His Captive Mortal A Vampire Romance - Renee Rose Page 0,58
convince him Anka’s gone, that I’d never hurt him. I could not take it if Charlie never came back. I need to fight for him, even though I have no idea how I’d manage a relationship with a vampire.
I stake out Eclipse but see no sign of him or the other vampires. Just the big tattooed biker dudes—the shifters. And I doubt they’d care about a missing “leech.”
My only lead is his secret lair. The bunker at Sombrero Peak. I just need a ride.
With a sigh, I pull out my phone and dial Gwen.
“This is so exciting!” Gwen gushes.
I fiddle with the fake yellow daisy in the little holder on her VW Beetle’s dash and slump in my seat. I don’t need to respond to Gwen. She’s been making little exclamations this whole time. Apparently this is a “girl’s trip,” and we’re having an “adventure.” Gwen even packed a picnic basket and a white-and-red checkered blanket. Her whole life is Instagram worthy, but I don’t think it’s an act. I think she really is the sweetest person alive.
I’d be in the mood to play along if I wasn’t so worried about Charlie.
“Turn left here,” I instruct and sit back for the rest of the ride. Sombrero Peak juts out of the cacti studded dessert. I don't know exactly where Charlie’s bunker is, but I’m hoping I can find a private road that looks vaguely official.
I hold the image in my mind, and as we reach the foot of the mountain, I see exactly what I’m looking for.
“There.” I point to an old dirt road. There’s a rusted out sign warning us not to trespass.
“Are you sure?” Gwen asks, but she’s already following my directions. Gwen’s yellow Beetle rolls down the road, kicking up thick brown dust. Her poor car’s going to be covered. I make a mental note to pay for a car wash when we’re back in town.
The road ends at another huge yellow and black sign with the nuclear symbol stamped on it.
“Okay, this is it. You can stop here.” I instruct.
“Okay.” Gwen sounds unsure, but the Beetle glides to a halt. “Is this where you want to picnic?”
“No...um…” For a second I wish I had a vampire’s power of mind wiping. But I don’t want to do that to Gwen. “Can you do me a favor? A huge favor. I need you to drop me off and go back home.” I’m already out of the car. Something tells me I need to hurry.
Gwen rolls down the window on the passenger side. She gnaws her lip. “But what about you? How will you get back?”
“My friend will give me a ride.” I cock my thumb in the vague direction of the nuclear sign.
“What friend?” Now Gwen is suspicious.
“A guy friend. Remember, I told you about Charlie?”
She perks up. “Yes!”
“He’s really handsome and mysterious. I think he’s super rich, but he hasn’t been in a relationship for a while because the last woman he was with burned him.”
“Oh no,” Gwen is totally buying this story. Which is good because it’s pretty much the truth.
“He’s very private and eccentric, which is why he lives out here. But he brought me here the other night.” I take a deep breath. “We shared a wonderful night together, and I thought we were meant to be. He even said I belonged to him. But then he disappeared.”
Gwen nods vigorously. “He got scared and retreated. He’s afraid of intimacy. He opened up to you, and he knows you’re the One, but he’s been hurt before. I read a romance novel with this exact type of hero last week.”
“Uh, yeah. Good. So...I just know we’re meant to be.” The words tumble out of my mouth, and I feel how true they are. Huh. “It’s Fate. We’re soulmates.”
“Oh,” Gwen has her hand over her heart and stars in her eyes. “You must go to him.”
“I am. That’s why I’m here. I’ll be okay, but I need to do this alone.”
“Of course.” She nods. “Get your man.”
“I will. I promise.” I shut the car door and back away. I stop to awkwardly wave goodbye, hoping she’ll get the message.
“Use protection!” she trills and hits a button to roll up the window. She puts the car in reverse, and in another minute, she’s gone.
That went better than I thought it would. I make a mental note to buy Gwen more romance novels. Then I turn and hike past the sign, disappearing into the creosote.
“Goll darn it, Charlie,” I