by Avery Kloss
“That’s really disturbing, Brie.” She grimaced. “You’ve made all sorts of … weird friends lately.”
I laughed, “Oh, you’ve no idea.”
Mom changed into her third outfit, and appeared in the parlor a moment later. “How’s this?”
I refrained from rolling my eyes. “There was nothing wrong with the last one or the one before it. You look fine. Quit it.” She wore grey pants with a beige blouse. “You look very professional.”
She groaned, making a face. “I’m not going to a job interview. I'm meeting this really hot guy. Oh, you should see him. He’s tall and athletic, with the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.”
“Great.” I closed the book in my lap, not being able to concentrate on it with mom interrupting every six minutes.
“He’s just a dream.”
“Wow, he must’ve really made an impression on you in the dairy aisle. I didn’t know grocery stores were dating hotbeds.” Wheels crunched over the gravel in the driveway. “Looks like he’s here.”
Panic flared in her eyes. “I’m not ready yet! Let him in. Keep him occupied! I’ll be back!” She flew up the stairs.
Annoyed, I waited for the doorbell to ring, the sound occurring a moment later. Glancing at the time on the new thermostat on the wall, I knew I had to get rid of my mother sooner than later. Maven planned to arrive within thirty minutes. Opening the door, I faced an impossibly tall man, who wore black slacks and a tan jacket, his face as handsome as mom had described.
“She’s not ready yet. You can come in and wait.”
His eyes drifted over me, a hint of a smile emerging. “I’ll … just stay here.”
I found that odd, the man lingering in the cold. I certainly wouldn’t want to stand outside freezing at this time of night. “I’m Brie.” I held out a hand, and waited for him to shake it. He did then, his fingers cold.
“Jack Douglas.” He spoke with a hint of an accent. An inquisitive gleam entered his eyes, and his attention strayed to our joined hands. “Well, that’s … interesting.”
Slightly unnerved, I had a feeling there was something odd about this individual. Mom came up behind me.
“Why didn’t you let Jack in, Brie? For heaven’s sake.” She grinned. “Hello. How are you? Please come in.”
He glanced at his black shoes, which glinted beneath the outdoor lanterns. “I … I’m fine. I … are you ready to go?”
“I sure am. Just let me grab a jacket.” She gave me a look. “You don’t have to be rude.”
“I’m not. I invited him in.” I chewed my lip, finding the situation strange. “So, Jack, what do you do?”
“I'm in … medical sales.”
“Exciting.”
Mom cast me a look, thrusting her arms through the coat. “We’re going out for supper. It’s not a late night; so don’t get any ideas. You’ve school tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I know that. You two have fun.”
Jack offered a grin. “It was good meeting you, Brie.”
“Uh-huh.” Something was off here, but I could not place it.
“Shall we?” He motioned to my mother, who beamed.
“You have a nice car.”
I glanced at it, finding the black SUV uninspiring. My mother seemed enamored, her smile flirtatious. I watched them from where I stood, the man holding open the car door, mom disappearing inside. Before he got in himself, he cast a glance my way, a smug, victorious sort of grin on his face.
He said, “J’ai gagné ce tour.”
Not knowing a word of French, I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest. You better not screw with my mother, buddy. There’ll be hell to pay if you do. The annoying grin remained, and then the man stepped into the car.
“She’s a grown woman,” I murmured. “She’s got Mace in her purse. She can take care of herself.” Yet, a niggling feeling prickled away at me, the impression slow to wear off.
Another vehicle appeared almost ten minutes later, the headlights shining into the entranceway. Donning a coat and a pair of jeans and boots, I left the house, seeing Maven’s face in the window of the sedan. She lowered the glass, and smiled.
“You ready?”
“I guess so. As ready as I’ll ever be, going into a vampire den and all.”
Flint did not bother to exit the car, waiting for me to get in, where I sat behind Maven. I dug around for the seatbelt. Not being able to find one, I gave up a moment later.
