Chapter 29 Her Past
\[Tabitha’s POV\]
I pull the blanket that is draped around me tighter as Atticus and Anthony watch me, waiting for me to begin to speak. After getting sick in Atticus’ car, I was brought back to his home, where I could shower and change, then make myself comfortable in his large living room with pristine white furniture and no true signs that someone actually lived here. Both men waited for me to tell my story, and although Anthony already knew it, he too looked expectant.
“If you don’t want to tell, I can,” he offers after a long period of silence. “I know that it may be hard.”
“It’s okay,” I assure him, feeling that familiar tug of pain I felt when I saw him since his infidelity. “I’m an adult and capable of telling my own story.”
I was. It was just that I hadn’t spoken of it since being sent to live in the church, and to open up to someone other than Anthony left me feeling weird.
“Instead of telling me,” Atticus begins, giving me a serious look. “I could simply kill all the fucking bloodsuckers.”
“That would be nice,” I sigh, though I suddenly feel strange about the deaths of the vampire twins that were making me their toy. Even if I hated their kind, I was already becoming addicted to them, and that terrified me. “But there is truly only one that I’m after.”
Even if I hated vampires and wouldn’t mind killing them, there was only one that I truly wanted to die at my hands. He was the one who took everything from me while wearing a smile on his face, and I had a feeling he was the one behind all the deaths and threats. Even if he managed to kill my parents and brother, he wouldn’t be satisfied until he killed me, and I didn’t know why.
“I was raised in the church,” I begin, deciding to just pull the bandage off. “Because a vampire killed my parents when I was a baby. I don’t remember that at all, as I was too young, but they didn’t stop there." Taking a shaky breath, I move my gaze from Atticus to Anthony to find pain in his eyes over seeing me so rattled. Shaking off the sudden wave of emotions I feel, I turn my gaze back to Atticus and continue. “I can only assume that killing my parents wasn’t enough for him, and in the end, he came after my brother. I’ll never forget that night. It still haunts me in my sleep. That bastard killed my brother right in front of me with a smile on his face.”
As I speak, flashes of that appear in my mind, from all the blood to that fucking smile that he wore while he slit my brother’s throat and left him to die.
“I don’t know if my family did something to set him off or what." I sigh, pulling my blanket tighter around me. “But since then, I swore that I would find him. That was part of the reason I joined Boston PD’s supernatural department. I hoped that maybe I would come across information on him and could finally avenge my parents.”
“If you hate vampires so much, why the fuck were you bumping uglies with one?” Atticus huffs, his eyes flashing with anger.
“That’s…” I begin, considering. “Complicated.”
Even I wasn’t sure why I allowed them to do what they wanted or why I felt so fucking compelled to do it. I could only assume it had something to do with their marks on my skin, and that unnerved me.
“They marked her,” Anthony says, voicing my worry. “Their marks bind their prey to them, and it slowly draws them to them until they can’t resist and become their mindless pets. I can't believe I didn't even consider that from the start when I saw them.”
Because you were too busy with Holly, I huff inwardly.
Shivering, I try to fight the memories of my times with the vampire twins. During those times, I was all but mindless; I was aware, but I wasn’t me then. I was who they wanted me to be and no matter how much I tried to deny it, I enjoyed it. Not only enjoyed it, I craved more of it. Even now sitting here with Atticus and Anthony I wanted to have them fucking me and making me theirs. What the hell was I supposed to do?
“So how do we stop this compulsion?” Atticus demands. “Before Tabitha finds her way into their lair.”
“I don’t know,” Anthony sighs. “Until we find out, she won’t be able to be left alone, especially when we know that the vampires are hunting her down, and with each passing day, the compulsion will grow.”
“Then she will stay here with me,” Atticus announces simply. “That was already the plan since that murder happened beside her apartment. This is just another reason for it.”
“I’m not going to let her stay with you alone,” Anthony growls. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
“What am I up to?” Atticus asks innocently. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t play dumb.”
Rolling my eyes, I block out the back and forth of the men in front of me while I look down at the sparkly rose on my wrist where Vance marked me. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed to be growing brighter and more prominent. Was this because our bond was growing stronger? Did that mean that I would crave him more and more in the passing days?
“They need to be killed,” I say without thinking. “That should stop it.”
“We can’t be sure,” Anthony counters. “What if killing them does something to you in return?”
“Then so be it.”
My craving for those vampires was the last thing I wanted, but I knew that it wouldn’t stop until they were taken care of, and if it meant that I would die in the process, I was willing to take the chance.
“I’ll stay with Atticus until we find them,” I continue, deciding that it was a better option than being alone. “Anthony, you can leave.”
At my words, Anthony gives me a look of hurt.
“Are you really thinking that I would leave?” He demands.
“This doesn’t involve you,” I snap, getting fed up with his hurt puppy act. “Go to your bitch before she comes after me.”
“You heard her,” Atticus chuckles. “She doesn’t want you here, lover boy.”
“I’m not going to leave her here alone with you,” Anthony says firmly. “If she is staying here, then I’m going to stay here.”
“I don’t remember saying you can,” Atticus counters. “Now leave before I make you.”
“I’m not leaving!” Anthony repeats, giving a defiant look.
“I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF..."
“THAT’S ENOUGH!”
Shooting a glare at Atticus and then Anthony, I throw my blanket off of me and stand.
“If he wants to stay, he can stay,” I hiss, placing my hands on my hips. “Instead of us fighting with one another, it is better that we band together to deal with the vampire problem. Until then, could both of you please stop being at each other's throats?”
I was getting a headache, and I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was sleep and then try to figure out my next move. If both men wanted to be up my ass, then they could. Honestly, it made me feel a little better to have them here anyway.
“Now,” I continue slowly. “I’m tired. Is there a room that I can use?”
“There is,” Atticus confirms, getting up. “Let me show you.”
“Thanks,” I nod, allowing him to lead me out of the living room while Anthony just watches. When we arrive at our destination, he pushes the door open and then steps aside so I can take in the room. Frowning, I turn my gaze to his. “This isn’t a guest room, is it?”
“Nope,” he grins. “This is my room. You’ll be sleeping here.”
“And what about you?” I counter, feeling my stomach do a little flip, but not in a bad way. “Where will you sleep?"
“In here with you,” he responds, his eyes flashing mischievously. “You’re safest with someone beside you, and since you and that asshole downstairs don’t seem to be getting along well, I feel I am the best one for the job.”
Opening my mouth, I prepare to argue, but stop as he reaches out and wraps his arms around me. When our bodies touch, I feel a wave of comfort and warmth surge through that makes the unease and fear I was feeling slowly drift away.
“Will you deny that you don’t feel anything when you’re with me?” He husks close to my ear. “Do you know how fucking angry it made me to see you with that vampire? Consider being glued to my side as a punishment for what you were doing behind my back.”
“Is having to sleep beside you truly a punishment?” I ask, lifting my gaze to his. “Because I can think of other ways to do that.”
“Just wait until later,” he murmurs, nipping my ear. “I’ll make sure you can’t sit down for a week.”