When he looked to his left, Lydia was nodding her agreement. “Someone is definitely getting a facial today.”
“Not gonna happen, babe,” he told her. “I don’t need a facial.”
Lydia snorted while Trish sighed.
“You’ve had a lot of big changes in your life, sweetie,” Trish added, reaching out to pat his arm and getting pink polish on him in the process.
“I guess I should be grateful we’re in public so we can’t discuss those changes,” he muttered. The changes they were referring to involved both his parents being killed. He’d been the one to kill his mother, which wasn’t the sort of thing he could discuss in public unless he wanted to spend time practicing his mind control skills on everyone around him. Anyone who’d met his mother would agree she’d deserved to die, but the reasons were yet another thing he couldn’t discuss at a day spa. “If we weren’t in public, we might end up discussing the many reasons I should have been put down years ago.”
“Did Justin say that?” Lydia demanded, pulling out her phone. “If he did, Caitlin will kick his ass. I’ve told him to stop saying mean things to you.”
Drew laughed, more relaxed than he’d been all day—all month if he was being honest. “I haven’t talked to Justin in weeks, but I’m sure he’s said it. With his schedule, he’s barely home. Listen, I get that you’re trying to cheer me up, but I’m fine.”
They waited, and Drew reminded himself that he loved these women, even if they got on his last nerve most days. The death of his parents wasn’t the only big change he’d had to deal with in the last couple of years. For a short time, he’d believed he’d fathered a child with a hunter. His crazy mother had kept that a secret for four years before finally telling Drew about him. As it turned out, the boy, Hunter, was his brother, a fact his mom hadn’t known. Had she known, his mother would have killed the kid. It wasn’t his parents’ deaths or even Hunter’s arrival in his life that kept him up at night lately. Instead, it was a crazy woman he couldn’t get out of his mind. For months, he’d been fighting the urge to hunt her down, and the urge kept getting stronger.
“You already know what’s bothering me,” he accused. “That’s why Nixie isn’t here.” When he’d first met Phoenix, he hadn’t realized she was a hunter. They’d been good friends—friends with benefits. Now that she was back in his life, they were still friends, but without the benefits. She was disgustingly in love with his cousin, Isaiah.
“Phoenix thinks you should stay away from her cousin,” Lydia reminded him.
“But you don’t because you read too many romance novels,” Drew finished for her.
Trish giggled. “You got that one right. In Lyd’s mind, you’re going to find Shayla, and there will be some romantic reunion where she cries and asks if you really tracked her down. She’ll swoon with desire. You’ll kiss and fall madly in love.”
Drew had trouble holding back his laughter. He might not know Shayla well, but he didn’t see her as the type to swoon. “What do you think, babe?” he asked.
“You enjoy feeing like a hero. It’s not something you’re used to. You felt like you were protecting Shayla, and now, you want to feel that way again,” Trish began. “It also seems you believe you can have Shayla because she’s got issues, too. You may even see yourself as less crazy when you’re with someone like her.”
“You don’t think she’ll look down on you,” Lydia added. “The way I see it, the fact that you can’t stop thinking about this girl means she’s special to you. This has the makings of a truly romantic reunion—as long as she doesn’t bash you over the head again. That ruined things last time you tried to help her.”
“I’m worried you’re setting yourself up to get hurt,” Trish told him.
“Only if he doesn’t go after her,” Lydia argued.
“Need I remind everyone that Shayla abandoned her own child?” Trish asked angrily. She’d been trying not to say too many bad things about Shayla around him, but Trish didn’t like her. He didn’t blame her since Trish was the one raising Shayla’s son, who also happened to be Drew’s brother.
“There was a good reason for that,” he pointed out. “It’s not like she knew how dangerous my mom was when she left Hunter with her. Before either of you say it, I also remember Shayla slept with my dad.”
“You’re going after Shayla, aren’t you?” Lydia asked excitedly.
