Till the Break of Dawn (11 page)

Now it was his turn to be speechless. Marcus just looked at me, welcoming me with his eyes. I wanted to reach out and stroke his goatee the way I used to. Then I remembered we weren’t a couple anymore and even if I was going to stop seeing Jesse, for the moment, I had a boyfriend.

“I’m not the same woman anymore,” I said softly.

Marcus leaned in close and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me. His voice was so soft that if I hadn’t been as close as I was, I might have missed his words above the crowd. “Then why do I still—?”

“You must be Marcus?”

“Damn it, Darrell, can’t you see we’re having a conversation here?” I snapped.

Wow. Where did that come from? I couldn’t think of a time I actually minded seeing Darrell. He was good looking, after all. And he was a nice guy. That’s why he’d been among the small group we invited to come with us. We made sure there were no rabid fans to pester either of the wrestlers. Well, no rabid fans except Terry. What the fuck did Darrell want?

“Sorry, Dawn.” He turned his attention back to the vampire. “It seems so strange to call you by a normal name.”

Marcus smiled good-naturedly. “Everyone is used to Nightmare.”

“Did you realize that we haven’t had a homicide in Happy for over thirty years?” This question was directed more to me than to Marcus, but I could see where he was going and I didn’t like it. Darrell really was all cop.

“Now, I had to look that up because I haven’t lived here that long,” he added.

“Is that why they call it ‘Happy,’ the low crime rate?” Marcus asked.

Darrell took a sip of his beer and studied the other man. As he watched him I noticed that even sitting down Marcus was almost on eye level with the policeman. I was surprised when Darrell laughed softly.

“They call it ‘Happy’ because we’ve got a population of roughly two-thousand people with three liquor stores, four bars, and five churches.”

“Why so many churches?” Marcus asked.

Darrell took another swig of beer. “To repent for all the drinking.” He hesitated another second or two before finally getting to the point. “I know that you were close to the young woman who was killed. I hate to ask, but it’s my job.”

Marcus sighed. “What you mean is it’s your job and I’m a vampire. Be honest.”

“How close were you to town the night Mandy was killed?” Darrell asked.

I was already rising out of my seat when Marcus’ hand on my shoulder stopped me. He was actually going to answer the question. Personally, I’d not been so insulted in a long time.

“I was in Orlando.”

“Hmm. That’s a good six hour drive.”

“Yes.”

“Look, I know it’s part of your act that you’ve never had to revert to your true form to win a fight. I’m not asking for specifics but … can you fly?”

How ridiculous! I was not about to sit here and listen to this bull—

“Yes.”

My jaw dropped and for the second time I sat back down. “You can?” I asked.

Marcus kept his eyes on the cop as he answered, “Yes, I can.”

Well, that was news to me.

“And how long would it take you to fly here from Orlando?” Darrell asked.

Without hesitation Marcus answered, “I could do it in two hours.”

Darrell finished his beer and walked back to the bar to get another, leaving the conversation unfinished.

Holy shit. Was he trying to incriminate himself? Wait a minute. If he could get here that fast and he was so close the night Mandy was killed …

“You were in my bedroom the other night.” It wasn’t a question, but he answered just the same.

“Yes.”

“You took care of me.”

His smile was kind. “And I mopped the rain from your floor.” With that he rose and met Darrell on his way back across the room. Marcus towered over him and it looked like it pissed Darrell off to have to look up.

“If you’re going to directly accuse me, I wish you’d get on with it.” Before Darrell could respond he continued. “Let’s forget about the fact that she was like family to me and just look at this from the side of a vampire. I was told that her throat was torn out, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“And her blood wasn’t drained?”

“No.”

“A vampire would not have wasted all that blood. You’re looking for the wrong type of monster. Now looking at this from the perspective of a friend of the victim, I think you owe me an apology. Not only was she like a sister to me, but her unborn baby would have been my godchild. If you think for one minute that I would have harmed her you are gravely mistaken.”

