B007Q4JDEM EBOK (16 page)

Paul tripped suddenly. I glanced downward and gasped in horror, stumbling backward.

“No! No! No!” I shouted, staring in disbelief at the body lying across the floor. Paul gathered himself and tried to ignore what he had tripped over, but I could see the anguish in his eyes.

“I simply couldn't help myself,
” I could see Mark's teeth shining in the darkness. I now realized what the crashing sound had been. “This is why you don't let your guard down and fall in love with
a
vampir
e
.”

Janet's empty, dead ey
es stared up at me as I cried - t
his wasn't happe
ning…it couldn't be happening!
I had just spoken to her on the phone less than
a day ago
. The moisture behind my eyes began to cloud my vision.

“Now, now, Alex...don't cry. She begged for
it after all I put her through,
” I could see him smirking.

“Just shoot him already, Paul!” I shrieked.

“Yes, Paul, shoot m
e,
” Mark taunted from his shroud of darkness. I realized he hadn't noticed Kim yet, and she crept noiselessly to the side of us. My father held his crossbow steadily in front of him, but he had no intent of shooting the vampire. He was the bait, the distraction, while his sister inched around the empty room.

I heard the click of her weapon. Mark flinched as the arrow seared through his skin, and yet he didn't fall over as I had anticipated – Kim had missed her target
– his heart
. He laughed mockingly at us. Before I had the chance to think, he was out of my line of sight. Paul and Kim turned in search of him in the darkness. My eyes grew wide as his cold hands slithered up my back and around my throat.

“Get your filthy hands off of her!” Paul said through gritted teeth.

“You mig
ht as well give up now, Waldron,
” Mark replied, coiling his hands tightly around my neck. I gasped for air, but it was no use. I struggled, wriggling my arm between us, attempting to grasp the arrow that pierced his skin. I felt it with the tips of my fingers and put as much pressure as I could manage against it. He shrieked and pushed me away. I inhaled deeply, the rush of air burned as I consumed it. I dizzily crashed to the floor beside Janet's body.

Paul took his chance, fired an arrow and I watched Mark stumble backwards. I let my eyes fall shut with relief, knowing that Paul had hit his sad excuse for a heart. The screaming agony from the vampire lingered for only a few seconds as I fell unconscious.

When I came to I was laying in an unfamiliar room, on a lumpy uncomfortable bed. The walls were covered in drab yellow wallpaper dotted with small white flowers. I groaned as I turned over on the mattress. There was a small TV set sitting on a dresser covered in flaking paint. I knew immediately that I was in a hotel, and a very cheap one at that. My neck was sore and my mind was hazy. I leapt up as soon as my memories came back.

There was no one else present in the room, so I carefully stumbled over to the bathroom. I switched on the light and was appalled by what I saw in the small mirror over the pale yellow sink. My wavy brunette hair lay limply against my shoulders, twisted in a mess of knots. There were evident bags under my hazel eyes, and I could faintly see the light line of freckles across my cheeks.
This semi-
familiar gi
rl in the mirror made me sick – especially
thanks to the big black and blue marks along my throat and neck. Shuddering in disgust and anger, I discarded my clothing and headed toward the shower. I twisted the hot water on and climbed in, sitting at the bo
ttom of the tub as the water ra
n down my back. I sobbed noisily as the image of Janet lying dead on the floor raced through my mind. A sudden knock on the door pulled me away from my thoughts – for which I was thankful.

“Alex? Are you okay in there?” It was Kim.

I turned the water off and draped a towel across myself. “Yeah!” I shouted as I dried off. “I'll be out in a
minute
!”

“Okay, just making sure,” s
he said and I could hear her walk away.

I pulled my clothing back on, dreading that I hadn't brought in something clean to change into. I didn't want to leave the bathroom and face them, especially Paul. I took
the hotel
towel and ran it along the inside of the tub, drying up as much moisture as I could before curling up inside. I pried the cell phone from my pocket and quickly dialed Salem's number.

“Alex?” h
is voice was just as anxious as this afternoon
, if not more so
.

“Salem...” I whispered his name, “I shouldn't have come here.”

“What's wrong? What happened? Are you hurt?”

“Janet's...Janet's gone,
” I mumbled through a rush of sobs.

He didn't respond right away. “I'm
so
sorry, Alexis,
” I knew there wasn't much else he could say. “Are you okay?”

“Not
really
.”

I could hear him growl, his voice had grown fur
ious, “What did he do to you!” h
e demanded.

“It's nothing...I'
ll be
okay,
” I muttered, rubbing my fingers gently across my neck. I winced at the pain.

“You a
re lying.”

“I'll tell y
ou...show you...when I get home,
” I mumbled.

“When are you coming home
?” the anxiousness returned,
“I wi
ll come get you if I have to.”

“Our flight leaves in the morning.”

He relaxed somewhat,
“I wi
ll be waiting at your house.”

“I have to go, Salem...” I said as I heard Paul ramming his fist on the bathroom door. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

Exiting the bathroom, I discovered Paul and Kim waiting expectantly for me. They both sat in dull beige armchairs beside a coffee table, each of them sipping from what were obviously beer bottles. I grimaced and sat on the bed.
Both their eyes were focused intently on me
.

