Ambrosia (Nectar Trilogy, Book 2) (4 page)

Kyla clamped her mouth shut and stared out the window, blowing out a long slow breath through her nose.

A few minutes later they were pulling into a waterfront parking lot.

Tristan produced a cell phone from his jacket pocket and pushed a few buttons.

“This is Mr. James, I rented the Impala just as you were closing last night. Yeah, I’m parking it at Belleville Street. I’m catching The Clipper here. In the glovebox, yeah. There’s one arranged on the other side? Good. Thanks.” He hung up.

“James?”

“So no one tracks me. Let’s go get you some caffeine before we board. Lack of it is making you grouchy.”

“Me? Yeah, and lack of blood’s making you grouchier.”

Who would be tracking them? Sam? Someone else?

He flashed her a dirty look, got out, slung the duffle bag over his shoulder, and grabbed her hand and they walked to a little coffee shop. Tristan fiddled with the phone, removed the battery, then dropped the pieces in the trash can on the way in.

Going to a waterfront café hand in hand… they were about to be on a boat together where she could smell the sea while looking into his eyes. Everything she’d dreamt of just yesterday and here they now were. But this wasn’t a vacation. He wasn’t a happy ‘fantasy come true’ moment. And she didn’t know what was next.

When is he going to talk to me?

When he passed her a coffee he said, “Take a pill.”

“Is it going to mess me up? I already had that shot and…”

“I don’t know but it’s a must. Take it as soon as you wake up every day. You can’t forget.”

She made a
well duh
face and he shot her a dirty look.

