Vampire Food 08: He Smelled Like Peach Pie (17 page)

He frowned. “I don’t know, why?”

“I was just wondering.” The thought was extremely unnerving. It had occurred to her in the last few days that Rory only liked her because she was a shadow of the woman he loved. How had she allowed herself the illusion that he desire her because…what had she thought? That Rory and Salt had come to her out of pure desire to help and protect her?

He stroked her palms. “Mia. Salt and I adore you. It doesn’t change how much we love Em, but loving her doesn’t stop us from seeing the differences in you. You are an intelligent, and adventurous young woman, and you are very alluring. It isn’t because you look like Em, but simply because you are beautiful. We have really enjoyed being with you.”

He was telling her the truth, yet Mia also knew that visions of Em flashed in his mind while he was with her. Of course, what had she expected? Rory and Salt had made the ultimate vampire pact with Em. They had spoken vows of commitment, and as long as she lived, they would be hers and she theirs.
“They are not yours to fall in love with, Mia.”
Her inner voice reprimanded. “I know that. Shut the fuck up.”

“You know what, Mia?”

Mia hadn’t meant to speak the words aloud. “Uhm…I need to tell you something, Rory.”

* * * *

Em stood with the wind blowing in her face. They had discovered a narrow valley where the wind blew strong and consistently. It had become the perfect place for Em to speak with Salt as long as they positioned themselves correctly. Shanagar and Russell stood to her sides as if they were guarding her. Salt, however, was not a threat. He tugged his long hair into a ponytail and placed a band in it to hold it from his face.

“Evening.”

Em gave him a smile. He still had to keep a distance, but at least it wasn’t so far she had to scream at him. “No Rory, huh?”

Salt shook his head slowly. “They are still working on your blood and he wanted to be there. He said to say that he loves you.”

“I know that, but thank you. How are things?”

“They’re okay. Mia is sweet and distracting company. And with you?”

“I’m okay, I suppose. I really need to find somewhere else to live. I’m getting really tired of the nasty looks I get when I walk through the hall. It is like the parting of the red sea to get away from me. It sucks. I think that half the females now want to kill me.”

He chuckled. “Yes, because they were under the illusion that their man would never look at another woman no matter how alluring she was.”

“I have no such illusions. I know men look and so do women, they are just more innocent about it.”

“I know that Rory and I get our fair share of glances.” He frowned. “I actually have very little desire to look at other women. I suppose it is part of our vows. It didn’t stop you from looking at Shanagar though.”

Her shoulders sagged with the offhanded accusation. “Give me a break, Salt. The man is seven foot three and he was walking directly toward me. The caves were in ruins all around him and I honestly wondered if he was an angel or devil come to take me into the afterlife.”

Shanagar snorted with laughter. “You did?”

“Yes. It was a short-lived thought, but I did have it. Then you were standing in front of me and I was captured by your eyes.”

“His eyes are rather compelling,” commented Salt. “Okay, so he is just too impressive not to look at. I’ll give you that. I’m just breaking them anyway. We know how much you love us.”

“I do.” Em felt the pang of grief that she battled with on a daily basis begin its siren’s song in her mind. Em pushed it back. She could not give in to the feelings of despair because they would consume her. “I’m thinking that it’s time to go after the four. I’m not really wanted here right now anyway. Do you and Rory want to go? We can take separate helicopters.”

“Of course we want to go. When do you want to leave?”

“Tomorrow as soon as the sun sets.”

“Okay. I will make sure we have two helicopters ready to go.”

“I think it would be a good idea to bring ample sun blankets with us in case we can’t find anywhere safe to sleep.”

Salt nodded. “Good thought. Anything else?”

“I still don’t have a sword.”

He frowned. “Yes, you do. We dug them out of the rubble. I just haven’t gotten to send it over to you yet. Sorry.”

“No problem. It’s not like I have needed it.”

Salt glanced at Shanagar and the large sword he wore on his side. “So I see. I guess I will see you all at the field as soon as the sun goes down.”

Em nodded and Salt surprised her by quickly walking up to her and giving her a soft kiss. “I miss you.” He gagged and was forced to back off.

“I miss you also. Thank you. I was beginning to wonder if I had been replaced by Mia.”

“Mia is sweet, but her inexperience is getting on my nerves. I want a woman who I can play with without reservations.”

She hadn’t thought of that. It was a nice thought, but there had been enough spoken to hurt Russell and Shanagar’s feelings, and she didn’t want to say more. “I’ll see you later.”

“Alligator.”

Em giggled as Salt blew her another kiss and then turned, racing into the darkness.

Rory stared at Mia. “Why does she have to go to Florida?”

“I don’t know. I just have a feeling that she needs to go south and Florida keeps popping up in my mind with a sense that is the place. The voice is getting progressively louder and more insistent. I suppose it has to do with the four. They are near Florida, aren’t they?”

“Yes.” He had a feeling that she was omitting something. “How long have you been having these feelings, Mia?”

She grimaced, turning her eyes from him. “For a few days.”

“And you just decided to mention it?”

Keeping her eyes downcast, she nodded guiltily. “I didn’t want to tell you right away.”

So she had purposely been withholding information. “So why didn’t you want to tell us?”

“I wanted to experience dual sex with you and Salt.” Mia looked up. “I really like having the two of you around.”

“Anything else you care to mention?”

“No.”

Mia was lying, but he had no idea why. What did she know that she wasn’t telling? The child was as stubborn as Em, and to push her would only make her hold onto the information more tightly. “Okay.”

Salt sat down beside Mia. “We are leaving to go look for the fucked four as soon as the coming sun goes down.”

