Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

TALULLA

CASSANDRA:

Change of plans. I'll meet you at your dorm after your match, I sent you a surprise though.

I have no idea what Cassandra means by surprise, but I'm sure I'll find out as soon as I get out of this locker room.

As I step into the ring, my eyes travel from the big man in front of me to the icy-gray ones fixated on my very being.

He's here. In the crowd.

Flynn Lancaster.

Again.

And he's staring at me as if I were the only person in the room, and for some forsaken reason, I like the audacity of this vampire. I feel seen and alive around him, and it scares the shit out of me.

"Are you ready to get thrown around, baby?" The guy in front of me tries to regain my attention. I chuckle at his words. For someone so ripped, he clearly has very little in his brain.

"Are you ready to be taught a lesson, big guy?" I can see Flynn giving me a devilish smirk, still paying attention only to me. Nothing else. He wants me to know I am the only thing around he cares to look at. I feel completely vulnerable as his eyes travel around my body. I wish he was in this ring right now so I could have an excuse to have his hands on me.

No, Talulla, that is literally the one thing you know is wrong. The only thing that you were brought up with that would get you kicked out of the family. Completely.

Would that be such a bad thing? I feel kicked out of it already anyway. I never really felt part of it.

The bell rings, and the fight begins. I can't get distracted. I have to win the match, get the money, and give the vampire a little show on who he'd be up against if he decided to give me or anyone around here… a hard time. Even if, after last night, I don't know what game he's trying to play. But I can't think about that right now, not when I have to focus on trying not to hurt the man in the ring too much. Trying to hold back my strength is even harder than actually throwing a punch. I know how dangerous this game I'm playing is. But I'm doing this for my freedom. I take part in illegal fights for a bit, gain enough money for my tuition, and then, done. I find a job in my field, and I don't have to ask for any sort of help anymore.

I stop the first punch, then a kick, and then another punch. The guy is getting frustrated that I am doing nothing but stopping his moves. Little does he know that he's getting tired very quickly. And my stamina is fucking phenomenal.

As he steps back, trying to regain a normal breathing, I attack. An easy punch to the stomach, an elbow to the nape of the neck, and then a foot to the ankle, making him lose his balance. I press my foot on his neck, making him choke for a moment.

"I don't like to be called baby," I say as I add pressure onto his neck, and he taps, ending the match and making me the winner. Maybe the amount of pressure on his neck was a little much. I offer my hand to help him get up, but the man refuses, swearing his way out of the ring. Ouch. I guess I broke another guy's honor. I smile as he yells from the back of the building. Oh well, I tried to be nice, but he just didn't want to be nice back.

As I step into the locker room to get cleaned up, I hear a knock on the door. It's him—Flynn. I know it's him. I can feel the pull I felt the first time I saw him, the same kind of feeling I had as he watched me fight in the ring. The kind of connection that snapped into place as he walked into my life.

Not good.

So not good.

Very, very dangerous. Cassandra will kill me for it.

"Come in, blondie," I say, trying to remain as calm as possible. My heart quickens in my chest. Why am I so nervous when I'm around him? I could kill him in seconds, yet here I am, feeling my cheeks burn.

The corners of his lips lift up. He absolutely can hear my heartbeat. "It's truly amusing to see how many people underestimate you."

No mention of my warmed state. I appreciate that. I could blame the fight, but I didn't look very tired at the end of it. I shrug. "Not every person knows I can actually fight."

"I find it a bit unfair for the opponent. Not everyone has your qualities."

"What qualities?"

He snorts before replying, "You're a hunter. A damn good one."

"It's not like I'm proud of it. I hate doing this, but I need the money."

"What does a university student with a TA job need with all this money? You're making me question so many things, dear Talulla."

I huff. "It's a long story."

Flynn slowly steps closer to me, making no noise. Like a cat. A predator, trying to get to its prey. "I have a long time, and I love to listen."

"Don't you have some other girl to bite? It would make it easier to just stake you."

He shakes his head, disappointed by my comeback. "I don't feed like an animal. I have self-restraint."

My eyebrow rises. "Sure, you do."

His face is now only inches away from mine. I should pull away. I should stake him once and for all, even if I'm out of the business. But I can't. The connection I feel is too intense, and it scares me. "You haven't answered my question."

I sigh. "I just—" The words seem to stop coming out. My lips fall into a thin line. Why do I find this embarrassing?

"Just what?"

"I don't like being interrogated. It's not like I'm happy with what I'm doing." My stare lowers to the floor.

