“No,” Randal gritted out.
“My dearest brother.” Bianca’s lips slipped into a wicked grin. “Do you not enjoy the sensation of someone controlling whom you should be with? The helplessness that claws at your insides as someone pushes you toward another you harbor no feelings for, is it not appealing to you?” There was such harshness in her words.
I was beginning to think Bianca held some sort of animosity for Randal that seemed to involve matters of her heart. For a moment, I wondered what the story was, because there had to be something there—a reason Bianca was such a roaring bitch.
“You and I, together,” Natalia cooed as she pressed her body against Randal. “We belong together. Once your little succubus tramp dies from the wraith, I know you will feel the same way about me you always have.”
My gut churned. I wasn’t sure what I felt more, anger at the bitch for calling me a tramp or mortified because she had just aired the fact I was infected with a wraith to everyone. Murmuring rippled through the room as shock and validation seemed to swarm through those present. A flush crept across my cheeks as I tightened my arms around my middle. If I had worried before I was the topic of conversation, I could say without hesitation I was now.
Randal jerked away from Natalia, drawing everyone’s attention from me and back to him. “What did you say?” There was control embedded in his words, but also fury mixed with confusion. “How do you know about the wraith?” His voice shook with bewilderment.
I, however, was not shaken by her words. In fact, my mind jumped to the speculation I had of Natalia potentially being the one who sent the damn wraith my way. After all, she was female and she had a motive. And the wraith had specified the person was a woman.
“I’m so sorry, sugar.” Tara, Dex’s date, had stepped to my side without my noticing. “I could tell there was something attached to you, but I had no clue what it was.” She reached out and patted my forearm, in what I was sure she meant to be a comforting gesture.
I blinked, and my attention was drawn to the room as a whole. The eyes of everyone had shifted to me exactly as I thought they had. They were staring as though it had been announced I was dying of a form of terminal cancer. I remembered the look well from when my father was still alive, and I still detested it.
Memories of walking through the grocery store with my father after he announced his prognosis blasted through me. The pitiful looks we would get, the apologies people would offer—not based out of accountability, but because of the unfairness of the situation—the deep sighs, the thoughtful expressions, the understanding nods even though you knew there was no possible way they could comprehend even a fraction of what you were feeling.
Everything flooded back at a rapid pace, making it hard for me to breathe.
The murmurings of those standing around pulled me from the emotions drowning me. While I couldn’t focus on everything being said, I did manage to catch bits and pieces. Some talked about how sorry they felt for me, as well as for Randal. Clara was mentioned numerous times, as was Natalia being a better fit for Randal than me. While others said they didn’t think it was wise for him to set himself up for heartbreak by being with me, some mentioned it was his guilt from losing his sister that tied him to me. How he must feel sorry for me.
A set of icy eyes slipped over me. I lifted my gaze to see whom they belonged to. Bianca stared at me with a smug and self-satisfying grin stretched across her face as she tapped her index finger against the side of her glass. If there had been any question as to whether the news of a wraith having infected me surprised her, the look on her face made it apparent she had already known. How, I wasn’t sure, but if I had to guess, I would say Natalia was the female the wraith mentioned, and because of their close friendship, she had confessed to Bianca what she had done.
I glanced around the room, searching for Arabella. Surely, she hadn’t known; I couldn’t be that bad at judging a person. When I spotted her standing a few feet away, her hand covering her mouth and her eyes wide with worry, I knew she had no part in this Natalia ambush or with my being infected with a wraith.
My eyes traveled back to Bianca. Her lips moved, mouthing the words, my brother is too good for you, and that was all it took. I was out the door and down the gravel driveway faster than I ever thought possible in a pair of heels.
Chapter 8
Cool air rushed into my starved lungs as I stalked away from the house. I couldn’t stand to be in there anymore, especially not under Bianca’s hellacious stare. That entire house was filled with people who either loathed me or felt sorry for me. I didn’t need anyone’s sympathy, and I damn sure didn’t care to hear the horrible things people thought about me out loud.
After a few measured breaths, something released in my chest. Suddenly, I could breathe comfortably again. I was rounding the first corner of the driveway when I realized where I was and what I was doing. I didn’t have a car, I was miles away from home, and there was no way in hell I was stepping back into that house to ask anyone for a ride.
I needed a cab, but how would I tell the driver where to pick me when I had no clue where I was?
Picking up my pace, I continued forward, praying there would be a road sign within view soon. I dug for my cell in my clutch, so that the second I spotted one, I could call a cab.
“Where are you going?” Randal’s voice startled me. It was tight and harsh, a tone he had never used with me, and one I didn’t appreciate.
“Home,” I snapped, my feet still moving forward, unwavering in their pace.
Too quick for me to see, he placed himself in front of me. His hands gripped my waist, forcing me to a standstill. “Please stop for a moment.” Exasperation trickled through his words.
“Why? There isn’t anything you could possibly say that would make me want to go back in there.” Tears rimmed my eyes, but I fought hard to keep them at bay. I would not cry. Not in front of Randal, not because of the situation, and damn sure not because of the risk of anyone from inside seeing me.
