“What he means is, he and his brother own the house I live in.” She leaned toward him and whispered something, and he rolled his eyes and smiled at me.
“I didn’t mean to sound like a possessive, hard-assed, ex-boyfriend. Chelle is just special to me.” He picked up his drink and downed the rest of it, nodding to one of the waitresses for another.
I couldn’t stop the words that blurted from my lips. “Are you?”
“Am I what?” he asked.
“Chelle’s ex-boyfriend.”
He chuckled.
“Why is that funny?” I asked.
“Lane and Chelle did date. Once,” another man’s voice came from behind me. He was dressed similarly to Lane and sat down at our table. His dialect was the same English accent as Lane’s. His hair was much shorter, spiked at the top. “That was all it took for her to realize my brother was a dead-beat.”
Both men laughed at that, and Lane punched his brother in the upper arm. It was obviously a private joke, and I suddenly felt like the odd man out. Chelle took a sip of her scotch and gave me an apologetic smile.
“I’m Cian,” the new guy said, reaching his hand out to me. I took it and we shook.
“Josh,” I said and picked up my drink to take a sip. The scotch was fine. Better than the stuff I had at home. “Nice,” I mumbled to myself.
“Cian and Lane are with the band,” Chelle told me.
“That explains the clothes.” I smirked. I could dish it out as well as the next guy.
Cian laughed and shrugged. “Comes with the territory, I suppose. Let’s go, Lane. It’s time to go on.” He stood and placed his hand on my shoulder. “It’s nice to meet you, Josh. Any friend of Chelle’s is a friend of ours. By the way, drinks are on the house.” I watched as both men headed backstage, several women practically throwing themselves at them as they made their way through the crowd.
At that, I drained my glass and ordered three more drinks, one for Chelle and two for me. I decided I liked Cian. The jury was still out on Lane.
Chelle leaned in close and sucked my earlobe between her lips, then ran her tongue down the side of my neck, kissing when she reached the bend to my shoulder. “They’re twins, but you would never know it by the way they look.”
I gave her a sideways glance. “Not by mannerisms either. I’m guessing Cian’s the oldest.”
“By about six or seven minutes.”
“Six or seven minutes and an entire year’s worth of finishing school.”
She laughed.
Chapter Thirty
Chelle
Lane had not been helpful, at all. I’d brought Josh to the club so he could see what nice people vampires could be. But Lane was so weirdly possessive; I’d sensed how uncomfortable he’d made Josh.
What was his problem? He couldn’t be jealous. He’d made it very clear over the past several months that just because he’d turned me, it didn’t mean we would be together as lovers in any sense of the word.
The lights dimmed, and the band came on stage. Like every Saturday night, cheers exploded from everyone. Cian and Lane usually took turns singing lead, but Gage and Elvis did their share of singing, too. Lane stood at the keyboard for this song while Cian played lead guitar. Elvis was on bass, and Gage on drums.
They started out with a classic rock and roll number, and Josh squeezed my hand and smiled. “Great song choice.”
“They’re good, huh?”
He nodded and we both sang, “Come on baby light my fire,” along with Cian.
After the last note of the Doors’ song, Cian shouted into the microphone, “Good evening everybody!” And the crowd went wild.
“We’re The Lost Boys, and we are here to please you!” Lane added into his own microphone. The smile on his face was enough to melt the pants off every female in the club.
Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Vanessa’s pretty smile.
“Vanessa, what are you doing here?” My eyes quickly darted around the room. “Where is Maggie?” I whispered.
“She’s upstairs,” she whispered back into my ear away from Josh. “We’re hopeless diehards. We couldn’t stay away.” She sat down in the chair on the other side of me.
“Josh, this is Vanessa. V, Josh.”
“Hey.” Josh frowned. “Aren’t you…I mean, weren’t you Magdalena De la Rosa’s roommate?”
“Yes. I thought you looked familiar. You’re the reporter she worked with?”
“Right.”
“Small world,” she said.