The car smelled funny. “You guys been smokin’ something?” Then I worried about which one of them was stoned, the driver or the passenger or … both?
They ignored the inquiry, and Flint stepped on the gas. “Hold on tight, buttercups,” he murmured.
I fell backwards, my fingers clutching at the fabric of the seat. “Jesus!” I muttered, glancing at Maven.
She offered a weak smile. “He always drives like that.”
“Great.”
32
“I just can’t seem to quit you,” I murmured, glancing at the bright lights on the sign above the roof of the Bad Bone Biker Bar. I had been told repeatedly not to come here, and yet … here I was again.
Flint parked at the end of a row of cars next to a motorcycle. The man exited a moment later, where he stood with his legs apart and spat into the grass. He lacked manners in nearly every capacity, the wiry build of him in my way.
“Excuse me.” I shoved past him, eyeing the bar. “Wow. It’s busy tonight. Guess nobody works tomorrow, huh?”
“It’s double-shot Wednesday.” Flint shrugged, pulling out a cigarette from a crumbled pack. “You go on. I’ll wait for you here.”
“How chivalrous.” He knew about the bloodsuckers and the fact that we were underage, but he seemed entirely unconcerned over our welfare. “You really picked a prince of a guy.”
Maven nudged me with her elbow. “Let’s go. I’ve got you anyhow. Gabe seems to have a soft spot for you. He won’t hurt me.”
Speaking of Gabe, I wondered why he had not returned my calls, worried and irritated over being ignored in such a manner. I felt oddly connected to him, and I thought about him far too often. He did not seem to want to encourage me, and, perhaps, it was for the best.
I followed Maven to the entranceway, where a man checked IDs. I nodded at him, saying, “We’re totally underage, but … I need to see Gabe.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m afraid you just missed him.”
Chewing on a fingernail, I assessed the man, his portly visage filling my eyes. The wrinkles on his face gave away his age, along with rancid breath that made me not want to inhale too deeply. “Then … we’ll wait, I guess.”
“Not here,” he intoned. He glanced at a woman’s ID. “You’re good, honey.”
“Thanks, Carl.” She disappeared into the establishment.
“Look, I need to see my sister.”
I gently pushed Maven away, saying, “Let’s wait over here for a bit, okay?”
“But, we came to see Reese.” She glared at me, tears in her eyes. “This is bull!”
“Shush for a second.” I rubbed my forehead, which felt like a headache coming on. “Let me think!”
“I know Gabe’s in there. He’s just being a dick.”
I leaned in, and whispered, “I’ll go invisible and see if he’s here, all right? I’ll be back in a minute.”
She stood with her hands on her hips, her mouth in a pout. “Fine.”
I twisted the ring around my finger, and thought about disappearing, feeling my body tingle all over. My feet disappeared a second later. I vanished completely then.
Maven stared at me wide-eyed. “It’s so cool you can do that.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
I giggled, finding this trick far too useful, as I slipped by the smelly doorman to enter a darkened and smoky interior. Passing through the center of the room, I glanced at the patrons, seeing mostly men drinking, while a couple danced. In the hallway, two women laughed outside the ba
throom, one of them smoking a cigarette. Trying the door to Gabe’s office, I found it unlocked, and I slowly pushed it open. Sure enough, he wasn’t away at all. He sat behind the desk with his feet up, and stared at the wall. He noted the door moving, and jumped to his feet.
“Brie?” He pressed his lips together, clearly displeased. “I thought I told you not to come back here.”
“I’ve been trying to call you all week.”
“Show yourself. I don’t want to talk to air.”
I twisted the ring, wishing to be seen again. I buzzed all over, and my skin tingled. “Happy?”
He pinned me with a look, and strode around the desk, where he glared at me. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You agreed to let Maven see her sister.”
“I don’t recall that.”
“You said so! Why are you lying? Why don’t you return my calls?”
