Chapter 13

Oliver’s gone, but I still don’t feel wholly safe as I take a defensive stance facing Chris. “You wanna tell me what’s going on now?” I snap. “Because, I feel like I’m going insane.” Chris’ face has somehow returned to normal, but I can’t forget what I just saw, even when those beautiful brown eyes are staring at me. Chris looks more puzzled than anything else as he cocks his head, studying my face.

“What do you think happened, Dani?” He’s calm in the face of my distress, and, for some reason, that absolutely infuriates me. Can anybody, just one single person, give me a straight answer tonight?

I place my hands on my hips. “I don’t know what the fuck any of that was. I’m not even sure I want to know.” Taking a shaky breath, I remember Oliver’s eyes. The look on Chris’ face as he tortured Oliver from afar, making him cry out in pain while blood poured from his eyes. “I’ve never been so scared in my life, Chris. What is Oliver? His face was… and yours.” I’ve seen a lot of horror movies. But I’ve never seen anything quite like that.

Chris stretches his hand, but I flinch and back away. “Don’t touch me! You’re some kind of a… monster. Stay the hell away from me.” I wrap my arms around myself, backing away slowly, trying to create as much distance between us as I can. But, even with everything that’s happened today, it doesn’t feel quite right to walk away from him.

Chris’ lips thin, a flash of sadness crossing his handsome features, but he drops his arm back to his side, letting out a deep sigh. “Dani, I’m not going to hurt you. You can trust me. I came here to save you. I… I felt you. Your fear. You were so scared, Dani.” He’s solemn as he looks into my eyes, his expression pleading with me to believe him.

“Okay, I need people to stop telling me that I can trust them! It’s hilarious because everybody keeps saying that, but literally nobody’s actions support that promise.” I’m spitting mad. “How convenient that Oliver told me I could trust him too, minutes before he was trying to kill me. And I don’t even fucking know you, but yet, you magically appear out in the middle of nowhere to save me? I’m sure it’s just a crazy coincidence, huh?” Nothing about this night has been okay, and, unfortunately, Chris is the closest person—or whatever the fuck he is—to yell at, so… he’s going to feel all of my fury.

“Dani.” Chris steps closer to me, but I quickly step backwards away from him. He lets out a groan but stops moving. “If I was going to hurt you, don’t you think I would have done it already? I know you don’t know me, but the fact that I’m here—that I was willing to protect you from Oliver—should be some sort of proof that I’m someone you can trust. I knew when Oliver showed up at the party. It’s why I was trying to get you to leave. I sensed him. His energy is… super fucking dark. I’m sure you’ve realized by now that he isn’t the same person he once was.” Chris frowns. “But I knew you wouldn’t believe a thing I said about him and that I couldn’t actually keep you away from him, so I had to let you see him for what he is. You had to learn the truth about him sooner or later, Dani.” Chris sighs deeply and slides his hands into his pockets before continuing, “I never left you, kitten. I was right behind you the whole time, just waiting for the right moment to make the bus stop to get you. And I could feel you the whole time. I knew you were… okay. I don’t know how or why, but I can feel you. And when I felt your fear consume me, Benji,” he nods at one of the men now standing behind us, “got the bus to stop. Didn’t expect it to flip over like that, though.” He laughs nervously, a soft, precious sound that almost has me relenting. “I’m sorry about that part.”

“If you knew he was that THING, why didn’t you carry me out of there? Drag me out of there by my hair kicking and screaming? You could have stopped this! You could have stopped me from… seeing him.” I trip over my words, my cheeks heating suddenly. It would have stopped me from having rage sex with Oliver before he turned into a psycho. Instead, I lost all self-control and let him inside me, even drinking his blood, during absolutely cataclysmic sex. I look away nervously and bite my lower lip.

“I wanted to. I really fucking did. But, just like the rest of the world, I know your story with Oliver, and I know what happened between the two of you.” He scoffs, dragging my gaze back to his. “Danica Gray. How the fuck could I not let you see him after all of that? You needed to see him. I mean, really see him. See what he’s become. I know what he is, though, so I was never going to be far away. I was always going to keep you safe, little kitten. No matter what, you were safe the whole time. I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.” He gives me a slight smile, that stupid dimple making a quick appearance.

“Great. So what? You kept me safe, so you think you know me? If you know me so well, why don’t I know literally anything about you? Who are you, Chris? If that’s even your real name. What the hell are you?”

He exhales sharply. “My name is actually Christopher Morselli, but I prefer Chris. And I’m a vampire.”

