Page 3 of Fangs and Family
I’d never seen him like that, so sincere and apologetic. I stood there, stunned by his words, with my hand on my chest, trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart. I don’t know how long I lingered, but when I rushed to call him back, he was already gone, and security didn’t know which direction he’d taken.
‘Thank you,’ I said to the shifter and returned to my office, closing the door as gently as possible. What was done was done, and I had work to do. I pulled out the first large folder with a list of supplies that need restocking and those close to their expiry date. Medical equipment and drugs had to be checked regularly, and it had always calmed me down.
After staring at the numbers and dates without seeing them for a while, I noticed how they distorted and smudged in front of me, and when the first wet drop landed on the paper, I realised I was crying.What if I’m wrong? What if he really is in trouble?Whispered the tiny voice in my head. The pressure in my chest built up, threatening to split me in half.
‘FUCK! Fuck! Fuck!’
The folder’s plastic cover cracked when I smashed it onto the edge of the desk. I hit it again and again until the door to my office slammed open, and Sara rushed in together with half of the shop floor personnel. One look at me, and she took control.
‘Everybody out. Now!’
I was making a fool of myself, but I just couldn’t stop. Especially when she wrapped her arms around me and pulled the folder out of my hands.
‘It’s alright, Nina, whatever it is, we will fix it. The twins told me Pawel was here. Did he ask for money again?’ She asked, gently stroking my pixie-cut hair. I could only nod, and she sighed slightly.
‘If you need money, I have some saved, or I can ask Leszek,’ she soothed, but I shook my head.
We’d had the same conversation years ago when she found me crying and scared, with no place to sleep after I lost everything, abandoned by my husband, penniless and broken. She offered me the use of her apartment while she went to Kosovo. Instead, I signed up and went with her and the boys. What I saw there changed me forever, toughening me up, but now, here I was, breaking again, with Sara once more holding the pieces together.
‘No, I don’t need money. It’s just… I told Pawel I never wanted to see him again, and he looked so scared. He told me he had some trouble, but I thought it was just his usual bullshit. Now I’m not sure,’ I explained, pulling away and wiping my tears. ‘I’m sorry. So, did everyone see me make a fool of myself, or are there still some poor souls unaware of my meltdown?’ I asked with all the bravado I could muster.
‘Nina, everybody cries sometimes, even a hardened biker bitch like yourself,’ Sara teased to distract me, a nod to my weekend rides with the local bikers. ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your family always had its issues, but it isn’t your job to fix them. If you’re still worried tomorrow, we can ask Adam to dig—’ she said, but I instantly stopped her.
‘No, not Adam. He and I… we’re done. I don’t want any favours from him.’
I saw Sara ready herself to argue, but after a slight shake of her head, she sighed.
‘Fine, I will find the second-best bloodhound in Tricity to locate your troublesome brother.’ She smiled, winking, and wiped away my smudged makeup with a tissue from the box on the desk. ‘If Adam hurt you, just tell me, and I will rip his fangs out myself. I know you split up when Leszek and I had our… difficulties, but if this was because of me…’ Her voice trailed into silence, and I saw the uncertainty in her eyes.
‘We didn’t split up because, technically, we were never a couple. Adam lived in my apartment because Leszek thought protecting me was protecting you. I let him feed off me once out of curiosity and because I knew he’d get his head ripped off by the Forest Lord if my death made you sad. It was a pleasurable experience, but that was it. Other than that, he was an annoying womanising prick, and you know that’s not my type.’ I said.
Sara didn’t look convinced. Hell, I wasn’t convinced either because, deep down, there was more to it than that. We’d promised nothing to each other, but I’d grown fond of the roguish vampire during the very short time we’d had together and decided to give it a shot. That’s why the pinnacle of our non-committed relationship was marked by my total meltdown, so complete that I was still ashamed of it.
‘He’s not well, you know,’ Sara mumbled. ‘I know you had your reasons, but I think it was a mistake,’ she added, and I looked at her sharply.
My friend was not one to meddle in other people’s affairs, so why, all of a sudden, did she mention Adam? I hadn’t told her what had happened between Adam and me. It was so embarrassing that I wished I could forget it.
Two years ago, I’d snapped over something petty, packed his things and told him I didn’t want him in my life. There was no reason for him to stay any longer. The danger hanging over my head was long gone, but he still hung around like a bad penny. It was the right thing to do, but the way I did it still made me groan in shame.
His assignment that day was the last straw and triggered me in a way I didn’t think was possible.
He told me to be ready by six because he wanted to take me to dinner. So I dressed and waited, then called, calling again when he didn’t answer, all for nothing.
He turned up in the middle of the night when I was about to phone Sara, worried sick that whatever he was doing for the Syndicate had left him wounded or dead. He didn’t even look apologetic, just smiled as if nothing happened when I opened the door dressed in my pyjamas.
‘Why didn’t you call me if you knew you would be late?’ I’d asked calmly, even though I felt tension coiling in my body, ready to explode.
Confusion marred his beautiful blue eyes, ‘I was busy, Nina. I had a few things to do. I had to visit the brothel before I could see you and needed to use my vampire charm on the ladies working there, which took longer than expected,’ he said with a flippancy that made me see red, and I lost it.
I really fucking lost it.
I didn’t let him explain. One by one, I threw his belongings in his face, calling him every offensive name under the sun. All I could see was the face of my ex-husband lying to me, telling me he was on a business trip when I knew he was with another woman.
I should have known better. Why did I think the arrogant vampire would be any different? As soon as I let my guard down and thought of taking the next step in our relationship, I ended up with another man who didn’t have the decency to talk to me. Instead, he went elsewhere to scratch his itch.
Adam must have forgotten he’d invited me out for dinner. I’d dressed up in my finest because I wanted it to be a date, our first date, and I was hoping it would be the first of many. Instead, I’d felt humiliated and hurt. My life was a vicious circle that had brought me another womaniser who didn’t give a flying two cents about my feelings, but this time, it wasn’t too late to say no.
I couldn’t face being discarded again. I couldn’t face being coerced into taking him back, to cave in under an avalanche of lies and apologies. I’d been there, and it had cost me everything.
