The Turning (13 page)

“Then he accuses me of throwing tantrums and acting like a child. He wouldn’t even discuss it with me, just threw me over his shoulder like he forgot his bag. Completely ignoring what I was saying. Fuck that.”

“Kelly, you don’t mean that,” Nicole, said taking my hand. “Your anger is talking right now. I’m not defending his behavior but I don’t think there’s a playbook for that kind of volatile situation.”

“Call it whatever you want,” I seethed, not believing her, but not wanting to argue about it. “All I know is, right now, I just want to get home. My gorgeous dress got ruined, and my pride took a big hit. I can handle my own fights. And I don’t trust Brian as far as I can throw him.”

“Oh honey, that’s what men do, protect our fair honor and all that crap. I bet he was more upset that he wasn’t there to defend your honor and protect you than anything. He probably just wanted to get you out of there so he could tend to you and instead of letting your fight get in the way of checking you out, he took charge badly.”

“That’s kind of what he said,” I admitted, feeling not quite as self-righteous. “But I don’t need a man to defend me. I can take care of myself. And what about everything else? There’s nothing to excuse his behavior after it happened.”

“I know you can, sweetie, but he cares about you,” she pushed very carefully, trying not to piss me off any more. “Remember when we went to that bar in Elgin a few years ago, and that bitch shoved me and got in my face?” I nodded, remembering that night and how Nicole almost started a bar brawl. “I barely got two words out and you were there in her face before I could even finish. Defending me and scaring the shit out of her.”

“Yeah, but that’s different, I’m your girl. I had your back, plus you’ve never been in a fight and that chick had other friends with her just waiting to tear you apart.”

“I know, but your instincts were to immediately get involved and help me, right?”

“Okay, okay, point taken,” I conceded to get the discussion over. It wasn’t the same at all and I knew that but I couldn’t make her see what I did without telling her what we were hiding. “I still didn’t turn on you after it all went down and blame you.

“I’m sorry if doing that made you feel like I do now, I’m just not used to someone getting involved in my business like that. I handle things myself, I know, I know, I’m an idiot. He still shouldn’t have reacted like that.”

I felt like she had taken some of the wind out of my sails. I handed her the jewelry I had worn last night so she could give both sets back to Brian. I didn’t have the strength to face him. I mean, I knew I was right but, Nicole wasn’t wrong either.

“I know, Kelly, get some rest. I’m going to run to the bathroom,” she worried as she put a blanket over me.

Who was she trying to fool? I’ve known her long enough to know she was going to go talk to Brian. I played along, letting her do her thing. She wanted to help, but I didn’t think there was anything she could do to help, not this time.

“Trent, can I talk to Brian for a minute?” she asked. He must have nodded because I heard him get up and move to another seat. She handed Brian the jewelry, I heard it clink together in his hand. Sometimes having vampire hearing was a blessing. “Hey, Brian, Kelly told me what happened. Are you okay?”

“Yes, of course, she was the one who took the beating. I just did not see what was going on in time,” he muttered. “I know she is angry with me and the more I think about it, I realize I was acting like a Neanderthal. I just, well, I was afraid she would get hurt.”

“Brian there are some things about Kelly you need to know. She’s very independent. I mean her parents are great and all, she just is. She was like twelve when she got her first job, and always takes care of things herself. She’s also not very good at the whole feelings thing, expressing them or showing them. She told me she was able to fall asleep while you were there. That’s huge. I don’t know if it’s a trust thing, or comfort thing, but she’s not been able to do that before. So obviously you guys have something special.

“She’s just hurt you blamed her for what happened, and then stopped her from taking the cab and what not. Look, I’m not trying to get involved in your relationship. I just know how she is. Kelly yells when she’s angry, hurt, upset, or pretty much any emotion. Just give her a little space, and then apologize. You said yourself that you acted badly. You’re going to have to suck up your pride and tell her you’re on her side. And remember, she’s not like most women. She won’t be blindly led around. She will make her own path, and if you want to be with her, you need to figure out a way to be at her side, not leading her. Do you understand?”

