Since committing myself to Havoc, I’ve been able to see a side of him that I never imagined getting to see. A lot of our relationship had been bickering and fighting, but now we are finally on the same page. We’re starting to understand each other better. We can believe in each other and trust each other.
I close my eyes as I feel a buzz in my mind and then an odd stillness as I drift off to sleep, thoughts of Geoff gone.
***
After a solid night of sleep where I dream about having sex nonstop that has to be Havoc’s doing, I feel refreshed. Havoc is already up when I wake up, so I take a shower and get dressed before heading down the stairs. It’s already after noon, and I could’ve easily gotten a few more hours, but I know that I need to get up and get moving.
As I walk down the stairs, Havoc grins at me from over a cup of hot chocolate.
“How did you sleep?” he asks, sounding mischievous and not at all concerned.
“It felt like an incubus crawled into my mind and took over,” I admit.
His grin grows, so I look away from him and notice that Yoko is giving me a deer-in-the-headlights look.
“What… happened?” I ask tentatively.
She grimaces as she watches me. “First off, it’s one hundred percent not my fault.”
I stare at her warily. “What happened?”
“Ohhhh, don’t kill me, please. Just remember that I love you,” she says as she wrings her hands.
Now I am really worried. “What happened?”
“Well… when I pulled into work today, I drove around back, you know, to park my car. And when I turned into the parking spot, I might have… slammed into your car. But it’s not my fault because I didn’t see it, because it was invisible.” She’s waving her arms around, trying to emphasize each word as she stares at me with wide eyes.
“No…” I say as I realize that I never took the illusion off it. “How bad is it?”
She shrugs. “I… really don’t know because I still can’t see it. But my car’s front end is pretty smashed up.”
“No…” I whine as I rush for the door. She runs after me as I slide through the door. I see her car and grimace as I look at the crushed front end. The headlight is completely busted and hanging off it as it struggles for life. “How fast were you turning in to park?”
“I was listening to a good song! And you know how, when there’s a good song on, you accelerate more than you should?”
I drop the illusion on my car as I rush up to it and find it… pretty dent free. “Well…”
Yoko’s mouth drops open as she stares at it. “Oh my god. It like demolished my car, and yours looks just fine,” she says. “What the hell?”
There’s a scuff on the corner that I easily rub out with my thumb. “Huh… well… I guess no harm, no foul,” I say as I head back inside, glad that fiasco is over with.
Yoko doesn’t seem to be finished with this issue though. “No harm no foul? My front end is demolished!” she cries as she races after me.
I look over at her as I reach over and take Havoc’s hot chocolate before taking a long sip. “Just take the cost of fixing it out of the money you owe me.”
“W-What… money?” she asks meekly. Probably because it’s a list so long that it’d take her the entire day to read it.
I shake my head and walk inside. “I’ll pay for it, just give me the bill.”
She gives me a huge, million-dollar smile. “Are you sure?”
“I have to keep you happy. I need to talk to you and Baron.”
“Yeah sure… Baron!” Yoko yells.
Everyone looks over at us as Yoko proceeds to disrupt their coffee by shouting until Baron comes out of the back. You know, like Baron doesn’t have superior hearing.
“What’s wrong?” he asks in alarm. He has a spatula in his hand like he can battle off intruders with it.
Yoko shrugs. “I don’t know, Miles wants something.”
“Now that everyone is watching,” I sarcastically say. “There’s a man out there who wants me dead, and he will do anything to make sure that happens. I want you two to stay in here all day today. The barriers I have on this place will keep anyone not welcome out. And you also have Badrick to help protect you. So, until I figure out something else, stay here.”
“He basically just wants to enslave us to this place,” Yoko says as she glances at Baron.
Havoc gives them wicked grins. “We’re going to make you sex slaves and force you to watch me having sex with Miles.”
Leave it to Havoc to ruin an important conversation. “What?” I ask in alarm. “Is that like a fetish you have or something?”
