Chapter 12 #2
Theo wastes no time guiding me to another door which turns out to be a gallery style kitchen.
Brown cupboards and black marble countertops dominate my vision.
It takes me a moment to notice all the top end, and very expensive appliances these two possessed.
I take a seat on a stool at the island counter in the center of the kitchen.
It makes not falling over asleep easier.
Tobias rummages in the stainless steel fridge. I make friends with the countertop, nestling my head against its cool surface, the exhaustion creeping up on me so bad it’s become hard to focus.
“Don’t fall asleep, Imogen, you need to eat,” Tobias softly scolds.
He comes to my side, brushing aside the fringe of hair gathered in front of my face.
He leans down, lips gently caressing my cheek.
He chuckles down at me, more to himself than anything I have done.
He gets up before I can ask anything. On the other side, I hear Theo messing with pots and pans, their distinctive clatter causing me to raise a brow.
“Want any help?” I ask. I didn't know if these two can pull off a meal, if that is indeed what they are planning.
“Nope, we’re good,” Theo replies, winking at me. I rest my head on my hands and yawn. I’m not going to be able to obey Tobias's command at this rate.
“When are we going back home?” I ask. Neither of them acknowledged my question, which I find strange. So, I try again. “Hello, when are we going back to civilization?”
Tobias glances up from cutting tomatoes. “You’re not, Imogen. You’ll remain here.” Theo glanced over his shoulder at me before turning back to the stove.
I furrow my eyebrows. They can't possibly expect me to stay here. “What are you talking about? I can’t stay here forever. What about work?”
“We don’t have to be at work till Wednesday, and only Theo or I will go.” Oh, so I was going to have a guard with me at all times. The lingering sleepiness sizzles away as rage burns in my gut.
“And why is that?” Decorum is lost on me. I don't care if they both are able to give me orgasms with a glance. There's no fucking way I’m agreeing to this. "What are you hiding?" I can tell they are hiding something. Theo peeks at Tobias and shakes his head as if not to tell whatever it is.
“You’re not going back, Imogen. We can’t allow you to leave here,” Tobias simply says. I stare at him. I hadn't expected him to flat out admit it.
“I am not staying here like some prisoner, Tobias! You can’t do that,” I scream, my fists clenching at my sides. Tobias's eyes flash at me, his jaw clenched, both warning signs of his own rage. But I don't give a fuck about that. This is my life he is trying to control yet again.
“You will be staying. It isn’t a choice. You won’t be leaving this property unless we say so.” I stare at Theo for help, but he just pretends he doesn't hear our exchange.
I shook my head, tears filling my eyes as anger bubbles inside me.
How dare they bring me here and then tell me I can’t leave.
Haven't I already made it clear I will not be controlled by them? I am my own woman, and I’m not about to be a kept under lock and key.
Is this what the mark is for? A way to chain me to him?
“No, I am not fucking staying here, Tobias. If that is what you think, just kill me. I’m not going to rot here for the rest of my life.
” I snarl every word at him. Tobias is in front of me in seconds, his grip on my arms hurts.
I will bruise, but I don’t care. “I’m not staying here! ” I yell in his face.
His eyes darken, turning to pitch black orbs. And one of his hands wraps around my throat, not hard enough to hurt me but enough to show who holds the power. Escape will be impossible.
“It’s not a choice,” he growls next to my ear. The anger in his words made me shiver. He picks me up by my throat, letting my toes just brush the ground. His eyes are pitch black, whatever gentleness there was before is shrouded away.
Theo rushes over, dropping the pot he'd been messing with, letting it bounce on the ground with a loud clang. He grabs Tobias's shoulder, eyes hard as he glares at him. "Tobias," he snarls.
Tobias shakes his head, snapping back to himself and his eyes returning to normal. He lets me go, pausing to stare at his hand and then at me. I storm out of the kitchen and back to the bedroom before slamming the door.
How they think they can keep me here and expect me to be okay with it is beyond me.
Maybe if they would give me a reason… but it would need to be a bloody good one for me to be okay with having to toss my life away to rot here.
Thankfully, Tobias is leaving on Wednesday.
I will have a better chance getting through to Theo than I ever will Tobias.
But if they think I’m going to sit and wait patiently for them to decide my life, they are sadly mistaken.
The knock on the door pulls me from my musings.
