by Trina M. Lee
I couldn’t help but laugh a little. He really had no idea. “Ok, well, I can’t vouch for Superman or Bigfoot, but the other two are real, and they are pretty damn terrifying if I do say so myself. But you still have to act normal. Don’t blow this.”
I didn’t have to warn or threaten. He knew the stakes now. When we both returned to the front lounge Paul managed to throw out a few zingers, though nothing as sharp as his usual taunts.
It was a relief when the bus pulled to a stop. We had arrived two hours late. Thankfully it hadn’t affected the schedule too terribly. It just meant that we had to be off the bus and in the venue grounds immediately.
I kissed Arrow and sent him off with his bandmates. Sam emerged from the back lounge with tired, red-rimmed eyes, but he was dressed and ready to play a rock show.
When the bus had almost emptied of people, I went to the back to find Jett applying the last touches of her mascara. Her long purple locks had been perfectly curled. A little black dress clung to her athletic frame. Her makeup had been expertly applied with a careful hand. Everything about Jett was so well put together that I almost couldn’t tell that she was falling apart on the inside.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I leaned in the doorway, watching her paint her lashes into a perfectly curled lift.
A long sigh escaped her. She popped the mascara wand back into the tube and tossed it into her makeup bag. “I’ve never turned anybody. I’ve always been so careful. That’s not easy.”
“Jett, you know it was an accident. We all saw. If it was anyone’s fault, it was Paul’s. He caught you off guard. Of course you went into defense mode. Sam doesn’t blame you, and you shouldn’t blame yourself. You adjusted and so will he. He has you.”
She slipped a few silver bangles onto her wrist and rose from the couch. “I know. But he shouldn’t have to. It shouldn’t have been forced on him this way.”
My head bobbed in a sympathetic nod. I held my arms open in invitation, and she stepped into the hug with a soul weariness I could feel. “Sorry to break it to you, sweetie, but it’s forced on most of us. We have each other though, and that’s why we get through.”
Her lower lip trembled, and she clenched it between her teeth. “What if we can’t do this after all? Live a double life.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she’d just echoed many thoughts I’d had during the tour so far. Instead, I took her hand and led her through the bunk galley and off the bus. “We’re doing it right now.”
Despite everything Jett had gone through in the past twenty-four hours, she still managed to put on one hell of a show. If anything the recent trauma had fueled her to perform harder and be at her very best. Our set went well. The crowd had been exuberant, making it easy to feed off their energy. I left the stage sweaty and disheveled but satisfied with how we’d pulled it together.
Unfortunately the online rumor mill had continued since Blue posted the photo of his bruised face. Hard-core fans who kept up on that kind of shit now knew it had involved me. I, however, had covered my bruise with makeup. As I walked through the crowd with the girls headed for the beer tent, a few people had the audacity to shout random remarks and questions at me.
I ignored all of it, knowing it would blow over as these things do. The whole mess paled in comparison to the real matters at hand. I didn’t have the time or energy to waste on such trivial issues. And if Blue was anything at all, it was definitely trivial.
“Dear God, I need a drink.” Swiping a hand over her moist brow, Jett turned to the bartender in the beer tent. “Tequila. Make it a double.”
The bartender looked to me, but I shook my head in response. As much as I’d have loved to drown my worries and stresses in alcohol, someone had to stay clearheaded. It sure wouldn’t be Jett or Arrow.
While we waited for her drink, a small commotion stirred in the lineup behind us. An intoxicated guy shoved into a few people who then turned around to confront him.
“Watch where you’re going, asshole.” A girl with bright blue hair gave him a shove.
He stumbled away, his gaze darting about.
Something about his weird, jerky motions and the way his eyes darted about struck me as oddly familiar. When he turned his head, a chunk of gray in his hair caught my eye. What the heck?
“I’m looking for someone,” the guy muttered. He seemed completely oblivious to the annoyed people he was bothering. “She was just here. Where did she go?”
