The Return of Nicholas Collins

"It has been over a century since I've made an enemy of any kind, plus I know that none of my older enemies are still alive," he said with certainty.

"Well you've ticked someone off, Nicholas, and they're getting closer to you with each kill."

"I know," he said harshly. He rolled his shoulders and sighed, "You need to go pack a bag because I can't leave you here alone while I fly home to offer condolences and help to my employee's familiy."

She frowned at him, "I'm perfectly capable of staying by myself, Nicholas."

He came to a halt and stared down at her, his mouth grim, "I can't protect you here when I'm halfway across the country, Rachel."

"I don't need you to protect me," she said, taking their glasses to the kitchen. "I've taken care of myself all these years without you by my side, I think I can do it a few more nights without your help."

She hadn't heard him move and her breath hitched as he pressed his body into hers, his arms on either side of her, trapping her against the counter. His words danced over her skin as he said, "I don't see you as the type to make the kind of enemies that you need protection from, Rachel."

She closed her eyes and fought the urge to shudder within the cage of his arms. Softly she replied, "I'm not the same person anymore, Nicholas." She looked over her shoulder as she held onto the counter for support. "The years we were apart may not seem like a long time to either of us, but it is, and I had to change in that time."

Turning completely within his arms, she stared at the hollow of his throat. "For a while I had to revert into that revengeful vampire I first was, to survive without you."

He tipped her chin till she was able to see his face. "I'm sorry," he said, stroking his thumb over her skin.

"Don't be. I needed to learn how to make it on my own and I did." She sighed and closed her eyes as memories of the things she had done came over her. "Finding shelter before sunrise wasn't easy. At times I had to go to ground. As for feeding myself, that was made easy by the male population back then."

She pushed him away and walked toward the living room. Before she was halfway across the room he came up behind her and turned her to face him. "Explain that last part, Rachel."

She glared at his hand on her arm until he removed it. Her jaw clenched tight as old anger returned. "Think about it for a moment. A woman, walking the streets at night, by herself. Every man that passed me either thought I was a whore or thought it was perfectly all right to try and rape me." Her eyes turned hard as steel and hot as a poker as she smiled, exposing her fangs. "By the time I was through, those who were stupid enough to try and rape me didn't get the chance too ever try with another woman ever again."

"Rachel, I'm..."

She held up her hand. "Don't say it. To many years have passed for it to matter now."

He took hold of her hands and caressed her knuckles with his thumb. "If you won't let me say the words then let me make it up to you by protecting you now."

His grip tightened around her fingers as he gazed fiercely into her eyes, confusing her with the things she saw in them, but at the same time quieting some of her anger. Damn it, he didn't fight fair, she thought. She had never been able to fight with him when he went into his calm and gentle mode with her.

Her sigh made his lips twitch. Glaring at him she jerked her hands from his and slapped his muscular arm. "Damn you, Nicholas, I hate when you do this to me," she said, then stomped off to her bedroom, rattling the hinges on the door as she slammed it shut.

She walked over and began to straighten the covers on the bed. When she picked up the pillow he had used his scent filled the air around her. She gathered it in her arms and hugged it close to her chest, igniting the flames of need in her belly. Her eyes drifted closed and the memory of the his lips, the weight of his body and the feel of him inside her rushed back setting her skin ablaze with heat.

The first thought to enter her mind, as she flopped back on the mattress and buried her face in the pillow, was that she was so screwed. Their one night together was going to haunt her, and if she left with him she knew she would have to have him again. There would be no escaping her need if she was trapped inside a small plane with him for god knows how long. Hell, who was she kidding, she wouldn't want to escape and that was the problem.

Before last night her hunger for him always rested deep inside, hidden away so well that there had actually been a few times over the years that she had been able to forget about him. Then out of the blue a scent, a sound or a touch would trigger that hunger and bring it back stronger than ever.

She never thought she would fall in love with Nicholas. After she gained her revenge on those that had killed her family, came to terms with the fact that she had been turned into a creature that walked the night, she had assumed love was a thing of the past. Something meant only for the living.