“I’ve decided it’s best to … keep my distance, for your safety. You should know better than to hang around me. I’ve enemies who’d target you just because … they think you might be associated with me.”
I sighed. “Okay, fine, but please let Maven see her sister. I’ll leave you alone, if you let her see Reese. She’s pestering me about it all the time. She’s really upset. Your vampire friend turned her sister into a bloodsucker. She’s been missing for months. It’s kinda your fault.” I poked his chest with the tip of a finger. “The least you can do is let her see her own damn sister. This shouldn’t be this hard.”
A hint of a smile appeared, which softened his features. “I like how you stand up to me.”
“What?”
“You’re completely unafraid. It’s … refreshing.”
“Maybe that’s because you can’t eat me. Have you thought of that?”
He mulled that over, his grin growing. “I’m sorry I ignored your calls. I did it for your own good.”
“I think that’s stupid. We should communicate. For some reason, we’re connected, Gabe. Suzie wants us to talk.”
“And we are.”
A knock sounded on the door. “Boss, there’s an issue.” A man appeared.
“Yes, Miller?”
He glanced at me. “Oh, didn’t know you had company.”
“She was just leaving.” Before I could object, he lifted a finger to my mouth. “What’s the problem?”
“A woman’s demanding gluten free beer.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“No, Boss. She’s making a fuss.”
“About gluten free beer?”
He sighed. “Seems so.”
“And you can’t handle her?”
“She don’t want to talk to me. She wants to see the boss.”
Gabe appeared less than thrilled by this. “Could you take Miss Thompson and her friend, Maven, down to see Reese, please?”
He paused at that, suddenly wary. “Is that a good idea?”
“No. It’s a lousy idea,” muttered Gabe. “But, Brie’s determined to be annoying tonight, along with this gluten free customer.” He raked fingers through his hair, the dark strands mussed. “I’ll be down in a minute. You can handle it, Miller.”
“Yes, Boss.” He glanced at me. “Hello, Brie. It’s nice to see you again.”
I read him all too well. “I don’t want to be here, believe me. I’m doing a favor for a friend. Your guy at the door won’t let her in.”
“I’ll take care of it. You wait here.”
I found myself alone in the office, gazing at the desk. I leaned against it, and knocked over a metal tin of pens and pencils. Picking them up, I noted a pad of paper and what appeared to be a list. I read it.
Don’t think about B.
Don’t speak to B.
Don’t call B.
Don’t encourage B.
Let this one go.
I grinned, finding the list amusing. Taking a pen, I scribbled a note. How’s that working out for you so far? B.
Miller returned with Maven, my friend eyeing me with concern. “Hey, Brie.”
“Are you ready to see your sister?”
“I guess so.” She cast a glance at Miller, who stood by the door. “He’s … he’s … ”
“A vampire?” I supplied.
“Yeah.”
“You’re gonna find a lot of them around here.”
Gabe stood in the doorway; an annoyed frown creased his forehead. “Let’s get this over with, okay? You’re not gonna like what you see. I'm sorry about that. I know you want to blame me for … what happened to Reese, but I didn’t have anything to do with her becoming a vampire. I’m the bad guy because I’m trying to control the little beast. Newborns are no better than rabid wolves. I’d not get too close, okay?”
“All right,” she said coldly. “I want you to know that I do hold you responsible. You and your kind are ruining this town. You’re a scourge.”
I thought of the other night by the waterfall, and how Gabe had detested the drug addicts, encouraging a man to quit the behavior. There were things in the community just as harmful as vampires or worse, although, at the moment, Maven would not see it that way, my friend eager, yet fearful, of what the night might bring. She wasn’t the only one.
I knew what lurked in the basement, meeting Gabe’s stare. He nodded, his stern features softening slightly. He did not have to say anything, the emotion rather plain. Maven’s words bothered him, but nothing he could say would make a difference now. Once she had seen her sister, she would be even more upset.
