Seventy-Two

How could I describe what I felt? I’ve never been the type to open up to people. No one throughout my existence knew the real me, only the façade I showed to the world. Liz was the only person I let in. She was my haven and with her, life was easy. I couldn’t put into words what was going on inside me. My emotions raged like a storm, ripping, crashing, destroying everything in its path. The only feeling I could devise in this madness was the unforeseen sorrow squeezing my chest.
My heart sank as waves of her mixed emotions about that man hit me. The guilt in her voice, and the care she showed for him, all of it angered me, and jealousy clouded my mind. Liz had met someone before me in this life; she had loved someone else, and I had to step away from the scene or I’d kill the bastard. In my mind and heart, I just wanted my life to go back to a place and time I knew well, where I didn’t need to learn or adapt to anything. Just be there! But life is not always the way we want or wish, and the heavyweight of our decisions mold our future.
“Before we go inside…” I trailed off and shut my eyes, as her hand came to my cheek in a soft caress, and I bent into it. “I trust your judgement in whatever is going to happen from now on. I will leave up to you to make the call and I’ll follow your lead.” It took my entire being and self discipline to allow those words to come out of my mouth, but it was the right thing to do.
“Thank you, Vlad. It means a lot to me, and I know how hard it is for you to relinquish the decisions into my hands, but that’s not all. I can feel your distress, and you’re scaring me.”
“Sorry, I made our lives into this mess and put us through so much. I wish things were so different. I wanted to have lived a beautiful life with you, to grow old by your side. Nothing like this.” Her lavenders widened at my words, and I felt her heart beating hard against mine.
“Why are you talking in the past? You’re not gonna lose me this time. Please have faith in me!” Her eyes sparkled with tears, making the color even more beautiful. I’d never tire of losing myself in them. She circled my neck, and I pressed her to me. I had to kiss her, taste her, smell her perfume. My lips closed on hers with no rush. Feeling the contour of her body molded into mine, her softness. Savoring the salty taste of her tears on my lips. Appreciating the moment. “No! I know what you’re doing, and I won’t accept it! You’re not saying goodbye!” She let go of me, her hands into fists, hitting my chest over and over.
“Listen to me, dragă.” I gripped her wrists, fixing my eyes on hers. “I hope it doesn’t come to that point, but for the first time I’m lost and I don’t know who I am anymore, much less the outcome of all this, Liz.” She shook her head hard, her hair flying around her like a halo. Then she stopped looking at me, pulling her hands from my grasp.
“No! Goodbye is not an option, do you hear me?” She gritted out, wiping her tears in a fit of anger. “Not. Gonna. Happen!”
“Liz, we don’t need the vial of blood, because we discover who’s behind all of this. It’s my brother.” I lowered my head, swallowing hard, and she quieted down, looking all puzzled.
“Is Radu alive? Why would he do such a thing?” Liz opened her mouth, then closed again, taking her hands to her hair, raking them back and tying up in a bun. She glanced back at me and something dawned on her. “Mr. Lucard Udar, the foreign name… Radu… Shit, but why? Never mind." With a shake of her head, she gave up for the moment to muse on the subject. "Come, let’s get some food.” And she marched inside the place, and a few minutes later I joined them at the table.
I was so far away with my thoughts; they had to call my attention a few times. Anton looked at me with suspicion, and Liz sent worried glances on my way while they talked and made plans. Her sister was alive, and my flesh and blood held her hostage all this time. Coincidence? Probably not. Doctor Blake sent her all the coordinates of how to find Alice, but before we put the plan into action, we had to make sure the man wasn’t delivering us to the wolf.
“But Vlad, the same way we can feel each other’s energy, he can as well. The minute we set foot close to the place, he’ll know.” Anton had a point there. We didn’t know how we could get in unnoticed.
“But he won’t feel me. I can sneak in and out, that’s what I do best.” My instinct was to say no to that crazy idea, but I had to bite my tongue since I told her I trusted her call.
“But Liz, can’t doctor Blake tell her to leave the house and meet with us somewhere, she can move around, can’t she?”
“Only with him. He never leaves her side. Doctor Blake met her alone a few times inside the Agency. She has guards.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair, frustrated.
