by Lolah Lace
What exactly was Max going to say to Ryan? His brother was possessed by Drack’s demon. He knew that much and not much more. Ryan had always claimed he didn’t remember anything from that time and now he admitted to being at this lowly bar.
“What do you mean you hunted?” Max asked and waited for Ryan to respond.
“I mean I still hunted vamps and wolves. I just did it on my own.”
“On your own without me.” Max smirked. This was the first time he was hearing about this.
“Well yeah. I remember that now and a few other things.”
“Like what?”
“I was still inside my body. It was like Drack was in there, but I was too. It was like two people were occupying my body.”
“A demon-vamp hybrid is not people.”
“Max dude, you know what I mean?”
“No not really.”
“Seriously are you going to give me grief about being possessed?”
“No, I just want to make sure you understand the difference between a demon monster and a human being. We, my brother, are human? Drack is a goddamn half demon half vampire.”
“I know that.”
“Act like it.” Max barked.
“All I was saying is that I’ve been here at Dan’s Roadhouse before.”
Max shot Ryan an evil glare. “The food better be good, the service sucks.”
“We’ve been here for like two seconds.”
Max scanned the room. “Is this Hooters? All the waitresses have their boobs out.”
“The sign said Dan’s Roadhouse.”
“I can read dumbass.” Max frowned. “Can we get a waitress? I’m starving!” Max grumbled loudly hoping to attract someone. A few customers turned to gawk at the brothers.
Ryan was in deep thought. “I remember now I slept with a waitress that worked here.” Ryan blurted as soon as the thought came to him.
“Slept meaning what?” Max raised a curious brow.
“Give me a break you know what?”
“You sure got around when you were P.M.S-ing.” Ryan ignored Max’s wisecrack. “So you had sex while you were possessed by a demon?”
“Well yeah.”
“How’d that go?” Maxed asked.
“What, you want a play-by-play?”
“I’m curious.”
“Seriously?”
“Well did your junk work?”
“Yes Max, everything worked just like it normally does.”
“Okay weird.” Max accepted Ryan’s vague explanation.
Ryan spaced out a moment, thinking back to the time he was in the motel with Roy Raymond and he was holding a conversation with Drack. Ever since he left the dungeon he had never been the same. He tried to act like he was fully intact but he wasn’t. Something was missing. Something had changed inside him. He sometimes felt like an imposter.
“This town is a bore.” Ryan said when he saw Max studying him. “Let’s find this teen demon and get out of town.”
“Sounds like a plan because it is our plan.” Max smarted.
Max looked down and intensely studied the greasy laminated menu.
A curvaceous waitress Monica Breedlove sauntered over toward the table the Fox brothers’ occupied. She was thirty-five but she looked young for her age. Her skin was the color of coffee with just a dash of milk. Her skin was pure and rich in its tone like Hershey’s chocolate. Her curves were dangerously on display. Monica had the face of a supermodel and the body of a rap video vixen. She removed a pen and small order pad from her front apron pocket.
Max was the first to notice Monica, as always. Her breasts were on full exhibit and what he noticed first and foremost before he noticed her face. He was sure she got pretty good tips with those melons.
“Good evening guys, I’m Monica your waitress.” Her bubbly yet seductive voice floated through the air. “What can I get you guys to start with?” She smiled with perfect teeth and a glossy nude lip.
Ryan slowly lifted his gaze up from his menu. He was a deer caught in headlights.
A shocked look registered in Monica’s brown eyes. Her smiled turned upside down. “Ryan, what the hell are you doing here?”
Past memories, some hauntingly bad, some deliciously good, flooded Ryan’s mind and spouted roots on his face.
“Monica, I, I—”
Monica’s face filled with rage although this didn’t diminish her undeniable beauty. “You got humongous balls showing up here, you heartless bastard.”
“More like possessed heartless bastard.” Max added his two cents.
Monica ignored Max’s quip and focused all her anger and attention on Ryan.
“Monica I know… I’m sorry.” Ryan pleaded with his words and his forlorn hazel eyes.
“You left me without a word. Why would you be such a jerk to me?”
“Monica I—”
She pointed her ink pen in Ryan’s face. “I took you in like a stray dog. Then you disappear without even a half ass goodbye.”
“I know. I’m so sorry. I was a different person back then.” The worry lines appeared on Ryan’s forehead.
“You’re telling me.” Max joked at his brother’s expense.
Monica acknowledged Max’s presence by rolling her eyes at him. “Who is this heckling asshole?” Monica asked Ryan.
“I’m Max.” Max grinned with the corners of his lips. “I’m the brother of the heartless bastard.”
Max extended his hand to Monica. She briefly glanced down at Max’s hand before she dismissed him and his hand.
“Ryan, why are you here? What do you want?”
Ryan thought carefully. He couldn’t really say to eat even though that was the actual reason. “We’re just passing through town and I remembered this place has decent food.”
“Is that all you remember?” She frowned.
“No, no of course not.” He recalled her kindness and generosity. He also recalled his time spent with her as something nice and ravenous.
