Damon had broken away from her so quickly, thinking Stefan had opened the door. But as they both turned towards it, it had creaked open all on its own.
That was strange, he thought as he walked closer. Sure enough there was still no one around and with a puzzled look toward Elena, he gripped the door knob opening it further to investigate. He stepped back in the house, motioning for her to stay where she was.
The surprise on her face was very evident as she followed him with her eyes. She was still trying to compose herself after their intimate moment and was so glad Stefan had not been there to see them; this time in a much worse position than they had been before. They had enough problems to deal with now and she did not need to hurt him more. She wiped away the tears as Damon looked around in the foyer of the mansion before turning back to her, still standing in the middle of the covered front entrance.
She had been completely surprised that Damon kissed her again; like he was asking for another beating or maybe he just couldn't help himself. The kiss stopped as fast as it started and Elena had unconsciously leaned in as they kissed and almost fell over when he pulled back so fast. She wrapped her arms around her, pulling his jacket tighter around her, as she watched him in protective mode in front of her.
He shrugged his shoulders at her as he walked back outside and raised one eyebrow curiously. "Hmm. Maybe I didn't close it all the way before," he mumbled into the cold air, as he turned and closed the door and gave it an extra tug to make sure it was secure. He turned back to her and nearly fell back against the door!
He did not even have time to warn her, as a man leapt up from the bushes behind her and clamped a hand over her mouth before she could scream! He gripped her around her neck instantly, nearly lifting her off her feet. Damon could see her eyes so huge with fear, locked onto him. Shit, not again!
The man started backing up, dragging her with him. "Stay back! I don't want to have to hurt her." His eyes turned red and his fangs slid down into place. He pulled at Damon's leather jacket on her and it fell to the ground. He tugged the dark long sleeved shirt she was wearing down, exposed her neck and bent closer. "I have orders, I'll tear her throat out if you come any closer!"
Damon was in shock. A vampire?! He immediately put his hands up in surrender, his eyes darting back and forth from her captor's to hers. She looked ready to faint from his grip on her throat.
"Hey, hey. I'm backing off, okay." He could not believe they were in another mess so soon. Where the hell had this dick come from? What did he want with her? The vampire backed up more till he was off the porch and motioned to Damon to move away to the front yard. He walked in a big circle around them till he was facing the house.
"Who's orders?" he asked, as calm as he could be. He needed to get this creeps guard down if he was going to save her. He could snap her neck or rip out her throat in an instant.
"Who sent you? Big, bad, Klaus? Are you his little minion?" Damon asked him, teasingly but his teeth clenched in anger. All he needed was a split second of a distraction and this vampire was dead for messing with his girl.
Elena was frozen in panic and all the feelings from the tomb just hit her like a tsunami. She felt like she was going to faint. She found Damon's eyes and whimpered to him as he looked at her. How could this be happening again... so damn soon?! She was so scared and felt the man's one large hand around her throat pulling her head back as she saw his fangs...oh God...She wanted to scream but his other hand was still tight around her mouth.
Damon kept moving closer, inch by inch, as he circled closer to them. They were facing him and away from the door now. He swallowed hard as his expression grew serious. "Look man, I think we can work something out here. Who's orders?" He didn't even wait for an answer. "I'll triple whatever he is paying you. Just... don't... hurt her." He winced as he saw her trembling again. Damn it, she had been through enough!
He circled closer again. "Whatever you want man. It's yours. You want my car? He pointed to his precious Camaro parked behind him in the driveway. The vampire followed his gaze. But he still held Elena tight against him and she whimpered again in pain at his grip on her neck.
"Damon," she finally cried out, as he finally took his hand off her mouth. Her voice was so strained she could hardly talk from her throat so weak. Damon looked at her like he had in the tomb, his expression a near exact image of before, showing how much he loved her then already; long before she admitted her own feelings for him.
"No? Not good enough?" Damon tried again, his eyes again locked onto hers and he saw more tears in hers and that was all it took to have them coating his dark lashes too. He could not lose her, not ever. He saw her looking so weak, as the grip on around her neck was still so tight. He was so scared for her. He knew how much of his blood she had consumed today and if the creep squeezed any harder... he would unknowingly turn her into a vampire. Then his boss would not be happy and would likely kill her whole family and Stefan and him for sure.
"Damn it, get your hand away from her throat! She is swimming in vampire blood and I'm betting your boss Klaus doesn't want you to deliver her to you as a vampire. He needs the doppelganger to be human!" The man's eyes widened at this information and he loosened his hold on her.
Thank God! Damon thought still inching closer. His hands were still up at his sides, as his eyes darted around for some kind of way out of this.
"Look man, You want money. Just name your price. It's yours. Please, just leave her alone. Take my house...Take anything..." He pointed behind him to the massive boarding house. The man shifted Elena in his grip as he turned around to look at the house. Damon's breath was in his throat and his ears suddenly perked up.
