The Midnight Coffee House (The Boys of Vista Maria #1)

1. Gage

One

Gage

A plume of dust sprung up as Gage plopped down on the beat-up couch that had found a home in the cave where he and his three boys always brought back their kills. They were not necessarily old vampires, but they were strong enough that they only had to do this morbid habit on a weekly basis.

Tonight they were dining on an older woman who had recently been released from prison after serving twenty-two years for burning her children to death in a house fire she’d set for insurance money.

It wasn’t often he researched their kills, but he had seen her face on the news and wanted to know her backstory. When they’d come for her outside of a late-night convenience store, she hadn’t put up a fight, which was not surprising since she had been high. She probably didn’t even know what hit her.

He watched as Horatio bounced the decapitated head off the cave wall, admiring how he managed to keep the gore out of his hair. Horatio’s twin, Matteo, was not as skilled and was sitting on the dirt covered floor untangling a tooth out of his short curls. Even though he had known the twins for years, he would never be able to tell them apart if Horatio didn’t keep his hair longer and straighter than Matteo’s.

Nikolas resembled them slightly too, so much so that no one would question if they said all three of them were brothers. The only one who stood out was himself, with his blonde hair and green eyes.

“I’m bored,” Horatio groaned as the head began to grow mushy and much less entertaining. The body they had torn apart lay scattered around as they picked the woman’s flesh from their teeth.

“Let’s go check out that new coffee shop that opened up, the Coffee House Bunny.” Matteo said. Horatio perked up at his brother’s suggestion.

Nikolas’s deep voice killed the eagerness in Horatio’s eyes. “It’s two in the morning, a coffee shop wouldn’t be open.”

Nikolas flipped his long braid over his shoulder and started to pick up the body parts as the brothers joined Gage on the couch. Gage knew this was Nikolas’s favorite part. They had completely drained her blood, so cleanup should be quick even if they did not help. All he had to do was throw her parts into the ocean for the sea creatures to feast on. The tall Chippewa man found something enthralling about waiting for the dolphins to swim in, then feeding them the remains by hand. Gage assumed he found something similar in them that he also found in himself. They were both such gentle, curious creatures.

“Guess what dipshit? This coffee shop is open only at night.” Matteo smirked and threw a detached finger at Nikolas.

Nikolas grabbed the flying appendage in midair, noticed it was a middle finger, and flipped Matteo off with it. “Why? Is it run by vampires?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, though. I didn’t hear about any new vampires moving into our territory. Did your dad say anything to you, Gage?” He turned toward his leader .

“It’s just a human running it, some chick that moved here from another state. I didn’t care enough to ask any questions.”

“Cool, let’s check it out then.” Nikolas rolled his shoulders like he was getting ready to throw a baseball and threw the body parts into a pile in the back of the cave. The dolphins could wait a while for their midnight snack.

The four boys slipped out of their cave and into the dark of the night to climb on their motorcycles. Due to the cave’s isolated location and lack of streetlights, the sound of the bikes revving to life consumed the darkness. The four headlights illuminated the desolate and empty stretch of beach before turning to the unpaved road.

They made their way back into the city of Vista Maria that was full of lights, life, and traffic. The beachfront city near Daytona, Florida held a population of almost 100,000, most of whom apparently worked night shifts.

Matteo had been correct that the coffee shop was open at night, and made sure to gloat about it as the boys parked their bikes in the almost-full parking lot. The building was a former retro diner with a white and chrome exterior that was beginning to look worn from the salty air. Many of the customers were nurses or factory workers taking a break during their graveyard shifts, but scattered among them were a few drunks hoping to sober up.

“I guess this wasn’t such a stupid concept after all,” Gage muttered to himself.

He walked up to the counter and observed as Matteo and Horatio ordered their frilly coffee drinks with the confidence of people who knew what the hell a double shot venti macchiato was. Nikolas was a little more normal, ordering just a cup of black coffee, but asked about some house blend.

The girl behind the counter looked over to Gage with friendly hazel, bordering on green, eyes. She smiled in a way that made her whole face light up as he stared back at her.

“This is your first time in a coffee shop, isn’t it?”

Gage was irritated by her taunting tone, but kept his cool to please his friends. “I prefer beer.”

“Well I don’t have my liquor license yet, so you’ll have to try some coffee. Can I make you something special?”

He shrugged in response.

“Do you like sweet or bitter flavors? Any allergies? And do you prefer chocolate or caramel?”

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t drink it anyway.”

Her smile finally faltered and the light disappeared from her eyes. “Okay, did you not want anything at all, then?”

“Just give him a black coffee. The darkest roast you have, to match his soul,” Nikolas interrupted. He threw a twenty dollar bill on the counter and side-eyed Gage. The girl nodded and twirled around to begin making their drinks.