The band played another Doors’ song, but Lane took the lead on vocals this time. Cian and Lane sounded almost the same with that deep, arousing baritone of theirs. They both had amazing voices.
I’d spent so many nights over the past several months, sitting here, just like this, wet and horny just from listening to Lane sing.
“Lane has an amazing voice. So smooth. Sexy. Everything about him is sexy. Don’t you think?” Vanessa swooned, not really paying attention to whether I’d answered her or not. Her eyes swam with lust as she watched Lane up on stage. I hadn’t realized until that moment how bad she had it for him. I’d always thought she hated him. At least, the way they talked to each other, made me think that. They continuously put one another down. They were always at odds. With her being a witch and Lane a vampire, they never seemed to be able to come to terms and agree on anything.
One night, he’d told her that her witchcraft was second-rate. That hadn’t sat too well with her, and she’d cast a small spell on him, making it so he couldn’t swallow. I had to laugh as he’d clutched his throat in a panic. She’d only let it go on for a few seconds, but he’d cursed at her and told her to get out of the house.
Maggie, of course, vetoed that order and told Lane to grow up.
I’d been so wrapped up in my own desires for Lane that I hadn’t notice hers. But I saw it now. Poor V. I hoped she didn’t suffer too long. For me, Josh was everything Lane wasn’t.
Including human. Which could be a problem.
“Have you had any memories return yet?” Vanessa asked, dragging her eyes away from the stage. I knew that could be construed as a fairly normal question, but Josh knew about my dreams, and I didn’t want to keep him out of the loop. I decided to take a small leap since Vanessa had opened up the conversation.
I nodded at her then leaned in close to Josh. “Vanessa is the witch I told you about.”
Josh glanced at her but didn’t say anything. Not that I expected him to.
“I just thought you should know.”
He nodded and squeezed my hand and smiled. I took that as a good sign. He was aware of the supernatural, but from his experience, he considered us monsters. I needed to change his mind. Without compulsion.
Chapter Thirty-One
Josh
The band was good. The scotch was excellent. I decided that I’d been depriving myself a little too much, a little too long. From now on, it was Johnny Walker Black for me. I had the money, plenty of it. But up until I’d met Chelle, I didn’t feel I deserved it. But she was worth it. She deserved all the finer things that I’d been denying myself. If she was going to be spending time with me, she was most definitely worthy of nice surroundings. Nice furniture, a nicer apartment for sure. One with a view of the ocean or the bridge. Maybe that was why she never stayed the entire night.
I was on my second scotch when I leaned back in my chair, finally relaxed enough to look around and check out the type of people who hung out at Club Royal. This was her hangout. These were Chelle’s people. I wanted to know all about them. I looked at Vanessa, who claimed to be a witch. I wasn’t going to negate that. Not after the dream Chelle’d had shortly after a spell said witch had cast that made Chelle remember her parents. A dream she still hadn’t completely relayed to me.
The band played for a couple of hours and had just announced their last song. As they performed, I sank back in my seat, glad I’d come to listen. They were good. Out of the corner of my
eye, something caught my attention and my gaze settled on a couple on the dance floor. A man and a woman dancing, close. Nothing strange about that. They were a beautiful couple. She seemed very content; euphoric even with the way her body clung to his. His face was tucked into the side of her neck as they swayed to the slow tune of Journey’s Faithfully. They looked so happy, and I thought of asking Chelle to dance, just as the couple turned so that I could see his face against her neck. He was sucking. Giving her a hickey? I shook my head. That’s fucked up. Then he lifted his head.
I jumped up out of my chair, pulling Chelle with me. “What’s wrong,” she shouted over the music.
“We need to go. Right now.”
She shook her head.
“Chelle, just come with me. You should leave, too,” I said to Vanessa. At the risk of sounding crazy, I added, “that guy over there is a vampire.” Vanessa glanced at the guy on the dance floor but didn’t bat an eyelash. Nor did she rise to leave. “What are you waiting for? Come on, Chelle.” I tugged at her wrist.
