Vulture’s Kiss

by E. M. Whittaker

  This event wasn’t any different.

  People mingled with each other, then headed to their cliques. A group of snooty women sat near the pool, giggling at a brunette woman showing off a picture on her cell phone. Another one pointed to her phone plastering a fake smile on her face.

  Great. Another set of catty women.

  They’d fight amongst themselves before the night ended.

  Human women thrived on drama. They never let the simplest grudges go. An event could have happened ten—no, fifteen years ago—and they would hold on to their grudge, taking it to their deathbed. The need for vengeance corrupted them. It even affected the taste of their blood. Jealous women ruined his sweet sustenance.

  They left a bitter aftertaste.

  Sometimes, drinking from them made him sick. It depended on what they ate beforehand. He remembered the last bitch who wolfed down garlic on one of his blind dates. She gave him a bad case of food poisoning. After the tenth one sent him to the hospital, he stopped trying to find a tasty morsel on the street.

  Louis licked his lips, hiding his fangs.

  He needed to eat real food soon.

  “Ah, there he is.”

  He turned, composing himself.

  Hector approached him with two wine glasses, handing him one while shielding him from one of the snobbish woman. Grape wine came off his breath.

  Damn it.

  His friend—turned boss—started having fun early.

  Despite being his de facto boss, their friendship got them through thick and thin. Hector became his first friend while attending Loyola University. They stayed friends throughout college, partying and working through their internships together. Louis succeeded in his internship, but Hector’s business connections paid off. After graduation, he became project manager at his father’s casino.

  Their earnings soared.

  After making the Fortune 500 list two times in a row, his friend dabbled in other business ventures. He had trusted Louis with all his financial decisions since he hired him several years ago. Fitting, considering Hector’s weakness.

  He couldn’t resist drinking or flirting with beautiful women.

  Hector made debauchery an art, but when he focused on work, he led his family’s empire with greatness. They were in the process of negotiating another lucrative business deal. One of their investors came to the meeting. If his friend would stop drinking, they could finish everything tonight.

  Louis regretted having an open bar and snatched the drink from Hector.

  Someone had to save him from his stupidity.

  “It figures.” Louis downed his drink, then plucked Hector’s glass out of his hand. “You’ve already had way too much wine. I can afford to down two glasses in one sitting. You can’t.”

  Hector gave a cheeky grin. “Only because you’re—”

  “Don’t you dare.” The dhampir covered his friend’s mouth. “One of my investors is from the undead court. If you blurt things out, you’ll have the entire undead community after you.”

  Hector snorted, then shrugged.

  “I mean it. Behave.”

  The buffoon nodded.

  “Good.” Louis removed his hand, then downed the extra glass of wine. “What’s happened so far?”

  The shifter’s grin grew wider. “Annabelle’s kids threw powdered donuts and chocolate cake at some old cronies. You should have seen it. It was a riot.”

  “Yeah. I heard.”

  “Rufus Ashenwood bowed out about twenty minutes ago and gave me this.” Hector slipped him a business card. “He said he’d green light your project—whatever that means. I didn’t know you had something else up your sleeve. You sly dog.”

  Well, something went right for once. He’d have to thank Annabelle for the distraction later and the old faerie lord. He put it on his mental to-do list. Morgan could ship Rufus a crate of vintage wine for his collection. He'd add another present for old times sake.

  Louis scanned the crowd.

  He had to find Edith Eisen.

  The toughest investor on the black market showed up to his meeting and he couldn’t snub her because of two bratty children. If she left, he’d lose half his financial backing for his project.

  Then he’d be back at square one.

  “Where’s Eisen?” He scanned the crowd, putting the card inside his blazer pocket. “God, I hope those kids—”

  “She got a laugh out of their antics. The old broad entertained them until Morgan pulled them from the party.”

  Good. Eisen stayed.

  He’d have Morgan send her a present, too.

  “Where’s Evelyn?”