That way of thinking changed after she started pretending to be Nicholas' wife. All those simple kisses for show in public as a married couple had no affect on her at first. Over time though, she found herself looking forward to their nights out when she had to play the loving wife. She searched for the flimsiest of excuses just so she could get a kiss from him. Add those to the way he took care of her and his gentle friendship, and it was no wonder she lost her heart to him.

Now she craved him. One time of loving him, sleeping within his arms, had created a blood-burning craving. God, it made her body ache for him. She felt empty without him buried deep inside her.

She pressed her face into the pillow and growled in frustration. That's it. She wasn't going, no matter how charming or how angry he became. She threw the pillow toward the headboard and jumped to her feet. Hands on her hips she stared down at the still unmade bed where she had listen to his heartbeat as she had fallen asleep.

Rachel knew that if she didn't make him leave without her and give herself time alone to regroup, that once this situation was over and he left for good she might not be able to recover.

***

In one of the spare bedrooms Nicholas quickly packed his duffle bag, a worried frown upon his face. For only the second time in his vampiric life he was afraid. And just like the first time he was once again afraid for Rachel's life.

Frustrated he stomped into the bathroom and began to place his toiletry items into his shaving kit, but his trembling hands wouldn't cooperate and with an angry sweep of his arm he knocked everything onto the tiled floor.

He grabbed the edge of the smooth marble countertop, struggling with his fear and rage for control. Everything inside him wanted to destroy something, anything, piece by piece till there was nothing left.

The words that Detective Randal Sparks had said to him over the phone painted a horrifying picture. The death of his long time maid and friend, Martha, had been brutal.

The Detective said that her attacker had slowly killed her. Her face was disfigured, jawbone dislocated, eyes swollen nearly shut and her nose broken. Numerous knife wounds were found all over her, all of them non-lethal except for one, which had gone straight through her heart.

In her apartment blood was scattered everywhere. Splatter marks were on the living room wall, her pristine white carpeting, which she made everyone take off their shoes to walk on, was saturated with body fluids and her blood.

Several things were different about Martha's murder compared to the other two employees who had died. Their deaths had been quick, their suffering not nearly as long as hers. At the other crime scenes no clues had been found, but this time a message had been left.

Addressed to him, the message from the killer read that he would murder everyone that Nicholas cared for or loved, till he ended up alone as he was.

Cleaning up the mess that he had created, Nicolas then completed his packing, thinking that maybe he'd made a mistake by searching for Rachel. He zipped his bag closed and walked toward the door. His gut told him that protecting her this time, instead of distancing himself from her, was the right thing to do.

She was waiting for him when he came back to the living room. Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts, her stare hard and direct. "I'm not going with you, Nicholas."

He threw his bag on the sofa then stood toe to toe with her, forcing her to look up as he glared into her eyes. "The hell you're not. There's no way I'm letting you out of my sight, not now, not after the latest murder."

She shook her head, not showing one sign of backing down. "I'm staying here, in my own home, sleeping in my own bed because this killer doesn't know I exist."

He leaned in, his eyes turning fierce. "Darling, I know what powers you have and how good they are, but their not that good, so just how do you know this?"

"You haven't been near me in one hundred and fifty years and you expect him to know about me after only one night back in my life?" Her eyes flashed as she smirked, "I don't think so."

He blinked and found her gone. A clicking noise came from his left and he turned in time to see her slipping through the open door into the basement.

Damn, he'd forgotten how quick she moved. She'd excelled at all her new abilities when she had first been turned, but speed was her specialty. It was always the one area were she even out performed him.

He grabbed his bag and rushed up the stairs to the main floor of the house. Silently he listened, searching for the faint beat of her heart so that he could find her. He eased toward the kitchen, the beat getting stronger, louder with each step, but found no sign of her until he glanced out the window.

She stood beneath the leafy canopy of two giant oak trees. Though the stars were bright and the moon high, their bright light failed to penetrate the darkness that cloaked her. But in that darkness the light of her eyes shined as she lifted her face to the night. Her arms where behind her, held in place by one of her hands wrapped around her wrist. The position thrust her breasts forward, high and proud, and his hands longed to cup them so that his lips could kiss them.

