“Good.” I swiped my phone off the table and clutched it in my hands. “Because I wasn’t about to.”
“Oh, please.” She waved my snappish words away. “I know you’re not angry with me for real, so you can stop pretending. I just did you a favor. You’ll thank me later.”
Our waiter came then to take our drink order. We had passed the guy on our way in, the one with the vibrant yellow aura. My eyes were drawn to the color of it the way a moth is drawn to a flame. I could feel the wraith unfurling in my chest, its icy touch flowing through my veins. Obviously, the guy’s aura wasn’t tempting to only me. This thought didn’t settle well.
“Sweet tea, no lemon, right?” he asked, remembering my drink order from times I had previously had him as a server.
I nodded, reining in my thoughts. I needed to get control over the wraith and myself before Bree caught on that something was wrong. “Right. Thank you.” I forced a smile on my face.
After taking down Bree’s drink order, the guy walked away with a quick nod of his head.
“Okay, so, I’m guessing one of two things.” Bree leaned against her elbows on the table and pinned me with her gaze. “Either you come here more frequently than is safe to admit, or else you’ve been secretly dating the waiter and not told me a thing about it.”
A bark of laughter flew past my lips at her crazy assumption. “Neither.”
“Then why the hell did you look like you were about to eat him with your eyeballs, and he seemed as though it would be the best moment of his life?” She arched a single brow.
My smile slipped from my face and I pursed my lips together, unsure of what to give for an answer. Bree as way too observant for her own good. This was why I was nervous for her to meet Randal, and so uneasy when it came to her staying with me for an undetermined length of time while this wraith was inside of me. She would pick up on things she shouldn’t; I knew she would.
“First off, I was not staring at him like I was about to eat him with my eyeballs.” I huffed. “Gross mental image there. And second, I haven’t been here that often, but I’m guessing often enough that he remembered my drink of preference, which is sad actually and sort of creepy.” Normally, I wasn’t one to shed a negative light on someone for being nice, but it was my only option, because I had been staring at him as if I wanted to eat him. His aura was always so damn tempting, but tonight it seemed incredibly appealing.
“All right, fine—” Bree’s words cut off. Her eyes had traveled to someplace near the doors. I knew without having to look that she had spotted Randal. There was a change in the air I couldn’t explain, and I knew it was because of his presence. “Hello, scrumptious.”
I felt it the moment Randal’s eyes found me. The desire to turn and smile sparked through me, but I fought it. Instead, I reached inside my purse for my Chapstick and applied a light layer while Bree continued to stare at him as he approached our booth.
“He’s coming this way.” She pushed herself away from the table. “Why is he coming this way?” Her eyes bugged out of her head, and she looked as though she might hyperventilate any second. “Oh my God, no way, is he?”
“Hello, I’m Randal.” He paused at the edge of our table and extended a hand out to her. “You must be Bree.”
Bree’s face shifted through shades of red I’d never seen before. As she shook his hand clumsily, I fought to contain my laughter. My eyes shifted to Randal. There was a charming smile stretched across his face. The second his gaze met mine, I spotted his worry for me reflected in the coolness of his eyes. There seemed to be a million questions swirling through his mind about why she was here and what it meant for our plans to find Lexy.
“Yes. Hi.” Bree’s voice was thick and flustered. She cleared her throat as she pulled her hand back into her lap. “It’s nice to meet you. Wow, can I just say you’re incredible looking?”
As I slid over in my seat, giving Randal room to sit beside me, I kicked Bree’s shin underneath the table, hoping she would get the hint and wipe her drool. If this didn’t prove my point to Randal about the way women seemed dazzled into a stupor by his good looks, then I wasn’t sure what would.
“I was going to answer your call, but Bree sort of beat me to it.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and shifted to face him. “You didn’t have to come down here.”
“It’s fine. I haven’t eaten yet and am always eager for an opportunity to see you.” Randal shifted his gaze to Bree. “Of course, I had to introduce myself to your friend.” He flashed her a dazzling smile.
