Chapter Five
Josef Konstan's office building was bigger than Miranda remembered. Mick pulled up right in front of the building and parked. "Can you even park here?" Miranda asked, as they got out.
"The security knows me" Mick said, hugging her for a second before starting inside.
Miranda felt under dressed the moment she walked inside. For a lounging at home, or a casual day out, her attire was fine but for a high scale business like this, not so much. She felt the stares from men and women a like. She hurried after Mick, who walked right past the security desk with a simple nod.
"I wish I had known we'd be stopping here" Miranda said, as Mick led her into an elevator with three other occupants, two men and a woman.
"Why?" Mick asked, as the elevator began to rise. He hit the penthouse button.
"Because jeans and pig tails are not proper attire for a meeting with Josef" The other elevator occupants were watching Mick and Miranda closely, clearly confused at how close they were with Konstan Industries CEO.
"You look fine" Mick said, grabbing her hand. "Besides, you never dress up for him when he comes by the house or when we go to his, for that matter."
"Yeah but Josef is…Josef" Miranda said, as the door opened for them.
"He is dating your sister" Mick said, as they stepped off. "He can't say too much"
The secretary just smiled at Mick when she saw him. "Mr. Konstantin is expecting you. Go right in"
Mick pushed the door open and waved Miranda past him. Josef was bent over a female figure. Miranda averted her eyes, while Mick cleared his throat. Josef pulled back, revealing his 'snack'…Aubrey.
Miranda turned back. Upon realization she gasped. "No" She turned her back on the scene, running into Mick's chest. He caught her as he stared at his oldest friend, who was suddenly wiping his lips clean, embarrassed.
"Are we early?" Mick asked flatly, helping Miranda into a chair just as her knees gave way.
"A little" Josef glanced at Aubrey. She had sat up strait and pulled her turtleneck over the mark. Her eyes were on her sister.
"Manda?" Aubrey whispered, standing and making her way to her sister. Neither, Josef nor Mick had ever heard a nicknames used on Miranda…ever.
Mick stepped back from Miranda, whose eyes were glued to the floor. Aubrey knelt in from of her. "I'm not a vampire and I have no intention of becoming on one right now." Aubrey waited but no response came. "Manda"
Miranda seemed to be looking strait through Aubrey. She whispered, "That's not my name, Aubrey"
"Miranda, please" Aubrey clutched her sister's hand. "It's just…a love bite"
Suddenly Miranda's whole body went from a weak state to completely ridged. Her eyes slowly rose to her sister's face. "He…drank…your…blood" Josef visibly flinched with each syllable.
"I'm fine" Aubrey whispered, sending Josef a glance.
"He drank your blood, Aubrey!" Miranda snapped, her voice holding all the anger that was apparent in her posture.
"Like Mick hasn't had yours" Aubrey growled back, embarrassment turning to anger.
"That's not the same thing" Miranda said, deadly low.
Aubrey scoffed and said, sarcastically, "No, because Mick turned you"
"Because Mick killed me!" Miranda was on her feet. "One slip" Miranda sharp nails came inches from Aubrey's nose as she waved her hands around. Pointing at the human, Miranda continued,"One little tiny slip, Aubrey, and you will lose your life. You. Will. Die."
Aubrey slowly stood up, almost completely unfazed by her sister's temper. "I'd be like you"
Miranda shook her head. "You will not become like us"
"You expect me to die?" Aubrey was shaking, whether with otherwise unapparent fear or anger was a mystery.
"I expect you to live" Miranda pointed at the window. "I expect you to love, to work, to do something with your life."
Aubrey stared at her. "You want me to have what you didn't. You regret this life you have."
"Part me, yes" Miranda nodded, admitting something she had never before vocalized. "Please, Aubrey, don't do this. Don't become compliant with this world"
"I know what I'm doing"Aubrey whispered, reaching for her sister.
"You have no concept what your doing" Miranda clutched her sister's arm, carefully. Aubrey pulled her sister into a tight hug.
"I love you, Miranda" Aubrey whispered, in her sister's hair. "But I feel for Josef too, and we know what we're doing"
Miranda nodded against her sister's shoulder. "I am scared for you, Bre…"
"Josef will take care of me" Aubrey said, "And I know that he'll be careful"
Josef and Mick stood side by side. Mick had a hand on Josef's shoulder. "I hope know what you're doing Josef"
"I…I care...for her, Mick" Josef looked at her. "I'm careful"
"So was I" The warning and threat were plain his tone.
Miranda and Aubrey pulled away slowly. "Please, please, be careful?" Miranda whispered, visibly composed.
Aubrey nodded, "I will…" She glanced at her wristwatch. "I have to go back to work" Aubrey picked up her purse. She kissed Josef's cheek and hugged Miranda. "You are okay?"
Miranda straitened her neck, and nodded. "I'm fine"
Aubrey left. No one moved but both male vampires could see Miranda wasn't very stable, not yet anyway.
"Miranda-" Josef whispered. He took a step closer.
