SHE’D SEEN HIM.
She’d really and truly seen him.
Dread and denial whirled together to make his gut ache and his hands tremble. Sure, he knew that she’d glimpsed the truth a time or two when his control had slipped, but it had been so quick that she’d probably written it off as her imagination.
But this time she’d gotten a good, long look.
There were no excuses he could make. No escaping the truth.
He couldn’t make her forget. Even though it was a trick of the trade, it didn’t work with her. He’d tried it that first night when she’d followed him from the Dairy Freeze and it had been useless. She had a strong will. She knew how to conceal her thoughts and hide behind a mental barrier.
Bottom line, she knew how to keep him out of her head. So he was SOL. He couldn’t make her forget all about him.
As depressing as the thought was, he found a small sense of solace in it. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want a woman to forget him. He didn’t want to blend into the background like a bad dream or vanish in a puff of smoke. He wanted to stand out. To have a permanent place in her memory. In her life.
He ignored the last thought and focused on gunning the engine of his Camaro. He needed to get out of here. To stop thinking and just drive.
He pulled out onto Main Street and headed for the city limits. It was time to pack up and leave. Dillon could text him any information that he might eventually uncover about his sister-in-law’s whereabouts. And Cody?
His brother would just have to get married without him. It wasn’t like Brent was going to stand in as his best man. He’d made it clear that he didn’t like weddings. Hell, he’d made it clear that he didn’t want Cody to get married, period. Impossible.
It would never work, no matter how much Cody wanted it to. He was too different from Miranda.
And if he turned her?
The possibility stuck in his head. One he’d never considered because he’d never wanted to doom anyone to his same fate. He’d been a vampire over one hundred and fifty years and he’d never turned anyone.
And he never would.
Especially someone he loved.
It was hard enough living with the pain of rejection. But living with the knowledge that he’d destroyed someone’s life? That he’d doomed them to a fate far worse than death?
Not no, but hell no. He wouldn’t do it even if Abby begged him.
Not that she would. She feared him. She’d made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. She was probably on the phone at that moment, ranting about vampires and how he’d deceived her. And while he doubted anyone would believe her, particularly after she’d had a few drinks down at the local bar, he knew it was just a matter of time.
He gunned the engine and crossed the railroad tracks at the far edge of town. A turn to his left and he was heading for the Interstate, dead set on getting the hell out of town before people started to get suspicious.
They would. He had no doubt about that.
At the same time, he owed his brother a word of warning. Cody had told him not to get too close, but Brent hadn’t listened. While his gut told him that Abby wouldn’t turn on him, he couldn’t be sure. Not after the way she’d kicked him out. He picked up his cell phone and dialed.
“Meet me at the new house,” he told Cody when his brother picked up on the third ring. “What’s wrong?”
“Just get in the car and drive. Fifteen minutes.”
“WHAT’S GOING ON?”
Brent looked at his brother, not knowing quite what to say. “She knows.”
“Who knows?”
“Abby.”
“Abby who?”
“She’s the woman I’ve been seeing for the past few days. She’s new in town. She’s here looking for Rayne.”
That got Cody’s attention. “Why would she be looking for Rayne?”
“She says she’s a receptionist, but I think she’s military.” In fact, he knew she was military after their conversation last night. While she’d played it off as if it were only her background, the pieces had quickly fallen into place.
“We knew it was just a matter of time,” Cody said. Rayne had married his sister-in-law a few weeks after being turned into a vampire in the mountains outside of Afghanistan. He’d been attacked and left to fend for himself.
Not knowing what else to do, he’d come home one last time before going on the run from the authorities and himself. He’d been a fledgling vampire. Scared of what he’d become. Fearful that he would hurt someone.
But he’d found a support system right here in Skull Creek with Cody and the handful of other vampires who’d taken up residence in the small town. They’d taught him to control the hunger, to feed it slowly so that it didn’t devour him.
Still, the fact that he was coping didn’t change the truth—he’d run away from the military and they’d all known it was just a matter of time before someone came looking for him.
They’d all believed it best to meet the threat head on, bending whoever showed up to their will so that they would forget all about Rayne and the fact that he was AWOL.
A plan that might have worked if anyone other than Abby Trenton had shown up.
She was stubborn.
Determined.
Sexy.
The thought struck and he stiffened. It didn’t matter how sexy she was. It was over.
He was outta here.
“I’ll call the others and see if we can’t influence her and send her on her way.”
“It won’t work.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know. She’s got a strong will and she’s not easily influenced.”
“She can’t be that strong.”
“Trust me, I’ve tried. She’s not like everyone else. She won’t bend. She’s got the tenacity of a pit bull. No matter how much I stare into her eyes, I can’t get her to listen to me.”
Cody didn’t say anything. He just stared at Brent long and hard before his face cracked into a smile and he started to laugh.
“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear anything I said? She knows and she’s going to blow the whistle on all of us. There’s no way you can win in this situation. She’s too stubborn.”
“You’re falling for her,” Cody finally said once his laughter had died down. “Hook, line and sinker.”
“Bullshit.” There was no falling involved. He’d already fallen. Hard.
“You sure as hell are. She’s gotten to you.”
“She’s going to tell the world we’re vampires, little brother. If you have half a brain you’ll get the hell out of here before she does.”
“I’m not leaving,” Cody said after a long contemplative moment. “This is my home now. I won’t give it up.”
“You’re crazy.” Brent turned and started for his car.
“And you’re scared.”
The comment brought him to a dead stop. He turned on his brother. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re afraid to get close to anyone. Afraid they’ll hurt you. Afraid they’ll let you down. But that’s no excuse to keep walking away from everything and everyone.”
“I can do whatever the hell I want.”
“True, but you’ll always be alone if you do.”
“Maybe I like being alone.”
“And maybe you’re full of shit. You’re so used to running that you don’t know how to stop. I know. I used to do a lot of running myself, always walking away when people got a little close and things got a little too intense. But then Miranda changed all that.”
“She made you want to stick around,” Brent murmured, remembering the push-pull of emotion he’d felt when he’d stood outside the bathroom door, trying to persuade Abby to open up. He hadn’t wanted to leave.
No, for the first time in over one hundred years, he’d wanted to stay put.
“Are you kidding?” Cody smiled. “Miranda made me want to run for my afterlife. Faster, harder than ever before. That’s how I knew she was the one. When a woman scares the bejesus out of you like that, she has to be something special.” He let the statement hang between them for a long moment before he added, “You should try to talk to Abby.”
“I already did that.”
“So try again.”
“And if she calls the cops?”
“Then you’ll figure something out. We’ll all figure something out. Together.”
The offer was tempting, but Brent had been going it alone, relying on himself, his instincts, his desperation far too long to stop now.
He shook his head. “I can’t take that chance. I won’t. And if you have half a brain, you won’t either. This situation is about to blow up.” Then he turned and walked away.
“What about the wedding?” Cody called after him.
“I’m sorry,” Brent muttered. And then he climbed into his car, gunned the engine, and left.