Bree nearly swooned. “Oh, you are a charmer.”
I wanted to kick her again. She had never been so gaga over someone I was interested in. This was Randal Vincent though, who could blame her? A thought occurred to me: If she were taken by his charm and good looks, maybe she wouldn’t pick up on the fact he was a vampire.
“Thank you.” Randal grinned. The amusement playing in his voice put me at ease, because it seemed so normal given the situation. Maybe this meeting would go better than I’d thought. After all, Randal had been around for quite some time, which meant he had to be halfway decent at hiding what he was from humans. I should give him the benefit of the doubt.
Our waiter came with our drinks then. He noticed Randal and immediately asked to get him something to drink as well.
“Water, please,” Randal answered. “Thank you.”
As our waiter walked away, I shifted my gaze back to Bree. She was still staring at Randal with a whimsical glint in her eyes.
“Are you two planning on ordering something, or are you just going to have the buffet?” I asked, hoping to snap Bree out of her trance before the moment became awkward. “I think I’ll just have the buffet.”
“I will as well.” Randal slipped out of our booth and motioned for me to step in front of him. When I did, he placed a hand against the small of my back and steered me toward the stacks of warm plates at the end of the cart nearest us. “I apologize for seeming to pry, but I wasn’t aware you were having company in town any time soon,” he whispered against my ear.
I glanced at our booth, searching for where Bree was before I answered. She was sipping her water as though she’d just trekked through the desert and was dying of thirst. “Yeah, I didn’t either. She randomly showed up at my place about an hour ago, suitcase in hand.”
“And you don’t think that with other matters it would be wise to ask her to return for a visit another time?” His voice was low when he spoke, but I could clearly hear the authority he had put into his words as though he had any control over the situation.
I reached for a plate, irritation lapping at my insides. “I get that her being here isn’t ideal in this situation, but I will not ask my best friend to flat-out leave,” I hissed.
“I apologize for suggesting such a thing, Kenna.” His eyes softened. “I only worry if we put off searching for Lexy, things might progress to a point where we are too late to do anything about it.”
The raw fear in his eyes had my heart pounding. Randal knew what we were dealing with. I didn’t. It hadn’t dawned on me that there could be a time limit on when someone would be able to remove this thing from me against its will. My mind latched on to thoughts of a parasite burrowing into a host. How the longer it was left to dig in, the harder it was for the host to remove it.
My stomach churned.
“I can’t believe I almost forgot about the ginger meso soup!” Bree smiled as she passed me to reach the other cart. “It’s always been my favorite.”
“Time is of the essence, Kenna. She cannot stay,” Randal whispered against my ear, his hot breath slipping along its outer edge. “I’m merely stating the truth.”
I nodded, knowing he was right, but still hating the fact. The realization I might have come to a crossroads in my friendship with Bree slapped me in the face. I needed to come up with a reason for her to cut her visit short, or else I was going to have to bring her into my world and pray she believed me.
&nbs
p; As I spooned some chicken fried rice onto my plate, I wondered if Randal would be willing to flash his vampire teeth to prove to her I wasn’t nuts. A smile curved my lips. Come to think of it, that was something I wouldn’t mind seeing, since I had yet to.
Could I tell her what I was? Was that even allowed?
“You have no idea how much my mouth is watering right now,” Bree whispered excitedly, breaking up my thoughts as she walked past me with a bowl of steaming soup between her hands.
How in the hell would I tell her what I was? She would think I needed to be committed.
Then the alternative stabbed at my brain.
I wasn’t sure how to ask her to leave either, especially when I had already told her there wasn’t anything special going on besides work.
Suddenly, I wasn’t as hungry as I’d initially thought; my mind was too jumbled to focus on food.
Chapter 13
After eating at Lucky Duck, Randal kissed me goodbye while we stood in front of the rental car Bree had insisted she drive us to dinner in, even though the restaurant was within walking distance.