As he spoke the lights dimmed. I looked around the room, watching it fill with darkness, and watching everyone else go on about their business. Did no one else see what was happening? Marcus’ eyes became solid green again. A breeze began to blow that seemed to touch only him, causing a few locks of hair to fall free from its fastening. Even though I had gone to his shows before, I had never felt Marcus use this amount of power. It was intoxicating and terrifying all at once. This wasn’t simply a parlor trick; this was real pissed off vampire power.

“If you ask any of these questions to David, treat him like a suspect, or make his suffering worse in any way, I will kill you.”

Chapter Twelve

While I stood there staring, Darrell said, “You’re right. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Then he turned and walked away. Light returned to the room, Marcus’ eyes returned to their normal pale green, and he walked back to the table.

“You just hypnotized him.” I was shocked. I’d never actually seen Marcus use any of his powers. Well, other than the little bit he did when entering the ring.

“I hypnotized everyone in the room,” he said, smoothing back his hair. “Except you.”

Before I could react, Terry came over and introduced himself.

“If you don’t mind, Dawn, I’d like to borrow him for a minute.” He turned to Marcus then. “There’s something I’d like to ask you about.”

I had no idea what was up with Terry and for the moment I didn’t care. I just sat back down, finished my onion rings and wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into. After that, I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Marcus alone. He spent most of his time talking to Terry and comforting David, which I could certainly understand.

At midnight, I was too tired to stay any longer. Most everyone else had gone home earlier, but a few people were still hanging around. Jamie was one of them. There was so much I wanted to say to Marcus, but David was grieving. He needed him more than I did tonight. Besides, I had waited seven years to make up my mind. What difference would a day make?

“I’ve got to get some sleep,” I told Jamie. “Tell Marcus I’ll see him later. He said he was going to stay in town for a few days.”

As I turned I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Marcus. Only a moment before, he was across the room. He took my hand and placed a small note in my palm.

“For whenever you need me,” he said softly. “Goodnight, Dawn.”

“Goodnight.”

*****

“I need you now,” I said, as I stood on the banks of the lake behind my house.

The note he had given me had his cell number written on it. Jamie was right, the number hadn’t changed. But Marcus had, that much I could tell. When I’d known him before he was always so careful to appear “human” around others. Now, he really didn’t seem to care. Not that I was bothered by his behavior really. It was just different. I had always known what he was, but I’d never seen it. I’d never really thought of Marcus as dangerous. There was no doubt in my mind that I was safe. But when he threatened Darrell tonight, he meant it. That was a little bit scary, no matter how I chose to look at it.

Summer wasn’t even in full swing yet, and it was already stifling. Even though I’ve always lived in the South, I can’t stand the heat. When I told Jamie I was tired, I hadn’t been lying. But now that I was home, the last thing I wanted to do was crawl into my bed alone. There is nothing worse than lying there in the dark, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for sleep when your mind won’t slow down. My mind couldn’t stop jumping from one stressful subject to the next.

I didn’t have another neighbor for miles. However, we were all going with the assumption that there was a killer still somewhere close by. For that reason I had carried a machete with me to the lake. Don’t be surprised. Machetes are actually a common gardening tool where I’m from. You never know when you’ll need to trim out-of-control wisteria vines or some low-lying tree limbs.

As long as I had the blade with me, I felt safe enough. Plus there were no shrubs close to the banks, just a clear view of the grass and further off, the woods. If someone tried to sneak up on me, they’d have a hell of a time doing it. I had changed out of my dress when I got home and my t-shirt and shorts were already clinging to me, thanks to the heat. I dipped my toes in the edge of the water and sighed. Maybe a quick swim would make me feel better.

I stripped down to my underwear, grabbed the machete and dove in. I swam to the small platform in the middle of the lake. The water was still a little bit warm, but so much cooler than the night air. I tossed the blade up onto the platform before circling it a few times, enjoying the feel of the water. When I crawled up onto the platform, it was only a matter of minutes before the lake was still again. A million stars reflected on its perfect black surface. It looked like I could reach out and scoop up a handful of stars. The moon was nearly full, casting a soft glow over everything around me. I’d never seen anything so peaceful.