Drew shrugged, earning him a glare from the woman buffing his fingernails. Yanking his hand away, he pushed out of the chair. No one looked surprised. Lydia always took him to the same spa, and the spa trip always ended with him losing his shit.
“Why do you nutty bitches have to worry about me all the time?” he demanded. “Seriously, we all know I’m an asshole.”
“Andrew,” Trish said softly, gesturing to the little girl getting her nails painted.
This was the most annoying thing about them; they made him feel guilty. These irritating women made him want to be a better person.
“Sorry about my language,” he told the woman he assumed was the little girl’s mother. “I’m going home.”
“Then you’ll miss the steakhouse,” Lydia reminded him.
“I can go there on my own,” he argued.
“But the chef is in love with Trish,” Lydia pointed out. “If she calls and asks him to overcook your steak, he’ll do it.”
Drew glared at her, trying to decide if it was worth it. The threat of losing a good steak was generally enough to make him stay, but he was edgier than usual. Things had been getting worse lately. It was like his life was stuck in limbo. There’d never been any big plans to do something with his life growing up. Then again, the only thing he’d ever been taught to do was kill, so why would he have expected to have a career? His uncle, Roman, insisted the members of their family have jobs despite the fact that the family had enough money to live comfortably for centuries. Roman claimed it kept them out of trouble.
Drew had discovered he loved writing paranormal romance a few years back, and his uncle seemed fine with his career choice. While he’d finished one book, so far only a few people had read it. He’d started writing two others, but he hadn’t been able to focus on writing since he’d met Shayla. His connection to her felt strange, and not just because she was Hunter’s mom. He’d killed for her to save her from the guilt of killing her own brother. She’d been trying to save her cousin’s life, and her brother had needed to die. Still, Drew knew the kind of guilt that came from killing a close family member. From his perspective, killing for Shayla had been extremely intimate. He hadn’t been able to ask her how she’d felt since she’d hit him over the back of the head and disappeared before they could talk. The chick was as nutso as he was. Lydia was right about him feeling better about his own issues because of Shayla’s. That wasn’t a good reason to be with her, which was why he’d decided they shouldn’t be together. Still, he needed to find her and make sure she was okay.
“Can you do something for me?” he asked Lydia.
She gave him a smile filled with more love than he deserved. “Does this have something to do with Shayla?”
He nodded. “I need you to get everyone together. See if you can track down those hunters, too. They must have heard something by now.”
“This isn’t a good idea,” Trish told him with a shake of her head.
“It’s a great idea,” Lydia insisted, bouncing in her seat. “This is so romantic.”
Drew snorted. No matter what happened with Shayla, he could guarantee it wouldn’t be romantic. Until he made sure she was safe, he’d be stuck in limbo. It was time to act, no matter how much most of his family would hate it.
Chapter Two
“I’m going to find Shayla.” Drew waited for his uncle’s response. Since Roman was the head of the family, his response was the only one that mattered. His cousin, Isaiah, was there with Nixie since the crazy chick was Nixie’s cousin—meaning Nix had likely heard from Shayla. Isaiah’s talent with computers might also prove u
seful in locating Shayla. Lydia was there because she was worried he’d need someone to stick up for him. She’d also managed to get two hunters, Mason and Talia, to meet with them.
They were all gathered in the main sitting room. Drew was standing by the fireplace, arms crossed in front of his chest, prepared for a fight.
“That seems like a very bad idea,” his uncle responded after a long pause. Since he hadn’t said no to the idea, Drew took it as a good sign.
Lydia had already told his uncle about his plan, so this wasn’t a surprise to him, but his uncle obviously hadn’t completely made up his mind before the meeting. If he’d already made up his mind, there would have been no meeting.
“I agree that it’s a bad idea,” Isaiah added, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “You and Shayla both have some serious issues, and it would be a mistake for you to get involved with her.”
“Am I the only one who thinks this is a good idea?” Lydia asked, trying unsuccessfully to flip her mass of blonde hair.
