Vermilion Kiss (5 page)

Sang was standing at the stove wearing a black apron and flipping pancakes. I got a plate from the cupboard and piled the hot food on it. I set it on the table and took a seat after pouring a generous amount of syrup.

Sang hummed to himself as he finished the last of the pancakes and dumped the frying pan into the sink before taking a seat next to me. “Dari! Caen! Lawrence!” he yelled. “The pancakes are ready!” He flashed me a smile. “Good morning, Lily.”

“Hey. These are amazing,” I commented as I cut my pancakes into pieces with my fork.

“Thanks.”

Darius strode into the kitchen, his long wet hair stuck to his back. He wore a white shirt with long sleeves and black leather pants with dark penny loafers. I assumed he just got out of the shower since he smelled strongly of the strawberry cream shampoo I’d bought a couple days ago. He collected three pancakes onto his plate, got a bottle of some bright red liquid from the fridge and sat across the table from Sang and I.

“Thank you, Sang,” he murmured and slid the bottle to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Drink it. You need blood.”

I opened the bottle and smelled the coppery aroma of blood. “Whose is it?”

“That doesn’t matter. You need to drink.”

I crossed my arms. “I wanna know who it’s from.”

Darius glared at me. “It doesn’t matter who it’s from, my dear. Now drink it.”

I shook my head. “Why do I need it?”

He sighed. “I took some of your blood last night when I shouldn’t have. Now drink it.”

I screwed the cap back on the bottle and set it on the table, feeling disgusted. “I want fresh blood.”

Sang said, “Then drink mine. I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?” Darius asked him.

Sang nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. Come on, Lily. Drink up.”

I let my fangs protrude and cradled the back of his head in my left hand as I bit into the side of his neck. He gripped the edge of the table, knuckles turning white, as I suckled on the decadent scarlet fluid. His blood was so sweet and had a tiny metallic aftertaste. Sang moaned as I sheathed my fangs and licked the excess drops off his neck.

“Why’d you stop?” he said, rather disappointed.

I wiped my mouth with a napkin. “I’m done.”

“Oh. That was fast.”

“I wasn’t that hungry.”

Darius intervened. “Dr. Summers will arrive at the hospital shortly, so we’ll go there tomorrow.”

Both Sang and I turned our heads toward him at the same exact moment. Darius shrugged and continued to chew on his pancakes.

Caen raced into the kitchen, grabbed a pancake in one hand, and ran toward the door.

“What’s the rush?” Sang called as Caen stepped outside.

“I’m going to be late to my job training,” Caen answered with a pant.

“What job training?”

“I’m training to be a policeman. See ya later.” Caen shut the door.

Sang glanced at the clock on the wall and almost spit out his food. “Oh no! I’m gonna be late to my job”

“You have a day job now?” Darius queried.

Sang stood up and pushed his chair under the table. “Yeah, while you guys were in Las Vegas I got a job as a waiter at Tabitha’s Diner. Oh, no, I’m gonna be late, I gotta go and change clothes.” He dashed upstairs, leaving Darius and I alone at the table.

I yawned. “I wonder when I’ll be going back to my job.”

Darius said, “Today, actually. So go and get changed. I’ll drive you there.”

“It’s today? Really?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes.”

“Shit, what time?”

“In twenty minutes.”

“I am changed. I just gotta get there.” I smoothed the pink plaid skirt I was wearing. I had on a coral chiffon blouse, the skirt and black leggings. It was beginning to be spring and everything was warming up outside so I’d decided to wear something that would keep me a little warm but not too warm to go with the weather.

Darius rose from his seat. “Then come. I’m driving you.”

“I can drive myself.”

“No. From now on, I am taking you to work and back. I am constantly worried about you,” his voice was stern.

I rolled my eyes. “I can drive myself.”

“No you will not. Now get ready.” His tone was firm.

“I am ready.”

“You need your shoes.”

“Fine.” I went into my room and slipped on my black leather boots. When I went downstairs, Darius was leaning against the door, drying his hair in a towel.

“Ready?” He tossed the towel to Lawrence who caught it on his arm.

I sighed. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

“Good.”