“I understand most of it, and I will try hard to oblige. I was raised very, very old school, so sometimes it is hard for me,” he admitted. I wanted to see what else was going on, but I was supposed to be sleeping. “Thank you, Nicole, you really are a wonderful friend to her.”

“You’re welcome, Brian. Treat her right, because she’s one of a kind.” She got up, returned to our seats, and checked to see if I was awake. I pretended to sleep, and let her think I knew nothing about what she’d said. She really
was
a good friend.

I must have really fallen asleep, because I woke up with a start as the plane landed, thank god. I get to crawl into my own bed soon. We exited the plane and got in the car. Brian and I were silent, while Nicole and Trent chatted away. I was happy they hit it off, since Trent seemed like a decent guy.

We stopped at a building I didn’t recognize, so I assumed it was where Trent lived. Sure enough he got out of the car said goodbye to us all, and told Nicole he’d call her later. After we dropped off Nicole, we got to my apartment. I started to get out and so did Brian, but I turned to cut him off from getting out of the car.

“Thanks for the ride, Brian. I’m sorry I didn’t turn out to be the date you had hoped for and I’m
so sorry
I embarrassed
you
,” I sneered then closed the door in his face. I saw his slumped shoulders and pain-filled eyes through the window, but right then, I just didn’t give a shit. I made myself block it out and turned to walk upstairs.

As I got to my floor I dug out my keys. I reached my front door and my instincts kicked in because my fangs immediately extended. Before I could turn around to see what it was, I was grabbed from behind.

“What the fuck?” I yelled. Seeing the arm around my shoulders I leaned down and bit, taking quite a chunk of flesh off as I pulled my head back. He let me go and I spun around to see Dante and three other vamps. “What is this, round two, Dante? You had to bring your goons because you knew a girl would take you down?”

With that I lunged at him, and ripped out part of his throat before two of the guys pulled me off.

“Now we’re even, aren’t we?” I thundered, kicking and screaming. Whatever they had planned I wasn’t going to make it easy for them. I twisted my right arm up and pulled away towards the guy’s thumbs so he couldn’t hold me. I was thanking my lucky stars that I had friends in high school that wrestled and the tricks they taught me.

As soon as my right arm was free I spun and punched the guy who was holding my left arm. When he leaned forward, I kneed him in the face. The guy who I broke away from grabbed my shoulders and I pushed as hard as I could with my feet, driving us back into the wall.

I heard him yell and the other guy scream while I tore at his arm. Then I turned to kick the guy I just shoved into the wall, but I got cracked in the back of the head. I fell to my knees and saw Dante holding what resembled a tire iron.

I tried to scream again before I blacked out, knowing this fight was over and I had lost. Nothing came out of my mouth though as I finished falling to the floor. The last thing I thought was how I wished I could see Brian again and fix our fight.

I knew then it really was mostly anger and both our vampire emotions that had been talking. Because all I thought about was his face when the world went dark.

I started to come back around, not knowing how long I had been out. I felt dizzy and nauseous. Glancing about, I couldn’t tell if there were twelve vampires there, or six and I was seeing double. I looked down to see why I couldn’t stand only to find I was tied down to a chair with at least inch thick chains.

Oh come on,
chains
? What was this, a really bad mob movie or something? I tried to move the chains, but I felt weak and dizzy and wet.

Focusing more, I realized I was bleeding. Those assholes had been feeding off me. I had at least three big bites, maybe more. I tried to stand with the chair and all, but then I saw it was bolted to the floor. They must have heard me moving around because the next thing I knew Dante was in my face.

“Not so tough now, are we, Kelly?” he spat with an evil smile that almost made me shake.

“Probably still tougher than you.” I laughed, letting a little of my crazy take over. “It took four of you to take me out, not to mention the chains and the chair bolted to the floor. You that afraid a girl will get loose and kill you all? Come on, Dante. Be a man and find out.”

“You’re stronger than most new vamps. I assume that’s because Brian was the one who made you. He waits four hundred years to turn someone and he picks some stupid, poor city whore. What was he fucking thinking?” Dante sneered, looking me over with complete disgust.