He smirks at them. “I’d let them join in, but you’re always so stingy. I mean there’d be rules. No one can touch Miles but—”
“Have you thought about this?” I ask, highly concerned.
Havoc looks over at me. “What would make you think that?”
I shake my head and turn back to Yoko. “Can you make me some breakfast I can eat in the car?” I ask. “Havoc, get ready to go.”
“Where are we going?” Havoc asks as Yoko and Baron go back to the kitchen. I can hear Yoko muttering something about a foursome that makes me glare at Havoc.
“Home.”
His thoughts on the subject clearly show on his face. “Oh, you know that Nicco and I don’t get along,” he growls.
“You don’t get along with ninety percent of the population,” I say.
“That can’t be true. What percentage of the population are women with huge breasts?” he asks thoughtfully.
I glare at him.
“Ooh, jealousy is sexy on you,” he says with a grin.
Yoko walks up and sets two plates before us. Mortified, I look at what’s on it.
“W-What is this disgusting-looking thing?” Havoc asks, always the one eager to say what everyone else is thinking but are too polite to say.
Yoko looks startled. “What? It’s a new recipe. Does it look bad?”
Havoc turns the plate this way and that, examining the green thing on it. “It looks like a leprechaun vomited on my plate.”
“Baron said it was good…” she says as her eyebrows scrunch together.
Havoc huffs. “Baron has to say that or he won’t get in your pants.”
“Well, he’s not getting in my pants until we’re married, so I know that’s not it,” she says with a glare.
“Oh my holy, what? You haven’t climbed that beast like a tree?” Havoc asks.
She folds her arms over her chest and stands defiantly. “No. We’re waiting until we’re married.”
“He’s like… I mean you’ve seen him with his shirt off, right?” Havoc asks. “I’m not sure I fully like the man, but holy hell, he’s sinful to look at. He has muscles where I didn’t know you could have muscles.”
She’s got her “defiant” face on. “Yeah, and so what?”
“My opinion of Baron has changed. He’s either a eunuch or a saint.” Havoc looks toward the kitchen and begins to yell. “BARON! Are you a eunuch or a saint?”
Since Baron is in the kitchen, I pray he can’t hear, but he is a werewolf so he pops his head out. “About what?”
“Yoko’s virg—”
I clamp my hand over his mouth, and he licks my fingers. “Shut it.”
Everyone is staring at us again as the café turns very quiet.
“Oh, he’s having a mental breakdown because I told him we’re waiting until we’re married to have sex,” Yoko says.
“Oh. That makes sense. I had one of those when you told me too,” he says with a wink before heading back toward the kitchen.
I laugh and release my hand as Yoko gives Baron’s back a questioning look.
“You think he’s not for this whole waiting thing?” she asks thoughtfully.
“I think it’s great,” I say. “It shows that you both are really devoted to each other. Havoc, would you wait years for me?”
“No sex?” he says like the word
s are forbidden.
“Correct.”
He cringes and shifts his weight around. “Oh, that question makes me very uncomfortable.”
“I’d wait for you,” I say.
“Of course you would. You’re used to not getting any.”
I glare at him which just makes him grin.
“Fine, but there’d be stipulations. Like… you’d have to lick a Popsicle once a day while I jerk off or something,” he says. “Why don’t we get off this heinous topic and back onto the matter at hand? Like our last meal.”
I look down at the green blob and try to figure out what it is. “I’m sure it’s delicious just… maybe leave the cooking to Baron,” I say to Yoko as I take the plate. “We’ll be back later. Please be careful.”
“I will,” she says. “You too.”
I head out the door with Havoc by my side. We are each carrying our plate of death, unsure if we should actually consume it.
“Do I have to eat this?” he asks as he holds the plate upside down. The mess stays attached, even after he shakes it up and down a few times. “Is it food? Or is it poison?”
