If I Had A Heart

Chapter 20

"Close your eyes."

His voice felt like velvet as his words ghosted across her face. Regine found herself fluttering her eyes closed before thinking twice.

She vaguely registered his hands on her, rough and determined, grabbing her hips with his fingers clenching her skin to keep her secure. A sudden gust of air whipped all around her and before she knew it, her feet were planted firmly on the ground in front of her apartment complex. Shaking her head, Regine snuck a glance at David but he was already stalking away from her, obviously in a hurry to flee the scene and not in the mood for her next round of twenty questions.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness of her silent neighborhood instantly as she nearly skipped to keep up with his long strides, briskly distancing themselves away from the party that was getting shut down behind them, away from Jane who would no doubt be confused and probably hurt at Regine's sudden departure.

That thought didn't bother her as much as it should have, but she was still buzzing from David's blood coursing through her as they disappeared into the night. The fact that she was walking down a darkened street with a cold-blooded killer, a monster, should have made her a nervous wreck. It would have, if she didn't feel or know what she did now. If she didn't understand David at a deeper level by seeing him for what he truly was.

What she was becoming.

This was not new, this feeling. She had consumed David's blood before, but she had somehow forgotten the sensations that followed it. Absentmindedly bringing her fingers to trace her lips, she allowed the power of his blood to take hold of her body and mind. There was no way for her to remember such euphoria without his blood on her tongue, the hunger slowly overtaking her and being all she could seem to feel without him near. Suddenly, her worries were pushed to the back of her mind, shrinking with every step forward. The chill of the ocean breeze swept through her hair, wrapping her in icy comfort as she shivered in exhilaration rather than discomfort, and she felt free.

Daring to glance over at the broad figure walking next to her made her stomach burst into butterflies again. The memory of what had just taken place between them mere moments ago made her breath hitch as she struggled to remain composed by his side. David's expression was as inscrutable as ever and his eyes were hard and focused, staring forward into the dark as they were mostly likely making their way to his bike parked across the street, tucked away and almost completely hidden in plain sight.

All she could hear was her ragged breathing as they pressed forward.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her words barley audible but she knew he'd heard her.

"My place," his voice gruff as his pace quickened. "Just need to run a small errand first."

Her brow furrowed. "What kind of errand?"

David shot her a look. "A small one."

"Doing what?" She knew she was irritating him but couldn't help it when he seemed to enjoy giving her zero information about anything.

She heard him sigh. "Don't push it, Regine."

"I wasn't. I just think I deserve to know where you're going if I'm supposed to be going with you..."

He ignored her as they briskly passed by the police cars parked right outside her building, their red and blue lights glowing against the dark night's sky. Suddenly, Regine was met with the familiar weight of his arm swung over her shoulders as they drew closer, no doubt trying to appear as normal as possible, his scent invading her senses and sending shivers up her spine. Just two innocent people taking a late evening stroll in a quiet neighborhood. Nothing to see here.