“Yes,” Nixie replied. “I can’t imagine any scenario where this wouldn’t end in a complete mess. Drew and Shayla aren’t compatible.”
“Why do you want to find the breeder?” Mason, the mountain of a hunter with blond hair and green eyes asked. “And what makes you think she’d want to be involved with a vampire?”
Drew shrugged. There was no logical response—nothing he could say to make his family or the hunters understand his obsession with finding Shayla. “I just need to find her.”
“Are you in love with her?” Mason asked. “You only met her once, so it seems strange for you to be in love with her.”
“No,” Drew replied. “I’m not in love with her. Hell, I’m not sure I’m wired to fall in love. It’s just that she needs help, and I want to help her.”
“It seems like a good idea to me,” Talia, the hot as fuck female hunter with purple hair and vivid blue eyes added.
“Yeah?” Mason asked, focusing on Talia. “Why’s that, Talia? Give me one good reason the breeder needs a vampire to help her,” There wasn’t any challenge in his voice, just curiosity.
“Because she’s a breeder who basically disappeared after going on a killing spree,” Talia pointed out. “He’s right about her needing help. He might be able to help her deal with whatever demons she has. We’re in new territory with Shayla. We’ve never had another breeder go around killing people.”
“It was one kill!” Nixie argued. She didn’t like it when anyone referred to her cousin’s homicidal activities as a killing spree. Her glare moved to Drew. “Don’t even think about telling me how crazy she is.”
He shrugged. “I had no intention of telling you she’s only knitting with one needle.”
“Drew.” The way Nixie said his name made it sound more like a warning—a warning he decided to take as a challenge.
“What?” he asked innocently. “I didn’t even mention her cord doesn’t quite reach the outlet.”
“Enough,” Roman interrupted with quiet authority. Even the hunters looked his way. Roman could be scary without putting any real effort into it. “Your pursuit of Shayla is a bad idea for many reasons, Andrew. You’ve been through a lot recently, and you’ve never been the most emotionally stable person.”
Lydia—the only person in the room not the least bit intimidated by Roman—snorted. “I wonder why that is?”
Drew smirked, knowing Lydia was gearing up for a rant about how his family should have looked after him when he was a kid. The rant was funny, except on those days when he found himself wishing he’d had a better childhood.
“I’m with Lydia,” Nixie added. “Drew would have had a better childhood if you’d taken him away from his parents. You knew what his parents were like.”
“His mother was a serial killer, and his father wasn’t much saner,” Lydia added. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You were supposed watch out for him.”
Nixie nodded and glared at Roman.
Rather than giving them a look of warning, Roman sighed. His uncle tended to back down with the women, something that never ceased to amaze Drew. “Discussing how I could have made Andrew’s life better won’t change anything. I still don’t think looking for this breeder is a good idea.” Before Lydia could argue, he continued. “With that being said, Andrew, you’ve shown enough maturity in the last year to make your own decision regarding this.”
“Really?” Drew asked. That hadn’t been the answer he’d expected from his uncle. Eventually, he’d figured his uncle would give in—after listening to Lydia’s arguments. He’d been prepared for a long, boring lecture about the many reasons he shouldn’t go looking for Shayla before Roman reluctantly gave in to his request. The way he’d seen this playing out, he’d have to assure his uncle he wasn’t pursuing Shayla for romantic reasons and promise to take a babysitter along to make sure he didn’t kill anyone. Roman’s quick agreement and the support of one of the hunters seemed too easy.
Lydia’s hand waved in front of his face, pulling him from his thoughts. “Are you even listening?”
“Nope,” he replied. “This whole thing is making me wonder if I’ve gone off the deep end this time. Did my uncle really just say I can make my own decision?”
Their family structure was much different from that of modern humans in this country. Roman, as head of the family, was in charge. His word was law, and he hadn’t trusted Drew with any major decisions—ever. Roman had good reason for his lack of trust in Drew’s ability to make the best choices, which was why he’d expected an argument.
