Accidentally Married to…a Vampire?(Accidentally Yours #2)(28)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Problem was, he reminded her of Niccolo. They could be brothers, she thought.

So who was he really? More importantly, what was he? She didn’t buy his scientist story one bit, but she did buy the part about him knowing how to keep Niccolo away. Something about Andrus screamed, “I am lethal!” Yeah, he’d had lots of practice keeping people at a distance.

Helena was a trained observer, a scientist; she knew how to watch and learn. She was good at it. This was how she noticed the pain undulating just beneath the surface of this man’s menacing shell. Maybe it wasn’t obvious to the average Joe or Jill on the street, but this creature was a walking contradiction. Even his short dark brown hair—recently cut and deliberately mussed—was a clue. Cold-blooded men didn’t care about styling their hair in a way that advertised they were dangerous. Truly lethal men tried to hide what they were. The element of surprise was more important. No, he was trying to look more dangerous than he really was—which was still considerably dangerous.

“Where are you from?” she suddenly blurted out.

Andrus didn’t acknowledge her question.

Helena was growing seriously impatient with the secretive act.

Suddenly her phone beeped. It was a message from her mother. Baby, you okay? No response on my email. Are you coming home for Christmas, or I am coming to see you? Airline tickets are on sale, want to buy now.

Crap. She had no idea when she could go home. She needed to end things with Niccolo first. Otherwise, he’d just find her and take her. The situation stank.

Helena quickly replied, Sorry. been swamped w/ work. Yes, coming home for Xmas. Got ticket already. Love u. Miss u! She’d have to figure it out later. Dammit, she hated all these lies!

She turned to Andrus. “Look. You can cut the crap right now. I know you’re not a paranormal scientist.”

A hint of a smile, the frightening kind, touched his lips. “Then, what am I?” he said, his voice low and crawling.

Helena thought for a moment. “You’re not a vampire, but you’re no human either. I can tell.”

No response. His eyes remained locked on the road.

“I think you’re a…demon,” she guessed.

Demon? That sounded silly. Helena chuckled inwardly. She had read way too many novels. Her favorites were the ones where the heroes were dark, brooding demons. She had never actually seen one or truly believed they existed for that matter. But up until a few months ago, she would’ve said the same thing about vampires.

“Sorry. Not a demon,” he said coldly, scratching his rough jaw, obviously not interested in discussing the matter further.

“Fine. I don’t care. Just promise you’ll hold up your end of our bargain and not bully me like Niccolo and his buddies.”

Andrus removed his glassed and flashed a glance her way. “They’ve treated you badly?”

The surreal golden color of his eyes startled her. She lost her train of thought for several moments until she realized he was waiting for a response. Speak, dumb-dumb. “No. Not badly, but like a redheaded stepchild. It’s not just annoying, but hypocritical. I mean, if I’m so lowly, then why did he want me?”

Andrus did not respond for several moments, then, “Even a dog is missed by its owner when it runs away. But it’s still a dog.”

Did Niccolo really think of her as his dog? Christ, he probably does. “I’m not some vampire-pet.”

Andrus stifled a laugh. “No, but can you blame him for trying? You look like the kind who might incite frequent stroking.”

“Sorry?” Helena snapped. Had he just flirted with her?

“Forget it. I will not treat you like a dog, I vow it,” Andrus mumbled, returning to his icy demeanor.

So then, what was he going to do to her? Was she safe with this stranger?

Unlikely.

With the way things were going, Andrus would turn out to be the Grim Reaper.

In fact, now that she was in feeling-sorry-for-herself mode, why not move the needle to a full-fledged pity party? That’s right. Because her life had always been a struggle. Why should now be any different? For years she worked hard, helping her mother make ends meet. It had made her into a workaholic, worrywart, control freak. Her life became all about the future, avoiding a repeat of her mother’s mistakes. That’s why she’d never had a boyfriend; friends and school were way safer bets.

Helena’s mom, Laura, had married young. She was from Kansas City and dreamed of the California life—endless sunshine, beaches, and carefree. When she met a young man, a corporal traveling through town who’d stopped at the local bookstore where she worked, it was love at first sight. Just nineteen, she left her life behind in the middle of the night—her hardcore religious parents would never approve of a church “outsider”—and traveled with him to San Diego where they were married. He was redeployed shortly after but never returned. A freak, unexplainable disappearance during a routine patrol somewhere in the Philippines.

Devastated, pregnant, and unwilling to crawl back to her family, her mother moved north to Santa Cruz where she did her best to make a home for Helena and herself. But despite her mom’s affection and hard work, Helena always knew something important was missing: her father, her mother’s laughter. Family.

When Helena became older, she secretly hoped her mother would move on, and find another love. But Helena’s mom swore she’d never love another. To this day, she wore her wedding ring and reminded Helena every chance she got of two things: make sure she could always take care of herself, and if the universe blessed her with the gift of knowing her soul mate, she should love him with her entire heart, no matter how much time they were given.

That was Helena’s big mistake. In a moment of weakness, she’d bought into her mother’s romanticized version of the world and had forgotten the pain and sacrifice accompanying it. She fell for Niccolo—or, perhaps, she’d fallen for the dream of Niccolo. Reality, as she’d discovered, hadn’t stacked up.

Because he didn’t love you back. She would never, ever, ever make that mistake again.

Helena again glanced over at the menacing looking man who could have been Niccolo’s long lost cousin, except for his golden eyes. He was a painful reminder of what she’d left behind and wanted so desperately to forget. And like Niccolo, she knew she couldn’t trust him; no man with that much darkness clinging to him was meant to be trusted. But what choice did she have? He was right; Niccolo would not stop until he got her back. Life would be running and hiding until she found a way to free herself.