by Mary Martel
I curled my lip in disgust.
Annabell was exactly that kind of female. Men were nothing but pawns in her game to her and I had stupidly been one of them.
Not ever again would I allow myself to be hurt by some evil bitch.
"What do you want with me, Annabell?" I growled at her from across the table.
She flinched at hearing my words and my jaw clenched painfully. The bitch actually flinched. Unbelievable. I had never seen her flinch at anything before, she'd always been a pillar of strength that I had found impressive, until I had figured out she'd used it against me. Now she looked hurt and it baffled me.
My eyes widened in shock as I took her in and realized she'd left her face bare for me to see. I'd seen it before but only one time and it had been an angry red, scary, fucked up mess that had made me sick to my stomach to look at. It wasn't nearly as horrifying as it had been right after it'd happened. I was grateful for that.
It had made me damn near physically ill to know that she'd been permanently scarred because of me. Yeah, yeah, I know she'd done horrible things to me and one could say she deserved what she got, and if that one was Uncle Quint he'd tell you that by no means did he think she deserved what she got because he thought she needed more shit piled on top of having her face fucked up before she even got close to getting what she deserved. I even kind of agreed with him, to a point. But it went against everything that had been engrained in me since childhood to see a female with magic harmed in any way. Most witches could care less about what happened to the non-magically inclined but I wouldn't have wanted to see any female, witch or not, suffer what Annabell had been forced to suffer by the hands of my very scary Uncle. It just seemed wrong to me to hurt women.
It hadn't only been Uncle Quint who'd disagreed with me. All of my other coven members had disagreed, save for Dash who'd kept his opinion on the matter to himself. Like he did when it came to most things. I honestly didn't think he'd cared what happened to her one way or another. Dash had a skewed view on women in general, though, so I wasn't really sure how much his opinion in the matter would have mattered to me, if at all.
Annabell quickly masked her emotions and adopted one of profound hurt.
I shook my head. The hurt, whether it was fake or not, wasn't about to work on me.
"I'm sorry, Ty," Annabell whispered in her raspy voice that used to make my dick hard just hearing it but now had the opposite effect on me and I felt like I'd been kicked in the balls. "I miss you and want a chance at friendship with you. I think if you could just accept my apology and forgive me for how I've wronged you then I think the two of us could be great friends."
The inside of my wrist burned and I looked down at the hands I'd held tightly in my lap to keep myself from picking up my silverware and throwing it at the bitch’s head.
Uncle Quint had inked his blood along with a protection spell into the inside of my left wrist. It was a permanent tattoo that would sometimes need a reboot in the magic and blood departments that had freaked me out when he'd first offered to put it on me. Tattoos were for life unless you wanted to pay a shit load of money to have them removed and needed to be thought about thoroughly before getting one. Uncle Quint had refused to take no for an answer and I'd been pissed but yielded to his wishes like the good little boy he often times forgot that I wasn't but more often than not likely wished I was.
Now I found myself grateful for his pushiness and need to get his way on everything because he'd once again saved my ass in a really big way.
That tattoo on the inside of my wrist burned to let me know when another witch was trying to use magic against me and it also kept me safe from it actually working against me.
This bitch, this fucking bitch, was trying to go against the law and use magic against me to control me a-fucking-gain.
My blood boiled.
But cooled almost immediately because I feared there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I had witnessed with my own two eyes her on her stomach getting it from multiple Council cocks. The same Council who was supposed to have punished her for her behavior the first time. And maybe, for her, it even was a punishment, a hideously fucked up punishment.
But it wasn't enough for me.
Who knew?
And here I was just talking about how I didn't think it right to hurt women. Now, I was thinking in my head that Annabell wasn't hurt enough for what she'd done.
I shook my head to clear it and glared across the table at her.
I didn't bother bringing up the fact she'd tried to use magic on me. She'd only just deny it and then tell me to prove it.
Fuck her.
"What do you really want, Annabell?" I demanded to know.
I desperately needed to know why in the hell she was here. Not because I really wanted to know but because I had a sick feeling in my gut that she was here to fuck with my family and seek revenge against my Uncle for permanently scarring her face and against me and the other guys for allowing him to do it in the first place. Briefly, I wondered if she knew it had been Julian who'd made the concoction that destroyed her face in the first place. I seriously hoped not because I didn't want her to single him out like she was now doing to me.
"I told you," she rasped out. "I want you to forgive me and I want to be your friend."
She pouted and I couldn't help my lip from curling in horror, this time at the sight of the ruined side of her face, her destroyed lip, in the form of a pout. It was disturbing, really.
Her big eyes blinked at me doe-ishly and my wrist burned again. Her face wavered slightly before clearing and I felt my lungs burning in rage.