“No, Josh. Wait. Please sit down. I know this looks scary. But he won’t hurt you. He can’t hurt you. Not in here.” She hadn’t even looked over at the couple. She had no idea what he’d been doing.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Please, sit down. People are looking at you.”
“What the fuck do I care? I’m leaving. Now. Are you coming or not?”
She laced her fingers with mine. “Sit down, Josh.” The calm in her voice captivated me. “No one will hurt us here. You’re safe. I’m safe. We are all safe.”
I sat down in the chair, feeling more relaxed. I glanced back at the dance floor. The couple I’d seen was no longer there. The vampire gone. He’d been the guy I’d seen at the café. The one Chelle had seemed so intrigued with.
“You’ve had a terrible experience, Josh. Anyone would have gone insane after what you saw. I know, I saw it, too. I watched as a vampire killed my mother. Ripped her throat completely to shreds with his fangs. Then they shot my dad. It was savage and barbaric. The most evil thing I’ve ever seen. That’s what I remembered in my dream tonight.” She had tears dripping down her cheeks, and all my fears of being in that place suddenly vanished. All I wanted to do was take her in my arms and ease her pain. Vanessa reached out and placed her hand over Chelle’s forearm in support. Chelle reached for me and wrapped her arms around me, and I pulled her against me, letting her tears soak my shirt.
“I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry, baby.”
She looked up at me. “I’m sorry, too, Josh. I’m really sorry. Because my mother was murdered by the very thing that I am.”
I pulled back and stared into her eyes. “What?”
“I’m not a monster, Josh. But I am a vampire.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chelle
I hadn’t wanted to compel Josh. At all. But he’d given me no choice. He was beginning to make a scene. And if any of the guys had noticed, they would have been on him immediately, compelling him to forget everything he saw, even me. So I’d done what I had to do. All I did was take away his fear, nothing more. I stopped the compulsion as soon as he calmed down enough to listen.
“You’re a vampire?” Josh uttered a little too loudly, and I looked around to see if anyone had heard him. Luckily, the music was loud enough that even if someone had heard, they never would have understood what he said. Josh’s brows knitted together, and then he had one hand on the table, the other on the back of his chair, ready to bolt. I didn’t want him to fear me.
“Please, Josh, lower your voice.”
“Josh,” Vanessa said calmly. “Chelle won’t hurt you. Nor will any of the others here. Not everyone in here is a vampire. I’m not.”
“Yeah, right.” He laughed. “You’re a fucking witch.” I followed Josh’s glance around the room. Everyone looked normal. Nothing seemed strange. Nobody was drinking anyone’s blood. Anymore. It had been stupid of that vampire to do that in the middle of the dance floor in front of so many humans. That was something Lane and Cian had always discouraged. Who the hell was he anyway? I’d never seen a vampire do that out in the open like that before, especially not here, and I hoped he wasn’t trouble. I’d need to let the guys know what happened.
I placed my palm on Josh’s wrist. His pulse beat fast and erratic.
“I need you to calm down. Please don’t make me compel you.”
“Compel me? Is that what you’ve been doing to me this whole time? I wondered how I could have fallen so hard, so suddenly.” He had? My heart soared and I wanted to smile, but I’m sure my grin would have been taken out of context.
“No. I never did. Not really.”
“Not really?”
“I mean, I never compelled you to like me. I only used my powers a few minutes ago for the first time, and only to get you to calm down. But that’s the only time. I swear.” My hands were on his wrists. Not tight, but I was ready to increase my grip if I had to. I couldn’t let him leave. Not until I’d explained everything to him. However, the club was not the place to do that. “Josh, if I were going to hurt you, don’t you think I would have by now? Please. Give me a chance to explain.”
He stared into my eyes then nodded. “Okay. Let’s get out of here.”
I understood his desire to leave. I’d wanted to go somewhere more private anyway. I needed someplace quiet to talk. Josh hadn’t run. Yet. I supposed that was something in my favor.