Monica pressed her glossy lips into a fine line. She stormed away from the table and disappeared behind the bar that led into the kitchen.
“Damn brother, you pissed her off. Did you bang every Sookie Stackhouse in every town when you were possessed?”
Ryan thought about the question. “No Max of course not.” He thought even harder. “I don’t think so.”
Max smirked. “Well I truly understand this one. She’s hotter than hot and that rack of lambs.” Max demonstrated by holding his hands out in front of his chest as if he was holding a large set of double D’s in his palms.
“Max, she’s a really nice girl.”
“Okay but I don’t really see her as your type. You banging a black babe is just odd. You are just so damn conservative and stiff. Me I don’t really have a type but you definitely do.”
“That doesn’t matter now. I treated her like crap. I used her for room and board, home cooked meals, clean clothes and you know.”
Max raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah I know precisely what you used her for.”
“We should go.” Ryan felt defeated by the scene that played out before him.
“Are you fucking kidding me? I’m starving.” Max pouted. He grudgingly followed Ryan’s lead and slid out of the booth. They stood to exit. Monica cornered them before they could get a full five feet from the table.
“Ryan, are you bailing again? Typical.” Monica scoffed.
“No, no I just thought you wanted us to leave.”
“Did I say that?”
“No but—”
“Sit down. Heartless bastards got to eat like everyone else.” Her pitch was harsh and forceful but still somewhat caring and endearing.
Ryan and Max exchanged confused glances.
“Sit!” She barked.
Ryan and Max wagged their tails and did as they were told. Ryan’s eyes traced the contours of Monica’s face. They shared a lingering lustful gaze. He was recalling things that he should have never forgotten. Remembering his time wit
h her made his heart beat fast, the taste of her lips, his tongue on her hardened nipples, the warmth he felt while inside her.
Max cleared his throat. “I am famished.”
Monica glared at Max. “Are you ready to order?” Monica suggestively and seductively gazed over at Ryan. “I know what Ryan likes to eat.”
Ryan blushed in a boyish way while Max’s mouth gaped open.
“I’ll have what he’s having.” Max offered as he handed the menu over to Monica.
“Coming right up.” Monica grabbed Ryan’s menu off the table.
Monica bounced away from the table with a half smirk and a half smile planted on her flawless mocha colored face.
Max leaned in. “I think she wants a mayo, lettuce, tomato, Ryan and cheese sandwich.”
“Max, we’re here for Vampir and the demon kid.”
“That is very true but the red-eyed Bieber can wait. Sookie wants to beam you up on her fairy starship.
“No dude, I’m sure she hates me.”
“Bro, no way, come on. It doesn’t look that way to me.”
“She practically took my head off without a machete.”
“I’m the brother the chicks love to hate. They just love you. She is still into you.”
Ryan halfheartedly agreed with an eyebrow raise. “Maybe.”
Monica returned to the table with two bottled beers. She places them on the table.
“Your food will be right up.”
“Hey ah Monica, do you know of any good hotels in town?” Max looked over at Ryan and then back at Monica.
“I thought you guys were passing through town?”
“We are.” Max decided to take matters into his own hands. “We’ll be in town maybe two or three days tops.”
“Is this true Ryan?” Monica didn’t think Max’s words were good enough.
“Yeah just a few days.” Ryan seemed to be heavy in thought. This was his normal state but this time even more so. Ryan brooded in Monica’s direction. His sad eyes could probably move mountains or start a GoFundMe Facebook page.
Monica was caving. “Ryan Fox, do not look at me like a puppy.”
“I know you probably hate me but could me and my brother stay at your place, just for a couple of days?”
Max frowned, surprised. Who was this guy? This forward, take charge guy, is this my little brother? He thought.
“Ryan, come on, I don’t hate you. It’s been like forever. I mean really?”
“Do you have a guy?” Ryan waited for a response. If she had a boyfriend he would be shit out of luck.
“It’s none of your business but no I don’t.”
“I don’t know why I asked. I just ah—”
Monica reached in her apron pocket and retrieved a set of keys. “Here.”
She placed the keys in Ryan’s waiting hand. Their hands stayed fused together by the keys. Their eyes locked in a mutual romantic haze. Max could only watch in awe. Apparently he had taught Ryan something about women and seeing him in action made Max proud.
Ryan took the keys. “We could just wait until your shift is over.”
“No that’s midnight. You should go get cleaned up. I’ll be home right after work.”
“Okay thanks Monica. I really appreciate this.”
“Make sure you appreciate it later.”
Ryan and Monica smiled at each other while Max looked on like a proud older brother.
“I’ll check on you guys food.” Monica floated away from the table.
Max waited for her to drift out of sight. “So when you were with her didn’t she see that something was a little off? The red demon eyes?”
“Well I wore sunglasses at first. Then I just told her my eyes changed colors.”
“Changed to red, she bought that?” Max sneered.
“I lied and told her I carried an albino gene.”
“So she doesn’t know anything about vamps, demons or werewolves?”
“No she doesn’t.”
