13

Two hours later-----

"Edward, you're doing so great!", she giggled, her skin tingling, "That tickles."

"I can't believe you're still tied to this table.", he inhaled her skin again, his nose in her neck this time.

"I don't even feel any hint of teeth or tongue anymore.", she graded him as his nose moved back up to her hair, "Just your cute little nose, sniffing me."

He chuckled into her ear, "I like sniffing you."

"Is it getting easier now?" she asked, wondering if this was helping or hurting him.

"Yes and no.", he said, putting a tiny baby kiss on her collarbone.

Her eyes still under the scarf, she closed them tighter at his lips on her skin. He felt so good, thank God she was tied up or she'd be doing things to make him mess up.

"What do you mean?" she tried to keep focused.

"Yes, it's easier the more I am close to you. The more I like being close to you.", he informed, laying his cheek on her cotton shoulder, "And no, because now that I have been doing this for so long, I really want to taste your blood. Badly."

"Uh oh." She said, "Do you want to stop?"

"No.", he said honestly, "Don't be afraid, I won't drink your blood. I just want to be honest with you, like you told me. Is that alright?"

"Yes, that's great.", she said truthfully, "But I feel bad, tempting you, not letting you have…what you want. I don't want to torture you."

"Don't worry, Sammi.", he put a finger on her chin, going down it slowly, "I'll probably let you loose in the morning."

"The morning?", she squeaked, her back was already getting a little sore now, but who cared?

Laughing, he was about to respond with another joke but the phone rang.

"Dammit!", she said it first, surprising him. He laughed even harder, because he was going to say the exact same thing.

"Aww", he teased, standing up, "The little church girl is getting profane!"

"No, that's not what I'm getting.", she smiled, turning her head a bit.

"I'm gonna have to get my ruler out.", he teased, remembering her teacher student fantasy.

"Tease.", she sneered.

"Hello?" he answered the phone, and instantly, as a joke, placed his palm over her little mouth.

This was making her even more hot. She wouldn't try to scream for help anymore but she made a little humm sound under his hand, and that pleased her even more. To be completely helpless and silenced this way, under his complete control. So much penance would have to be said when she got home from here. Oh God, confession! How was she going to explain this to Father Vaughn in the confessional booth?

Trying to lick his hand to tease him didn't work.

Edward sighed on the phone, saying, "Alright, I think I have a pretty good idea what I'm going to do. Let me call you about it tomorrow, okay? Yes. Good night."

Hanging up, he groaned a bit and took his hand off her mouth.

"What's that?", she asked, trying not to sound too nosey.

"I'm going to have to get those girls out by tomorrow or the next day.", he said aloud, thinking on his feet, "That was Detective Langston. He found out there are other buyers trying to get them and they're very anxious to get their hands on them."

"What are you going to do?", she asked.

"I liked your idea earlier.", he said, "But not the part about trading you for them. I'll just tell them that I'm going to dispose of you myself."

She got a little chill at that. "Or." He said, I'll take you home before they come here to do the 'exchange.' Once they're here, I can just take them down and the girls will be safe."

Sadness instantly found its way into her heart. He was going to take her home. In the next day or two. She wouldn't be part of anything, either, to help save those girls. All she had to look forward to now was chemotherapy. Yippie.

"What's wrong?", his voice was floating right above her now, sensing her sadness.

"I don't want to go yet.", she said like a small child, and Edward smiled down at her covered eyes, "And I wanted to be in on the plan, helping those girls."

"Sammi, it's so dangerous.", he warned softly, sitting on the table near her head and massaging both her temples, "I never want you near those men again. Even you being in the same zip code with them is making me nervous."

"Every thing is always too dangerous for me.", she complained, "My parents hardly let me do anything great like skydiving or rock climbing. Now you. Every body underestimates me."

"That's not it, Sammi.", he sighed, "I know you're not weak, look how brave you're being, tied to my table for the last two hours. I know you can do anything."

"You think that?", she smiled, touched by his words.

"I know it.", he kissed her forehead, "In fact, I think there is something I can have you do to help the plan. Did you ever do anything in the Drama Club at school?"

"Yes.", she chuckled, "I've been in some plays and I love dancing."

"Good.", he hired her, "I can use you then, tomorrow."

"What are you—"

"Nope, I'll tell you tomorrow.", he denied her any more information right now.

"Okay." She agreed, feeling his fingers lightly moving her hair around again.

"You like my hair, don't you?", she smiled.

"Yes.", he gently smiled beside her, "I love dark." , meaning the color of it.

"There's a surprise.", she teased, laughing.

"Maybe I'll mail it to you in a couple of months.", she joked, as she always did when it came to her illness.

She heard his voice gasp and then it turned serious.

"Not funny, Samantha.", he used her full name. Her Dad did that a lot too.

"Oh lighten up Edward.", she grinned, then changed the subject.

"So you were saying, you still want to drink my blood.", she got back to business.

"You don't forget anything, do you?", he asked, his voice returning to normal now.

"Well, this is important.", she laid there, trying to think like a therapist would who was counseling a blood addict.

"You drink human blood now, regularly.", she stated, "If you have fed, recently, why do you thirst for my blood now?"

"I told you, your blood is innocent.", he said, glad he couldn't see her eyes now, "Young, MOSTLY pure blood." He teased, after seeing her fantasies.

"And that tastes better than drug dealer blood?", she tried to figure it out.

"Oh yes.", he said firmly.

