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CHAPTER SIX

ZAND

I was at the club alone tonight. Chanel’s best friend was in town, and I had to give her some space. I didn’t want to crowd her. She needed community with her kind. Once she knew what I was, I didn’t want her to feel trapped in this relationship. I believed she loved me, but there was always a bit of self-doubt swimming in my brain. All my past relationships failed. Was I worthy of her? Most human women wanted children, and I couldn’t give her that. It was something I thought about on occasion.

If I was lucky, I could leave here in the early morning hours and push my concrete cock inside her while she slept. Time wouldn’t be a constraint if she didn’t work. She didn’t have to. I was fully ready and willing to take care of her financial needs.

Before I could look over the books, I got a call from Natasha. My vampire brother was at the backdoor of the club asking to see me. He was my brother, because he was adopted by my maker, Gillian. This made him my brother by default.

Why wouldn’t he just go away? I knew why. He was alone, and that was the one thing he feared more than anything. Our maker favored me over him. I knew it. He knew it. And that was that. I was finally ready to see him and hear him out. I wasn’t as upset with him like I had been in the past. We had spent years apart, and the hurt he caused me had faded.

I sat behind my glazed marble desk and waited for Natasha to escort my traitorous brother to see me. We had some good times so many years ago. Now he was just a nuisance I pitied and didn’t want to be around.

Harlen scrolled in with a huge grin on his face. His long dark hair was loose and falling on his shoulders. His baggy clothing was far from any fashion I could comprehend. He looked like a scruffy bum. His look was akin to a man that hadn’t betrayed me and slept with my wife— correction, my ex-wife. I stood as he eyed my office furniture and decor. The degenerate sat down in one of the plush chairs in front of my desk, even though I didn’t offer him a seat.

I lowered myself back into my chair and tried to remain calm. I waited for some falsehoods to hail from his lips because I knew they would come soon enough.

“Brother.” He called out to me without giving me any direct eye contact.

“What do you want?” I barked.

“I wanted to see you.”

“Harlen, cut the bullshit. What are you doing here? I told you to skip town and leave me the hell alone.”

“I know. I know. That was my initial plan. I was going to leave you alone.”

“Again, why are you here? Don’t you love frolicking around in foreign lands?”

“I do, but I saw Teresa snooping around and I just couldn’t leave town without telling you she was here.”

“Stupid excuse. I don’t need you to warn me about her.”

“I know, but you know how she is. You know what she did to that pilates instructor.”

He didn’t have to remind me. I knew exactly what she’d done. Teresa was one of the reasons I left L.A. so abruptly. I went on two dates with a nice Armenian woman who taught pilates in the Hollywood Hills, and Teresa murdered the woman. I could barely live with the idea that I was the reason that innocent woman died.

This was a woman named Artemis that I had no feelings for. Teresa was unhinged. I wanted to get as far away from her brand of crazy. Killing an unassuming, harmless woman for dating me was above and beyond anything I could ever forgive.

Teresa had no morals. She had sex with my maker and my brother. Then she killed a human woman. Being a vampire gave Teresa strength and an ego that I wasn’t prepared to deal with. I wished I’d never made her into a vamp. She didn’t deserve the power that came with a gift of immortality.

I gazed at Harlen. “You didn’t have to come here to remind me of the past.”

“It looks like you need my help getting rid of her.”

“I don’t need your help with anything.”

“I believe Teresa is up to something.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on my desk.

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

“I’m very sorry, brother. I would do absolutely anything for you to forgive me. Sharing is no longer caring. I promise I’ve changed.”

I never wanted to share my wife with this idiot.

“Changed into what, exactly?” I shouted and reined myself back into calmness.

“I don’t know. I just can’t leave things the way they are. Now that I’ve found you, I want to make things right.”

“Leaving me alone would make things perfectly alright.”

“But I miss you. I miss us.”

“Bullshit!” I spewed.

