Soulmates

by Nadine Nightingale

  “We won’t drive,” Bonnie explains. “We’ll catch a plane.”

  “What about the cops?”

  “Let’s just say I have a way of convincing people to do what I want.”

  Is this a joke? “You going to use your magic to get you on a plane?”

  She sighs. “Listen, we’re at the airport booking the tickets. I gotta go.”

  I’m not sure what to make of my best friend’s sudden change of heart. She’d refused to use magic all her life, and now she wants to manipulate a whole airport? “Be careful,” I murmur, but she’d already ended the call.

  I throw my phone on the table and ogle the half-empty bourbon bottle. Ah screw it! If I have to spend hours alone in a hunter bar, I might as well make the best of it. I unscrew the poison and down a good portion. It tastes like crap but warms my cold heart.

  “Tough day?” a raspy voice whispers.

  I spin. Gunmetal-blue eyes stare back at me. A sexy smile lights up the sinister bar. Oh my God. “Bay?” Hot-you’re-missing-out-angel-Texas-bartender Bay? “What the hell are you doing here?”

  He smiles sheepishly. “Maniac, remember?”

  Right. He did say he was from Maine.

  He runs a hand over his shaved head. “Mind if I join you?”

  It’s sorta weird to run into the Texas bartender, who told me about the missing kids in Bakersfield, in such a small town as Winter Harbor. I check out his tight blue shirt and his intense eyes. Even weirder that I declined his offer to give him a lesson in dark arts, aka mind-blowing sex.

  “Amanda?” He catches me staring.

  Heat flushes my cheeks. “Knock yourself out,” I say, pointing to the free chair across from me.

  He plops down. “What are you doing here, angel? Thought you were headed to Bakersfield.”

  Where I almost died, ’cause I had a face-off with a psycho bokor and pervert asshole. “Got tired of the heat,” I state nonchalantly. “What about you? Finally had enough of cowboy boots and sweet tea?”

  His rich laughter echoes through the empty bar, making me all sorts of fuzzy. “Nah. I’ll never get enough of that shit. Just visiting family.”

  My eyes go wide. “So you are from Winter Harbor?”

  One arm on the table, the other thrown over the back of the chair, he nods. “Born and raised here.”

  I squint. “That’s one helluva coincidence, us meeting here.”

  One side of his mouth curls up. “Is it? A coincidence, I mean.”

  I raise my brows, not sure where he’s going with this. “Got a better explanation?”

  “Sure.” His grin spreads like an infectious disease. “Fate.”

  “Fate, huh?”

  “There’s one more possibility,” he says matter-of-factly.

  “You haven’t been able to get me out of your pretty little head and are stalking me?” I sound like a telephone sex chick.

  Bay leans back. “You don’t have self-esteem issues, do you?”

  “Nope.”

  He laughs. “Neither do I.”

  I study his well-formed chest and his very kissable lips. “You don’t say.” Guys like Bay never lack confidence. Why would they? They’re the best the male species has to offer.

  “Hey.” Bay waves JJ’s dad over. “Can we get a bottle of tequila?” The boy didn’t just remember where I was headed, he also knows what I drink. Impressive.

  The old man’s wrinkled face hardens. There’s something chilling about the pointed look he gives Bay. He grabs a bottle from the shelf and stomps toward us. “Anything else?” he barks, slamming two short glasses and a bottle of Jose on the table.

  Despite the shitty way he’s treated, Bay smiles. “Nah, we’re good.”

  “Wait,” I say as Mr. Grumpy turns to walk away. “Any chance we could get oranges and cinnamon?”

  JJ’s dad gazes over his shoulder. “Do I look like I run an organic grocery store, missy?” Before I can come back at him in typical Amanda fashion, he stalks back to the bar.

  Bay arches a brow. “Wow, what did you do to him?”

  “Ah, you know, just the usual stuff. Ordered bourbon, offered him a lesson in Sicilian ties. Nothing special.”

  Bay’s jaw drops. “You’re kidding, right?”

  I pour two shots and grin. “I don’t do jokes, remember?”

  For a split second, Bay stares at me as if I’ve lost my freaking mind. Then he brings the glass to his lips and smiles. “Cheers to that.”

