4 Vamp Versus Vamp (21 page)

“
There’s no use trying to escape fate, babe.
”

He took a swift step back. “So you’re saying there’s no point in trying to escape my fate?” Every one in the room looked towards us.

“Of course not.” I shook my head adamantly. “You know that’s not what I was implying.”

“Then explain what you were.”

“That I like the place and it’s probably the one I would have chosen anyway.”

Jack stepped into the living room from the dining area. He zoned in on me, causing me to fidget. “It is the one. All others would fall through, forcing your hand to follow fate’s ordainments.”

“No offense, but I don’t need your little mind shit right now.” Kellan grimaced.

“Kellan!” I cut my eyes at him. “I’m sorry, Jack.” I threw the apology over my shoulder, the heat of my anger focused on one man. I felt the telltale blaze illuminating my veins. “I don’t know why you’re so touchy lately, but I have too much on my plate to deal with a melodramatic vampire, too.”

“It’s funny how quickly you can dismiss me.” He gave a humorless snicker.

“You know that’s not what I’m trying to do. You know you took what I said out of context and applied it to a completely different topic.” Electricity crackled on the surface of my skin.

“Then maybe I should take you kissing Kai out of context. Maybe I should take what you did with the Bladangs out of context. Maybe I should take how often you’ve lied in the past supposedly to protect me and others out of context.”

“So that’s how you want it, Kellan? You’re ready to fight and pick apart everything we’ve done to each other in the past?”

“If that’s what it takes to make you realize.”

“To realize what?” I yelled.

“How petty, ignorant, and immature you can be. How freaking selfish you are.”

His words stung, like a whip slicing my skin. I expected those words from my enemies. I expected those words to be spoken by anyone but him. He was supposed to support me, not tear me down.

All the fight left me, my body ceasing to be a conductor. I walked past Kellan and out the front door. Tears stung my eyes as I descended the front steps and headed for the sidewalk.

Drexel was beside me every step of the way. “He wasn’t thinking straight. He was seeing red,” he offered, keeping pace with me as I strolled down the sidewalk.

“I know.”

Chapter 20

We were near the entrance of Mel’s neighborhood when a car slid along the curb. Drexel yanked me behind him.

“Back away from her now.” I’d recognize that angry voice anywhere.

I pushed Drexel aside. “It’s okay! Stop.” I held my arms straight out, stopping Kai’s onslaught.

“Who the hell is he?” Kai demanded.

“Just calm down. The army assigned him as my bodyguard.”

Both men sized each other up, their chests puffing as they breathed in each other’s scent. When they both lost the rigidity in their bodies, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Kai, this is Drexel. Drexel, this is Kai. He’s one of the Bladang leaders.”

“Hi.” Kai extended his arm. I was surprised by his gesture.

Drexel seemed to be, too. He hesitated before returning the greeting.

Kai swung his eyes back to me. “Why are you outside when you’ve got a big target on your back?”

I shrugged.

He cupped my face. He was completely serene as he gazed down at me. “Leka, it’s not safe for you out here. You would need a lot more than one vamp to fight an army, which is what you have coming after you.”

“Me and Kellan got into a fight.”

His features grew tight. “
Babooz.
I can’t believe he let you go. Just because you have a disagreement doesn’t mean he shouldn’t protect you still.” He grabbed my hand with the ring on my finger. “This is worthless if he isn’t willing to honor it even when he’s angry.”

I stared down at my ring, at my hand wrapped in Kai’s. As much as I wanted to defend Kellan, I didn’t have
a justification
in this moment. From where Kai was coming from, he was right. It left a kink in my relationship, a weak spot.

Kai gathered me into his arms, enveloping me tightly. “I’m sorry, Leka. I didn’t mean to upset you more. I just have strong feelings about what a man should do for his fiancé.”

I pressed my face into his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. Kai was home, just as much as Kellan was. I couldn’t explain it. I don’t know that I even wanted to try. In some ways, it was
nice knowing that he would be there if things didn’t work with Kellan, but what was I supposed to do now, when I wanted comfort and the only one to give it to me was Kai?

“We should go.” Drexel’s voice was urgent, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

I followed his gaze. My stomach tangled at the sight of Kellan coming right for us.

KELLAN

My heart lurched at the sight of Lexi wrapped in Kai’s arms. I couldn’t get pissed at her because I’d just told her off, but I sure as hell was pissed at him.

At the fastest human run possible, I approached them. Kai didn’t bother backing away from Lexi, despite how awkward she seemed to be feeling.

I pushed his shoulder. “Take your hands off her.”

“Kellan.” I ignored the plea in her voice.

“You need to get over yourself,
brah
. I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. That ring on her finger means nothing if you’re going to let her go outside with a target on her back
alone
because you’ve got something up your ass.” He kept an arm around Lexi’s waist, but the rest of him was leaning into my space.

“She had
him
.” I pointed to the massive bodyguard behind him.

“One guy can’t hold off an army of attackers. Every man counts right now.”

“I don’t know where you get off telling me how to act and what to do with
my
fiancé, but you need to back the hell off.”
My blood was pumping
,
rage rising
. My gums were begging for me to shred him.

“Guys, please don’t do this.” Lexi moved, placing herself in front of Kai. I dropped my gaze to her. Her eyes were pleading with me. “Please, Kel.”

“Is this how it’s going to be? Every time we fight you’re going to run to him?” I couldn’t keep the acid from my tone. I was trying to curb my vampire instincts, trying to keep from pummeling someone, but she wasn’t making it any easier. The fact that she’d gone right to him killed me.