A balloon of excitement swelled within me as it came together. Paul had the very same gray patch in his hair. Just a day ago he’d been bragging about sleeping with Storm. Just what the hell was she up to?
I was bursting with the need to tell Jett that I’d figured it out. By the time she received her drink, I was ready to drag her away where we could speak privately. Latching onto her arm, I pulled her along until we came to a break in the crowd.
“What the hell, Spike? Slow down; I’m wearing heels.”
“It’s Storm,” I whispered excitedly. More of a shout whisper really. “I don’t know what she is, but she’s the one sucking dudes dry.”
Jett sipped her drink, nodding along as I filled her in on the details. “Alright, so what do we do next? Follow her? Try to get her alone? Or just wait for her to make another move.”
I gazed back in the direction we’d come from, but there was no longer any sign of the guy with the gray-streaked hair. “She’s already made one. Pretty sure we just passed her current victim back there. Whatever she’s doing, she’s been doing it to Paul too.” I paused, needing a moment before I said, “And I’m afraid she’s been doing it to Rowen. They’ve been sleeping together.”
And we’d never even see the signs in his dyed hair. I went cold with the realization.
Like a true friend, Jett held the tequila out to me, persisting until I finally accepted the drink and took a long swallow. Then she stepped into hyperanalytical wolf mode. “That’s a cry for help on Rowen’s part. That dude is not over you. That’s why he’s sticking his dick anywhere he can. Desperate attempts to erase you from his soul.”
“Not helpful, Jett.” I sucked back another exceptionally large drink before handing the cup back to her.
“It’s true though. We all know it, which is probably what kills him the most. He’s a big boy, and he’ll work his way through it. Although, we should probably make sure this man-sucking she devil doesn’t do him in first.”
I pulled my phone out to check the schedule for today. Storm’s band, Zombie Love Affair, usually played just after dark. Right before the headliners. “Should we wait until she plays and try to catch her backstage?” I wondered, thinking the public location might make for a safe place to confront her.
Jett finished off the tequila, swirling the noxious liquid in her mouth before swallowing. “I say we go right to the belly of the beast. If she’s not out here answering the same questions over and over, then she’s probably back at the buses.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” I scuffed the toe of my boot against the dirt. Scanning the media tents, I didn’t see Storm anywhere. “We don’t even know what she is.”
Hooking an arm through mine, Jett pulled me along, tossing her empty cup in a trash bin as we passed. “So let’s go find out.” She dragged me along in her wake, the heels of little issue now that she had a goal.
I did my best to keep up with her lengthy fast strides. “Should we bring Arrow and Sam?”
“Whatever she’s doing, it seems to be affecting the guys. We can handle it.” Jett rarely lacked confidence so her response was expected.
I worried that the events of last night might have shortened her fuse. “That doesn’t mean she can’t kick our asses,” I pointed out.
Jett poked me in the ribs, and I twitched, jumping out of reach. She laughed, a sound that was a little too enthusiastic for my liking. “Come on, don’t you just want to get your hands a little dirty? Unleash a little? All the restraint of being on the road is killin
g me. Don’t tell me that you don’t feel it too.”
“Ugh, yes. I do. I tried to pick a fight with a demon in a bar the other night. I guess I forgot to tell you that after the commotion with Blue and Arrow. It didn’t work anyway. The demon pretty much ran from me.”
“Look at you,” Jett gushed, smacking me playfully in the arm. “Sending the demons running. Such a badass.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed her off. “Yeah, we’ll see.”
On our way to where the buses were parked in a small lot behind the venue, we passed Blue. Dark sunglasses hid his black eyes. He flaunted the rest of his bruises, wearing them proudly. I readied myself to take a swing at him should he give me a reason, but he merely raised a hand in the sign of the rock ’n’ roll devil horns and kept walking.
“Dirtbag,” Jett muttered beneath her breath.
Storm’s bus was parked near the end of the row next to the vampire’s bus. Atticus was likely still inside, waiting out the final rays of the sun.
