Mercy's Debt

NINETEEN



I parked diagonally in Robert’s driveway, undoubtedly giving the lawn maintenance crew next door the impression that I’d been drinking.

I’d assumed that I was steady enough to operate machinery before I’d gotten behind the wheel of my car, but I’d driven like a maniac on the way over, nearly rear-ending a minivan full of screaming kids at a stoplight. The driver, a stressed-out mom with a nasty case of bed head, shook her fist at me angrily before giving me the finger. I couldn’t blame her, but perhaps she would have been a bit more understanding if she’d known that my best friend had been assassinated by a vampire on my front porch sometime during the middle of the night.

Carl was waiting for me at the front door. He was polished and professional, despite the early hour. I wondered when the man slept, or if he even did at all. As I made my approach, he bowed his head.

“I’m very sorry for your loss, Mercy,” he said.

I simply bowed my head in return, as there really was no appropriate way to respond. I’d known plenty of people who’d died of natural causes, but never of murder. A murder at the hands of a vampire.

“Please, follow me. Robert apologizes profusely for not meeting you at the door.” He raised a hand towards the sky, indicating the rising sun. “He is waiting for you inside his sleeping chamber.”

Carl led me underground into the chamber and then left without another word. Robert ceased his nervous pacing when his eyes met mine, and I was enveloped in his strong arms before I had the time to register that he’d crossed the room.

He held me silently, caressing my hair. “I cannot tell you how relieved I am that you were not hurt. I do not understand why a vampire would do this to Liz,” he said irately. Feeling me tense within his arms, he hushed his voice. “How are you feeling?”

“Numb,” I whispered into his steely chest. “I really don’t want to think about any of this. Liz’s murder, the fact that I’m being stalked by a vampire…”

“It’s okay. You’re safe now,” he said gently.

“I’m on the verge of losing my sanity completely, Robert,” I cried, burying my face into his chest. “I just need some time to compartmentalize my feelings. I don’t want to sound cold, but can we please just talk about something else for a while?”

“Okay. Whatever you want, sweetheart,” he said softly. “I will be here for you when you are ready mourn.” His grip on me loosened. “Oh, what have you got on?” he asked, taking in my figure-hugging dress, mud-encrusted stilettos, and Jerry’s enormous coat.

I looked down at my freakish ensemble. “I was coming home from a Dignitary thing when I discovered… Anyway, I didn’t want to go inside my apartment to change.”

He pursed his lips. “A Dignitary thing, hmm?” He tried to sound light, but jealousy seeped from his every word. “It doesn’t matter now. Here, please,” he led me to the bed in the center of the room. “I’m afraid I will be burned by the sunlight if we leave this chamber, so the bed will have to do for seating, unless you’d be more comfortable if I had Carl bring in a chair?”

“No, this is perfect.” I kicked off my stilettos and took a seat, leaning back on the plush down duvet.

Acknowledging his earlier jealousy, I ventured, “You know, my date last night was with a gay man.”

“Oh?” He tried to convey a sense of indifference, but his relief was palpable. “And what of your ex-lover? Is he still bothering you?”

“Who? Mathew?” I said his name with unimportance. It felt amazing to finally be able to truly feel nothing for him: not hurt, not anger, not longing. Nothing.

“Yes. Look, from the bottom of my heart, Mercy, I am terribly sorry about the scene I made outside the coffee house. I know you must think the absolute worst of me because of my appalling behavior. And when I saw that scoundrel grab your arm the way that he did… I was only watching you to keep you safe.” He pulled me close. “I could not bear to lose you.”

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry. You were obviously right to be paranoid. I was the idiot for ignoring my gut and downplaying everything that was happening to me. Maybe if I had listened to you, Liz would still be alive.”

I began to weep once more. Fat, angry tears of remorse spilled from my eyes, leaving quarter-sized splotches on his shirt. “I should have warned her, Robert. It’s my fault that she’s dead.”

Robert locked onto my face with his icy gaze. “Do not blame yourself for Elizabeth’s murder,” he said furiously. “The only one responsible is the vampire who did this. I will avenge her death. I promise you.”

I looked up into his livid face. “Thank you, Robert. I appreciate it, but…”

“You want to talk about something else?”

I nodded, taking in a jagged breath. “Anyway, to answer your question about Mathew, the answer is no. I haven’t talked to him since the night that I also saw you. Even now that I know that he’s not a stalker, I still don’t really care to.”

