Dhampir Love by Shirlee Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

took it back to her.  Mildred was staring into the living room at Tony.  “Here you go Mildred.  I hope it’s enough.”
         She smiled and said, “I’m sure it will be.  Thanks so much.”
         I watched her walk back to her house.  Every few steps she would turn and look at the house and smile.  When she got on her porch, she looked at the house and wiped the smile off her face.  Weird , I thought.
         “Tony, are we going to the blood bank today?”
         “We have to start setting up the equipment and supplies.  I guess, we should head that way,” he said, getting up.
         He went to the bedroom and I poured my coffee into a thermos.  Rain was starting to come down.  Tony came back and handed me my raincoat.  We put them on and headed out the door.  
         Driving by Mildred’s I looked the house over.  The front door was closed.  She was the oddest person I had ever met.  “What do we have to do today?” I asked Tony.
         “We are setting up the IV stands and getting the beds and chairs in the rooms.”
         I leaned over and lightly kissed his cheek.  I was spending the day with him and hoping our task at hand with the equipment would take his mind off of everything.  He smiled his half smile and intertwined our fingers.  Not much was said on the drive to Portland.
         Around ten we arrived at the blood bank.  The rain was coming down harder and thunder cracked in the distance.  As Tony was unlocking the door, lightening struck behind us in the empty field. I jumped from the sound of the bolt of lightning.  Tony laughed and opened the door for me.  Inside the door a box sat on a small table.  I opened it to see magazines.  Closing the lid, I went to the first room on the right.  Opening the box sitti ng on the counter, I didn’t notice Tony in the doorway.  “Jess, I should have…”
         “Tony please don’t, it’s not good for you to be this upset.  You have too much to do right now.”
         “You don’t understand.”
         I turned around to face him and he looked down at the floor.
         “What am I not understanding?”
         “Please let me finish.  I have this horrible guilt over me for not being there for you when I should have been.  I wasn’t there to protect you.”
         I started to say, “Tony…”
         “Please Jess, let me finish.  I left you twice, but this thing with Max is the worst I could possibly carry around with me.  To see you lying helpless made my heart hurt.  All I could ask myself was, “What have I done?”  I don’t ever want to go through that again.”
         I went over to him and hugged him tight.  “Tony, you’re beating yourself up for no reason. I’m not going to stand by and watch it eat you up with guilt.  It will never happen again because Max is locked up.  He’ll be locked up for a long time.  I have already put this behind me and you should too.  I have to talk about it one more time and that will be in court.  When the trial is over, we can lock it up forever and never bring it up again.”
         I backed away from Tony.  I wanted him to look me in the eyes.  I put my hand under his chin.  He looked up at me.  “No one can ever hurt me again.  I have you here with me, protecting me and keeping me safe.  Nobody can come between us or keep us apart.  I love you.”
         “Jess, I love you with every beat of my heart.  I promise you won’t go unprotected as long as I live.”  Tony pulled me to him and hugged me tight.
         “I won’t let you leave me unprotected,” I whispered. 
         Tony kissed me until I had to make him stop so I could catch my breath.  “We have a lot to do, Tony.” 
         Tony released me. 
         I went back to the box on the counter and started unpacking.  I heard Tony going to the next room to start setting up the IV stands.  I smiled knowing Tony was my