  I gawk at the tattoos crawling all over Bay’s arm right up to his neck. I hadn’t paid much attention the last time I saw him, but now he’s so close I get a good look at the weird religious symbols. Runes, crosses, pentagrams, an om—every religion is represented. They look creepily familiar. I swear I’ve seen them before, but where?

  “Like what you see, angel?”

  I move the short glass from one hand to the other. “You into religion?” I ask, still trying to figure out why the tattoos ring a bell.

  “The truth?”

  I cross my arms. “No, Bay. Lie to me.”

  He leans in. I smell the tequila on his breath. “Girls dig the mysterious-guy look. The tattoos”—he points at his neck—“are responsible for half my fun nights.”

  “What’s responsible for the other half?” I challenge him.

  A devilish smile shoots over his lips. “The fact I’m a sexy beast with incredible skills.”

  I fill up his glass. “Ever heard that barking dogs don’t bite?”

  “This one does,” he assures me, voice husky.

  I already knew that. Emotion absorbing vacuum cleaner?

  Bay leans back, making his chair rise on its two legs. Balancing precariously, he studies me. “You gonna tell me what brings you to my hometown?”

  “We’re visiting a friend,” I say, tracing the edge of the glass.

  He narrows his eyes. “Who’s we?”

  “A friend and me.”

  “A friend, or boyfriend?”

  I like that he’s not beating around the bush and smile. “I don’t do boyfriends.”

  A mesmerizing smile plays on his lips. “You know, I’m beginning to wonder where the hell you’ve been all my life.”

  Busy dying for a dude who tried to kill me twice, got me shot once, and lied to me multiple times—that’s where. No more. I’ll help Alex out of this deal, watch him ride off into the sunset with JJ, and never ever think about him again.

  We kill half the bottle, have plenty of good laughs, and realize our mothers share the How to Make Your Kid’s Life Living Hell gene. It seems the only thing Bay and I don’t have in common is the dislike for our sisters. Unlike me, the guy adores his. She’s also the reason he returned home.

  I shove another shot toward him. “You do realize not going to college to piss of your mother is sort of stupid?”

  He shrugs. “Yeah, but you should have seen the look on her face back when I told her I’d moved to Texas to serve a couple of old bikers in a fucked-up bar.” He holds the glass up and grins. “Priceless.”

  I kinda know what he means. I would have given my left arm to see my mother’s expression when Melinda told her I earned my living by reading cards. “So what’s next for you?”

  Bay sighs. “Dunno. Don’t care. I take life as it comes.”

  Why did I walk out of that bar that night again? He could have helped me get over jerk-face. Still can.

  He brushes a loose strand of hair out of my face. “Amanda?” I look up. “How about that lesson in dark arts now?”

  I make one last checkup of Bay before I let him haul my sexy butt out of this shithole. Strong arms that can grab you real tight? Check. Rock-hard chest? Check. Eyes you can get lost in? Check. Lips promising mind-blowing kisses? Check.

  What about Alex, though? He’d lose his shit if he came back and I was gone.

  He’s probably getting laid by JJ, or why else haven’t they returned?

  “Shall we?” Bay’s sexy-as-hell voice ripples through me.
<
br />   I meet his eyes. There’s no disgust or hate in them. No regret or disappointment. No you-were-the-biggest-mistake-of-my-life vibe coming my way. Screw Alex.

  I’m about to say “hell yes” when jerk-face’s voice thunders through the bar. “Hey, baby.”

  Baby? Oh God, I’m hallucinating.

  A kiss lands on my cheek. “Did you miss me?”

  Oh boy, this is worse than a hallucination. It’s fucking real.

  Chapter 29

  Did I miss him? Like an idiot I stare at Alex. “Were you brainwashed by Hydra while you were gone?” It’s either that, or they smoked a freaking bong in JJ’s apartment.

  The wooden legs from a chair scrape across the floor. Alex moves it as close to me as possible. Then he plunks down on it. Sitting straighter than a freaking candle, he looks Bay over. “We haven’t met,” he says to him, danger radiating from his eyes. “I’m Alex. And you are?” His voice is colder than a bucket full of ice.

  Bay’s whole demeanor changes in an instant. The muscles in his arms flex, turning them into deadly weapons. His spine is as stiff as iron. “Bay,” he murmurs, extending his hand for a shake.