“No really. I don’t want to be alone in this life. I want to be with you. Just like when we were younger. I beg you to give me another chance. Give me a chance to be a part of what you have here.”

“Look, I’m very busy right now. I have my own things going on and I don’t have time for you.”

“I promise I will stay out of your way.”

“Your promises don’t mean shit.”

“Where is your girl?”

“What girl? What are you talking about?”

“I’ve seen you come here with a pretty human girl.”

“That’s none of your concern.” I leaned forward to glare at him.

“I can help around here. I can help with anything you have going on.”

“The only problems I have are you and Teresa.”

“Brother, I am no problem to you. I promise.” He graveled.

It was exhausting talking in circles and listening to his apologies. “Seriously Harlan, what do you want from me? Do you need money?”

“I want a second chance.” He confessed.

“Okay, fine, you go right ahead and have your second chance, your third chance, and your five hundred and sixty-second chance.”

“I’m serious. I will not do you any harm. I promise.”

“Another empty promise.” I was tired of his never-ending stream of apologies.

“Brother, I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“Any place in the world is where you can go.”

“Can I please stay here in Chicago? Just for a trial period. You’ll see. I won’t do anything to embarrass you.” He pleaded.

“I told you I’m busy. I have a business to run, and I have a life that doesn’t involve all this vampire bullshit.”

“I understand. I can stay out of your way. Give me one week. Just one week to prove myself. I assure you things will be different this time. I’ve been going from shitty hotel to shittier hotel. Please give me a place I can stay?”

Seeing his pathetic face was making my resolve fall. “Harlen, I will give you one fucking week. If you fuck up, I will end you.”

“I won’t. I mean it.” He sat back in his chair, happy that I was giving him yet another chance.

“Cut your hair. You look ridiculous. You can stay at my apartment for now. I’m saying somewhere else.”

“Thank you, brother.” He clasped his hands together like he was praying and pulled his hands to his lips.

“Don’t get in my way. Don’t fuck with any of my people. Don’t feed on the locals. I have a blood supply.”

“You have a blood supply set up here in Chicago?”

I answered him with my eyes.

“You were always the smart and resourceful one. Your operation here is wonderful.”

“Harlen Corbin.” I was compelled to use his first and middle name. “You get zero fuck ups. Even if I don’t have the heart to kill you, I have people that will end you without hesitation. Don’t make me cross the line.”

“I won’t.”

“Thank you, brother. You won’t regret this.”

“You can’t stay in the apartment for free. If you plan to stay here, you better fit in. You will be assigned a job.”

“A job?” He frowned. “I don’t have any skills, but I will figure it out.”

“Don’t come back here. Stay away from my club. Don’t try to ruin my new life.”

“What are you going to do about Teresa?”

“That’s none of your business. I’m sure she’s long gone.”

“No, she’s still here in town. I’ve seen her at some fleabag motel on the west side of town. She didn’t see me, but I saw her. She’s still here in Chicago. I believe she’s determined to win you back. Why else would she be in town?”

“I don’t care what she’s doing or where she’s located.” I wasn’t being honest. I cared because Teresa was unhinged, and she’d already killed one woman that was associated with me. Plus, she knew about Chanel, and my relationship with my girl was the real deal.

“I think you should care. I’ve heard some really wicked things about her after you left L.A.”

“I don’t care about her. I don’t want to hear anything about her. I don’t want to see her. Why is this so difficult for you to understand?” My voice raised. I left Teresa in the past. Why wouldn’t she stay in the past?

“I believe you. But she’s been a mentally ill bitch for five years. She did some horrible things back in L.A. after you left town. I just know she’s planning something. Why else is she still in town? She tracked you down and came here. She’s stalking you.”

I needed to remind him. “You tracked me down and came here. You’re also stalking me.”

He ignored the dig. “I’m telling you, she’s gone mad. Do you really think she’s going to leave without a fight?”