Gage watched as she conducted almost a dance, pressing buttons, pumping syrup, and stirring steamy liquids. He could tell she had been doing this for a while due to how easily and quickly she made the four drinks. He almost asked her how long she had been a barista, but decided against it. He wasn’t interested in starting a conversation with random people he didn’t care to know.

The barista made sure to tell them to have a good night, but purposefully did not look at Gage. The boys took up residence in a booth adjacent to the counter once their drinks were done. The nurses sitting at the booth behind them instantly got up and left the shop, knowing all too well who the boys were.

As much as they tried to blend in with society and not cause chaos, like how Hollywood portrayed vampires, some did not like the infamous foursome. The four made up the Vista Maria family, who owned more than half the city. Because of this, most people respected them yet kept their distance. There was a smaller portion, though, that completely loathed their existence as vampires.

Gage’s phone vibrated in his leather jacket’s pocket and he pulled it out to reveal a topless photo of a blonde woman. She was posed with her back curved, her perky breasts pointed upward, and her head tilted to expose her neck.

“I take it that’s your plan for the rest of the night?” Matteo asked as he peered over Gage’s shoulder to leer at the photo.

“I don’t know if I’m going to go over to her place tonight. She’s a good fuck, but clingy. She always wants to tell me about her latest shopping haul and what influencer she’s been following. She hasn’t learned yet that I don’t care.”

“Why don’t you just use her for blood and nothing else then? She looks like she would taste good,” Horatio stated as he joined his brother in peering over his shoulder.

“I haven’t tried her yet but she has a weird smell, kind of like how those cheap plastic containers smell? I bet her blood tastes like that.”

“Does she get a lot of Botox?” Nikolas remained where he was, not caring about the naked picture.

“Looks like she does. Those tits are definitely fake,” Matteo answered.

Nikolas nodded. “I’ve noticed a difference between girls who are natural versus ones who get plastic surgery. There’s some ingredient in Botox that spoils the blood.”

Gage’s phone went off again with a text from the girl, detailing everything she wanted to do with his dick. The twins’ eyebrows shot up at what they read.

“Surprisingly, they’re real. I got to go.” Gage stated as he got up and left behind his untouched coffee. The girl behind the counter looked up and watched him leave without saying a word.

???? ?

Gage parked his motorcycle next to the trailer where the blonde lived. The trailer park itself was nice with well-kept yards, a crystal clear inground pool, and sidewalks that had been recently edged. Her trailer stood out, with dark brown siding that was turning a sickly shade of pink from the sun and a front window that was cracked from a drunken man falling into it during the last party she had thrown.

He had to think for a minute to remember that her name was Destiny. He stretched as he got off his bike and walked into the trailer without knocking. Destiny was sitting on her couch watching a reality TV show, and to Gage’s disappointment, was completely clothed.

“I figured that would get you over here.” She huffed but did not take her eyes off the TV.

Gage moved the random t-shirt balled up in the corner of the couch and flopped down next to her. He scooted some of the empty liquor bottles on the coffee table with his foot so he had somewhere to prop his feet before wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

“You call, I come.” He smiled and nuzzled into her neck, gently nipping at her skin. She shoved him off with so much force it startled him, and he stared at her in confusion.

“Why is it you only come over when I promise sex? I made a cute dinner for you yesterday and you never showed up.”

Gage wrinkled his brow as he tried to recall what he had done yesterday. He remembered her texting him, but he had never actually read the message. He’d skimmed it and sent a generic response. At the current moment, he couldn’t even remember what he had texted back.

He had been busy helping remodel the manager’s office at the marina his father owned. It was a huge, exhausting project, but he enjoyed building and creating things with his hands. He had found his flow with blasting some old-school rock and repairing all the cracks and dents in the drywall, so he had been in a slightly pre-occupied daze when he’d opened her text.

“Yeah, I was busy yesterday. Sorry. Do you want me to make it up to you?” He slinked back over to her and attempted to wrap his arm around her again. This time she stood up and leaned over him, sticking her finger in his face and breathing heavily.

“No! You can’t just ignore this problem and try to get me to forget about it. I’m not interested in having sex with you right now. I want to talk about you making me feel ignored and insignificant. You always do this to me! Whenever I try to talk, you zone out or go on your phone. You never invite me to hang out with your friends or go anywhere with you. We’ve been dating for almost two months and I haven’t even been to your place yet!”

Gage couldn’t tell which was stronger: his anger at being yelled at by a woman he barely knew, or his annoyance at having to deal with this right now.

“First of all, get your finger out of my face. Second of all, when the hell did we start dating?”

Destiny dropped her hand the same time she dropped her mouth open. “What do you mean when did we start dating? The first time we had sex I considered us a couple! I don’t go around sleeping with just anyone.”