Robert seemed satisfied with my answer. “Well, I am happy to hear that you have ridded him from your life.”

“So, what did you do last night?” I asked. It made me feel grounded, sane, making polite chitchat.

“Nothing too exciting. I worked, mainly.”

“Oh.”

He wouldn’t meet my eyes. He was hiding something. Then again, I was still feeling jaded from the murder scene; distrustfulness is the natural byproduct of crime.

“What was his name, the vampire you were with last night?” he asked, switching topics.

“He’s an artist-cum-lawyer named Jerry- Jerome- Bellamy.”

“Oh, yes. I know him. I have one of his paintings. It is a horrifying thing, so I keep it hung in a room I hardly use. The piece invoked such emotions within me, however, that I just could not pass it up. When something reminds me that I once had a heart, I simply have to have it.” He rested his hand over my left breast as he said this, his words loaded with double meaning.

“He mentioned that he knew you,” I said, pretending to be impassive. I wasn’t ready to give in to him just yet.

His hand dropped down from over my heart.

“You spoke about me?” He was pleased.

He traced his fingertips down my cheek, along my jawline, and then rested them on my collarbone. He pulled Jerry’s jacket off my shoulders and removed it, replacing it with a cashmere throw he’d taken from the bed.

“Yes, but I don’t really have a whole host of subjects I can talk about with vampires.”

“I see,” he said evenly, but his face betrayed him. I’d clearly hurt him with my insensitivity.

I chewed on my lip, saying nothing more. I stewed in a restrained silence, deliberating on why I was so reluctant to give Robert the pleasure of knowing that I’d mentioned him to a mutual acquaintance.

Yes, Robert had followed me, which would have seemed creepy to an outsider. But so what? It wasn’t as if he’d done it out of malice. He’d been trying to keep me safe.

I cradled his perfect face in my palms, pushing a few strands of hair away from his brow. There was nothing but fondness in the depths of his eyes. This was a vampire who’d shown me nothing but respect, kindness, and loyalty.

There was also the little detail of him being the most lovable and gorgeous man that I’d ever known.

So what was I waiting for? What was I so afraid of?

I took his hand into mine, twining my fingers around his. Resigned, I took in a long breath. It was all or nothing time.

“Yes. I talked about you, Robert. And if you really want the honest to goodness truth, I’ll tell you. When I’m not talking about you, I’m thinking about you. And when I’m sleeping, I’m dreaming about you. I’ve tried to deny the depth of my feelings for you for as long as possible, but I no longer see a point in doing so. As I learned today, life can be extinguished at the blink of an eye. So, you know, I might as well just come clean. Since we’ve met, there’s hardly been a moment when you haven’t been on my mind. And there isn’t a man on Earth- human or vampire- that I’d rather be with than you.”

He squeezed my hands. “You have just made me the happiest vampire on Earth, Mercy. I love-”

I silenced him by pressing my mouth deeply against his, parting his lips gently with my tongue. “Shhh,” I whispered, nibbling on his plump bottom lip. “Let’s save it for later.”

“Are you sure you want to do this now?” he asked softly. “I do not want to take advantage of your grief.”

I kissed his face once more, working my lips down from his forehead, to his eyelids, and to the hollow spot under his jaw. I bit lightly on his delicate skin, teasing him into submission. He let out a rasping moan, pressing his stiff manhood against my hip.

“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life,” I purred, pulling off his shirt.

He wasted no time throwing me down into the bed, his fine silk pillows flying out from beneath us. We kissed hungrily, desperately, our bodies crashing together in a frantic tangle of sheets and emotions.

“My darling Mercy,” he whispered. “I have wanted you since the moment I first saw you. It has nearly driven me mad. How much I have wanted to taste you…”

His strong, masculine hands moved under my rear and up to the spot in the center of my shoulder blades where my zipper rested. With a flick of his wrist, I was freed from my dress, feeling his powerful hands exploring my naked chest. He ran his moist tongue over my nipples, flicking the tips of them rigid until I thought I’d lose my mind in ecstasy.

I bucked my hips against him, aching to feel his wicked touch. He took my breasts into his plush mouth, drawing my flesh upwards between his lips. He pulled away abruptly, my pulse hammering in my eardrums as he traced his tongue from my cleavage, to my navel, and then down to the blazing gap between my thighs. He pulled my damp panties down with his teeth, letting out a sexy growl. He winked at me mischievously before driving his thick tongue high up into my throbbing insides.

