“Thanks. It smells delicious.” I wasn’t just being nice. Mrs. Potts made some yummy gumbo.
“You know, I do have to be straight about it,” she said, taking a seat at my little kitchen table. “I have another reason for dropping in on you.”
“What’s that?” I asked as I put on a pot of coffee.
“Chaucer got real fidgety last night. He kept pacing the floor and looking at the wall separating our apartments,” she explained.
Chaucer was her black cat, but the way she carried on about him one might think he was a real person.
“He did?” I asked, playing along.
“Yup.” She nodded. “He couldn’t keep his eyes off the wall. He was burning a hole right through it.”
It occurred to me that maybe the cat had heard someone in my apartment, but I quickly dismissed the idea. I was just being paranoid because of my experience with Ethan and Alec.
“Well, I hope he didn’t upset you too much,” I told her, pouring some coffee in two cups.
“Thank you,” she said when I set her cup in front of her. “No, I wasn’t upset but I was a little nervous. I didn’t know what to think. When you’re gone, there’s no telling what you’re up to.”
The note of disapproval in her voice wasn’t anything new. Mrs. Potts thought I was crazy to work for a private investigator. She was of the opinion that a woman’s place was in the home and that I should be out looking for a husband.
I thought it better not to go into what I had been up to, so I tried to change the subject. “I hear it’s supposed to rain.”
“We’ll get a torrent and it will clear up,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Now about last night. On account of Chaucer having such an uncanny ability to tell when something’s wrong, I decided I better read your cards.”
Oh no! Not the cards again, I moaned inwardly.
For some reason, Mrs. Potts had the idea that she could read someone, even if they weren’t present.
“And?” I asked, still playing along.
“And, I saw some dark clouds ahead of you, Pumpkin. Your heart is slowly slipping away from you, but the one you give it to will be dangerous. I just wanted to tell you so you can be on the lookout for anyone like that.”
Maybe she really could read my future in her cards.
I dismissed the idea immediately. It had to be a coincidence. Besides, why did her warning bring up images of Alec Norwood? It wasn’t as if he actually meant anything to me.
Draining her cup, Mrs. Potts got to her feet. “You can just bring the pan back when you’re done with it. I have to get Chaucer his lunch. He gets so fussy if he doesn’t eat on time.”
“Well, thanks for the gumbo and the warning,” I added.
“Mind what I tell you. Be careful,” she said as she was leaving.
After rinsing the cups, I placed them in the sink and headed for my bedroom to get dressed.
The outfit I picked out would depend on whether I decided to do what Ethan wanted me to do. If I did, I was going to need something a lot sexier than jeans and a t-shirt. My eyes fell on the black cocktail dress that hung in my closet. It was the dress I’d worn to my senior prom, so it was a little outdated, but it would work.
All Ethan wanted was for me to go to Dark Winds and use some female persuasion to convince Alec to help.
But don’t look into his eyes and don’t let him seduce you. Ethan’s words echoed through my head.
I had to be crazy to even consider it. One of two things was going on. Either they were both lunatics, or I would be flirting with a vampire. In either case, getting involved couldn’t be a good thing.
But the thought of seeing Alec again gave me a funny feeling. It was what I imagined it would feel like if I had a swarm of butterflies in my stomach.
Chapter Eight
Alec
For being a Saturday night, the crowd had thinned out early. Those few people who remained at the Dark Wind were the diehard partiers who couldn’t stand to call it quits until closing time.
As I packed away my guitar, I studied the people who remained.
Who would be my prey for the night?
I didn’t usually hunt so close to home but I was in need of a new feeder. The last one had died unexpectedly.
Maybe it hadn’t really been so unexpected, but it had happened much sooner than what I’d anticipated. Feeders died all the time. Sooner or later they all succumbed to the constant loss of blood.
Now it was time to find a new feeder.
There was a time that I’d been more like Ethan - subsisting on animal blood and searching for the answer to the curse that had given me immortality.
That was a long time ago.
Each year that went by, the hunger took a little more of that humanity that I’d been so determined to hold onto. Now, I could barely remember why I’d tried so hard to retain that human part of me.
There were times when I would feel a flicker of it return, like when I’d turned Ethan. The kid had been so confused and frightened. He hadn’t deserved that kind of death. At the time, I believed I was saving him, but now I regretted it. Ethan was too good to be cursed with this life.
A vampire’s life was not a real life. It was more like an existence.
I should have let Ethan take his last breath and enter oblivion. It would have been a better option than the one I gave him. My decision to turn Ethan had been too impulsive. This was a human weakness that I was still trying to control.
Leaving the stage, I made my way to the back room that was supposed to be the band’s lounge. It was little more than a room with a refrigerator and TV. It worked and had what we needed. In fact, it didn’t even look too bad, if you could ignore the dingy peeling wallpaper.
Lately we’d been getting much bigger gigs, but Necro continued to play at the Dark Wind because the bass player was part owner.
