Jack the Irishman
Grace smacks my arm. Hard.
“What?” I laugh at her excitement.
“Look!” She points at the TV playing on the wall.
“If it’s a dude in baseball pants…” I shake my head.
Grace turns the volume on as I turn toward the TV, and just as my eyes land on the screen, a voice I recognize sounds through the speakers.
“I have gone by many.”
My jaw drops as I watch our new friend speak to that famous reporter.
“Give me one.”
“Interfector Mali. The Melas Oneiros.” The vampire pauses. “Vameer Vadas.”
“Yes!” I throw my fist into the air.
The camera zooms in on Vameer Motherfucking Vadas. And an insane level of pride fills my chest as I listen to him tell the world he’s Volik’s brother.
“We knew that!” I yell, pulling Grace into my side.
“Why don’t I recognize you?”
“I have been away for a bit. But I am back now.”
I pull Grace into a hug as Alex races down the stairs into the bar. “You guys seeing this?” He holds his phone up.
All the patrons are staring at us.
None of them know. We never told a soul.
I point to the TV, showing Alex that we’re watching.
“… they should know that Volik’s allies are my allies. An enemy to my ally is an enemy to me. And thinking you can catch me off guard is a mistake. My mate and I wish to continue the fragile peace you speak of. The balance does not have to shift.”
Even if I hadn’t stood next to him and felt his energy myself, it takes one look to know this vampire is not to be fucked with. And I don’t know what those other names mean, but no one will ever convince me he’s a villain. Even if he looks like the damned Devil now that he’s dressed properly.
“Gods, he looks good in red.” Grace sags against me.
I snicker.
“My brother and I share blood. But I do not share his restraint. Testing me would be unwise.”
Red smoke billows on stage as they disappear in a blur.
It looks ominous on camera. But I remember Vameer carrying us up the stairs with it. Sober me is pissed I was so drunk for that, because the memory is fuzzy. But drunk me knows we had the time of our damned lives.
The screen changes to a newsroom.
Alex grins at me. “Dude. Boss is fucking nuts.”
I grin back. “Fucking. Nuts.”