I ignore it, but then Theo’s voice reaches out to me through the barrier.
“Imogen, open the door, please.” Always so polite, but I still choose to ignore him.
“You know I can just break the door, but I would rather not. It’s antique. It would be a shame to ruin it.”.
I roll my eyes and glance at the door. It does look old. Probably as old as the house with its strange hinges and thick wood. He twists the handle, and the door groans at the pressure. He really is going to destroy the thing.
I jump up. It really would be a shame if the door is destroyed because of my stubbornness. I always appreciated the craftsmanship that went into old buildings and furniture. “Wait, I will open it,” I sang out before he can break the brass handle.
Opening the door, I stalk back to the bed. Theo leans on the doorframe, arms crossed over his bare chest. “He’s being unreasonable. I will talk to him later, okay? Just come down and eat. Then I want to take you somewhere,” he says, holding his hand out to me.
I study his hand. I want to trust Theo, but he is connected with Tobias.
How do I know he won't betray me? “Off the property?” I questioned, unable to keep the hopefulness from my voice. If I can get anywhere else, I might have the chance to run away. There is no way in hell I’m just going to submit and live my days out here.
They don't even have cell service, let alone internet reception.
“No, but you will like it. I promise.” I stand and stalk past him, ignoring his hand. As I walk past, Theo slaps my bare ass. I jump at the sting from his hand. He ignores my glare and grabs my hand, leading me downstairs and back to the kitchen.
“Done sulking?” Tobias questions when I enter.
He turns back to the kitchen sink, ignoring my glower.
I flip him the bird behind his back. He sighs heavily like dealing with a child.
“I can see your reflection in the glass, Imogen. I saw what you just did, I wouldn’t recommend doing it again.
” His voice sounds like he’s challenging me.
At least he isn’t in a homicidal mood anymore.
Tobias comes over and sets a plate in front of me. “Now be a good girl and eat.” I raise my hand to flip him off again, but Theo’s arms wrapped around my shoulders, his hand sliding down and grabbing mine, giving them a gentle squeeze.
His soft voice tickles my ear. “You want him to punish you? Play nice,” he whispers. He kisses my cheek and lets me go before sitting next to me. Tobias places Theo’s plate in front of him before sitting across from the both of us.
I watch Theo eat a tomato wedge from the salad. I furrow my brows . “If you’re a vampire, how come you eat real food?”
“I can still eat, I just require blood as well.” Theo shrugged. "Besides, Tobias is good at cooking, or at least good at cooking things I like. I've got every reason to diversify."
“So, you drink from blood bags?” I ask. I wasn't about to let this line of questioning go.
“No, cold blood is disgusting." Theo shuddered. "It gets lumpy and doesn't feel right in my mouth. Remember when you said you saw me kissing Tobias’s neck?" He gives a knowing smile.
It doesn't take me long to understand his point. "You drink from Tobias?" Tobias nods, like it isn’t a big deal. “And you both have the same parents?” I push. I wanted to find out more about those people who wanted my life.
Tobias pauses, studying Theo. “Yes, but in case you forget we have different last names, we aren’t biological siblings. I was raised by Theo’s family.”
“So, your parents are like you?” I asked, turning to Theo. He nods, but I could tell this conversation is making him uncomfortable. He turns his attention back to his salad, chasing another tomato around.
“So, when did you start living with Theo’s family? How old were you?” I point my fork at Tobias.
Tobias straightens in his seat, clearly studying me. Probably because it’s the first time I've wanted to know something about him. “I was six and Theo was four, that was what? early 1746?” He cocks his head and turns to Theo. Theo nods in reply but keeps silent.
1746! I bite back the gasp. They've acted so immature at times I never considered them to be old. Even after finding out what they were. “How old are you?”
“Two-hundred and eighty years old. Theo is two-hundred and seventy-eight years old.” Tobis answers easily enough. He propped his head on his fist, watching me.
"Two-hundred and eighty,” I whisper to myself I inspect them both closely, but neither look a day over thirty. And from what I've experienced of their bodies, they were far from that.
“Enough worrying about our age, Imogen, eat.” Tobias stares pointedly at the plate in front of me.
“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. I was expecting you to say thirty, not two-hundred and eighty years old,” I shake my head.
“I stopped aging when I was thirty-two. Theo is stuck at the age of twenty-nine when he was turned,” Tobias explains.