Page 84 of Always Eros
I nod as his words vibrate through me. A warning. An admission of what he truly is behind the poetic gentleman. A truth I have to accept if we’re going to stay together.
Tiago opens a wooden door, but behind it is a metal grate. Raphael hisses as he steps back from it.
“Silver,” Tiago says proudly. “Vampire deterrent.” He presses a panel of numbers on the wall and the grate slides open. “Your mortal is safe inside.”
“And the code?” Eros asks. “Should something happen to you.”
Tiago nods. “Twelve forty-two. The year of my rebirth.”
My eyes widen, but I force my gaze to the floor. Eros takes my hand and leads me into the prison cell. That’s what it is really.
“Please, my love, stay here. I will return as quickly as possible.” He kisses my forehead, then my lips. “Don’t forget how much you mean to me. We’ll be together again soon.”
I nod, glancing around the sparsely decorated room. There’s only a twin cot, an armchair, and a small table. At the back, there is an opening that appears to be a window, but it’s covered in wood and high above my head.
Eros steps back until he’s on the other side of the grate. Tiago presses the code again, and the grate closes. I grasp the metal bars, unaffected by the silver.
My emotions bubble to the surface, teasing my tongue to utter those three words I know Eros wants to hear. For the first time, it’s so clear.
I love him.
I desperately need him to come back so I can tell him. So we can be together.
The other vampires filter out of the room, but Eros steps closer to where I’m standing. His face shows every emotion he feels right now: anger, fear, desperation, and love. So much love.
“I’ll be safe, Eros. Go do what you have to do.”
He nods, glancing at the door. “I love you, Justice. I love you with all that I am, all that I have been, and all that I may become.”
“I know. I feel it.” I want to say it, but it doesn’t feel like the right time or place. Maybe it would distract him. “Go. I’ll be okay.”
With a final look, he tears off, leaving me in silence. All I can do now is wait and hope he returns unharmed and quickly. When he does, I’m going to tell him I’m in love with him. I’m not sure about the whole becoming a vampire thing. I just don’t know if I can do that, but we have time.
At least, I hope we do.
Chapter Thirty-Two
EROS
Entering the main part of the club is painful. Leaving Justice behind in a locked cell feels all kinds of wrong, but I have no choice.
“He’ll be safe there,” Raphael says, gripping my shoulder. “Even if a vampire finds him, they won’t be able to get through the gate.”
“I know. It’s just difficult. It’s like cutting off my own hand.”
“We need to get through this,” he says, his tone comforting. “Then you have forever to love him.”
I nod. “Yes. I need to remember that.”
“They’re getting closer,” Tiago announces, peering through the front door.
“These assholes have no idea who they’re fucking with,” Thorn says, grinning. “There must be over fifty of us here. It’s been a few decades since I’ve gorged on vampire blood.”
Midnight chuckles. “Only Thorn would find this exciting.”
I glance around the room, somewhat placated by the amount of vamps on our side. Even Bowie and Tru are braced for a fight, though they look slightly less confident about it than the rest of us. This is vampire life sometimes though. We fight to protect what matters.
The gritty roar of motorcycles fills the air around us, and I glance back in Justice’s direction just as the violent energy of rogue vampires reaches me.