“Please don’t tell Granna and Grandaddy. They’ll worry and it’s not good for them.”
She didn’t understand the severity of the situation and I couldn’t tell her. “He knows where you live. I assume he also knows where you work, along with the routine you keep and you shouldn’t underestimate what he is capable of doing.”
I saw the desperation in her eyes. “What am I going to do? The police are no help, in fact, they make it possible for him to harass me as much as he wants. I can’t move. I left my apartment because he was scaring me so bad. I can’t quit my job and I don’t want to worry my grandparents.”
Although somewhat involuntary, I was part of this now. My confrontation fanned the flames of Julian’s obsession, making him more determined than ever to have her. Consequences battled within me and my heart spoke against my mind’s better judgement. “Maybe I should drive you back and forth to work for a while, just until he backs off.”
She looked appreciative, but didn’t intend on taking my offer. “I can’t ask you to do that, it’s too much for you to take on.”
I didn’t intend for her to not take my offer. “You didn’t ask. I offered and I insist.”
Relief flooded her face. Then, she surprised me by stepping forward and put her arms around me. She placed her head against my chest, leaving me without an option and I returned the embrace by placing my arms around her. I lowered my face to her hair and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of lavender and vanilla. I dropped my face closer to her shoulder and smelled the lingering fragrance of jasmine, cherry blossom and peach, mixed with a slight release of salty perspiration due to the combination of heat and anxiety.
The monster, deep within me, unexpectedly resurfaced. He no longer laid dormant as he screamed in agony, begging to be set upon this innocent creature. He pleaded with me for one taste. Didn’t he deserve it? It has been so long.
One scent of her blood essence would surely send me over the edge, giving the awakened one the upper hand as he urged me to side with him. I braced myself for the battle against the leech within me and begged him to leave me in peace.
I held my breath and didn’t move a muscle, for fear the beast might interpret any sudden movement as permission to strike. When I could no longer hold my breath, I exhaled, then inhaled slowly and shallowly. I waited for her fragrance to signal my defeat, giving the leech the permission to strike.
I readied myself to charge against this inner beast when her aromatic essence penetrated my line of defense. When her aroma registered in my brain, I waited to see what my level of temptation would be. The beast received the verdict first and my battle was won as he retreated.
I was intrigued by Chansey’s unexpected essence. It wasn’t unappealing, yet not enticing either. It was neutral and I was spellbound.
She lifted her head from my chest and leaned back to see my face. “I don’t know what to say or how to thank you.”
She raised up onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on my cheek before she released her hold of me. I reluctantly released my hold, as well, but I wasn’t finished exploring this. I wanted more, I needed more.
We both knew we had just shared a significant moment, although neither of us voiced it.
“I’m sure you’re exhausted. You should get a good night’s rest,” I said, verbally encouraging her to go to bed, but inside begging her stay.
I regretfully watched her walk up the steps to the backdoor. Before entering, she turned and said, “Thank you again, Curry. You’re a real life saver.”
The paradox of her words brought a smile to my face. She saw a life saver in a skilled killer and I was tantalized by mystery of her. The leech inside me came out to find prey, but found none in this enigmatic girl. The proximity of her essence didn’t entice him, so what did that make her? I had more questions than answers, but one thing was unmistakable; although she released me from her embrace, her hold on me remained.
I was uncertain what this meant for me, but more importantly, I didn’t know what it meant for Chansey. Of all the puzzling things in my head, there remained one clear circumstance; she needed my protection because, for once, I wasn’t the dangerous one.
I tried, unsuccessfully, to stop imagining the things he had planned for her. He wasn’t here tonight for spying. He was here to take her and I knew he had played the precise details over and over in his dark mind. He intended on grabbing her between the car and the house. He knew every detail, down to exactly how he would keep her quiet and where he would take her, along with the route to get her there. This was his first attempt, but it wouldn’t be his last. He would revise his plan, but he wasn’t the only one making plans and mine didn’t involve anything forensics would explain.
This was a delicate matter, and if I didn’t intervene, it could be too late by the time the authorities were forced to pursue him. They needed evidence and proof, while I did not. I saw his intent and it was enough for me as the judge and jury. Judge Daddy wasn’t going to get him out of this one because I would be ready for him when he returned.
I lifted my eyes to Chansey’s bedroom window and watched darkness replace the light. She remained standing at her window, believing she was hidden in the darkness, and briefly watched me before she crawled into bed.
She was lying in her bed, unaware of the strange emotions flooding me. Beings like me didn’t desire romantic relationships with humans, so it was unnatural for me to desire anything other than her blood while all I wanted was to be near her. I remembered the way she leaned forward to kiss me and it left room for no doubt in my mind; I wanted her with all of my heart, body and soul, if there still was one within me. While I admitted my desire to myself, familiar words sat heavily on my tongue and begged to be released. That mysterious place within urged me to speak the words, so I did. “I ask that my misplaced heart no longer wanders, lost and wounded and finds it’s way into the arms that love me.”
As I heard the words my tongue released, I only thought of Chansey and her compromised safety provoked my heart to declare responsibility of her. Faster than the blink of an eye, and it was done. I declared a vow, a sacred vow, to always protect
her and allow no harm to come to her by my hand or the hand of another.
Chapter 9
When I woke the next morning, the first thing I wanted was to see Chansey. My eyes were impatient to see her and confirm her safety. I heard the water from her shower running and I wondered if she had plans for the day.
I showered quickly, wanting to be ready and available if I saw an opportunity to spend some time with her. Wasn’t it only yesterday I fell all over myself trying to avoid her? Now, I wanted to spend time with her and I realized I was going to be disappointed if I didn’t.
I stopped and listened for her and located her in the kitchen.Things were made easy for me when I heard Anna say, “Chansey, why don’t you go down and invite Curry up for breakfast with us because that young man never eats.”
“Yes, ma’am. Are you sure he’s up this early because I think he stays up late?” I smiled to myself when her meaning registered. She was thinking about how we were up late together and I liked it.
“I don’t know, but he still needs to eat. Run on down and check because those biscuits only lack a couple of minutes in the oven.”
I heard the door open and she descended the steps to my door. I waited for her soft knock, then opened the door to see the girl I couldn’t stop thinking about.
“Good morning. I’m surprised to see you up so early after our late night.”
“I’ve been up for a while.”
“Have you eaten anything, yet?” she asked.
“Not yet,” I answered.
“Would you like to join us for breakfast? My granna makes the best homemade biscuits ever.” I didn’t doubt her for a minute because the aroma of warm flour and buttermilk had floated into my room when the biscuits had gone into the oven twenty minutes earlier.
“I would love to join you and thank you for the invitation,” I accepted.
“I think it’s ready if you want to come on up,” she invited.