A Vampire's Christmas Carol(8)

Sirens screamed in the distance. He lifted his hand and put his fingers to her throat. Ben searched for her pulse.

Only there wasn’t one.

Simone! This was their night. He’d planned it all so perfectly. A proposal in Central Park. Making love under the Christmas tree that she loved so much in his penthouse. He had presents for her. Dozens of presents that he’d wrapped and hidden upstairs.

Simone didn’t have a family. She’d been alone, just like he was. They were going to start a new life together. They were never going to be alone again. Always—together. That had been his grand plan, just hours before.

Her pulse wasn’t beating.

“Mister, I’m so sorry!” A man’s voice. Coming closer. It was the fool he’d tossed away seconds before. “She ran right in front of me. I think she was chasing someone—”

She was chasing me.

And he hadn’t even looked back at her.

Fear and pain twisted through Ben. But he bent, and carefully—I should have used care before!—he brushed his lips over hers. No breath whispered from her mouth. Simone didn’t move at all.

The pain in his chest got worse. Burning at first, then…icing. Freezing him as the snow fell.

“Mister…mister, let’s get her help!”

His beautiful Simone. She’d swept into his life just weeks before. Changed everything. She worked at the shelter on Forty-Ninth Street. She baked cookies for the people there. She—

Was gone.

He threw back his head and bellowed his fury as the pain engulfed him.

“Mister…?”

Ben spun around. He grabbed for the jerk’s throat. “You did this!”

There were gasps around him.

“Look at his eyes!”

“His teeth! Dear God, do you see his teeth? Those are fangs!”

A crowd had gathered. They were screaming as they stared at him. As they turned and fled. Ben dropped the man in his hold. The guy ran, yelling about monsters.

Ben fell to his knees beside Simone.

The snow had turned her hair white. She’s gone. He felt her loss all the way to his soul. He reached for her. Scooped Simone into his arms. Held her close.

And wanted to die with her.





Chapter Four


“Well, that was painful…”

Ben’s head jerked up. He wasn’t in the middle of a New York street. Wasn’t holding Simone’s still body.

His hands were empty, and he was on his knees in a…cemetery?

“I didn’t expect that little walk down memory lane to be such a pisser,” William continued as he brushed snow off his shoulders. “I mean, I knew it was rough, but…f*ck me, that got ugly. Especially with you being all desperate in the street.” Then he paused and seemed to consider things. “Huh…I guess that explains why you wound up here.”

Ben surged to his feet. He grabbed the demon. “Stop playing with my mind!”

But William flashed him a smile. “That wasn’t a mind game, friend. I told you. I was letting you relive that particular memory. Not everyone gets that—”

“I’m not your friend!”

“It was actually a gift. I gave you back—for an hour, anyway—the life you’d had.” The lines around William’s eyes appeared deeper. His face a little grayish. “And, just so you know, that sure sapped a lot of my own power. A thank you would be appreciated.”

Ben’s teeth snapped together. “You made me lose her again!”

“But you also got to taste her again. Got to feel her against you. What’s pleasure without a little pain?”

“You’re insane.”

William seemed to absorb that. “Probably. See how you fare after you’re sentenced to over two centuries in hell.” His brows shot up. “But then, I’m trying to save you so that you don’t have to become like me.”

What?

“If you don’t let go, I’ll have to burn you again,” William warned.

Then he just went right ahead and burned Ben’s flesh before Ben had a chance to let him go. Swearing, Ben jumped back.

“That was for not saying thank you,” William snapped. His eyes glinted. “Try a little courtesy next time. It is the holiday season.”

Ben glared at him.

“This is the last part of my spiel, so don’t worry, you’ll be rid of me soon.” William waved toward the cemetery in front of them. “This scene? It’s another flash of your past. A movie-like version, playing right in front of you.”

At least he wasn’t having to experience this shit firsthand again. Ben felt like that last trip had ripped out his heart.

Because it had.

William stroked his chin as he seemed to consider the situation. “I figured we both needed to be reminded of why we’re having all this quality time together tonight.”

“I don’t need to remember this place.” He tried not to remember any of his past. It hurt too much.

But he didn’t exactly have a choice right then. Over the gravestones and the frozen flowers, he saw the shadows. Five forms—fighting. The sound of grunts and the thud of flesh hitting flesh drifted in the air toward him.

“You’re gonna die, demon. We’re gonna slice every one of those tattoos right off you.”