Page 29 of Taste of Forever
Government operative or not, that guy was a fucking psycho. I was ten times more afraid of him than Laith or any of the people in Sanguine.
And if he really was spying on me, not even the inside of my apartment was safe. But where else could I go? The only place that felt safe was inside those four walls.
I went to my front door, fumbling for my keys with shaking hands. Where the fuck were they?
“Damn it.” I dug out my coat, my phone, sunglasses, pens, everything that could possibly get lost in the abyss of a huge purse. Where the hell were my keys? My mind felt like a scrambled mess. I couldn’t have driven here without them.
“Heather?”
My head jerked up, and then I froze like an animal trapped in headlights. Laith stood at the end of the walkway, a leather jacket bulking up his frame slightly. A sleek, black motorcycle idled behind him in the lot, rumbling with a low growl.
“What are you doing here?” My back flattened against the door. “Did you follow me too?” I had been so rattled by the guy in the shadows that I hadn’t even heard a motorcycle approach.
Laith’s eyebrows lifted. “What do you mean,too?Did someone else follow you?”
I shook my head, shutting my eyes. All of this was way too much for one night. One lifetime, even.
“How are you even here?Whyare you here?”
“I wanted to make sure you got home safely.” He said it so earnestly, like we’d been on a first date and he was doing the gentlemanly thing of seeing me to my door. “Heather, are you okay?” Laith started toward me. “You’re shaking like a leaf. Did someone?—”
“Stop.” I held my palms out in front of me. “Don’t come any closer. Do not fucking touch me.”
If I got manhandled again by a stranger, I would lose my everloving shit.
To his credit, Laith stopped short a few feet away from me. His angelic face looked torn, like he wanted to blow past the boundary I set, but chose to restrain himself.
“What happened?” he asked in a soft tone.
“Just some creepy guy. He’s gone now, though.”
Mentally, I chided myself. Was Laith not just as creepy for following me home from Sanguine? The two situations felt different, although I couldn’t place how. Part of me was glad that Laith had showed up. If only he had gotten here a moment sooner.
“How did you even follow me on that thing?” I asked again, nodding at the idling motorcycle.
“Your scent and your heartbeat,” Laith said as if it were obvious. “I followed you on foot at first, then had to run back for my bike when I saw you had a vehicle.” He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “I did get a little lost at first and didn’t know which direction to go. But then it was like…I could sense your distress. Something was wrong and your heart was going crazy. I followed that feeling to here.” A grin pulled at one side of his mouth. “Told you there was a bond between us.”
I chose to ignore that part. “And you can just come here, to this world, whenever you want?”
“Not during the daytime, obviously. But otherwise, yeah. Why not? As long as no one sees my eyes or teeth too closely, I can slip in and out just like you can.” His grin grew wider. “There are more of us popping in and out of your world than you realize.”
That was not a comforting thought. Especially considering there was some shadowy government agency collecting intelligence on vampires.
Exhaustion sank into my bones. I’d had quite enough for one night. My front door was doing more to keep me upright than my own two feet.
“Well, thanks for looking out for me, I guess. Goodnight, Laith.”
I started a half-hearted rummage through my purse again for my keys while Laith continued to stand there. His magenta eyes did not seem to miss anything. Were bruises forming on my upper arms? They sure as hell felt like it.
“Is your boyfriend home?” he asked after a moment.
The smart thing to say would have been a lie.Yes, he’s home and we have guns. Or holy water. Garlands of braided garlic all over the kitchen. Whatever the hell deters vampires.
Instead, I spoke the truth. “No, he’s not home.”
Laith gave a small nod. “I should stay with you so you’re not alone.” He looked toward the eastern sky. “I have to leave before dawn, though. Unless you have a lightproof room I can spend the day in.”
“No.” I shook my head. “Absolutely not.”
