Chapter 5
Elina
“He’s still watching,” Sarah whispers to me as I pour a beer. I am well aware. So aware. More aware than I have ever been of anyone or anything. My skin tingles under his gaze. Bash has been posted up at the end of the bar with Jack for eight solid hours. They haven’t danced, or had any conversations outside of talking to us, or each other. They have not so much as glanced at any women. I still have 3 more hours of work, and Bash does not seem to be in any hurry to leave.
“What can I get you, Honey?” I ask the man who has sat down at the bar. It’s warm here so his outfit, including a high collar and hat, is slightly out of place. I lean over so I can hear him in the loud space. He smiles, showing me his fangs.
“Blood, warm. From the tap preferably,” he says, grabbing my wrist as I try to move away from him. I attempt to yank my arm back, my breath picking up, but his grip on me is like iron. My stomach twists with panic as I look for anyone, anything, to pry him off me.
“Sir, I need you to let go immediately. I am not on themenu. Let go now!” I pull my hand harder as he gleefully pulls my arm toward his mouth. Suddenly, not only does he let go, but he is also no longer sitting on the stool in front of me. He is dangling by the neck from the outstretched arm of a 6 foot 3 inch, extraordinarily pissed off, Sebastien Malvani.
“I believe the lady told you to let go,” he hisses through clenched teeth, fangs on display. I don’t ever venture out after dark and I spend all of my vampire time in the bar, where vamps are generally on their good behavior, at least to and around me. Rian does not tolerate any shit, she is always watching the cameras when she is in the bar, and neither do I. That’s why I have never witnessed two vampire males posture like this. In response to Bash’s aggressive stance, the stranger does a combination hiss-growl, showing all of his teeth and fangs, twisting out of the hold Bash has on him. Standing at his full height, he is at least three or 4 inches shorter than Bash and significantly less broad, but the face he makes is terrifying. I can feel Sarah at my back, her warm presence making me feel a little calmer.
“Get the fuck out of my bar,” I hear Rian yell as she pushes forcefully through the bar door. Security flows through behind her, as well as coming from the front of the room. It takes four quite burly security guards and a few vampires to get the stranger out of the front door, a stream of hissing and profanities following behind him.
“Youcrepusculewhore!” is the last thing I hear from him as he is yanked out the door.
“Jesus, Elina, are you alright?” Rian asks as she wraps her thin arms around my shaking body. Over her shoulder, I see Bash standing there looking every bit the terrifying heir to the vampire throne of Ville de Sang, fangs on display, face twisted in rage. His friend, Jack, stands beside him, breathing heavily, pupils dilated, as he looks around the bar-room. People haveturned to look at what the commotion is about, but no one seems overly concerned.
“You!” She points her long manicured finger at Bash. “Are you making trouble in my bar? I don’t care who you are—I’ll throw you out on your ass if you’re endangering my girls.”
“No, I was trying to keep trouble from your bar.” He leans a little to find me around her. “Elina, are you alright? I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you, on my honor.”
“I’m fine, and there is no such thing as vamp honor.” Turning, I walk through the bar doors down to my office. I need to relax before I have a panic attack. Vampires are predators, and anytime they make me feel like prey, cortisol floods my body. I’m going to have a heart attack one of these days. This can’t be healthy for the human body. Being in a constant state of fight or flight has to cause some sort of nervous system problem.
Storming through the door of my office, my hands shaking, I fight the urge to collapse right there on the floor.
“FUCK!” I scream as I sink back on the couch, taking a few deep breaths.
There is a tentative knock at my door. I lean over so I can see the camera feed on my desk, and in the hallway are Rian and Sebastien. Standing, I smooth down my skirt and pat my hair. I open my door, leaning casually on the frame.
“Hey, I’m coming out. I’m fine, just needed a minute”
“Bash was hoping to talk to you. You’ve met him right?” She says as she gives me an imploring look, trying to telepathically tell me he’s important and I should let him in. I slide my eyes from her to him standing behind her, hands casually in his pockets, looking like the Italian aristocrat he surely is, and not at all like the predator he was back in the bar.
“Yes, I am well aware of him, and no thanks. I have no interest in being trapped in a windowless room behind a locked door—” sweeping my eyes from his shiny shoes to thetop of his perfect wavy hair, “—with a lion.” Rian inhales a quick breath of surprise at my response but I spy the hint of pride on her face. Rian is like a stand-in mother, acting as security and sentry for those of us who work in the bar. She doesn’t tolerate bullshit and doesn’t allow us to either. Bash’s face, however, gives nothing away, no surprise or anger. He wears a quiet, almost resolute, look in his eyes. With that, I turn and walk back down the hallway, giving them my back.
Walking through to the bar, I see Sarah chatting quietly with Jack and I roll my eyes. After Ethan, the chances of a night-walker getting close to her are virtually zero. It is fun watching him lay it on thick though— he seems to be flirting pretty adamantly. Bash catches up to me then.
“Please allow me to escort you home this morning. I’m worried about your safety. I don’t know who he was or why he was so aggressive, but I need to make sure you’re safe,” he says quietly as he herds me into a more secluded area by the door.
“Why do you need to make sure I’m safe? We have talked a total of 5 minutes before now—I’m nobody to you. I have seen you keeping women safe in the bathroom and I am not interested. Seriously, Sebastien, I don’t need you to protect me.” His face changes into one of confusion, as though he can’t believe that I am not accepting his offer for help. It seems like he doesn’t hear ‘no’ very often.
“I don’t know why, I just do. That bathroom situation, I’m not going to apologize and it’s not as though it’s something unusual around here. You didn’t even pay any attention to me as I walked out. You certainly did not seem scandalized so stop acting so offended by it. You may not need me to protect you, but I want to. Ok?” He reaches out to hold my hand while he makes his speech. I back away and don’t let him touch me.
“I’ve had enough vamps touching me for one night. Go home, Sebastien.” At my words, he walks around me towardthe bar and takes up residence back on his stool next to Jack. I guess he doesn’t intend to go home but I am not entertaining him. Sarah can handle them for now.
The remaining two hours of the night pass without incident, thankfully. I can’t decide if Bash’s presence in the bar is the catalyst for the incidents that keep happening or coincidence. Clearing out the bar a half hour before sunrise, I relish the quiet for a few minutes.
“You sure you don’t want a ride home?” Bash’s voice interrupts my first moment of peace in eleven hours.
“Certain, Bash. Go home. And stop coming here—trouble seems to follow you.”
“Can’t do that, Elina. I’ll see you tonight,” he says with a sad note in his voice before he walks out the front doors. Sarah and I spend a few more minutes gathering things up and putting the last things back in their proper place before heading out that back door as the sun lightens the sky over the river—the same view everyday. We both get into the back of the sedan this time, Sarah will be riding with me from now on, no more walking alone. As we pull away from the curb, there’s Sebastien leaning against a street sign, a hint of morning light reflecting off the top of his head.Huh, his hair isn't black at all. It's a deep brown with a scant auburn tint in the diffuse sunlight of the early hour. Sunlight he never really sees and the thought makes me sad.
Everyone deserves the sun.
He must be much older than we thought if he can even be in the early morning light at all. I’ve heard the ancient ones can withstand some UV light, though only early morning, right before moon-rise or when we have complete cloud cover.
