Chapter 29 #2
Monique’s fingers dug into my arm. “Control your emotions,” she hissed into my ear. “Everything he does, he does for a reason.”
Every ounce of me wanted to storm into that room and scream at him, to hurt him like he had hurt me. As if I could, as if he cared. It took all those same ounces to remain in control, though I couldn’t hide the bitterness. “So I fucking heard—”
Monique tightened her grip and yanked me out of the door. “Shut up.”
Georgie jogged after us.
“I’m not going with you,” I snapped.
“You are.” She opened the car door.
I folded my arms and planted my feet. “I will call a cab, and if you lay one—”
I gasped. She had me off my feet and threw me onto the seat before I could finish. I could fight, I could use my powers and blow off the fucking door. I was furious enough to. But then what if Karson came out? Things would get worse. I just wanted to escape.
Georgie tumbled in, her hand shooting out to stop her body from falling. How drunk was she? She straightened and slurred, “I take it you had a fight. I know you’ll make up, don’t worry about it. On the positive, going with Monique is better than not at all.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t trust my voice to speak. I sat there, my whole body stiff, my lips pinched, a sob jammed in my throat, while Monique drove out onto the road.
“You’re an asshole,” I said as the car sped past green forestry. “You’re all assholes.”
“Trust me when I tell you, I can be far worse than an asshole.” Her words dripped sugar doused with arsenic. “So, don’t push me.”
“Who’s the new fangs? One of them is hot.” Georgie leaned forward, clutching the seats, in an obvious attempt to change the subject. “I saw him in the garden, a muscled dark guy.”
Monique glanced in the rear-vision mirror, a shadow crossing her features.
“His name is Kenneth.” Her tone was bitter.
“Rodney is the leader of the group. He is about as powerful a vampire as you can get without being a firstborn. He is able to read minds, and like Karson, he can do it without touching you.”
“Karson can read minds?” Georgie squeaked. “Oh my God, my life just gets worse and worse.” She closed her eyes and sank down into her seat.
“He can, but Rodney is next level. Witches and vampires are hard to read, especially if they have trained to block. But all Rodney needs to do is touch your head and he can see everything. Your past, your present—he can hear every thought you have.” My stomach churned at the idea of someone being able to know everything about you.
“That ability alone makes him a formidable enemy. Or a valuable asset.”
“And is he a friend or enemy to you guys?” Georgie asked.
“He’s an asset.” Which didn’t really answer the question.
“What about Amy’s mind, can they read hers?”
“When she’s emotional or vulnerable, Karson gets glimpses.
” I gritted my teeth. That’s how he knew; he probably heard everything.
“But if Rodney can’t read a mind and he wants to know what the truth is, if he touches their head and they refuse to let him in, he can deep-fry brains like donut batter. I have seen smoke sizzle out of ears.”
Georgie grimaced. “They die?”
“Yes, Georgie,” she said dryly. “They die.”
“But he and Karson are definitely friends, right?”
“They were very close, but they had a bit of a falling out some years back.” Her hands tightened on the wheel. “It’s curious he is back now though. No doubt Karson needs to work out what his angle is. Rodney always has an angle.”
“What about the others, can they read minds too?”
“Very few have the ability. All vampires have different skills—a lot depends on what they were naturally gifted with as a human. Kenneth and Janice are as good fighters as you can get. Fast and smart. They can’t mind-read, but they have an innate ability to read a move before it happens.
Janice is a mean bitch. You do not want to get on the wrong side of her.
Together they are formidable, which is why Karson put Rodney in charge of dealing with vampires behaving badly.
Rodney oversees our laws, and he enforces them if need be. ”
Georgie chewed on her bottom lip. “Does that happen often?”
Monique shook her head. “Rarely. Vampires are loyal to the firstborn who turned them, and they know the laws and the consequences of not obeying them.”
“What about surfer boy?” Georgie leaned forward, clutching the seat again. “What can he do?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know who he is. He looks like he is just out of nappies.”
Monique took us to a bustling bar in the middle of the wharf district.
It was filled with young twenty-somethings out for pre-dinner drinks, and a few older, wonky-eyed men who had been there about four hours too long.
A group of ladies in their mid-forties laughed furiously around a table, half-empty glasses of champagne in their hands.
A long wooden bar ran along the back wall, there was a pool table, a small stage, frosted windows, and the faint musky scent of beer permanently tainted its walls. Soft music floated through the room.
