Chapter 2: Angel of Mercy

Previously on Love Bites…

I watched the couple and the vampire closely as I checked on my tables. Vicky and James were talking at him. He looked disinterested, minus the vein in Vicky's throat. I turned around and took the money and check from a regular customer and sauntered off towards the bar. Once I had the customer's change, I swiveled around and searched the bar frantically, realizing immediately the three of them were gone.

Fuck!

Calm down Bella! Vampires can take care of themselves. He's dead, for God's sakes! I informed myself. But even telling this to myself, I found myself totally unconvinced. My rational mind told me that vampires were physically powerful and nearly indestructible, minus the sun, garlic, and wooden stakes, of course. Yet, the irrational portion couldn't help but agonize over the vampire's plight. Overwhelming anxiety crept up my spine and settled in my core. Suddenly it didn't matter whether he could defend himself or not. I had to make sure he was safe.

I spun back around, eyes wide and shrieked, throwing the change on the counter and frantically grasping it for support. Edward ran to the end of the bar and grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me slightly.

"Bella, what's wrong? What happened? Did someone touch you?" Edward said imploringly, his emerald eyes sparkling with concern.

"It's nothing, Edward…really. I just need to step outside the bar for a few minutes. It's been so busy that I haven't taken a break, and I'm sorta loosing it," I lied. Thankfully he believed me because I wasn't exactly the world's best liar.

"Alright, take it easy, Bella. I'll take care of your tables. You take however much time you need," he said sweetly and reached up and patted me on the cheek.

I shuddered slightly beneath his hand. Edward's touch amplified his mental signature and I was almost assaulted with the overwhelming feelings that swirled around in his brain. Concern, trust…and something else...something unexpected. Attraction? But there wasn't a clear picture or intent in his thoughts. His mind had always been a hazy, blue cloud, so very different from the norm and unless he touched me, I had trouble properly reading him.

Edward was deliciously handsome. Hot enough to set girl's panties on fire. His lean body and unruly copper hair was enough to make most of the patrons' swoon including me. On occasions, he proudly featured in my daydreams. Yet, I'd never considered him to be a bed-able man in real life. Relationships were off the table. If he found me attractive, well then, he could just stare at the merchandise. I wasn't for sale. Edward smiled widely, dropped his hand, and grabbed the change off the counter, traipsing off to my tables.

I sighed and leaned in close to Emmett, whispering in his ear, "Hey, you still have that baseball bat in the back of your jeep?" I asked shakily.

"Belly-babe, you gonna fight?" he questioned, smiling widely, eyes wide with curiosity.

"I hope not," I said cheerfully and sauntered slowly towards the back of the bar.

Once out of sight, I sprinted to the door, practically yanking the dumb thing off its hinge in my attempt escape the establishment. I jogged down the stairs and paused, taking a cursory glance around the parking lot, looking for their car. I spotted the Rattray's little, red sports car on the outskirts of the parking lot. Hopefully, the assholes are still here! I thought and sprinted off towards my brother's Jeep.

Emmett's Jeep was in the second row—black and shiny with luscious, red pinstripes. If you looked closely, naked woman in various poses ghosted behind the black lacquerer. Every time I saw him driving down Hummingbird lane headed towards Granny's house, I was thankful that Grans' eyesight was so poor. She'd have a heart attack if she saw all that pornography.

I bounced lithely up on the tow hitch and began rummaging in the back seat, immediately locating my weapon of choice tucked under a blanket on the floorboards. I pulled the black, aluminum bat out of its confinement and jumped down, holding the item securely to my chest.

Scanning the parking lot again, I began to panic. The vampire was no where in sight. He could be hurt. Or worse, Bella! Shepard of Judea! I closed my eyes and opened my mind, searching for the familiar brain signatures all around me. After several seconds, I located the red, gnarly minds of Vicky and James just inside the outcropping of trees, hidden from sight.

I slunk between cars and behind trucks, ever mindful to stay hidden until just the right moment. When I rounded the last tree, I slapped my hand over my mouth to muffle the shriek. There he was—blonde and beautiful, restrained with silver chains that criss-crossed his body in painful ways. His visible skin was raw and bleeding, smoking under the silver chains. That made me mad as hell. No one was torturing anyone in my parking lot, human or vampire.

Vicky was on her knees, hovering over the vampire, an intravenous needle stabled cruelly into the crook of his arm. Littered around her legs lay several vacutainers full of blood and yet another hooked up to the IV. She popped it off the line and secured the lid, dropping it with the others. When she attached yet another vile, I knew I had to act. But who first?Then a memory from earlier flitted across my mind about me on my knees—James first!

Jumping out behind James, bat held at the ready, I shrieked, "Uh Oh! Whatcha gonna do now, you filthy pieces of shit?"

James spun around in a crouch, reaching into his boot and pulling a serrated knife, brandishing it before me. "You crazy, fucking bitch! I'll stab you and while you're down… bleeding out on the ground… I'll fuck you senseless!"

He took a swipe at me but I jumped back just in time to avoid being harmed. To my dismay, he'd managed to slice the front of my shirt wide open, revealing my breasts. James smiled wryly. Images filled my mind, flooding every nook and cranny with disgusting and vile situations involving 'yours truly.' The pictures were not pleasant, by any means, and it enraged me further.