“Please remember what I mentioned earlier,” Randal muttered, before lowering his head to find my lips once more.
“I will,” I breathed between kisses. How could I forget when this was something that affected me?
“All right you two lovebirds,” Bree teased. “Why don’t we all go out for drinks or something? That way I won’t feel like I’m stealing your time together. The cuteness you two project is making me feel bad. Besides, I’m sure you haven’t spent much time together because of your crazy hours.”
“Crazy hours?” I eyed her as a knot formed in my stomach.
“The ones that come with working at nightclubs,” she said, as though I was stupid. “Scratch that for you, Randal. Kenna mentioned you’re an owner of a club here in the city, not that you work at one like her.”
“Way to downplay my job there, bestie.” Sarcasm oozed from my words. It was a welcomed sensation. Things had been too serious and life or death with me lately, even my conversations with others.
Bree waved my words away. “You know what I meant. Don’t even pretend to be offended.”
A smile twisted my lips. I had forgotten how straightforward she could be.
“I don’t feel as though you are stealing Kenna from me for the night,” Randal interjected. A ghost of a smile playing on his lips made it apparent he found our banter comical. “I understand you haven’t seen her in quite some time.”
While I knew that he understood the situation, I wondered if him declining drinks was so that I could have some alone time with Bree and think of a way to ask her to leave.
“Regardless, Kenna is obviously off from work tonight. So, why don’t we all have a drink together somewhere?” Bree beamed. “The night is still young.”
The mention of work sent an electrical jolt through me. Shit. I was supposed to go in tonight.
“I need to call my boss.” I reached into my back pocket for my cell. “I’m supposed to work tonight, but now that you’re here, I should probably call in.”
“No! Don’t!” Bree shouted. “I’ll sit at the bar while you work. Randal can keep me company, if he doesn’t have something to do at his own place.” Her gaze shifted to him, and for a fraction of a second, tendrils of jealousy slipped through me. It was a new sensation.
“Okay, but only if you’re sure.” My thumb hovered above Landon’s name.
She nodded. “Yeah, it will be fun. I haven’t been in a club in forever. Kellen and I don’t get out much anymore, being a grown-up sucks sometimes.” Bree pouted and then glanced at Randal again. “Besides with you working, it will give me some time to get to know your boyfriend a little better.”
I blinked and shifted my gaze to Randal. Hearing him labeled as my boyfriend sounded strange. It had been so long since I’d had one, the word sounded foreign. “Are you okay with that?”
A small amount of apprehension flared within his gray eyes. It disappeared as soon as I noticed it. “Absolutely. I will let Bianca and Arabella know I won’t be coming into Red River tonight.”
“Who are they?” Bree was quick to ask.
“Randal’s sisters.”
“Oh. I love their names.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a wand of lip gloss. “Do they work at the club with you, or are they part owners? It would be really cool if your club was a family business.” She applied a thick layer of bubble gum-smelling gloss to her lips.
I remained quiet. I didn’t know the answer, which surprised me a little. Bree’s stare drifted to me, and I swore she could sense my thoughts. Satisfaction seemed to brighten her eyes as she winked at me. I realized then what she was up to. Bree planned on using her time with Randal to get to know all the tiny details about him she could. She was judging if he met her standards for me, and in doing so, she would be getting to know him better than I did.
The slithery snake of jealousy slipped through my core again, because I didn’t want her knowing him better than me.
“Arabella is not business savvy. She merely comes to enjoy the scenery and mingle with people.” Randal scratched above his right brow, and I wondered if the personal information he was dishing out to Bree was more than he was used to with any human. “Bianca is knowledgeable in terms of business, however, which led me to make her a small partner.”
“Cool.” Bree gripped the handle to the driver’s door of the tiny car she rented. “Why don’t you let us head back to Kenna’s place and freshen up before her shift, then you can meet us at Spark later tonight?”
