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“No you won’t! It’s not like you need the blood, Veda. Ahmet has sent you everything you need. There’s no need for you to—”
She laughs contemptuously. “If Ahmet’s imitation blood is so good, then why don’t you drink it? I’ll tell you why, Nick. Because deep down, you know there is nothing sweeter than the taste of fresh human blood. Don’t even try to deny it. We both know that crap you send me is a pale imitation.”
“That may well be so,” I concede, “but you’ll take what you’re given or I’ll sever ties with you completely. And stay the hell away from Jessica.”
Veda holds my gaze, doesn’t even flinch. “Perhaps,” she replies noncommittally.
“I don’t care what you do in Austria. I don’t care who or what you feed on, but understand this: when you are in London, you’ll play by my rules or we won’t play at all. Understand?”
With an evil smile, Veda turns and glides out the door. “Perhaps.”
“There is no perhaps, Veda. I repeat: stay the fuck away from Jessica, and stay the fuck away from me.”
The door closes and she’s gone.
I bury my face in my hands. How could I ever have been so stupid? How could I ever even contemplate bringing Carly into this horrible mess? I’m a vampire, for Christ’s sake! Am I so deluded, so drunk on love that I would risk endangering the life of the woman I love?
It’s then that I realise I will have to give her up. There is simply no way I can allow my relationship with Carly to continue. The idea of extending our dalliance beyond a one-night-stand is complete and utter madness.
With a cry of rage, I pick up the table and smash it against a wall. Then I claw down the crystal chandelier from the ceiling and throw it to the ground. Roaring like an animal, I tear the mirror off the wall and fling it across the room, scattering shards of glass everywhere.
I have destroyed the room my ancestors so carefully built, but I don’t care.
I can’t have Carly, and the pain is worse than a stake in the heart.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Weak
I pull back the office curtains and gaze forlornly at the rain. It’s almost a week since I last saw Carly, and I’ve been going out of my mind. I want her so much it hurts, but I have to be strong for both our sakes. My heart breaks to treat her like this, but I feel I have no choice. I can’t risk exposing her to the dangers of my secret life.
Since Saturday, she’s bombarded me with constant phone calls, trying in vain to break through my wall of silence, but I’ve avoided her at every opportunity. Much as I long to be with her, I know I have to be strong and resist the temptation to answer her calls.
There’s a knock on my office door.
“Come in,” I shout.
Tara appears. “Ready to go?”
“Yes,” I reply.
I gather my things, lock up the room and follow her out into the dark street. For a second, we huddle together on the doorstep of my office, uncertain of our next move. Neither of us has an umbrella. Eventually, we say goodbye and part ways, Tara heading in the direction of Oxford Circus.
As I head in the direction of my car, I hear someone calling out my name.I turn around and see Carly running towards me. Every part of my body freezes. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Is this real or some sort of crazy hallucination?
“Carly! What the hell are you doing here? You’re absolutely soaked.”
“I don’t care,” she hisses. “I need to speak to you. You won’t take my calls, so what else am I supposed to do?”
Furtively, I glance around the street to check that no one’s watching. “All right, we’ll talk, but not here. We’ll both catch pneumonia if we stand in the rain. I’m parked just around the corner. Let’s go.”
Taking her umbrella so it shelters us both, I lead her to the quiet, residential street where my car is parked. Closing the umbrella, Carly slips in the passenger side and waits for me to join her. As I get in the driver’s seat, my stomach lurches with apprehension.
Oh, my God! I never thought I’d ever be this close to her again.
For a long time, we sit in silence, listening to the sound of our breathing and the rain pummelling the roof and windscreen.
“So…” I sigh. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”
