Page 63 of Fire in My Blood
Horrified, I snap my head up to meet his questioning gaze. “No! I wouldn’t do that. He might feel obligated to take care of me. I would never take advantage of him like that.”
“Do you want to know what I think?” Markus leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees.
“Okay.” I draw out the word, not sure I want to know. But then how much worse can this get?
“I think we need to find Lucas and knock some sense into him.”
I start to shake my head, but he keeps going.
“He has more feelings for you than you think.”
Closing my eyes, I let out a shaky sigh of despair. “Yeah, disgust and loathing.”
Markus continues undeterred. “He might be denying his feelings for you, even to himself. But I’ve known Lucas since he was a baby, and he’s never acted like this around a woman before. Trust me, he’s feeling something for you, and I think it’s driving him a bit crazy. He doesn’t know you love him, and like you, he might be under the impression he’s trapped you into something you don’t want.”
Shaking my head slowly, I frown at him. “I don’t think so. I believe it’s driving him crazy, but that’s because he’s horrified by the fact that he’s tied to me for the rest of his um…forever.”
“We’ll see.” Markus gives me a small smile and sits back. “There’s another thing you should know. He can feel youremotions. Unless he has consciously put up a barrier to block them.”
My jaw drops, and I blink at him. “Then he already knows how I feel about him.”
“Not necessarily. He only started feeling your emotions a few minutes after you swallowed his blood, and I believe your pain after he left has overshadowed any other emotions. I suggest you start focusing on your love for him instead of your pain. I know that’s difficult right now, but it might help him realize you want him here with you.”
My mind is spinning with all the new information and implications. Is Markus correct that Lucas can feel my emotions? Shouldn’t he know then that I’m hurting because he left me? And how on earth am I going to focus on my love for him when my heart is breaking?
“Can’t he tell what kind of pain I’m in? What if I’m shot? Would he be able to distinguish between physical and emotional pain?” I stare at Markus’s face, suddenly irritated by his relaxed posture and small smile.
“Perhaps over time he’ll be able to, but this is all so new that I don’t think he’s capable of distinguishing between the two yet. All he’s getting from you right now is pain, and he probably believes you’re hurting because he betrayed you by tying you to him.”
My mind is a fog of hope and fear. Is it really possible that Lucas cares about me? I’m scared of even entertaining the idea, because if it turns out to be wrong, my heart will break all over again, and I don’t think I’ll survive being rejected a second time.
“I believe we have a vampire to catch. Let’s get going. We’ll come up with a plan on the way.” Markus stands.
Our talk is apparently over, which is fine by me. I didn’t expect them to offer to help me catch the vampire, not after whathappened with Lucas, but I’m relieved they are. No matter what happens to me after the vamp is gone, at least my brother and his family will be safe.
“Okay.” I get to my feet. “I’ll just grab my things. Give me two minutes. And I have to drive my own car.” I start toward the door.
“Leave it. You can pick it up later. My car is out front.” The authority in his voice almost has me agreeing without argument, but the thought of returning to this place, which holds so many amazing and horrible reminders of Lucas, makes me protest.
Markus might be certain Lucas cares about me, but I’m not convinced. “No, I don’t want to come back here.”
His expression tightens. “Okay, go get your things, but you’re driving with us. That’s not up for discussion. I’ll have someone bring your car to your place later.”
I give him a short nod. It’s a compromise I can live with. “I’ll meet you out front.”
I rush back to my room, throw all my things into my bag, and grab my purse. Then, I hurry through the mansion to the entrance.
There’s a black limo idling right outside the huge doors. One of the vehicle’s back doors is open, and I get in. Markus and Lyn are sitting on the seat at the back, so I dump my bag on the floor and sit down on the seat facing them.
Before I can forget, I dig the car keys out of my purse and hand them to Markus. “Thank you. Both for helping me kill the vampire and bringing my car later. If there’s anything I can do to repay you for your trouble, please tell me.”
“What makes you think we’ll kill him?” Markus raises one eyebrow in question, but his expression doesn’t give me any clue as to what he’s thinking.
“I hope so.” I give him a hard stare as rage starts boiling in my gut. If they don’t kill him, I will.
Chapter 39
Markus