I scanned the place for somewhere to escape. Most venues had back doors. Monique being here was a bonus, I realized. She could take Georgie back safely. Monique summoned the barmaid with her fingers and ordered two whiskeys and a double shot of Kahlua, Baileys, and ice for Georgie.
Georgie placed her hand on my arm. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.
I shook my head, too afraid if I spoke about what I heard I’d cry.
“Karson is not always fabulous.” She rested her arms on the bar top, chipped red nails holding the glass in one hand. Her long black hair swept over her forearms.
“He is much less anxious and more tolerable when vampires aren’t trying to rip the throat out of people he cares for,” Monique said casually, scanning the room.
I snorted. “And ones he pretends to care for.”
I took a mouthful of whiskey, the burn of alcohol more tolerable than the tears burning the back of my throat.
Monique’s face hardened. “Listen, I don’t know what you heard, but he took you both in, risked his standing with his own people, killed his own kind, to protect you both!”
I met her steely gaze. “I’m not talking about it with you of all people. I’m sure you’d be happy for me to be gone.”
“You have no idea how happy I’d be.” She looked away. I wanted to come back with “me too,” but if she knew I was planning on leaving, she’d watch me like a hawk, so I pulled on a mask. Blanked my face, pretended to be alright when inside I was screaming.
Georgie grimaced and tossed back her drink, then asked for another.
Rain began to pummel against the window and heavy-set clouds brought with them early darkness. It was warm in here, so I took off my jacket and sat it on the bar stool beside me. I’d leave without it if need be.
“Nice bruises.” Georgie looked at the bruises trailing the top of my shoulder where Leah had dug her claws in.
“Is it sore?” She pressed a finger into the top of my shoulder blades, right on a wound she couldn’t see under my top.
She was probably trying to distract me, so maybe my mask wasn’t as effective as I thought.
“A little.”
“Out of ten though, how would you describe your pain level, Miss Williams, zero being none at all and ten being unbearable?” She put on her nurse’s voice, her drunk nurse’s voice, and poked my shoulder again.
I flinched away. “Well, it would be a two if you stop jabbing it.”
“Let me look.” She peeled my top back before I could pull away, and caught sight of the bandages. “Amy, what happened, why didn’t you come and get me?”
I waved a hand. “It’s nothing, I didn’t want to bother you.”
“It’s no bother, I’m a nurse, and you’re my friend. You know I’ll help you if you need it.”
“I know.”
She scowled. “Who hurt you?” Her eyes widened. “Not Kars—”
“No. It was Leah.” I didn’t know why I jumped in so fast to protect him.
“I don’t know how you live in this world.” She directed that comment to Monique.
Monique shrugged. “Emotions are different when you’re a vampire. Besides, you see enough and eventually it stops affecting you.”
Georgie took a big mouthful of her drink and rolled it round in her mouth before she gulped it noisily down. There was a long moment of silence as she peered up at me. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch these last few weeks. You saved my life. I guess I could’ve been a little more grateful.”
Emotion panged in my chest. Relief. Guilt too. I was about to leave her in a house filled with vampires. But she had Mary and Josh; he was more human than vampire. “It’s fine, I understand it’s a lot to take in.”
“It’s not fine, I was scared, but so were you, and we should have been there for each other.”
“It’s alright, Georgie.” I squeezed her arm.
“So.” Georgie ran a finger around the side of her glass after another long silence. “How does it work when you fuck humans, do you drink first or after? Like, do you wake up and go, ‘morning honey’ and then chomp into their neck and then fool around?”
Monique waited until the barmaid slid over three more drinks before she answered sweetly, “Why do you ask? Are you thinking of offering your services?”
“No offense, you’re stunning.” She ran her eyes up and down Monique’s tightly clad body. “But I’m not into girls.”
Monique sent her eyes to the heavens. “Good to know, Georgie.”
I smiled, trying to act as normal as I could.
“And anyway, I’m happily taken.” She fiddled absently with her notably empty ring finger.
Energies of witches and vampires filtered in amongst the crowd. I glanced at Monique—she would feel it too, but she remained unconcerned. Witches and vampires were not uncommon, especially at bars.
A thin guy with thick curly dark hair, carrying a guitar in one hand, began to set up on stage. According to the name written in white on a black chalkboard, it was Sam Clifford.