back, not allowing her to go any farther, his anger growing when the girl flinched as he moved away from her.

“What good are you to me? You’ve been nothing but trouble since you were born. Now you can’t even help me to gain a few more days to pay off my debt.”

His eyes narrowed and his voice was as cold as ice when he spoke. “You are giving your daughter to me?”

The woman nodded enthusiastically.

“To treat however I please?”

“Of course. She is yours.” Mary Louise flinched at her mother’s rejection.

“Let’s see how well she can obey commands. Mary Louise, close your eyes. Now,” he commanded. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading, filled with terror. But he refused to respond, keeping his face carefully emotionless.

“You heard him,” the mother screamed. She raised her hand threateningly and Mary Louise flinched. The girl’s eyes closed instantly. “If she does not listen, slapping her or limiting how much she eats works well. Do these and I promise she will quickly learn to please you.”

“Keep your eyes closed until I tell you otherwise.” He waited until the girl signaled that she understood, her head bowed in subservience.

Silently he stepped around where Mary Louise still knelt on the hard wooden floor.

“Keep her for as long as she pleases you,” the mother continued, unaware of his intentions. Before she could say another word that would hurt her daughter, his hand closed over her mouth.

“You will repeat what I tell you. Do you understand me?” he hissed in her ear, applying pressure to her flesh until the woman agreed. “Say Mary Louise, I love you.” Duncan shifted his hand from her mouth to her throat.

“Mary Louise, I love you.”

“Tell her you will miss her, and when she sees you again things will be different. And you better sound like you mean it. Tell her you’re going to get help and things will be better,” he hissed, applying more pressure to her throat.

Afraid for her life, the woman had tears in her eyes and his grip on her throat caused her voice to sound hoarse, as though she really meant what she was saying. “I’m going to miss you baby. I’m going to miss you so much. You be good for Mr. Stone, you do what he tells you. And Mary Louise, I’m going to get some help. I’m going to be different the next time you see me. Things will be better.”

“Good,” he whispered. “Now, go give her a hug and a kiss, and don’t try anything stupid.”

He watched, eyes still narrowed, as the woman knelt to give her daughter a hug and a kiss, cradling her daughter close.

“Mary Louise, are your eyes still closed?” Duncan asked when the mother released her.

“Yes sir,” she responded, her voice low, emotion making her voice thick.

Gripping the woman’s arm he pulled her into a back room. Disgust still filled him at the way she could give up her daughter so easily. He wanted to allow her to live long enough to regret how she had mistreated her daughter. Instead, he looked into her eyes.

The look on her face said she knew he was going to kill her. His thoughts returned to the girl still waiting for him on her knees. He decided to make it quick so Mary Louise wouldn’t be left waiting much longer. Using his increased speed, he waited until she blinked. His hands moved so fast she didn’t even have time to reopen her eyes as her neck snapped.

Allowing her body to fall soundlessly to the floor, Duncan left it as he reentered the room where Mary Louise awaited him.

Taking her elbow gently in his hand, he guided her up and out of the house.

“Thank you,” she told him, her eyes still closed and her voice quiet as he helped her into the car awaiting him outside.

“For what?” Leaning forward, he gave the driver directions to their next destination.

“My mother has never told me she loved me a single day in my life. I know you had something to do with it.”

He looked at her beside him in the back seat of the car. Despite her closed eyes, he could still see the tears that flowed down her cheeks.

“I’m never going to see her again, am I?”

He debated about lying to her for only a few seconds before deciding to be honest. “No.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

In the darkness he could see her trembling. “I promise no harm will come to you.”

Mary Louise sniffed. She didn’t speak again during the remainder of their ride.

“I want you to stay here until I return.”

“Yes sir,” she answered, head still bowed. Climbing out of the car quickly, he walked purposefully up the path to the elegant front door. After knocking on it a few times, a man answered the door.

“What do you wan—” His face blanched white when he saw Duncan standing there.

“I’m collecting the debt you owe me. I have a girl in the car. You will invite her into your home. You will become her guardian and you will treat her as though she were a princess. Anything she wants, she gets. You will make sure she has a new wardrobe—only the best clothes and styles. Silks and velvets, nothing cheap. And most importantly, you will make certain no man ever hurts her or takes advantage of her.”

“And…and if I fail?”

“Then you can expect another visit from me. And I promise, you will feel much pain.”

The man looked as though he were going to pass out.

“I understand. She’ll be well taken care of.”

