Fateful 2-Fractured (26 page)

Danielle chose the space in the middle of
the lawn to begin her workout. She set the iPod dock down and
pressed play on her iPod. The banging song electrified the air and
she loved that.

“I’m afraid you may have it too loud. The
neighbors could complain.”

She turned to face Richard, who’d obviously
followed her out. “If it’s too loud, then you’re too old.” Danielle
started her routine.

“You really like
Aerosmith
?”

Left block, forward punch, uppercut. “I’m
surprised you even know who they are.”

“They’ve been around long enough to be
noticed, even by me.”

“Yes, they’re great for this.” She punched
and kicked in his direction.

“I’m impressed. I can see you’ve been
studying this for a long time. Your technique is nicely
polished.”

“Too bad it’s useless against the likes of
you. Regardless, I keep doing it because I like it, and I need the
exercise.” She moved through two roundhouse kicks, and several
blocks and jabs.

“I’ll spar with you.” He reached out and
caught her fist in the palm of his hand.

She jerked free. “I don’t think so. Ethan
might be angry that you’re even out here with me.”

“She’s right about that,” Ethan said.

Richard dipped into a quick bow and left
after he said, “Good day.”

“Where were you this morning? And when did
you leave me?”

“You tempt me when you’re sleeping, I
couldn’t stay.”

She stopped what she was doing, and one look
into those mystical eyes of his made her dizzy, so she dropped her
gaze to his shirt. “My blood? Is that what tempts you?” she asked,
fingering one of his buttons.

He slid the backs of his fingers over her
cheek, and she swallowed. His hands were cooler than her morning
chilled cheeks. She was more aware of his temperature changes after
being so close to him when he was mortal, and while the sun had
risen, he hadn’t warmed up much yet. It must be a gradual thing,
she mused.

“No,” he said, “I wanted to make love
to the angel sleeping next to me, and if I woke you for that, then
I
would
be tempted ... to use
the curse. It was less painful to sleep in another
room.”

“What does it feel like? That
temptation.”

“It feels wicked in a bad way. Evil.”

“And the taste?”

“The taste is only a small part of it. In
truth, it’s more about drawing energy and power.” He shuddered like
he was disturbed by his own words. “Just feeding feels so immoral
to me. I rather preferred the pangs of hunger, and the
uncomfortable tightness of being too full. Food is heavy. I liked
that.”

“And because of this, you can’t sleep next
to me?”

“I—just—I couldn’t do it last night.”

“This sucks.” She dropped her hand from him,
twisted away, and went back to her techniques, getting more violent
with the movements.

“Richard watches you. Did you know
that?”

She stopped again, but kept her back to him.
“Um, don’t all of my guards watch me? Practically nonstop?” She
could see one even now, guarding the back gate.

“Well, yes, but not like Richard does.”

“What is it about the way he watches me that
bothers you?” She felt a chill slice up her spine at the idea.

“There’s just a look in his eye that
troubles me. And he stares; the others don’t stare at you.”

“If you don’t trust him then why is he in
charge?”

“Because Max chose him, and I agree
that he is the best man for this, and I don’t think he means you
harm. He just seems a little too
interested
.” Ethan had his lips to her ear now,
and Danielle shivered as his cool mouth moved against her
lobe.

“Isn’t he married? I forgot to ask that…. I
know that Merrick is, and Cedric just married Anna—”

“He’s single.”

“That can’t be.” Her voice dropped down to a
whisper. “Isn’t he nearly seven hundred years old?”

“He’s been married a few times.” Ethan’s
breath fanned her cheek. It wasn’t as cold as his flesh, possibly
because it came from inside him and with the sun up he was warming
up.

“What happened?” Danielle turned to face her
husband, but she avoided his eyes. She buried her nose into his
cold shoulder instead. So much for getting some exercise….

Ethan responded by rubbing her back. She
felt herself sag against him as his fragrance surrounded her. “He’s
been divorced a few times,” he said.

“Why? I mean he’s rather grouchy, but he’s
got a soft side hidden underneath it all.”

