Accidentally Married to…a Vampire?(Accidentally Yours #2)(24)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

From the corner of her eye she watched Viktor swiftly removed the red foil and effortlessly plucked the corkscrew from the bottle.

She ran her finger over the sharp edge of the soup can, letting the jagged edge make a deep slice. She waited one second to allow the blood to pool so it would permeate the air and then said, “Ouch, son of—”

Like she’d been bulldozed by a ton of bricks, she found herself smashed against the wall. Viktor’s eyes had turned from a brilliant blue to a bottomless black. His chest was heaving as he gazed hungrily down at her.

She was right; her “Forbidden” blood was unusually tempting to vampires, just as Rodrigo had said.

“Viktor! Let me go!” She struggled, hoping her plan wouldn’t backfire; he could actually decide to drink her—a bad choice considering she was Niccolo’s “wife.” On the other hand, hungry men had been known to do stupider things.

She bent her head and bit down on his right arm.

The moment he jerked away, she snagged Viktor’s cell from his belt. “What do you think you’re doing?” she barked. “Niccolo will kill you! You’re here to protect me!” Helena did her best to rattle the fearless Viking.

She grabbed a kitchen towel from the counter and wrapped it around the phone along with her bleeding finger. “Get out! Get away from me!”

Viktor looked as if he’d been kicked in the pants by an angry large man. “I’m—uh, sorry Helena. I really—”

“Just get the hell out!”

With her breath held tight, she watched Viktor turn and leave the room.

Helena tip toed around the corner to the bedroom, pulled out the phone, and dialed 911. Carefully and quietly, with her most convincing damsel-in-distress voice, she alerted the operator to a non-existent fire raging in her bedroom. She included the erroneous fact she was trapped in the bathroom.

She rushed back to the kitchen, placed the phone on the floor near the wall where Viktor had plastered her, and then went back to her soup.

Within seconds Viktor was standing at her side, glaring. “Where is it?”

She clutched her cut finger, feigning fear. “Get away from me!”

Viktor took one step closer, hovering over her. “Nice try, human. You trying to get me killed? You’re not allowed to have a phone any longer. Where is it?”

Helena shrugged. “What?”

“My phone. I know you took it.”

“You mean the phone on the floor right behind you?” She nodded toward the wall. “You’re damned lucky I didn’t see it because right now, I’d be calling Niccolo and telling him you tried to gobble down his wife!” Pretending to sob, Helena stomped to the bedroom, slammed the door shut, and then waited. She couldn’t believe she’d succeeded, and hopefully, Niccolo would never know she’d pulled one over on Viktor. She didn’t want him punished, and if her plan worked, no one would get hurt, least of all herself.

***

Toting her backpack, Helena nonchalantly glided past the panicked doorman talking via radio to someone on her floor about the false alarm. The commotion caused by the team of firemen had been just the distraction she needed to break into Niccolo’s desk—where she’d seen him stash her cell—and slip past Viktor.

She burst through the revolving glass door onto the bustling street, her heart galloping. If the doorman now knew the fire was a hoax, then Viktor knew too and would be hot on her trail. Thank goodness the bright and sunny day would slow Viktor down.

She glanced over her shoulder, weaving between busy tourists and shoppers carrying bags. She made her way to the corner. Almost there!

She lifted her head to scout out a cab and noticed a man standing across the street staring at her.

Creepy.

Distracted, she tripped and stumbled, catching herself before she nearly plowed into a parking meter. She righted herself and paused for a double take. What caught her eye wasn’t so much his staring, but it was the way he looked at her—like he’d been expecting her.

His gaze silently sliced through the flowing crowds, through the rumble of traffic, and straight through her. He was extraordinarily gorgeous and loaded with menacing, powerful muscles. He reminded her of Niccolo. Was even dressed like him—black leather pants and a long leather duster. But this guy had spiky dark hair and wore dark shades.

He slid his glasses down his nose and locked his golden eyes on Helena.

A cold shiver ran through her body. Who was he? Better yet, what was he?

He casually stood on the sidewalk in full sunlight. Sure, Niccolo and his men could do that—the sunlight only weakened them—but they wouldn’t stand in it, bathe in it.

Not sticking around to find out. She’d had enough of this strange world she’d been pulled into.

Helena’s hand flew into the air as she reached the corner. A Yellow Cab screeched across several lanes, cutting off a bus, limo, and two delivery trucks.

The cab skidded to a halt directly in front of her, a trail of burning rubber following closely behind.

Too panicked to play the “is this really safe?” card, Helena jumped in, frantically glancing over her shoulder at the strange man through the back window.

“Oh, boy. What a tasty man-treat!” said the female driver who’d noticed Helena watching the man. “He gonna chase us? ‘Cause, I love a good game of cat and mouse! Raarrr.”

Helena’s mind took a second to register the driver’s bizarre question. “Sorry. What?’

The redhead didn’t turn around, but through the rear view mirror, Helena noticed the woman had thick black eyeliner chalked around her turquoise eyes.

“Nada enchilada. Where to? Wait! Let me guess!” The driver bounced excitedly in her seat and clapped. “I love guessing games! Ummm…You’re running from a man who’s so dang hot, he scorches the lace trim from your panties. And, you think you can get over him if you run, but you’re like a stray dog that’s found a giant cow patty! You won’t be happy until you’ve had a good roll.” She cackled. “Did I nail it? Did I? Did I? Huh? Huh?”

Helena sneered. Great. Just what I need. “Amsterdam and West Ninetieth, please.”

The driver nodded. “Sure, baby cakes.”

As soon as they were ten blocks away, Helena released her breath. The man had made no attempt to follow her.

The cab abruptly hooked right.

“Hey. Where are you going?” Helena didn’t have time for this.

The driver shrugged. “Amsterdam and West Hundred and Seventh. Just like you said!”