The two of us danced around in a circle, waiting for the other to strike. I stopped and centered my body, bringing the bat shoulder height. I waited for him to come at me and when he lunged, I swung, connecting my bat with his skull, laying him out flat on the concrete—the bat flying out of my hands and into the trees.

Shit! That didn't work out so well.

Vicky looked up with shock clouding her face. She jumped up from her knees, swift as a viper and lunged for the knife. But I was faster, lunging over James' body and scooping up the weapon before she connected with the ground. I was on my feet, holding the knife out in front of me, pretending to know how to wield the weapon. I'd played softball in high school, but I was both proud and sorry to say, I didn't know a thing about knives.

The red-haired witch dropped to her knees and began scooping up all the vacutainers, stuffing them in her pockets. I stepped forward and shoved the knife in her direction. She flinched. "You leave that blood right there, bitch!"

"I'll. Kill. You. For. This," she hissed, enunciating every word. Vicky emptied her pockets and scrambled to her feet.

James began moaning behind me, grabbing his head between his hands. Blood was running profusely down his face and dripping in his eyes. Vicky watched me wearily as she clumsily tottered over to her husband and dropped beside him. I stepped forward and bent over them, the knife still defensively clutched in my right hand.

"Get the fuck out of my parking lot. I never want to see your sorry assess in this establishment again. Got it?" I hissed. The two nodded reluctantly.

Vicky grabbed her husband underneath the armpits and hefted him to his feet. Then she wrapped her arm around him and the two nasty creatures scampered off to their car. Once the 'Ratt couple' was out of sight, I dropped the weapon on the ground, feeling uneasy about my confrontation and disgusted at myself for my behavior. Dad and Emmett, on the other hand, would be proud.

I dropped beside the vampire, eyes wide and looked him over. He was staring at me in awe, fangs slightly extended. Smoke still swirled up from his bare skin and I felt ashamed that I hadn't attended to him immediately. Not that I could've done anything with the two of them around.

"You poor baby, I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner," I said softly, unwinding the chains as I spoke.

The silver had burned deeply into his skin and as I pulled the chain from his wrists, pieces of flesh came with it. I almost gagged but I shook off the feeling. If it made me sick, then how did the poor vampire feel? Once I'd released him from his bonds, he began rubbing the affected flesh, coaxing the healing process. Then I quickly began work on his legs. They'd faired far better. The retards had failed to lift up his pant legs.

A roar behind me brought me to my senses. I shot up and glanced across the parking lot, finding myself bathed in indigo light. Shit! Those sick bastards have a new weapon! I scrambled around to the vampire's back and tucked my hands under his armpits, digging into the ground with my feet, pulling with everything I had. "Damn it! Push with your feet," I shrieked.

He obeyed and we scampered backwards, collapsing just inches from the tires of the Ratt's vehicle, the two of them slurring a myriad of profanity and threats as they drove away.

I closed my eyes and breathed heavily, attempting to regain my senses. I opened them slowly and glanced down, realizing the vampire was lying in my lap. Unconsciously, I touched the vampire's head. Then just as reflexively, I began stroking his corn silk hair, running the strands through my fingers. He didn't seem to mind our contact and made little effort to remedy the situation. Or maybe he was so weak he couldn't move? Either way, I needed to move. He smiled weakly, his fangs still partially extended. I blushed profusely and my temperature spiked. Oh my goodness. He's a god, I thought, practically swooning.

I linked our arms again and dragged him up against a tree, leaning him against it. "You'll be alright here by yourself, right?" I questioned, secretly hoping that he would ask me to stay.

"I cannot defend myself if the humans return. I'm weak and it would be easy for them to stake me. Please stay," he said imploringly.

I kneeled down beside him and placed my hand on his knee. His eyes flashed from my hand and settled at my breasts. I removed my hand and glanced down at my shirt, grabbing the fabric and attempting to cover myself and doing a piss poor job of it, at that. The air around me changed and when I glanced up he was centimeters from my face. I gasped and fell backward. He leaned closer.

"Have you been injured?" the vampire questioned sincerely.

"No, I'm alright. He just cut my shirt open," I said, my heart thumping erratically in my chest.

The vampire swiftly unbuttoned his shirt and held it out to me, looking away from my chest. I was frozen, staring up at his perfect body—drooling a little, too. He was glorious and my fingers ached to touch him, wanting to know if his skin was as soft as it appeared. He shook the garment at me and brought me out of my glorious reverie. I took the item and he sat back on his heel, eyes still averted. I slipped my arms into the shirt and buttoned it swiftly, sniffing at the fabric experimentally. God he smelled amazing!

He reached down and cupped my cheek, once again leaning close. "I want to thank you for saving my life. I'm forever in your debt," he said silkily.

"I was worried for ya'. Those assholes were going to kill you and I couldn't have that."

"For my gratitude, take my blood and do as you wish with it," he said, setting back. I dragged myself upright.

"No!" I screeched. "You keep it!"

"Why do you not accept my gratitude?"

"Because I'm not a drug addict or a dealer. I don't even take Tylenol when I'm sick. God, no. You do what you want with it. Please?" I pleaded.

"Then ma'am, how will I show you my gratitude?"

The vampire pondered his own words for a moment, watching my face carefully. I just didn't know what to say. I hadn't saved his life for him to feel obligated. I only worried for his safety. And just as I was prepared to tell him as much, he grabbed the back of my neck and crushed his lips to mine, wholly engulfing me with his mouth.