“The point is that he’s looking.”

“And you think he wants me? Now you’re
paranoid
and
jealous. Ethan,
I’m married to you, and everyone knows I’m expecting
your
baby. That’s generally a major
turn off for most men.”

“You’re the one who discovered the
cure…”

“Oh, please! I only did what you told
me to do, and
any
mortal
could do it. I think you’re wrong. He’s just anal about this
military stuff, and keeping me alive is the main
objective.”

“I hope you’re right, Danielle, but I want
you to keep your distance from him.”

“All right, I’ll be careful.” However, she
still needed the violence she’d come out to the garden for in the
first place. So far, she’d done more talking than karate. “Fight
with me, Ethan. I need to punch something!” She shoved away from
his chest and struck out at him, hoping he didn’t notice how she
swayed from his influence.

Ethan chuckled. “Go for it, darling. Just
don’t overdo it this time.”

They sparred, but it was plain to see the he
was being extremely careful with her. He blocked a few of her
strikes but let the majority fall. And he never struck out at her,
not even in jest. She continued until she’d cooled her anger, but
hadn’t exhausted herself. “Thanks, honey, it’s nice to have a dummy
I can’t hurt.”

“Anytime, darling.” His gaze met hers then.
She’d been careful about avoiding that until just then, and she
swooned.

Ethan scooped her up into his arms before
everything went completely black. “Did you eat before you came out
here?”

Danielle flushed with guilt. Nope, in her
anger she’d skipped that again.

“That’s what I thought. Next time you
exercise I want you to eat first.”

“Yes, sir.” She knew he was right. She had
to stop being so distracted and focus on taking care of herself,
and this baby.

* * * * *

“Ooo! Pancakes! May I have some?” Nadia
asked as she walked into the kitchen. She and Max had just
arrived.

“Sure, have a seat. There’s still some
batter left over.” Ethan turned the burner back on, and dropped
more butter into the pan as the heat returned.

Max popped his head in to say, “I’m taking
our stuff to our room, or rather rooms. Which way do I go?”

“Last two doors on the left, at the top of
the stairs.”

“Thanks.” Then he added, “Oh, and Nadia
already had breakfast.”

“But not pancakes…” she muttered as Ethan
gave her a fork and a glass of milk while the cakes were
cooking.

“You get to sleep alone too, huh?” Danielle
asked.

Nadia nodded.

Ethan flipped the pancakes. “I’ve already
explained that…”

“We know. It still sucks.”

He dropped the pancakes onto a plate and
placed it in front of Nadia with a bottle of syrup.

Danielle was finished with her pancakes and
she’d stood from the table to help herself to an apple. She got out
a plate and knife to cut it, but Ethan snatched the blade from her
like she was the toddler who’d just gotten into the knife
drawer.

“I can cut the apple,” she argued.

“You’re in a house full of vampires and
you’re pregnant. You won’t be cutting anything.”

“The sun is up, and I’m fairly certain that
pregnancy doesn’t make me incapable of slicing fruit.”

“Humor me.” He kissed her soundly on the
forehead as he presented her with the cored and sectioned apple.
And she noticed right away that his lips were warmer than they were
earlier.

“Fine,” she said as she lifted a slice to
her lips and then rolled her eyes at Nadia.

Nadia smiled while drowning her pancakes in
syrup.

After Ethan had cleaned up, and left the
kitchen, Danielle sat next to Nadia again. “It’s nice to have a
fellow mortal in the house,” she mumbled around another bite of
apple.

“I know what you mean.”

“How have things been?”

“Crazy. Max is constantly on edge. I think
he misses the food.” Nadia stuffed a syrup-dripping, double-layer
square of pancake between her lips.

“I know Ethan does.” Danielle stared at her
last piece of apple, trying to decide if she had room for it or
not.

“Let’s go shopping today.” Nadia made the
decision about the fruit for her by stealing the wedge and then
gave it a lick before she chomped off half of it.

Danielle smiled as she stood, gathered their
dishes and turned to put them in the dishwasher. “I’d like that. Do
you think we’ll be allowed?”

