“You have brought nothing to my life but misery. If you wish to pack up, do it yourself. Organize your own bloody household. I will no longer be here to service your every whim.”
These were the boldest words Dominic had heard from his housekeeper. Sitting up from his chair, he stalked towards Marie, his eyes full of cold, chilling amusement. “Marie, Marie. Fair, Fair, cold Marie. What has made you choose to court death so freely?” He purred, his deep blue eyes regarding her amusedly, calmly. No anger, simply…curious. Like a cat watching it’s toy mouse misbehave.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m tired of your whims of your awful fantasies. I won’t live in a nightmare anymore. Not with you.” She replied coolly, keeping her eyes straight ahead while he circled her.
“Nightmare?” He spoke the word, half a laugh, low, cold, utterly amused. “Why Marie, you are a creature of nightmares. Need I remind you of how we met? You are as tied to me as I am to you. You know precisely what I would do if you left. Your own daughters life was not enough to send you packing…yet here you stand, pouting over moving back to a city you mourned leaving in the first place. So I ask you again, fair Marie, what is your true aim here?” Dominic had slid himself around her so he was curled along her back, one arm around her waist, the other securely around her arms, while his head rested very intimately on her shoulder. “I can be much more creative with my anger then just killing you. You’ve witnessed that first hand…so…why risk my attentions turned to you?”
The vampiress had gone still in his arms, ceasing all movement even the false pretence of breath. “I will help you move to New York, then you will have to find a replacement, or organize your own life.”
“That wasn’t the question I asked…” His grip tightened with near crushing strength before he whirled her around tossing her across the chair, so she landed cradled between the leather arms, with her skirts and legs dangling over one side, and her torso resting on the other. Dominic lorded over her with a devilish look upon his face, “Nor must I do anything, especially coming from one such as you. New York is calling, to you as well as to me. Pack up, arrange for our passage and dismiss whatever idiotic thoughts you are having about leaving.” His pale slender fingers reached out to gently tuck a lock of hair back into her carefully pinned hairstyle, before tracing along her jaw-line and neck. “You will not leave me. You cannot leave me. Quit being such a silly little pet…”
He rose off of her, offering his hand to help her out of her disgruntled sprawl. Dominic took no account of the seething glare she tossed at him as she took his hand, had she been any younger and less controlled she would have been shaking with the rage smoldering behind her mahogany eyes. Yet she daintily took his hand, brushed down her skirts and with a curt nod set off to prepare for the trip.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
While Dominic was off hunting Marie went about her duties no different then she had for the past few centuries. She arranged the travel of both herself and Dominic and his belongings, and the staffing of the Penthouse for Dominic in New York. Even as busy as she was, nothing took the fire out of her honey-brown eyes. She loathed Dominic and she wondered if he was right. With his smug smile, how could he be so sure that she would stay? Because she always had. She had loved him. The love had soured now. After centuries of being nothing more then a pet, an item of convenience, it had ground away at her very human love, till she felt trapped by it. Tainted she was. He had not broken her heart, but blackened it. He cared nothing about her, indifferent, unfeeling. And she saw no way she could mend her ways to be free of him. She hid behind her prim appearance and duties; Inside she was screaming, screaming for release even if it meant death; Screaming for someone or something to give her a reason to live, a reason to be free.