"I can tell, and this is why I'd like to know why you're putting yourself into a situation you clearly don't enjoy."

"I need enough money to pay for my tuition and living arrangements. My scholarships aren't enough, and, fuck… even work isn't enough."

"You're telling me daddy Popescu doesn't have enough funds for his favorite daughter?"

I laugh at his words. "Daddy Popescu definitely doesn't think of me as his favorite daughter—not anymore, at least."

He tilts his head. "How come?"

"Listen, it's great chatting with you, but I gotta talk to the organizer and go home. I have classes in the morning."

"Let me take you back to your dorm."

"Why would I let you do that? You're a vampire, and I am a vampire hunter. I grew up learning every possible way to kill your kind."

"And yet, here you are, doing quite the opposite." He reaches for a strand of my hair and slowly moves it behind my ear. His touch is so soft and smooth. His skin feels silky on mine.

My lips part slightly as his hand gently cups my cheek. "I like to think I'm out of business." I feel paralyzed, completely immobile, as his fingers continue exploring my face and neck with touches so light I feel like I might be dreaming. My eyes close as the silence envelops us.

"But you could rip me to shreds if you wanted to," Flynn states, letting his hand fall from my face and making me open my eyes wide.

"I could, but you haven't given me enough reasons to do so. And I don't want to."

"A vampire hunter who doesn't want to kill an abomination? Now, this is a first. Especially after last night."

"I told you. I'm not interested in that life anymore. I'm retired. You're not an abo—You know what, never mind."

I can feel the amusement pouring out of his stare. "It's in your blood," he simply replies.

"Well, then maybe I was adopted because I don't care. I never did. I don't want to do this. Taking unnecessary lives is just wrong."

"Ah, that explains the missing funds. Daddy is very unhappy about your new values, isn't he?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I reply, gathering my things and getting ready to leave the room.

"I apologize for the touchy questions. I didn't mean to upset you. I just want to get to know you."

"It's fine. You didn't know."

"Then tell me something that makes you happy. I can't bear the thought of seeing you leave in a bad mood."

"What's going to make me feel better is seeing Paolo very pleased with my match and telling me I'm almost done repaying my debt." I wave and start pacing toward the door. Flynn remains still behind me, and for a moment, I ponder the idea of forgetting what he told me two minutes ago and leaving without him, pretending he didn't just see me enjoy every second of his hand on my skin. I wonder if he can be as brutal as he is gentle. "Well," I say, looking behind my shoulder. "Aren't you gonna take me home? You're my surprise after all, aren't you?"

His mouth curls into a smile. His eyes darken as my words reach his ears. "Unquestionably." He slowly walks to me. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to such an innocent girl."

I snort and shake my head at his words. "Shut up."

He places his hand on the small of my back as we walk through the crowd, which is now busy watching another match.

I stop at the front, where I find the organizer of the night, hoping not to gain too much attention.

"Talulla, bella mia ," Paolo says, getting a reaction from Flynn. "Great, clean match tonight. Well done. You are a natural."

"Thank you, Paolo."

"Ever thought of, you know… doing this the legal way?"

Flynn's arm is now wrapped around my shoulders. "She's not interested."

My eyes snap to the tall blonde man beside me. His stare is deadly, his eyes so dark they look like a pool of black coal ready to burst into flames.

"What my friend here is trying to say is that I have other priorities. I do this just for fun and, well, for the money."

Paolo looks at Flynn, then me, and smiles. "Of course, bella. You know where to find me if you change your mind."

"She won't."

"Flynn, calm down."

Paolo laughs before handing me an envelope. "I wrote down what you made tonight and the balance." He winks at me. "Take him out of here. I don't want to see all the men here crying seeing you got… claimed."

"I am not clai—"

"Talulla, let's go. Paolo is a busy man," Flynn states as he pushes me out the door.

As we step outside, I wiggle free of his embrace. "What was that about? That was absolutely uncalled for."

"It's already enough that I didn't rip anyone's throat for looking at you as if you were an object."

"Because you don't do the same thing?"

"You, my dear Talulla, are definitely not an object."

I roll my eyes at him. "I am not sleeping with you, Flynn."

"You definitely shouldn't sleep with me."

"Then why the possessive act in there?"

"Because every single man in that building was looking at you, and I didn't want to even give them a small reason to try to bother you. That's all."

"I should've called a cab for a ride. Gosh, you're unnerving."

"The witch asked me to be here. Now, stop acting like a child."

"And why would I believe that?"

"I ran into her earlier while I was looking for you. She told me you'd be here and begged me to make sure you'd get home because she was going to do some coven stuff."