She thought I couldn't see the messed-up half of her face because she was pouring out magic at an alarming rate that was going to burn her out before long because she was covering her scars and hiding things with magic so the world around her only saw the pretty part she wanted them to see. I couldn't blame her for it and completely understood why she usually wore a mask that covered up that half of her face. Covens all across the U.S. talked about the half mask she wore to cover up her scars and sneered whenever her name came up in conversation. Hearing people talk shit about her hadn't made me feel any better but worse because initially my instinct had been to shut that shit down and attack them for saying bad shit about her because she had meant that much to me. It had burned me up inside to not defend her even though she'd done her damnedest to destroy me. I had gotten passed the initial need to defend her but that didn't mean I had ever enjoyed people verbally slamming her because I hadn't. It had always made me feel like shit about myself whenever I heard the whispered words behind hands about her whenever I was around.
How stupid and pathetic had I been to let her sink her claws in and take advantage of me in the first place? Beyond anything comprehensible, that's how fucking stupid I was.
"I don't want to be your friend," I growled at her.
She blinked and I caught the surprise on her face before she masked it.
"Ty," she muttered huskily.
Yeah, right. I didn't think so. Right now, I wanted to hug my Uncle Quint because she couldn't figure out how her magic wasn't working on me and it was confusing her. What's more hilarious was the fact I knew she couldn't keep up her magical act for a whole lot longer without passing out face down on the table. I would have jumped up and cheered if that were to happen. Then, I would have left her ass there to fend for herself because not even I was willing to help her out anymore and I had a feeling that after she'd just tried to force herself on me once again that never again would I give a shit if she were hurt or not.
It killed a little piece inside my soul to admit it, but I didn't think I'd jump in the water to help her out if she were drowning. What's more likely is I would have turned my back on her and walked away. Which killed me and I shouldn't have been surprised by that either. Every thing she did hurt me, what was one more thing? This was nothing in comparison to all the rest.
"What can I get you to drink?" A hopeful
female voice asked from beside our table.
I didn't even bother looking at this one either even though I knew that hopeful tone was in her voice because she found me attractive and wanted me to notice her. No such luck, girl, not even on your best day.
I didn't even have to look at her to know she wasn't up to Ariel's standards. For one, she gave off no seductive heat. Heat I wouldn't give up for the cold, not ever again.
One look at the evil sitting across the table from me and I couldn't help but grimace. There were different kinds of levels to heat. The kind where you'd happily walk into the flame, allow it to burn you up entirely and you'd love every second of it, even if it did leave you charred on the outside. Then there was the other kind. The bad kind. The kind that burnt you to a crisp and left you a tiny little black ball that not only flaked off disgustingly when you touched it but it left a sour, bitter taste in your mouth afterwards. Guess who was who...
Annabell turned on the poor waitress with a viscous sneer that made her fucked up face downright nasty to look at.
"What's the matter with you?" She sneered at the waitress who took a hesitant step backwards away from our table. And, who could blame her? I wanted to back away as well.
"I'm sorry...ma'am?" Came from the timid but no longer hopeful waitress. Now she sounded tense and scared.
I couldn't blame her for that, either.
Unlike the waitress, I knew what was coming and I wasn't tense or scared.
Only pissed and sad. Sad because I had actually allowed that hideous thing seated across the table from me to touch me in any way, and sad because she'd been my first love and the whole thing had been a lie. Weren't first loves supposed to be sweet until they were over, like puppy love?
If so, I had been surely cheated.
As gently as I could, I pried the menus that I had no intention of looking at out of the waitress's hands before telling her in a kind voice, "She'd like some time to pursue the menu before giving you her drink order, or any order for that matter. If that would work for you?"
The waitress let go of the menus and stumbled back, further away from our table. I wished it had been me stumbling back away from the table, away from the bitch across form me. I wondered if the waitress knew just how lucky she was. Doubtful.
"That's..." She stammered. "That's... fine."
She cleared her throat once before turning around on her cheap, white sneakers and fleeing from the dining room.
I almost got up and ran after her. Almost.
"You're such a bitch," I muttered under my breath towards Annabell.
Her eyes flashed dangerously before she leaned forward and spat at me, "How dare you call me a bitch!"
I dared because she was one.
Christ, how could she be so offended by the damn truth?
Her expression changed drastically and the half of her face that wasn't ruined curled upwards in a sinister smile that gave me the chills.
"What's her name, Ty?" She rasped gleefully. "This new chick who thinks she's all that and has the Council all up in an uproar?"
The hackles on the back of my neck rose as I realized she was talking about Ariel, even though she clearly had her information wrong. The person she described didn't sound like my girl in the slightest. She was sweet, humble, she didn't think she was all that at all.
Once again, Annabell was proving just how big of a bitch she was. But she scared the shit out of me because I didn't need her thinking any thoughts about Ariel. Ariel, unlike myself, didn't have a tattoo on the inside of her wrist that kept crazy bitches from using their magic on her. If I hadn't been trying to keep the whole thing on the hush hush I might have gone to Uncle Quint and demanded he put a similar tattoo on our female so she didn't succumb to this psycho's magical whims.
I knew better than to go running to my Uncle Quint, though. He'd burry this bitch and then the Council would come after us all. They'd also likely start looking for another female to slate their carnal needs with. And we sure as shit did not need them looking in our coven’s direction for a way to fulfill that particular need.
"She's none of your business," I growled menacingly at her from across the table.