It kept us busy during slow times, but the slow times were getting fewer.
For no other reason than to take my mind off the gnawing hunger eating away at my brain, I picked up the newspaper from the little table near the portable fridge and scanned the headlines.
The sheer volume of crime and mayhem in the city crushed any qualms I might have had about snuffing some of them out. Humans were on their way out and they didn’t even realize it. I found this troubling for one reason and one reason only; if the species died out, so would our food supply?
I sensed her presence even before she walked into the room. After stealing a quick peek, I turned my attention back to what I’d been doing.
Tonight she was an entirely different person than she’d been the first time I saw her. Her slinky black dress hugged her curves like a second skin. It looked fantastic on her, but there was a lot of cleavage showing.
Nicole’s bare flesh called to my hunger. Her long, graceful neck was exactly the kind of neck I loved to sink my fangs into.
Oh yes! She was dressed exactly like the kind of woman that I liked to take as a feeder, but she wasn’t that kind of woman at all. Nicole might be dressed for the occasion, but she hadn’t been too successful in her attempt to disguise her innocence. She wore it like a protective cloak, but I did sense some fraying of that cloak. There was a part of her soul that was darkened by sorrow.
But not even her sorrow could entirely extinguish the light within her.
Coming here tonight hadn’t been her idea. Although I couldn’t read her, I was sure of that much. I could smell her fear.
It was just as well. She was far too tempting. I would devour her like I did all my playthings. There was a part of me that wanted to preserve her light. She was special, like Ethan said.
But why did I care?
She was standing behind me, silently watching. The sound of her heartbeat was like a drum in my ears, the rush of her blood, a symphony.
Finally, I turned around to acknowledge her. “Well, if it isn’t the little assistant? I’m surprised you would come looking for me again.”
“C
an we talk?” she asked.
As she spoke, the artery in her neck pulsated in time with her heart. The hunger flooded through me like a rampaging river. She was so tempting that it was a struggle to stay in control.
“I don’t think now would be a good time,” I said, turning away.
If I looked at her for another second, she would end up being dinner. Nicole was too beautiful and too innocent for that.
“Please.” She reached out to lay her hand on my arm.
Her warmth against my chilled skin was like getting the smallest taste of the sunshine I craved.
I wanted more!
Suddenly, the hunger exploded and I was no longer in control.
“Wait outside,” I snarled, before rushing from the room.
Once she was out of sight, the burning subsided, if only a little.
The Dark Wind was now quiet. The rest of the band were out hunting, enjoying the taste of New Orleans.
When I saw her exit the building, I rushed back to the lounge and the refrigerator where I kept my emergency stash of blood bags. They were too cold for my taste, but some time in the microwave would take care of that. It would be enough to ease my hunger for a little while.
If I hadn’t walked away when I did, there is no telling what would have happened. I would have been in a much better position to control it if she’d come after I’d fed.
The timer went off and I grabbed the bag from the microwave. Lifting it above my head, I let the warm blood drain into my mouth. It wasn’t preferable by any means, but it would control my hunger while I was with Nicole.
I would have to send her away again. This time more forcefully.
Chapter Nine
Nicole
Although my feet were killing me, I continued pacing back and forth beneath the buzzing neon bat. I’d messed up when I decided on spiked heels, but the temptation had been too much. They looked fantastic, but totally sucked when it came to comfort.
I still wasn’t sure if I was swallowing the whole vampire thing, although when I approached Alec, there was a moment when I was almost certain he was going to turn on me.
Blaming it on Ethan was easy.
It was all Ethan’s fault that I was in a dark parking lot, waiting for a guy who may or may not show. He’d been pushing hard for me to make a return visit to the Dark Wind.
But the truth was, I had my own reasons for agreeing to another meeting. I was anxious to get another look at Alec Norwood. Maybe he was way out of my league, but as long as I kept my distance, seeing him again shouldn’t be a big deal.
That was if he actually talked to me at all. Judging by the way he’d acted when I approached him, I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t just ditch me.
If I were to be really truthful with myself, my visit was not just about seeing Alec again. I wanted to know more about what was going on and how the living could communicate with the dead. Ethan had all but said there was a way to reach into that other world, but that we would need Alec’s help.
What if it were true?
What if there really was a way to connect with Jay?
If there were real vampires, why couldn’t there be a way to reach beyond the veil of death to my little brother?
Of course, Ethan hadn’t actually said Alec could do this, only that there might be a way with his help.
“You seem agitated.” The voice came from the murky shadows beyond the reach of the neon light.
The sound of his voice nearly sent me out of my skin. I sure wished he’d stop sneaking up on me.
I’d assumed he would come out of the front entrance, but he must have taken a rear exit and come around the building.
“Well, it isn’t like I stand around dark parking lots, waiting to meet up with a vampire all the time.” I said the first thing that came to mind.
Alec’s deep laughter was somewhat menacing. “No, I don’t suppose you do.”