Elena was so weak from his choke hold on her. She tried to keep her eyes on him but they refused to stay open. She felt herself sinking as she was turned around away from Damon.
"Hello, goodbye," a voice said smoothly and the vampire jerked as Stefan slammed his hand in his chest and ripped out his heart. The next second he fell to the ground dead.
Damon vamp sped forward and caught Elena as she fell, her eyes closing. He looked up at his brother still holding the bastards heart in his hand.
"Took you long enough!" He snapped at him. "Where the hell were you?"
Damon had been calling for his brother in his head again, like he had done in the tomb. He had no idea how it worked and he didn't care; as it was one hell of a secret weapon.
Stefan stood still before he dropped the heart on the porch, his hand dripping with blood. "Sorry brother, I was doing my hair." He mocked him and flashed Damon an angry look. "You think I took my time on purpose?! I didn't realize we would have company so soon again. I was washing my girlfriend's blood off my arms when you called... if you must know. That, was what I was doing and I ran, as soon as I heard you." His voice was cutting. The anger from everything still so clear on his face.
He lifted his head to look around as Katherine walked out of the house. "Are you sure there aren't more of these creeps around here? What the hell were you doing that he was able to get the jump on you, brother?"
Damon was quiet. He knew exactly what he was doing and why he was so distracted. His mind had been a puddle of mush every time he had kissed her and this time was no different. He swallowed not sure if he really wanted to answer him and possibly earn himself another beating.
But Stefan swung his head around, listening. He motioned silently for Katherine to follow him, forgetting that Damon had not answered him. He too had no idea how their connection worked but he was damn glad they had one. He had heard him calling him subconsciously as he was still all the way up in his bathroom.
'Brother, help. Elena needs you. A vampire found us.'
He had sped down the stairs and listened at the door. He opened the door a crack and saw them all standing there. The intruder had his back to him as he held Elena and Damon was begging with his hands in the air for the man to let go of her throat.
He had frozen in shock hearing Damon mention Klaus. Was this guy here to take her to Klaus?! He had slipped outside without a sound. Damon had seen him and he heard his brother inhale sharply as he crept closer. He stood right behind the guy as he saw Elena starting to faint in his arms just before he turned around and ripped his heart out.
"Stay with her. We will check around the grounds." Stefan instructed. Katherine nodded, just happy to be with him.
Damon nodded. That was exactly where he wanted to be, with her, holding her. He watched them speed away and he turned his head back down to the precious girl in his arms. He stroked her cheek and tucked a strand of her smooth brown hair behind her ear. He could still hardly believe that only hours ago he had been tied up and ready to die and thought he would never get to do that again. He watched her eyes start to slowly open as he sunk down in the grass, cradling her closer.
He watched her blinking rapidly, heard her heart pounding much too fast and she practically jumped out of his arms. "Lanie, Lanie. It's okay. It's me, Damon. You're safe. I promise." He cradled her face in his hands, supporting the rest of her shivering body against his outstretched leg and forced her gently, to look at him.
Her eyes were wild thinking she was dying. No, she could not die! She could not become a vampire! Klaus would rage on her loved ones for her betrayal! She remembered not being able to breath and sinking in the vampire's arms.
Look at me Lanie. Focus on me. A voice called to her. She blinked again, her breath still heaving out of her. She could see a face, all fuzzy in front of her and she blinked again to try to clear her vision. Lanie, You're safe, baby. Please open your eyes. The voice called again. She forced her lashes open and saw him staring down at her, his face full of concern and love for her.
"Damon," she mumbled and she reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, clinging to him.
He pulled her closer to him and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her head buried in his neck. Damon arms went around her fragile body, hiding her in his embrace. He reached beside him for his leather jacket and put it around her shoulders. Her heart was pounding so hard. He had to calm her. She had been through far too much in such a short time.
He sat back to look in her eyes. "Lanie, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She clung tighter to him and he just leaned his head back against the stone wall of their front porch just cherishing the feeling of her in his arms.
His eyes were searching for Stefan or for any signs of danger around them. He needed to keep a level head around her no matter how much he felt for her. The distraction of how his body had responded after he had been kissing her had almost gotten her kidnapped!
He moaned at the feeling of her against him again but his eyes kept scanning the darkness for any other threats as he ran his fingers through her hair. She was calming down and he was glad he could hear her heart slowing more and more.
Finally he saw Stefan and Katherine walking back around the side of house. He did not detach her from him as his brother got closer. He didn't care if Stefan wanted to fight him for comforting her. He bent his head and kissed her hair and she sniffled, turned in his lap to snuggle closer and closed her eyes. She was totally unaware of Stefan coming back. He picked her up in his arms and started walking toward them.
Stefan saw his brother heading their way. They had found no sign of anyone else on the property; no other threats near. He regarded Damon solemnly as he came up to them and they nodded at each other.
Damon's face was as grim as Stefan's. He clenched his jaw and looked his brother in the eye. "We need to get her out of here...now, brother."