“I don’t understand why you are so upset.” His voice was low, but his words still were like a slap to the face. How could he not understand when he had been in the freaking room with me?
“You’re kidding, right?” I scoffed, jerking myself backward so I was free from his grasp. Anger burned through me.
“No.” Sincerity pooled within the cool gray of his eyes. He honestly didn’t understand what had me so miffed and ready to run. “Natalia is leaving. I’ve had Arabella call a cab for her.”
Natalia? He thought she was the cause of my upset? Granted she was part of it, but the way I was feeling wasn’t solely due to her presence. There were many more factors to take into consideration.
“It’s not just her. It’s Bianca, and everyone in there.” I jabbed my finger at the house and shook my head. “I can’t handle the way everyone was staring at me.”
A cloud drifted over the moon, casting us into shadows and making it hard for me to see his expression when he spoke. “They exhibit sympathy for you, which is a natural emotion considering the circumstances.”
“I didn’t ask for their sympathy,” I gritted out. “Did you happen to hear the things being said about us?”
Ordinarily, I wasn’t one to dwell on other’s opinions of me—at some point, since becoming a succubus, my skin must have thickened—but this situation had definitely gotten the best of me.
“I managed to catch a few things, but not all.”
“While none of them were particularly nice, there were a couple that really struck a chord with me.”
The cloud blocking us from the dim glow of the moon shifted, allowing me to see the amount of concern in his face. “Such as?”
“How sad it is that your guilt from losing your sister to a wraith is the only thing tying you to me, and how I’m probably playing that bit up. They believe you are only with me because you feel sorry for me.” I dropped my gaze as soon as the words left my mouth, because I knew I should have never sa
id them. They should have died on the tip of my tongue, never given the right to live, because they weren’t true. I didn’t have to look at Randal to know this, or even hear his response.
His fingers gripped my chin and he lifted my face up, so I would look at him. “Tell me, is that what you believe as well?”
His eyes were hopeful, confident in what my answer would be. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, because I wasn’t sure how I felt about us. All I knew was I didn’t need some psycho ex-girlfriend or vindictive, bitchy sister drama. There was already more than enough on my plate.
“I don’t know what to believe at this point.” My words left me in a whisper. It was the truth. A part of me believed the things I heard whispered. “I know you feel a sense of responsibility after hearing the wraith say he was chosen to infect me out of revenge toward you.”
The look that crossed his face crushed me. While I did believe what I said, I also knew, once Randal got over the initial shock, he had been there for me for all the right reasons. He cared about me, something he had made perfectly clear on more than one occasion. Things were personal for him, yes, but it was no reason for me to toss it in his face. I didn’t blame him. I could see how the sensation of guilt might be what was driving this relationship forward now. It hurt like hell, but it made sense.
He shook his head, his stare locking on mine. “How could you think such a thing? I can assure you if I wanted to be with Natalia I would, but the truth of the matter is, I don’t. When I decided to cut ties with her, it was not because of you, but because I no longer enjoyed the person she was.” His brows furrowed. “In the beginning I enjoyed her company, but as time went on, that enjoyment died out.”
I wasn’t buying it. They had been together for way too long for that to be the case. “Why stay with her so long?”
A stony expression crossed his face. “I wish there was an answer that didn’t leave me sounding like an ass, but there isn’t. I stayed with her because she was there. Natalia refused to leave, even when we fought. She was always the first to apologize, to smooth things over. Our relationship was merely convenient and nothing more.”
While I hadn’t been in many long-term relationships, I could still understand what he was saying. Sometimes it was better to be with someone, anyone, than to be alone. “What made you change your mind about your relationship?”
I had wanted to know the answer to this question since I witnessed the two of them break up at Mystic. One minute, Natalia had been calling it quits because she caught him staring at me, then they were back together, and then they were broken up by his doing moments later. An image of Randal sitting at the table, sipping his wine while she called him everything under the sun flashed through my head. He had appeared so calm and collected during a situation I would have found to be mortifying.
“The night I first saw you, you were sitting at the bar in Mystic alone, sipping your drink. I knew by looking at you what you were, a succubus, but there was something different about you, something pure. It was mesmerizing, as it is to me even now.” He reached out and cupped my cheek. A small smile pulled at his lips as though he were reliving the memory. His hand dropped all too quickly, and he continued, “Natalia caught me staring at you. She called you a derogatory name and referenced the trampish ways of other succubi. I grew angry with her, not only for her name-calling, but because she couldn’t see the beauty I saw in you, in what you were. Then when I noticed the gentleman two seats away, eyeing you as though he wanted to savor you like a delicacy, I nearly snapped. I could see the wickedness of the erotic and provocative things he had done tainting his essence. I could see the coldness of Natalia’s soul darkening her beauty. Neither had any right to be looking at you, a beautiful angel with demon horns unaware of the filth ogling her and the envious women degrading her in whispers.”
I blinked, thinking back. I had been waiting to meet Dex that night. Sage had set the two of us up on a blind date, and he was nearly thirty minutes late. I thought I had been stood up, but had stayed to finish my drink, wanting to give Dex more time. The image of the incubus Randal was talking about slipped through my mind. Even I had known he was vile after one look at him. A shiver ran down my spine, and I shifted on my feet.