“Alec, will you please reconsider? Ethan really needs your help on this.” I was tempted to bat my eyelashes but thought that might be taking it a little too far.
“The Light Seekers are wasting their time.” Alec’s voice was full of contempt. “They are looking for something that doesn’t exist.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“For years I searched for the answers and found nothing. I’m sure I would have come across some evidence of this secret … this place of light,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “But if Ethan wants to continue wasting his time, well it’s not like he is short of that.” Alec gave me a dark smile.
Frustration and anger took hold of me and I couldn’t help returning his malice by way of my own cold smile.
“Well, I tried,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. “I guess you’re just not up to something this difficult.”
His eyes locked with mine and I could feel him trying to pull me in. It wasn’t going to happen again so I looked away.
“Nicole.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “What a beautiful name.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, still avoiding eye contact. I shouldn’t have thanked him since it was obvious he was trying to seduce me, but basic manners were something that had been pounded into my head for as long as I could remember.
You always thank someone who has just paid you a compliment. At least you did if it was sincere, and I couldn’t really tell if his compliments were real.
Alec motioned toward a blue Mustang parked near the building. “What do you say we go for a ride, Nicole?”
The way he said my name was like a soft caress and it sent shivers of anticipation through my entire body.
I was shocked by the fact that I was actually thinking about accepting his invitation.
What could I possibly be thinking?
If he wasn’t totally crazy, then he was a vampire. Neither scenario was good.
“I don’t think so,” I said, shaking my head. “I only came here to talk to you about Ethan.”
“So he sent you to do his dirty work again?” A scowl twisted at his handsome features.
“I’m his assistant. It’s my job,” I said in defense of my boss.
Alec closed the distance between us. “And you are such a pretty little assistant.”
This time, I didn’t thank him. It was obvious he was being a tease. When I opened my mouth to tell him as much, he cut me off.
“You’re not going to turn me away, are you?” He was so close I could feel his breath on my face. “If you’re here to convince me to help, perhaps you should be a little nicer to me.”
My heart did flip-flops and at first, I didn’t know how to respond. Although I was supposed to be doing a little flirting, I’d also been warned not to take it too far.
“I think I should leave.” The quiver in my voice betrayed the turmoil raging inside me.
“Now come on, Nicole. You want my help, right?”
His fingers gently slid across my bare shoulder, pulling at the spaghetti strap just enough to be enticing, but not enough to actually lower it.
“Poor poor Nicole. She longs to sample the darkness, but is so frightened of what she might find there.” The flashing blue fire in his eyes consumed me to the point that I couldn’t move.
My head is screaming at me to run while every cell in my body wanted to get closer.
“I can’t.” My throat was so tight I felt as if I would choke on my words.
His dark menacing laughter filled the space between us. “Nicole, if my intention was to simply kill you or fuck you, I could easily have done so already. I want you to convince me of just how badly you need my help.”
Was his help worth risking my life, or even worse, my heart?
The temptation was too much. I had to know more about him and his world of darkness.
Chapter Ten
Nicole
Alec opened the passenger side door of the Mustang and motioned to the leather seat. “For you, My Lady.”
Hesitating, I glanced back at the club’s entrance. The
re was no one around. He could just toss me in the car and be gone. No one would even realize I was missing until tomorrow.
“Are you coming?” he asked, lifting one dark brow.
Exhaling loudly, I slid into the leather seat and he shut the door. I couldn’t get over the feeling that I’d just stepped over the threshold into some murky unknown that I might never come back from.
The scent of expensive leather filled the air. Alec drove a nice car and an expensive one. I hadn’t realized musicians made so much money unless they were superstars.
Alec got in the driver’s seat. When he leaned over to grab my seatbelt, his arm brushed against my breast and a rush of heat surged through my veins.
My body was such a betrayer. How could I ache to feel him touch me when I really didn’t want anything to do with him that way?
The laughter in his eyes seemed to be mocking me. Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that.
“You should always wear your seatbelt,” he said as he clicked it into place.
“You’re not wearing one,” I pointed out.
Alec laughed. “It’s not like I’m going to die.”
The engine came to life. As soon as he pulled onto the road, the car surged forward and I almost lost my stomach. The lights of the city rushed past us.
Alec had to be one of those fast cars and fast women kind of guys. When I glanced over at him, my suspicions were confirmed. He wore an expression of such intensity that it bordered on euphoric.
In spite of his apparent addiction to speed and danger, he seemed so normal. No doubt he was probably the most charismatic and gorgeous guy I’d ever met, but he still appeared to be just a man.
The more I was around him, the more I found myself wishing he was just a regular guy. But he wasn’t. Deep down I knew Ethan was telling the truth.
“Where are we going?” I asked, breaking the silence that had settled over us.
Shifting the Mustang into high gear, he gave me a sideward glance. “My place.”
Dark Melody: A Vampire Romance (Immortal Legacy Book 1) Page 4