“I’m fine. Really.” I nodded. “Let’s head inside. I’m sure your sisters are waiting.” I started toward the entrance with my stomach tying itself in knots the size of my fist.
Randal caught up to me. He pressed a hand against my lower back, and I relished the comfort of his touch. “Are you positive you’re okay?”
I smiled at him. “Yes.”
Once we reached the doors, Randal held them open for me and I stepped inside. The sounds of the place met my ears, and I tensed while scanning the crowd of supernaturals inside, searching for any signs of a silver aura like the one the wraith had harbored. We made our way through the throng of people waiting to be seated, and headed straight toward the hostess. She was a short redhead with large blue eyes.
“Hello, welcome to Mystic.” Her pink aura clung to her as she shifted on her feet, obviously recognizing Randal right away. “Your party is already waiting for you, Mr. Vincent. Follow me, please.” She scooped up two more menus from the pocket alongside the podium and turned to walk away.
Randal guided me in front of him. I focused on placing one foot in front of the other as we went, tuning out the chilling sensation creeping along my spine as best I could. As we passed the hallway to the restrooms, my eyes flicked to the entrance of the men’s room and I felt my heart still. Clips from that night blurred through my mind like a whirlwind.
If I could go back, I would have remained seated at our table. None of this would have ever happened, and things would be perfectly fine. The coldness uncurling in my chest gave me an unnecessary reminder that I had gone to the man instead of remaining seated, and the wraith had infected me.
A werewolf slinked past us and cut down the hallway toward the restrooms, his golden aura clinging to his movements as he hustled. When I ripped my eyes away from him, I swept my gaze around the restaurant, taking note to each of the stagnant auras surrounding those within once more. There were easily a hundred people beneath the roof of Mystic, not including the staff.
Why were there so many supernaturals in this city?
As I followed the hostess across the main dining area, I wondered if the supernatural population was this heavy everywhere. Images of New Orleans and the array of auras I had seen while there flashed through my mind. From what I could remember, the numbers were practically the same. Maybe supernaturals weren’t the minority as they had been portrayed; maybe the humans were, but they were too blind to notice.
“And here you are, a table in the back, just as you requested.” The hostess smiled as she stepped to the side and motioned for us to continue in front of her.
Bianca and Arabella were already seated at the table. Arabella was sipping water and doing what seemed to be a bit of people watching. Bianca was focused on her cell, her thumbs scrolling and tapping every couple of seconds. I didn’t know Bianca well, but I was comfortable betting that she wasn’t trolling Facebook. She was most likely doing something business related.
“Oh good.” Arabella’s attention had snapped to us. “You guys are here.” She pushed her drink away and grinned.
Randal gripped the back of the chair across from her and pulled it out for me. My gaze drifted to Bianca. She hadn’t lifted her stare from her cell, but her lips had pulled into a thin line as though she were displeased with something. I wondered if it was Randal’s show of chivalry or simply my presence.
Arabella reached across the table for my hand the moment I sat down. “I’m glad Randal suggested we have dinner and drinks together. I’ve wanted to get to know you since I first saw how drawn to you Randal was.” Her nose crinkled as she smiled. She leaned forward and whispered, “I haven’t seen him this taken with anyone in ages.”
Heat flushed my cheeks. “Thanks.”
“He was just as taken with Natalia when he first met her,” Bianca muttered, her stare still glued to her cell. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Okay.” I pursed my lips together. Maybe forgetting about the wraith wouldn’t be as difficult as I’d thought. Apparently, all I needed to do was be around Bianca and allow her to pepper me with snide comments to get my blood boiling.
Arabella cupped her hands together and leaned forward. “Natalia is her best friend; that’s why she’s so crabby about the situation.”
I bit back a bark of laughter. So that was why Bianca hated me from the moment I met her at Red River. Natalia was her best friend, and I was the succubus Randal was seduced by.
Our waiter stepped to our table just then. He was baby-faced with dark curls and equally dark eyes. His midnight blue aura clung to him, accentuating his movements. “I see the rest of your party has joined you.” He leaned toward Randal, making a gesture that resembled an awkward bow. “May I take your drink orders?” His eyes settled on me.
“I’ll have a glass of moscato, please.” I smiled.
“One for me as well,” Randal said. “As a matter of fact, why don’t you bring the bottle with you?”
“As you wish, sir.” The waiter bowed his head and backed away from our table.
This was the first time I had thought of Randal as true vampire royalty. I remembered Dex telling me Randal was the inspiration for Dracula, but I hadn’t found any similarities between the two other than the whole three females thing, which I guess I could be included as part of now.
When I thought of Dracula, I imagined a heartless vampire who manipulated humans into doing his biddings and oozed sex appeal. While the latter part held true, I had yet to see Randal manipulate anyone.
“So, dear brother, what did you call us to dinner for?” Bianca finally set her cell phone aside. “I doubt it was in an effort for Kenna and me to get to know one another.” The harshness in her words surprised me.
Not only was I taken aback by her tone, but I also felt the sting from her words linger longer than it should have. My emotions were obviously all over the damn place tonight. Any other night, I might have said something smartass in reply. Tonight, my mind and wittiness had left me.
