Vicious In Love - D.D. Dass (book club suggestions txt) 📗

as he rolled away, and shoving his face into a pillow that smelled so much like her. Of course. He had to leave, to get away from her.

“Ian…?” she shot up, scrambling closer so that he automatically recoiled. Goddess, the female really hadn’t any self-preservation.

“Get away! Get away from me.” He instantly regretted the words, because she flinched, eyes dimming. It took all he had to shove his leathers back on and go for his boots, recognizing his shirt hanging from the lopsided, headboard. Way to close.

Screw the shirt, he thought as the pain rolled through him, almost taking him under.

“I’m…fuck –leaving. I can’t –,” rolling his shoulders, he snatched a vial of morphine from the dresser, managing to maintain control –which sadly wasn’t much control at all since he was already becoming extremely lightheaded. He filled the syringe once more, quickly stepping closer to her for, with any bloody luck, was the last time that night, stopping the flow of air.

“Where are…? Please, just take me with you…I-I am not taking any more drugs!” The mutiny in her tone was practically tangible. Guess we’re doing this the hard way, he thought, far too disconnected with his feelings to care as his hand enclosed her upper arm.

And Beth being Beth thrashed, fighting him and in the process, nearly kicking the syringe away. Goddess, didn’t she get it? He was trying to save her. Alarm nearly burst in his chest when she slumped – unconscious, until he realized, he was morphing. But –she didn’t have a gift too….?

Storing the thought away for later inspection, he made his main focal feeding her vein the drug so that she stayed asleep, good and long because he knew there’d be hell to pay when she awoke.

After, he gazed at her, hard and wanting her again. He’d never yearned for another like he did her in his life. It was eating away at him, being so weak, opening his mind to the idea of letting something other, possibly better, into his…Before he could finish the though, he shredded it mentally, then threw it down a lava-pit.

It was just sex. Hot, mindboggling sex that hadn’t meant…He inhaled sharply. It had meant something. He would never deny that. But it didn’t matter, he wasn’t bonded to her…She was just as any female he’d lain with, except it’d be much less meaningful with any female.

Yeah, it would be, and that was all he envisioned leaving the room. Blood and sex. From someone that wasn’t Elizabeth Aeluis.   

Someone he did not have to watch himself around because he actually felt something other than boredom and exasperation.

Someone I don’t fear…

Chapter Six:

Beth was floating. Except when she awoke, her body was cold and numb. She was buzzed, completely sated as she stretched her achy limbs, not even a bit groggy. Then she remembered what had occurred hours before.

Something bitter and unwelcome washed over her, settling in her chest.

She really should have seen this coming. Out of everyone, she knew how Ian Derik was. He wasn’t looking for feelings or love, he was looking for sex. Plain and heartless, a sick combination they made. And the worst part, she couldn’t even call herself heartless, only plain, whereas he could call himself a God with a black heart.

Shame flamed bright inside her and she staggered out of that awful, plush bed. She would not be waiting for him when he came back. Hell no. No way could she face him now.

For a second, she searched the bare room, finding his iPhone left on the floor. Thank the Goddess the screen stilled worked despite being partially shattered. Holding onto it, she tried the knob to the nearest door, sighing when she found it dead-bolted. From the outside. Even with her strength, it didn’t budge.

Wishful thinking killed the hostage, she thought bitterly, trudging to the next door.

To her surprise, it opened easily, but as quickly as the hope spurred, it vanished at the sight of a bathroom, without any possibly mode of escape. No windows, no air-vents.

With a heartfelt groan, Beth turned to his mobile, flickering through the contacts which didn’t hold any useful numbers. Her father’s number was there, but she didn’t have the guts to contact him, besides, he must’ve been pissed beyond belief to leave her with Derik anyway.

Placing the phone beside the duffle-bag, she collected her strewn clothing, brows furrowing when she couldn’t locate her underwear…Fine, she could do without.

Might as well, she thought, locking the bolts to the bathroom before entering the glass shower. She took her time in the water, reluctantly making use of his shampoos and expensive variety of soaps –jeez, couldn’t he just use Dove or something? Still, she didn’t deny that the soaps smelled lovely, but she shut the traitor thoughts away because no, just no.

Apparently, her mind hated her because flashes from the night before had her leaning into the glass for support, the ache between her legs evoking the sparks she’d felt, the hot-white pleasure.

Why? she wondered unsteadily. Why was she the only one who’d felt it? She’d given her virtue to a male that was much too complicated and she refused to think it’d just been sex. At least for her it hadn’t been…

“Seriously.” She muttered, stepping out to dry her skin with a fluffy towel in the cabinetry. “Something is wrong with me.” Not bothering with her hair, she dressed into the same clothes, risking a look at her reflection.

Oh. Beth blinked at the female in the mirror. She was strangely…beautiful. A Vampire. Her damn hair was darker, hanging just below her breasts to set off the pale, but now radiant, complexion. Her dark eyebrows were still widely set apart, but now looked proportional with her nose, and fuller lips.