I peel an edge off and stick it in my mouth and gag. There is way too much salt involved. I set the plate on the ground and slide it under a bush using my foot. “There we go. Delicious!”
“I’m not sure that’s safe. It’ll probably turn into an alien and take over humanity.” Havoc looks up as Baron comes out the back door carrying the trash.
“Hey Baron, think fast!” Havoc says as he peels the mess off the plate and lobs it at Baron. Honestly, I’m pleasantly surprised that he hadn’t left the plate attached before throwing it.
It smashes right into the side of Baron’s face, causing him to stumble back.
“Look at those cat-like reflexes!” Havoc shouts, like he’s amazed.
Baron starts gagging as he tries to scrape it off his face. “Get it off. I’m having flashbacks. She watched while I ate my piece. Get it off!”
“You guys are so dramatic,” I say as I laugh. “See you, Baron.”
He looks up and gives me some puppy eyes that shouldn’t work on a man his size. “Don’t leave me… she has an entire pan of that stuff.”
“Pour some coffee on it and offer it to Badrick,” Havoc says.
Baron nods slowly. “That’s actually a good idea,” he says as he hurries back inside.
“I’ll drive,” Havoc says.
I look over at him while wondering how he could have said something so stupid. “Absolutely not.” I get into the driver’s seat.
“But it takes so long when you drive!”
“Yes because I drive safely,” I say.
“I was driving safely as well. Just put a barrier on the car and an illusion. That way if we wreck it, you’ll be safe and no one will see the car.”
“What about all of the people we murder in the process?” I ask as I get in the driver’s seat.
He shrugs, clearly not concerned about them. “Guess they should’ve gotten out of the way.”
“Of course they should’ve gotten out of the way of the invisible car,” I say as I snap my seatbelt on.
“Honestly this world is becoming overridden by humans, they could be thinned out a bit.”
“That’s your answer?” I ask as I put the car in reverse. “Cull a few?”
“I mean… look at Baron. If natural selection was still a high priority, Yoko would be with a better man.”
“You just got done saying you liked Baron a bit more!”
“I changed my mind!”
“Why do you hate Baron? He’s like the sweetest man. Is it because he hurt me?”
He looks away from me, clearly not planning on admitting it. “Of course not. I don’t care all that much about that. It’s because he’s dating such a gorgeous woman.”
Liar. “Well, woo Yoko a bit, I’m sure she’ll come around and see you’re the better choice. I’m sure you’ll wait until marriage for her, right?”
“You want me to go woo a woman?” he asks, sounding annoyed. I thought for sure the “m” word would have stopped him dead in his tracks.
“If you’re not happy, then you must,” I say like it is of highest concern to me.
He glares at me as I grin. “So you want me with someone else?”
It’s like he can’t admit that he likes me but is annoyed that I’m even joking about being with Yoko. “You started this whole thing by saying that you are the better choice for Yoko.”
He looks ready to pout. “I did, but I just said it to make you jealous, and you don’t even look like you care,” he says.
I shake my head as I steal a glance at him. He’s watching me with a look of concern. “Are you being serious?”
“I am. I want you to be jealous.”
I laugh. “What do I need to be jealous of? I know you won’t go elsewhere—you’re stuck with me forever and ever. My contract will never let you go! You’re mine forever and ever and ever.”
“No!” he cries, but I can hear the humor in his voice.
“You just say shit like that because you’re uncomfortable with how much you actually like me.”
He grumbles about something and then decides to turn his attention to a different matter. “I can fly faster than this,” he says.
“Alright, shift,” I order as the car rolls to a stop at a sign.
He isn’t given a choice with my command and shifts into a raven as I roll the window down. I grab him and toss him out the window before rolling the window back up. I see him catch flight in my rearview mirror as I pull away from the stop sign.
“I can’t wait until I can feast on your heart,” he growls. “I will roll in your blood and piss on your grave.”
