Chapter Twenty-Two #2
The words hung between them.
He would kill for her. The very idea of it seemed insane but there was a truth in that deadly gaze telling Verity he’d do it. She should be horrified. Terrified. But she wasn’t. If anything she trusted him more, at least she knew he was being honest.
“What about the others?” she whispered. “Would you kill for them? For the other donors?”
His head tilted a fraction. Another question he hadn’t expected. The fingers holding her chin moved up, skirting her cheek as he contemplated.
“Yes,” he said at last. “If vampires are taking the missing donors, if they are hurting them, or worse, then I would see them killed for it.”
His heart pounded beneath her fingers. He might be keeping his words calm and careful, but his heart raced just as fast as hers.
“Donors are the backbone of the whole system,” he said. “Anybody who takes advantage of their sacrifice would deserve it.”
Capital punishment had never been Havenshire’s way, but after seeing Georgie’s father, Verity found she wasn’t sure what to think anymore. So, she nodded, slight and a little unsure but knowing that Theo felt so… passionately about protecting donors gave her hope.
“So, there are other missing donors?” she asked, sliding her hands up until she ran a finger up the back of his neck, making him tense.
“The donor registers are a mess. I think some are fake, and some have been wiped, but it’s hard to tell which is which.
There are fake names, names of people who’ve left, people who have never donated in their life.
The numbers are totally wrong, and finding the ones who were donors…
who there is no record of after their last donation… ”
“How many?” she asked.
He pulled away, running a hand over his face before slumping onto a stool, drumming his fingers on the counter.
“This has to stay between us…”
“Theo. If people are in danger…”
“You will be in danger if you tell anyone. We both will…”
“But…”
“Verity,” he said, reaching for her hand again, unsure which he needed more: the distance or the contact. “I don’t know who’s doing this and if… if it’s the Roses and it gets out, it wouldn’t take a genius to trace it back to us. We can’t help anyone if we’re dead.”
The Roses. Gods, if this went that high, if some ancient beast like Petra were behind this…
She nodded, offering a hand which he eagerly took, running his thumb over her knuckles. “Fine,” she said. “How many?”
“Fake donors? I don’t know, a hundred. Missing donors? I’ve found eight, nine including your friend.”
Nine. Nine people lost, maybe dead. Nine families not knowing the truth.
Was it any wonder people were mad?
“And that’s just what I’ve found. There’s likely more,” he added.
“If the Exchange is down a hundred donors, is that enough to work?”
“No,” he said, simple and harsh.
Her chest tightened. What happens if there aren’t enough donors? If vampires aren’t fed?
“Why would someone lie about that?” she asked. “We’ll have to get more donors from another city. Stonehaven. They’re big and not too far, they can share, while we find more people to donate. You can ask…”
He shook his head, unable to meet her eye. “Stonehaven already knows. The cover up… it’s coming from there. They aren’t going to help.”
But if Stonehaven knew how close to breaking point, they were… if they were hiding it from the very people, it affected…
“Theo, what happens if the Exchange fails?”
Back and forth, that thumb brushed over her knuckles, his unseeing stare following the motion. Back and forth. Back and forth.
“I don’t know,” he murmured. “I… I’ll…” His hand tightened. “I’ll always take care of you. I need you to know that. And your parents and… and Cora…”
“What do you mean you’ll take care of me?” Verity asked, unable to keep the edge of panic from her voice.
“I just want you to know that I’ll keep you safe.”
She snatched her hand back. “Keep me safe?” she demanded. “Like Abe says he’ll keep me safe in Salvation?”
“He what?” Theo jumped from his seat, following as Verity tried to walk away. She needed space, needed to think. If the Exchange failed that meant… if Stonehaven, if the Roses, were allowing it to fail…
“We’d be like Salvation, wouldn’t we?” she asked. “That’s what Abe said, that they protect the humans who…”
“No. No, Verity, that is not what I’m saying.”