“It can’t hurt to ask.”

Chapter 17

Married to a Vampire

Silence and tension filled the room when
they asked if they could go to the mall.

Cedric was staring at his feet. Merrick was
rubbing his hands on his pant legs as if his palms were sweating.
The prince looked like he had a lot to say, but had obviously
chosen to hold his tongue. His expression of anger whipped across
the room to her. Would he dare start bellowing again in front of
Ethan? And that other guard, the one who’d been outside most of the
time, the one Danielle didn’t yet know stared at her too,
expressionless.

She swallowed and met Ethan’s gaze.
“Please?”

“What do you think, Max?”

“Nothing has happened for days now. We could
be safe.”

“Richard?” Ethan turned to The Black
Prince.

Richard passed his gaze over Danielle, and
then surprised her with his reply. “Let them go. We’ll make sure
they have at least fifteen men watching them, myself included. And
we’ll make sure they pretend to be watching Nadia since Danielle is
supposedly immortal.”

After another heavy pause, Ethan released a
slow breath and then nodded. “All right. You may go.” He dug his
wallet out of his pocket and extracted a gold credit card. “Here
take my card.”

“I don’t need that. I—”

Ethan moved closer, and dropped his volume
to a mere whisper. “Take it. Please? What’s mine is yours…”

She did believe that, but her gaze
automatically shifted to her studio and landed on the two paintings
she’d done that week. The two she’d designed to sell so she could
have her own money. Knowing she would never be allowed to have a
job outside of the home for safety reasons, she’d sold a few pieces
in London. She planned to continue that little side business.

“Where are you two going today?” Nadia asked
the men, interrupting with a change of topic.

“Car shopping.”

“Oh!” Danielle said suddenly. “I have a Mini
at my parent’s house. Can Nadia and I go get it?”

Ethan choked on something, it seemed to be
words. “A Mini Cooper?”

“Yes, it’s so cute. Nadia, you have to see
it. It’s blue with white stripes—”

Her eyes rounded when Ethan took her gently
by the arm and moved her to the other side of the room. She
realized that he was trying to avoid embarrassing her in front of
the others as he defused, what he apparently perceived to be, a
bomb. “I—you can’t—I mean it just isn’t safe,” he cooed gently into
her ear, and it seemed it took a great deal of effort for him to
coo gently.

To further exasperate the tension mounting
between her and her husband, she could almost physically sense the
eyes of the others on her back, and knew they could probably still
hear his whispers. Though he certainly meant to spare her—the
feelings of abashment slithered through her veins anyway, and she
attempted to defend herself. “I’m a good driver.”

“I’m certain you are.”

“Then I don’t understand.”

His expression brightened, as if he’d just
gotten a brilliant idea. “I want to buy you something. Something
special.”

“Really? A new car? Are you sure?”

“I’m more than sure. I’ll pick something out
for you today.” He wagged his eyebrows at her, apparently trying to
sell the idea.

“Okay,” she said, still feeling a little
hesitant. “If you want to. I do like my Mini, though, so it isn’t
expected…”

She felt the cold plastic of the credit card
touch her hand and looked down at it as her fingers curled around
it.

“Have fun shopping.” Ethan kissed her
forehead and gave her a hug. Danielle tried really hard to ignore
the audience.

* * * * *

Six of the guards remained close to them,
while the other nine melted into the shadows at the mall. Which had
to have been difficult considering how well lit it was. Danielle
wondered how they felt about entering shops that mainly catered to
just women. Though they were pretending to only be guarding the
mortal Nadia, they kept Danielle close to her, and didn’t let her
stray more than a couple of feet from her friend.

She recognized most of them: Cedric, Lance,
Jack, Richard, Merrick, and the one from outside her home whose
name she didn’t yet know. Danielle tried to get to know him. “Would
you mind holding these for me?” she asked him.

Mutely he held out his arms and accepted the
pile of clothing that she meant to try on.

“Thanks. What’s your name?” she asked softly
as she draped a pretty skirt over the stack.

“Dorin,” he said gruffly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Dorin.”