“Ignore her,” Ethan said with a look somewhere between an apology and annoyance.
“Just be careful,” I said, darting my eyes between all of them. Involuntarily lingering on Karson a little longer. Every fibre of my being wanted to reach out and hug him, as if it might be the last chance I had to ever hold him in my arms again. They were all dressed in black. They all looked excessively beautiful. They’d turn heads everywhere they went. Not that they’d be seen. They’d blend with the night’s shadows, just a brief flicker in the corner of the eye, quickly forgotten. The thought that they were heading into danger for my sake moved a lump into my throat. I had a sudden urge not to just hug Karson, but all of them. I restrained myself and gave Ethan’s hand a quick squeeze instead.
“Oh, Ethan, take this.” I opened the hall table cupboard and pulled Cole’s business card out of my bag, handing it to him.
He looked perplexed. “What am I . . . oh, clever girl,” he said, as the penny dropped. If he left the card at the scene, they’d think it was Cole who’d murdered their comrades. There’d be nowhere he could hide where they wouldn’t find him. “You’re not just a pretty face after all, and just a little scary. My little white witch might have a tiny black soul hiding in there after all.”
“Just make sure you come back to me. I don’t . . .” I paused, it was probably inappropriate on the vampire scale of emotions, but he was like family to me and I needed to let him know. “You know I love you, right?” Which was entirely different from in love with you, but just as strong an emotion, nonetheless. Almost.
The smile collapsed. A flicker crossed his eyes, might have been pain, or discomfort of some kind, it was gone so fast I couldn’t be sure. He probed my eyes as if considering my words with interest.
“Immortal, remember, you can’t get rid of me that easy.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek.
“If you two are quite finished,” Karson grunted, “we have work to do, Ethan.”
Ethan threw him a comical grin. Karson threw him back a cold one. The door closed. The car started, and they pulled away.
Suddenly, I regretted not hugging them. A heavy foreboding twisted in my stomach. Dire thoughts of death raided my mind. A stone-cold warning so consuming I wanted to pick up the phone and call them back. Panicking, I turned and clambered for the phone in my bag. In a vault of darkness, I found my wallet, some tissues, lipstick I’d forgotten I’d even bought. I jogged the bag up and down, seeking the phone. I remembered it was upstairs. By the time I’d put the bag back in the cupboard all the coldness had vanished, like mist on the breath of a spring wind. It was fear speaking, I told myself. I had my ring on, it would block any premonition and they were only facing humans after all. It was just anxiety rummaging through my mind and bringing my darkest of fears to the light. That had to be it.
Chapter 83
Prey
Monique was watching me like a lazy cat watches its prey.
I went to the fridge and grabbed another couple of cans of vodka. I decided I should at least attempt some form of peace if we were stuck together until morning.
“I’m watching a movie, if you want to join me?”
“Yes, what a fabulous idea,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Let’s go upstairs paint our nails, drink wine, eat some chocolate. Oh, I know. We can braid each other’s hair.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, Monique, stay downstairs and enjoy your own company.”
“Amy.” She waved her hand with an air of annoyance. “It’s bad enough being stuck here with you, let’s not pretend we like each other.” She turned her back on me and took a big gulp of whiskey. I couldn’t help but notice she had upgraded from wine as a coping mechanism.
I grabbed the knife off the hall table and went to watch another movie. By the time it ended it was 9 p.m. I’d polished off two more cans of vodka and the stress of the day had given way to a restless buzz. Georgie had sent selfies of her and Jodie at the bar, drunk, happy, having fun. I wanted to go. Even if onlyfor an hour to giggle and talk rubbish, to remind myself that the whole world wasn’t dark, nor scary, nor dangerous. With the Bone Crushers being sorted, the threat faded. There was no reason I had to stay put. I’d had enough, in my short life, of being controlled, of being told what to do.
I jumped in the shower and got ready, making sure to apply extra makeup to cover my bruised cheek. I surveyed the final results in the mirror. The bruise was safely hidden. I ruffled my hair to the side and forward, allowing loose waves to cascade down as extra insurance.
I grabbed the ring from the bathroom sink and slipped it on. I hadn’t been anywhere without it since I’d found out what powers lay inside. The only time it was off was when I trained or sometimes when I was at home. If I hadn’t had it on last night, maybe I would have felt the danger as soon as I left the supermarket. Maybe I might have gotten a vision before. Maybe I could have avoided the whole thing if I had access to my internal, in-built warning system.
Maybe, maybe, maybe. So many maybes to consider, but one fact remained constant, with it on, I was rendered powerless. I pulled it off and tucked it safely in the draw.
Monique sat on the couch with a bored look on her face.
“I’m going to the bar, coming?”
“No, you’re not.” She looked at me stiffly. “Karson will murder us both if we leave.”
“Karson isn’t my boss, and he also isn’t here. I won’t tell him if you don’t. We can be back before he gets home. Nothing can happen with you there, and your elite vampire skills. And I can do a trick or two, although the vodka may hinder me a little. We go straight to the bar, park out the front, have a couple of drinks and come home. No one will be any the wiser.”
I watched her face as I spoke, it moved from a resolute no, to consideration.
“Or,I guess I could sit on the couch bedside you and we can chat until they get home.” I sat so close our legs touched.
She leaped to her feet like I’d burned her.
“Alright, let’s go. But if you tell Karson I let you leave the house. Never mind Cole, I’ll kill you myself.”