"Don't" Miranda hissed, her eyes shut tight. She backed up a step and turned her back on him.
"Miranda, please" Josef reached for her.
"Shut. Up!" Miranda hissed, sounding borderline crazy. Her eyes flashed vampire blue as she turned on Josef. "I don't want to hear your excuses. You promised me"
Josef pointed towards the door; the door Aubrey had just exited through. "I haven't hurt her, Miranda!"
"But you put her in danger" Miranda growled. She grabbed the front of his suit.
"I'm very careful" Josef whispered, not stopping her. "I drink from humans all the time and I don't slip up"
Miranda, uncharacteristically, crumpled into his chest. He held her as she cried; "Josef, please don't do this. I won't survive losing her."
Josef swallowed, very concerned about his vampiric friend. "Miranda, I won't kill her. I couldn't kill her." Glancing at Mick, Josef looked very concerned. "Mick, she's not…like this"
Mick covered the distance between himself and them in a second. "She's not…herself" He removed Miranda's hands from Josef's shirt front. Miranda then turned and held tight to Mick, unable to feel safe without touching someone.
Josef nodded. "That's why I called you here" He rounded his desk and stood staring out the window, his back to them. "I got a call from my old friend, Jonathan Cooper" Both Mick and Miranda looked up at Josef. "He told me you had been to see him. He told me…you have managed the impossible"
Mick stared. "Were you checking up on us?"
"Not on you two, partially" Josef turned to face them. "I paid Jonathan to tell me if anyone in the vampire community came to see him for anything. So I would always know what was happening, if anything…weird ever turned up. You know how paranoid I am." He slipped into his chair. "I didn't expect that the first person he would ever call me about would be you."
Miranda turned, release Mick slowly. "So you...already know…?" Her voice shook.
"That you're pregnant?" Josef nodded. "Yes."
"What are you going to do about it?" Mick asked.
"Nothing" Josef said, as if it the answer was obvious. "I only wanted Jonathan to keep me informed. I knew you would have told me eventually. I only meant to tell you that you didn't have to worry about what I would do."
Miranda slipped into a chair across from Josef's desk. Mick stood beside her, rubbing his chin with his hand, deep in thought.
"Miranda, this thing that happened with Aubrey" Josef said, changing the conversation again. "It's not a normal thing. It just…this was the first time."
Miranda squeezed her eyes closed, as though she couldn't bear hearing this. "Josef" she said, after a moment, not opening her eyes. "Did Mick ever tell you exactly what happened the night I was turned?"
Josef shot Mick a look, but Mick pointedly avoided eye contact. Shaking his head, Josef said, slowly, "No"
FLASHBACK
A knock roused Mick from the floor where he was sitting. As he approached the door, he could smell her. Not now, he thought. Not now.
Another loud bang rattled the door. "Mick, come on, open the door. Please" Her voice was sugary sweet.
Unable to stop himself, Mick opened the door. "Miranda" He said, leaning against the door frame.
"Mick, you sound unhappy to see me" Miranda playfully pouted. "Is this a bad time?" She cast an glance around the room.
Mick looked over at the floor of his kitchen, where a bottle of bourbon sat, nearly empty. "Kinda"
Miranda followed his gaze. "Maybe, I can make it better." She walked past him, swaying her hips. Mick followed her, his eyes glued to her rear end. With a sigh, he shut the door.
"I don't think this is a good idea" Mick whispered, when Miranda turned catching his shirt collar.
"Don't worry" Miranda said, her voice promising sweet nothings. She pulled him with her to the floor. In his slightly impaired state, which he'd only managed after consuming enough alcohol to kill a few human men, she managed to bring him to his knees. Attacking his mouth with fever, Miranda leaned against him.
Mick groaned, "Miranda" His voice held a warning mixed with longing.
Miranda ignored him. Laying him flat down, she straddled him. "Don't you like me?" The question held only a hint of fear.
"That's not the issue" Mick moaned, his vampire side wanting nothing more than to have it way with her.
"Then what the problem" Miranda moved his hands to her sides. He clutched her, as though he never wanted to let her go. "Mick…I love you." With her confession his control broke, unable to hold himself down anymore he gave into the moment.
End Flashback.
Miranda stopped for a moment and then said, "Mick lost control when we…I thought I knew what was I was doing. I don't want my sister to end up like that."
Josef swallowed before he spoke. "I knew…that Mick had slipped but…"
Miranda nodded. "Passion between people who really love each other is dangerous, when one of them can die and one…can't."
Mick was sitting in the chair next to Miranda, with his head in his hands. Miranda looked at him and reached over to run a hand over his back. He looked sideways at her, under his arm, through the bangs that were falling into his eyes. Shame burned deep in those eyes. "You slipped" Miranda whispered. She turned to look at Josef. "I don't want my sister to turn like that."
Josef nodded, visible shaken by this new piece of information. He had always known that Mick's mistake had resulted in Miranda's turning but never like that. Never had he even guessed at the way Mick had lost control. Mick had always seemed so strong to Josef. Perhaps not as strong as I thought.