He quietly stepped out onto the porch and watched, as she seemed to soak up the stillness in the air. She was standing in that exact same position the first time he saw her. It was the night of her wedding, before the ceremony, before the tragedy that ended the celebration. In those few moments she had alone, she seemed at peace with herself, happy. Her serenity had spoken to him in a way that nothing else had. Tonight, though, she wasn't at peace, she was upset and sad, and it was all because of him.

Her head turned his way and for a split second, before Rachel lowered the curtain to block him from reading even deeper into her mind, he thought he'd seen a longing that made his chest ache.

Barefoot, she strolled through the low cut grass and leaned against one of the trees. There were times over their long past that her iron strong will made him so proud to have her at his side, but times like tonight it made him want to throttle her.

Bag in hand he trotted down the steps and didn't stop till he was within arms reach of her. Long and hard he stared at her, his eyes roaming over her soft face. Suddenly he dropped his bag then sunk his hands into her hair and pressed her back against the tree.

His mouth was rough as he captured her lips in a searing kiss. He swept his tongue deep, growling as she moaned and dug her nails into his back.

"Promise me," he said against her lips as he angled his head and softened his kiss. He felt her tremble then moaned as she sucked at his tongue. Somehow he found the strength and pulled back, resting his forehead against hers as his thumbs stroked her bruised lips. "Promise me, Rachel, that you won't venture outside until I return. Give me at least that much since you won't come with me."

He held his breath as her hands moved over his stomach. Her long, pale nails scraped through his polo shirt over his nipples and his breath hissed between his teeth. Tender fingertips caressed his lips and he held his breath as her hands cupped his cheek and then he exhaled slowly as her fingers slid into his hair.

Her kiss was gentle, lingering against his lips. "I promise, Nicholas, that I'll stay safe until you come back to be by my side."

He kissed her and held her close, his fear eating at his gut. Watching her walk into the house he couldn't let go of the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to her.

*

Chapter 5

Rachel's promise to Nicholas lasted one night.

She had every intention of keeping her promise until he returned. The first night had been a breeze. She kept herself busy by watching an old movie, going through the stacks of mail on her desk that had piled up since before Kelly's wedding and then she spent the last hours before dawn soaking in the tub.

The second evening she woke up antsy, full of excess energy. After breakfast she hit the exercise room, hoping the routine would distract her. Her mistake was in answering the phone.

"Did you forget about us?" Kelly said on the other end of the line.

Rachel groaned and brushed her hair behind her ear. "I completely forgot about meeting you and Sarah tonight."

"Well, what are you waiting for, get down here. Sarah has been hopping around like an over-active rabbit all evening wanting to see you."

"It's so late, Kel. How about we skip tonight? I don't want to keep Sarah out past her bedtime." She held her breath, hoping that she would agree and reschedule.

"Keeping her out late is not a problem. Since it's summer, and she doesn't have school, we kind of let her stay up late so that I can have some time with her, but we can do this another night. Hang on and let me tell her."

Rachel sighed with relief. If someone was following Nicholas and knew about her, she didn't want to get anywhere near Kelly or Sarah. There was no way she wanted to put either of her friend's or that precious little girl's life in jeopardy.

In the background over the phone she heard Kelly telling Sarah that she couldn't come. She felt bad when she heard the sadness in the little girl's voice and hated that she had to disappoint her. It amazed her at how easily that little blonde-headed munchkin had wrapped her around her little finger.

Things went quiet over the telephone and then that sweet tiny voice said, "Mom, why don't we go to Aunt Rachel's house since she can't come down here?"

NO! NO! NO! That would be worse than meeting in town. If the killer was outside watching her home then it would be really simple for him to follow Kelly home and possibly hurt her and her family, no matter how strong a vampire she is.

Not trusting Kelly to say no to her new daughter, she said, "You know what, give me time to clean up and I'll be right down."