I recoil at his unexpected response, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Chris’ brows furrow as my peals of unhinged laughter continue. “Was it my name or the vampire part that’s got you so tickled, kitten?”

A vampire. He cannot be serious. My sides aching, amused tears brimming in my eyes, I’m finally able to catch my breath to answer. “A vampire? Seriously. That’s a good one.” I shake my head at him, swiping the tears of laughter from my cheeks as I compose myself. “But I would really like for you to take me home now. I’ve had enough bullshit for one night.” How did Chris even follow me here? Shit. How am I going to get home? Cracking a smile, I ask, “Don’t tell me. You’re gonna turn into a bat and carry me home?” I start to chuckle again, teetering dangerously close to bursting out in laughter once again.

Chris tilts his head and smiles at me, murmuring almost unconsciously, “You have such a beautiful smile.” His expression clouds like he’s unsure where that came from. Awkwardly, he clears his throat and swivels his head back to look at the two men standing behind us. “Sorry to disappoint, little kitten. I can be many things for you, but, unfortunately, a bat is not one of them. We drove here. Like, in a car.”

“Whatever.” I roll my eyes. “So vampires drive cars, then? How very… human of you. I figured you could fly or something.” I sneer at him. “I wonder how you think you’re gonna take care of me if you can’t even fly.” I’m joking, but it quickly becomes clear to me that Chris isn’t, since when I blink, he’s inches away from me in a split second. His face is so close to mine, those eyes piercing into my soul from millimeters away. I’m startled, expecting him to try and touch me. Hurt me. I’m not even sure what to think anymore.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Dani. But let me make something very fucking crystal clear for you.” He bends down slightly so his face is right before mine, meeting and holding my stare. All the smiles and laughter are gone from his expression. He’s as serious as death now. “I know you’re probably in shock, but everything I’ve said to you is true. Vampires are real. It’s what I am. It’s what Oliver is. My band, his band. All of us. And there are a lot more vampires out there than you can even imagine, but that’s a conversation for another day. I’m not being funny.” The level of intensity on his face is too much. I try to look away, but he grips my chin in his fingers, that familiar spark running through me at his touch. “You are in very real danger, now that Oliver has tried to claim you. He was sired by Balor, who’s a seriously deranged vampire God with a diseased-as-fuck sire line. Oliver’s not gonna stop until he gets what he wants from you. And what he wants is you. He’s already admitted what his plan is for you. He’ll keep coming until he can make you his. You can’t go home. He knows where you live. You won’t be safe there. He’s gonna kill you when he gets close enough, and you don’t have effective protections at your house.” He pauses, a growl rumbling deep within his chest as his eyes flash bright yellow. Breathing deeply, he seems to calm, eyes fading back to his usual deep brown. “You should come with me. I—we—can keep you safe.” His correction almost seemed forced, like he actually meant that he alone would care for me. “We’re still on tour, but if you stay with me, I won’t let him anywhere near you. I won’t let him fucking touch you.”

My lips part slightly in confusion. I can’t just abandon everything because of some make-believe stalking. I need to go home. I don’t even know Chris that well. He seems sincere, but everything he’s saying to me could all just be another lie. I’ve clearly established that I’m not good at knowing who to trust. Between my parents, who abandoned me, and Oliver, who just tried to kill me, my track record is not great. So, it’s not just that I don’t know him well enough to trust him. It’s that I shouldn’t—I can’t— trust another man again.

I still don’t even know if I believe this whole vampire thing, regardless of all the things I saw tonight that I can’t begin to understand. Nothing makes sense. Honestly, I want to go home. I want Elijah to hold me and tell me everything will be okay. I can feel the blood drain out of my face. Oh god! Elijah. I reach for my phone, which, against all odds, has stayed in my pocket through the abduction, rage sex, and a bus crash. Unfortunately, it’s dead. Great. “Listen. Just please take me home, Chris. I need to see Elijah. I’m not abandoning him, and I’m definitely not going to just leave with you. You ever hear of stranger danger?”

As quickly as my snark arrives, it vanishes, though. “I don’t care if Oliver comes for me. You wanna know why?” My fists are clenched at my sides, tears burning behind my eyelids. I can feel myself gearing up for an emotional rampage, and no matter what I do, I can’t rein myself in. So, instead, I explode. “Do you know what it’s been like for me these last two years? What the last few hours have been like? I’ll answer for you, because I know you fucking don’t. I finally see the man who has haunted my every waking dreams, and nightmares, for two years. The man who broke me. Humiliated me. Left me with NOTHING. I’ve spent two years not caring if I lived or died. So no, Chris, I don’t care if he kills me. Let him. I am beyond caring anymore. After tonight, after everything I saw, I… I just don’t care anymore.” I whisper. A single tear runs down my cheek as I stare off into space.

