I'm Not in Love

He was always so serious. Compared to the men he reigned over, he was stern, weighty. He almost never smiled. But when he did… oh, when he did, it was either because he was causing pain… or planning to. He never lied. William Beckett never lied; only tricked. He could play games with your mind. He could endlessly torture you with nightmares. He was pure malicious.

He was driving her to pure madness. He was something no one could ever love. If that was so, then why on Earth had Brielle accepted William’s offer? Why was she sitting in the backseat of a black Toyota Corolla with his aide-de-camp driving and his sidekick sitting in the passenger’s seat?

“Just hear him out,” the brunette had said. Brielle was taller than him, which made her feel better, if only slightly. He had a funny haircut, shaved on the sides, all the hair on the top. It worked for him. “He’ll make a deal if he has to.”

“I know he makes deals.” She’d told him, her voice shuddering. She didn’t feel safe, even if she was the one in the house and they were the ones standing on the front porch. She didn’t feel safe, even though she hadn’t invited them in. She knew they couldn’t come inside unless she invited them in. But she still didn’t feel safe. “And when he makes deals, he always turns them around and tricks the other person.”

“William never lies.” The other had stepped forward defensively, his black hair swishing across his shoulders.

Brielle had instinctively backed up. “I never said he lied. I said he tricked.”

“He can give you anything you want.” The brunette again. “Anything at all. All you have to do is ask for it.”

“William has nothing I want.” She’d whispered, and went to close the door. She wanted no more of this conversation; no more of this… William Beckett.

The short man put his hand out and shoved the door back open, causing Brielle to stumble.

“But you have what William wants. And we were instructed not to leave here until we acquired it.”

Brielle jutted her chin out, trying to look (and feel) confident. “Then you’ll be here for quite a while, I’m afraid.”

“As long as William gets what he wants,” The brunette stared directly into her eyes. “Then you’ll be perfectly safe for the rest of your life.”

---

Those words had been the turning point. The reason she’d stepped out of her house; out of her safe zone.

She half-expected them to attack her; bleed her dry. They didn’t and instead had led her to the car they were now in. It took about thirty minutes of excruciating silence to drive from Hammond, Indiana to Chicago, Illinois. She knew there was no turning back now. There was probably never a choice to turn back.

The black-haired man, who was much taller than the brunette, stepped out of the passenger’s side door and began to stride towards the three-story tall mansion, while the other man opened Brielle’s door.

When she stepped out of the car, she expected to be able to take in the scenery, to gasp at how large the house was, but it was so dark that she could barely see the ground in front of her.

The man held out a porcelain white-skinned hand and Brielle took it, letting herself be led towards the door of the house.

That’s when she began to get nervous. Her hands were shaking, her heart beat increased, and she started taking in giant gulps of air.

Her guide stopped in front of the door, pulling a key out of his pocket and shoving it into the lock. “It would be best you calm down before we enter. The newborns don’t quite know how to control themselves yet and your anxiety is causing your blood to pump quicker through your veins.”

Because that calmed her. Knowing that there were more inside the house, more of them that wanted to kill her didn’t ease her anxiety. It didn’t at all.

When he slid open the door and the taller one stalked inside, he took her hand again.

Brielle caught one look inside, saw heads of hair, heard the chuckles, and jerked her hand back. The man turned to look at her and when he saw her face twisting into nervousness, he leaned towards her.

“They can sense fear.” He whispered in her ear, smirked, and wrapped his hand around her arm, jerking her inside.

The voices ceased completely. Brielle closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the hunger on their faces. And after the man had led her up a flight of stairs and through a door, she heard his voice.

“Thank you, Brendon. You may leave.”

The man, who now had a name, dropped Brielle’s arm and she panicked at first. She obviously didn’t feel safe with Brendon, but she felt pure terror at the thought of being left alone with William Beckett. She knew too much about him. More than any human should ever know. That was probably why he’d gotten his goons to bring her here. So he could kill her and not have to worry about her spreading his weaknesses.

A door closed and Brendon was gone. Brielle was alone with William now. Her eyes were still closed and she could hear every sound he made. And by God if he didn’t move closer to her and chuckle.
“Open your eyes, child. I promise I’m not that unpleasant to look at.”

Brielle tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it didn’t go anywhere. She didn’t want to open her eyes. Knowing he was there, in front of her, was one thing. But seeing him there was another. It would usher in a whole new wave of fear.

But she knew she couldn’t keep her eyes squeezed shut forever. She’d have to face him. If she was going to die, she wasn’t going to let herself be killed without looking into the eyes of the man who was doing it.

And so she opened her eyes.

“There, now. Isn’t that better?”

Brielle’s breath caught in her throat. This man wasn’t William Beckett. William Beckett had wavy, brunette hair that barely touched his shoulders. This man… this man had short, brown hair that swooped over his forehead. He looked nothing like the monster that William Beckett was. This man was all gentle smiles and kind eyes.

“I know,” he let out a sigh and smiled at her. “I wasn’t what you expected.”

“Who are you?” Brielle’s voice was barely a whisper, but the sound of it evoked another smile out of this man.

“I have left my days of terrorizing the city of Chicago long behind me.”

“You cut your hair.”

“A dubious choice, since vampires are unable to regrow hair.”

“If… if you’re not the one running the streets of Chicago anymore…”

“The Cobras are the ones killing people. The Dandies only take what we need now. Saporta has put me out of business.”

“Then why am I here? What do you want from me?”

Again, William smiled. “Something only you can give me.”

Brielle was afraid to ask. She felt like she already knew. But she asked anyway. “And what’s that?”

“You.”