I glanced at Jett, finding her gung-ho and eager. I wished I could be half as enthused. Part of me felt gross at the thought of Storm with Rowen. If she’d done something to him... she would have to pay.
We exchanged a look when we stood in front of the closed bus door. Jett inclined her head, nodding for me to knock. I banged on the door before I could second guess our decision to come here.
One of the guys in Storm’s band opened the door. When he heard that we were looking for her, he welcomed us inside. The bus smelled like patchouli and marijuana. He hollered for Storm and plopped down at the table.
Storm emerged from the back lounge, her hair wrapped in a towel, a bathrobe draping her lithe frame. Her gaze landed on the two of us, and she froze. Her full lips spread into an uncomfortable smile. “Spike, I’ve been expecting you.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“OH? AND WHY IS THAT?” I hadn’t expected her to say that. I didn’t like that she’d taken me by surprise right from the get go.
And I certainly didn’t expect her to wave a hand for us to follow her. Storm returned to the back lounge with Jett and I in tow. Even though it went against my instinct to follow a potentially deadly person anywhere of their choosing, I strongly doubted she planned to kill us on her tour bus.
Storm’s bus was not so different from ours, aside from the back lounge which she seemed to have claimed all for herself. Clothing was strewn about. Hair and makeup tools littered the ledge behind the couch. She shoved a few things around to make room on the couch and gestured for us to sit. Then she closed the back lounge door.
“When did you figure it out?” Storm asked, a finely plucked brow raised in curiosity.
“Figure what out? That you’re the one killing men as we move from city to city?” I waited for her nod, shocked that she so readily admitted it. “I didn’t know it was you for sure until today.”
With a nod, Storm sat on one end of the small couch. Its U-shape put us across from each other although there wasn’t really much space between us. “I’m surprised. When I first met you, I thought for sure you would know right away.”
“Why is that?” I tested her, needing to know how much she knew about me.
“You’re a nephilim. A pretty damn powerful one from what I can see. Obviously, that’s why you’re here now, no?” Storm shook her hair out of the towel, letting her damp tresses fall over her shoulders.
This woman was blowing my mind, and I hated every second of it. “I’ll be honest. We’re not sure what you are or why you’re draining men dry. I’d prefer to never have this conversation, but unfortunately you’ve gotten a little close to some of the guys in our circle.”
Storm nodded in total understanding, like it made perfect sense to her that we were concerned and she took no offense. “Seeing as I really have no reason to lie, I have no problem telling you. I come from a very powerful family of spell casters. Witches. Sorcerers. Whatever term you prefer. I knew you were nephilim because I can see your aura. Same with you, wolf girl.”
Most witches carried an air of power. A slight static crackle a little like a vampire’s but without the undead vibes. Even now, sitting so close to Storm, I couldn’t tell that she was anything more than human. She had to have been dampening her magic somehow so as not to be felt.
“How are you hiding your magic?” Jett went right for the throat of the matter.
Studying the self-professed spellcaster, I noticed that she still wore plenty of jewels and stones, even fresh from the shower. And I’d never known a witch that didn’t carry a lot of those. Storm confirmed my suspicion by holding up a wrist wrapped in a bracelet made of deep red stones.
“And the men? What exactly are you doing to them and why?” My voice was hard now. She was still too damn nice. Just like she’d been the first day we met her. Too friendly. Too fucking good to be true.
Storm glanced between the two of us, taking her sweet time. She reached for a hairbrush on the ledge and began to slowly drag it through her hair. “I drain their youth, health, and vitality. I might look twenty-five, but I’ve been around almost as long as the vampire in the next bus. Unfortunately, when you’re human, that kind of thing requires a trade. The spell I use to maintain my youth comes at a price.”
“And there’s no shortage of eager young men at a rock show,” Jett supplied, filling in the blanks.
I was at a temporary loss for words. Knowing what she was doing and that she’d been doing it to Rowen had me almost shaking with fury. If she could see my aura, then she probably already knew that.