I ran my fingers though his soft hair, pushing his face into me, rubbing my slippery skin against his glorious face. The anticipation of this moment had been so fierce that I came almost instantly, flooding his mouth with my cream.

Emboldened by desire, I pulled his face back and gazed into his eyes. “I want you to taste me, Robert- to really taste me.”

His eyes flickered. He knew what I was demanding.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said softly.

I opened my legs wider, exposing the sensitive flesh on my inner thigh to him. “I trust you,” I murmured. “I trust you completely.”

He lowered his face to my leg in a deliberate motion. He looked up into my eyes, revealing his pointed incisors to me: Was I absolutely certain?

He was so close to me that the tips of his razor-sharp fangs left behind tiny droplets of blood as they made contact with my flesh. I smirked longingly: Yes, drink from me. Take me into you.

He bit into me; gently at first, but his pressure increased as he latched onto my thigh. I gripped his shoulders, my mouth falling open to let out an inaudible shriek. My pulse surged, my plasma vibrated through my body. The feeling was thrilling; like being pushed but pulled, scared but lustful, and melancholy but euphoric simultaneously.

He shoved himself away roughly, his hands crushing the sheets. He threw back his head and licked my blood from his lips, letting out terrifying grunts as he peered at me forebodingly with his blazing metallic eyes.

He reached for my ankle, pulling my entire body under him in one swift movement. He brought his face to mine, and kissed me so I could taste by own blood and musk inside his mouth.

I fumbled with the zipper on his slacks. I finally managed to get it down with my trembling fingers, and his impeccable prick sprang free. I licked my lips, marveling at its perfection.

I took the tip of his shaft into my mouth, tasting him, making circles with my tongue around the head. He clenched his buttocks and moaned, gently seizing the hair at the nape neck. I pushed him deep into the back of my throat, keeping my lips closed tightly around his member. He thrust into my mouth uninhibitedly, his moans echoing off the walls.

Robert attempted to pull back as he released his seed, but I sucked relentlessly, harder and harder until he relinquished control. I wanted- needed- to taste him, and he gratified my cravings by spurting down my throat unreservedly. His liquid surged out like lava, and I drank on him ravenously until he was dry.

He pulled out of my mouth and, amazingly, he remained stiff.

“An advantage of vampirism,” he said huskily, clasping his erection.

I smiled up at him impishly, opening my legs and exposing myself to him in a silent invitation for him to take me. He gazed down into my eyes with burning intensity, driving himself into me. He pumped at my insides fervently, his thrusts quickening as our groans increased. I wrapped my legs tightly around him, telling him that he was the best that I’d ever had. Oh, and how I meant it. He groaned in agreement as I pushed him deeper into me.

“I need to feel you come inside me!” I cried. With his final thrusts, Robert reached climax; my quaking interior tightened around him as we came in unison.

We rolled on our sides and remained still for a few minutes, softly panting until our breathing steadied. He pulled out of me, then, and I sighed blissfully. I pulled on my panties, catching his buttery fluid, and curled up against his wide chest.

I threw an arm over his magnificently chiseled torso. I couldn’t recall a single moment in my life when I’d felt more cared for by a man.

He stroked my hair, humming quietly under his breath. I stared up at the ceiling, blinking lazily.

“What will happen now?” I murmured.

He puckered his brow. “Well, I was hoping that you would now be with me. In a permanent relationship, I mean. I do not want any woman other than you, Mercy.” He looked down at me intently and kissed the corners of my mouth.

“And you’re the only man that I want,” I assured him. “But that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh? Are you referring to me…?” He looked into my eyes with seriousness. “I am sorry, my dear, but I am unable to impregnate any woman- human or vampire.”

“What? No,” I smiled. “Not that. I figured as much.”

“Then what are we discussing?”

I smiled coyly. “I’m sure that nothing is going to happen, but I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t ask.”

He sat up on an elbow. “Okay?”

“Well, back when you, uh, bit me earlier… Is it going to ‘do’ anything to me?”

He threw back his head and chortled.

“Don’t make fun,” I pouted, lightly slapping his solid thigh. “Obviously I’m aware that I’m probably not going to become a vampire are anything, but will I experience any side effects? Like, I don’t know, am I going to get sunburned when I go outside or have super human strength?”