  “She’s helping me entertain the children.” He edged closer to the patio doors. “She insisted on finding them something to do. I guess ordering a movie is taking longer than she thought.”

  “Wait.”

  Louis stopped. “What?”

  “Why are you letting her—”

  “She insisted.”

  “Dude, no.” Hector marched toward the mansion. “She’s a powerhouse. You don’t want her going She-Hulk on those kids. She’ll give those kids a concussion if they piss her off. She did it to me once.”

  “Did she do it on purpose?”

  “How the hell should I know?”

  Louis had said nothing in the car, but her voice nearly died when she spoke about accidentally hurting people. She hesitated, choking up at one point. If she referred to her superhuman strength, then Hector and Simon had a good reason to be afraid of her. Someone like her hurt people without trying.

  Even her grip came off stronger than intended.

  “They’re safe.” He pulled the other man away from the door, remembering how Evelyn’s eyes lit up outside the mansion. “But Simon Hayes has history with her. He mentioned her this afternoon when I met him at the florist.”

  “Yeah.” Hector scratched his head, hiding a hand behind his golden blond hair. “I forgot to mention something earlier.”

  “Calm down.”

  The glass cracked in Louis’s hand. “Why?”

  “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Explain.”

  “He hired her once and got a hard-on for her. He’s pretty bitter about her dumping his ass. I don’t blame her, though. He’s a fucking asshole.”

  “Well, he knew where we went yesterday.” Louis gripped Hector’s shoulder until the other man winced. “How did he know where we went?”

  “I don’t know.” The shifter brushed his claws along Louis’s neck. “Let go of me.”

  He loosened his grip and studied his aura.

  Gray with no cracks.

  Normal people—shifters included—had cracks or discoloration in their blood auras for several reasons. The top two culprits were illnesses and critical accidents. He didn’t care about those. Whenever people lied, their auras flickered or changed color. The deeper the lie, the darker they became.

  His friend’s aura stayed the same.

  Hector wasn’t lying.

  “Fine.” Louis released his shoulder. “But he fits the characteristics of an overgrown weasel. He wanted information about the new business merger. He threatened me about Evie. I didn’t appreciate it.”

  “Louis!”

  He groaned at the high-pitched voice which greeted him.

  Evelyn needed to hurry up.

  “Justine.” He hoped he had the right name and smiled at the redhead in her emerald dress. “A pleasure to see you, darling.”

  She kissed his cheek. “It’s been ages. How are you?”

  Queasy with a side of irritation.

  She’d be offended at his answer, though.

  “Good.” Louis gave her a hug, spinning her around until he noticed the mansion doors. “Busy at the office, though. You know how demanding work is sometimes.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Fatigue came to her voice. “I've been working overtime for the last three weeks.”

  Evelyn rushed out of the doors, adjusting loose strands of hair with her
hands. A stormy expression crossed her face when she came over to them. Either Annabelle’s kids roughhoused with her or she‘d became nervous.

  He suspected both reasons applied.

  “Evie, this is Justine Parker.” His arm wrapped around his date’s shoulder. “She’s a stockbroker for a friend of mine.”

  “Charmed.” Sweet jealousy oozed from Evelyn’s voice. “Can I talk to you in private?”

  Louis gave a theatrical sigh. “Of course. Please excuse us.”

  “Sure thing.” Justine winked. “We’ll have to catch up later.”

  They moved to the side of the terrace, bypassing all the guest’s shocked faces. A few people pointed at him. Let them stew in their misery for once. He escorted the prettiest woman at the party. He wouldn't let anyone get their grubby hands on her.

  They would taint her sweet scent.

  “Louis.” Evelyn talked in a harsh tone. “I didn’t know you knew Simon Hayes. Be careful around him. He’s got a thing for stalking women. He hasn’t stopped since I dumped him two years ago.”

  Well, it explained her sour mood.

