“Because I told you I would. You don’t have a dark side, Nile. I’m it.”
“You’re not dark.”
“I’ll be as dark as I need to be as long as you are my light.”
She kissed him because she had to.
Holding hands, they went into the kitchen. She found a sharp knife and waved it at him. “I kind of want to do the vampire thing. And then, maybe we can take a shower.”
He arched an eyebrow. “The vampire thing?”
“You save me and I’ll save you right back. Every time.” She reminded him of his declaration, then she touched the knife point to her neck and pushed hard enough to draw blood.
She didn’t wince and there was something sensual about it. Dylan got a hard-on. He sat her on the edge of the counter and sucked. He let himself enjoy it. Yes, sure, he needed the healing, but taking her blood touched something dark in him...turned him on. It was exciting to drink her.
Nile’s head rolled back. Eyes closed, nipples hard, heart humming, she rocked against him, encouraging his new addiction.
That intense heat between them ignited and burned hot. It took a minute before Dylan found the strength to pull back. “Damn you, girl. How is it that I’m already at that scary place?”
“Crazy day? Intensified emotions? Overactive hormones? I don’t have any answers that aren’t BS.”
“No. It’s you.” He licked the trail of blood.
“Mmmm... Remember, I’m the naïve one, so you have to say it first...if we ever get there.”
He kissed and licked and tried to think past his erection. “When we get there, I’m going to say it. No doubt about it. But, I need to take you to dinner first.” That gave him the incentive to stop drinking her. “Other than falling in love with you, I don’t think I’ve done anything in our relationship right. I have to start with dinner.” He looked at her looking at him with wide glassy eyes. “What? I want to be worthy. Is that bad?”
“You said it by mistake,” she whispered.
Dylan paused. He replayed his words and his mouth dropped open.
Neither of them knew what to do next.
“I messed that up too, didn’t I?”
“Shhh...no take-backs.” She put her finger over his lips. “This is the best moment I’ve ever had in my life...including the sex, which I want very badly, by the way. As soon as I can breathe again, it will be my turn.”
He watched her taking deep breaths and his heart swelled. She looked like he gave her an orgasm and all he did was told the truth. Nothing had ever happened to him so fast and so powerful as falling in love with Nile. Life, death, propriety...nothing mattered more to him than her.
“This is so ridiculously easy to say.” She marveled. “I know I love you, Dylan. I have from the very first moment.”
He kissed her cut, her jaw, her mouth. “I think it’s time for that shower.”
Epilogue
JB dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.
“FBI.”
“Is this the FBI? The real FBI?”
It was a man. “It is. How can I help you?” He didn’t sound like he wanted to help.
“We need help, real fast. My family...almost all of us, are going to die if you don’t help us fast.”
“Are you in a terrorist situation?”
“No...well, yes, but not like guns and hostages. They’re not here.”
“What’s your name and the nature of your situation?”
“We got poisoned. They won’t give us the antidote.”
“Do you need Poison Control? Or, a hospital?”
“No. No. It’s not like that. We need blood and the Bishops—they have it but they won’t give it to us.”
“Do you need the Red Cross or a Blood Bank?”
“No, sir. We need you to get the Bishops—they’re criminals. They’re killing us.”
The person on the line paused, seemingly out of suggestions and done with twenty questions. When he did speak, he said, “Let me transfer you to Victim Assistance.”
For the next three minutes, JB was on hold.
This time, a woman answered. “Victim Assistance, how may I direct your call?”
“Is this still the FBI? Because I called the FBI.”
“This is the FBI Victim Assistance Unit. How can we help you?”
Taking a deep breath, JB launched into his explanation. “We live in Rain, Maryland. The mayor...he’s not really the mayor, but he might as well be... Anyway, Mr. Bishop and his family are going to let us—me and my family—die. Maybe tonight, if you don’t do something.”
“How are they harming you, sir?”
There was no way to explain it without bluntness. “We need their blood.”
“You need what?”
“We took their blood, but it was bad, poisonous. They have to give us good blood, but they won’t because we took the bad blood...but we’re not bad people. We just want to live.”
“Let me see if I understand. You’re calling because you want somebody’s blood? That you already took?”
“It’s different blood, but yes. I know it sounds strange, but I wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t an emergency.”
“Okay. Let me put you on hold.” The agent paused the line and said to a co-worker, “Is it a full moon?”
TONI SAT IN THE CORNER booth, staring out the window. The Rain Street/Bishop Avenue intersection was empty. The Café was full, but she felt empty too. She had permission to be there, to be replenished, but what of her family? What they did was wrong. It was inconceivable the Bishops would be forgiving.
Assuming they could find a way to survive, what next? Where would they go? What would they do? Maya might resume her life in Bridgeport with Jake, but what of the rest of them? Without the Bishops they didn’t have any resources.
Oprah came over to her table with two fresh-baked muffins. One was cranberry-orange and the other chocolate chip. “I am so sorry for you, sweetheart.” She set them in front of Toni and slid in the booth opposite her.
“Why two?”
“You have a choice, a big one. Miss Keisha wanted to be sure you understood your options.”
Toni looked around the room.
“They’re not here. Hotheads and agony are still roaming the streets. They have to protect themselves.”
“I thought things were under control.”
“Getting there, but people love your family. They are going to hurt for them.”
Hearing it made Toni cry. Her heart beat faster.
Oprah told her the truth. “What they did wasn’t only wrong, it’s fatal, but there’s a way out for you.”
“What...what are my...options?” Toni could barely talk.
“You can stay here, be loved and protected and taken care of.” Oprah slid the chocolate chip muffin forward. “Or, you can leave Rain. Go anywhere you like. They will set you up, finance you, and give you a chance for a life you can’t get here.” She pulled the chocolate chip muffin back and pushed the cranberry-orange muffin forward.
“The life Maya wanted.”
“The life Maya tried to take.”