33
Miller opened the cellar door, and cast a portentous look at us over his shoulder. “Brace yourselves, my lovelies. However, she’s been a bit more quiet today, if that’s any consolation.”
“It isn’t,” murmured Gabe.
I felt his hand at my back, the gesture reassuring. “It’ll be fine. She just wants to know she’s okay.”
“I’d hardly call it that.” He grinned.
Maven disappeared down the steps, not desiring to make small talk. I hurried to follow, not wanting her to confront Reese alone, but I knew someone had to be there for her. The smell hit me a second later, the aroma like rotting meat.
“Aw, that’s gross,” said Maven. “What is that?”
With Gabe behind me, I asked, “Why does it smell so bad?”
“Newborns aren’t exactly fond of baths, and they’re messy eaters.” He shrugged. “We’ll get her in the shower after she passes this phase.”
“When will that be?”
“Another month or anytime, really. No two vampires are the same.”
“Wonderful.” I held a hand to my nose. “Ugh.”
Miller unlocked the door, and waited for us. “This is it. She’s chained, so you don’t have to worry about being torn to shreds. Hope you’re prepared.”
“You people should be in prison!” shouted Maven. “It smells like a rotting corpse. You killed my sister!”
“Technically, she is dead.” Gabe approached the door. “It’s … a little too quiet in there, wouldn’t you say? She’s trained to know an open door means food, which would have her … quite eager for a meal.”
“I’ll take a look, Boss.” Miller entered the room, a light coming on.
I had no desire to be in the smelly, filthy space again, but I had to support Maven. “I’m sure everything’s fine. The undead can’t exactly die.”
“Oh, yes they can.”
I glanced at Gabe. “They can?”
“Haven’t you watched vampire movies?”
“The one where he sparkles?”
He made a face. “No, honey. Nothin’ sparkles on me but my shining personality.”
I laughed at that, bemused he could joke at a time like this.
“Sunlight is lethal. We can’t survive it.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Boss, we got a problem!” yelled Miller. “You need to see this.”
Gabe rushed past me, and entered the room. I followed hard on his heels, seeing Maven standing ther
e with a hand over her mouth, while a woman sat on the floor, her wrists and ankles chained. She gazed at us dispassionately, a slightly annoyed look appearing. She smelled awful, her arms and legs filthy, her clothing torn, but she wasn’t behaving as she had before. There was nothing specifically terrifying about her, besides the smell.
“Well,” murmured Gabe. “Isn’t this timely?”
Reese held up her hands. “It would be really nice of you to get these off me.”
“I should call the police,” cried Maven. “How can anybody do this?”
“Hey, Sis.”
“You look … terrible. You smell even worse.”
“I’m nose-blind, I guess. I don’t smell anything, but your sweet blood.” She nodded at me. “And hers, but it’s a little different.” Licking her lips, two sharp teeth distended. “Just thinkin’ about it makes me hungry.”
“You’ll have a meal in good time,” said Gabe. “Get her free, Miller.”
“Can we risk it?”
“Does she look feral to you? She’s come out of the newborn phase, just in time. Your sister’s been worried about you, Reese.”
“I’m fine, as you can see, just God … ” she glanced at her arms and legs, “I need a shower bad.”
“We’ve been so worried about you. Mom’s outta her mind. Dad’s left. Everything’s fallen apart.”
“Why?”
“Why? You’ve been missing six months, that’s why. The whole town’s looking for you.”
“Six months?”
Miller unlocked the metal around her wrists. “Yeah, a good six months.”
“I was just here yesterday,” said Reese, glancing at her wrists, rubbing them. Despite being tethered for a long time, no scars appeared, the skin unblemished. The shackles around her ankles fell free. She got to her feet, and placed her hands on her hips. “I really need a shower, guys. I … think I smell myself now.” She made a face.
“We need to hose the room down,” said Gabe. “The shower’s this way. I’ll get you a bar of soap and a towel.”
“Thanks.” She grinned. “Why are you looking at me like that? What’s going on?”