“I didn’t — ” she began.

“Are you that immature?” Kai laughed. I couldn’t hold back the growl that escaped. That sent him barreling with laughter. “Oh, God. You are. This isn’t about Leka — this is about your own insecurities.” He moved her to the side, stepping forward. “Let me give you a little piece of advice. Never let go what you’re not willing to give up, angry or not.”

“Let me give you a little piece of advice. Never touch another man’s woman unless you’re willing to lose your manhood for her.” I grabbed him at his lower ribs and jerked him towards me as I bent into him, effectively kneeing him in his jewels.

He hunched over for a minute before coming up swinging.

“Guys, stop!” Lexi’s voice was a distant reprimand as I defended myself against Kai’s attack.

His fist swung towards my face, but I blocked it with my forearm. His other swung low at my gut. I tried to leap out of the way, but he caught my hip. I charged at him, trying to tackle him to the ground, only to be ripped off him by
Lexi’s
bodyguard.

“Stop!” Drexel ordered. “You are in public, well within the sight of humans who could call the local police. The last thing we need is to explain an assault with no evidence remaining.”

Lexi stared at me. She didn’t even bother to hide her disappointment, which made me feel more awful than before. I didn’t mean to say the things I did. I didn’t mean to constantly let her down. Maybe she was better off with someone else.

I studied her for a moment, watching as her chest rose and fell behind my shirt. Damn it. She was mine. There was no way I could give her up. So I was stupid sometimes, so I made mistakes and acted like a complete ass. I loved her. I just had to try harder.

Feeling the fight leave me, Drexel let me go. I took a step towards Lexi, but she took a step back. My chest tightened, my gut twisting. I tried not to let her see how much that hurt me. “Kai, drive her back to Mel’s.”

He looked me up and down before grabbing Lexi’s hand and leading her to his car. I stood there, watching her walk away with the other guy, my heart cracking at the reality that I could be losing her right now.

“Give her time and flowers. You really messed up,” Drexel said. He jogged across the street and hopped into the back seat of the SUV.

I sighed. I would need a lot more than flowers to make up for this one, but I would do it.
Because I love her.

LEXI

The sun was gone and the moon was steadily rising in the sky by the time we pulled into Mel’s driveway. Why did twenty-four hours fly by some days and drag on others? Usually I found time dragged on the worst of days.

“You okay, Leka?”

I studied Kai’s profile, trying to get my bearings, trying to find solid ground again. Kellan had given me over to Kai. He said for me to go with Kai, right after he fought him for touching me. Did the drama ever end? How could we bring peace to our kinds if we couldn’t even find peace in our relationship?

“No. I’m not okay. Take me back to him, please.”

“You can’t be serious,” Kai scoffed.

“Oh, I’m dead serious. And if you won’t take me, then I’ll just get out of the car and go there myself on foot.” I lifted my chin to challenge him. He narrowed his eyes at me and puckered his lips. “Please, Kai?”

He began mumbling under his breath. I only understood half the words, though. He threw the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. We found Kellan strolling at a slow human pace, his hands in his pockets. His muscles pulled on the sleeves of his shirt as he walked.

I leapt out of the car before Kai put it in park and ran straight for Kellan. I knew without looking that Drexel was behind me. Kellan looked up right as I hit the grass lining the street in front of him. I was ready to light into Kellan with a vengeance.

“You listen up and you listen good, mister. You are never to speak to me that way again. I don’t care how angry you are at me, you are never to call me a name, never to deflate my intelligence, and never to talk down to me, period. This is an equal relationship. We’ve both made mistakes, and we’re both going to make mistakes again. That doesn’t give the other person the right to tear them down over it, though.

“And another thing, if you don’t want to be with me, then just tell me. Don’t throw me into the arms of another man because you think that’s what I want. Ask me what I want, Kellan. I’m always
frank
with you. I don’t beat around the bush or play games, but that’s all you seem to be doing lately. I’m not asking for an in on what you, Kalel, and Auggy are up to, but I damn sure expect a heads-up if you’re walking into danger.” I threw my left hand up in front of his face. “This ring on my finger says that we both are there to protect each other, support each other, and, above all, love each other, even when we’re angry, even when the other person has messed up, even — ”

He hauled me into his arms and planted his lips on mine before I could go on. He wrapped his arms around me, cradling my back as his lips caressed mine. He was soft, yet urgent; there was angst in his touch, yet somehow it seemed to calm me. I relaxed into him, allowing my mind to open as our souls fused together again, as they always did.

“
I’m sorry. I know I can never take back what I said or how I acted, but I do love you. I will always love you and want to make us work.
” There was sincerity in his thoughts.

“
You didn’t act sorry. You came at me like a bat out of hell. Don’t come at me angry twice in a row.
”

“
I’m a guy. Better. I’m a male vampire. We’re impulsive and run off testosterone, which sometimes makes us think with a different head or not at all.
”

“
I don’t care what you are, I just care about how you treat me. You could be a criminal, and as long as you loved me and treated me like an equal rather than a victim, then I would love you still.
”

“
So if I killed Kai, you’d still love me.
”

I bit his lower lip, drawing blood, as I pulled back. He laughed, wiping his lip. “Not even funny.” I shook my head.

“
Okay, bad example.
” He drew me back into his grips. “
I’m not perfect, and I’m going to mess up again.
” He stared over me at the bun atop my head before meeting my gaze again. “
Just promise you’ll keep me in line. Say something then, or before if you can, not long after I’ve opened my mouth and inserted my foot.
”