I laugh as I start to drive slowly and watch as he eventually catches up.
I hear his talons tap against the window. “Let me in.”
“This is too much fun,” I say.
He slams into the window and beats his black wings against it as he looks at me with a death glare.
“Is it nice out there?” I ask as I wave. I roll the window down just a quarter of an inch. “Havoc! This is so much more fun.”
He forces a talon through the window and tries clawing me with it, but when he finds that he can’t get much more of his body through the window, he retreats.
The wind whips his feathers as he reaches for the mirror which he grabs hold of with a talon and climbs onto. He moves onto the hood and makes sure I’m watching as he raises a talon in the air and holds it above the bright blue paint.
“Don’t you dare!” I yell.
“Let me in,” he says as he slowly lowers it.
Not trusting him, I know I need to give in. “Fine.” The moment the window is down, he flies in, shifts, and grabs onto my neck.
“I could strangle you.”
“Stop!” I say as I laugh. “I will wreck the car.”
“I love that you care more about the car than me.”
“That’s good. I enjoy doing things you love,” I say.
Chapter Twelve
When I pull up to the mansion, I can’t help but look at it with a feeling of dread. It was once Geoff’s mansion, the same one I grew up in and became the owner of after Geoff’s passing. It still looks as haunting and dreadful as the day I left the place. In actuality, it is a gorgeous three-story home that seems to have never aged.
It’s my memories of the place that makes me hate it as much as I do.
I pull the car over and look at Havoc.
“I deserve a Dairy Queen,” he decides.
Of course that’s what he’s thinking of even though he’d been tortured in this place. “For what? You haven’t done anything.”
“For just being so goddamn handsome,” he decides as he looks at me.
I stare at him in disbelief. Trying to understand this man is a ridiculous thing to even attempt.
“I should’ve been an incubus. But… I don’t even have to be one, so many people just fall all
over me as it is.”
“You are the definition of a narcissist,” I say as I shake my head.
“Thanks, I think so too.”
“Come on,” I say, knowing that there really is no reason in trying to talk sense into him.
“Large.”
“What?”
“I want a large blizzard,” he decides.
“We’ll see how well this goes and then I might,” I say. “Or I’ll get you a mini, just like your wittle penis.”
His eyebrow reaches for the sky. “Now that’s not funny. You know I have a very, very nice-sized penis. It’s just that it’s been so long since we’ve had sex you have forgotten. Would you like a sneak peek?” he asks as he unbuttons his pants.
“That’s all it would be. A little ‘peek.’”
“You know why I have sex with a woman once and never again in my entire life? Because then I can enjoy it and never regret it. I don’t have to hear them bashing me. The comments. The complaints. Nothing. They just stare at me with adoration and lust. We do the deed. And done. We’re both happy. You’re like some form of torture that I’ve become addicted to.”
“Yay me,” I say sarcastically, even though it makes me feel good that he claims to be addicted to me.
Once the door is unlocked, I step inside and shut it behind me. When I turn around, a man is standing directly in front of me, making me jump.
Havoc shudders. “Fuck, you’re so creepy.”
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Nicco says, words thick with his British accent.
“Then, was this your daily time to just creepily stand by the door and make no noise?” Havoc asks.
Nicco slowly looks over at him and narrows his eyes. “I heard you coming.”
“Then you knew we were coming,” Havoc says stubbornly.
I ignore Havoc. “If you would charge the cellphone I gave you, I could call you and tell you I was coming.”
Nicco grunts, which is just as good a reply as any I was probably going to get.
Nicco is… Nicco. He’s a vampire in a sense. But for the past couple hundred years, I have never seen him leave this house, so I’m not quite sure how he drinks, or maybe he never does. He looks like he never drinks. He is gaunt and pale but more gray than white. His eyes are a dull red, and his hair is nearly white. He looks like you can push him over with a feather, yet I have seen him tear the head off an ox.
Happy Endings Page 15