“But that’s what would happen? We’d be like Salvation or the Henbrants.”
Verity paced, chest heaving, thoughts spiralling as she marched a path between the sofa and coffee table. Salvation might be some big secret, but the Boy King Henbrant was well known for his mistreatment of humans.
Humans aren’t cattle that protester had shouted. Was that all they were? All they’d become?
“I won’t let that happen,” Theo said.
“Well, you let this happen,” she snapped.
The look on his face, the way he flinched at the sharpness of her tongue.
“Theo…” she started, but he turned away before she could take the words back.
“I know.” He moved back to the counter, leaning on the surface, needing the support. Shoulders slumped, head hanging. “I let this happen…”
“No…” she tried, but he wasn’t listening.
“I will fix it, Verity, I promise you that. Just as I promise that I’ll take care of you and those dear to you, no matter what.”
“No matter what?” Verity asked. She didn’t like the sound of that.
Theo heaved a sigh, running his hand through his hair and turning to her. “I’m trying to say that… I know we said we’d… try, but…”
Her eyes widened. Was he breaking up with her? Pre-breaking up?
“Don’t you dare!” she demanded. “I told you to cut this hot and cold bullshit. This doesn’t change anything!”
“I have failed in my duties…”
“Oh please!”
“Humans are in danger because of my lax…”
“You’re going to fix it,” Verity said, stepping up to him and fisting his shirt, forcing him to look at her, listen to her. “I’ve seen you at work Theo. You’re being pulled in every direction. It’s no wonder something slipped your notice. Especially if someone is trying to hide the truth from you.”
He shook his head, ready to disagree, but Verity ran her hands up his chest, leaning into him. Dark, hungry eyes watched her, fixing on her mouth as she moistened her lips.
“I don’t like you for the fancy job you know,” she said. “I like you because you care. Because you’re sweet… and kind of a nerd.” He relaxed a little in her arms, lip quirking at her words.
“And you like nerds?” he asked, hands finding her hips.
She nodded.
Before Verity truly knew a vampire, when it was only passing in the street or a reluctant interview for the paper, she always thought they looked perfect.
Irritatingly so. Immaculate skin, manicured hair and nails.
The picture of poise and indifference. Emotionless.
What was there to care about when you had eternity on your side?
Only Theo wasn’t emotionless. He cared. Not just in his words but the pale lilac circles beneath his eyes, the way he somehow looked older when he worried. His eyes crinkled with his words, accentuating fine lines that she realised weren’t always there.
“Remind me Theo, why exactly are we waiting for Abe to leave?”
“Because I don’t want you rushing into anything.”
“Rushing? You know what that word means, right?”
Theo rolled his eyes, leaning in until his lips brushed her cheek. “I’m not human,” he murmured against her skin.
“I know,” she gasped, heart pounding, core clenching as he buried his fingers in her hair.
“I worry, my angel, that you think me more virtuous than I am.”
His voice was raw, full of need and want as those lips trailed down, cool breath and soft lips ghosting across her neck. A quiet moan escaped her when she felt his teeth, fangs lightly grazing her.
“Bite me,” she whispered.
“No,” he whispered back.
“Please…”
He kissed her neck. Once, twice. Firm and slow, lips lingering against her warmth until he pulled back, looking down at her again.
“You deserve more, Verity. There are differences in… the dynamics of mixed-species relationships and I won’t lead you into it blind.”
“Well,” Verity said, stroking a finger along his neck, the mirror of the spot he’d just kissed. “That sounds awfully virtuous of you.”
He smiled. “The problem isn’t the start, it’s the fact that once you let me in, I’ll be a nightmare to get rid of.”
“And what if I don’t want to get rid of you?”
Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down, and to her surprise he let her, pausing when their lips threatened to touch.
“Then I shall cherish you forever,” he promised. “If you know exactly what you’re signing up for, and you still want me, then I’ll cherish you forever.”