Page 26 of Blood Ties (City of Blood #1)

Bash

After I ride for a few hours all over southern Louisiana, I cross back on the Twin Span bridge so that I can pass through Little Woods, and Elina’s house.

I drive slowly so the engine is quiet and stop down the street.

Jumping onto the roof, I quickly find the windows that belong to her.

While I don’t look into them or watch her sleep like a creep, I do sit and listen to her breathe while she rests.

Her breathing is a little uneven—she is definitely asleep but she is restless.

Perhaps she was crying or sad. Maybe it’s a nightmare.

Tightening a fist, I wish I could be there with her, holding her, calming whatever is causing her turmoil. One day, but not yet.

Finally admitting to myself that I have put off talking to mother as long as I can, I head back to the Quarter.

“Mother,” I greet her as I walk into her apartment across the gardens of Cattedrale del Trono Notturno, down Pere Antoine Alley.

Looking up from where she is perched on a chair—her back ramrod straight, not a single muscle relaxed—she levels me with a scathing look of reproval.

“Sebastien Enrique.” I am really in trouble if she’s using my full name.

“Nice of you to stop by. Would you like a glass of blood or did you get it from your pet?”

“Yes, thank you. I have not drank today.” I refuse to rise to her bait. If she wants to know something, she is going to have to ask.

“Interesting that I stumble upon you, loft reeking of pheromones, with a human, and you have not drank? What exactly do you think you’re doing with a human woman if you aren’t feeding from her, especially if you’re fucking her.”

I flinch at the vulgarity and disgust in her tone. “She’s…she’s Elina. Just Elina.”

“Just Elina,” she sneers in a mocking tone. “Who the hell is Elina? The woman from the brothel?”

“She’s everything, Mother.” I drop onto the chair opposite her. “She’s the light in my darkness. She fills the void in my soul. She makes me hope, she makes me want to dream again. She is everything.”

“It sounds to me like you love this human? Have you even considered what this will mean? Would she give up the light for you? Forsake her humanity?” Her tone has not even softened, she asks all of these questions with a rough edge to them.

“I don’t have answers to any of that right now. It’s new—we are figuring it out.” I don’t seem to have answers to a lot of things lately.

“New? Figuring it out? You’re kidding. Are you saying you love this human? Is this why you’ve been spending all your time at that brothel? Is she a whore?”

“The correct term is ‘sex worker’, Mother.” She sends me a steely glare and I roll my eyes. “No, she isn’t a sex worker, she is a bartender and a tour guide.”

She scoffs as though Elina is not even worthy of her attention due to some classist bullshit. “A bartender for my son, the HEIR!” She yells at me. “Get out, I am disgraced. Disgusted. Get out, Sebastien. I don’t even want to look at you.”

“Mother, please, you’re being really dramatic. I’m not making any decisions right now.” I lean against her knee. “Just trust me. When the time is right, I’ll know, and then you’ll know too.”

“Get out,” she whispers. I stand on shaky legs and walk toward the door. I don’t even realize what I’m doing until my fist is buried in the sheetrock next to it. I will leave, and I don’t want to return.

As I feel the sun pulling me to rest, I lay in bed thinking about her face.

How stunning she looked as she laid underneath me and came on my fingers.

My cock hardens as I think of the way she looked, felt, and smelled as she came apart.

Gripping myself, I stroke my length until I am completely pulled under.

I sit upright as the sun moves toward the horizon and begins to release its hold on me.

Dressing quickly in a solid black polo, black slacks, and matching lace up boots, I peek out the window to ensure the sun is no longer shining on my balcony so I can escape before the sun sets.

My door faces northeast, so as the shadows lengthen across the French Quarter, I head out toward Rue Bourbon and have a clear path of shadows all the way.

Walking through the doors of the Velvet Tomb, I lean against the door frame, catching Elina’s eye a moment later.

“Hey, Tesoro. I missed you while I rested. Is everything ok at home?” I ask her as I lean in for a kiss. After witnessing her restless sleep, I’m worried about what may be going on in her head.

With her voice full of confusion, she asks me about my appearance before the sun has set.

I spend a few minutes filling her in on the inner workings of the vampire sleep cycle.

Nothing exciting but she seems interested in this information, I don’t blame her.

There isn’t really much available about bloodline vamps.

Her conversation with her grand-mere after I left is a bad development, especially now that I have finally convinced her to give me a chance.

It feels like we’ve been having the same conversation on opposite sides of the city.

I refuse to allow regret to cloud my thoughts.

This is right, I can feel it. She says all of these things openly and without hesitation.

I can see it in her eyes—she blames me for it too—the orphans, the widows, the graves.

I want to tell her I will take her far away from this place.

I will burn the whole city down for her, except, I feel like that would make things worse and she would hate me more.

“Look at me, in my eyes, and tell me this feels like a mistake.” I study her eyes, her face, her body language. I know she is trying to figure out what to say. If she asked the same of me, I know I wouldn’t even be able to form the sentence.

“No, it feels like the most right thing I have ever done. And that scares the shit out of me.” This uncharacteristic admission of feelings gives me hope that I am not failing at this.

“We are going to figure this out—our families will have to learn to accept it,” I tell her, hoping she can hear the sincerity in my voice, and she doesn’t let this keep us from trying to be together.

Neither of us are children who need permission to fall in love. I can only hope she feels the way I do.

We stare at each other, the weight of this thing between us. It’s not casual. We won’t fade away. She looks like she is considering something. Instead of saying it, she smirks.

“I guess it didn’t go well with your mom. I have to get to work, but good to know we have a complete uphill battle here.”

I sit and watch her work for a few more hours, Sarah alongside her.