She shied away from any of those thoughts, returning to the room and sliding down to the carpets, avoiding the busted bed, which was now asymmetrical, the canopy bent ineptly on one side.

Numbness cloaked her, isolation in the darkness. Seconds, minutes, maybe hours went by as she stared vaguely without thinking or feeling…Apathy.

Unexpectedly, the door crept open and Ian stepped inside. Beth’s heart lurched in her chest at the sight of him. For a split second, he didn’t look so cold. Instead, he looked…dazed, features ashen, eyes wide and unseeing as he turned to shut the door. He didn’t dare glance at the bed as he placed two more bags onto the dresser. He stared into those bags–as if there was something of interest there–and she noticed the muscles of his back rise under his black sweater, a heavy exhale leaving him.

It was then the thick smell of females hacked through the air. And she realized it. Realized he had the power to hurt her, the same power she’d given Vincent. No, she thought, she refused to give him her heart, because in the end, she would be bleed for it.

Blood-tears flooded her vision and she pressed her trembling lips to her knees, hoping if she kept silent, he would just disappear. That way she would never have to face him –immature as it was.

His footsteps were heavy thumps as he gave a fleeting look at the bed, but just as quickly, averted his eyes. She shut her own tightly, feeling the exact moment his gaze landed on her.

“Have fun?” The tart question escaped her before she could stop it.  

Silence was her only answer. She shook her head with a scoff, nails biting into her ankles, keeping her legs to her chest in case her lungs collapsed.

“I need a shower. Just…knock if you need me –anything.” His voice was different now, not cruel, just…lifeless. His footsteps sounded faraway to her ringing ears and it wasn’t until the door clicked shut that Beth rose on wobbly legs, inclined on the wall as she tried not to think about the women he had been with.

Try as she might, she could still see the infamous blondes the ramai spoke that he favored.

Distraction. That’s what she needed. Trudging toward the bags he’d brought in, she found clothing from her room, along with her phone, laptop, even toiletries.

Thank the sweet Goddess, she thought, immediately grabbing her phone. Before she did anything with it though, she swapped clothing, pulling her hair into an untidy ponytail before tugging on loose skinnies, a white turtleneck and black snow-boots.

After, she dialed the only number she could think too. One ring later, his safe voice flooded her ears. “Beth, you never called. Everything cool?”

Her throat went tight. “There’s something…wrong, Vince.” An engine purred to life before he spoke again, this time agitation tinged his tone.

“What happened?” Everything. Nothing.

“I just…have to get away…” it was barely a whisper.

“Calm down, love. You’re fine. I’ll come for you. Just tell me where you’re at?” Good freakin’ question.

“I don’t know,” she muttered incredulously. “I don’t know…”

“Beth, tell me what’s wrong before I get the trackers. Was it your father? I swear to God, if he hurt you…” The threat was real. Beth shivered at the thought of her father and Vincent going at it.

Just as she opened her mouth to tell him otherwise, the phone was taken from her hands and she froze, wide-eyed.

His voice was deathly calm. “Goodbye, Vince.” The call was ended and he began to pad around the room.

“I can’t stay here,” she told him matter-of-factly. That stopped him. She finally whirled around, to find him pulling another shirt over his scuplted torso, jeans hung low at his hips, and boots replaced by sneakers…Converses. Like this, he looked so much younger.

Her mouth dried, belly clenching and in that moment, she truly hated herself. How she could still want him knowing…His voice cut the direction of her thoughts.

“Beth…” the same low tone. For the first time she noticed how distant he looked. Pity, again?

“Don’t you dare,” she started, horror coloring her tone. “Don’t you fucking dare feel sorry for me!” Her hands fisted, wanting excessively to throw something heavy at him. To make him feel the hurt.

He hung his head, hand rubbing his neck as he took a deep breath. She didn’t care to hear his next words.

“I’m leaving!” With that she practically lunged for the door, latching onto the doorknob to wrestle free the locks. Using all her strength, she twisted, turned, jerked, but it wasn’t enough!

“Elizabeth, stop. You’re not leaving.” His voice was close –too close. It made her want to attack him. Something deep, frightening threatened to snap inside her.

“Why? Why won’t you just let me go? Haven’t you had enough fun? I can’t stand it here. I can’t stand to be anywhere near you!” The words were venomous, aimed to hurt.

And when he didn’t answer, her frustration built. Turning on her heels, she saw that he’d decided to get comfy on the love-seat across the room, legs spread, shoulders slouched, head bowed as he rubbed roughly at his eyes.

She could see those same, long fingers pleasuring other females, as he’d done to her. His mouth on their skin. It made her skin crawl.

“Did you bother to get her name? Or was there more than one? How many, Ian?” No answer. “Goddess, how fucking many?!” Abruptly, the fury drained, leaving her cold, arms hugging her chest in attempt to not feel so trapped.

“You do not wish