Shameful by May Dawson
58
Legacy
When I kickedthe guys out and took a long, hot shower, scrubbing away every sign of them, I felt lonely. As much as I wanted revenge, it was frightening to be on my own knowing that Tobias was coming forme.
As soon as I turned off the water, I got out and rushed to look at the marble. I left wet footprints on the carpet. Tobias was still far away, and I felt silly.
I’d picked up new clothes while I was out with Rhett. I dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved white t-shirt, and a printed scarf that hid where Killian had marked me. He had the worst timing. If he’d asked, I could’ve told him no. If he’d thought for a millisecond, he would’ve known not to mark me. But no, he hadn’t been running on logic.
But when I thought about his mouth against my throat, his body pressed against mine, I felt the same intense desire, the sense of being filled and known and desired, that I had in that moment. It had hurt—and then it had been pure liquid pleasure flowing through my veins.
I wasn’t about to tell Killian that until the man had done a lot of groveling. Worst of all, I wondered what it meant for West and Rhett. I wasn’t giving themup.
Would they have to mark metoo?
Why did the thought of the two of them twined around me, sinking their teeth into my skin, their growls vibrating against my body all turn me on somuch?
Well, I’d have man-problems in a few hours, probably for my whole life if I decided to keep these three knuckleheads around and if we were able to find a way to a future together. Right now that was hard to imagine, but it was time to let thoughts about the future go beyond the fight with Tobias. I could focus on vampire-problems fornow.
I pulled open the curtains in the hotel room, half expecting to see a grinning vampire looking back at me, even though I knew the marble was still a bit away. Rain had begun to pound against the roof of the hotel and washed in sheets down the windows. Would that make it harder for Tobias to findme?
I slipped the marble and the map into my pocket. I couldn’t tip Tobias off that I was setting a trap when he arrived, even though I hated to put it away. I couldn’t decide what to do with myself while I waited. I turned on the television and roamed around, paged through the book I’d picked up, drank my iced coffee. Most of all, I paced.
Everything in my life had happened so fast since Tobias Bentley first walked into the café, and now it felt like my life had come to a stop until he foundme.
The knock on the door still startled me. “Housekeeping.”
I opened the door, expecting Tobias, was surprised to come face to face with a woman.
“Do you need anything, miss?”
“I’m fine,” I assuredher.
Her face seemed frozen, her eyes wide with fear. She was notfine.
Tobias washere.
He was watching, and he would expect me torun.
I debated for a second, staring into the woman’s mascara smudged eyes. Then I exploded out the door, slipping around her. Tobias stood to one side of the door, and I caught a blurry glimpse of him as I ran, hoping he would push her aside and chaseme.
“Is that who you are, Legacy?” Tobias called after me. “You’re going to leave this woman todie?”
I dared a look over my shoulder. Tobias gripped the terrified woman, his fangs extended and poised to strike. His self-satisfied gaze metmine.
I stopped and turned. “She’s dead anyway.”
The woman’s lips were moving in constant, fervent prayer.
“No,” Tobias said. “I’ll let her go if you come with me quietly. A little gift for Lucas Harley.”
“Lucas doesn’t wantme.”
“Oh, he very much does,” Tobias assured me. “He’s been hunting for you—and for me. So it’ll be a delight to find us together, don’t you think?”
“You’re not hurting him by hurting me, Tobias.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Let’s see.” He took a step back, dragging the woman withhim.
“Please,” she begged. “I have kids. Just let me go… I won’t tell anyone…” The whites of her eyes seemed huge, her gaze fixed on Tobias’s fangs as he gripped her head tightly against his shoulder.
“She doesn’t care about you at all, does she? She won’t tell anyone.” Tobias grinned, his mouth twisted and disfigured with those long teeth pinching down into his lower lip. “But you care about her, don’t you? Legacy Quinn, always thehero.”
If I ran, would he leave her? Or would he stop and rip her throat out first? I knew how dangerously fast he couldmove.
“Okay, I’ll go with you. If you promise to let her go now.” After all, I wanted to let him take me someplace else, the kind of quiet and dangerous place a predator takes their victim.
My men would follow. And we’d rip him apart.
“Once we get to the car, I’ll release her.” Tobias’s eyes glittered when I nodded. “Legacy Quinn, always so easy to please.”
His words made me sick. I didn’t want to be seen as an easy target, a ready-made victim, ever again.
I tried to make eye contact with the lady, but she kept staring in terror at Tobias.
The three of us inched down the walkway, down the concrete stairs, into the parking lot. Tobias drove a sleek black vintage car, the windows tinteddark.
“Perpetual midlife crisis?” I asked.
He stared at me in confusion. When you’re so socially awkward, you make the bloodthirsty vampire uncomfortable…
He reached back and found the handle with one hand, pulled the back door open. “Get in, Legacy.”
“So fucking gallant, opening doors forme.”
“I’m a real gentleman. I plan to dismember you, but I would never disrespectyou.”
Dismember.That was quite theword.
I climbed into the dark leather backseat and immediately wrinkled my nose. The air in here was tinged with blood. There was a metal mesh barrier between me and the driver’s side, so I wouldn’t be able to readily strangle Tobias as he was driving. I had to admit the vampire thought through everything.
He slammed the door shut. The locks on the inside were broken, wires hanging out of the doorframe. There was no getting out without breaking the glass.
Tobias tapped on the window. When I looked up, he smiled at me broadly, his fingers sliding across the woman’s neck, adjusting how she was positioned. Her gaze finally found mine again, wide-eyed and frantic. Her mouth parted as if she were going to beg me forhelp.
Right before he ripped into the woman’s throat.
“No!” I shouted.
He savaged her, feasting hungrily. Blood splattered across the window when he pulled away, blurring his figure, before the steady driving rain washed some of itaway.
Her body dropped to the wet pavement. Tobias stepped back, wiping his bloody mouth delicately.
Then he came and got into the driver’s seat. “We finally meet again, Legacy.”
I was shocked and sick as the car pulledaway.
Too late, I thought maybe my men and I couldn’t survive Tobias Bentley.