Chapter 7

"Would you like to be hurt?", Edward asked, his hands on the bar. His eyes were deadly now, hauntingly beautiful but evil. "Because if I decide to hurt you, you won't even be able to complain about it. Now return to your quiet voice or I will be forced to get the tape again."

He felt her mind release the anger, forcing herself to be complacent and silent. Trembling again, his eyes had scared her. Thank god the lights were off, he thought, she didn't see the red color of them yet. Tomorrow morning she would definitely see them and he'd have to tell her something.

"Apologize.", he heard himself order.

With a whimper of defeat, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Okay, I ordered your food.", Edward said aloud, getting the phone again, "Now I'll order mine."

She saw this time he didn't come at her with that towel to muffle her screams again. Confused, she waited and watched him.

"Scream your head off this time if you like.", Edward answered her worries, "This guy will just rush here faster to join in the fun."

She decided to be quiet this time.

With a wink at her, Edward heard the man answer his phone.

"Hey", Edward began, "It's Tommy. You got some for tonight?"

His name is Tommy, she looked him over, he doesn't look like a Tommy.

"Yea, bring both.", Edward said, looking at his watch, "Come like around 1, my girlfriend will be here. Okay. Later."

He breathed a small sigh. Blood was on its way in a couple of hours, along with something that would help Samantha sleep through the night. Drug dealers, good ones, were great to feed upon. They came late to your home, no one would come looking for them later, and they didn't do drugs themselves, keeping themselves sharp to do business.

A minute passed. Edward was opening his wallet when she spoke softly to him again.

"Tommy?", she called him by his fake name.

"My name's not Tommy, Samantha.", he smirked.

"My name's not really Samantha, either.", she retorted.

"What is it then?", Edward frowned, wondering why the man would lie about her name.

"Sammi.", she told him her nickname. Maybe this was progress after all.

"Edward.", he gave a small nod, putting his wallet on the bar.

"Can I ask you something Edward?", she spoke carefully now.

"Go on.", he waited, hoping it wasn't more about his parents.

"How do you know, what I like to eat?", she wondered aloud, "That's always what I order when we do Chinese food at home. And I do loathe broccoli too. How did you know that?"

"I read your mind.", Edward answered, dripping with sarcasm. It was the truth, but she thought he was being rude again.

Edward washed out the little bottle of juice he'd been drinking in the bar sink, trying to make his mind switch gears. Now that he knew blood was coming tonight, he was strangely excited. It was like a drug itself, needing this human blood. He didn't like being addicted to it, tied up and helpless as poor Sammi, here. He was its slave.

"If you don't want to hurt me, then can you please untie me?", she tried to make him feel sympathy for her, uncurling her fingers slightly in their bonds.

"Sorry, we're out of sympathy today.", Edward kept his head void of feeling anything for her, "Maybe you'll get luckier tomorrow."

'Edward.", Sammi called his name as he was about to turn away. He kept his back to her, not wanting to look into her eyes anymore. He felt like a monster, in his bones.

"What?", he asked, his voice like ice.

"Thank you for getting me dinner." , she said, a little sadly.

Edward closed his eyes, the guilt covered him like a new skin

"I'll be back.",. He left the basement, closing the door to the garage behind him.

As soon as he was out the door, she lifted the tape around her wrists to her teeth, gnawing at the hard duct tape. God, he wrapped it around so many times, it would take forever to chew through this. With a little squeal, she tried to penetrate the tape with her side fang teeth, but it was too dark to tell if it had done any major damage. Tomorrow in the light she could get a better look at it.

She also jerked her ankles up and down in opposite directions, trying to loosen the tight grip of the tape.

In a few minutes, the door opened again and the dark, tall teenager was back, carrying a brown paper bag.

"Dinner is served.", he tried to sound as if he were joking but she was too terrified that he'd see what she'd been doing.

"I am starving.", she commented, telling the truth now.

"Me too.", he agreed, taking the white boxes of food out of the bag, placing them onto the coffee table beside the sofa.

"You don't like Chinese?", she asked, wondering why he didn't order himself anything.

"Now and then.", Edward admitted, a small chuckle escaping his perfect pouting lips.

