If he gave in to death, Zinnia would be on her own, and he couldn’t do that.
Lance pulled over and stopped the car.Nix expected to be told to get out and start walking.He had everything with him.He didn’t need to return to Whispering River.But he didn’t want to spend his life doing bog laps of Australia or hiding out in a cave, losing his mind and feasting on bats—he didn’t want to become the vampire who haunted too many horror stories.But some nights in the witching hours, it was hard enough to hold the fragments together.
“I’m neither of those things, or you wouldn’t be sitting in my car or sleeping in my bed.I’m an idiot for inviting you in the first time.But now we’re in this together, and we’ll find a solution.”
Nix shook his head but couldn’t look at him.It hurt too much.“Are you going to kick me out?”
“No, but you can go if that’s what you want.I’ll spend the three days as planned, then I’ll have to start looking for you again.”
It would be easier on Lance if Nix opened the car door and started walking.His family would believe he was still searching.Trouble was, Nix wanted to be found.
ChapterFifteen
Lance parkedthe car in Milltown.It was more of a main road with shops and then houses that clustered tight before spreading out into properties with enough land for a few animals.It was pretty and much like the other towns Nix tended to favor.He didn’t go to cities and lose himself in crowds; he went to tourist towns and became one of many, stopping for a few days before passing through.So many faces that no one remembered one man.
Nix booked a room over the pub to leave a trail for Lance and the watching Orlans to follow, and then they wandered around the town.Their hands brushed, but neither made the effort to take hold.They didn’t have that.Lance had never had someone to hold on to; it was too complicated.This was complicated, but he wanted to hold onto it with both hands.His fingers curled, but he didn’t close his fingers around Nix’s.He just let them brush past, wondering if Nix would take or let him drift.
Sometime last night, after the phone call and before dawn, Nix had woken up and paced the apartment, knife in hand as he checked the doors and windows.Instead of returning to bed, he’d slept on the sofa, knife still in hand and ready for an attack that wasn’t coming.Lance had been tempted to throw a blanket over him, but he liked living and figured doing anything would result in a stab wound, and he didn’t heal like a vampire.He was too human for that.But he’d watched for several minutes, wondering what monsters Nix was battling when even his sleep wasn’t peaceful.
Nix stopped at yet another tourist-focused boutique, this one filled with soaps and jewelry and other handmade items.
“Is this what you do?”
“I have to fill in time somehow.I drift from place to place.If I have enough cash, I’ll go to a tourist attraction.There’s a maze in the area I haven’t been to yet, but I want to go.When we head back, we should…” he shrugged.“Some places advertise for short-term labor.If I get something, I’ll stay for a bit longer.”
“Or you steal.”
“I’d much rather have access to my bank account, but it’ll be watched.”
Lance nodded.It was.More than once, it had been asked why Nix and Zinnia weren’t using their money.But they were smart.They’d been taught what to do if everything went wrong.That was more than he’d ever been taught.He’d been warned about the murderous Hadleys but never told what to do if the Hadleys breached the house and killed the matriarchs.That hadn’t even been considered a possibility.He didn’t like where his thoughts lead.“Can we pretend that none of that exists for a few days?”
“Play tourists?The happy couple?”
“Why not?
Nix stopped walking.“Because we might start to believe it.”
That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.As much as chasing Nix all over the country had been fun, Lance much preferred having him in bed.He didn’t want to think about what would happen at the end of the two weeks.“That wouldn’t be terrible.”
“No.But it’s going to hurt when reality punches you in the chest, breaks your ribs, and rips out your heart.”
“It’s going to hurt anyway, so why not suck every bit of fun out of the moment.”Lance clasped Nix’s hand.“It’s a whole lot easier to hug you when you aren’t being as prickly as an echidna.”
“Maybe I don’t like being…ugh.”
Lance hugged Nix, and Nix went rigid.They didn’t hug.They kissed and had sex, and they touched when in the same bed, but there was no hugging.“See?Not so bad.”
Nix started to melt against him, and then his arms slid around his waist.“I’m a cold-blooded killer.”
Who had nightmares and couldn’t sleep through the night.“I know.”
“Fine, we’ll do this your way.”Nix’s words were muffled by Lance’s shoulder.
Lance grinned.
“Stop smiling.”
“No.”Because when their time was up, he didn’t know if he was going to be able to smile again.
