“I love surprises!” she gushed.
My nose crinkled. I turned the stove on and placed my pan over a burner. “I’m not a big fan, but he wouldn’t tell me what it is.”
“Did he give you any clues?”
I pushed my anger and suspicion away and thought back to what he had said at the coffee shop. “A few. He said it’s semiformal so I was thinking about wearing a dress, it’s something that can benefit us both, and we’ll need to be there by nine tonight.” I hoped I wasn’t going to regret having told her anything once I found out what the surprise was. Surely, it wouldn’t be supernatural related.
“Oh, now that sounds like the kind of surprise I would like. He must be taking you someplace nice if you have to dress up.” I could hear the gears turning in her head as she pondered his clues. “It could be dinner at a fancy place, since there’s a set time for you to arrive, but I hope it’s something better. I mean, dinner somewhere fancy is such a letdown for so much buildup.”
I chuckled at the disgust in her voice. “I would be fine with it.”
“You would.” She crunched on whatever she was eating again. “I would be pissed if I were you and it ended up being some lame dinner date.”
“I’m sure.” Bree wasn’t materialistic or a snobby bitch. But when someone set out to surprise her, she wanted it to be a moonlit, romantic gesture straight from a movie, not dinner at a place you could go to any time. Bree was a hopeless romantic for sure. “I’ll be sure to let you know what it actually is tomorrow.”
“You better,” she insisted. “And if it’s just dinner at some place you could go to any night of the week, you had better not put out for him.”
“Ha!” I laughed at her bluntness, even though I didn’t think I would be putting out for him again anytime soon due to the wraith and his growing strength each time I did. I was not masochistic, and I didn’t like the idea of digging myself an early grave with this thing. Then again, this was Randal. His proper way of talking and sexy eyes got me every time. “You do remember what he looks like, right?”
“Ugh, you’re right,” she muttered. “He could breathe on me, and it would feel like foreplay.”
“Bree!” Her words weren’t as shocking as they could be. She was a connoisseur of men, at least when it came to looking at the hot ones. She didn’t cheat on Kellen though. She was loyal to a fault, especially when it came to those she loved. It was another thing I loved about her.
“Anyway…moving on to a different topic. How are the plans coming along for the wedding?”
“Great!” She swallowed a sip of something, and I heard the ice clink around in the glass. “I’m so glad we found that killer red dress for you. Red is such a classic color scheme to go with. It’s going to be perfect. ”
I cracked an egg into the hot pan on my stovetop. “Did you ever settle on the place?”
“Actually, yes. Remember I told you it was a toss-up between that barn people always rent out for weddings and the pond one of Kellen’s coworkers told us about?”
“Yeah, you had your fingers crossed for the pond, right?” I sprinkled my egg with some salt and pepper, enjoying the normalcy of the moment. They seemed to be so few and far between lately.
“Right. Well, the owner called last night to say we could use his place, if we still were looking for somewhere. He even offered to let us use four tables they have, and they have connections with a catering company here in town,” she gushed, sounding as though she couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “We’re supposed to head over there sometime this weekend to meet with him and his wife, and take a little tour of the property. I can’t wait to plan where I want things to go.”
“You’ll have to text me some pictures.” I pulled a spatula from a drawer.
“You know it!” She paused to let out a dramatic sigh. “I wish you were here to help me with all this planning stuff. I miss your sarcastic comments and disgusted faces.”
I laughed as I moved my eggs around with a spatula. “Well, thank you. I think.”
“My mom is supposed to be flying in a couple weeks before the wedding.”
“Oh really?” While Bree and her mom didn’t have a bad relationship, her mother did harbor a take-charge sort of attitude that I knew wouldn’t go over well. She and Bree’s opinions would clash numerous times during her stay, I was sure.
“Yup, she wants to go over the details with me and help with the flower arrangements and stuff.” She paused, and I knew what would be coming next. I could sense it in her tone. “Think that’s something my bestie could do too? Fly up here and help a few weeks before? You know I’m going to need someone in my corner against my mom.”
My teeth sank into my bottom lip. Who knew if I would be around for their wedding? For all I knew, I might be six feet under or completely overtaken by this wraith by then.
“You still have a month to let your boss know and to book a flight,” she said in a singsong voice when I didn’t answer right away.
“I know.” I scraped up the pieces of eggs that were burning, and shifted them to the side of my pan. “I’ll think about it. I’m not making any promises though.”
“Okay.” Hope hung in her tone. I knew she wanted me there, but I wasn’t one to make a promise I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I could keep. “It would be great to see you twice this summer, you know. Once a few weeks before to calm my nerves and make sure I don’t turn into some horrible bridezilla, and then at the wedding a few weeks later.”
“That would be nice.” It would. I couldn’t deny that, but I didn’t want to commit to more than I already had.
Obviously, I wanted to go to my best friend’s wedding, but if Lexy didn’t find a way for me to get rid of this wraith besides the spell she had already mentioned, then I didn’t see it happening. I refused to have someone give up his or her life for mine.
My chest ached at the thought of not being there for Bree on her special day.