“Once I knew Sam and Arrow were romantically involved with the two of you, I stayed away from them. There’s no reason we can’t all carry on this tour as friends.” Blinking heavily lashed eyes at us, Storm seemed to feel that her actions were no big deal. As long as she didn’t suck the life out of another woman’s man.
I was called to fight demons. That didn’t usually include human witches, although it had, yet I still wanted to lay the smackdown on this bitch. “It’s not just them. Rowen and Paul. Everyone on our bus, they are off-limits.” I didn’t owe Paul shit, but he was just a dumbass dude who didn’t deserve what Storm planned to do to him.
The long brushstrokes through her hair faltered along with her fake ass smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had attachments to them. The way Rowen told it, you and he are long over.” Storm dropped that little grenade with an impish smirk.
My ears rang and my focus tipped. Momentarily disoriented, I struggled to wrap my mind around what she’d just said. They talked about me? Why would he do that?
Demons talked a good game, and they knew how to work your emotions to get inside your head, so these tactics were not new to me. I sat back on the couch, having to shove a sweater aside. Calm and cool. I could play her game.
“We are. But I have an obligation to both him and Arrow. They’re kindred, you know? I would do anything to protect them. Both of them.” I held her gaze, letting the severity of my unspoken promise bore into her. It took a lot to make me want to hurt somebody. Storm had managed to do it with very little effort.
Letting the brush slowly sink to her lap, she held my gaze. “Understood. However, I had no ill intent toward Rowen. I have nothing to gain from killing someone like him. His energy, his life force, it’s beyond human. A man like Rowen could satisfy my needs for a very long time without risk of death. I had hoped to continue my relationship with him off the road as well. Casually, of course.”
Oh, hell no. None of that was happening on my watch.
“Not happening,” I said, short and clipped. “He doesn’t know what you are. If he did, he would never associate with you. I’m not keeping my mouth shut while you play Rowen for a fool.”
Beside me Jett snickered and cocked her head in scrutiny, like she couldn’t believe what a piece of work this woman was. “Wow, this is wild. Spike is going to kick your ass.”
Usually that kind of remark from Jett would have been unwelcome, but she wasn’t wron
g. This wicked bitch wanted Rowen as a lover she could feast on. It wasn’t my business who he chose to be with, but this time his life was on the line.
Storm sat unperturbed, crossing one leg daintily over the other. She was confident in her abilities, otherwise she’d never have invited us in and she sure wouldn’t be looking at me like that. “You have no claim on him. I suggest you focus on what you came here to do, as will I. Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours. I’ll even kill Blue for you. As a gesture of goodwill.” Smoothing down her robe where it gaped open above the knee, Storm clasped her hands together and paused before adding, “I fully intend to see more of Rowen.”
Jett’s hand was suddenly on my arm, and I realized I’d surged forward. “This isn’t about Blue. This is about me protecting my people. My friends. Try me, bitch.”
With an amused smile, Storm reached for a bottle of lotion tossed in the middle of the couch and began to rub it on her hands like this was just girl talk and I wasn’t about to beat her ass. “You should probably go. I have a show to get ready for.”
With a snap of her fingers, the back lounge door opened. Definitely not the most impressive display of power I’d ever seen, but I knew she’d done it to leave me wondering just how much magic she really had.
With a hand firmly on my arm, Jett hustled me out of the lounge and off the bus. She was a great best friend.
“Shit, Spike, I thought you were going to scorch her right then and there.” Jett’s laughter was melodic and comforting. Encouraging as well. Not that I needed any more of that at the moment.
Hurriedly, we walked toward the venue. I had to find Rowen. “I think I was going to. The thought of her hurting Rowen makes me want to kill her.”
“Not to mention the thought of her fucking him.” With a shrug, Jett pulled out her phone to text Sam. “Sorry, but it’s true. I know you’re in love with Arrow, but you’re being territorial as fuck right now. A wolf knows.”