Dare to Bleed (Emily Sullivan Series) (6 page)

The room spun as he kissed me again. I moved in as close to his body as I could. His kiss left tingles on my lips from the coldness. After a minute, he pulled away and looked me in the eyes, his bright blues were burning a hole into my heart. I had thrown men out of my life forever and this vampire came in and swept me off my feet, and now I was worried I was falling hard for him. I wished I could read his mind and know how he felt about me.

He turned quickly and plopped down on my couch and started searching for my remote. I was left standing in the same spot, feeling let down. He obviously knew what I had been thinking, but didn’t have a response to my confession.

I stomped down the hall to my room, mumbling the entire way something about him being a bloodsucking pig. I slammed the door and took a long shower, put on my pajamas and crawled into bed.

Screw him. If he wanted to play this game I could play too. I knew I was being silly, I didn’t even know this guy all that well. I couldn’t just throw my ambitions to the wind because he was hot, or maybe that didn’t sound like such a bad idea. I mean, he was really hot. But I definitely could not expect him to feel anything for me this soon. I decided to stop acting so childish and go sit with my company. I was also very hungry and couldn’t stay in my room all night, especially while my stomach was already growling like a rabid dog.

I went out to my living room and found my apartment completely empty, except for me. Guess I had scared him off. My ambitions would have to stay intact for a while longer. I would have texted him to apologize for being such a goober but I didn’t have his phone number.

I dressed quickly and decided to go out for food. The roads seemed to be strangely abandoned, I felt ridiculous as I waited at the red light next to my favorite 7-eleven by myself.

After a minute, I took this as fate calling so I turned into the store. I walked in to the chime greeting, I swear one day I would rip that stupid bell down and stomp its life to pieces. Hmm, I was actually feeling kind of moody. I went to the back and grabbed a Mountain Dew and a bag of beef jerky—dinner of champions. I went to the counter as I had déjà’ vu. The incident a few hours before had been completely erased. Billy was sitting behind the counter, reading a gossip magazine with his feet propped up on the counter.

“
What’s new, Billy?”

He put his magazine down and stood. “Not much, sorry about what happened earlier,” he said, looking nervous. His response made me think about what had happened and I realized I still had some questions.

“
Hey, why were you so calm about what Ezra said?” I asked, hoping maybe he would laugh and think Ezra was a crazy man.

“
Oh, about him being a vampire?” He laughed as he said it, like it was a big joke. I let out a sigh of relief as I returned a smile and chuckled, playing along.

“
Emma, I am a vampire too,” he said finally, while I was still laughing, which cut me off. He still had an amused look on his face and I must say for such a geeky guy his smile really lit him up and made him very attractive. He suddenly wore a look of shame and started looking on the counter and scanning in my items.

Oh shit, I thought as I remembered a very important vampire trait

“
So all you bloodsuckers can read my thoughts?” I asked. I wasn’t angry at Billy, just aggravated at my lack of privacy in the world.

Billy just laughed. “Yes, Ezra is not the only bloodsucker who can read minds.”

I gave him some money for my dinner and decided to stay and talk a bit, not like I had any place else to go.

“
So how well do you know Ezra?” I am ashamed to say that I was prying, but if I was going to let this guy into my life or bed I needed to check up on him.

“
Uh, I really don’t,” he replied, apparently not caring that I was looking for information on the guy.

“
What do you mean? He’s in here every time I come in, and he knew your name the other night,” I pointed out.

“
Emma, the only time he has ever come in is when you were in here.” He stared at me with a look of concern. I suddenly felt sick, like I had been played.

“
But yesterday he was in here when I came in,” I replied, giving myself a sliver of hope.

“
He waited out in his car for almost an hour before you got here that night. I thought he was waiting on you.”

The vampire I couldn’t keep my hands off of was stalking me. So basically I could add crazy, stalker, murdering vampire to the list of guys who just didn’t work out. On that list there were also gay transvestite, dude with the Barbie doll collection, dude who thought he was a superhero, engaged guy, married guy and of course…cheating guy.

Yes, dude who thought he was a superhero, I dated him. Of course, in my defense, I thought the cape was a joke when we first met. I figured out later that it wasn’t. And gay transvestite…I don’t even want to go there. It was unnerving to think that I had a vampire stalking me.

“
So what happened to your robber vampire guy?” I asked curiously. I was trying to shake the creepy feeling.

“
Your boyfriend took him away in cuffs,” he stated, shrugging. I had a sick feeling come over me, I had to leave. I grabbed my bag of treats and walked out.

Chapter Six

I called Kimmy as soon as I got in my car. I really needed some girly advice.

“
Yo ho, what’s up?” Kimmy answered. She was my wild and crazy friend who always made me laugh and was awkward when it came to emotions. I could pour my heart out to here and cry a gallon of tears as long as I understood I would only receive a pathetic pat on the back as her reply. But for some reason, I just felt the need to talk to her.

“
Hey, Kimmy. How’s it going?” I said, trying not to sound like anything was wrong but it’s kind of hard when you get news that a vampire is following you around like a lost puppy.

“
Spill,” she commanded, not fooled.

And I did, keeping out the part about Ezra being a vampire. I didn’t want her to think I was crazy too. I included the drunken night with Gavin.

“
Ew, what a total creepzoid.” Leave it to Kimmy to know exactly how to put it.

“
I know, right, but he was so sexy,” I replied.

“
Hmm. Well, that changes things dramatically. So he is a sexy stalker, almost unheard of. So why not just go after Mr. Hot Pants next door?” she asked.

I had given up guys and then I had two completely gorgeous and got burned yet again, only twice this time.

“
Mmm, well besides the fact that he already has chick drama, I think I learned my lesson about guys. I should probably stay away,” I admitted, pouting.

