Immortal Healer (11 page)

“Sorry, dude. Didn’t know she was here with anyone.”

“Have a good evening.” He leaned to Abigail, handing her drink to her as he spoke. It was more to hide his fangs from the man who was now quickly retreating in embarrassment. But as he took a seat beside Abigail, it was clear she hadn’t missed a thing.

“I’ve never seen your fangs.” She looked nervous, but she also looked intrigued. She was studying his mouth, and when she reached for his lips that were closed, he let her push one side up to see. He scanned the crowd behind her to make sure no one was watching them, and when his eyes returned to her, her mouth was open, and her eyes were wide. It was also impossible to miss the fact she was turned on. “Why can I see your fangs now?” She released his lip.

“Because I was thinking of tearing that man’s throat out.” Given the shocked look on her face, he’d perhaps been a bit too blunt.

“Why?” She was nearly whispering.

“Because you were afraid of him … and because I’m a predator—even if I may not look it to you.”

“But I don’t need to be afraid of you?”

“I could never hurt you. I will, however, kill anyone who tries to.”

She seemed to accept this explanation, and he laid down on the back of his hip and propped up on his elbow to gaze at the growing crowd in front of them. Dusk was almost fully upon them, and the movie would start shortly. He’d found a spot farther back than most, in the interest of privacy more than anything, and while it was not one of the best seats in the house, or spots on the lawn as it was, he’d rather be nowhere else. It was quiet, and the evening cool was starting to inch in from the Charles River.

He’d dressed far more casually than he usually did, especially given his day in the hospital, but from the moment he’d risen that morning, this was where he wanted to be, with her, and he cared not at all his jeans were likely inappropriate for the lab he’d spent the better portion of the day in. As she shivered, he pulled his cable knit cardigan off and offered it to her. She pulled it on, swimming in the warmth of the thick material, and when she turned to him, sitting on her hip with her legs pulled up to her side, his heart fluttered in need, and his cock groaned in desperation.

“Why are you celibate? Please tell me.” She bit her lower lip.

He watched her coolly, though his mind raced. He wanted her to be open with him, craved to know everything about her. Could he really withhold from her and expect her not to do the same with him? And didn’t he want her to know him, understand him too?

“It’s complicated.”

“You’ve already said that.” Her voice was quiet when she spoke.

With a calming breath, he pulled himself up to sit crossed-legged facing the side of her body. She turned slightly to look at him, and as the movie screen lit up, and the crowd hushed, he leaned to her ear, again letting his lips linger and touch the lobe.

“Eternity’s a hard concept to grasp sometimes. And I’ve battled the idea of it more times than I can tell you. It can make life easy at times, and yet so difficult too. Life’s not supposed to be easy. Things that ought to matter, no longer amount to much, relationships lose their value, and your connections to others seem to disintegrate. I was unhappy. Every encounter I had with a woman left me bored and wanting more, wanting to be human enough to appreciate it. But I wasn’t.”

She pulled back from him and met his eyes. They were in a bubble that didn’t include the crowd or the movie anymore. Nothing in the world mattered at the moment except for her. She was too mortal to understand what he was saying, and yet the deep and clear understanding in her expression said she did. She shifted closer to him, lowering her head to rest on his shoulder and leaving her ear exactly where he needed it to keep talking. Her hand found his thigh and rested there as he leaned back to her again.

“I felt like I was coming undone, and I needed something to change. I couldn’t bear one more reminder of how meaningless it had all become. So, I made the decision. I didn’t know what it would mean to me, or how long I intended to see it through. After a while it became a challenge I could focus on to keep my feet moving forward. Sometimes my decision seems pretty stupid, but it also kept me from losing my mind during that awful time. It’s not a normal thing, living forever. We’re not meant for it, built for it. For some it’s easier than others, though to say it’s easy for anyone is a lie. Outward living social beings can fill their lives with enough chaos to keep them sane. But for someone who likes to think, live internally, and watch quietly, it all gets a bit empty and horrifying after a while.”