She took the pill, and then she decided to focus her attention on nothing but the bliss inside that coffee cup for at least the next few minutes.

~~~

An hour later zero more words had been exchanged between them and the boat was leaving the harbour.

They found a quiet place to sit on a bench outside on deck. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling the layers of Tristan and the sea in the air. It was a heady combination. Him reaching for her and then just sitting together in amicable silence as the boat pulled away from the harbour left her with a peaceful feeling for a moment. She let out a happy little sigh.

He squeezed. She looked up and saw dimples.

Dimples.
Her eyes welled up.

He looked at her warily.

“Happy tears,” she whispered.

“Really?”

“Really. You can’t feel it?”

“Sometimes I need to hear it, too.”

Damn, he was beautiful.   He kissed a tear with his lips and then licked his lips. He flashed the dimples again. She touched his left dimple with her index finger and he caught her finger between his teeth and winked as her eyes widened.

She snatched her hand back and tsk tsk’d him,

“
So
very naughty, Mr. James.”

He gave her a smile that melted her insides and said low, “You’re the naughty one and I think you might be in need of another spanking.”

Kyla flushed scarlet, “Hmmm, maybe.”

She soaked in the feel of a gentle breeze, staring out at the water, watching Victoria harbour move away from them. People on deck moved toward the railing. 

A few minutes later he interrupted her thoughts by leaning in toward her ear, “Princess?” His voice was low.

“Hmm?” she answered dreamily.

“I know who the Toronto Mangler is.”

It might as well have been the sound of a needle screeching harshly across a vinyl album, the way it made her feel.

“It’s Liam Donavan. He was at our table at the banquet. He knows about you, about your blood. And I haven’t been able to find him.”

Those words smashed her happy thought bubble, rendering it a thousand shards of glass lying right there on deck.

Her hand came up to cover her mouth.

“When I couldn’t feel you all I could think to do track him down to make sure he didn’t have you but I couldn’t find him. I couldn’t find him and I couldn’t feel you. I was….” He took a breath and then continued, “Sam is holding the fort back home. Despite what happened, I’m working with Sam, from a distance.”

She opened her mouth to speak but he continued.

“He says that as long as he doesn’t get within 100 feet of you he’ll be fine, and he’s worked hard to convince me he has no ulterior motives. I believe him. It was just the heat of the moment, the scent of your blood unleashed something instinctual in him. He says Adrian has an experimental drug that can block him from reacting. We can test it to see if he can be around you after having smelled your nectar.”

“I
really
don’t think you should trust Sam,” she played with her braid.

“Well, that remains to be seen. But that’s another new strength that’s intensified: my ability to read truths and lies in people. There’s something Sam isn’t telling me but I’m reading that he has good intentions. I’m proceeding with caution with him. So, uh, you should also know that Joe’s gone,” he said, then waited a beat before continuing, “After the banquet I saw him and I was able to read him clearer than ever. That first taste of nectar intensified my strength and I had new telepathic abilities, especially with younger vamps. After you left I went back and I got him to admit things; he admitted he’d told Liam about you. I knew my instinct was right. They’d been planning to nab you from the event when it was planned at the house. Joe was a pawn, didn’t know Liam’s full intent. Liam wasn’t a supporter of my promotion so was probably looking for dirt on me. Joe probably told him enough that Liam put two and two together about you but I’m sure he had a backup plan for the hotel. If we hadn’t left early… I did some digging and it all points to the Toronto Mangler.”

She swallowed hard and touched her temples with her fingertips, “So Joe’s gone. Gone where?”

“Gone, gone. Ended.”

She held her breath for a minute. Tristan had killed him? The man she loved was capable of violence, she certainly knew that, but murder was a hard pill to swallow.

“Liam Donovan wants my position and your blood. He won’t get either,” Tristan said, his steely gaze was aimed at the horizon. His eyes didn’t look light blue right now; they were more of a stormy gray. She swallowed hard.

“Now you know why I’m being so cautious.”

She exhaled and nodded, feeling numb.

For the next while, they were both quiet. She watched the water, lost in thoughts, brooding over their circumstances. He still had his arm around her. He shifted, finally, stood up and walked over to the railing. She followed.

She stayed quiet for a while, then broke the silence, “Are you still mad at me?”

“It took my anger down a few notches when I finally felt you, felt your regret, that you were missing me. A few more when you said you love me.”

“What did you feel?”

She could see he was sort of chewing his cheek. He shook his head and leaned farther over the railing.

He eyed her darkly, “Let’s not. I can’t be alone with you here and if I start talking I won’t care who’s around. My self-control is questionable at the moment.”

Her belly dipped.

She sighed, “I have to pee. How’s that for breaking the spell? Be right back.” She turned on her heel to walk away, thinking that if he bit her she wouldn’t have to ask about how he felt. She’d
feel
how he felt.

He caught her hand, tension in his eyes, “I’m coming.”

“We’re on a boat. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Still coming.”

“Fine, whatever,” she shrugged. He followed her to a restroom and made her wait outside while he checked it.

“Clear,” he said and motioned for her to go in.

Was that really necessary? Could there really be someone waiting in the bathroom to ‘get’ her?

She shook her head. She had to think the same way he was. Normalcy bias was a dangerous thing. Her gut instinct of rolling her eyes at anal over-cautious behaviour had to end. Now. Otherwise she’d become one of those distressed damsels in the movies who were too stupid to live because she’d walk into a dark room even when she knew there was a killer loose.

When she came out he said, “Let’s go to the cafeteria and get you something to eat. I’m not afraid you’re going for a swim, Kyla, I just need to make sure you’re safe, that we aren’t being followed.” He took her hand.

“I know. Sorry. When did you last… uh…feed?”

Maybe withdrawals were adding to his paranoia, making it worse.

“Yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” That came out as an accusation.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly, “Blood drive in Vancouver before I came to the island. No human contact. I wouldn’t come to you on empty. It took the edge off, at least.”

“Oh.”

“A little,” he added.

Kyla winced.

“I’ll wait until we get to Adrian’s before I feed from you. Don’t offer me your throat again. We’ll take blood from you carefully and I’ll take it from a test tube while you’re safely tucked away. Then we’ll see what happens.”

“You know this Adrian?”

“No. But my Grandfather trusted him. He has an excellent reputation. He’s a doctor. He’s an elder.”

“You trust your grandfather?” As soon as she said it she tensed, thinking it might be a mistake to say such a thing.

“Good question. Just another thing on my growing list of things to figure out.”

She was relieved that he understood her concern. She could tell he felt her same concerns by his reaction. He’d never met his grandfather but yet lived in his grandfather’s world, trying to walk in the footsteps of a man that lived a lifestyle that Tristan now questioned. It was perplexing; perplexing indeed.

“Do you have other family?” she asked.

“My mother,” he answered, looking uncomfortable.

“Where---” she started to get ready to ask questions but he cut her off.

“Not now, okay? Not now.”

She met his gaze and his eyes had pain in them. He shook his head slowly, looking at her like he was imploring her to drop it.

She dropped it.

~~~

They ate a light breakfast of fruit cups and bagels in the cafeteria side by side and then she curled her feet under herself and put her head on his shoulder and yawned.

“Close your eyes for a bit, baby,” he said and she nuzzled in and closed her eyes, absorbing the mingled smell of his leather jacket and the smell of him.

“You smell so delicious,” she whispered.

“Not as delicious as you,” he whispered back and kissed her forehead.