* * * *

It was five in the evening when Darius honked the horn to his black Lamborghini outside the store. I’ll admit, I was a sucker for that classy car. This was the first time I’d seen him drive it, the only other time I saw it was when I stumbled upon it in his garage.

I was busy stocking the last of the new dresses and wasn’t quite finished when he got out of the car and walked inside. Hannah, the new woman who recently replaced Annabelle, was at the counter and whistled as she watched in interest as Darius walked through the door. I grumbled in annoyance and tried to stay calm as Darius made his way toward me.

“Lily, I have come to pick you up. Did you not notice me?” He touched my arm with his icy hands.

I mumbled, “Oh, I noticed you. How could I not? You’re like a peacock in a pack of pigeons!”

He was still in the outfit he had put on in the morning, the long white dress shirt, and black leather pants. His chocolate hair was a curly mass that flowed wildly down his back but still managed to have a tidy image about it. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing the pale muscles of his chest. I couldn’t help myself and ran my fingers through his thick mane.

Darius chuckled at my comment and he pulled on my arm. “If you’re finished, let’s go. I want to be home as quickly as possible.”

“You live together?” Hannah asked, flabbergasted.

I fumbled for the right words. “Um, uh, well, he’s my boyfriend and um, yeah, we live together.”

Hannah gave her short brunette hair a flip and her eyes widened. “Lucky.”

I frowned at her and turned my attention back to Darius. “Okay, Okay, I’m coming. Just let me sign out.” I hurried to the back room and scribbled my name on the time sheet pinned to the wall. Then I followed Darius out to the car and he opened the door for me.

“I can open the door myself,” I said dryly as I swung my legs over the beige leather seat.

He didn’t say anything, just closed the door and got into the driver’s seat quietly. When we were on the main road, I stretched my arms over my head and yawned.

“You know I could’ve driven myself this morning. I don’t wanna be taken everywhere by you like I’m some kid.”

He kept his focus on the road but spoke to me, “For now, this the best option, my dear. There are people after you and I am afraid of what will happen if I leave you alone.”

I threw my hands up. “Well it’s all your fault that there are people after me! I’m sorry that you turned me into a vampire and I have these powers that everyone seems to want. Sometimes I really think I would’ve been better off if you had
never
turned me.”

His mouth was rigid as he replied, “You would have died if I hadn’t turned you, my dear. Someone would have killed you. I know. You were too vulnerable as a human. Too fragile.”

“I’m happy to see you and all but I really think that you’re too overprotective of me. Maybe I should just quit my job and sell my car. Would that make you happy?”

“That would be wonderful but I couldn’t do that to you. You treasure your job, it gives you comfort knowing that you earn your own money, although you don’t have to since you’re with me.”

I sighed in exasperation and crossed my arms over my chest. “But why today Darius? Why did you suddenly decide that now was the time to drive me to and from work? And what about while I’m at work? Couldn’t something happen to me while I’m at work too?”
Oh, no! Me and my huge mouth!

He paused and looked at me, concern swimming deep in his eyes in the way he stared at me. “I had a feeling that something might happen to you, that is why I decided to drive you today. And you are right, something could happen to you while you’re at work, which is why you’re quitting.”

Oh, no! He did not just say that!
I was definitely not quitting my job! “I’m not doing that. You’ll just have to cross your fingers and trust me.”

He laughed. “I will not just simply ‘cross my fingers and trust you’. I am worried about you. Concerned about you. I am afraid something might happen to you if I turn my back for even a second.”

I burst, “And why? Just because you had a ‘feeling’? That’s not enough to tell me I should go ahead and quit my job, the only thing that’s keeping me human.”

“Lily, Lily, you don’t understand. You are
not
human and there are those who are after your blood, after your power. It is my duty as your blood-sire and lover to protect you.”

I scoffed. “I don’t need protecting. I can take of myself.”

“No, you cannot. Not how you are now. You aren’t even one year old in vampire years. I promise that you will be much safer if you abandon this measly job and let me take care of you.”

I made a sour face. “I don’t care what you say. I’m not doing what you want me to. I’m keeping my job and that’s final.”

He chuckled softly. “There is no reasoning with you, is there?”

“No.”

“Ah, I forgot that that is one of the many things I love about you. Your free spirit is always comforting to watch.”