“Why couldn’t I just tell him what I’m thinking?” I wondered aloud. “Why couldn’t I just ask if he still thinks of me?” I sat there for a few more minutes, knees curled up underneath my chin, practicing what I would say to Marcus. Finally, I sat up straight, closed my eyes and pictured him in front of me. I had to find the courage to say what was in my heart. Maybe a rehearsal would help. “Every time I think of you, I have to stop and catch my breath. Not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of you and wondered if you were out there somewhere thinking of me. And if you were … what did you feel?”

“My heart starts beating again.”

Marcus’ voice brought my attention back to the bank. At first when I opened my eyes I thought I was imagining things or that I’d gone too long without sleep. But he was definitely real. His long hair floated on the wind like a dark cloud. He was standing underneath the big oak tree, propped gracefully against its trunk. His feet were bare and he was wearing a dark t-shirt and black pants. There was a glimmer in his eyes I’d never seen before and even from this distance it was unmistakable. He hungered for something. Whether it was me or my blood, I couldn’t say.

“You called?” His voice was soft, but it carried easily on the wind as if he were using a microphone.

“Not exactly.”

“Sure you did, you just didn’t use a phone.”

He stood there for a moment, looking like every erotic dream I’d ever had. His hair blended with the night, like darkness crystallized, my most beautiful nightmare come to life.

“Mind if I join you?” He held up a bottle and waved it in the air as he spoke.

“Are you going to levitate over here?”

His slow grin was wicked. “Would it scare you if I did?”

“Probably.”

He laughed. “Then I’ll swim.”

Marcus pulled off his shirt and I felt my muscles tense with excitement. He was a work of art. He tossed the shirt aside and jumped into the water with perfect form. In an instant he was beside me. When he broke the surface of the water it was like time stood still. He shook his head, sending wet strands of hair flying and clinging to his throat and back. I’d never wanted anyone so much in my life.

He swam up beside me, propping his arms against the platform, but leaving most of his body in the water.

“What interesting swimwear you have.” His deep voice and sultry southern accent would be my undoing.

I shrugged, gesturing to my black bra and panties. “These fit me better than my bikini.”

“Lucky them.”

I loved the way his goatee came to a small point beneath his chin. Once again it was all I could do to resist touching it. We were alone now; it wasn’t as if I had to worry about what others might think. The only reason I fought my attraction to him was because I wanted to test the waters first. I wanted to know that he still felt the same. There were things I needed to say to Marcus before I threw myself at him.

He lifted out of the water with a splash and sat across from me with his legs crossed Indian style. He’d brought the bottle with him and now I could see it was tequila.

“You’re probably wondering about this,” he said, wiggling the bottle again. “The thing is, I have a favor to ask. I know there are a lot of things still unspoken between us. I could feel it when I looked at you. These past few days have been rough on all of us and the truth is I need a drink.”

“But you can’t—”

“I know what you’re going to say,” he interrupted, holding up his hand to stop me. “And you’re right. Vampires can’t drink alcohol. It has no affect and will make us really sick. But there is a way that I can get drunk and that’s where you come in.” Marcus looked very serious as he reached over and took my hand. “I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate. I haven’t drunk in a long time and tequila was my favorite. But now, the only way I can have it is through someone else’s blood alcohol level.”

Suddenly his meaning became clear and a shiver ran through me. “You mean you want me to get drunk so that you can bite me?”

“Yes.” He moved closer, reaching out to stroke the side of my face. “Please, Dawn. I know I never bit you before and it’s a scary thing to ask. I swear I won’t hurt you.”

“Why not hypnotize me? I’d do anything you asked then.”

His tender kiss against my forehead was a most unexpected comfort. He nuzzled my face as he pulled back and answered my question. “Because I still love you and if you don’t want me to bite you then I won’t.”

It was true. Every letter I’d ever written, but never mailed, their words were in his eyes. Marcus still loved me.

Without waiting for an invitation I crawled onto his lap and threw my arms around his neck. “Oh, Marc I’ve missed you so much.”