She drifted off, wishing that this was the start of a great adventure, not a quest to find a way for them to be together without him killing her, without someone else killing her. The way he’d blurted all that information on deck was abrupt and startling, to say the least. How much worse could it get? She knew that was a very dangerous question.

~~~

When she woke up he was staring out the window, looking deep in thought. He had his arm protectively around her. She reached up and started rubbing his chin.

He flashed a smile at her, “I need to shave,” he scratched at his cheek, “It’s driving me crazy.”

“You look so rugged and sexy.”

“Oh yeah?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Mm. Yummy.” She curled in closer and wrapped her arms around his middle and gave him a squeeze, “How far?”

He kissed the top of her head, “We’re pretty much there. Look.”

Kyla sat up and stretched, “I slept for a while, I guess.” She looked out the window and could see that land was close.

“Yeah, you did,” he looked at her warmly.

“I could be insulted that you’re so happy to have not had my company or my brain bothering you for the last few hours. But I’ll let you off the hook. This time.”

He smirked.

“What’s the plan?” She rested her head against his chest again and circled his chin cleft with her index finger.

“The plan is we grab a rental car and zig zag down towards Phoenix. Then, I tuck you away someplace safe while I meet with Adrian privately. Then we go from there.”

By the time they got through customs and got to the parking lot, a silver Mercedes E550 convertible Cabriolet was waiting for them. It had the top down and it sparkled in the sun, looking very inviting.

“
This
is a sexy car,” Kyla said as she caressed the door.

The rental company rep smiled at her and got into a car with his co-worker and drove away. Tristan smiled while closing the trunk with their bag in it.

“It is. Hop in.”

He reached into the glove box and pulled out a map. He examined it for a few minutes while she put on her seatbelt and got situated. She put her purse on the floor between her feet and reached over and turned the radio on.

A Def Leppard song, Love Bites, rang through the speakers.  The singer sang about not wanting to touch her because making love to her would drive him crazy and then when the chorus started singing about how love bites and bleeds she flicked the volume off. A shudder worked its way up her spine.

Tristan let out a heavy sigh, “It's what I need.”

“What is?”

“That’s the next line of the song.”

“Oh. Oh ya.”

“Rather fitting, huh?”

“Mm hm.” 

Oh God, I love him. Please let us figure this out.

~~~

They were soon on the road, the top down, and the sun was shining.

“How long to get there?” Kyla asked.

“A few days if I do all the driving and we stop at night,” Tristan answered, “I’m not taking the most direct route, in case anyone finds out we landed here. Four or five days. Maybe we’ll take six.”

“Okay, good, you’re doing it. I hate driving.”

“Hate?”

“Hate. I have my license and I can do it if I have to but I hate it. I get aggressive and have terrible road rage. People shit themselves when I’m driving.”

Tristan burst out laughing.

“And that’s funny because?”

“You think I’m going to shit my pants out of fear because of your driving?”

She giggled, “I wasn’t talking about you, Mr. Big Bad Scary Vampire. However, maybe we
should
put me in the driver’s seat next time the gray monster rears his head, huh?”

Tristan shook his head, “Bad joke.”

“I know, right? Maybe not,” Kyla mused, “But it might be a good sign if we can start to laugh about it.”

“Not ready to laugh about it,” he said, stone-faced.

“Yeah, I guess me either. Or at least I shouldn’t be. Then again, my emotions are a mystery to me these days.” She shrugged.

Kyla pushed the negativity that threatened to creep in away and stretched, soaking in the sunshine. It would be nice to be alone together for that amount of time.

But then she felt her heart sink again, thinking that a lot of that time would probably be spent obsessing about what’d happen when they got to Arizona. She didn’t want to obsess. She just wanted to enjoy a few days with him, try to make this road trip less than ominous. A few days alone with Tristan could be nice --- so nice.

She fiddled with the radio tuner and stopped at the Hinder song from her ringtone. She stopped and leaned back and smiled, eyes closed, listening.  She reclined the seat a little bit. His right hand covered her left one and he squeezed.

“You know this song is actually about a guy thinking about cheating on his girlfriend with his ex, right?” she asked him.

“Have no fear of that. It was just that one line that really got me.”

She let out a hearty belly laugh.

“You have a great laugh, Kyla,” he said, “I want to hear more of it.”

He let go of her hand and caressed her cheek.

“Thanks,” she smiled at him, “There are other sounds I make that you seem to like, too.”

He chuckled and squeezed her thigh. Then his face changed and he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Kyla tried to ignore it, not wanting her own angst levels to multiply his.

Amicable silence followed for the next few hours as they listened to music and watched the scenery.

~~~

They stopped at a motel once it started to get dark. They chose a motel with a neighbouring Cracker Barrel restaurant. Down the street was a Walmart so Kyla suggested they go for some extra supplies after eating.

“I’m starved. Let’s hurry.” She pulled his hand toward the restaurant.

“Then you want me to shop with you… at Walmart?” He looked mortified.

“I know it’s not your usual speed, Mr. Giorgio Vamp-mani, but we can get you a razor for that three hundred o’clock shadow and some sunglasses for driving and a few other things, including snacks for the road tomorrow. Everything we need. One place. And it’s cheap.”

“Alright…well, let’s get you fed and then check in to our luxurious suite at the Econo El Cheapo motor inn and then we’ll go to… Waaaalmart?” He put on a southern drawl and drew out the Walmart word as he put the convertible top up and Kyla stretched in the parking lot.

“Hey! Walmart is frickin’ awesome. Okay?”

He shook his head at her and wrinkled his nose, “You’re crazy.”

“Don’t be such an elitist!” she teased.

“I’m trying…” he replied with sincerity.

She gave him a shy smile, “You’re doing good.”