“So, what’s your plan, pumpkin?”
“Let me get in and see what I can do. Once I get her out, you guys can get in and take him down. By then, who cares if he knows or not. You stay put a distance away, and I keep my mind linked to yours so you’ll know what is happening all the time.” Her eyes were fixed on mine as she grabbed my hand with a light squeeze. She’d keep herself linked to us, for me. If it was up to her, she preferred not to have that kind of distraction.
“Tonight then, let’s take the bikes to Robb’s garage and get a truck. We’ll go to a hotel for the day as I’m sure they guard my place, and we leave upstate by the evening.”
“Sounds good, dad. Let’s go. I’m awake for almost twenty-four hours. I need to get some sleep, if I want to succeed tonight.”
***
The hotel was small and decent. Our window gave into a brick wall, but it had a comfortable bed for Liz to rest and a usable bathroom. She has been taking a shower for some time now, and I got worried. Did she have a meltdown again? When I was about to go in, she came out all fresh and perfumed, enveloped in a towel. Her scent engulfed me, and I laced Liz in my arms, bringing her to bed. She laughed. It felt so good to hear it, soft, melodious, a little husky.
I fell on top of the soft mattress with her on my chest, her mouth inches from mine, and those lavenders scintillating looking at me. Something has changed in them, and even my demon, so quiet these past hours, raised his head as my eyes flickered gold, looking at her with adoration. Her fingers found my hair as she stared at my mouth, licking her lush, plump lips.
I pulled her tight in my embrace, her breasts snuggled at my body and to feel her heart beating against my chest was perfect. Everything in that moment was beautifully perfect. I needed the memory of her kiss with me forever. I didn’t know what the future held for us.
She moaned against my lips, and pulled herself to me, as if it was possible to get even closer. Her mouth claimed mine all sweet and gentle, deepening the kiss and playing with my hair. Something she always did, since the beginning. It didn’t take long for the kiss to turn wild and carnal, full of passion, sending fire sizzling through our veins. The entire room smelled her lavender scent, making me ache for Liz. My beautiful Liz.
“Vlad.” She broke the kiss and cupped my face with both hands. Our breath came in ragged gasps as we stared at each other. “Remember the day we were at the stables, and you were ready to leave for Sibiu?” Her eyes were full of mischief fixed on mine, waiting for my answer.
“You wanted to come with me, and I said no, getting you angry.” I stared at her face. She always had a glassy look when memories came to her, but not this time.
“Of course, I got angry. I had a bad feeling about that campaign, and you made fun of me. It turned out I was right!” I laughed at her indignant tone at me after all this time, and she playfully punched my chest.
“When I threatened to lock you up in our room, you got the first thing you saw and threw it at me. What was it?”
“A little vase Liana used to grow some of her herbs. I didn’t mean to hit you, but I didn’t know I had such a good aim.” She giggled, then she became serious, gazing at me. “The look on your face was priceless.”
“You always have been a disrespectful woman.” I chuckled, and she punched me again. “I wanted to spank that round tushie of yours, but when I touched you, we ended up making love on top of the hay the entire morning before I left.”
“And it was then, I realized I’d love you forever, Vlad. Not even death would be reason enough to keep us apart. I love you, Grizzly!”
I didn’t know how to explain what I felt when she professed those words, but something happened, it was as if a blinding light bathed my darkened soul, washing away all my sins and for the first time I didn’t feel their heavy weight.
“Dragă…” I choked, and even my demon couldn’t stop staring at her, mesmerized.
“Don’t speak, listen to me.” She pecked my mouth and put her fingers on top of my lips. “Promise me it doesn’t matter the outcome, we’ll never lose each other again.” Her violets glinted with unshed tears. “If I die, you follow me… Ssh… no talking. If you die, I’ll follow you. Please, let’s end this suffering, Vlad.” She kissed all over my face.
“Deal.” It was the only thing I could do, agree with Liz.
We have had enough, and we were both tired. I held her tight in my arms. For the first time in all these centuries, I felt at peace, and we drifted off clung to each other, basking in the warmth of our bodies, and far away Anton was in my head, but I didn’t care to listen to him.
*Sleep, old friend. It has started, new beginnings are on the rise.*