Scorned (25 page)

Something inside me that opposed that deep,
all-encompassing darkness yearned for Pierce. I wanted him. In that
moment, I needed him because I knew he could calm the churning in
my soul.

“Staci?” When Pierce saw how I was looking
at him, he stopped pacing and called my name, and that one word was
enough to push the darkness back.

“Hold me,” I whispered, and there was
desperation in my voice, a fear of myself that I didn’t
understand.

Pierce came to me with no further prompting
and wrapped his arms around my waist. The moment he touched me the
darkness receded, back into that deepest, most hidden place inside
me where it lived. I wrapped my arms around his neck and relaxed
against him so heavily he had to support my weight.

“LeKrista?” he asked as he stumbled against
the unexpected weight.

“Don’t let go,” I said.

Pierce held me for a very long time, and we
just stood there with Tate watching, and eventually Miranda and
Gavlin joined her. At some point, Miranda made a noise in her
throat to signify her impatience.

“Gable’s in the emergency room,” I finally
said against his shoulder.

“What?”

“The vampire’s got him. He’s not dead,” I
said quickly, “and I don’t think he was bitten. He was hit on the
head pretty hard, though.”

“I’ll have to go see him,” Pierce said.

I nodded. “I’ll take Miranda and go sit with
Petrice.”

“Alright.”

When Pierce finally let me go, I was afraid
that the dark places inside me would come bursting back to life,
but they didn’t. They settled back into place and they didn’t
move.

Pierce went with Gavlin to the ER. Tate and
I sat and I told her what happened in the morgue. Miranda just went
to the balcony and looked over.

I knew Roman was on his way about a second
before I saw him. “LeKrista, are you alright?” he asked, his accent
deep from the extra power he’d absorbed.

I nodded, but I didn’t bother to stand or
greet him. Such proximity to him and all that power made that dark
place stir again like a beast had awoken turning in its sleep. I
let Roman approach, slowly, because he knew I was scared. He took a
seat next to me and Miranda and Tate kept a very close eye on
him.

“I am sorry, LeKrista, for what happened
earlier. That has never happened to me.”

“Did you know that you could do that?” I
asked, and he gave me a very careful look.

“I knew that it could be done, yes, but I’ve
never done it myself. I am truly sorry that it had to happen the
way it did. I felt...” He searched for the right word, as he looked
deep into my eyes, not to use his mind tricks, but to really see
into me as a person.

“That’s enough,” Miranda said eventually,
and he looked up at her.

“Hm,” Roman said and looked back at me. I
glanced at Miranda. She had her weight balanced evenly on both of
her feet, her knees slightly bent. She was ready to fight.

“I can see that my presence is not welcome
here,” Roman said. “I came only to make sure you were alright. I
did not think you would allow me in after...what happened.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

“I see that you are. LeKrista,” his voice
was careful when he spoke, as if he was about to say something that
no one in the room would like.

“What?” I pressed. “What is it?”

“I was thinking, it might be a good idea for
you to get away for a while, hide out somewhere that you’re
protected. Perdita isn’t going to stop trying for your life, and by
now she has to be more intent on it than ever before. I know I
would be.”

That final comment did nothing to make me
feel better and I gave Roman a look that said as much. He shook his
head in apology and tried again.

“You have thwarted her attempts on your life
three times in a week. She’s not going to stop trying. She’s only
going to try harder. I know Perdita, and I know vampires of her
kind. She is of my line. Please. My home in Colorado. It would be
safer.”

“No,” Miranda said without hesitation.
“Absolutely not.”

Roman looked at Miranda then. I think he was
actually seeing her for the first time and there was a hint of
animosity in his gaze.

“
And who is she?”
He asked.

“
Miranda. One of my two new
bodyguards.”

“
She is afraid of me.”

“
Good. That means she’s smart.”

Roman looked at me as if I’d said something
shocking, then caught sight of Tate. A grin spread across his face,
but his fangs stayed neatly hidden. The anticipation of them was
enough and he knew that. My chest fluttered and I let him know just
how much I hated that.