“While I did ask you to join us for dinner with the intentions of you getting to know Kenna a bit better, and vice versa, I also have a few business issues to discuss with you.” Randal adjusted his cuff links. I wondered if this was a gesture he did when he was irritated, because that was exactly what I heard radiating through his words.
Bianca sipped her red drink, seemingly unaffected by Randal’s tone. I narrowed my eyes on the red liquid filling her glass, trying to gage its thickness. Blood was served here, since Mystic was a supernaturals-only restaurant, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t strange seeing someone drink it in front of me. Even a Bloody Mary didn’t have real blood in it, but it was some sort of synthetic blood that made vampires feel a certain level of bliss.
“What business matters?” Bianca demanded. She had obviously already skipped over the part about getting to know me better. Big surprise there.
“I’m leaving for a short trip tonight and will need you to manage things on your own while I am away.”
“Where are you going?” Bianca didn’t seem too happy about his abrupt announcement, but then again, when had she ever seemed happy? Out of the few times I had been in her presence, she always appeared to have a resting bitch face that went clean through to her center.
Our waiter returned with our drinks then. I didn’t think I had ever been so damn happy to see a glass of wine.
“Kenna and I have decided to take a short trip together,” Randal answered her.
My stomach dropped. Had he told his sisters what had happened to me, or was he about to play this off as some romantic getaway? Either way, this wasn’t a conversation I wanted to be present for.
Before I could think too much more on the situation, Arabella was peppering me with questions. Randal squeezed my knee. I could feel his gaze lock on my face as I struggled to keep up with everything coming from his sister’s mouth.
“I’m taking her to the coast for a few days,” Randal said as our waiter came to ask if we were ready to
order.
Once we had, Bianca chimed right in with another demanding question.
“And the reason behind the trip is?” Skepticism laced her words.
Okay, so maybe he hadn’t said anything to them about the wraith yet. Maybe he had decided to keep this from them with the hopes that the pain from losing Clara to a wraith wouldn’t touch them all over again.
“No particular reason other than to relax and spend some time together,” he answered her.
“I think it’s sweet.” Arabella took a sip of her drink and smiled at us. “You deserve some down time, brother.”
“Thank you.” Randal’s lips curved into a half smile as though her approval of the trip amused him. “Now, Bianca, let’s go over the business end of things quickly.”
While Randal and Bianca talked shop, Arabella and I discussed the scruffy werewolf at the bar who continued to eye her and a few other normal conversation topics until our food came. Everyone grew quiet then.
An hour later, Randal was pulling into the parking lot of my building.
“You should call Dex and have him meet us here, if he still intends to go,” Randal suggested. “I think it would be best if we left as soon as possible.”
“Okay. I talked to him yesterday. He still wants to come.”
This was it. I had survived re-visiting Mystic and dinner with Randal’s sisters. Now it was time to begin the search for Lexy. “When are you coming back here after you get your things?”
“My bag is already in the trunk.”
“Oh, okay.” That was smart. I had yet to pack the first thing. “What time should I tell Dex to come, then?” I pulled my cell out of my clutch as I stepped out of Randal’s car.
“An hour would be sufficient, I should think.”
“Sounds good.” I scrolled through my list of contacts until I found Dex’s name.
Avalon Bay, here we come.
Chapter 21
“Well, we’ve got everythin’ loaded.” Dex rubbed his hands together after slamming the back of Randal’s trunk closed. “Let’s get this road trip movin’ before the sun comes up, people.”
Six hours away, I reminded myself of the distance between Avalon Bay and Newvale. I didn’t think we would make it before the sun came up, but if it wasn’t something Randal was worried about, then neither was I.
I chewed my bottom lip as I slipped into the passenger seat. Randal started his car and the soft, mellow tones of the jazz station he enjoyed filled the car. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat, pulling in steady breaths to calm my nerves. The wraith made itself known in my chest, its iciness pressing beneath the surface of my skin. I wondered if it knew what I was doing, where this road trip would take me and what the outcome might be.
“No, I can’t handle listenin’ to this sleepy-time music the entire trip.” Dex poked his head between the front seats and reached for the dial on the radio. “I’ve got to change it to somethin’ a little more festive at least.”
I waited for Randal to object, but he surprised me by remaining quiet. Even though we had just pulled away from my apartment building, he was already focused on driving. His fingers were wrapped around the steering wheel, making him resemble a man on a mission as he stared straight ahead. This trip wasn’t just about me; it was personal for him as well. We hadn’t talked much about the nightmare and the things the wraith had said, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t been thinking about it.
It was an odd feeling knowing the same wraith that had taken away his little sister was now residing inside of me. I could only imagine how that news had made him feel, especially when you added in the fact that the wraith had mentioned someone held a vendetta against Randal. Whoever the woman was, she had gone out of her way to make sure this specific wraith infected me, even resorting to using hoodoo. I wasn’t sure what that entailed, but I was sure it couldn’t be good. Hoodoo was never associated with anything good. When I thought of who could be behind such a thing, there was only one person who came to mind. Natalia.
