Read Paris After Dark for Free Online Page B

don’t toss me out of the room.”
    “Not much shocks me these days,” Rachel said, growing weary.
    “This is going to sound utterly mad, but it’s the absolute truth.” He waited until he had her attention. “The man who attacked you wasn’t a man at all.”
    “He was a woman?” she asked in confusion.
    Gabriel shook his head. “No, he was a sanguis, a blood. You’re more familiar with the term vampyre.”
    Rachel slowly sat up, pulling the covers close as fear engulfed her. He was insane. She’d been so blinded by the promise of passion that she’d ignored what her gut had been telling her all along. “Could you repeat that please?”
    His chin dropped. “You heard me. I know how it sounds, but I can prove it.”
    Rachel judged the distance to the door, then asked, “How?”
    “Just know that I would never hurt you.” Gabriel’s voice cracked. “Ever.”
    Rachel rose from the bed and grabbed her robe. “You are freaking me out.”
    Gabriel gave her a sad smile. “Not as much as I’m about to,” he said, revealing the tips of his fangs.
    Rachel nearly tripped over her feet trying to get away. “Oh my God! What are you?”
    “I’m a sanguis. We call it sang here in France. It means blood.”
    Her hands trembled as she tied her robe. “Are you telling me you’re like the creep who attacked me?” Horrified, Rachel reached for the spot on her neck where she’d felt the prick.
    “No!” Gabriel’s jaw tensed. “I am nothing like the animal that attacked you. I clean up his messes.”
    “You know who did this and you didn’t tell me.” Fear was instantly replaced with anger. “How can you live with yourself?”
    “What kind of man do you think I am?” he asked. “Wait –” he held up his hands “– don’t answer that.”
    Rachel stared at him, waiting for him to sprout horns. “You must really think I’m a fool.”
    Gabriel looked tired when he finally met her gaze. “You are many things, Rachel Chang, but a fool is not one of them. I don’t know who attacked you. If I did, justice would’ve been swift. I assure you. I’ve been trying to keep you safe.”
    “How? By lying to me?”
    “Would you have believed me had I said something sooner?” he asked.
    Hell, Rachel wasn’t sure she believed him now. Trouble was she’d been a cop long enough to know when someone was lying and, as much as she didn’t like what he had to say, Rachel knew Gabriel wasn’t.
    “What did the asshole that bit me really do to me?” She sank into the chair by the window.
    Gabriel sat up on the bed. The duvet fell to his waist, revealing a sculpted abdomen. Rachel drank the sight in, then forced her gaze away. The desire she felt now was tempered by anger.
    “A normal sang or vampyre bite doesn’t do anything to the mortal other than leave them a little weak. Unfortunately when the vamp bit your arm, you struck him, shattering his nose. This caused a blood exchange.”
    “What does that mean exactly?” she asked.
    He took a deep breath. “There’s no easy way to say this.”
    “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not a patient person, Gabriel. Just tell me.”
    “You’ve been infected. You’re dying, Rachel.” Gabriel’s voice held no emotion when he delivered the news.
    Rachel had spent the last several months dodging the bullet that had been meant for her and now it had finally found her. Of course it wasn’t a real bullet this time, but the infection had the same effect. It was just a little slower acting. Instead of fearing the future, she was strangely relieved. “How long do I have?”
    “A day. Maybe three max.”
    The news sucker-punched her in the gut. Rachel had hoped it would be longer than that, but she recovered quickly. Her mind raced to comprehend all she’d been told. “You were obviously infected, how come you’re still alive?”
    “Because my sire stayed around to make sure I was fed,” he said quietly.
    Rachel looked at him. “Since mine’s a psycho