“There is no fight. I don’t want her. I don’t love her. She is dead to me. Teresa is for the streets.” For the streets, a saying I got from Donté. It was too soon to tell Harlen I had a son. He would be jealous.

“Never underestimate a woman scorned.” He warned as if I didn’t know this.

“She’s scorned me. I dumped her. End of story.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right. I have an army of vamps that will fight for me. She is just one lonely, destitute vampire tramp.”

Harlan had wronged me so many times. Against my better judgment, I knew I shouldn’t welcome him back into my life. It was easier to forgive him because I no longer had any feelings whatsoever for Teresa. Holding a grudge toward him seemed futile. I only loved Chanel. Harlan’s affair with Teresa was like a faded memory that I no longer had use for.

If he was here begging for my forgiveness, that meant he was desperate, and I’d seen him this way before. He wasn’t as strong as I was, and I had to pull him out of fire once before. If he got too low, he could try to end his vampire existence.

I wasn’t saying I was going to let bygones be bygones. I just didn’t care about the past or what he had done to me. All I wanted to do in my long life was to be with Chanel, protect Chanel, and love Chanel. Nothing else mattered.

There were two knocks on my office door. I looked over at the security camera screens.

I frowned at Harlen. “Act like you’re human.”

“Why? Humans are savages.” He teased.

I gave him a look that let him know I meant business. “Come in.” I spoke toward the closed door.

I waited for the door to open.

Natasha didn’t walk in; she just held the door. “Boss, you have visitors. What is he still doing here?” She hissed, referring to Harlen. I confided in Natasha. She knew how he betrayed me, and she didn’t like him one bit.

“He’ll be leaving soon. Please, come in.” I waved to Chanel and Morgan. The ladies walked into my office. They both had wine glasses in their hands that were more than half full. Natasha closed the door, but I was sure she was somewhere near on the other side of it.

Harlen leapt from his chair like his ass was on fire. “Please, sit.” He extended his hand to the chair he occupied a second ago and the other vacant chair next to it.

Chanel took a seat first, and Morgan followed.

“Chanel, Morgan, this is my brother, Harlen.”

“It’s nice to meet you ladies.” Harlen bowed his head. He didn’t rush to kiss their hands, hug them or give them two cheek air kisses. So maybe he was turning over a new leaf.

“Nice to meet you too,” Chanel spoke, and Morgan just looked at him.

After a bit of silence, I cleared my throat. “You came to the club tonight?”

“It was my idea.” Morgan spoke for Chanel.

“If I knew you were here, I would’ve come down and greeted you properly.”

“We haven’t been here long. Natasha spotted us and brought us right to you,” Chanel explained. “I’m just happy to meet your brother.” Chanel gave me a look that signaled I was in trouble. I hadn’t told her I had a brother, and she could probably tell he was a vampire. I tried to remain calm, but I knew I fucked up. I hadn’t told her about Donté and now here was Harlen, another secret I was keeping.

I stood up. “Morgan, can I have a quick word with Chanel? I promise I will bring her right back.” I had already moved over to where Chanel was seated and taken her hand in mine. Chanel was reluctant to stand, but slowly rose to her feet.

“No problem.” Morgan said. “I will let your brother, what’s your name?”

“Harlen.” My brother answered.

“Entertain me.” Morgan finished her sentence.

Although I didn’t want to leave her alone with him, I knew he would be on his best behavior. Most women thought he was charming for reasons unknown to me.

I led Chanel from the room and turned back to see Harlen moving to take Chanel’s newly vacant chair.

Once the door had shut behind me, I guided Chanel down the hallway to a small private bathroom that looked more like a closet. There was a lock, but I didn’t bother to use it. I didn’t want to frighten Chanel.

“Hey, I’m sorry.” I led with an apology because I already knew I was in hot water.

“Zand, you have a whole fuckin’ brother?”

“Yeah, I forgot to mention it.”