“Tate, my dear,” he said, rising to his
feet.

“This is your vampire?” Miranda was
disgusted.

“You smell lovely, as always.” He took a
deep breath against Tate’s neck and I could feel his amusement at
pissing Miranda off.

“Don’t mind her,” Tate said. “She’s in a
foul mood today. A friend of ours passed this morning.”

Roman’s face screwed up in a sympathetic
frown and he looked positively delicious. “I’m so sorry to hear
that.” To Miranda he said, “My deepest condolences” Miranda was
polite enough to accept with a simple dip of her head.

“When’s the funeral?” I asked. “Will there
be one?”

Miranda looked at me. “The funeral will be
tomorrow evening.”

“So you’ll have to leave, right?” I asked.
“You and Gavlin and Tate will have to attend the funeral.”

Miranda was shaking her head. “One of us
will have to stay with you.” Her tone held bitterness toward me, as
if it was somehow my fault her friend had died but there was
something else, something more. While she resented me for whatever
reason, she was hoping to use me as an excuse to not have to go to
the funeral. No way was I about to let her put me in that
position.

I shook my head. “There’s no point in that.
I can go with Roman to his Colorado house until you get back. That
way none of you have to miss the funeral. I know I’d hate it if I
was stuck body guarding during the funeral of someone important to
me.” I said it while I looked her in the eye. I wanted her to know
that I knew what she was thinking. She had the grace to look
slightly embarrassed at being caught.

Roman looked from me to her and back, then
said, “You can bring Pierce if you like.” There was a sneer on his
face that he barely passed as a smile, but it would never have
passed for polite.

“Of course, I’ll bring Pierce,” I said.
“What am I? Stupid?”

Or maybe you’re stupid.

I’d honestly forgotten he was listening to
my thoughts and I flinched visibly after I thought it.

“
My bad.”

I felt his amusement. He thought it funny
when I forgot he was listening.

Miranda crossed her arms over her chest and
frowned. She was pouting and it was so immature.

She’s grieving, LeKrista. Maybe she just
needs someone to take the pain out on.

I hate being practical with myself.

“I don’t like it,” Miranda said. “I really
think this is a bad idea.”

“Miranda, come on. He’s not going to hurt
her,” Tate said, jumping in to try and save the moment. “He’s
trying to help protect her.”

“Isn’t he one of the ones we’re supposed to
be protecting her from? She’s so stupid and immature. She’ll hop a
ride with a vampire just because it sounds like fun, then come
crying to us when she realizes it’s not what she thought. Why
should we have to protect such idiocy when there are people out
there dying who really need our help?”

“Miranda, that’s enough!” Tate’s voice rose
to that “pissed-off-mom-level.”

It was funny to see Miranda react to Tate’s
sudden change of personality. It was clear that she didn’t react
like this often.

“What is wrong with you? She’s done nothing
to you to warrant this kind of behavior.”

“You didn’t hear how she spoke to me
downstairs.”

“Can you blame her? If she stood up to you
then I’ll cheer on her side, because I don’t like this attitude you
have. Don’t you dare think for one second that you’re the only
person in pain here. Gav and I just happen to be better at hiding
it for a more opportune moment.”

“Tate, you don’t-”

“Shut up, Miranda. I don’t want to hear it.
You’re so full of crap right now. You owe LeKrista an apology.
Maybe you need to go on leave until you can get your emotions under
control. I know you loved him, but this isn’t like you.”

“Tate.”

“No.” Tate said the word with such force and
finality that no one would have argued. Not even Roman. “You’re
wrong this time, Miranda. Roman, I’m sorry you had to see this side
of her. It was lovely to see you, but LeKrista and I are going to
go be with the new mother while Miranda has some time to sit and
think about what was said here tonight.” Her charming sense of
humor was back with a vengeance, like the moment of seriousness had
cost her dearly and she had to make up for it by being funny.

“Absolutely, my dear. I’m a bit hungry now,
anyway.” Roman flashed his fangs when he grinned, and had I been
single and subject to his will bending powers I might have
swooned.

