Lengths For Love by CS Patra Page A

Would she be successful? Probably not. But at least she would get her thrill and fun from visiting this place. If that made her happy, so be it.
    “Well?” Vince prompted. “Having doubt?”
    I shook my head. “We’re staying.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, really.” I made sure I looked him in the eye and he cracked a smile. “My girlfriend is getting treatment here. She wants it here. So we’re staying and we will be here until August, which is when our school starts again.”
    He nodded. “I guess that sounds good.”
    “You don’t want us here?” I asked.
    “Oh no! No, don’t get me wrong! You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. It’s just that... I worry about the other occupants. Other than you two and me, there aren’t very many humans,” he explained. I started to protest, but he silenced me. “All right, there aren’t many of them who think they are human. They may not be as friendly to you as I am.”
    Friendly? I didn’t see him as friendly, but chose not to get mouthy then. “In short, you just want me to be careful around them.”
    “Now you’ve got it!” he slapped my back. “I knew you were smart, Ian. I just need you to watch your step, try not to piss anyone off, and be an all-around good person. There’s nothing to fear here if you know what to do.”
    I didn’t know it, but I had a feeling he was trying to control me. That were things in this house that I didn’t need to know about. Even his smile was starting to give me the creeps. It wasn’t genuine at all. He was daring me to try and search the place out. Well, I could play his game as well.
    “You made it all crystal clear,” I grinned. My lips were hurting at this point. “As long as I don’t wander off, I’ll be okay.”
    “You’re a very smart man, Ian Choi. I know I can count on you.”
    He winked at me before getting out of the room and heading down the hallway. I stopped smiling at that point and let out a deep breath. I felt like I had just missed a razor blade that was coming down on me. The more he talked, the more I wanted to get away. Maybe Alexis had been wrong about this. Maybe we needed to leave and go back to the States and let her get chemo there.
    I stared up at the picture of his father again. And even though I did not know a thing about him, I strongly wished he was here instead of his son.

Chapter 7
    Mornings were becoming interesting in Vienna. The two of us got over our jetlag fast and were used to the time changes. The weather was getting colder now so I was glad I had packed some warmer clothes. Alexis went to bed early and was quiet for the most part. I noticed she went to the bathroom a few times, but she never alarmed or woke me up for it. She had a few muscle spasms due to the medication she took, yet she was never concerned about them. They went away after awhile.
    So this morning, when I heard her groan, my concerns came back full force. It was the day Jenny was taking us around town. She rolled over on her side and looked at me. “Morning.”
    “How do you feel?” I asked.
    “Like throwing up,” she murmured. “God, chemotherapy hurts. I thought I could deal with it, but it’s painful. It’s like they bored into my bones and broke them or something.”
    “You wanna stay in, then?” I suggested. “We can make the trip another time.”
    “No, let’s go today,” she said, sitting up. “Who knows how I’ll be feeling later. I may not be able to leave bed again. So let’s do it while I’m okay and moving. And as long as we’re back before dark, things should fine. Vince told me that staying out too late while vampires are roaming about is never a good thing. A lot of them get restless and hungry and may mistake friends as food.”
    I looked up. “Vince told you that?”
    “Yeah, I’ve been talking to him about this whole vampire-changing plan. He knows a lot about them despite not being one. I don’t know how he doesn’t freak out near them, but maybe he’s got