Page 26 of This Blood That Binds Us
“You need to leave. Now.” The large one grabbed him by the collar and shoved him toward the door, leaving the other brother standing next to me.
“Hey, where’d you learn that?” He motioned to his wrist.
A smile curled at the edge of his lips. He leaned casually into the leather armchair just a few feet away from me.
“Oh, I’ve taken some martial arts classes,” I said, my heartbeat thrumming in my ears.
Cheers erupted as everyone watched Danny get thrown out, cutting my attention.
“Uh, I think I’m gonna go.”
“Are you sure? Fuck that guy. He won’t bother you again. Promise,” he said, his dark brows knitted together.
Before I could answer, the other brother walked up. “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t take my eyes off of them for a second. My brain was slowly rebooting, trying to comprehend how they could look and act so normal—and be vampires.
I didn’t know anything about them. They could be dangerous. One slip up, and I could find myself in another tricky situation. I had had enough for the night. I needed to do the smart thing and go home.
“Uh. Yeah. I was leaving anyway. Thanks.” I sheepishly waved and made a beeline for the front door. My heart was in my throat, and I pushed my feet faster. With the slam of the door behind me, I breathed a sigh of relief. I think I’ve had enough embarrassment for one day.
Keys in hand, I searched for my car. Clouds covered the moon, making it hard to spot it in the yard. After weaving through the muffled maze for a few minutes, I found my car wedged between two large flatbed trucks, with another small white car blocking me from behind. I had to go back in there.
Pulling my hands through my hair, I turned my attention toward the campus. The street lights were dim in the dark night. My dorm wasn’t that far. It was against my better judgment to walk home alone, but it was a Saturday. Surely, there would be people around.
Making my way out of the yard and into the street, my heartbeat was loud in my ears. The street lights were spaced far apart, leaving me to walk in the shadows. An unnerving feeling slowly overtook my train of thought.
My ears focused on the distinctive sound of my platform shoes hitting the sidewalk. With my purse strapped to my shoulder, I kept it close to my body, my hand gripping my phone. Behind my footsteps, another noise emerged, nearby tapping to the sound of my own steps. My heart jumped into my throat, and I spun around. There was nothing. Drizzle misted in the illumination of the streetlights. I took a deep breath and headed toward the campus’s glowing lights, reassuring myself of my own paranoia.
Keeping my head up at all times, I moved faster. No one revealed themselves. Counting my steps, I heard the tapping start again. It was almost undetectable, partially concealed by my own footsteps.
It didn’t matter. I was almost to the campus. I finally reached the courtyard, and my anxiety deflated. I checked my phone and kept my hand firmly on the lock button. It crossed my mind to call for help, but I hadn’t seen anything at all, only heard the sound.
As I turned to leave, the flick of a lighter caught my attention. It was close behind, not even fifteen feet away. My body froze, and my breath caught in my throat.
Slowly, I turned to the empty air behind me, digging in my purse for my TASER. The wind blew, leaving burning embers floating in the air. I forced my feet to move, jogging back toward my dorm. I could feel a nearby presence. Every second felt like I was taking a step back. Goosebumps peaked on the back of my neck.
My momentum came to a halt. With my hand on my TASER, I squeezed the button, ready to go. The lights were too far, and whatever was pursuing me was too close. With my eyes closed, I drew in a breath. My whole body was shaking with adrenaline. For the last time, I turned to face the darkness behind me.
Something knocked me off my feet, and my body braced for the fall. I placed my hands in front of me, but they never reached the ground. A strong set of arms stopped my fall, and pressure engulfed my neck. I couldn’t see anything.
My attacker’s hand pushed my face in the other direction and covered my mouth, too strong for me to struggle under their grasp. Their arms were stone, tightening every time I tried to move.
We tumbled to the ground. Something knocked him off me. This time, I landed onto the freshly mowed lawn. I opened my eyes in just enough time to see the shadow of my attacker. Whoever it was had a hat covering their hair and a thick, black leather coat.
“Kim! Are you okay?!”
It was Aaron. Aaron saved me from someone—or rather, something—and I had a pretty good guess of what that something was. I couldn’t feel my body. I sat up and focused on the scrape on my leg. It should have hurt, but it didn’t. I didn’t feel anything.
Aaron’s hands were warm on my face. “Hey, talk to me. It’s okay. You’re safe.” He frantically looked me up and down. “You’re bleeding a little bit. It doesn’t look bad, though. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”
He was talking to me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the light pole right next to us. Raindrops fell, leaving fuzzy streaks in the glow of the light. Everything was a swirling blur. My mouth still wouldn’t form words.
“Kimberly! Please say something.”
Slowly, I held out my hand to touch the raindrops. The water dissolved into my palm, and I felt myself coming back to my body. Aaron’s warmth helped as he rubbed my back.
“All right, that’s it. We’re going to the hospital.” Aaron slowly pulled me to my feet and moved his arm around me to make sure I didn’t collapse.
