Читать книгу Blood Eternal - Toni Kelly - Страница 11

6

After winter comes the summer. After night comes the dawn. After every storm, there comes clear, open skies.

—Samuel Rutherford

“Where are we going?” Savannah shivered as Luke settled a hand on the small of her back, guiding her outside the bar and into night’s humidity. Her heels clicked along cobblestone as they made their way to Luke’s car. Why had he mentioned her being tired? Did the bags under her eyes show? She brushed below one eye with a finger, hoping to remove any runny makeup then pulled her shawl tighter and walked faster to keep pace with him. “Who were you talking to?”

“His name is Lorenzo. Do you want my jacket?”

His touch seemed to set fire to her skin, and she shook her head because she didn’t trust her voice. Why she’d decided to wear a dress with such a low cut back was beyond her. She was fortunate the cut of the dress hid her largest scars.

“He is different, compared with yesterday’s crowd. All of them were.” It seemed strange Luke’s tastes varied so widely within two nights. And yet he didn’t seem to fit in either place. His role playing was impeccable, but something told her there was more to him.

“Yes, his tastes run much more nefarious than the auction crowd’s. Get in,” he said, suddenly brusque as he opened her door.

She jumped at his tone. Why the rush? Stiff in the passenger’s seat, she took a deep breath and waited for Luke to slide in and start the car. Tension hardened the lines of his body, and his midnight gaze darted to the rearview mirror. Something was wrong. “We didn’t have to leave. I mean if you wanted to stay, we could have.” Perhaps things hadn’t gone smoothly with Lorenzo.

He glanced her way. “You are clearly exhausted.”

“I’m fine.” No way was he blaming anything on her. “Did you finish your business?”

“Enough of it.”

Unsure what to say and why he seemed so abrupt, she opened then closed her mouth. Inside Blood Bar, he’d almost been charming. Had she imagined their heated stares at each other across the room?

“You okay?” Despite a concerned tone, he appeared distracted, glanced in his rearview and side mirrors every few seconds.

She nodded, unsure of what he expected.

“Savannah.” He gripped the steering wheel and exhaled loudly. “I would like these next few weeks between us to be relaxed and open.”

“Me too.” She breathed out a pent up breath even as she pushed her hand against the door to keep from swinging with a sharp turn. “But don’t you think you should slow down?”

“Not right now.” He pressed on the accelerator as they sped through Rome’s streets.

This was insane. Was he trying to get them killed? With her heels, she pushed along the floorboard. Her right hand groped for the door’s handle. “But you’re driving like a madman.”

“There are no brakes on your side of the car.” Luke glanced again at the rearview mirror. “If police or laws concern you, it is late. Streets are empty.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t have to obey traffic laws.”

“Italians interpret laws more loosely than Americans.”

“Judging by your accent, you’re not Italian, you’re a Brit. Besides,” she held onto the sides of her seat as he swerved down a side street, “I was hoping to live past tonight.” They raced out of city scenery and onto an unfamiliar narrow neighborhood street. Why the detour? Luke’s apartment was located within the city center. “This looks like a quiet neighborhood. Where are we going?”

“Taking a detour.” He switched from accelerator to brake to accelerator.

“At three AM?” She took a deep breath and leaned forward, bracing herself against the dashboard. “Can you slow down? I think I’m going to be sick.”

“What did Monica say to you?”

“Monica?” He wanted to talk about Monica now? Before she could protest his driving further, Luke slowed the Audi and carefully took the road’s curves.

Savannah leaned back and brushed her hair from her face with a shaky hand. “She’s, um, different.” She laughed awkwardly, suddenly embarrassed to tell him she found his friends frightening. “You have strange friends.”

“Monica is not a friend.”

“Oh.” Why had Monica told her she knew Luke well then? “Okay, your friend who isn’t a friend told me if things didn’t work with you to give her a call.” Savannah removed a card from her purse.

He raised a brow. “Did you tell her you would?”

She frowned. “No. For one, I’m not interested in women and two, she may be gorgeous, but she’s also creepy. There’s something seriously wrong with her.”

Luke stilled abruptly then threw his head back and laughed. The unexpected reaction took her off guard. “It seems you are quite sure of your opinion.” His lips twisted into a smirk which showcased a lone dimple on his right cheek.