He raised his eyebrows. “And you are just now asking me this? What if my bite had turned you into a vampire?”

“Well, I didn’t actually think that it would.” I sniffed. “I just kind of got caught up in the moment,” I chuckled. “And I’ve always wondered what your vampy bite would feel like.”

“And how did it feel?” he asked in a curious voice.

“Indescribable,” I simply stated. “Incredible.”

He thought this over and then smiled. “Well, you have nothing to worry your pretty head over.” It was comical, seeing him so lovey-dovey. He kissed me on the forehead. “The only way a human can be turned is if they are first bitten by a vampire, and then they drink the vampire’s blood in return.”

I laughed.

“What is so funny?”

“That’s just like the movies.”

He smiled. “Yes. Hollywood has gotten some things correct. Other legends, like vampires being terrified of crucifixes, are pure conjecture.”

“How long does it usually take? To turn from a human into a vampire?”

“It is different for everyone,” he said thoughtfully. “As you know, for me it was two days. But I have heard that some humans can change within a few hours. Women usually cross over faster than men, which I have always found strange when taking the complexities of the female body into consideration.”

“That is really strange,” I agreed. “Does it hurt when you transform?”

“I have heard other vampires describe it as excruciating, an agony unlike any that they experienced as a human. I do remember Leopold’s bite. But the change I do not recall, as I was nearly dead from tuberculosis when I became vampire.”

“You know, I’d like to meet Leopold someday,” I said, changing the subject. It disturbed me to think of Robert’s suffering.

“I am certain he would like to meet you as well.”

“That’s too bad about the no strength as a side effect thing, though,” I beamed, feeling the delayed sting of his bite on my inner thigh. I touched the area where his teeth his had gone down into my flesh; there were two crusty little circles of dried blood. “I was looking forward to entering a few arm-wrestling competitions.”

I flexed my bicep, which looked pitifully scrawny next to his tree trunk arms.

He shook his head and chuckled. “You have a better chance at competitive eating.”

I laughed. I liked it when he referenced our earlier conversations. It showed that he’d been listening.

“You’re just jealous of my brawn,” I said jokingly. I picked my dress up off the floor and threw it over my head.

“Where are you going?” He looked panicked. “You are not leaving me, are you?”

Right. Wild horses couldn’t steal me away from this beautiful man.

“No,” I smiled. “But since I now know that I won’t be changing into vampire any time soon, I need to take care of a few human matters. Where is the, uh…?” I looked towards the door.

It seemed ridiculous, feeling shy about telling him that I needed to pee. The man had just sampled my blood for God’s sake.

“Oh, right,” he said quickly. “Unfortunately, I do not have any bathroom facilities in my sleeping chamber, as vampires have no need for them. The closest restroom is up the stairs and down the hall. It is the first door on the left.” He paused. “I will ensure that one is installed for you very soon.”

“You would install a toilet just for me?” I gushed. It was strangely romantic.

“Of course,” he stated. “Anything for you, Mercy.”

I went upstairs to do my business, whistling the same tune I’d heard Robert humming.

I wasn’t usually prone to flights of fancy, but I swiftly concluded that I was undeniably in love with the vampire. And I was going to tell him that very thing as soon as I snuggled back into his arms.

In the bathroom, I stood before the vast marble sink and splashed water on my face. My mascara, which now clung to my lashes like tiny black clumps of dirt, required something stronger than water to remove it. It stung my eyes, and I squinted, moving my hand over the surface of the sink until I located a bar of soap in a metal dish.

I washed and dried my face, which depressed me unexpectedly. I thought of Liz and our bathroom rituals, and suddenly burst into tears. I sank down back against the wall, and pulled up my knees, having myself a good, old-fashioned cry.

When my tears ended, I reached up and ripped off a wad of toilet paper from the roll on the wall.

Something in the soap dish glittered, catching my eye. I got to me feet and pulled the object from the dish and rinsed it off.

I dropped the ring- Liz’s ring- on the counter and exhaled sharply. I took a step back, as if it emitted poisonous gas. Without warning, I vomited into the sink.

I rinsed out my mouth and paced around the bathroom. I had to get moving, or else Robert would send Carl to check on me.

There had to be a reasonable explanation for the ring. But I simply couldn’t think of one.

I had to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.