Hey, the feeling’s mutual.
“I’m not poor, you asshole. And I’m definitely not stupid. I just finished medical school at the University of Chicago.” I tried to fight the need to vomit all over him. You
just couldn’t
gracefully win an argument if you puked.

He laughed as he circled me. “That’s what you fight me about? Skip right over the whore part?”

“You know nothing about me. If you did, you wouldn’t call me that. Plus you are too big of an asshole to see a real woman. Men always call a woman he knows he could never get a whore.” I knew it was a lame argument, but it was the best I had under the circumstances. “What do you want, Dante?”

“Well right now, I want to taste what Brian holds so dear,” he informed me right before he sunk his fangs in my neck by the back of my shoulder. I tried to hold in my yelp, but it seemed to thrill him that he caused me pain. He took a very long drink before he brought his head up. “I can see why Brian is so enamored with you, you taste amazing. Too bad he’ll never get to enjoy you again.”

He was right in my face when he said that, so I leaned back and threw my head into his. I’d never head butted a person before, only a soccer ball. It was like ramming my head into an oak door.

Shit
! That was going to leave a mark. It made him take a few steps back and I could see he was bleeding badly along his forehead. At least I’d inflicted some damage. “What do you want with me, Dante?”

“I want to see you suffer. Brian should never have chosen you. I want you out of the way. You will not replace me as Brian’s second,” he snarled as he held on to his head. Good, glad it did something, because my head was spinning from it.

“I don’t want to be his second, you idiot,” I roared but then regretted the volume because my head swam again. “I have a life. I want no part of all of this. I just want to go about
my life
.”

“You seem convincing. But you’re not the only one standing in my way of taking over Chicago.” And then it hit me, Brian. He wanted to take out Brian. My realization must have been all over my face, because he smiled again. “That’s right. You’re just the bait to get to Brian. And when he shows up, we’ll be ready and rip him apart.”

“He’s not stupid. He’ll know it’s a trap,” I argued, not really sure who I was trying to convince, me or Dante. But it sounded like I believed it.

“I’m sure he will. But he won’t expect so many of us to be here, and even he can’t take out twenty of us. It’s just a matter of time until I’m the elder in charge of Chicago,” he boasted, and then started to laugh, a very cruel, almost pure evil laugh. Another guy came up to me and ran his hand over my thighs. Dante gave him a nod and walked away.

The new guy had his hands on my breasts groping me, rage and adrenaline shot throughout my whole body. I must have had a massive burst of it because I launched my knee into his groin. He stumbled back in pain and I snarled. “You have to ask a woman before you’re allowed to touch her, fucker!” He growled and went to leap at me, but Dante grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

“I need her alive! Brian will be able to feel if she’s dead, so keep it in your pants. She won’t be taken easily, and I don’t need any of you damaged.” The other guy walked away and Dante turned back to me. “I think you hurt Dave’s feelings, Kelly. He didn’t like how you handled his advances. Tell me, did Brian’s blood give you all this courage or were you like this before?”

“That’s all me. I’m not even sure Brian knows what to do with me. I’d rather go down fighting and have you rip out my throat than let one of your thugs touch me,” I snarled at him, baring my fangs. “Next one who touches me I won’t be so nice to.”

“I believe that is true. Dave, drain our guest a little more. She’s much more pleasant when she’s unconscious,” Dante taunted as he watched Dave walk back to me. He stood on my side, just out of my reach, and grabbed my head lightning fast.

Pulling my hair, he held my neck back and sank his fangs into the top of my left breast. I gasped in pain, and had just moments to wonder,
Why the hair
? What was it with assholes pulling on the hair? Then slowly, as I felt my blood leave me, I blacked out again.

I woke to someone shaking me a few hours later. Looking up, I saw Dante standing over me holding a few pints of blood. “Drink up, Kelly, I can’t have you dying yet.” And I did, thinking nothing ever tasted as good as that blood. When I was done, I felt myself pass out again. Wondering how long I had been there?

That’s how it went for what felt like over a week, but it probably was just a day or two. They would drain me to keep me out then feed me a little. Just as I started to feel stronger again, they would drain me some more. No one tried to touch me again besides feeding.