“Yes, he did,” Lydia assured him.
“I’d accuse him of having lost his mind if I wasn’t afraid he’d kill me,” Drew admitted.
Chapter Three
The exasperated look on Roman’s face was funny, as was Drew’s obvious confusion about his uncle’s agreement. Talia was also surprised the vampire had agreed so easily. As a hunter, she had information on many of the vampires on the west coast. Roman Draksel was over five-hundred years old and had lived a relatively solitary life until recently. When she’d been training as a hunter, Talia had been informed Roman could become a problem they would need to take care of at some point. It seemed his new wife had changed him.
“Are you fucking with me?” Drew finally asked Roman.
“I can assure you, I will never fuck with you,” Roman replied in a dry tone.
“So, you’re really okay with me hunting down Shayla?” Drew asked.
“It seems better than the alternative, where you continue to obsess over her,” Roman explained. “Once you spend some time around her, you’ll see she’s a poor choice for you, and you’ll be able to move on with your life. When was the last time you wrote?”
Drew shrugged, looking down at his shoes. “I haven’t been in the mood lately.”
Roman nodded. “This is one of the reasons your obsession worries me. Your writing is important to you.”
“There’s been a lot of shit going on in my life,” Drew argued. “It’s not all about Shayla.”
“What do you write?” Talia interrupted.
“Drew writes spicy vampire stories,” Lydia replied for him.
“His writing is pretty good,” Phoenix added. “He’s only got one finished, but I think he has a lot of potential.”
Mason snorted. “Talia’s not the romantic type.”
She glared at Mason over her shoulder, mostly because she really hated it when he answered for her.
“When they say spicy, they mean it’s got a lot of fucking,” Drew explained from much too close. While she’d been glaring at Mason, Drew had moved to stand just behind her. His voice slid along her skin, raising goose bumps, and she had to fight the urge to shiver. It was like he’d actually touched her. Her reaction came as a surprise since he definitely wasn’t her type. Talia didn’t like arrogant men, which ruled out vampires and hunters.
“I figured that out all on my own,” she told him, trying not to let anyone see how he affected her. �
��Have you heard about this new thing they have? It’s called personal space.”
Drew’s lips twitched. “Why don’t you tell me all about it, honey?”
Talia took two steps away from Drew since it was obvious he wasn’t planning to give her any space. “Don’t call me honey.”
Mason snorted before moving to her side and slipping an arm around her shoulders. Since she was just shy of six feet tall, Mason was one of the few people who could still make her look small. “Talia’s not much into terms of endearment.”
The temptation to roll her eyes was too much to resist. “Terms of endearment, my ass,” she muttered under her breath.
“Do you want to read my book,” Drew asked. His intense gaze was completely focused on her.
“I’m certain we can all agree the hunters don’t need to read any of Andrew’s stories,” Roman interrupted, and Talia didn’t miss the censure in his voice. “Let’s get back to Drew’s search for Shayla. It might be best if hunters accompany Drew since he’s looking for a breeder.”
Mason’s arm left her shoulders, and he was suddenly all business again. “Here’s the thing. Having a vampire hook up with a breeder, even a loony breeder, won’t go over well with our council. In Santa Cruz, we’re more open-minded about these sorts of things, but several members of our council would probably still have a major meltdown about you knocking her up. They’re not thrilled with Phoenix’s involvement with a vampire. One of the arguments used in defense of her relationship is that hunters can’t get pregnant.”
Drew glared at Mason. “I’m not planning to get her, or any other woman, pregnant.”
“No offense, but your kind has a history of that sort of behavior,” Mason pointed out. “Our council has no proof a vampire could impregnate one of our breeders, but they’re not willing to take that chance.”
Talia said nothing. Mason was only telling part of the truth—most hunters would not be willing to risk having a vampire impregnate a breeder. She and Mason knew it was possible. The vampires were also aware of that.
Wicked Crazy Vampire Love (Psy-Vamp Book 7) Page 2