  “He’s an unfortunate acquaintance at the office.” His arm slithered around her waist. “Don’t let him sour your mood.”

  “I’m sorry.” She leaned into him and her resentful tone dropped. “About Justine, I mean.”

  He slipped his hand into hers. “It’s fine.”

  “No, it’s not. I shouldn’t be jealous of someone who—”

  His finger went to her lips. “Shh. It’s okay.”

  She shook her head, sending her loose curls everywhere.

  Women should not look adorable when they pouted, but Evelyn made everything cute in her own way. Her lips—those dark rouge lips—quivered while she huddled into herself.

  His treacherous body trembled.

  God, not now. He couldn’t fool around until after the party.

  “Evie, come on.” He tilted her head up toward his. “Let’s make the rounds before everyone leaves. I have to find someone before she disappears.”

  She nodded, then gripped his hand harder.

  Louis took the lead, guiding her around the terrace. If Eisen left, he’d kill whoever stood in his way. Annabelle, Simon—the whole lot. Then this would all be for nothing. He’d have to book another appointment with the stingy woman.

  Maybe Evelyn would be his good luck charm tonight concerning her, too.

  6

  Evelyn plastered a smile on her face, hiding her aggravation.

  The woman—Justine—didn’t bother her too much. In fact, she gave off the typical businesswoman mixed with catty bitch vibe. She oozed rich and successful down to the way she greeted Louis with her fake, cheery voice.

  No wonder he hired her.

  He toted her around the terrace, showing her off as he spoke to each of his guests. Some remarked on his newfound relationship while others talked with her directly.

  She met each challenge with ease.

  None of them caught onto their arrangement, but she smiled, playing the game well. It proved Louis’s point—they had a natural chemistry between them. They didn’t need to lie much at all. Between what happened at the apartment and inside his car, it reinforced her determination.

  However, Hector and Louis brought up a person she tried to forget.

  Simon Hayes still haunted her.

  Her devious ex’s name sent shivers down his spine. His jealous streak returned with a vengeance. He’d taunt Louis until he walked—no, ran—away from her. He’d undermine everything with his stalkerish tendencies.

  If she removed the cameras from her apartment and Vixens, then how did he hear about her newest job? She never mentioned her client’s name at the building. In fact, she didn’t use it until this afternoon on the phone.

  Did he bug that, too?

  They rounded the corner, this time greeting another group of large people. Evelyn pulled out her business side, mingling with them whenever they asked her a question. Most of the conversation wasn’t hard. One or two of them asked about her relationship with Louis, but the rest kept it professional.

  Simon lingered behind the crowd, towing her assistant by the arm.

  What was Alexia doing here with her ex? She knew about Simon’s past behavior. The woman encouraged her to get the restraining order against him last year. She testified against him, telling the judge she was afraid he bugged their workplace.

  So why did she come here?

  Evelyn ignored Simon’s teasing wave and followed Louis, listening to his conversations. The hidden parts of his life came together. The man made some major accomplishments in his lifetime. One of his guests asked how he achieved getting his MBA so fast. Another one congratulated him on his promotion at the office. A third person asked if he would ever reconsider joining them on vacation for a boat cruise.

  Despite his rehearsed and easygoing answers, she glimpsed through the mask he bore underneath his facade. Something about this pained him. Irritated him.

  He couldn’t be himself.

  Like her.

  After they made the rounds, he presented her to a group of people sitting by the pool. His warm demeanor never changed around her. His arm stayed glued to her waist, holding her close.

  Funny.

  Everyone else gave her the cold shoulder by now.

  “Evelyn.” He leaned close and his breath tickled her ear. “Let me do the talking here. If they ask you a question, answer. Otherwise, follow my lead. Don’t draw attention to yourself. You’re doing great.”

  She nodded.

  Someone tapped her shoulder.

  Evelyn almost elbowed them but considered her surroundings. A lady didn’t elbow people because they startled her. They acted surprised, then greeted the person with grace and dignity.