  Jerk-face disregards Bay and throws an arm around my shoulders, scooping me against his side. “Sorry we kept you waiting.” He speaks to me, but his eyes are fixated on Bay. “Took a little longer than expected.”

  “No shit,” I grumble, still at sixes and sevens as to why Alex treats Bay like his archenemy.

  Alex cups my chin, turning my head his way. “Well, I’m here now.” He flashes me a cocky-as-hell grin. “You ready to go?”

  Alex’s lips are inches from mine. I’m scared I’ll accidently kiss him if I so much as breathe. I cut my eyes to Bay. He doesn’t look amused. I don’t blame him. Until a few seconds ago, he was convinced I’d give him a lesson in dark arts. Now jerk-face is here, acting like a freaking caveman, hellbent on protecting what’s his—or what he thinks is his.

  “Baby?”

  What’s with the baby shit? The last time he called me that, he was a wasted wreck in Bakersfield and tried to hit on me. I scan the bar, searching for JJ. She leans against the bar, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her red lips. My eyes plead with her, begging her to tell me what the fuck is going on. She shrugs and keeps smiling. So much for girls gotta stick together.

  Alex’s grip on my chin tightens. He doesn’t hurt me, but the pressure definitely draws my attention back to him. “We’re gonna be late if we don’t hit the road.” His gaze is so fierce I wonder if he’s trying to hypnotize me.

  I’m still speechless. Bay, however, gets the message loud and clear. Chair legs drag across the floor as he stands. “It’s pretty late. I better get going before my mom kicks my ass for missing dinner.”

  “Yeah, you better get going,” Alex mocks him. “We wouldn’t want to upset your mom.” His malachite eyes pierce mine. “Would we, babe?”

  Enough of the babe shit. I push Alex’s hand away and get on my feet, dead set on keeping my word and getting the hell outta here with Bay. Hadn’t reckoned what an asshole jerk-face could be. He circles my wrist and pulls me back down.

  Bay eyeballs Alex’s hand on my arm. He doesn’t like what he sees.

  “You do realize you’re still here?” Alex grumbles.

  Bay sucks in air and walks to the counter. He puts a twenty-dollar bill on the table and peers over his shoulder. “See you around, angel.” Then he’s gone.

  Bye, bye, sex. Hello, jerk-face. Madame Josephine had been wrong. I’m not untouchable. I’m fucking cursed.

  Red-hot rage bleeds into my system. “You.” I point a finger at Alex. “Explain. Now.”

  He leans back. “Ladies first,” he counters, voice sharper than a butcher knife.

  My brows fly up. Is he serious? He wants me to explain myself? Yeah, sorry. I might have lost my dignity along the way, but this is a road I’m not willing to go down. Ever. “I wasn’t the one acting like a caveman, Alex. You, on the other hand? Wow. You nailed that shit.”

  He ogles me as if I’ve committed murder. “I’m acting like a caveman, huh? Well, you’re acting like…” He shakes his head. “Throwing yourself at the next best guy? Really, Amanda? It’s so pathetic, it’s kinda funny.”

  Every muscle in my body tenses. My fingers itch to leave another goddamn scar on his face. That’s exactly what he wants, though. Provoking a reaction, making me mad, so he can dwell in the satisfaction I care about his opinion. Not gonna happen. Refusing to play his fucked-up mind games, I smile. “Last time I checked, I could throw myself at whoever the hell I wanted.”

  He jumps up, knocking his chair over in the process. “Do you even know who that guy is?” He sounds beyond mad.

  “Do you?” I counter calmly.

  Something close to “I will fucking kill you” passes through Alex’s eyes. I don’t have to have second-sight to know he’s about to throw a fit. Luckily—for him, not me—JJ comes to the rescue. “Guys.” She’s between us, waving her hands like a white flag. “Can we all pretend to be grownups for a moment?”

  “Grownups?” Eyes on the door, I pour myself a tequila shot. “Why don’t you tell that to jerk-face, who acts like I’m his fuckin’ toy.”

  Alex yanks the glass out of my hand. That’s it. I’ve reached my breaking point, and I’m not sure he realizes what he’s in for. Jumping up, I get in his face. “What is your fuckin’ problem, Alex? Are you jealous or something?”