“It was a pleasure to have met you,
Miranda.” He didn’t offer to shake her hand. “LeKrista, I will
leave tonight to prepare for your arrival. Adelina and Calliope
will pick you up tomorrow afternoon and you and Pierce will fly to
Colorado. Of course, I won’t be there to greet you right away, but
I will have someone there to take you into town and show you where
to find everything.”

I smiled, suddenly excited about my trip to
Colorado with the love of my life. “Thank you, Roman.”

“No need to pack, my dear,” he said
hurriedly. “I’ll have everything you need. Both of you. I
promise.”

I raised my eyebrows at that, but didn’t say
anything. I waved as he left and Tate and I went down the hall to
Petrice’s room. Miranda didn’t follow.

I'd never imagined Roman would have a
private jet, but he did and it was lavish with all the amenities of
travel.

Adelina gave us the grand tour. We climbed
the steps into the belly of the plane and turned right in that
little hallway. There were ivory sofas, one on either side with a
coffee table set in front of each. A short wall separated the sofas
from eight comfy looking chairs that faced each other, four on each
side, again with small tables set between. A box at the front hid a
TV that I was sure would have a very wide screen and I hoped for an
in-flight movie.

Adelina took us to the cockpit where we met
the pilot and copilot, two very kind gentlemen who didn’t seem to
have a clue what they worked for.

In the back of the plane I found a full
bathroom and a bedroom and I was ready to forget the movie and take
a nap when I realized there was a TV in the bedroom as well. Trust
those old vampires to think of everything.

We waited for about half an hour before
Calliope came in and I realized we’d lost her somewhere between the
parking lot and the plane. She had burgers from the food court.

Pierce didn’t even notice that we’d left the
ground, which was hard to believe. He was halfway through the
second of three burgers when he asked, “When are we leaving?”

I blinked at him. “Are you kidding?”

Pierce shook his head. “No, why?”

“We’re already flying.”

Pierce turned to look out the window. “Oh.”
When he turned back he was laughing. I pursed my lips together to
keep from laughing out loud, but it didn’t do Calliope any good.
She giggled before she could catch herself.

“I’m sorry,” she said, but couldn’t hide the
laughter in her voice. Even Adelina was laughing. “That was too
funny.”

“She’s laughing at me,” Pierce said. “Is she
really laughing at me?”

I nodded. “Everyone is, babe.”

I looked up and caught Adelina staring at
me. She was still smiling, but she had a contemplative look in her
eyes, like she was really seeing me for the first time. I smiled,
to let her know it was okay. She didn’t have to like me. I
understood.

I excused myself sometime later to use the
restroom. When I came out, Adelina was waiting for me, leaning
against the wall.

Awkward.

It was the most relaxed I’d seen her. She
looked tired.

“Have you slept?” I asked. She shook her
head, but plunged right ahead before I could say anything else.

“I owe you an apology for the way I’ve acted
toward you.”

I frowned.

“I have not given you a fair chance,” she
continued. “I can see how much you care for Pierce, and I know you
pose no threat to me, but Roman is very much infatuated with
you.”

“What?”

“Please, let me finish. The Master wants you
to be his new Vivian. I know now that you don’t desire this, but
you have to understand, he will not take no for an answer. It will
be very difficult to persuade him otherwise.”

“Adelina, you don’t owe me an apology. I
understand how you feel, or...well I know how I would feel in your
situation.”

“I want you to know, if you need my help or
Calli’s all you ever have to do is ask.”

“Thank you,” was all I could say to her
unexpected offer. She nodded, offered a small smile, and walked
away.

The rest of the flight fared rather
predictably. We all fell asleep and were woken by the sound of the
pilot on the intercom letting us know we would be touching down in
Denver in about twenty minutes.

There wasn’t a lot of prep to do, no bags to
gather, no tables to return to their upright positions. Pierce
grabbed the one bag we had with cell phone chargers and such.

It was cold outside the plane. I pulled my
coat tight around me and looked at Pierce. He didn’t seem to be
bothered by it, but I knew he didn’t like the cold, wet, white
stuff that fell from the sky and coated the ground.