"What's funny?" she asked.

"Nothing.", he wiped the smile away. Too bad, she thought, he has a nice smile. It almost makes you forget what a bastard he is.

Edward took the chopsticks out of their paper and pulled a chair up alongside the couch, at her side.

"Alright.", Edward smiled at her again, "What would we like to start with?"

She swallowed nervously, looking at his face.

"You're not thinking of feeding me yourself I hope.", Sammi shivered, not liking the idea of this.

"I am feeding you.", Edward stated right away, taking a medium sized shrimp from the carton, slowly putting it close to her lips, waiting.

"I'm waiting Sammi.", he reminded with a glint of irate energy in his eyes.

Slightly opening her lips, he placed the shrimp inside, smiling a bit as he watched her chew it quickly.

"Take your time, relax.", he suggested, not wanting her to get sick later.

"This is weird.", she shared, "I'm not used to having someone feed me."

"Wait until you have to go to the bathroom.", he said wickedly.

She gasped, jerking away suddenly.

"I'm kidding Sammi.", he cracked a crooked smile at her.

"Oh God, don't do that.", she felt herself turn bright red.

He laughed for a second and said, "I told you, I'm not going to do anything to hurt you. What I do now is to protect yourself – and me."

Another bite of shrimp with vegetables rose up to her lips and she took the bite, slowing her speed while she chewed now.

"Good.", Edward watched her, fascinated.

"Just relax and enjoy it.", he gave her a softer smile now, going to pick up an egg roll, "When I feel it's safe for you to wander around freely, I will release you. Okay?"

"Okay.", she agreed, trying to make her legs stop shaking.

"This is gonna be hard to eat without hands.", he informed, putting the egg roll up to her mouth, laughing, saying, "Bite it, good. You've got it."

"What are you going to have for dinner?", she was still curious about him.

"Something else.", he said without explaining.

"Maybe I can feed you later.", she tried to joke. She didn't know how correct she was.

"Maybe you can.", he said with a monotone voice.

"Now it's my turn to ask you something.", Edward announced as he put a straw into the can of coke, holding it up to her lips as she sipped it.

"Okay.", she swallowed.

"Are you one of those church girls?", he asked with a grin.

"What?", she frowned.

"I heard you praying, in the car.", he looked down into the food carton, "And I just wondered."

"I'm not a nut about it or anything like some of those people who go around screaming about sinners and going to hell, but, I do go to church sometimes. I talk to God a lot, just at times when I need him and –" she stopped suddenly, seeing his eyes darken a bit. He looked at her like she was nuts.

"What ?", she asked, "You don't talk to God?"

"There is no God.", Edward said flatly, as if he had proof of this, "I also don't write to Santa or dye eggs for the Easter Bunny."

And he held up another bite of shrimp covered with lobster sauce, shoving this piece into her mouth with a little force.

"How can you say that?", Sammi frowned more, chewing, "You don't know-"

"Look at where you are Sammi.", Edward's voice got loud suddenly, "God's not coming. He doesn't care about you or your life. Believe me, I know. How long can you call God before you realize he's not ignoring you, he's just not there?"

"You've been hurt.", Sammi realized, saying it aloud, "And you blame God for it."

"I wish I was merely hurt.", Edward argued, "You have no idea what I've been through."

"You have no idea what I've been though, either, Edward.", she said quietly, looking at him, "I don't think God is coming. He's already here. He's been with me a long time and seen me through some hard times."

"Hard times.", Edward laughed bitterly, "What do you know of hard times?"

"Plenty.", she said, "If you open your heart, Edward, he will come inside."

"I don't have one of those.", he informed, feeding her another bite of food.

"I doubt that.", she tried to smile, "You're feeding me dinner, aren't you? How bad can you be?"

"Very.", he replied quickly, "Don't trust me, Sammi. You're right to be on guard. I'm – not right. The reason I can't untie you is – I'm afraid what I might do if you were to touch me, run from me, get close to me. This way I can move away from you if I have to and you'll be safe."

"I don't understand you.", she pursed her lips, trying to see what he was saying.

"I know.", he answered.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger