The Girl Who Bites (4 page)

Luke took her hand, winding his fingers through hers. “What I want, Amy, is to be with you, just you. And you with me, just me. Mary…my wife…we…things haven’t been good between us for a long time. A divorce would suit her just fine.”

“Mary…you’ve never said her name before.” Amy frowned at their intertwined hands, her mind racing.
Did I really let go of his mind before? Did I do this? Holy shit…

“How long have you been thinking about this, Luke?” Amy held her breath.

“While I was gone I got to thinking hard…but actually, I’ve been thinking about this longer than that. Six months, probably longer.”

They were silent for a long time. There was so much Amy wanted to say but didn’t know where to even start.

Finally Luke took a deep breath, his face serious. “What say we let this lay here for a while so you can think about it? It’s a pretty big load to drop on you without warning. I get the sense this is a bit of a shock.”

Amy felt the tears welling up again, unbidden. “Okay.
My turn to talk. You listen. What you’re saying is pretty much what I’ve been thinking…for a long time.”
How far do I go with this? In for a penny, in for a pound…

“But there’s more.” She saw the devil’s look of hope crossing Luke’s face.
“A lot more.” It was her turn to take a deep breath.

“This will sound…odd. So just listen. There’s something about me you don’t know…that I’ve kept a secret.
For a very long time.”

“Luke. I’m a vampire.”

There was a moment….a really long moment…where nothing was said. Finally Luke shook his head, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Amy slid off the bed, standing in front of Luke.

“Amy…
don’t get me wrong, but you are kidding, right?” He sat with his hands on his thighs, leaning forward, a puzzled…seriously confused…frown lining his forehead.

Amy knelt in front of him, placing her hands over his. “No…I’m not.”
There’s only one way to prove this
.

Closing her eyes, Amy pulled back her lips, extending her fangs. She heard Luke draw a breath…didn’t hear him exhale. She opened one eye, expecting a look of horror from Luke.

But he didn’t look horrified. He looked confused…stunned…possibly curious.

“Luke?” Amy patted his leg. “You okay?”

“Well…I’m not really sure. This is far bigger news than mine, darling. I…think I’m going to have to think on this one for a while.” He tried to stand, but Amy pressed her hands against his, and he stayed perched on the edge of the bed.

“Listen. This can work for what you want…what we both want. I can…make it so we can be together forever. You can be like me…immortal.”

Luke blinked. “Yeah. I get that part. I know how the vampire thing works, the immortal part and all. That doesn’t bother me…or at least I can wrap my head around that part. It’s the rest…the, you know, feeding stuff that I’m not sure I can handle. I mean, I like my steak rare, but I also like it to be dead before I eat it.”

Amy sighed. “Okay. I understand…but you’ll think about it, okay? Please?”

Luke took her hands, pulling her up with him. “Yeah, for you, I’ll think about it. But you think too, okay? Think how we might make this work without me having to grow fangs.”

They dressed in silence, Luke finishing before she did. He pulled her close.

“I’ll be in touch, Amy. Soon…but I’ve got things to do tonight. And we’ll figure this thing out, I promise.”

He kissed her hard, his lips rough on hers and she closed her eyes. He pulled away abruptly. She kept her eyes closed, hearing the thud of his boots on the stairs

Amy finished getting dressed and combed her hair. She should be happy; Luke wanted her…she could have what she wanted. But she had to go telling her secret and now he’d probably run for the hills.

Pete was watching TV, the bar quiet, a few customers scattered about. Luke had left. Riley was…Riley was dead in her upstairs second bedroom. And that Luke had asked her to…what? Be his? Live together?

All kinds of conflicting emotions flew through Amy’s mind as she stood behind the bar, serving beer and pouring shots, mostly standing in a daze, staring blankly at the television. Luke loved her, wanted her…that made her heart sing. But she’d gone and told him she was a vampire.

He hadn’t run screaming, that was a plus. He’d said he’d think about it. That he’d be back. She tried to take that as a positive sign.

And then there was this Robbie…Robert person. Someone from her ancient past. Someone from Scotland, the best time of her life. The time she’d spent with Antoine.

Scotland had been beautiful, wonderful,
magical. She and Antoine had been extremely careful with who they bit, were careful not to cause death and when they did, they tried to find someone who wouldn’t arouse suspicion. People were used to other people dying from routine causes; disease and injury killed many.

She’d learned everything about how to survive as a vampire from Antoine. And it had served her well all these centuries.

But now there was this unexpected vampire telling her he’d been tracking her since Scotland. That Antoine had created him. As far as she knew, Antoine had created only her, in a fit of passion.

She’d been the daughter of a Scottish laird, living in a small castle in the Highlands. It was isolated and she had been lonely. Aside from those in the small village and those who worked for her father, she saw no one. Her father was trying to find a marriage for her, simply to be rid of her. He had never wanted a daughter, blamed her for her mother’s death giving birth. He had just wanted her gone.

Antoine had come to her one night, resting on the ledge of the open window. She’d thought he was a dream, this beautiful man perched there, asking her if he could come in from the damp. She had eagerly agreed.

He had done things to her that night, and for many nights after
that…dark, wonderful things that set her body on fire, took her mind some place far away and left her, wrung out and satisfied. She’d longed for him to stay, not understanding why he always left before dawn.

That first night, she had been afraid. Not of Antoine, but she was a virgin, fearful and timid. It made her
laugh now, remembering how shy she had been. But Antoine had been patient their first time, undressing her slowly, marveling over the beauty of her young body, the firmness of her full breasts, lavishing them with kisses, sucking her hard nipples over and over, until she swooned.

Antoine had gotten her so hot, so aroused, that when he took her, sliding his cock into her virgin body, she was so ready and
accepting, she barely registered the fleeting pain as he broke through her maidenhead.