“Are you all right?” Paul said, although I knew there was more he wanted to say.

“I guess,
” I mumbled as I lay back on the bed. “What
now
?

“Now,” he replied bitterly, “y
ou expla
in what that monster was talkin’
about when he
said you and Salem have been together
.”

“He was just trying to
get under your skin
…t
rying t
o get your mind off killing him,
” I lied, not looking in their direction.

“
Alex, I’m not the smartest man, but I know when I’m bein’ lied to
.
Tell me the truth.
”

“He isn't what you think he is. He is my friend; he is the one that convinced me to see you and to come here! He is helping us!”

Paul shook his head in anger. “You never trust their kind!”
h
e roared. “Your moth-
Janet – trusted one and look what
happened to
her!”

“I'm not listening to this. You don't know him the way I do, and until you do – you have no right to
say a damned thing!
”

He sighed, glaring in my direction for a long time. “
You weren’t talkin’ to Jason earlier
,
”
It was a statement, not a question.

“No, I wasn't,
” I confirmed.

“Give me your
phone,” h
e demanded.

“No!” I yelled. “You have no right to take anything from me.”

“I'm your father.”

“
You’ve never been my father and you never will!
”

“Alex…
”

“
You
have no right to take
my stuff!
You can’t tell me what to do!
‘Father’
is
just
your title. Where were you when I was growing up and needed a father?
When it was just me and Janet? Huh? I’
m eighteen now – don't treat me like I'm ten!”

The look of shock and hurt on his face didn't affect me in the least. I was too annoyed to care – and I was right. I turned over on the mattress, facing away from them. “I'm going to bed. Don't wake me
up
unt
il it's time to catch the plane,
” I grumbled.

The sun shone through the thin fabric that acted as curtains, the rays fell straight across my sleeping face. I frowned as I woke up and climbed out of bed. Paul and Kim were slumped over in the armchairs, still asleep. I looked at my watch and gasped in horror. We were going to be late for the flight if we didn't
leave
quickly. I woke them and the three of us rushed to pack up, check out and head to the airport.

The flight home wasn't as bad as the trip to Denver, partly because I was upset to the point that I might as well have been numb. No one talked to me, and I didn't speak to them. When we landed, we walked in silence to Paul's car and it continued as he drove me home. As we pulled into my driveway, I could see Salem's silhouette behind the windows. Something about it made me shiver, possibly from remembering the figure I saw at the house in Denver.
Maybe Paul was right, should I trust Salem after se
eing what Mark was capable of? After all, he had been a
fellow vampire that Salem had believed
was harmless
. I shook my head at the thoughts.

I didn't say goodbye to Paul as I got out of the car. I slammed the door shut and raced into my house. Salem embraced me immediately, and I wondered if Paul could see us hugging through the window.
I didn’t care.
I heard his car pull out of the driveway and felt relieved. Salem pushed me away from him slowly, looking me over and I saw a flash of anger in his eyes as they fell upon my throat. His hands were shaking.

“Salem, it's okay,
” I whispered, holding his hands in attempt to steady them.

“No, no it isn't,” h
e growled. “Please tell me Paul killed him.”

I nodded slowly. “He did.”

“You...” he glanced away as he spoke, “y
ou didn't have anything to do with it, did you?”

I understood what he meant and shook my head. “No. I would have been helpless, even if I had
wanted to do anything.”

He pulled me into his embrac
e again. “I'm sorry about Janet,” h
is voice was a mere whisper.

“Me, too...they are having a funeral for her over the week
end, but I don't think I can go,
” I said shamefully.

“
That isn’t something you should miss out on, regardless of how painful it might be.”

“
I just don’t think I could take it
.
I don’t know if I could see her…like that
,”
Tears began to come once again. “Paul and I had a fight
too;
I don’t want to see him there either.”

“
What was your fight about
?”

“You...”

Salem pulled away again, his eyes looking deeply int
o my own. “What does he know?” h
e sounded almost afraid.

“Mark told him that we have been seeing each other – I don't even know how he would know that, unless Janet figured
it
out somehow
and told him
. While we were at the hotel Paul tried to tel
l me I couldn't see you anymore,
” I replied, “I got mad, I told him he couldn't tell me what to do.” I felt childish.

“We have to be very
careful
, Alex,” h
e sighed heavily and led me to the couch. “I wouldn't doubt him coming after me.”

“I won't let him touch you,
” I laid my head against him.

“I'll have bette
r control of that than you will,” h
e smiled gently.

My stomach growled desperately and I realized I couldn't even remember the last time I had eaten anything. Salem seemed to catch on and I saw his eyes flash purple. “What are you doing?” I asked curiously.

“You wi
ll see.”

And I did. A bowl of strawberry ice cream appeared on the coffee table. I eyed it for a second, unsure if I really wanted it. Salem reached forward, grabbed it and offered me a spoonful. “It is what you eat when you are de
pressed, right?” h
e grinned and I opened my mouth. The taste of the sweet, cold cream was amazing – possibly because it was the only thing I had
eaten in almost two days
. After consuming the dessert I cuddled up against Salem and asked him what he had done while I was away, besides worry.
I needed to hear anything to get my mind off of Janet, to stop the tears even momentarily.