A Vampire's Saving Embrace (2 page)

“Oh, I don’t think so, my lovely,” he whispered, lifting his hand to show her the long knife he held, and Abby’s heart stopped. “You and I have some business to attend to.”

Oh shit! Abby silently screamed. She was going to be raped! She felt the blood draining from her face as her legs began to shake uncontrollably, threatening to give out from under her and she fought desperately to calm herself.

No! She silently screamed - she was not a victim anymore, and would not give in - well, not without a fight anyway, she decided defiantly. Summoning up every ounce of courage that she could muster, she took a deep, calming breath.

She would sure as hell go out kicking and screaming. Abigail Montgomery was not one to back down without getting in at least
one
good kick! She had fought too long and too hard to survive, and was not about to let some half-witted scumbag change that now.

With that thought urging her on - she kicked him between the legs with everything she had - smiling triumphantly when she heard his surprised grunt of pain.

He let out a scream of rage, and Abby swore that she saw his features shift as the whites of his eyes disappeared to become completely black. But that was impossible – wasn’t it?

Her entire body froze as she stared in horror at his face as it began to elongate and twist - his teeth lengthening to become sharp, jagged points in his mouth.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, a moment before she saw him raise the knife. She willed her body to move, but the sight of his monstrous features held her firmly in place.

“Bitch,” he growled as he brought the blade down toward her. “You just bought yourself a whole lot of pain!”

It happened in an instant, and suddenly Abby was aware of the feeling of warm liquid running down the side of her neck, and she was finally able to take an instinctive, protective step back as her head began to swim and her vision began to blur – a wave of nausea washing over her. She fought desperately to keep her wits about her, and was suddenly, vaguely aware of another, familiar voice coming from behind her, the silky smoothness causing a blanket of comfort to embrace her as she swayed slightly.

“You will die for that you son of a bitch,” he growled - right before the blackness began to overtake her and she felt herself beginning to slump towards the ground. The last thing she was aware of was the feeling of strong arms catching her before she could fall and a pair of sea blue eyes filled with concern gazing down into hers.

Chapter 2

Abby woke with a start – the blood that was rushing through her head causing her eyes to snap open. She looked around in confusion and fear as she realized that she was lying in a bed that was definitely not her own.

First clue were the black satin sheets that covered her. She couldn’t afford something of this quality on her best day. The next was the mere size of the bed to which she was laying on. The thing was enormous – at least three times the size of her tiny twin, with an ornately carved wooden headboard and four large posters on each corner to match.

She tried to sit up, but pain sliced through her neck and she gasped - squeezing her eyes shut once again. Suddenly a hand was on her shoulder - easing her gently back onto the pillows. She felt the bed dip with his weight as he sat down beside her.

“Easy there, my pet,” he crooned, and Abby felt her heart jerk to a sudden and complete stop. It
was
him! She hadn’t imagined it! But just where in the hell was she?

She tried to remember what had happened, and her brows furrowed in concentration. “Oh crap,” she groaned softly as the events of the night came flooding back. She cautiously opened her eyes – squinting at the sudden blare of light. “Where am I?” she asked - looking into those sea blue depths as they searched her face. “And just who in the hell
are
you?” He chuckled - his finger skimming across her cheek softly -causing a shiver to run up her spine. Holy Hell!

“Desmond LaGrange,” He stated simply, his eyes studying her closely. “Abby, you need to rest,” he murmured, once again stroking his finger along her cheek. “We can talk later.”

“How do you know my name?” she demanded - her voice sounding small and meek and she inwardly cringed. Good God - how she hated feeling so helpless!

A smile curved his lips and Abby swallowed with difficulty. Just when she thought he couldn’t get any better looking…BAM! He goes and curls her toes with the most heart stopping grin she had ever seen. Damn it, Abby! She silently berated herself - try for once in your miserable life to stay focused.

There were more important things to worry about besides the fact that this man sitting in front of her could very possibly be the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He was beyond perfect and it was throwing everything off-kilter.

“I have a talent for things as names and such,” he offered, his eyes traveling down her face to her neck. His smile faded and his eyes snapped with anger - causing the vibrant blue to darken. Her hand reached up to touch where he was staring only to be stopped by his fingers circling her wrist. “Please, don’t touch the bandage,” he warned softly. “I don’t want you to re-open your wound.” She shuddered at the memory of that bastard’s knife slicing through her skin and the feeling of her blood pouring out of her, but what wouldn’t leave her was the image of his changing features. She shivered again, gooseflesh rising on her arms. “Are you cold?” he asked, his brows knitting together with concern.

Abby shook her head and glanced down with a start. Her clothes were gone! She was wearing nothing but a black silk shirt that sure as hell didn’t belong to her! Her cheeks blazed red at the thought of this man seeing her naked. “Where are my clothes?” she questioned timidly - not really sure that she even wanted to know the answer. He cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her face to meet his gaze. There it was again, that damnable, heart-stopping grin and she gasped.

“They were covered in,” he hesitated, as if the word were unpleasant, “blood. I fear that they couldn’t be saved.”

“Did you…” Abby broke off, completely mortified at the thought of this perfect specimen of the male gender actually undressing and dressing her. Oh, Holy Hell, she inwardly groaned - feeling completely mortified. 
This man had seen her naked!

“Don’t fret so, love,” he murmured, his thumb tracing lazy circles on the inside of the wrist that he still held. “It is nothing that I have not already seen, and I swear to you, even as difficult as it was - I was a perfect gentleman.”