"I wonder if they found some new clues," I whisper to myself. "Wait—You were looking for me?"

"As you may know, I am donating some pieces to your university, but I also am making a deal with the local museum, and I was wondering if you'd like to see their current exhibit when people aren't around. Be my tour guide if you will…"

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah, they called me, and after seeing what I am offering, they basically begged me to visit the museum and told me I could go anytime."

"That—Are you sure?"

"Talulla, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want your company."

"I—I don't know what to say."

"How about something like, ‘I'd love to escort you to this museum and spend hours upon hours talking about each piece they have exposed.' That would be nice."

"You would want to hear me talk about history for hours?"

"Why not? I can probably tell you if your books are accurate or not. I might have lived a few of those moments."

"Well, this definitely makes me feel a little better about not being able to analyze the Da Vinci sketches, at least."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just blabbering. I'd love to visit the museum with you."

He seems to hesitate for a second, but then a small smile appears on his lips. "Good. I'm looking forward to it."

"Why? You could have anyone, and yet, here you are, trying to gain the attention of a vampire hunter."

" Retired vampire hunter. Don't forget that part, Talulla. It makes all the difference."

"I can kill you. I literally killed ten of your kind just last night."

"Actually, if I remember correctly, I helped a bit there." He snorts. "You absolutely could kill me, and I'm sure that if it ever got to that point, I'd deserve it."

We stop in front of a black car. Tinted black windows and all. "Of course, you drive the Batmobile." I roll my eyes.

"I gotta stay in character." He chuckles as he opens the passenger door for me. "I'm vengeance, after all."

As we drive off, silence falls once again. I have so many questions, and yet nothing comes out. To try and look busy, I open the envelope and read the remaining balance. Not as good as I thought it would be. I swear under my breath.

"Is everything all right?" Flynn asks, looking at me for a moment, then back at the road.

"Yeah… Just thought I'd be making a better impression tonight."

He shakes his head. His jaw clenches hard as his hands tighten around the steering wheel.

"What?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"You're making me want to end your father, and I don't love the idea of ending my chances before I even get the opportunity to take you out."

"It's my fight, not yours. Besides, we're just going to the museum, nothing else."

"You have fought long enough, don't you think?"

I sigh. "Can we talk about something else?"

"What would you like to talk about?"

It takes me a moment to think about something. "What artifact are you most proud of having in your collection? The most valuable one you own."

Flynn's lips lift up. "There are many things I am very delighted to have, but I think the piece I find most precious is Dante Alighieri's diary, where parts of the Divine Comedy are written."

"What the fuck?" My jaw drops.

He laughs at my reaction. I am shocked. "Yeah, and I don't let many people know about it, and I would never give that up."

"Yeah, no shit."

Flynn clicks his tongue. "Language."

"Okay, Grandpa, I didn't take you for such a prude."

"Oh, my sweet, sweet Talulla, I'm definitely not a prude. I should do something about your unnecessary impertinence."

"What are you gonna do? Punish me?"

His eyes darken at my words. He parks the car and immediately rests a hand on my thigh, slowly tightening his grip. "Is that what you want from me?"

"You wish, buddy."

My words die on my lips as he keeps his hand on me and takes a deep breath in, inhaling my scent. "Your self-restraint is truly admirable, little hunter." Then he releases his grip before getting out of the car and opening the passenger door for me. "I'll walk you to your door."

I simply nod, unable to say anything after what just happened. I was ready to move his hand. I was ready to jump on him—and not to stake him. The way he makes me feel is primal. Ancient. My family might find it inhuman, but I see it as almost… holy.

As we reach my door, I turn to face him. He's already looking at me as if I were the most delicious dessert in existence. As if I were a glass of water and he was a man lost in the desert.

"I'm not gonna invite you in," I manage to say before he pins me with my back against my door.

His lips brush my ear as he says, "I'll pick you up tomorrow evening." I am once again as rigid as a statue, but the feel of his soft lips tickling my skin is the sweetest and most delicious sin.

I clear my throat, trying to regain a normal heartbeat. "I should be back here around 5:00 p.m. from work. So, is 7:00 p.m. okay?"

He nods. "I almost forgot… You might want to tell the Drususes to ask around why one of the pack members was doing business with a witch uptown."

"Who did you see?"

"I suppose it was the alpha's brother. Saw him at the back entrance of a bar called Boozy Business."

"Were you spying on them?"

"I was there for other reasons and just happened to see him. Now, go inside and tell Cassandra all about it."

"They're not in my dorm."