“So, what you’re saying is you retract your earlier statement. I obviously did play a part in your decision to end your longstanding relationship with Natalia.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. The wind was picking up a bit.
A grin twisted into place on Randal’s face. “Not exactly. You made me realize there were supernaturals out there who were good and pure, untainted by the harshness of our world.” He stared into my eyes, his grin growing by the second. “You made me yearn to feel that way again.”
“Please don’t say I made you want to be good again.” I rolled my eyes. The mood was turning too serious. My heart pounded against my chest as I wondered where this conversation was headed, because it only seemed to be going in one direction—toward a confession of feelings I wasn’t sure I was ready for. It would make my decision not to go through with the spell Lexy intended to use that much harder to make. “That’s such a corny line, and it’s way overused.”
Randal laughed. The same rich, smooth laugh always seemed to flow from him. “I will avoid using those exact words, then. However, I must admit the sensation, or rather epiphany, was something comparable. Yes.” He pulled me into him by wrapping his arm around my waist, and then pressed his lips to my hair. Inhaling his spicy scent, I closed my eyes and allowed the contentment of the moment, the feel of him, to wash over me. A satisfied sigh slipped from me as a lack of tension that almost equated to a sensation of weightlessness crept through me.
Randal Vincent was all I had ever wished for—someone I could kiss without killing who was incredibly attractive and liked me for me, not because of some crazy allure I had going for me. Regardless of what happened when it came to the wraith, at least I had finally found something worth keeping, something most spend their whole lives searching for and never find. I had gotten a taste of it, even if it was a tiny one. It was more than most my age could say.
Loud footfalls crunched across the gravel driveway toward us. “Okay, the nutcase has been subdued to the guest room for the time bein’. You’re sister, Bianca, is supposed to be givin’ her a lift home at some point. She called off the cab.” Dex’s gruff voice met my ears. “I think it’s safe to come back inside now.”
There was a sly smirk twisting at his features as he continued toward us. I shook my head, knowing there was no way in hell I could walk through those doors and face all those people. “No. I’m going home. I can’t go back in there after that.”
Randal pulled away. I could feel his intense stare sweeping over my face. “It will be just as difficult for me.”
I brought my eyes to his. “Not really. It is your house.” I licked my lips and then dropped my arms. “I’m ready to call it a night. I think I’m going to call a cab.”
Randal’s eyes narrowed. Obviously, he wasn’t happy about my decision. “If you are certain you do not want to stay, then I will drive you. There is no need for a cab,” he insisted, his tone harsh and commanding.
I straightened my back. Neither his tone nor his words sat well with me. I opened my mouth to say so, but Dex cut me off.
“Or I can take you,” Dex offered. “Tara would have to come though; she’s sort of my date tonight.” He ran a hand through his brown hair as a slight smile curved the corners of his lips.
“No, I’ll call a cab.” I wasn’t riding with sympathetic Tara all the way to my place, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand the silence that would surround Randal and I on the trip. A cab seemed to be the best solution. “Thanks though.” I flashed them each a small smile, hoping to diffuse any animosity either might harbor due to my persistence.
“If you insist. Would you at least grant me the honor of calling one for you, as well as paying?” Randal dug his cell out of his pocket before I could give him
an answer.
I hadn’t planned on objecting. I only had a few bucks in cash on me. Who knew how much it would cost to get my butt home from wherever the hell I was?
Dex stepped closer to me as Randal spoke with someone from the cab company. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and flashed him a smile. This guy had definitely turned out to be loveable. In fact, when we first met, I assumed he was a filthy, arrogant ass who was lazy. Now that I knew him better, I sort of felt guilty for my judgmental thoughts upon first impression. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“You sure?” He reached out and gripped my shoulder. “Natalia was a real bitch to blast that all over, and Bianca—well I told you before, it’s the hairdo. She might not be so bad if she’d loosen that bun of hers.”
“I know.” I laughed.
“They assured me a cab would be here in ten minutes.” Randal slipped his cell into his pocket as he stepped to my side.
I opened my mouth to thank him, but Sage barreled down the driveway, dragging Luke behind her. She beelined straight for me, her heels crunching against the gravel at a pace I was positive would have me twisting my ankle.
“What a crazy bitch. I always knew she was off her damn rocker, but Jesus. It’s women like her who give the rest of us a bad rep when it comes to breakups.” She stalked toward me with venom darkening her eyes. He stare shifted to Randal. “I always said you could do much better than her.” An emotion flickered through her eyes, but I couldn’t quite label it. It was gone in an instant. “And I’m glad to see you finally have.” She nodded in my direction.
“Thank you,” Randal said.
“I have to agree with Sage on this one. That chic is a loon,” Luke chimed in. A shit-eating grin plastered itself on his face. “And I have to say, you and that sister of yours have major drama going on. I thought my sister and I had some hostility between us, but yours takes the cake, I’m afraid, which makes me feel good.”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 39