After that, each time had been more…everything. He’d taught her how to arouse him, to pleasure him, how to touch and suck and kiss him to drive him wild. And he had taught her what her own body was capable of, doing things to her with his tongue and fingers and cock that made her shudder, her cries muffled against Antoine’s hard shoulder, or buried in her pillow. She had never known this was how it was between a man and a woman. It was amazing, overwhelming…and made her want more.

She never remembered Antione leaving her bed. They would fall asleep, his strong arms wrapped around her. And then sometime before dawn she would awake, groggy and alone, her body relaxed and curiously leaden in her bed. She would mourn that he was gone and return to deep sleep, spending much of the next day in bed.

Her father grew worried, lest she become ill and he wouldn’t be able to tempt some man to take her. She was growing thin and pale, and he complained bitterly that she was turning into a wraith. There was a certain tenant farmer with interest…but he’d need to marry her off soon, before she faded away to nothing.

When she told Antoine her father planned to have her marry, he had bitten her then and there, making her like him. He told her later he’d had a moment of remorse, of doubt. But she’d clung to him, tears of relief running down her face. All she’d wanted, she said, was to be with him, no matter what.

Antoine had taken her away from that remote castle, to Castle
Leod and its village. It had been idyllic, beautiful and wild. She’d loved every moment of their existence.

Until the night Antoine had told her they’d been discovered, the villagers were hunting them. She’d asked how and he said they had found a dead
MacKenzie, bled dry, with the necklace that Antoine always wore clutched in his cold fist.

They’d fled to England and then to France. Paris suited Antoine; it was where he’d adopted the name she still called him by, when she thought of him. Their old selves had died in Scotland;
Lildh and Lochlainn were dead, as far as they were concerned.

And then her world had been shattered. She’d come back from feeding, just before dawn, and found Antoine, with a stake through his heart, dead in their bed. The hunter was still there, gloating. Amy had startled him, there was a fight and she’d managed to injury him, but he’d gotten away.

Bereft and heartbroken, she’d traveled through Europe for decades, finally taking a cruise ship to America, spending the end of the previous century in New York. But she found the crush of people maddening and had eventually made her way west.

And she’d finally landed in Nevada, owning the Silver Bullet and fairly happy with her life.
Until now.

“Hey, Boss?” Pete was standing next to her, concern etched on his face. “You okay?”

She shook herself. “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s up?”

“It’s closing time and this place is dead…has been for an hour. If you don’t need me, I’m
gonna head out.”

Amy looked at the clock over the bar. “Yeah…okay. I lost track of time. Go on, head out. I’ve got this covered.”

Pete was out the door, the screen banging against the side of the building, his boots thudding across the porch. She sighed, grabbed a few stray beer bottles off the counter, tossing them in the bin. The shelves behind the bar were a mess; she’d really been out of it tonight. Poor Pete, she really needed to make this up to him.

“Hi, Amy.
Miss me?”

Amy spun around, hand to her throat.
Robert was standing in the doorway, backpack in hand.

“What do you want?” She held up a hand. “Before we get into that, we need to get rid of that dead…of Riley.”

“Fine. I’ll take care of him. But we need to talk.”

Robert disappeared up the stairs, his tread heavier as he came back down. She heard the slam of the back door, then silence. Amy didn’t really want to think about what he was going to do with Riley’s body. And that bothered her. She should really care, but right now; saving her own hide was more of a priority.
Sorry, Riley.

He was back a few minutes later. “Okay. The honey-do list is done for tonight.” He pulled out a chair, sitting down at one of the tables. “Join me.”

Amy advanced warily, sliding out a chair on the opposite side of the table and sitting down. “What do you want?”

Robert rested his elbows on the table. “Well, I want you, to be honest.”

Amy’s bark of a laugh startled her more than Robert. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Spontaneous giggles erupted, totally out of her control. Robert watched her, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

Finally gaining control, she spoke. “Sorry. It’s just…” another chuckle escaped her “…you’re the second one to tell me that tonight. I’ve never been so popular.”

Robert’s face darkened. “Well, whoever it is who wants you, he can fuck off. I’ve tracked you for ages, Amy. I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you. And I’m not leaving…or leaving without you.”

“Robert, really.
It’s sweet and all, but no. I’m happy here and I’m not leaving. And I’m not interested in you, no offense. I don’t even know you. You’re coming off like an obsessed stalker and I’m not really into that scene.”

“I…” Before he could finish, the door banged open. Amy looked over her shoulder, eyes going wide. Luke was standing in the doorway.

“Amy…I can come back…if this is…” Luke hesitated.

In that instant, Robert was out of his chair, striding across the room. He had Luke by the neck, pinning him against the wall, watching Amy.

“This is the bastard, right? The one who wants you to be his?” Robert looked back at Luke. “A mortal? Really? This is what you want?”

Robert looked back at Amy, eyes glowing red. “I’ve gone through too much, sacrificed what I loved…even killed for you. No mortal can stand in my way. Even Antoine was no match…this mortal is
nothing.”

“Killed…who? Killed Antoine? You killed Antoine?”

Robert bared his fangs at Amy. “No. But I did tell the hunter where to find him. Why do you think he stayed behind, didn’t go feeding with you? He thought he was meeting me. But I sent the hunter instead.”

“You bastard!
You killed the only person I ever loved…and now you want to kill Luke?” Amy lunged at Robert but he brushed her aside. She stumbled over a chair, sprawling on the floor.

Before Amy could get to her feet, Robert flung Luke to the floor. There was a crash as Luke slid into the base of the bar. Amy scrabbled across the floor, kneeling next to Luke. He looked up at her, stunned but conscious.