"Yes, they are. Good night, little hunter." And then he disappears into thin air, and I stay there against the wall, trying to understand what just happened.

I unlock my door and find a nervous Cassandra pacing up and down my room. Asmodeus lies on my bed.

"Asmo, at least take off your shoes, for fuck's sake."

"Talulla, you're home, finally," Cassandra says as soon as I drop my bag on the floor.

"What's up?"

"I don't think it's a vampire."

"What is?"

"The killer."

"The vampire I killed confessed to drinking from them though. How is it not vampires?"

"They want us to think it is, but that is not what killed the werewolves."

"What Cass is trying to cryptically say is that who is behind this wanted us to think it was the vampire you killed, but we checked the police reports. We looked at the body again. We made sure to check everything."

"And?"

"The draining happened post-mortem."

"I don't understand."

"I think it would be good if Flynn looked at the body. I'm going to see if Set can find a way to get access to the bodies for a bit," Cassandra states as her hand rests under her chin. "He might recognize something we didn't yet take into consideration."

The thought of his lips brushing my ear comes rushing back. "Sure, I guess."

"You're not opposed to the idea of a vampire helping us?"

I shake my head as a smile arises on my face.

Asmodeus laughs. "Did something happen on your ride back home?"

"No, nothing happened."

"You were ready to rip his head off only yesterday, and now, after one car ride, you're okay with him looking at a case we are working on?"

"He helped Set in the past, didn't he? I'm sure he won't mind helping the Drusus coven again." I shrug my shoulders, giving them a simple justification.

"He came looking for you earlier."

I tap my foot on the floor nervously. "He told me."

"What happened on the drive between the warehouse and the dorm?"

"Nothing. He asked—"

"He asked you out."

"No, he just asked if I wanted to visit the local museum with him. No big deal. It's nothing major, and no, I'm not going to sleep with him. It's not even a date or anything like that…"

"Oh my fucking god." Her jaw is on the floor, a mixture of shock and excitement.

"Cass, it's fine."

"Girl, you are fucking glowing. You like him."

"I—It's not possible. It's complicated, and I can't get distracted. It's just a museum visit."

Asmodeus walks toward me. "With a vampire who has been drooling all over you since he saw you the other day. Tal, he's not going anywhere. He's a predator, after all."

"I don't even have the time to breathe between schoolwork, my job, and now the fights."

"Time is all he has, Talulla." Cassandra laughs.

"I—I should not be wanting this. This is wrong on so many levels. I am not letting myself fall for it."

"Love works in mysterious ways," Asmodeus says, looking at me, then at his oblivious best friend.

"He can't feel love, Asmo. He's a vampire." And that's exactly why this can't work. It will never work, right? He has no heartbeat. How can he feel things when he has no life in him? He's a predator. That's what I grew up learning. Yet, here I am, questioning the possibility of this even remotely being imaginable.

"I always thought that was only a theory," he replies, and I see my other friend agreeing with him in the corner of my eye.

I shake my head, hoping to do the same with my thoughts. "Let's focus on the medical records. Maybe there's something that could help us get some sort of clue."

"Way to change the subject," Cassandra says, handing me a folder with the printed shots we took the other night.

"Flynn said something before he dropped me off… He said he saw who he thinks is Kaden's brother getting something from a witch."

"What?"

"Yeah, he saw him at the back entrance of a bar called Boozy Business."

"That's random."

"Or too coincidental."

"Okay, I'm sending Set to check the bar and see if he can find out why Scott was there."

"Did you realize how quiet the university has been about these deaths?" Asmo suddenly says.

"Probably for their image," I reply as I continue to scroll through the pages. "Can't ruin the reputation of a highly respected school."

"Hey, do any of you know what this level here refers to?" I point at the chart on one of the pages.

"That's the toxicology report. Apparently, there were traces of acetaminophen in his urine."

"Acetaminophen? Like Tylenol?"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"Why would a werewolf be sick?" I question as they look at me, just as confused as I am.

"Four werewolves," Cassandra states. "All four werewolves had acetaminophen in their system."

Then I tilt my head to the side as I replay my encounter with the vampire last night. He was sniffling. "He was congested too."

"Who was?"

"The vampire I staked the other night. He was sniffling as if he was congested, and he said he did drink from those werewolves."

"What if he caught whatever they had by drinking from them?" I say.

"We have to go tell the coven."

"I'll tell Flynn tomorrow. Maybe he knows about supernatural colds."

"Look at you still thinking about your vampire."

"He's not my vampire."

"Not yet."