She lifted her face to hold his eyes again but still remained quiet. She looked sad for him, and he didn’t like it. “Don’t worry. Nothing I do feels meaningless right now.” He watched her closely. He was leaving off the end of that statement. The “because of you” was missing, but he wasn’t prepared to deal with that at the moment.

Her fingers reached up to brush lightly over his lower lip. She took a ragged breath, and he moaned at a nearly imperceptible volume at her touch. He was left once again imagining what it would be like to taste her lips with his own, but instead, he pulled her beside him. He had his shoulder behind hers again, and she leaned into him. He rested his chin easily on her shoulder, inhaling the sweet warm scent of her skin as the movie played on. They rejoined the world and chuckled and laughed for the next two hours, and as he glanced to her when her head fell back in laughter, he was smacked with it square on the face like a two-by-four to his conscious. He was falling in love with her.

Chapter 11

“What were you like when you were in college—before Mason?” They were driving to an appointment with Devlin a few days later. She was dreading it thanks to the man’s ability to destroy her mood in two seconds flat. But he’d wanted to speak to them as soon as possible. A proposed sentencing bargain had come in from the prosecutor. Perhaps her high-priced, pompous pig of an attorney had come through for her.

It was a bright, beautiful midsummer day, but, sadly, Quentin looked horribly uncomfortable sitting beside her. As they had left from the council building in Quentin’s car shortly before, he’d looked up to the sky with a troubled sigh. She’d offered to simply take a cab, but he’d rejected that suggestion outright. When she’d asked how long he could tolerate it, he’d said he’d heal and nothing more. But now, he was sitting beside her, weaving through traffic, and his skin had a slight flush to it. He looked uncomfortable, and she wondered if his question about her college days was more to distract himself than anything.

“I was normal but still a nerd if people really paid attention. Stats major after all. But I was funny. Smart. Outgoing. Everything I was supposed to be.” She could hear the bitterness in her voice, but she didn’t care. He wouldn’t care or judge her, and she had no intention of doing it to herself. Looking out the window, she set her mouth loose. “I used to think if I could just get away from him, I could go back to it. But it doesn’t work that way. There is no going back to that life.” And then she looked at him. He was stopped at a stoplight, and he looked serious as he watched her. “But I’m okay with that. I don’t want to be her anymore.” And when he trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek, she flushed and leaned into the touch. She meant every word she said.

She wasn’t the fun young woman she’d once been; she was thoughtful. She wasn’t carefree, but her life was still important to her. She wasn’t the same naïve girl any longer, but she was starting to realize that didn’t mean she had to be frigid and distrustful. She found herself wanting to like the new Abigail, and it was a very contented feeling after so long feeling hopelessly broken.

“Did you have a boyfriend?” They had just pulled into a parking space in front of the building.

“No. I was pretty green and innocent in the men category.” She could feel the heat in her cheeks.

His jaw clenched, and his nostrils flared for a moment before his brow wrinkled. “But you weren’t a virgin when Mason took you?”

She bit down on her lip as her eyes dropped to his chest. Now she understood his wrinkled brow. “Yes.” It was barely more than a whisper.

When her gaze flashed up to his, his eyes closed, there was a slight shake to his head, and his jaw clamped down tight. He looked like he was in pain, and when he looked at her again, she could see how difficult that was for him to stomach. Her gaze flitted out the window to stifle her own emotion. The emotion wasn’t for what had been done to her; she’d cried those tears long ago. But it was for the strong, immortal man sitting beside her who looked more devastated than she thought she could handle on her account.

“It’s a damn good thing that man is dead already.” His words were spoken through gritted teeth as he opened his door and stepped out. He rounded to her side and opened the door for her, taking her hand as she stepped out. But they didn’t walk into the building immediately. Instead he cupped her cheeks in his hands. “I’m so sorry, Abby.” She nodded, and he leaned forward, placing a gentle sweet kiss on her forehead that melted straight through her skin to her overfull heart.

The meeting with Devlin was short and sweet, super sweet.

