Chapter 6 Peter #2
“I’m not feeling well. I think I caught some bug,” Faye said, placing her hand on Peter’s chest with a furrowed brow. She tapped it lightly, and he understood what she was silently asking.
He shook his head, confirming he didn’t have a pulse for Emily to hear.
“Oh no! I’m sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well. Why don’t you open up and let me help you back to the bar?” Emily asked.
There was no way Peter was letting Faye get anywhere near her.
“I’ll be out in a minute. Please go back to your friends,” Faye said, feigning a cough.
“If you’re sure…” Emily’s shadow lingered a moment.
“I am. Thanks for checking on me!”
Peter stared at Faye in awe. If she wanted to change careers, she could definitely become an actress. On the other hand, seeing how easily she switched her emotions made him terribly sad. He couldn’t imagine how much she had experienced to be able to shield her emotions from vampires.
“See you in a minute,” Emily said, and they heard the door close behind her.
Once alone, they both let out sighs of relief. Faye rested her head against the wall behind her, and he felt her trembling. He should have taken them both out of there when he could, but now, thanks to Emily, they would be waiting for her to return.
“Can we get out of the cubicle now?” Peter asked. He could take only so much of being pressed up against her.
“Sorry, yes.” Faye unlocked the door and slipped out. “Is this what you were worried about? Ian had some friends come to the bar?” she asked, shaking out her hands. He wondered if she was trying to get rid of her tremors. He hated how much she had to hide.
“No, it’s because Ian and his friends were negotiating a local late-night snack price. I don’t think I need to tell you who was on the menu,” Peter explained, watching the blood drain from her face.
Her lips parted. Peter waited to see if she would defend Ian, say that he would never do such a thing, but then her lips closed. They both knew better.
“I can’t stop them feeding from me. I can’t overpower one vampire, let alone half a dozen.” Faye shrugged it off like it was nothing. He hated how resigned she sounded. “You can’t stop them. You aren’t allowed to intervene with the living.”
“Technically, vampires aren’t alive,” Peter countered.
“You know what I mean.”
“I’m not going to let them feed on you,” he promised, meeting her doubtful gaze. “But we can try to get you out without me intervening.”
“How?” Faye asked quietly.
“You’re going to walk out of here calmly. Keep acting like you’ve caught some nasty bug and must go home. They won’t want to feed on someone who’s sick.” Gregory would have his scythe if he saw Peter helping Faye get out of a life-and-death situation.
“How are you planning on getting out of here once I’m gone?”
He couldn’t believe she was worried about him at a time like this.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be right behind you,” he promised, trying to put her at ease. His only plan was to ensure he stayed between her and the group.
“If they’ve already locked on to my scent, pretending to be ill might not be enough to convince Ian to let me go.”
“We can only try, but I promise you won’t be alone out there for even a second,” he said. He couldn’t sneak her out the back without her having to pay for it or explain it later.
“Why are you helping me?” Faye stared up at him with eyes that pierced his damned soul. How anyone could hurt her instead of cherishing her was unfathomable. He would worship every breath and step she took if she were his.
“Because you aren’t on my list today, and I want to keep it that way,” he confessed quietly, opening the door for her.
Her gaze was full of questions he didn’t have the time to answer.
“Go,” Peter urged, not wanting to delay any longer in case Ian came looking for her. Or before he lost his nerve.
Faye took a second to compose herself before walking outside. He admired her guts. Not many would be able to walk into a room full of thirsty vampires who were bidding on your blood with such composure. He only wished she didn’t have to have such strength.
Peter counted to ten before he followed.
The group eyed him suspiciously, clearly remembering their earlier run-in.
Peter nearly sighed in relief when he noticed the owner, Gladice – a vamp with silver hair, no eyebrows, and multiple piercings – had taken over for the BITE ME bartender.
Sitting before Gladice at the bar, Peter ignored Faye beside him.
“What are you doing here, Reaper? It’s been a while,” Gladice said, offering him a fresh beer.
“I had a couple of collections in the area. I hope you don’t mind me popping in for a drink,” Peter said, trying not to look at Faye. Vamps might be great lie detectors most of the time, but he had no heart rate to listen to, or fluctuations in body temperature to detect.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling too well. I think I might be coming down with something. Is it okay if I head home?” Faye said quietly to Ian.
Ian glanced at Carlos, the leader of their group, who grumbled about the new development. Clearly, Ian had accepted their disgusting offer while Faye was gone.
“Are you sure you can’t stay a while longer? The night’s just begun, and my friends were looking forward to getting to know you better,” he said, looking between Faye and the group.
“If she isn’t feeling well, it’s best to let her go home and get some rest,” Gladice said, nudging Ian. “Just because we’re dead doesn’t mean we’re heartless. She’s always welcome here; she can visit us another night when she’s feeling better.”
Peter downed his beer, trying to act like he didn’t care. Still, all creatures were afraid of Reapers, of death. Gladice wouldn’t want to have a feeding party in front of him, not when he had the power to send them to Hell.
“Go home,” Ian said curtly. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
The group of vamps booed.
“Shut it,” Ian snarled, and the group went quiet. “She goes if I say she goes.”
The group returned to their game, but there were mutterings of annoyance Peter couldn’t quite hear. Faye didn’t need to be told twice.
“Love you.” Faye leaned across the counter and kissed Ian’s cheek. The gesture made Peter want to gag.
“I’ll see you at home,” Ian said with little enthusiasm.
His friends pleaded for her to stay.
“It was nice to meet all of you,” Faye said, waving goodbye playfully. She acted like she wasn’t bothered by their menacing. Peter was struggling to hide his desire to stake them all with their pool cues.
“I believe you have something that belongs to me,” Carlos said, walking over to the bar with an open palm once Faye had gone.
“It wasn’t enough anyway,” Ian said, reluctantly removing the money he’d accepted from his pocket and giving it back to the group leader.
Peter couldn’t stomach being around them for another moment.
“Thanks for the drink,” he said, tossing some money on the counter and watching Faye’s truck through the window as she pulled away to ensure she wasn’t followed out. Ian eyed him suspiciously, but he doubted he would remember him.
When he got outside, Faye was safely down the street. A wave of relief washed over him; she was safe for another night.