Trembling With the Strings

Darius’ P.O.V.

“Have fun!” Gracie called after me, laughing.

I smirked, laughing to myself as I went up the stairs two at a time. God, I loved that woman! She could be annoying as hell at times, but maybe that was just because I wasn’t used to someone actually caring about me so much. Yeah, at first I had thought only about how to get her in my bed, but she had really grown on me.

But raising a family with her was out of the question.

I sighed, closing the bedroom door behind me. As I pulled off my shirt, I regretted not asking her to join me. But I needed time to think, and that just wasn’t possible to do around her. She always managed to distract me somehow. I smiled as I turned on the water, throwing my pants carelessly to the floor, and stepped into the shower.

I was in love with Gracie-Lynn Harper. There was only one thing I could think of that would make her completely perfect: becoming a vampire. She probably didn’t think so, but our life together would be so much easier. I wouldn’t have any superiority over her, so I wouldn’t hurt her anymore.

I hoped.

I finished my shower quickly, wanting to have her in my arms once more. I threw on a pair of bright red boxers and blue shorts and ran downstairs. What? It was too hot for wearing pants and a shirt. Besides, I’m sure Grace wouldn’t mind at all.

“Where’s Gracie?” I asked as I stepped into the living room. She wasn’t sitting on the couch where I had left her, and there were chips all over the floor. Yvette should be doing her job for once, but that didn’t matter at that moment.

“Don’t know, Dray. Maybe you could refresh my memory,” Katelynn told me, getting too close and speaking to me as though she were my equal. I scowled, shoving her off.

“Someone had to see where she went,” I hissed, glaring at Yvette. She looked away. “Johnny? Marcus?” They didn’t even glance at me!

“What’s so great about her anyway?” Katelynn pouted, stepping up to me yet again. She put her hands on my chest. I grabbed her wrists, tearing her hands off of me.

“I used to get so much pleasure from prostitutes like you,” I whispered in her ear, shoving her off for the last time.

“I’m not a whore!” she yelled, getting all bitchy and emotion. But she was a human, so it was in her nature.

I scoffed at her, wandering into the kitchen. Where was she? I was starting to get a little anxious, and that’s not like me. Had she left me? What had I done wrong?

I was about to dash upstairs and look frantically for her there, but I heard a scream. I stood there for a moment, struck dumb, before tearing myself out of the trance.

“Gracie?” I yelled, running to the back door and nearly slipping. I jerked the door open. “Gracie!”

But no one was there.