“
Oh… well… I have a hot neighbor down the hall from me and I think she swings for the other team if you want me to give her your number,” she said seriously.

“
Ya know, I think I’m ok right now. Thanks, though. I haven’t quite given up completely and crossed over to the dark side.” I laughed, embarrassed. I mean I understand why she would offer, with a record like mine, no one in their right mind would date again. But men are my weakness, like cake is to fat kids. Ok, cake is my weakness too.

“
Maybe I should go on a man diet, and every time I even think about a guy I have to run a mile or clean my apartment,” I offered.

“
Yeah, you do that. Tell me how it goes,” she said sarcastically, knowing how much I loathe physical labor or anything physical except sex, for that matter.

I hung up the phone as I pulled into my parking lot. Someone had taken my dang parking spot, I hate when they do that. I pay good money for my own parking spot. It has my apartment number on it, so it’s saved for only me. Guess some dumbass can’t read. I had half a mind to write a fake parking ticket and put it under their wiper. I had to park two buildings down from mine, and I was heated as I locked my doors. Nothing I hated more than having to park far away. I’m not one of those crazy people who drive around the store parking lot for hours waiting for a close parking spot, or the customer stalkers who stalk you to your car and wait with their blinker on so everyone has to awkwardly pass by because they are so damn lazy. But this is my home and I pay for my parking rights.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts I barely got a good look at the hooded figure before he jumped me. We both tumbled to the ground. My heart stopped beating momentarily and when it resumed it was pounding to catch up. I stopped rolling and landed on my back as he jumped on top of me. He was very heavy, and it knocked the breath right out of me.

“
What’s your name, human?” he hissed at me in a quiet little voice.

I was in such shock that I couldn’t answer. His face was dark under his hood, and I couldn’t make out any of his features, not like he would let me live so I could describe him to the cops. This was like the week from hell. First Ezra, then Gavin, then Ezra and the murders, Ezra and the stalking and now bozo wanted my name before he killed me. What? Did he have trophies of his kills and he needed my name for it?

Probably wasn’t the smartest move to make but I thought to myself, “Go big or go home,” as I spat into his hood. Since I don’t really practice my spitting technique I ended up drooling on myself, and since he still had me pinned to the ground there was no way to wipe my mistake away. He snapped his head to the right as if I had slapped him in his face. I could feel his angry eyes glaring down at me.

He slapped me hard across my face, and I tasted blood. Tears slid down my face as I realized this might actually be my last few moments. It was the first time anyone had ever slapped me and man, I didn’t realize how much it stings. I pushed against him, thinking I could at least attempt to fight back before he killed me. He grabbed my wrists and held them down above my head. I gave all the energy I could muster into fighting back but I didn’t budge him. He was strong. He actually bent over and started smelling me, starting with my hair and going down my face to my neck. Thoughts that he was the vampire serial killer ran through my head. His face snapped up, almost like he read my mind and heard the words, which also supported my theory.

“
Hey!” someone yelled behind us.

I knew I should start screaming, since to an outsider we probably looked as though we were having a little lover’s wrestle outside. Before I could open my mouth, the vampire jumped off me and ran in the opposite direction of my new found hero. I sat up and studied my wrists. They were both dark red and were burning.

“
Christ, Emma, are you ok?” I suddenly recognized that voice. I looked up, surprised to see Gavin bending over to help me up.

“
I think so,” I replied, not sure before I said it if I could actually speak. Gavin helped me to my door. I tried to put the key in the hole but I was shaking too much.

“
Here, Emma, let me help.” Gavin took my keys from me, pushed the door open and helped me inside. He flipped on the light and I about had a heart attack. Ezra was standing in the middle of my living room, staring like a creep at us. We both jumped.

“
Ezra, what the hell are you doing here?” Surprisingly enough, I didn’t say it, Gavin did.

I looked at Gavin, then back at Ezra, confused. “You know each other?” I asked softly, feeling very tired from everything that had happened. It had been a long day, and I was almost killed, twice. I just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep.

“
We work together,” Gavin finally answered. The boys stood glaring at each other, and I didn’t understand what happened that caused so much anger.

“
Ezra, you work construction?” I asked. I was confused. Ezra does not seem like the construction kind of man. He wore expensive clothes and drove an expensive car. Maybe he was a drug dealer on the side.

He scoffed at my question, which pissed me off.

“
Ok, someone had better start talking or I’m leaving.” I was so angry and upset and on the verge of bursting into tears. I had to hold it together for a while longer and the longer they took to explain, the longer I had to wait.

“
Emma, Ezra and I work for the FBI. I’m sorry I lied to you about the construction job, but I couldn’t tell you what I really did,” Gavin explained, and I wasn’t even mad about him lying to me. I could understand the whole ‘if I tell you then I’d have to kill you’ situation.

“
So the FBI employs vampires?” I asked, mainly to Ezra because he was freaking me out the way he was staring and not saying anything.

“
You told her?” Gavin yelled at Ezra.

“
She kind of just found out,” Ezra finally stated unfazed by the yelling and it almost calmed me to hear him talk.

“
Found out, how?” Gavin asked slowly.

I had wanted answers, and all I was getting was their bickering back and forth like two old hags.

“
She was an eyewitness to a robbery and then a murder,” Ezra spoke to the ground, looking ashamed and biting his bottom lip. I was wondering if maybe Gavin wasn’t his boss and he was in serious trouble now. Ezra shot me a glare that said otherwise, so I stopped thinking.

“
You’re being vague so why don’t you just come out with it?” Gavin said with much anger in his voice. Suddenly Ezra was in Gavin’s face and I could feel the anger pouring off of them.