“We are?” This was news to Rory.

“Yes. You and I are going to take one helicopter and Em is taking another with Russell and Shanagar. She wants to know if you can round up enough sun blankets to keep us safe if we can’t find lodging.”

“Of course. That isn’t a problem. There is a whole pile of them in storage. What made her decide this?”

“Honestly, I think that she needs to get out of here and that gives her a good reason to leave.”

“She actually has two reasons now. Mia just informed me that she has been having a reoccurring premonition that Em needs to go to Florida. Let’s go grab those blankets and polish our swords. I’m sure that Em will want hers back.” He stood and started to walk away. He felt kind of bad for Mia. She would be lost without them and have no one to depend on if they were gone for a while. Rory turned back around. “Do you want to go?”

Mia’s forlorn face brightened with a smile. “I really do.”

“Then get your ass up and come help us.” They really didn’t need help to get six or maybe better still seven or eight blankets. If one of them was ripped, it would be a problem, better to bring extra.

They walked with purpose to the storage area and grabbed the largest of the blankets. They would need a huge one for Shanagar. Walking back to Mia’s room, they dug out their swords and cleaned the blades, double-checking for any cracks or flaws that would cause the metal to break during a battle. Of course, they had the bohemian on their side. That was an advantage.

Mia sat solemnly on the bed, watching them. “What do I do if there is a fight?”

“You stay out of the way. I can’t teach you to use a sword in a few hours.” Rory put the sword back in its sheaf and got up, walking over to Mia. He sat down beside her. “Mia, do you have any other information to tell us? Anything you know or think might be important.”

Pursing her lips dramatically like a perturbed goldfish, Mia shrugged. “I think that Em’s body can change back for a limited time. I don’t know how it can happen or if it is only that the scent will go away, but I know it can happen. It will happen if we go to Florida.”

“Ah, and that is why you hesitated to tell us, right?”

“Yes,” she reluctantly admitted. “I don’t want to be all alone again, Rory.”

“You don’t have to be alone, Mia. There are handfuls of eligible, single men in the caves. You would have your pick if you let it be known that you are interested. You don’t need me and Salt. We are too corrupt to be with you. We are too set in our ways and you don’t need men who love someone else.”

Mia shrugged. “I know that, Rory. It’s just that it is easier and safer to be with the two of you.”

Salt sat down beside him. “It may seem easier right now, Mia. As time passes, you will realize that you are better off with men of your own. You need men who can devote themselves to you and you to them without shadows of doubt hanging between you. No matter what is happening right now, deep down inside you know that’s true. You can’t give your heart to us any more than we can give you ours. You would never betray Em that way.”

“I don’t want to betray her. Why do I have to choose between loving Em and loving the two of you? It just isn’t fair.”

“You don’t have to stop loving us, Mia. You just have to understand that what we have is a different kind of love and when you find the right man to love, you will understand that.”

She nodded, but Rory knew that she really didn’t understand. Mia wasn’t the first woman to think that she was in love with the wrong man. When the right man for Mia came along, what she assumed was love now, would be completely eradicated. Mia was a very sweet and loving young woman, and once she got it in her mind that Rory and Salt were not the right men for her she would be far better off. Of course right now she needed them to protect her from the demons in her mind. Mia was still having nightmares about the attack, and it was making it hard for her to be alone.

Mia’s expression was relaying the fact that she thought that she was being rejected. Rory took her hands gently. “Mia, we’re not turning you away. We wouldn’t do that to you. You just need to realize that this is not a permanent arrangement.”

Mia looked up at him with eyes filled with sadness. “I know it’s not permanent, Rory. I was just hoping it would go on a little bit longer. I’m not ready to go back to sleeping by myself. I’m really enjoying having sex with the two of you and I wanted to experience dual sex before this ended. The problem is I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. I’m afraid... If Em gets better then the two of you will leave me.”

Rory sighed. “Mia, even if Em gets better right away, things won’t immediately return to normal. We still have to figure out what to do with Shanagar. I can’t even imagine how he’s fitting in our bed now. With the two of us it will be even more cramped.”

A giggle escaped her throat. “How funny that is to imagine. I can almost picture all five of you trying to figure out how to fit in that bed. It might work in your old bed, but this one is smaller. I even have to wonder how Shanagar fits. His feet must dangle off the edge, and his head must hit the headboard.”

As Mia had spoken the words Rory could almost imagine it. He had never slept in the bed, but it hadn’t appeared to be very long. In considering it, Rory thought that even his feet might be strained to stay on the mattress. They were really going to have to think about getting a new room that was quite a bit bigger. He turned to Salt. “Did you think to let anyone know on the alliance that we are leaving?”

Salt frowned. “I didn’t even give it a thought. Do you think we should let someone know?”

“I think it might be a good idea. We had no idea how long we will be gone. It makes sense that someone might miss us.”

“They do know that we’re leaving because I went down to the transportation center and ordered two helicopters. They are going to check them out and have them ready for us tonight.”

Rory pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll go see who I can find. There has to be somebody around.” Rory headed toward the door and then hesitated. “Mia, I was just wondering. How certain are you that we have to go to Florida?”

“I’m very certain. I have no idea what’s in Florida, but I’m feeling a mixture of fear and excitement. It makes it hard to decipher exactly why we’re going, but there is no question in my mind about our intended destination.”

“Okay.” With a nod of his head, Rory walked out the door.

* * * *

Em leered at Shanagar. “I will not apologize for loving Rory and Salt.”

“I’m not asking you to apologize. Why would you even think that?”

“I don’t know, maybe because you had an attitude since we saw Salt earlier. Are you not aware you have been grumpy as hell?”