“How convenient.” She blew air from her red painted lips. “These aren’t secrets. These are lies.”

“No, no, I’m not lying to you. Some things just never come up. They’re not important.”

“So, when you told me you had a father, you didn’t think that was a good time to tell me you had a brother.”

A good point. “I don’t know, maybe. I thought he left town, so I didn’t give it much thought.”

“Bullshit.” She hissed.

“Babe, don’t be mad at me.”

“Don’t keep fuckin’ secrets from me. I know there’s more. I know you have more things to tell me.”

“I will. I will tell you everything you need to know.”

“When? When I just walk into your office and find out on my own.”

“No.”

“Do you have any more brothers or sisters or anything? I definitely have to ask you because you’re not going to volunteer any information on your own.”

“Come on, that’s not fair. That’s not true.” Shit! We were fighting.

“You have a father. You have a brother, and you got a goddamn son. What else do you have? What else aren’t you telling me?”

“There’s my ex. She is considered my ex-wife.”

“You were married?” Her eyes grew large.

“Not legally, but it was regarded as marriage because we took a blood oath.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Means nothing at all to me now. I love you.”

“Oh, my god. So, this ex-wife is a vampire?”

“Yes, she is.”

“And you didn’t think I needed to know this?” Her eyes squinted so I couldn’t see the whites, only the browns.

“I didn’t think about it.”

She was pissed. “I’m leaving.”

“No, you’re not.”

“How are you going to stop me?”

“I’m a vampire. Did you forget? I can stop you.”

Without thinking, I wrapped my hand around her forearm and pulled her into my embrace. Chanel slammed into my chest, too startled to resist. I smashed her back against the wall and pressed my body into hers. Latching onto her neck with my mouth, I used my tongue to nibble at her skin. I felt her try to push me away, but her female human strength was no match for me.

I wasn’t going to let that happen, so I pressed my tongue into her mouth and kissed her deeply, slowly, passionately, vampiric-ly. My hands roamed her body. I used my hands to hike her skirt up to her waist.

Chanel moaned in my mouth as I took her breath away. I felt the lace of her panties on my fingertips and used my nails to rip the lace away from her body. Her shaved pussy was exposed. I used my index finger to wipe her sweet juice as it pooled outside her tight cream pie. There was no hunger like the hunger I felt for her.

I quickly unzipped and unbuttoned my pants and let them fall to my ankles. Taking hold of my cock, I lowered it down to Chanel’s lower lips. I let my cock glide around, and when I couldn’t take it anymore. I lifted Chanel off the floor and wrapped her legs around my torso. Slowly I guided my member into her sopping wet hole. When I was at the opening, I rammed inside her violently. So roughly I knocked the wind out of her chest. I heard her gasp for air. It didn’t stop me. I had to make this right. I was determined to fuck all the doubts she had about me away. She was the only one for me, because we were one. She needed to know this.

I clawed at the smooth skin of her butt as I pushed her body down on my pole. Launching deeper inside her, I had the strength to hold her like this forever. I fucked her tight pussy hard as she wrapped her arms around my neck. She moaned louder the faster I pushed inside. She tried to stay on my slippery hard member.

Unwarranted threats of leaving me would never be tolerated. Even if she didn’t know all my secrets, she knew my number one secret. I would never harm her, but I would never let her go. I would do anything to keep her with me, beside me and near me. She was my last love, my only love, my eternal love. And that meant fucking forever.

I was drowning inside her. I couldn’t hold it any longer. The vice grip she had on my cock was driving me crazy and after three more thrusts, I exploded inside her once again, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Her face fell on my shoulder as her orgasm vacuumed me in and contracted around me. I was sucked deeper inside of her warmth.

I regained my composure and took a few seconds to kiss her collarbone, her neck, her jaw, and then her plump lips.

It was never my intention to make her upset. I only wanted her to be happy, to feel loved, to feel protected. I only wanted her to feel as good as she felt right now.