She had all the right motives for being behind all this craziness. The question was: Did she honestly think Randal would take her back after killing me off? She had to be even more psycho than I thought.
I had once heard my dad tell me to never piss off a redhead. He said they were the craziest breed of people, the type to hold a grudge forever and be vindictive as hell. Maybe he had been right.
My eyes skimmed over Randal’s profile, taking in his determined jaw and serious expression, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. Was he thinking Natalia might be the one holding all the cards in this screwed up situation, or did he have a list compiled of other ex-girlfriends he was weeding through in his mind?
“There, now that is some music.” Dex finally picked a station, and leaned back in his seat. It had to be a classic rock station, because a song by The Eagles my dad used to love filled the car. “Classics are always in style.” He sang the chorus, humming the words he didn’t know.
An image of my dad tapping his hand against the steering wheel of his beat-up truck in sync with the beat flipped through my mind. God, I missed him. I cracked my window, allowing the cool night air to seep into the car and glide over my clammy skin.
I leaned back against the headrest, listening to the song with a small smile tugging at my lips. I felt as though my father was with me, like this song was him cheering me on from the other side for taking my life into my own hands. Two snippets of wisdom he always tossed my way floated through my mind: Choose your own adventure and be your own hero in your fairytale.
My smile grew, because I felt as though I was doing both.
We drove for three hours before finally stopping at a rest area. I slipped out of the passenger seat with a numb butt and tingling legs. The sun was rising in the distance, streaking the sky with various shades of orange and purple-pink.
“Oh, man, I really needed to stretch out my legs.” Dex climbed out of the backseat. I could hear his bones popping and creaking as he lifted his arms above his head and yawned.
“Me too. My butt is numb.” I twisted my hair into a bun on top of my head as I shook my legs out.
“Mine was numb hours ago.” Dex grinned as he massaged one of his butt cheeks.
“I need a soda or something. Anyone else want anything?” I asked, grabbing my wallet.
“I’ll come with you and get a coffee.” Randal slammed his door shut and pocketed his keys.
I glanced at Dex to see if he wanted anything.
“Nah. Not yet.” He shook his head. “I’ll check out the vendin’ machine content after I hit the urinal.”
I pulled my Chapstick out of my front pocket and applied a thin layer. “All right, suit yourself.”
Even though Dex was heading to the restroom, the three of us walked across the parking lot together. I glanced around, taking in the few cars and people scattered around. It was early in the morning, somewhere close to seven, and the place was practically deserted. From what I could see, there was a janitor and a handful of old people walking their dogs. If Randal and Dex hadn’t been with me, I wasn’t sure I would have stopped. This was the exact scene described on Dateline or CNN, where young women went missing.
“How far are we from Avalon Bay?” I asked, but only because I couldn’t stand walking in silence anymore. The only noise filling my ears came from the rush of traffic speeding along the highway, but it wasn’t enough to shake the creepy sensation rippling along my skin.
“About another two hours away. We seem to have made decent time,” Randal answered.
This trip had taught me two things. One, Randal was the quiet and pensive type when he was stressed. I didn’t think he had said more than two words the entire trip so far. And two, Dex had a decent singing voice. He had sung along with nearly every song that came on the radio.
“Wow, that’s some damn good drivin’ then, lead foot.” Dex slapped Randal on the back and then slipped off into the men’s room.
&nbs
p; Randal and I continued toward the vending machines straight ahead. I fought not to ask him if he was okay. After all, shouldn’t he be the one asking me that question?
I scanned the contents of the first vending machine. It was filled with off-brand sodas I had never heard of before, and then moved on to the one beside it. More sodas, but at least this one had the option for green tea and water as well. I fished out six quarters and pressed the big button for green tea.
“Lexy will help you.” Randal’s voice was jarring. He sounded so cold, but sure of himself. For a split-second, I found myself wondering what he planned to do to ensure that it happened.
“I’m hoping so,” I said, bending to retrieve my drink from the machine.
“She will. I don’t believe she will be able to turn you away, not with what’s inside of you.” There was so much conviction in his words that it was scary.
“I’m not one hundred percent sure that’s my biggest fear.”
Randal’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure her being willing to help me is what I should be worrying about. I think I should hope and pray that she can help me. I get that she can take away things from people, but what if it’s not of this magnitude?”
Randal licked his lips. “I think that is a fair worry.” He inserted two crisp dollar bills from his wallet into the coffee machine and pressed the red button. A horrible grinding noise ate away the silence building between us as the machine got to work on creating his perfect cup, exactly like the slogan claimed. Soon, the sharp scent of freshly ground coffee beans met my nose.
While I had never been a coffee drinker, the scent was something I had always enjoyed. I licked my lips, hoping for a small taste of the sweetness hanging on the air to have tainted them, but there was nothing there. A hollow ache slipped through my core.
I was hungry, famished actually. It had hit me out of nowhere.
Shifting my attention to the vending machine containing snack foods, I picked out something with chocolate and nuts to tide me over until we arrived in Avalon Bay.
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 29