Randal looked at me, waiting for me to respond. “Is that okay with you?”
“Sure.” I swallowed the possessiveness rising up my throat and forced a smile onto my face.
While I wasn’t as okay as I pretended to be, I didn’t have much of a choice and my reasons for not liking the idea seemed silly. Maybe Randal could use some sort of Jedi mind trick on her and persuade her to head home without me having to get my hands dirty.
“Okay, then.” His hand gripped my hip, pulling me closer to him and causing me to wonder if he could sense my feelings somehow. “Would nine o’clock be all right?”
“I’ll be there.” I lifted onto my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his.
I mixed Bree her second Cosmo of the night and slid it across the bar top toward her. While I could tell she was rounding the corner between tipsy and drunk already, she had insisted she would go slower with this one. I didn’t think that was possible. I’d watched her for the better part of an hour sip the last one, positive once she swallowed the final swig it had to have been piss warm. She didn’t seem to mind though.
“Where is the margarita salt again?” Trinity, the new bartender Landon hired, asked.
Sage had called in sick, but I knew she was on a date with Luke. This meant I was stuck showing Trinity the ropes, as if there wasn’t already enough on my plate.
“It’s right over there, underneath the row of tequila.” I pointed her in the right direction.
“Thanks,” she said. “I don’t know why I keep forgetting that. It makes so much sense.”
When nine o’clock finally came around, Randal was right on time. He strode up to the bar dressed to impress, as always, and took the open seat beside Bree.
“Hi.” I smiled at him. It seemed weird having him here, watching me, but not nearly as strange as seeing him sitting beside Bree.
My two worlds were colliding, and it was the strangest sensation.
For the remainder of my shift, I struggled to keep up with where the two of them were conversation wise, because I was helping Trinity whenever she encountered a problem and running the majority of the bar myself. I was exhausted by the end of the night, and Bree was hammered. Among the reasons I enjoyed Randal being here tonight was that I didn’t have to keep an eye on Bree.
It wasn’t that she got sloshed and became a stripper wannabe like some girls; it was that she was one of those ra
re people who became incredibly happy and loveable when they were drunk. Bree suddenly loved everyone and everything. It was one of the things I enjoyed most about her. Toss a few drinks her way and the brutally honest Bree morphed into someone who dreamed in rainbows and sunshine, but who also became gullible.
This did tend to put her in some precarious situations from time to time, which was why I was thankful Randal was sitting with her so she didn’t get taken advantage of by some loser.
“Done.” Bree shoved her glass my way. It tipped over and the remnants of her drink spilled onto the counter. “Oh no! I’m so sorry.” She giggled. Her hands flew to cover her mouth, to hide her smile. I knew her all too well.
Randal righted her glass with a chuckle. “She appears to be a little on the intoxicated side.”
“That she is.” A smile slipped across my face. I reached below the bar for the damp rag I had tossed there earlier. “And to think, that was only her third.”
“I’m right here, you two. I can hear you,” Bree muttered in a singsong voice. “But, I really have to pee. I’ll be right back.” She slipped off her barstool and started toward the restrooms on wobbly legs.
“Should I go with her?” Randal offered. “You seem worried.”
I detected a hint of amusement in his tone. “Are you making fun of me?” I arched a brow.
“No.” He shook his head, but a smirk twisted his lips. “I just happen to enjoy seeing you so protective of someone.”
I wiped up Bree’s drink. “I am. Bree is my best friend; she’s also all I have left.”
Heaviness pressed against my chest as I realized the truth of my words. While my mother was still alive, she wasn’t present in my life, and from the things she had said to me the other night, I knew she didn’t have any plans to change. Bree was all I had left.
“I understand.” He took a swig from his scotch. I could feel his stare slipping over my face as I continued to wipe the same spot on the bar top, even though there was nothing left to clean. “I’m sorry you’re in a position where you must ask her to leave. I know now why that is so difficult for you.”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 23