“Prosecution is offering a suspended sentence. In my opinion, it’s a good deal. You plead guilty, and you can stay out of jail. Under their terms, you would have to attend an outpatient mental health treatment program three days a week for a period of six weeks. Provided you stay out of trouble over the six week period of your treatment, the judge will throw out the sentence. The sentence they’re proposing, should you fail to behave, is five months incarceration. You’d serve at least a month of that time.” The hope in Devlin’s eyes was unmistakable. He was ready to be done with her, and frankly, she was ready to be done with him too.

“And the judge will just sign off on this? How does this work?”

“Well, the judge doesn’t have to sign off on it. He could propose a stricter sentence or reject the bargain outright. He’ll likely take a few days to review and decide. If he proposes something stricter, you’ll have to decide how you want to proceed. And I’m telling you right now, if you go into court with some kind of attitude because you have to accept an alternate sentencing agreement that isn’t as favorable as the prosecution is suggesting, you will not be doing yourself any favors. The judge has to agree, and you’re going to have to plead guilty in order to capitalize on any bargain. So, I suggest you start practicing holding your tongue in the meantime, just in case you don’t get everything the prosecution is offering. If the prosecution is proposing it, they have good reason to believe the judge will accept it. But as I said, we won’t know for a couple of days whether the judge is on board or not. You are due in court in a few days, and I’m guessing they’re making the offer now in time to get the judge’s approval and have you plead when you’re in court on Friday.”

“Why would the prosecution offer this deal?” He was being a dick to her even as he gave her good news, and her cheeks were burning in anger, but she was stowing it in her excitement.

“Because they’re busy. They have better things to do with their time than deal with the likes of…”

“Hey! Fu…” Oops, not stowing it.

Quentin’s fingers found her wrist and gripped gently, stroking the underneath side. “What Abby was trying to say was,
stop being a fucking asshole you pathetic piece of shit
.” Spoken in his calm and cool tone. It sent warmth radiating out from his fingers and up her spine. “Now, how about you give us some privacy, so we can discuss the proposition?” Quentin’s eyes held the man’s glare, and as Devlin stood with a grunt of disapproval, Quentin turned his gaze to her and studied her. When they were finally alone, he reached for her hand. He said nothing at all but waited for her to speak.

“Yes.” It’s all she could think to say. There was certainly more to say than that, but she just smiled. He chuckled before reaching to her face and gently running his thumb across her chin.

“Yes. I agree. Now how long should we let Devlin stew in anger because we kicked him out of his own office?” He gave her a mischievous smile.

“A long time. He doesn’t like me.”

“No, he doesn’t. But I like you plenty enough to make up for it.” He winked, and they spent the next five minutes making fun of every placard, certificate, and piece of atrocious art that hung on his walls.

“She’ll take the deal.” He spoke without looking at Devlin as he entered. Quentin reached for her from behind, gently clasping the tops of her shoulders and squeezing. Devlin glowered at them, most likely for keeping him waiting. She laughed at the look on his face, and she threw a pathetically placed “hmm” on the end of her giggle in a failed attempt to temper her inappropriate response. The gentle fingers that stroked her collar bone made it clear Quentin appreciated her response. The fire in Devlin’s eyes made it clear he did not.

Once back in the car, Quentin looked far more uncomfortable, and when she looked to him, she caught the angry red patch of skin that was creeping up from the collar of the casual black T-shirt he wore. It looked like a wide carpet burn running up the side of his neck, and she sucked in a quick breath at the sight. She reached toward his neck, but he caught her hand and held it in his. “It’ll heal. Please don’t worry.”

“I can’t believe you did this to yourself on my account.”

“Well, I’m guessing Devlin doesn’t work nights … or the court system for that matter and seeing how well you two get along together…” He smirked at her, and she shook her head in disapproval.

They pulled into traffic headed toward the council building and subjected to waiting a couple days until the judge could review and either accept or deny the prosecutors proposal. It promised to be an anxious few days for sure.

Chapter 12

“How about you get a move on before we’re late?” He popped his head into the bathroom to see her brushing some lip gloss over the lips he couldn’t seem to stop dreaming about. He was definitely a tortured soul around her, but it was the most incredible torture. They were still waiting … waiting away for any news from Devlin. It was only the night after the bargain was proposed to them, but it was agonizing. He wanted this for her very much, and he was worried for her too.