“I know she will.” Turning, Duncan returned to the car. Guiding Mary Louise to the awaiting man, he finally told her, “You may open your eyes. Mary Louise, this is Joseph. He will act as your guardian. If he ever mistreats you, I will know about it, and I will return to fix the problem.” On impulse, he kissed the girl’s forehead. “You should get some sleep. You will have a busy day tomorrow. Joseph will be taking you shopping for clothes and other necessities.”

Returning to the car once the girl was safely inside the house, he instructed the driver to take him to another house nearby.

Within minutes he was standing in front of another, slightly more elegant door. This time a short, pudgy, balding man answered the door.

Without preamble he said, “I want to set up an account for a girl named Mary Louise.”

* * *

Duncan remained where he was, kneeling in front of her, watching closely as Melissa opened her eyes, and looked at him. What would she say about what she’d seen? Would she run from him as fast as she could? He wouldn’t blame her if she did.

After several minutes of silence, he cleared his throat. “I’ll walk you back down to the club. I won’t bother you again.”

“Duncan…”

“No, it’s fine. I understand completely. I’m not the kind of man you deserve. I’m not a hero. In this life, I’m the villain.”

“You saved that girl.”

“And I killed her mother. Angel, I killed her; snapped her neck like it was a twig. I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t feel any guilt or regret. I still don’t.”

“You saved her daughter. You saved Mary Louise. You took her to a place where she would be safe, you made sure she could have anything she needed, she could possibly want. You aren’t a monster, you saved her. Look at what her mother was going to do to her.”

He should have known she would try to defend him even after what he’d shown her. “Angel…”

“No, don’t you ‘Angel’ me. Yes, it was wrong of you to kill that woman. But you saved another life. What happened to her? What happened to Mary Louise?”

He closed his eyes, her image appearing. “She blossomed into a beautiful woman. She went to the best schools and married a man who swept her off her feet. He was the youngest son of a politician. If he could’ve, he’d have put a bow on the moon and handed it to her.”

“She never saw you again.” It wasn’t a question.

“No. But I made sure she was kept safe. I made sure she never had to do without. Her wedding was one of the most elegant affairs of the year. She was denied nothing. Over half the city was invited. And everyone knew they better not start trouble that day or night. Word got out to all the bosses, all the leaders of every gang that if anyone so much as jaywalked the night she got married they would be seeing me—the one responsible for the action would be punished, and so would they for not controlling their people.”

“A day without crime. The most perfect day you could give her. Not even her own father could have cared for her more.”

Duncan shrugged. “I took her mom away. Besides, the bank manager handling my accounts was getting too fat.”

“You gave her a new start. You gave her things she could only have dreamt of having. And I’m sure she never forgot you.”

He shrugged again.

“Why are you so determined to make me see you as cruel and uncaring?”

“I just want you to know the truth, Mel. I don’t want you to wake up a few months, or even a few years from now and regret staying with me. I don’t want you to feel like you settled and wonder how you could be with such a cold bastard.”

She stared at him. “Are you asking…are you saying what I think you’re saying? Gods, I have to be dreaming. Could you be a little more blunt please, cause I can’t be understanding you right.”

“Angel, I love being with you. I want to spend as much time with you as you will allow. I want—would you consider becoming a vampire? I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.”

“And yes, love, as soon as I can get to a jewelers I will be asking exactly what you think I am.”

Her face turned rosy. “I’m not sure I was supposed to hear that.”

Smiling, Duncan lifted her out of the chair and sat down, placing her on his lap. He didn’t respond to her comment. He pulled her close and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Melissa settled back against him. “So what do you do up here, while you’re watching everyone?”

Maneuvering the chair backwards to lock the door, Duncan smiled when she blushed again. “I guess that depends.”

“On?”

“On who is in the back room.” He pointed to the monitors that showed the room was empty. “Or if I see anyone about to start shit on the dance floor.” Today was the first time that he’d ever given less than his full attention to his job. If something happened when he hadn’t been paying attention, he’d never forgive himself even though he was sure Bram would understand. This was important to him, and in all the years he’d worked at Club Strigoi, he was one of the very few bouncers who paid attention to his job instead of goofing off. Even if he did jerk off occasionally.

“How can you tell?”

“I can’t always, but there are little signs I look for. A woman that doesn’t want to dance with a guy will nudge him away from her. She’ll move his hands off her body or reposition them. Sometimes she’ll try to step away.”

“How can you see the signs when the floor gets so crowded?”

“It’s not easy, but, it’s not hard to notice the two that look like they are fighting among a crowded floor where everyone is happily moving with the music.”