He raised his eyes to hers again.
“Come back to me, Payne.” Her eyes darted between his and he could sense her desire to touch him.
He wanted that too. He stepped up to her, leaned down and rested his heavy head on her slender shoulder, needing to feel her and smell her, and know that she was here with him, safe and sound.
He wasn’t sure how long he remained there, weak and tired, confused about everything and feeling so uncertain. Elissa didn’t move. She stayed with him, her cheek resting against his, sometimes whispering soothing things to him. He slowly pieced himself back together, tamping down his anger and regaining control. It helped that someone made the audience leave. He wasn’t sure who.
The performers left too, but some vampires remained, staring at him, patiently waiting for an explanation.
Elissa pressed a kiss to his cheek and the boy stirred in her arms. Payne drew back to check on him. He slept still. Payne was surprised he hadn’t woken yet but when he looked into Elissa’s eyes and saw them twinkling like diamonds, he knew why the child still slumbered. She was using her magic to keep him under, protecting him from this dark place that Payne had brought them to.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice hoarse and low.
“You were only trying to protect us.” She smiled at him, relieving the ache in his heart, and then tiptoed. Payne met her halfway, stealing a kiss from her. He had never needed anything as fiercely as he needed this kiss and the sliver of reassurance that it conveyed to his heart. Perhaps he could fix things after all. Perhaps Elissa would consent to be his mate.
“Are you going to introduce us?” Chica’s bright voice filled the theatre and Payne looked over his shoulder at her and Andreu.
And Sera. When had she arrived? She stood at the side of the stage, her blonde hair tied in a neat ponytail, wearing a short black dress.
Antoine and Snow were present too, standing below him at the front of the stalls. He didn’t dare look at them. He could feel Antoine’s anger and knew the powerful aristocrat would be having words with him later about interrupting a show and scaring away customers.
And bringing a witch and a child to the theatre.
It was the only place he could have taken her.
It was the only place he could call home.
“Elissa,” Elissa introduced herself, stepping around Payne, her hand still against the boy’s forehead, keeping him asleep. “And this is Luca.”
Luca.
Payne looked down at the boy in her arms. Not his real name. Payne knew that instinctively. Because they were related? He wasn’t sure how it worked but he had heard that relations couldn’t use names against each other.#p#分页标题#e#
Antoine leaped up onto the stage. He adjusted the cuffs of his crisp dark silver shirt. Payne couldn’t remember ever witnessing Antoine dressed any way other than impeccably in expensive tailored shirts and dark trousers, coupled with Italian leather shoes. He was the total opposite of his older brother Snow, who favoured pairing tight black t-shirts with equally as tight black jeans and army boots. That was, when he bothered to wear more than just his jeans. The immense male had no qualms about roaming around Vampirerotique dressed in only his black jeans, wearing them slung low around his hips.
Sera came forwards and joined Antoine, her sparkling green eyes on the boy rather than her male.
“Is there something you may want to tell us?” Antoine said to Payne.
“Yes... I have the ring... it will free Chica of the theatre, but only by binding her to Andreu.” Payne slipped the ring off his little finger and offered it to her. She bounced forwards and took it from him, her grin wide, and then threw her arms around him and gave him a tight hug.
“I knew you’d come good on your promise. Thank you, Payne. I owe you so much.” She squeezed him so tightly he choked and then released him and bounced back to Andreu, holding the ring out to him.
Andreu grinned too and Payne couldn’t stop himself from smiling along with them, his heart warmed by the sight of them so happy and proud that he had been able to help them after all.
“No, I meant the boy.” Antoine pointed to the sleeping child and looked between him and Payne, back and forth, enough times that his meaning dawned on Payne.
“He isn’t mine.” Payne looked down at Luca and could understand why Antoine had believed there was a possibility that he was the father. “He is related to me though... but it’s a long story.”
“The boy and the witch must leave... now.”
Payne shot a glare at Snow. The lethal white-haired male stared up at him from the front row of the red velvet stalls, his pale blue eyes ringed with crimson.