Sipping my whiskey, I catch sight of another man seated at the bar watching them work.

And another. And another. I guess they are quite the draw—my feisty goth-girl Elina, with her long, curly, brown hair that nearly reaches her waist, her short leather skirt wrapped around her full squeezable hips, and her black corset with gemstone blood drops holding the most beautiful breasts I have ever held in my hands.

She is curvy and soft in the perfect places, and I can’t wait for my next opportunity to feel her skin.

Nestled in her cleavage is my pendant, which can even protect her from me.

Beside her, Sarah wears a similar outfit of a slightly longer leather skirt and black corset, except she is taller and slimmer than Elina, so her outfit fits differently.

She has recently added Elina’s blood-drop choker to her throat, since the pendant has replaced it as a part of Elina’s everyday outfits.

Sarah has fiery red hair that curls out and away from her face and across her shoulders.

Looking closer at each man, I notice a man paying particular attention to Sarah. I decide to approach him and see if he’s a friend of hers. I would like to connect with some people from Tesoro’s life. It will make it easier for us.

“Hi, I’m Bash. Do you know the girls?” I point with my whiskey glass as I take the empty barstool next to him. Both Sarah and Elina’s eyes widen almost comically. The vampire sitting next to me does the same. Ok, then.

“Hey, man. I’m Ethan Grady. I, uh, I’m Sarah’s boyfriend. Or fiancé. I don’t know, it's kind of weird right now. I was gone for a while but I came back, and I don’t know exactly what’s happening. And can vampires even get married? Oh, dear god—I’m rambling about marriage to Sebastien Malvani.”

I smile broadly at him, fangs on display but obvious mirth on my face.

“Hey, Ethan. I’m just Bash. Don’t worry about the rest. I’m Elina’s...You know what? I also don’t know what I am, so we have that in common. Hopefully, I’m something, I guess. I figured we could get to know each other, since it seems our girls are two halves of a whole.”

“Yeah, they’ve been friends since practically diapers, I think.

I’ve never known Sarah without Lina. I’m glad she finally told her I was staying with her.

Sarah was afraid of how Lina would react, but they worked it out like they always do.

Though, considering who is sitting next to me, I understand why Lina was suddenly so accepting of human/vamp relationships.

” He laughs and sips his drink. I think he’s drinking tequila.

We can drink alcohol but not really mixed with anything except blood, so if we want to drink, we have to adjust to the taste.

I don’t make it a habit to feed in public from the bar blood warmers, I prefer to drink at home.

This insight into Elina’s previous dislike of human-vampire relationships offers some perspective on why I feel like I am battling the tide on her affections.

Her feelings for me seem to ebb and flow depending on how long it is between spending time with her.

Maybe befriending Sarah and Ethan will be the catalyst to get her more committed to this, so we can begin something real here.

I hear the soft click-clack of heels behind me before a hand lands on my shoulder.

“Oh, hey. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

I sit up, all amusement leaving my body instantly. Amelie. Shit.

“Hello, Amelie.” I try to avoid looking at her. Shame colors my demeanor.

“Hey, I’m Ethan.” The vamp next to me extends his hand to her for her to shake.

“Hey, Ethan. Nice to meet you. I’m Amelie. You’re Sarah’s boyfriend, right?” Elina watches us, a curious tilt to her head.

“That’s right.” He puffs his chest out proudly and I long for the day I can do that for my relationship with Elina.

“Hey, Amelie. Ethan. Bash.” Elina gives us each a short nod. “Amelie, you have an order for me or something?” She has made her way over, I guess she decided on her course of action with Amelie talking to me.

“No, I was coming to see Bash. I haven’t seen him in a while.” She leans casually, a bit possessively, against my arm. Leaning in, she whispers, “Hey, baby, wanna repeat?”

Clearing my throat, I lean away from her which means I am halfway on top of Ethan’s lap. He’s watching all of this calmly while obviously trying to figure out what dynamic is at play here. Elina narrows her eyes at Amelie.

As soon as she opens her mouth to say something to Amelie I jump in. “Amelie, thanks for stopping by. We have no further business together.”

She looks at me suspiciously then at Elina.

“You got to be kidding me. Seriously, Elina?”

“Seriously what, Amelie? You let him fuck and feed one time, 2 months ago. You haven’t even noticed he’s been in the bar multiple nights a week since. It’s not like you have a claim on him,” Sarah chimes in. This is quickly getting out of hand. I have to do something but I can’t figure out what.

“You saw him for the first time while his cum was still running down my leg, you bitch,” Amelie spits in Elina’s direction. Her mouth drops open at the vulgar outburst.

Her words hit me like a knife to the chest. Elina still doesn’t say anything—she only narrows her eyes at Amelie, cold and calculating. Amelie flinches a little under the hard gaze.

“Amelie, that is enough.” I say. She swings her gaze to me. “We both knew what it was then and you know what it is now. Nothing. Do not ever speak to Elina like that again.”

At that exact moment, before anyone else can do anything, Rian comes through the bar door. She is slight, and weighs, maybe, 120 pounds, but her face is determined.

“Get back to the floor, Amelie. If you’re going to make a habit of giving away for free what I sell to vamps, you have to deal with the consequences. Back to work. Elina, if you can’t control things at the bar, your boyfriend has to stay home.” Turning around she storms back out.

Boyfriend. The sound of those words makes me giddy and I don’t want to burst that bubble of happiness by looking over at Elina.

I’m nervous, and I swing my eyes to Elina. She doesn’t look angry or jealous. She’s just watching me, the way she has been this entire time.

“Well, she knows how to break up a party,” Ethan remarks, I assume, in an attempt to lighten the mood. Sarah giggles. Elina does not.