  She centered herself, then turned around.

  Her ex ripped her away from Louis.

  Shit. The worst-case scenario happened. He found her, but she couldn’t beat the crap out of him here. If she fought him, he would make a scene.

  Damn.

  A perfect stalemate.

  Louis clung onto her. “No.”

  “I’ll be just a minute.”

  His grip tightened. “Evie, no.”

  “I don’t need him making a scene.”

  He growled, releasing her shoulder. “Just don’t give him a concussion. I don’t need the police getting involved.”

  If only Louis knew the truth.

  She hung her head and went with Simon, struggling against his iron grip. He bruised her arm. His thumb cut off circulation to her fingers.

  Evelyn stomped on his foot.

  No good. He didn’t budge.

  The creep dragged her over to the refreshment table—the one she had avoided all night. Her stomach growled at all the delectable food on display.

  He poured himself a glass of punch, letting out a small maniacal laugh.

  “I never thought I’d find you here.” The slime ball sat his glass on the table. “After all those court hearings, you’re stalking me for once. What would the judge say, Evelyn?”

  He must have forgotten the hearing because the judge didn’t care for him at all. He granted the restraining order in less than ten minutes and threw out his counterclaim in a heartbeat.

  Simon deserved the worst punishment possible—one that put him in eternal misery. Burying him alive in a coffin sealed with concrete would be perfect.

  It’d suit his creepy vampiric ass.

  He could rot there for eternity.

  “Well, I’m sure he’d wonder why you’re bothering me.” She made her voice sweet, all while clenching her teeth. “Go bother Alexia. She tolerates your behavior somehow.”

  “My sister can tolerate a lot of things.” He grabbed her bun. “How did you land this gig, anyway?”

  She grabbed her chopsticks before they fell. “How did you learn about my job?”

  “Alexia, of course. She should be here, not you.” His nails raked through her scalp.
“If we were in private, I’d show you how much you’re worth. I might even let you keep your clothes when I’m done with you.”

  She kneed him in the solar plexus, slanting her body in a defensive stance.

  The jerk went down on one knee.

  Maybe he’d leave her alone this time.

  Evelyn made a messy bun, hid her weapons in her hair again, and hurried away from the terrace. She weaved through countless people until she got to the front of the mansion. The dying sunset illuminated over the majestic flowers in their respective gardens. They would die soon. Probably within a few days.

  Just like the budding romance in her heart.

  They were from two separate worlds and she knew it. She couldn’t bring herself to nibble on any of the food. It came with a price tag. One she couldn’t afford. After tonight, she’d be back to eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches and ramen noodles.

  She’d never fit in here.

  Evelyn pulled out her phone and typed a few words into Google, finding a cab company within a few miles. They made their appearances, but her fairy tale ended.

  It was time to see herself out.

  “This isn’t like you.”

  She spun on her heel, coming face-to-face with Hector Irving. He didn’t wear his jerkish smirk when he approached her. This time, concern rested on his conceited face.

  The guy cared about her, after all.

  “What the hell do you want?” She played with her hands, trying to hide her trembling rage. “Shouldn’t you be trying to wow a desperate woman with your charms?”

  “I saw what happened with Simon.” Those golden eyes taunted her while he crossed his arms. “He got off with a warning, didn’t he?”

  “I should’ve filed another restraining order.” Her thumb touched the highlighted phone number on Google. “He’s a creep. He claims he’s—”

  “We know. He’s creep material.” He stepped toward her, then covered the phone with his large tan hand. “Don’t leave… please. You and Louie make a cute couple.”

  Evelyn continued playing with her phone. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” He grumbled under his breath. “I think. I’m not quite sure yet.”

  A nervous laugh escaped her. “Me neither.”

  “Look, I’ll give you a freebie.” Hector leaned close and lowered his voice. “He’s not bitching about Marianne and he’s not trying to leave his own party. He’s not a social butterfly, you know.”