"Edward?", she asked with a little frown.

"What?"

"How do you know that?"

Uh oh. Edward thought. She was good. Now he'd have to admit something awful and she'd want to leave. Part of him wanted her to run away screaming, but if she did, it would leave his world empty again. He couldn't even think about it.

"That's an awfully long silence, there, Edward.", Sammi waited, knowing he was freaking out about something in his head.

"You've already killed an innocent person, haven't you?", she almost whispered.

"NO!", he leapt from the table, shouting it.

"Calm down Edward." She soothed, "I'm not afraid, I'm just asking. How do you know how good it tastes?"

He closed his eyes and just made himself say it.

"I've…tasted it from time to time.", he admitted, "Just small little tastes once in awhile. I didn't kill anyone. I have asked some of the girls I've saved for…a small sample. They agreed. But even then, I didn't bite them, I took a blood sample with a needle. They weren't hurt."

"Okay.", she said calmly, feeling his voice get tense, "Why did you decide to try this?"

"I have some degrees in Medicine.", he informed, pacing a little again along the length of the table, "I've been doing some experiments on myself over the years. It seems drinking the blood of the bad people leaves parts of them in me, like, their essence stays with me a little. It darkens me. I decided to see if innocent blood, a little here and there, helps erase some of that essence of evil. It seems to. It eases me. It makes the demon tired and quiet for a long time. And I feel like myself again for a little while."

"I understand.", she answered, but sounded unhappy.

"What's wrong?"

"You are going to keep wanting it, more and more now, more every time.", she said, from her experiences in helping drug addicted teens, "Before you know it, you will not be able to get enough of it."

"I know.", he said, being as honest as he could, "I feel myself slipping again lately, all the time. Just last night I almost killed YOU."

"How long has it been since you had innocent blood?", she asked.

"A year.", he answered, "Give or take a few days."

"This is part of the problem.", she realized aloud, taking a breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm scaring you.", he felt so dirty, "I'm going to take you home now."

"Stop it Edward.", she said, "I decide where I'm going and what I'm going to do. No one controls me."

"I'm sorry.", he offered, not moving from where he stood.

"I want you to have some of my blood, then.", she stated, deciding.

"No, Sammi, I wasn't asking for your blood.", he explained.

"I know, I'm offering it.", she said, "This can't be the way for you to go on in the future, but you need it right now. Later, you can find a way to resist the bad in you without drinking the pureblood. But you can take a little sample of me. If you want it."

If I want it, she says, he thought to himself, God, how much I want it !

"Isn't this some kind of sin?", Edward asked.

"Nope.", she said without hesitation, "And I quote from the bible, Jesus said:

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me" She went on, "Then the righteous asked him, 'Lord, when did we do all these things for you? And Jesus answered them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me.'.'

"That applies to vampires too?", Edward asked, blown away by her goodness. Her blood was really going to be like drinking heaven. He didn't deserve it.

"Everyone.", she shrugged, still in her bonds and not minding.

"You're the best friend I ever had, Sammi.", he said like a dream above her blinded eyes, "I don't deserve you. And I'm not just saying that because of the blood."

"I know Edward.", she felt tears come to her eyes, "You're my best friend, too. I love you."

"You do?", he asked, not knowing why.

"Yes of course I do.", she answered, "I would do anything for you."

He wanted to say it back to her but he was so hollow and empty inside. All he could offer was, "If I could feel love, I would love you, too. God, that's so pathetic."

He hated the way that sounded as soon as he said it. He hated himself. She deserved to hear him say, "I love you too." But he didn't want to lie or hurt her. He did care about her and would do anything for her, too. But his soul was black, his heart was dead. The demon was right about one thing. They couldn't feel love. They never would. He was just getting his hopes up.

"It's going to be a long road, Edward.", she said, understanding, "You're gonna have to be really strong and take one step at a time. When you're clean of all the dark and innocent blood, later, after you're very very strong, you will be able to give your heart to someone. You'll see. You're just not ready yet. You can't feel true love when you're addicted to something. Your blood is in charge now. It tells you what to feel, what to love. When you're in charge, you'll find her. And she will love you too, so much it'll make you fly. Your wings will be healed. I will be so happy for you then."

He didn't say anything for a long time. She waited patiently for him to process this and to break the silence, she asked, "So, when would you like my blood? Now? Later?"

"Well, it's time for you to have dinner.", he looked at the clock, "Not tonight, okay? Tomorrow, is that alright?"

"Sure.", she smiled, "Needles are a common thing for me, so don't worry, I'm not squeamish. Wait."

"What?"

"Won't my blood hurt you?", she asked, "Because of me being sick?"

"I've done my research on that already.", he informed, proudly, "It will make me a little weak for an hour or two, but not a big deal. I'll still get to experience all of you. That's what I'm really looking forward to. Knowing all you know, feeling all you've felt. This is a great gift you're giving me, Sammi. I don't ask this of just anyone. This is a very great honor you're giving me. Are you sure about this?"

While he had spoken, he was stroking her hair with both hands again, making her body tingle once more.

"Yes I'm sure.", she said right away, "I want you to drink me."

"Please don't say it like that.", Edward's voice was husky and deep, "You are also as tempting as Hell itself, Sammi."

"Are you finished with me Edward?", she asked, moving her wrists a bit in their silk ropes.

He smiled down at her, enjoying what he saw. He could only think of one word.

"Never."

See next chapter soon

Love WinndSinger