His anger flared and took over as the image of his ex-girlfriend unwillingly popped up. “Well, you considered wrong. I don’t do girlfriends because I’m not the dating type. I thought I made that crystal clear by never referring to you as my girlfriend or taking you out on dates. Hell, I don’t even consider us friends with benefits. Maybe there’s a reason why I don’t bring you over or invite you to hang out with my friends—you’re just something to stick my dick into and nothing more. ”

There was a loud slapping noise and a sharp pain spread across his face. It took him a second to process the fact that she had just slapped him.

“What in the fuck was that?” He shouted.

“Fuck you! Get out of my house!”

“House? You live in a fucking trailer!”

“So what, you stupid bloodsucker?”

She seemed to instantly regret her insult as he stood up and towered over her. She ran toward her bathroom and he tried to follow her, but she was quicker and smarter than he anticipated. She flung over a bookcase behind her, causing him to trip and fall face-first onto the floor, which only caused his rage to grow more intense. He swore when she slammed the bathroom door and locked it behind her.

Gage sat up and contemplated how he wanted the night to go. He could let his anger take over and end things quickly, breaking down the door and ripping her throat out within seconds. He knew he would come to regret that, though, so he decided to have some fun instead.

He took a deep breath loud enough that Destiny would hear. “Okay, okay. Hold on. What the hell are we doing right now?” He stood up and walked over to the closed door, placing his forehead against the cool wood.

“Destiny, honey, can you please come out and we’ll talk about this like rational adults? I didn’t mean to scare you or for my anger to take over like that. I clearly have issues in that department and I need you to be patient. This is something I need to work on and I think you can help me. I’ve put my trust in the wrong woman before in the past, so relationships are a little scary for me. But I’m willing to try for you. Please baby? I’m sorry.”

There was silence as she contemplated what he said. He held his breath, wondering if he sounded genuine enough with his switch of emotions. He wasn’t one to plead for forgiveness, so this was all new territory for him.

“You promise you won’t hurt me?” She replied weakly from the other side.

“Of course, how could I hurt someone as precious as you? I didn’t mean what I said. You’re more than just something to have sex with. You’re a girl I want to get to know, a girl I want to love, a girl I would be proud to bring over and introduce to my friends. I was just so mad and I wanted to verbally hurt you, but I realized I was wrong. Please forgive me?”

He smiled when he heard the door unlock. She cracked it open slowly and peered at him through the gap. He noticed her eyes were dry and wide, like she was exhilarated by their interaction. She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.

“Oh baby,” he cooed. He reached out to tuck a strand of hair that had come loose behind her ear.

“Do you really mean that? That you want to love me?”

“Yes, I mean that with all my heart,” he purred. “Will you let me in?”

She opened the door wider and he stepped in and embraced her, giving her small kisses all over her face. She started to giggle and kissed him back, wrapping her fingers into his shaggy blonde hair as she did so.

Her tongue explored his mouth as he unbuttoned her pants and slid them down her slender legs. She let out a little gasp as her thighs touched the cold porcelain when he lifted her up and placed her on the bathroom counter. He brushed his hands up her sides and lifted her shirt off, exposing the perky breasts that were photographed earlier. She leaned her head back against the mirror as he pinched her hard nipples and kissed the tender flesh on her neck.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and brought his face back to hers to continue kissing him with an intense passion. Her breath quickened, this time out of pleasure, as he slid his hands back down her sides and slipped one hand in between her legs, massaging her through her underwear. She closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the sensations he was stirring up inside of her. With his other hand, he gripped her hip tightly as she began to grind against his palm.

“I want you so bad,” she broke the kiss to whisper into his ear. “Show me how much you want my forgiveness.”

He smirked and looked her in the eyes. A quick sign of recognition flashed in them as she realized he had played her as prey. He quickly grabbed her head with both hands and sunk his teeth into the flesh of her neck.

“Gage! Stop!”

He released her and laughed through the blood seeping between his lips. “I don’t want your forgiveness. Don’t you know to never trust a vampire?”

Her small scream turned into a loud, guttural moan as he sank his teeth deeper into her neck. Blood dripped down her neck as she attempted to push him off, but it was useless. She gave in to the rush of sensation that came with his bite, and clung to him as she convulsed from the orgasm it gave her.

He drank more than he meant to, but his self-control returned in time before she passed out. He tore himself off her, took too many steps backward, and fell into the wall, causing the pictures hanging there to shake violently.

She looked at him with her hand over the rapidly closing holes in her neck and a stare mixed with confusion and fatigue. “W-what was that?”

“I shouldn’t have done that. Fuck, I almost killed you.” He cleared his throat and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a shaking hand. “This is what I mean when I say I’m not the dating type. You don’t want this, Destiny. Lose my number. ”

He left her stunned and silent on the counter as he made his way to his bike. Every night since Venice had left him, he’d felt himself turning more and more into a monster, and tonight he’d almost become what he despised the most. Killing innocents not only went against the rules his father set, but went against his own moral code.

If he lost that, he lost everything.