Caught up with the joy on his face, she let several seconds pass before she answered. “I am.” She turned toward the window, trying to focus her thoughts on something other than him. Last thing she needed was a building attraction to her temporary employer. It couldn’t possibly lead anywhere, but she didn’t need the complication. She had to keep her mind on her dreams.

“Bloody hell.”

At his words, her heartbeat, which had recently reached a normal pace, skyrocketed. “What?”

He glanced at the rearview mirror again.

“Why do you keep looking behind us? Is something going on?” She swung forward in her seat as he made a sharp right, heading along a curvy country road. Where the hell were they?

“We have a bit of company. They followed us from Blood Bar.”

“Why?” She turned around in her seat. A black sedan tailed them. This couldn’t be good. “What are you involved in?” He had mentioned taking care of business. Scenes from The Godfather spun through her mind. “You’re not mafia, are you?”

“Do not be absurd. I am a Brit, remember? Besides, your eyes were on me all night. Did you see me do anything questionable?”

Heat rose to her face. So he’d noticed her staring. “James Bond was British. An agent, right? Was the ad a ploy?” She could feel herself rambling illogically but somehow her mouth wouldn’t heed her mind. “My friends told me this was a bad idea, I should have listened.”

“Not an agent,” he gritted out from between clenched teeth as he maneuvered the vehicle back onto a city street. “And I highly doubt James Bond went searching for his Bond girls through newspaper ads. I hope you are not always this irrational when you panic.”

The black sedan behind them thrust forward, plowing into their bumper.

“Rational, you want to see rational at a time like this?” Her earlier assumption was correct. The man was insane.

He frowned as if she’d said she’d spotted aliens. “It would help, yes.”

Damned if she would spend her last minutes alive pleasing another. Savannah braced herself to keep from smacking the dashboard. “I don’t want to die, not like this.” She hadn’t spent two years fighting to live only to have it end in a high speed car chase. What was it with her and cars?

“You will not die.” Then a whisper. “Not like this.”

Though she wanted to question his words, she couldn’t concentrate beyond trying to keep upright in her seat.

Luke slammed the accelerator then split from the main street onto an access road. Somehow they made their way back into the city. She had no idea how he drove so fast on such narrow streets, but at least he appeared in control. After hitting his first left, he raced down a narrow alley and turned down a ramp into an underground garage. The tires squealed along the smooth surface.

Savannah blinked, trying to adjust to the lack of light. “There are no lights down here. It’s abandoned. How will we see anything?”

“Leave seeing to me.” He brought the car to a stop. “I know my way around. I will park the car here. We will take the rest on foot. I have a friend who owns a hotel nearby.” He shut off the ignition and exited the Audi.

Without headlights on, the garage was pitch black. Silent, except for Luke’s shuffling around and her rapid breaths. The car released occasional pops as it cooled. Images of crushed metal and broken glass flashed in her mind. Pain, there had been so much pain. Why had Ben left her alone? She could have died. He’d said he loved her, but now she knew the truth. Love didn’t mean anything.

“Savannah. Savannah, snap out of it. Listen to me. We need to go now.” Arms of steel slipped around her waist and pulled her from the passenger’s side. He’d come back for her.

“You came back,” she mumbled. Ben? No, not Ben. Luke.

“What are you talking about? I never left. Can you walk or do you need me to carry you?” Luke asked.

“Of course I can walk.” Did he think her a child? She swallowed, her throat dry. “Why wouldn’t I be able to?” A moment of terror set in but once her feet hit the ground, she breathed a long sigh.

“You said you could not see.” He intertwined his fingers with hers, tugged her along. “There you go, love. Keep going.”

Love? They sprinted across the parking garage and down a cobblestone street, leaving the car and images of her past behind them. Her legs trembled with adrenaline and a sharp pain traveled up her shin. Luke’s fault: he’d chosen ridiculously dainty heels. Yes, blame him. Blame was easier, safe.

She stumbled and Luke caught her before she fell. “Hold onto me. Keep moving.” He guided her along a brick wall, carrying most of her weight.

A screech of tires ripped across pavement several hundred feet behind them. The black sedan which had followed them pulled into the entrance of the narrow street.