Chris’ jaw is tight. “I’m sorry.” His brows are lifted slightly, concern written all over his face.

“What could you possibly be sorry for? Just please, Chris, please take me home. I’m not going with you.”

“Dani, you’re making a-”

“I DON’T CARE!” I shout at him, cutting off his plea. Tears fall faster down my cheeks. “And I don’t want your pity. I don’t want to hear it! I just want to go home. Right now!” I force my fingers through my hair, wincing as the gesture tugs on the tight flesh of my forehead where my wound was, and spin on my heel, walking towards his friends and, I’m hoping, their car.

Chris sighs deeply and jogs after me, catching up to me quickly. I’m assuming, given the warp speed he’s used other times tonight, that he’s making a conscious effort not to alarm me. We walk in silence for a second, side by side, before he says mildly, “Okay, I’ll take you home. You’ll always have a choice with me, Dani. I will never take your free will away from you. I just need you to know that,” he says, just loudly enough for me to hear.

We’re standing in front of his two friends now. I’m still trying to control my sobs since, now that I’ve started crying, it’s hard to stop. Everything from tonight is starting to catch up to me.

Chris gestures towards the two men. “These two jokers are Benji and Bash. They’re the lead and backup guitarists for the band.” He speaks to his friends. “This is Danica. She would like us to take her home.” He turns back to me. “The car is parked in the grass up ahead a little bit.”

My arms are crossed as I stare at Benji and Bash, who look exactly how I would picture rock stars. Benji is slightly taller than Bash, with long jet-black hair tied in a loose knot on top of his head and eyes so brown they look almost black. Bash, on the other hand, has shoulder-length curly dark brown hair, tousled and hanging loosely around his striking features and piercing green eyes. They’re both wearing casual clothes, skinny jeans and band t-shirts, that do nothing to hide the tattoos that look to cover them from head to toe. Both of them are handsome, although neither is as attractive to me as Chris. Even though they’re all gorgeous, they all just look like normal people. How could they appear this way in plain sight if they’re hiding monstrous versions of themselves deep within?

“Hey.” Benji and Bash both say in unison. Benji gives me a slight wave.

God, this is all just so fucking awkward. I look like I’m a figurative bus wreck, after being in a literal bus wreck, and I’m sobbing uncontrollably. Not my finest hour. “Hi,” I finally get out.

“The car is right up ahead. We’ll take you home, no problem. I’m sorry about everything that’s happened tonight,” Bash says comfortingly, gesturing me toward where the car is parked. Holy shit, he has such a deep voice. I could listen to this man recite the Declaration of Independence and be into it.

“Yeah, when Chris told us what was goin’ down, we all piled in and hauled ass to catch up to you.” Benji gives me an awkward smile, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

“Thanks,” I say through a sob that’s somehow louder than the last one. I move past them towards the car. I want to crawl into my bed and sleep for an eternity. And shower. I could seriously use a shower. Maybe if I take a long enough shower in hot enough water, I can scrub the last several hours off me. The devastatingly bad decisions, the new horrifying knowledge of vampires, the terror of Oliver trying to kill me… I want to shed my skin like a reptile. Wash away any resemblance of my old self and forget it all.

I find the car and climb into the back seat, followed closely by the boys. Bash settles into the driver’s seat while Benji situates himself in the passenger seat up front. Chris folds himself into the back with me, sitting just close enough that I feel comforted, but not close enough that those tingles I just can’t explain start rolling up my spinal cord.

We don’t speak the entire drive back to my house, and no one turns on any music, so the car is eerily silent all the way home. Thankful for the quiet, even though it leaves me alone with my thoughts, I stare listlessly out the window as we drive down the highway. The sun is about to come up, the sky shifting from deep purples and rich velvet black to an almost white blue, as the stars slowly fade away with the night.

Nothing from tonight makes any sense, and I can’t even begin to wrap my head around all of the things I’ve learned. Vampires are real. Oliver is alive. Or is he the living dead? I’m not sure what the proper terminology is. Oliver is an insane, murderous, lying… vampire. The more times I think the word vampire, the more it slowly starts to sink in—just a little. I still have so many questions, but I think it’s better not to know.

I’ll just try to continue to live my life as I was. Being an empty shell is so much easier than living my life in fear of the unknown. And if Oliver does come for me, then so be it. Maybe I’ll be happy when I’m dead.