"You better hurry or Sarah and I will have all the chocolate chip cookies gone before you get here."

She hung up the phone and hurried through her shower, leaving her hair to air dry. Dressed for comfort and ease of movement, she wore a pair of well-worn black jeans and a black button-up blouse. If there was even a chance of being in a fight she wanted nothing restraining her freedom.

The trip across town should have taken only ten minutes to drive, instead it took twenty-five after taking different turns and side streets just incase someone was following her. She intentionally parked several blocks away and ducked into alleys using her speed to lose anyone who might have been behind her on foot.

As soon as she walked in the cafe door Sarah spotted her. "Over here, Aunt Rachel."

She turned her head to the left just in time to see a blur of pink and white racing toward her from a table near the front window. She bent down and braced herself as Sarah launched herself into the air, her small arms winding around Rachel's neck as she hugged her. "I thought you would never get here."

She looked over at Kelly who was grinning from ear to ear. "I didn't think I would get here either, sweetie." She tossed Sarah's blonde curls. "Did you save me a cookie?"

She nodded her head, "I saved you one, even though mom tried to eat it."

"Just one? Well, it's a good thing I'm not too hungry."

Standing by the table Rachel looked down at Kelly. "If you don't mind, could we sit there?" She asked, motioning with her head to the back corner booth.

Kelly looked at her quizzically, "If that's what you want, sure."

Rachel led the way and plopped Sarah down in the seat. After the waitress brought over her black coffee they talked about the wedding and some of the unusual gifts she got from friends and family and finished off the last of the saucer size cookies.

Sarah flipped through the pages of her activity book and asked her to help her color a picture of a boy and girl flying kites. Rachel tried to stay within the lines of the picture, but worry and fear had her eyes darting to the other patrons, watching as more customers walked through the door and making sure that no one was paying too much attention to their table.

Are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to mentally wrestle with you to find out?

Rachel jumped at the sound of Kelly's voice inside her head. She thought about lying to her, but as she looked down at Sarah beside her, she knew that Kelly needed to know everything. Mentally she replied back, Somebody is killing people close to Nicholas.

She flinched at the look of fear that crossed her friend's face and lingered in her eyes. That's the main reason I didn't want to come here tonight. I couldn't tell you over the phone what was going on, and when Sarah suggested coming to the house, I didn't think you would refuse her. She sighed and stroked her hand down the back of Sarah's hair. That's also why it took me so long to get here. I had to make sure that no one followed me.

They remained quiet for a moment, both sipping their coffees, then Kelly asked, So, where is this bearer of bad news now?

She looked down at her hand, watching her fingers twirl a yellow colored crayon. He left the day after your wedding. She looked up into her eyes. They found another of his employee's dead.

"How does this look, mom?" Sarah asked suddenly, turning the picture toward Kelly.

Kelly looked like a deer caught in headlights as her thoughts, which Rachel could hear, shifted gears. Several seconds passed before she finally answered, "It's great, honey." Her finger trembled as she pointed at the boy in the picture. "What color of hair are you going to give him?"

Sarah smiled, "Blond like Daddy."

Kelly's gaze returned to her and she asked, Is Nicholas coming back?

The waitress came by and refilled their cups and asked if they needed anything else before shuffling off to the next customer. Rachel turned her attention back to Kelly. Sometime tomorrow night, and if he finds out that I left the house he will be mad as hell.

Kelly raised her right eyebrow. Okay, that doesn't sound like you. You're worried about him being mad over you leaving the house? Explain yourself.

Since I didn't go with him like he wanted me too, I made a promise that I wouldn't leave the house till he came back.

I know you have issues with him, but why didn't you go, Rachel? I can't think of anyone better to protect you, then him.

Her head hit the back of the booth with a loud thud. She closed her eyes and barely held back the moan that rose to her throat as she viewed a mental flash of Nicholas between her thighs. Kelly's sharp gasp made her head snap forward and she groaned at the look of shocked surprise on her face. I didn't go with him because I slept with the man that I've basically loved forever, and it has turned into the stupidest mistake I've ever made.