Josh had agreed to leave, but I worried he would bolt as soon as we were outside so I held his hand the entire way to his car. His eyes darting everywhere, on high-alert. My heart ached.
I let Josh drive. I didn’t want him to feel trapped. Besides, it was his car.
“Turn left at the next street. He drove up the hill, white-knuckling the steering wheel. “I’m glad you didn’t run.”
“What would be the point? I’m sure you would have used your horrific, vampire powers to make me stay.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, holding back the tears building, threatening to escape. He hated me now, and I feared that if I couldn’t sway his opinion of me, I’d have to compel him to forget what had happened tonight. Maybe even forget me entirely. Because if we stayed together, I’d no doubt need to compel him over and over again to forget what I was. What kind of relationship would that be? Lane had been right.
“Josh, I never wanted to compel you. I don’t ever want to take away your free will in any way, for any reason. Do you understand?”
He nodded. I sighed. He was placating me. No doubt afraid of me.
“You asked me why I ran away from Alan. This is why. I didn’t run away. I got turned into a vampire. I couldn’t go on living life as a human. As Chelle Masterson, college student.”
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“To my house.”
“I don’t suppose I have a choice.”
“You do, but if you choose not to go with me and let me explain everything to you, then I will have to compel you to forget me. Please don’t make me do that because…it would break my heart.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Josh
I glanced at Chelle, then back at the road before turning onto the next street. I looked to my left where the Pacific Ocean loomed. The lights on the Golden Gate Bridge twinkled in the distance. I rolled my window down, not only to capture the sweet smell of the sea, but because I needed some air.
“Pull in here.” Chelle pointed to a gated drive. I stuck my head out the window and looked up to see a beautiful mansion. Three circular windowed alcoves protruded from the upper levels, soft lights illuminating each one from within. I glanced back out to the sea and the bridge. What a view they must have.
“You live here?”
She nodded. “The mansion belongs to Cian and Lane. I have my own room.”
I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that not only was what I saw eight years ago real, but there were actually vampires living in the city, my
city, and the woman I’d been sleeping with was one of them. To also learn that they lived in a beautiful mansion above the Pacific coastline and not in caves, tombs, or damp, dark basements like I’d imagined, seemed a bit over the top. I pinched my arm to make sure I wasn’t dreaming all this.
“Ow.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I thought I should go with whatever she wanted. I’d probably be dead by morning anyway. A welcomed death, though. Anything to escape the reoccurring nightmare I’d been living with.
Chelle reached across me and held her hand up in front of a small box and the gate opened. “It’s fingerprinted.”
I drove through and glanced in the rearview mirror as the gate closed behind us. I sucked down the panic, the urge to bolt, and took a deep breath. There was no escape, not with my car anyway. I glanced to my left. Another gate and pathway led to the front door. An iron fence surrounded the entire property, which by my estimate stood about twelve feet high.
I decided to think of this whole night as an investigation. I was an investigative reporter. I’d been in worse situations. Though, at the moment, I couldn’t think of any.
We entered through a door in the back. My hand, the one not being held by Chelle’s, shook and I stuck it inside my pocket. Once inside, we walked through a large kitchen. It was dark, and Chelle flipped the light on. To my relief, no one was in there, until a small, adorable puppy came barreling in, straight into Chelle’s arms as she crouched down to receive it.
“Vicious! Hello, baby.” The puppy licked her face. “Yes, yes, I missed you, too. Say hello to my friend, Josh.” I bent down on one knee to pet the dog as she nuzzled and licked my hand. Chelle glanced at me. “I got her for my birthday.”
“She’s sweet.” Then I became confused. Vampires have dogs? “I wouldn’t have guessed that vampires would have pets.”
“That’s part of what I’ve been trying to tell you. We’re not monsters. We try to live our lives as humans. The only difference is, aside from being night creatures, we need blood to survive.”
Captivated by a Vampire: Billionaire, Rock Stars, Vampires in San Francisco (Immortal Hearts of San Francisco Book 2) Page 13