"Ohhhh," she purred happily. "Tyson thinks he's big and bad all of a sudden and is going to threaten the little girl for inquiring about his hussy girlfriend."
I snapped my mouth shut and bit back the retort that was sharp on the edge of my tongue ready to be flung back at her. I might have been cool with finally shitting on her but that didn't mean I was cool with having her toss it in my face. What could I say, we were all hypocrites at times. There was nothing for it.
She arched a dark eyebrow and asked in a voice that mocked, "Do you looove her, Ty? Does she hold a special place in your heart?"
My nostrils flared in rage. Never before had I wanted to strike a woman like I did this one in that moment. The more she talked about Ariel, the more I wanted to lash out at her.
"Does she wrap her sweet little mouth around your cock? I remember how much you li-"
She let out a squeak as I leaned forward quickly and reached across the table. I wrapped my hand around her throat and gave a gentle squeeze. I wanted to wring her scrawny neck and shake the shit right out of her.
"Don't you ever," I snarled as I pulled her by her neck across the table as I leaned across it to meet her half way until our faces were mere inches from each others. "Talk about Ariel like that again. Or, I swear on my mother's grave, Belle, you will live to regret it."
She jerked back suddenly and, not wishing to further hurt her at the moment, I let her go.
"Fine," She snapped snottily at me and both my eyebrows shot up in surprise. She was giving up? Just like that?
I didn't trust it or her. She was up to something.
Dare I ask her why she'd given up so easily? It wasn't like her to not put up a fight to get what she wanted.
The poor, unfortunate waitress chose that moment to return with glasses of ice water in her hands. If she were smart she'd forget we were here and not come back for more of Annabell's verbal abuse. I shook my head at the poor girl who was obviously not the brightest bulb in the box as I winced internally.
"I don't want your nasty water," Annabell spit the words out at her. "How do I know you haven't contaminated it? If it's not in a sealed bottle then I don't want it. Take it back."
The girl stood there in shock while she stammered foolishly. Ignoring her, Annabell picked up her menu and snapped it open with a flourish.
I'd decided I'd had more than enough of this bullshit and pushed my chair back. I stood up, placed my hands on my hips and glared down at the snake seated before me.
"I'm outta here," I muttered irately. I was not sticking around for whatever torture she wanted to dish my way. I'd had more than my fair share already. I turned and aimed my glare at the waitress whom I no longer felt sorry for. "Get a clue and stay away from her. She's a vile bitch who's going to get off on your misery. She's also stingy, so it's likely she won't tip you at all and make you run your ass ragged while she's here. Were I you, I'd kick her ass out now and save myself the headache."
The tattoo on the inside of my wrist blazed as Annabell waived a hand loftily in the direction of the waitress who'd immediately snapped her mouth shut as her eyes glazed over.
"What did you do to her?" I asked curiously, as if I actually cared, which I did not.
"Never you mind," Annabell snapped at me as she pushed her chair back and stood up to face me. "And let’s not pretend like you honestly care about her, because you don't. You don't care about anyone besides your damn family and we both know it."
She was right, of course. I didn't give a shit about anyone outside of my family and that included her. I just wanted her gone for good and out of my life once and for all.
I didn't see this happening anytime soon.
"I'm outta here," I repeated as I turned around and attempted to get the fuck away from her. I should have known she wasn't ready to let me g
o. When would I learn?
"I want to see Damien," She purred seductively.
I whipped around and glared at her dangerously.
"You leave my brother the fuck alone," I snarled at her. It didn't matter that Damien might not consider me to be his brother at the moment, he was mine, as he always would be.
She laughed hysterically, her entire body shaking with her mirth.
"I'll see you soon, Ty," she said through her laughter as she moved away from the table. She walked up to the waitress who stood there stupidly without moving or even blinking. Annabell slapped her sharply across the face while she kept laughing. The sound of her palm meeting the poor girl’s cheek rang out through the empty dining room. I winced, taking pity on the poor girl as red bloomed on her face.
Annabell wasn't just a bitch, she was out of her fucking mind.
She turned back once on the way to the door to blow me a kiss before turning around and exiting the building.
I had a bad feeling things were going to get much worse before I saw the back of her for good.
Chapter Six
Invader of my dreams
My phone's constant vibration drew me out of my stupor. A stupor I very much didn't want to be drawn out of. I was rather enjoying the thoughtless state I'd found myself in. I hadn't slept in days and had finally given up trying and now stared off at the wall, seeing absolutely nothing.
At least the memories had finally faded and I could find peace in the nothing going on inside my brain. Something I found myself thankful for.
I rubbed my tired eyes before picking the phone up where I'd carelessly tossed it beside me on the bed. It had been vibrating off and on for days on end and I hadn't once bothered to look at it. I had no idea why I did now and I was slightly irritated with the stupid thing because the battery life should have run out by now.
Just my luck that it hadn't.
The screen was cracked from where I'd thrown it at the wall in a fit of rage after coming home after my lovely lunch with the wicked bitch that was my ex girlfriend. The cracks weren't bad yet but they'd soon spread and it would be a bitch to see anything on the screen. I'd need to buy myself a new one. Something else I blamed that bitch for.