Urban Vampire

Chapter 12

I don't like being grabbed, and I felt my teeth extend even further than ever.

Tony's brow furrowed and he released his hold. "Kim, tell me what happened."

I hurried around him.

"Wait a minute, Kim!" He grabbed my arm again.

I pushed him off balance and thought of the long corridor that led to this lower level, and was standing there an instant later. I knew Tony was hot on my heels, so I darted into the main room—where something bowled me over and left me sprawling on the floor.

Tony pinned me facedown on the cool marble floor. My bag went flying. My first instinct was to struggle, kick, and claw, but facedown I had no power. Instead, I froze.

"Look," Tony growled in my ear. "I'm going to let you up, but stop running. I can catch you without breaking a sweat. Do you understand?"

I didn't move.

He gave me a small shake. "Do. You. Understand?!"

"Yes," I grumbled.

He rose off me and offered me his hand.

I didn't accept it so my rise wasn't quite as nice as his had been.

He stroked his goatee and watched me brush the invisible dust off my blouse only to discover one of my buttons had popped off and the shirt was gaping open. I glared at him and then gripped my shirt together. Yes, I was wearing one of my cute Victoria's Secret bras, but I was really pissed at him and didn't want him gaping at my cleavage.

Tony wasn't doing that, though. He was all-eyes-on-my-eyes. "I didn't know that Kaniji was here," he said.

I crossed my arms over my chest, partially to keep my business concealed, but partially because I didn't appreciate being tackled. "If you're trying to kill me, then you don't have to play games. I'm not going to be the mouse and the rest of you the cats, and I'm not—"

"When I brought you here last night," he interrupted, "there was no one in this house other than you, me, and Mei Wah. I'm not playing any games with you, and everything I told you was the truth. I mean to help you. I didn't know Kaniji was going to show up.

"But she knew I was going to be here."

"Yeah. I told her I was bringing you in."

"And people just walk in and out of your house?"

"She does."

Hmmm, just as I suspected. That b***h was his woman. I glanced around for my bag. No wonder she gave me the cold shoulder last night.

He shook his head. "Hold on, don't jump to conclusions. Kaniji and I are not an item."

"Anymore?" I added, trying to sound disinterested, because I was … mostly.

"Anymore," he admitted. "And no one, I repeat, no one will be allowed in here while you're here. Mei Wah understands this now. No one is coming in here, Kim. So please stay. Someone needs to teach you what you need to know."

I sighed and relaxed my shoulders.

"What in the hell happened? I heard screaming. I thought it was you. I couldn't even imagine what could have happened. Then I caught Kaniji on the stairs. Her hand was smoking." He looked haunted by the memory.

"Smoking? I didn't do anything to her, if that's what you're implying. She came downstairs--without knocking, mind you, and with an attitude. It was her idea to stick her hand into my jewelry box. I guess she was surprised to find that I hadn't yet weeded out my silver jewelry."

Tony shook his head. "No. It wasn't the silver, or not just the silver. Kaniji's hand held a brand, Kim. It was the brand from a crucifix."

Oh. I was so happy that I hadn't experimented with touching it. "Well, she couldn't have touched it for more than a split second.

"You don't understand. Silver hurts, but the effects end almost as soon as you're no longer touching it. And even though it's painful, it will heal in a short time." His brow knit into a frown.

I wasn't sure if he was mad at me or if it was just his intensity.

"To be branded by a crucifix is an instant death sentence for us," Tony said.

Oh, s**t. I killed Kaniji? I killed another Council member ... and Tony's ex? "She's dead?"

He shook his head. "No, Kim. She's not dead. But I did have to chop off her hand. She wanted me to chop off only her finger because she's so damn vain, but I wasn't taking any chances."

I gave him a horrified look. He was either a damn good ex or a really bad one.

He gave me a wry smile. "Don't worry. It will regenerate ... I believe."

"You believe? Wait. You guys, I mean, we regenerate limbs?"

Tony paced. "Yes, it's possible. A hand should take about a year. But if we lose a limb to a holy relic it may never regenerate---that's why I chopped it off before it corrupted her entire body."

I shivered while wondering what would have happened to me had I experimented with touching the crucifix. Tony wouldn't have been there to chop off my hand.

I tried to sound brave. "Your girl wasn't too happy with me before all this." And now the b***h was missing a hand. "She's really going to be unhappy with me now. I don't think this is the safest place for me."

"First of all, she's not my girl. Second, like you said, no one told her to stick her hand where it didn't belong. And I disagree with you. You wouldn't be safer anywhere in this city ... than with me."

I felt my limbs grow weak and something in my stomach flutter.

Tony walked over and picked up my bag then he strolled over to me and handed me the button to my blouse. I had forgotten about my opened shirt until his eyes glanced down then back up. I crossed my arms again.

"I promise that I won't force you to stay here if you really want to go," he said, "but I think that there's a lot I can do to help you thrive and not just survive."

I allowed Tony to take my bag downstairs. When he came back upstairs three seconds later, he appeared to be curious. "Are you planning to keep the crucifix in your jewelry box?"

It wasn't just a crucifix. It was the only thing of my grandmother's that I had left. "Yes, I am." I placed my hands on my hips defiantly.

"I've never allowed anyone to carry a holy implement into my home."

I opened my mouth to protest.

He held up his hand. "But under the circumstances, I understand. Just be careful. I don't want to have to chop off your hand."

I widened my eyes.