Savannah tensed, panic choking her chest. “What’s going on?” she whispered, scared to give away their position.

“I apologize, pet. You are going to have to trust me.” Pushing her into the shadows, Luke pulled her body close, rested his mouth on her shoulder. “I am going to kiss...your neck.”

* * * *

Luke would not have thought it possible, but Savannah stiffened even further along the length of him. Her blood, hot and sweet, pumped mere millimeters away from his fangs. Lips against skin.

“Savannah.” His fangs descended and it took his complete strength to put several inches between them. Christ almighty, he did not need this.

She gripped his shoulders, pulled him close. “I can hear them. They’re coming down the street.” She did not tremble like a coward but stood her ground. Her petite, curvy form fit beneath him, soft and inviting.

Luke inhaled deeply and savored her scent of orange blossoms. He hungered for more than the taste of her blood. “Stay close.” His voice even sounded strained to him, rough.

“Please hold me,” she said.

The air between them trembled. He lifted his hands, hovering over her back and shoulders. Bloody hell.

The woman was frightened, and he thought to possess her in every way. “Do not worry, pet.” He could not possibly promise her safety. For once, though, a need to try, even if it meant protecting her against him surged.

Savannah nodded and leaned forward, full lips parted.

He moved closer, kissed the delicate skin of her neck. It tasted sweet, seducing him to take his exploration a step further. As the black sedan drove past, his gut demanded he pull back, but temptation pushed him past reason. The enzymes in his saliva heightened the sensitivity of her skin, preparing it for the pleasure of his bite. She would not notice until too late.

Responding to his ministrations, she groaned and shifted beneath him, causing a thrill to move through the pit of his stomach. He curled back his upper lip, brushed a fang along her skin.

“Luke.”

He stilled as his name echoed in the night. Christ, he needed to feed. He did not want to take her yet. Reluctant and confused, he pulled away.

Color flooded her cheeks. “Are they are gone?”

“Yes.” He kept his gaze trained on her, willing her to face him and see him for what he was. Had she felt something between them? Had he? “Are you able to walk the rest of the way? It is not far.”

Savannah observed her surroundings but avoided looking at him directly. “Yes, I’m fine. Just tell me where to go. Where are we, anyway?”

“We are near Piazza del Popolo, heading north within Rome.” He placed a hand on the small of her back, intending only to guide her. “We will go to the end of the street and turn right. Francesca’s hotel is on the left hand side.”

As if his touch burned her, she turned and moved forward with speed, but favored her right leg.

When had she hurt herself? “What the devil did you do to your leg?” Lifting her left arm around his shoulders, he wrapped his right arm around her waist and supported her weight.

He furrowed his brows, and she exhaled loudly. “What did I do? These damn shoes, that’s what. And I didn’t choose them, you did. They’re one size too big. Do you know how difficult it is to walk around trying to look dignified in uncomfortable shoes?”

Luke opened then closed his mouth. Over two hundred years on this earth and he had not the foggiest idea as to what she referred. “Your shoes?”

“Yes, shoes you gave me to put on.”

He would have to let Broderick know he’d muddled up her shoe size. Or perhaps, he’d misread the conversion. “Tomorrow we can order more shoes if necessary. For now, those must do.”

“Fine excuse, when you’re not wearing them.” She pushed away and hobbled at a more rapid pace.

Calmness settled within him even as his body missed her nearness. If she possessed enough of her faculties to scold him, her injury must be slight. And she had obviously forgotten their chase.

The rumbling in his chest grew into a full-fledged laugh. She was a sight—gorgeous even in distress—with her black curls in disarray and her lips stained pomegranate.

“Please, wait.” He approached and scooped her into his arms. “I must say, you are nothing like what I expected.”

“Obviously. Neither are you anything like I expected. Now, put me down. I’m okay to walk.”

“I understood you the first time, but I have to disagree, based on your pace. My intention is to reach the hotel before tomorrow night. Francesca should have something to address any injury you have sustained.”

She yawned, finally allowing exhaustion to claim her. “Good. Something to look forward to.” She stopped struggling and settled in his arms, laying her head on his shoulder. “It’s dark now. Reminds me how much I hate night.”