Embrace the Night

Page 157



"You can't keep her with you. It isn't natural. What kind of life can she have with a…" "Monster?" Gabriel supplied softly, his eyes narrowing ominously.
"Exactly! She's a young woman. She deserves more out of life than you can give her." "Perhaps."

Maurice's hand tightened around the cross. "Leave her alone." "You're a fool, Delacroix. She's mine. She's always been mine."

"You won't have her!" Maurice stood up. "Do you hear me, vampire? You will not have her!"
"Who's going to stop me? You?"

"Gabriel! Maurice! Stop it!"

"Tell him, Sara Jayne. Tell him you're going to marry me." "Maurice…"

"Tell him!"

"I…" She bit down on her lower lip as she glanced from one man to the other. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do."

"So that's the way it is," Maurice said heavily.

"I'm sorry, Maurice. Right now I can't think of the future. For all we know, I might not even have a future."

"Nina won't have you, cara," Gabriel said quietly. He crossed the room. Taking the tea tray from her trembling hands, he thrust it at Maurice. "Go to bed, Sara."

Sleep. Suddenly all she wanted to do was sleep, to forget everything, if only for a little while. Without a word, she went into the bedroom and closed the door.

"You should get some rest, too," Gabriel told Maurice. "You'll have to keep an eye on Sara tomorrow."

Maurice placed the tray on the side table and poured himself a cup of tea. He stared at Gabriel over the rim of the cup. "Who's going to protect me from you while Isleep?"

"You have nothing to fear from me," Gabriel replied, "though killing you would be sweet indeed."

"That makes me feel a lot better," Maurice muttered. He set the empty cup on the tray and then, with a last glance at Gabriel, he went into the spare bedroom and shut the door.

A wry grin twisted Gabriel's lips as he heard Maurice turn the key in the lock. Foolish mortal, he mused, to think he was safe behind that flimsy wooden door.