We talked for nearly an hour before hanging up. Even though I wasn’t giving her my undivided attention the entire time, it was still a good talk. I missed Bree, and I prayed I was able to see her one more time before whatever happened with this whole wraith savoring my soul crap.
My cell chimed with an incoming text as I hand washed what little dishes I dirtied while making breakfast. I dried my hands and then scooped up my phone to see whom it was from. Irritation burned through me when I saw it wasn’t Lexy. Instead, it was Randal. Seeing his name reminded me of the matchbox Bree found in her house. My stomach swarmed with angry little bees as lightning bolts of doubt zapped at my heart. While I worried Randal might have been the cause of the break-in, another thought hit me: What if he had paid someone to do it? He wouldn’t, though, would he? He had been very persistent with having me send her home so we could continue to Avalon Bay.
I glanced at my cell, my eyes skimming his text.
Are you eager for your surprise tonight?
I wasn’t. Not at all. The desire to flat-out ask if he had been involved in the break-in at Bree’s burned through me. If I did, it would seem completely out of the blue to him. Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt instead and ask him in person, I typed out a reply.
I am, but I think you should come by earlier than we agreed. There’s something I want to talk to you about. ~ Kenna
As soon as I hit send, I regretted it. Now he would know something was wrong. Plus, I had lost the element of surprise, and I wasn’t so sure I would be able to get an honest answer out of him.
Is everything all right? Are you okay?
My teeth sank into my bottom lip. Of course he would ask that.
I’m fine. ~ Kenna
That was all I was giving him. I hoped that he would drop it until later. It wasn’t something I wanted to discuss through text messages or over the phone. I needed to see his face, to look into his eyes, when I told him about it.
Good. How early would you like me to be there?
I thought for a minute
before answering. How long would it take to get the truth out of him? My jaw clenched when I realized that I had already tied him to the break-in in my mind.
At least thirty minutes. ~ Kenna
I wasn’t sure if that would be enough time, but I wasn’t aiming to draw this thing out all night either.
I will be there. Have a good rest of the day.
Yeah, that wasn’t likely to happen. Now I would sit and stew about whether he had paid someone to break in to my best friend’s house. If he had done it, which I was almost positive he had, I wondered what asshole he’d sent. One of the demon bouncers at Red River? If so, it had to be Cliff who had dropped the matches, because the other guy seemed too put together and professional to leave behind any evidence.
Anger lapped at my insides, washing away all traces of the matchbox being a coincidence. Betrayal reigned through me next. How could he have had my best friend’s house broken in to? What the hell was wrong with him?
Chapter 5
I was securing the back to my earring when there was a knock at my front door. I knew it was Randal. My cell said it was eight, which meant he was right on time. The sound of my heels clicking against the wood floors of my hallway seemed to be in sync with my rapid heartbeat. Confrontation wasn’t my thing, but this situation called for it.
Forcing myself to find the anger I had stewed in all day, I gripped the knob and swung the door open. Randal looked handsome, dressed in a dark green, collared shirt with a black blazer and matching slacks.
Always the epitome of sophistication, I thought. Damn him for looking so good. It was hard to be pissed at someone you wanted to jump.
“May I come inside?” There was a slight level of trepidation in his words. He knew I was upset with him about something. It was as though he had sensed it as soon as I opened the door, like my anger had washed over him like a wave.
I pursed my lips together and waved a hand, motioning for him to step inside without speaking. His cologne seduced my senses as he moved past me. I found myself wondering if it was something he wore, or if it was part of his vampire allure to draw in prey. Pushing the door with more force than was necessary, I slammed it shut behind him.
“You look beautiful.” I assumed there would be worry present in his voice once he noticed my demeanor, but there wasn’t. Either he had quickly concluded whatever I had to talk about wasn’t anything worth worrying over, or my muted orange dress had detoured his thoughts.
“Thank you.” I folded my arms over my chest, giving him another reason to suspect I was upset with him in case he needed it.
There was a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Was he trying to make me angrier? Because smirking at me when I was pissed off would do the trick.
“You seem—” He paused and brought a hand up to hide the smile spreading across his face. “Displeased with me over something. I assume this is why you asked me to stop by early, so we could discuss whatever has you so indignant with me.”
“Yup.” Ripping my eyes away from his sexy as hell smirk, I walked to the kitchen and propped my hip against the counter. I refused to let him make me lose my gusto. Randal followed behind me. I locked my gaze on him, readying myself to speak. “Bree called me today.”
“Did she?” He wiped at his chin, distorting his little smirk, but not enough. I could still see it. Worry for where this conversation was headed didn’t tense his shoulders or dim his features. Maybe he wasn’t involved in the break-in after all. “And how is she doing?”
“Fine.” The word had loads of venom laced in it, regardless of where my thoughts were. I guess once I was set in bitch mode I stayed there. “She called to tell me there was a piece of new evidence found,” I continued.
Randal leaned against the countertop across from where I was standing. His hands had dived back into the front pockets of his slacks and the smirk had left his face, but he still didn’t harbor any tension from having a guilty conscience. He seemed at ease. Either he had a damn good poker face, or he seriously wasn’t involved.