I said, “There you go again! I knew you would do it!”

“Do what?”

“Talk like you’ve known me forever. But then again, I guess you do since you said that I’m your ‘wife’ or whatever, which I really don’t know anything about or else my memory was somehow tampered with.”

His tone became serious. “Not now, my dear. I will tell you some other time.”

I was annoyed. “No, don’t say that. Because the truth is, you won’t ever tell me. You want to keep me in the dark and keep me ignorant because you don’t want me to know something.”

Darius rubbed his chin with his right hand and shook his head. “I cannot tell you right now, my dear. Not yet.”

Just as I was about to respond, the car behind us rammed into the back end of the Lamborghini and sent us lunging forward. I hit my head on the dashboard and my vision exploded into a dance of colors. I raised my head and touched above my eyes, peeled my hand back and it was smothered in blood.

Darius asked quickly, “Are you all right?” He hurriedly pulled the car onto the side of the road and pressed his hand against my forehead.

“I’m okay,” I answered weakly, my head beginning to throb painfully.

“Drink some of my blood.” Before I knew it, Darius’s wrist was in front of my mouth, scarlet blood trickling down the sides. It smelled so inviting, so delicious, and I sank my teeth into his flesh and let the blood well into my mouth. After about two gulps the thrumming in my head died down and was replaced with a pleasant airy feeling as if I were buzzed.

“I had some wine before I picked you up, so I’m sorry if you feel a bit…awkward.”

I enjoyed the light, dizzy sensation and took a few more swallows of his blood before retracting my fangs and letting the pleasurable high consume me. Darius was a dark blur and everything else was a clump of swaying rainbow dots in the background as I tried to concentrate my attention on him. I was suddenly overcome with a strong longing to touch him, to feel him against me, and unbuckled my seatbelt so that I could move freely and pressed my lips against his in a fevered passion.

All the arguing and fighting we just had melted away as his smooth, silky lips responded eagerly to mine and his tongue entered my mouth and played along the edges of my teeth. I moaned as his mouth crushed harder against mine, hands combing through my hair and caressing the back of my head gently. When we broke apart, his gorgeous amber eyes stared long into mine and I noticed the tiny flecks of gold floating near his pupil.

“Are you still upset with me?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

Still in my pseudo-drunken state I answered, “Nah. How could I be after that amazing kiss?”

Upon arriving at the mansion, I opened my car door before Darius stopped, leaping out onto the sidewalk. To my surprise, I landed perfectly on my feet and sucked in a deep breath before beginning to walk to the double front doors. Darius immediately parked the car and rushed out to check if I was okay, to which I replied, “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

He inhaled a long breath and briefly closed his eyes before latching onto my right hand and hauling me into his chest. He smelled heavily of apples and cinnamon and I relished the pleasant aroma before backing away and striding inside.

Darius quickly fell in step beside me and grasped my right hand again, giving it a light squeeze. I began to yell, “Sang! Sang, where are you?” I opened every door—the kitchen, the living room, the bathrooms, the bedrooms and found absolutely nothing.

Darius cleared his throat and said, “I do not feel Sang’s presence in the vicinity.”

I swallowed hard and attempted to keep my lips from quivering, so I bit them. “What are we gonna do?” I was frantic. “How are we gonna find Sang? Where the hell is he?”

Darius scratched his chin and spoke in a low voice. “Do not worry. Sang is fine. If he wasn’t, I would feel it. Please trust me, my dear.”

I realized that my hands were balled in tight fists and swiftly relaxed them. My words were shaky. “Yo-you promise?”

He grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I swear it…Lily.”

I stifled a very long yawn and smacked my cheeks so I wouldn’t fall asleep on the spot. I swayed a bit on my feet and before I completely hit the floor, Darius has swaddled me in his arms bride-style. A scolding heat crept into my cheeks and when I twisted to get a peek at his face, he was smirking like a cat that had managed to corner its prey.

His tone was so quiet, so serene. “I’m going to take you to your room now, my dear.” I nodded absentmindedly and he glided, like, literally glided, no-feet-touching-the-floor hovering, up the stairs but instead of turning right to my room he curved to the left. The door to his bedroom swung ajar without anyone touching it and he tenderly set me onto the bed then shut and locked the door.