Vampire Bride

Chapter Twenty Five - Part Two

Maxwell

I'm more than ready to barge in there and grab Charlie, demanding that she leaves, but I wait until she exits the house on her own. The presence of Dave makes the little blood I have left in my body boil. Hovering in one of the shadows across the street, watching her finally head to her car, relief begins to flood through me. Except when I see Dave chasing after her, I become more than agitated. I listened to him seduce her with a song and now I'm forced to listen to him stumbling over his words.

Balling my hands into fists with anger, I draw that blood out. My vision gets blurry with rage as I see her with her mouth on his. Although, when her sweet mouth starts swearing I feel a little better.

"Maxwell. Maxwell." A soft whisper of my name sounds from behind me.

Being afraid of nothing and no one, I investigate. Making my way through a resident's yard, I find myself on a sidewalk around the corner from Juliet's house. A man stands in front of a black vehicle catches my attention. When he instantaneously turns around at my approach, I know he was the one to call my name.

"Hello, Maxwell."

I don't need to get closer to see who it is. "James. I've heard you were intown. What brings you here?" Especially here now, at this moment?

"I'm here to talk. Why don't we go for a ride? I can accompany you back home."

"I would love to but I have to keep an eye on Charlie. You've heard of her, right? from Morgan. Sweet girl, Morgan."

"Yeah. She's one of kind. She has also told me about Charlie's little problem with a stalker of sorts."

"You can say that."

"Sadly, I'm afraid I can't let you keep a close eye on Charlie at the moment. This stalker...vampire that's after her insists that I take you back to your suite, make you keep your distance for the moment."

Shock and confusion overwhelm my senses and I just stare at him. "You're working with him?"I finally say. "What does any of this have to do with you, James? Or the better question is who is he and what does he want with Charlie?"

"I'm not working with him so to say. He's outside Morgan's apartment as we speak. If you don't come with me and if you interfere, he'll kill Morgan. It's nothing against you or Charlie, but I can't let him hurt her. I'm sure you would do the same if the roles were switched." He opens the door, waving me inside. A flash of his fangs proves he'll attack if he needs to.

Without wanting to start a fight that will no doubt wake all the residents in the neighborhood, I reluctantly enter the car. I can't help but to clench my teeth together as we start to get farther away from Charlie.

"It's not that bad, Maxwell. Charlie will be fine, he assured me of that," he informs me, but the hatred that grows stronger from him saying Charlie's name makes it difficult to listen to him speak. "Morgan would never forgive me if she were to find out I helped in Charlie's death. She looks up to her and I'm grateful that if I decided to take Morgan as my bride that she'll always have Charlie as a friend."

"If he's at Morgan's apartment, then who's at Charlie's house?" I know the answer, but I have to hear it to make it real.

"His soon-to-be bride."

"Who?" I demand.

"I don't know her name. All I know is that someone from your past is going to kill Morgan if I don't keep you away from Charlie. I can't lose her, Maxwell, she's all I have. You at least have Grace if something were to happen to Charlie."

I have Grace...who cares if I have Grace or not. Charlie's my companion, my light in this dark world. Without her it won't matter if I have dozens of people around, because not one of them will stop the pain I will feel if anything happens to her. "From my past?"