Page 20 of Toward Immortal Ruin

Nero remained silent.

“I can’t do that. My work is all I have.” And she didn’t have much time left. Leaving her life—even one as simple as the one she lived—would be devastating. The only thing that brought her joy, speaking and lecturing on her favorite topics, would become a thing of the past. The realization of her predicament nearly brought her to tears.

“You could always come back to Oahu with me for a while. It might be far enough out of their purview that you could disappear for a little while, until they realize you don’t intend to go after them, and they lose focus on you. My friends and I … we’re familiar with theCitizens’strategies, unfortunately. They have many irons in the fire and aren’t the most organized. You might get away with cancelling only a few lectures rather than disappearing forever.”

“But what would I do in Oahu?”

He gave her a lopsided smile. “Enjoy the sun?”

Eden burst out laughing. In the end, there was truly no choice. Staying here would mean putting herself in danger or relinquishing all control over her life to other people. She couldn’t hardly ask Nero to give up his life and become her ownpersonal bodyguard, especially since he was already ensuring her father’s protection.

Her life’s motto wascarpe diem—and now was the time to live by it. Since she’d forgone any aggressive treatment for her condition, there were no longer any travel restrictions she’d have to comply with. It was one of the reasons she’d stopped therapy. Living to the fullest in her last days meant travelling when and where she wanted—without the need to wait until she was approved.

Looking into Nero’s warm brown eyes, she realized that no part of her was screaming ‘stranger danger.’ Though they’d met only a day ago, and flying off with him to an island sounded like a bad horror movie with a protagonist that was too stupid to live, she couldn’t imagine the man across from hereverdoing anything to hurt her. He had protected her at every turn.

“Yeah, I think I could do that,” she finally conceded. “But I’m not leaving Marianne here. We’re a package deal.”

“Oh, I’d never ask you to leave her royal highness behind.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“I have a townhouse that you can stay in that’s not too far away from my home, or I have an extra bedroom. Either or, your choice. You don’t have to spend time with me at all if you don’t want to, but I would love it if you did.”

“Thanks—I appreciate the offer. Can I think about it?”

“Of course. No pressure either way.”

Nodding, she glanced at the windows. “Is it safe enough to sleep here tonight? Or should I look into emergency flights?”

“I think we’ll be alright here for one night. That guy outside seemed pretty flustered when we spotted him,” Nero said. “Ran off pretty fast for a human.”

“For a human, huh?”

“I mean … as opposed to the vampires he thinks are real!”

She snorted. “Well, I’ve got a taser and pepper spray in my bedroom if he breaks in. I’ll be prepared to take him down.”

Something warred briefly behind his gaze. “Eden, I know how scared you must be, and I realize this much-less-than-ideal situation is influencing how much and how fast you have to trust me. I’d never do or allow anything to hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable. You set the rules here, Eden. If you need me to sleep in the hallway or want to go somewhere else and get separate bedrooms, I’m all for it.”

“I will admit that no one has made it in my apartment after one date. But, Nero, the connection I feel with you seems more genuine than something born out of fear or context. You’re warm and interesting, you get me to open up and talk about things I’d never usually mention. Plus, we keep saving each other, like fate decided we should be stuck together. Besides, Marianne gave you her seal of approval. Both of us can’t be wrong.”

Eden yawned, the day’s events finally catching up with her.

“Shall we call it a night?”

There was no pretense in Nero’s voice, no suggestion. As with everything else, the man was almost obnoxiously chivalrous: he expected nothing from her following their date. Glancing back at the couch behind them, she suddenly felt a different kind of worry: “Might be a bit of a tight squeeze. It’s not meant to sleep giants.”

“Fee-fi-fo-fum, my legs will fit and then some!” he replied in an exaggerated deep voice which reduced Eden to giggles. “Sorry, that’s my best giant impression. Please don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ve slept on worse.”

Twenty minutes later, after she’d discreetly snatched up the wicker box with her pill bottles from the coffee table box while Nero was in the bathroom, Eden fitted a sheet over the couch.She’d piled several comfortable blankets over one end, trying her best to pass for a qualified hostess.

When the bathroom door opened, she asked, “Do you need anything else? I realized with all the commotion we skipped dinner, and you’re a big guy—muscular guy, I mean.”

She cringed, feeling her blush rising to her hairline. Why she couldn’t have just suggested a snack, she had no idea. Her traitorous brain just had to include that bit about all his muscles.

“I’m not hungry, and it looks like you’ve covered the bases.” With a smug smile that suggested he wasn’t at all bothered about her noticing his physique, he flipped off the bathroom light and strode over. “I’m very grateful, Eden. Don’t worry about tonight—no one is going to get through me and hurt you.”

She resisted the urge to fawn. “Thank you—for everything. It really means a lot to me that you’re staying here just because I have a case of the heebie jeebies.”

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