Aida shook her head to clear it of her disorienting thoughts. “Julian, why did you do that?”
The tensed set of his shoulders and the rigid way he stood before the sink made her ache for him. She didn’t know what was wrong with him, but something clearly was. No matter how kind he was, he was also incredibly lethal, and she had firsthand experience with the viciousness of his kind.
However, instead of fleeing like any sane, rational human would in the presence of a predator, she found her feet moving toward him. Stepping beside him at the sink, she clasped his wrist and inspected the wound as blood oozed from it.
When he lifted his head to look at her, she brushed back a strand of black hair falling into the corner of his eye. He’d embedded a shard of glass in his hand and hadn’t flinched when he pulled it out, and power oozed from him, yet the vulnerable air surrounding him made a lump form in her throat.
“Why did you do this?” she whispered.
He bowed his head as he focused on the blood. The knuckles of his other hand, locked around the sink, were white. She hoped he didn’t tear it from the wall.
“Julian.” When she touched his cheek, his head turned toward her. “If I’m going to trust you again, then you have to talk to me. What is happening? And why did you come here when you’re so unstable?”
He couldn’t tell her everything, but he couldn’t keep it all hidden from her anymore either. She’d never trust him again if he didn’t tell her some of what was going on with him.
“I reached maturity,” he said.
Aida’s eyes widened as his words sank in. She’d been around the Byrnes enough to know that meant he’d finished aging and was now a full-fledged vampire who was a lot faster, stronger, and better at wielding his abilities.
Because he was a pureblood, he would hunger for either blood, pain, death, sex, or a combination of things. It also meant he was more volatile and would continue to be until he found and claimed his mate.
Sorrow swelled in her chest; no matter what happened between them, Julian was always sweet and kind to her. After seeing him in the gallery, she suspected she knew which of his instincts went into hyperdrive. He wasn’t the type of man who could handle always wanting to kill, and he definitely couldn’t handle killing an innocent.
His good nature and gentle ways made her feel secure during the summer they spent together. It had never concerned her that he was so large and a vampire; instead, she felt confident in the knowledge he would keep her safe.
Not only was he kind to her, but he’d always carefully unhook the fish they caught before tossing them back. She’d watched him climb a tree to return a baby squirrel to its nest. Sometimes, they would catch fireflies at night, and he would hold him in his cupped hands. Their glow would flash over his face while he smiled and held his hands out for her to get a better look. They’d stand with their heads touching as they hunched over his hand before he carefully set the insect free. And in all their adventures, he’d never intentionally mistreated anything.
“What do you crave most?” she asked.
“I want to kill everyone out there,” he admitted on a whisper. “For a minute, it took all I had not to kill the woman who gave me the champagne.”
The hair on Aida’s nape rose, but she wasn’t concerned about herself; she worried about everyone out there. “You shouldn’t be here. You could attack someone.”
“I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last.”
She blinked back the unexpected tears burning her eyes as she restrained herself from hugging him. She had no idea what was going on between them, and allowing herself to get closer, especially after this revelation, could be disastrous.
“I can’t stand seeing you with him,” he admitted.
“With who?” she asked in confusion.
“Owen.”
“Oh.” She sighed as she gazed down at her hands. He had no right to know anything about her personal life, but she didn’t like seeing him like this. When she’d been lost and floundering, he helped her get through it, and she couldn’t walk away and leave him like this. “Owen’s not my boyfriend.”
“But I saw you two kissing last night.”
She glared at him. “And I kissed you this afternoon. Do you really think I would do that if I had a boyfriend? Do you think so little of me?”
“No! I think you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”
“The most amazing person who jumps from one guy to the next without any care for their feelings?”
“Aida—”
“I don’t owe you an explanation for anything in my life, but he kissed me last night. I wasn’t expecting it, and I didn’t welcome it. You arrived at the same time and caught it happening. We dated a few times a while ago, and it didn’t work out. He wants more, I don’t, and that’s all you need to know about it.”
“Okay.” He held up his hands when she glowered at him as if she expected more. “I won’t bring it up again.”
“Good. Why did you come here tonight if you knew it would be difficult for you?” she asked.
“To see you.”
Those words stole her anger. Before she could reply, a loud knock sounded on the door.
“Aida, is everything okay in there?” Nicolette asked.
“Yes,” she called back. “I’ll be right out.”
She waited for Nicolette to walk away, but a shadow remained under the door, and she suspected her boss wasn’t budging until she left here. “I have to get back out there. Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes.”
She went to turn away, but he caught her wrist and tugged her back. Before she could react, he kissed her tenderly and released her. “Pick out your favorite painting,” he told her, “and I’ll buy it.”
It took her a minute to find her voice. “My favorite painting was purchased; you’re on your own with this one.”
She opened the door to find Nicolette and Owen standing on the other side. Owen craned his head to see past her, but Aida shut the door before he could.
“Is everything okay?” Nicolette demanded.
“Everything’s fine,” Aida assured her. “He cut his hand on some glass. He’ll be out soon.”
“Was there something wrong with the glass? Should I fire the caterers?” Nicolette asked. “I saw that waitress spill a tray earlier.”
“No, it was nothing like that,” Aida rushed to assure her before some innocent person lost their job over this. “He almost dropped the glass but caught it before it hit the floor. It broke in half when he did. It was an accident, and the cut was so small it’s already stopped bleeding.”
“Good.”
Nicolette started to say more, but the door opened behind Aida, and Julian stepped out. Owen bristled and threw back his shoulders; he was taller than Julian, but that was where his advantage ended. Next to Julian, Owen looked like a boy instead of a man.
If Nicolette was feeling any irritation toward Julian, it vanished when he gave her his most charming smile. Nicolette practically melted as she smiled in return and fluttered her lashes. Aida rolled her eyes and almost threw her hands in the air. After three years of busting her ass in this place, Nicolette had still looked ready to kick her to the curb. One smile from Julian and she was a flirty, teenage girl instead of a haughty, middle-aged woman.
“I’d like to purchase that painting now,” Julian said.
Owen’s irritation vanished as the possibility of more dollar signs brought a smile to his face. “Which one are you interested in?”
Julian glanced at her, but he was on his own with this. “Why don’t you show me your favorite,” he said to Nicolette.
If it were possible, Aida thought Nicolette might melt through the floor as she became putty in his hands. “Well, I love them all, but this one over here…”
Aida watched them walk over to a painting of a young girl releasing a balloon into the air. The girl’s head was tipped back as her mournful eyes watched the balloon float away. She was aware that some people released balloons for their loved ones in Heaven, and the details of this little girl were so vivid that Aida suspected she was a real subject.
Aida loved the painting, it was hauntingly beautiful, but it made her want to cry. She hoped Julian found something a little happier to purchase.