“Really.” He crossed his arms over his solid chest. “And what would that be?”
“A book of matches.” I narrowed my eyes, allowing the skepticism I felt pool within them. “They were from Red River.”
I expected a reaction to flicker across his face, but nothing did. He remained as expressionless as a brick wall while as he stared back at me. My heart thundered in my chest as silence built between us. Why was he so unresponsive? My head tipped to the side. Was it because he thought he had done me a favor? Rage blistered my insides at the thought.
“Did you have any involvement in the break-in?” I asked when he didn’t seem willing to surrender information on his own and I couldn’t take the silence anymore.
His jaw tensed then, and I waited for his answer. “I did.”
As soon as the words left his lips, the fiery heat that had been building in my stomach rushed through my body. My teeth ground together, and I had to force myself to think before I spoke. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter. I still said the first thing that came to my mind. “Why the hell would you do that? She’s my best friend, Randal! What were you thinking?”
“I did what was best for you.” He adjusted the cuffs of his blazer without meeting my heated gaze.
“What was best for me?” I scoffed. How could he even say that? “Since when is breaking in to my best friend’s house and wrecking her stuff what’s best for me?” My fingertips tingled; my heart was pounding so fast my blood pressure had to be through the roof.
“Her presence was hindering our search for Lexy.” His expression hardened as his eyes narrowed on me. “I did what I felt would remedy both situations for you.”
“Trashing my best friend’s place and scarring her for life was the only way you could think to help?” I couldn’t believe him.
“No one was told to damage anything. I specifically stated to each of them that my only intention was for the scene to appear grave enough for Bree to be forced to return home as soon as possible. It needed to be believable and nothing more.”
“Each of them? Who all did you send?” I knew it was Cliff—it had to be—along with the other bouncer. They seemed the type someone would hire for such a job.
“Whom I sent to do the task is of no importance.” He inhaled a slow breath. “Tonight is most certainly not happening the way I hoped,” he said as he exhaled.
“Yeah, well that makes two of us,” I muttered.
“What do you propose I should have done, Kenna?” His sharp tone had my eyes snapping to meet his. His expression softened, but it still didn’t curb what I felt about his tone or the situation. “You seemed to struggle with the issue of Bree’s departure and what you knew needed to be done. I helped by taking matters into my own hands.”
I folded my arms across my chest, contemplating what he had said. Bree hadn’t been home when it happened, no one had, but that was beside the point. The point was, Randal took it upon himself to pay someone to break in to my best friend’s house and trash it so she would be forced to fly home.
He had gone too far.
“I understand you are upset with me, and I can only hope that once you have thought the situation through you will see what I did was the best possible solution.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, we must get going if we are to make it to my surprise for tonight.”
I didn’t move. Animosity was still burning through my veins. I wasn’t sure I cared to accompany him wherever the hell he planned on taking me. Surprises had never been my thing, especially not when I was so pissed I could hardly see straight. Did he not have any remorse for all the fear and worry he had caused my friend to go through?
Randal’s cell hummed from inside one of his pockets. He scurried to answer it, which made my blood boil even more. Was it one of his hitman goonies, texting him with an update on another one of their horrible endeavors?
“Shall we?” he asked after replying to whoever had messaged him. Worry shifted thro
ugh his eyes when I didn’t move an inch. “I apologize for my actions, Kenna. In retrospect, I can see how drastic they might seem.” His words softened, as did his features, but it didn’t help ease the anger swelling inside me.
I scoffed at him. Obviously, he was only telling me what he thought I wanted to hear. We both knew he didn’t feel any remorse for what he had done. If he had, then he would have apologized a hell of a lot sooner.
“No one was hurt during the charade, that much I am certain of, considering there was no one present at the time.” He stepped toward me. “Doesn’t that count for something?” His hands gripped my hips as he pulled me close, his scent invading my nose began killing the resolve I harbored.
His thumbs moved against my sides, smothering the flames burning inside me with each soft stroke. The warmth of his breath slipped along my forehead, making me think of his lips. He kissed my hair and I closed my eyes. My body relaxed, and I found myself leaning into him further.
“I know,” I bit out, hating how his closeness seemed to dissolve the anger I had managed to keep hold of for so long.
“Come with me tonight, please.” His voice was low, a deep rumble in his solid chest. His lips moved to my forehead as his thumbs continued in their gentle strokes, calming me even more.
“Fine.” I pulled away from him and shoved my finger in his face. He needed to know what he did wasn’t right, that I didn’t forgive easily, not even when the person pissing me off was someone as sexy as him. While he may hold the power to subdue my anger with a few soft kisses and gentle touches, that didn’t mean he needed to know it. “But I’m still pissed at you.”
“Duly noted.” A breath of amusement escaped him, and I narrowed my eyes. His delight in seeing me pissed irked me.
“You should have told me what you planned.” I continued to spear him with a pointed gaze. “I’m not condoning how you went about things, but you should have said something to me beforehand.”
“Would you have allowed me to go through with it if I had?”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 36