  He laughs so hard, even JJ’s dad stares at him. “Jealous? Because of you and this Bay guy?” He draws closer. His fiery breath slaps my cheeks. His eye shade changes into a much darker seaweed. That’s when I notice he, too, has reached breaking point. “Let me make this very clear, Amanda. You can screw whoever you want. The two of us”—he points a finger between us—“we’re done. I couldn’t care less if you banged the whole town. So don’t get confused between me looking out for you and me being jealous.” A devilish smile pulls the edges of his mouth up. “Because trust me, I’ll only feel sorry for a guy stupid enough to fall for you.”

  And here I thought I’d heard it all. He’d been mean to me. He’d even tried to kill me twice. Never had he humiliated me like this. I wish I could say I’m less pathetic than other girls, that his words didn’t hurt like a bitch. I wish I didn’t have tears burning in my eyes. But above all this, I wish I could just be done with him.

  I close my eyes, allowing a cold smile to form. He doesn’t deserve my anger. Hell, he doesn’t even deserve my coldness. “You know,” I say, meeting his gaze. “I’d say go to hell, but I’m beginning to think it would be too good a place for you.”

  Alex’s mouth snaps open, and JJ grabs him by the jacket and hauls him back. “Enough,” she shouts. Her voice is rockier than the Grand Canyon.

  Alex pulls back and shoots her a death-glare. “Stay out of this, JJ.”

  “Stay out of this?” Her cheeks redden with anger. “You think I should stand by while you behave like a fucking asshole? The girl you call selfish, Alex, stands in the middle of a hunter bar, knowing she could get ganked at any time. And for what? Because she believes a chauvinistic asshole like you deserves to be saved? If you had talked to me that way, I would have murdered you myself.”

  Alex’s eyes go wide. His jaw is set hard. “I never asked her to—”

  “I said enough,” JJ warns, eyes narrow, fists balled. “You did what you had to do. I get that. But instead of acting like a fucking asshole, you could have told her the truth about Bay.”

  What truth? And why is everyone acting as if Bay is the source of all evil?

  “Nothing to say?” JJ snaps at Alex.

  His gaze drops.

  “Classy,” JJ spits in his face.

  Not a word crosses his lips.

  JJ blows out some steam and steps closer to me. “C’mon.” Her voice is soft. Her eyes are, too. “Let’s get you outta here. I bet you could use some air.”

  I don’t think twice before following her. She kicks the bac
k door open and leads me up some stairs. I’m glad the stairway is dark. I’d hate for her to see my glazed eyes.

  When we reach the first floor, she studies me. “You okay?”

  I swallow the lump in my throat and put on my best poker face. “He’s a jerk.”

  She doesn’t buy my I’m-cool-as-ice act but doesn’t question it either. “I know it’s not much consolation, but he likes you, Manda.” She fumbles a key out of her tight leather pants and unlocks the door. “He likes you a lot,” she says.

  Well, he has a crappy way of showing it.

  When I say nothing, she sighs. “C’mon.” She walks into a small apartment equipped with a tiny kitchen, a sofa-bed, and an ancient TV. “Some of the bar staff crash here after long shifts. My dad is okay with Alex and you using it for the night.”

  Alex and me? I look around. There’s only one bed. I’ll be damned if I share it with him after what he just said.

  JJ reads my expression and quickly adds, “You could always stay at my place.” She bats her thick black lashes at me.

  I heave a sigh of relief and fling myself onto the old sofa. “Thanks.” I manage a smile. “I really appreciate it.” The only other person who’s ever stood up for me like she did is Bonnie.

  JJ follows me over to the sofa, sits, and kicks off her killer heels. There’s a moment of silence. I get the feeling she’s giving me time to catch my breath. “You know he was just looking out for you, right?”

  I’ve spent my whole life looking out for myself. Been my own hero when I needed one. Dried my own tears after I shed them. Nursed my wounds, never expecting anyone’s help. I never asked Alex to protect me, and for as long as I’m breathing, I never will.

  I melt into the soft fabric of the sofa. “I don’t care why he did what he did, JJ. I’m done being his punching bag.” Truer words, I’d never spoken. “I might not want him to rot in hell, but I will walk away from this if he dares treat me like that again.”

  JJ shifts closer. “I don’t blame you. I’d have walked away the second he opened his goddamn mouth.” She steadies her head with her hand. “But you should know…Bay? He’s dangerous, Manda.”