Abby gulped back her humiliation and looked at him, desperation in her eyes. “How did you…” she choked out - having so many questions floating around in her head. “How did you know I was in the park? Were you following me?”

“As I said, Abby, I have all types of talents.” His vague answers were ruffling her feathers a bit, but she needed to know one thing - more than anything else.

“Did you see,” she stopped - not wanting him to think she was insane. Holy Hell - what did it matter anyway, she thought cynically.  Her knight in shining armor was most likely just an incredibly gorgeous man with a super-hero complex. For all she knew, he was wearing blue tights with a huge S emblazoned across his chest underneath his clothes!

“Did you see that…that man’s face change?” she blurted out – her face turning crimson and she squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, shaky breath. She knew it sounded insane - but she also knew what she saw. Well - might as well get the look of sympathy over with, she thought bitterly. She knew what had to be going through his mind – oh, the poor girl, her traumatic experience has sent her over the edge and now she is a certifiable nut-case. Seeing monsters at every turn! Time to call in the men with the white coats and the nets! But when she finally got up the nerve and looked up into his face, she saw nothing in his eyes but a grim sadness.

“Abby, there are many things in this world that would surprise you to know are in existence,” he replied evenly, his eyes locking with hers. “But now is not the time to discuss them,” he stood and took a step back from the bed. “You need to rest. Sleep, my pet, you are safe here.” With that he turned and left the bedroom.

Abby sighed and glanced around the room curiously. It was certainly a man’s room, with its dark walls lined with bookcases filled to the brim, and expensive furnishings in deep rich woods. There was a large marble fireplace across the huge expanse of space which was framed by two very large leather chairs that looked incredibly inviting, and she could easily picture herself curled up in one, sitting beside a roaring fire – just quietly reading.

She wondered if this were Desmond’s room and silently kicked herself for even thinking the thought. Holy Hell, what had she gotten herself into?

She sighed again and closed her eyes, realizing that just being near him was draining in so many ways. His nearness caused her body to tingle in ways that she would much rather forget. “Desmond,” she quietly whispered. My God, even his name was sexy. She pushed thoughts of him from her mind and let herself drift off.

When Abby woke a few hours later, she found Desmond sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace - watching her intently. “How are you feeling?” he asked- standing and walking over to the bed – and she was taken by the grace in which the man moved. Hells bells! The man seemed to glide as he walked!

“I…I’m…” she stuttered, not knowing exactly
how
she felt. Having him standing next to the bed staring down at her like he was had her heart doing flip-flops in her chest. Never before in all her pitiful life had she felt so instantly drawn to someone as she was to this man. “I’m fine,” she said finally - trying desperately not to let his intense gaze do what it was doing to her. She needed answers – not distractions. And this man was definitely a distraction. A gorgeous, sexy, breath-stealing distraction.

“That’s a lovely ring,” he said, sitting down on the bed beside her.

Abby glanced down at the ring on her right hand and smiled sadly. It was an intricate white gold dolphin that wrapped around her finger and was set with a small stone held in place by the creatures head and tail. “It was my mothers,” she whispered. “She wore it all the time. It’s actually all that I have left of her.”

“What happened to her?” he asked gently, his eyes studying her face intently as she spoke.

“She died in a car accident when I was seventeen.” She looked back down at the ring on her finger, not wanting to have to deal with his close scrutiny of her or what it did to her body. “It’s strange, really. She had taken it off and left it on our kitchen table that morning almost as if she knew she wasn’t coming back. It was the first time that I could remember her ever not wearing it.” She sighed softly, a sad, wistful smile on her face.

“And your father?”

Abby shrugged, “I never knew my father. He died before I was born.” Desmond’s finger traced the line of her jaw. “I’m sorry, Abby.” He stated simply, and somehow she knew that he meant it.

Why she was even telling him all of this, she didn’t know – but it just seemed…right. She felt completely at ease with him – safe and protected, and she grudgingly admitted that the feeling was nice. It had been a very long time since she felt this way, if ever – she thought with a start.

Desmond watched the play of emotion on her face with rapt interest. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever come across in all his years, and just being near her caused his body to want things it hadn’t wanted in a very long time. A warmth spread through his body when she looked up at him with those emerald green eyes of hers that was completely foreign to him. It was almost like being punched in the chest.

He tried to push back those thoughts and concentrate on getting as much of what she knew out of her. Now was definitely not the time to let himself become distracted by her full, perfect lips or her beautiful heart - shaped face.
Or
those emerald green depths that any man would give his soul to get lost in. He was certain that the next few moments were going to be difficult enough for her – and he needed to tread lightly - he reminded himself with a mental shake.

“Desmond?” she said softly - pulling him from his thoughts.

“Yes, my pet?”

Abby tried to ignore his endearment and took a deep breath. The time had come for answers. No more lollygagging around. “You said before that there are things in existence that would surprise me.”

“Yes.”

“What did you mean?”

“Abby,” he said, taking her tiny hands gently in his and she couldn’t help but feel the current of awareness that ran through her at his touch. “You asked me if I had seen that…that vermin’s face change.” She nodded - her eyes studying his, hoping to detect any sign of his not believing her – but all she saw was the crystal blue of those incredible depths staring back at her with sincerity. “Abby, that creature that attacked you was a demon.”

“Excuse me?” she breathed, knowing that there was no way that she could have heard him correctly.

“A demon, Abby,” he repeated softly, his gaze searching hers.