“What the hell did you tell her you did for a living?”
“I told her I was an out of work welder.”
“Oh righty then. Whatever you said or did worked because she still has the hots for you.”
“I spent five nights with her.”
Max smiled. “My brother and his five night stand.” Max chuckled. “My baby brother has become a man.”
CHAPTER 3
All lay still and quiet in Drack’s mansion. The lavish place was tucked away far from civilization hidden in a forest. Not too many knew how to find the place. It was cloaked in magic and guarded with more security measures than The White House.
Drack had his own secret service agents that were made up of mostly vamps and a few demons. Only his trusted few employees ever laid eyes on him. He stayed inside the mansion mostly and when he had let a part of him possess Ryan no one even knew half of him had vacated the premises.
The all-powerful vampire demon hybrid Drack sat on a golden throne in his throne room. He had a grandiose love of all things white and gold maybe because silver was supposed to be his enemy. He was perched upon a platform of four steps along a pure white wall.
At first glance he was average on all accounts but that was just the human vessel he chose to inhibit. Inside this ordinary shell was one of the deadliest monsters that ever roamed the earth. Sure there were other creatures that were feared but Drack had them beat. Somehow He was the combination of two monsters. He was unique and mysterious. Hunters and monsters alike were still unable to figure out just how he came to be that way.
Drack’s shell was that of an above average looking tall man with dark hair and Grecian features. He looked to be maybe thirty-five years old and in good physical shape. He was wearing an ivory colored, long satin robe with a high scalloped golden collar. He was shirtless under the robe. His pale smooth chest looked like it was painted pure white. He was dressed in satin ivory briefs only. He could have fit in well in a boxing ring. His bare feet were strewn upon two golden hued pillows.
A vampire appeared from a golden door at the side of the huge opulent almost completely empty room. Less was always more to Drack.
The vampire bowed before Drack. “My Lord.”
“Yes.”
“She has been captured. Shall I bring her to you?”
“Yes at once. Who was the one that captured her?”
“The demon Olivier.”
“Huh, he has proven himself very resourceful.”
“Yes my Lord.”
“Make sure he is well compensated but nothing too outlandish. His obedience to me should come without any concessions.”
“Yes of course my Lord.”
The vampire turned to the golden door. Immediately two more vampires entered holding the vampire Scarlet Buckley firmly in their grip.
There is one vampire holding each of her forearms. Scar’s vampire body seemed to be a grayish hue. The corners of her irises had that crimson ring that was a signature trait of vampires. Her eyes were no longer as vibrant. She looked tired and malnourished.
The vampire’s walked a non-combative Scar up to the stage directly in front of Drack.
“Leave us at once.” Drack waved the three vampires off with a flick of his wrist. The vamps walked out of a door that was hard to decipher from the wall. They disappeared behind the door.
Scar looked around and let her environment sink in. “Nice digs.”
“Yes I know. I call it Beth’el.”
“You could stand a little color.” Scar smirked. “Nate Berkus can use a job now that Oprah’s off the air.”
“I’ve been looking for you.”
“And now you found me.” Scar smarted off. Sure she had only been a vampire for a short time but she surly knew who Drack was. The problem was she didn’t care.
“Are you still running from Vampir or were you running from me?”
“I’m not running from anybody. I want to kill Vampir. So he should be running from me.”
“And me?”
“This really isn’t any of your business. I would think you would have better things to do than be bothered with a low-level vamp like me.”
“Yet you are here.”
“Yes I am. If you’re going to kill me then just get it over with.”
“Why would I kill you? I need you on my team.”
“I’m a solo act.”
“You do know that you are a vampire now. That solo hunting career is a thing of the past.”
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious. Who put you in charge?” She smarted.
Drack remained still and emotionless like a beautiful well-groomed statue. He stared into Scar’s eyes and it chilled her to the bone. She was fearless now that she was a vampire but there was something about Drack that would make any man, woman or monster quake in their boots.
“Under normal circumstances I would have already reached down and ripped your throat out but for some reason unknown to me I am entertained by your insolence.”
“I could dance a jig for your majesty if it pleases you.” Scar rolled her eyes and poked her lips out.
“That wont’ be necessary. So here we are faced with decisions.”
“I’m sure you’ve heard. I’m being hunted if you can call it that.”
“Everyone hates you and now I can see why.”
Drack chuckled. The ex-hunter was a riot, a pet he wanted to keep for himself. “Things have changed. I have let these little vampires roam free and they have taken up arms against me. You and I have a common goal.”
“What’s that?”
“I want Vampir dead and you want Vampir dead.”
“So.” Scar shrugged.
“I take it you want him dead because he killed some of your hunter buddies and put you on that childish hunter’s hit list that put you in the situation you are in today.”
“Being a vampire is not a situation. It’s a goddamn curse.”
“You haven’t showed me an ounce of respect since you sauntered in my home. Now I can’t really have this blatant disrespect. I am God.”
“Yeah I heard those vamps calling you Lord.”
“And you should do the same. Vampir lost his job and I need you to make sure he terminates his position.”