“What ... was that?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t exactly have a name for it.”
A soft laughed escaped his lips, and he put a hand on top of mine over his heart. “So, this isn’t normal?”
I grinned. “I’m not sure anything about us is normal.”
“Huh....” He was silent, breathing for a moment. “Does it happen all the time?”
I bit my lip, buying a second to think. “Ever since you kissed me that night after your painting lesson,” I replied.
His eyes widened. “That was our first kiss.” He gazed at me and I nodded in agreement. He chewed his lip in thought. “It’s not like mind-reading, is it?”
I shook my head. “It’s an emotional link of some kind.” I took a moment to appreciate the way he could look at me, fangs and all, and make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. “I don’t know why it happens.”
He brushed a strand of hair away from my face and lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “I do,” he said, his voice low. “That first night we kissed, I wanted you to know everything. It was the first time I’d ever felt that way with someone. I wanted you to know the effect you were having on me. I didn’t know it yet, but I obviously got my wish.” I smiled at him, grateful that he wasn’t upset that I hadn’t explained all of this to him sooner. “Why was tonight different?” he asked. “I haven’t felt it before now.”
“It only works one way. I had to project it back for you to experience it with me.”
“It’s incredible,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “I just have one question ... Can we do it again?”
Chapter 26
Aurora
WHEN MY PHONE RANG it was Mark’s name on the caller ID. I realized I hadn’t talked to him in quite a while. I turned away from where Trey and the other guys were working and started walking to a quieter spot as I answered.
“Hey,” I said.
“How’s married life?” he asked.
I sighed. “Don’t be mad. I just wasn’t sure you’d want to-”
“I’m not mad,” he said. “And you’re probably right. I’m still not sure how to feel about your human.”
I smiled. “He has a name, you know.”
“Whatever. The point is I want you to be happy. If he does that for you, then I’ll get over it.”
I smiled. This was Mark’s way of trying to be supportive. It was more than I deserved after everything I’d kept from him. “How’s Hana?”
“She’s fine,” Mark said. “Actually, she’s moving to Clearwater.”
“She is?”
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet. There was an opening at the hospital and she nailed the interview. I’m helping her pack right now and we’re moving her tomorrow.”
“Wow.” I said, trying not to sound too surprised. Things had obviously gotten serious. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.”
Just then Trey hollered at me from across the pier, and several of the extras walked past me in character, groaning loudly. I waved at Trey to let him know I was coming and then held my phone to my ear again. “Sorry about that,” I said to Mark.
“Where are you?” he asked curiously.
“Believe it or not I’m surrounded by a hoard of Zombies at the moment. It’s a long story, actually.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Mark said. “I’d better let you get back to the undead. We should all do dinner one night soon. You know, catch up and everything.”
“That sounds great. I’ll see you at the ritual.”
The call ended, and I looked up to see Trey following one of the zombie extras down the pier. He had his arms out Frankenstein-style and was dragging his feet. I smiled and shook my head, hurrying to catch up to him.
“Practicing up for tomorrow,” he said when I reached his side. He straightened and put his arm around my shoulder as we walked toward the beach.
It was almost four in the morning and Catalyst had just wrapped up night one of shooting the “You Only Live Twice” video on Pier 60. They’d shot scenes of the guys all walking past the zombified characters on the pier, and then scenes of the band playing the song with their instruments at the end of the pier. Finally, they’d filmed the band getting rushed by the zombies. Tomorrow night was all about Catalyst being zombies themselves.
“What did you think?” Trey asked me.
“You got some really great footage,” I said. I’d been enjoying the process from near the director’s chair. “It’s going to be a great video.”
“Now the fun begins,” O’Shea said from behind me. “Tomorrow I’m a dead man.”
“Technically, you’ll be un-dead,” Jonas corrected. Then he turned to me and said, “Are you going to be here tomorrow, too?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Good,” he replied. “I’m going to put you in charge of filming some behind the scenes stuff for the fan club.”
“You do realize I’m not a photographer or a camera man,” I said with a smile.
“Close enough. You have a good eye. That’s really all that matters.”
I bit my lip in thought as we continued to walk toward the parking lot. My brother Aden would have been crazy jealous of what I was doing. He would have reveled in the chance to photograph a famous band like Catalyst one day, and he would have a done an amazing job at it, too. I’d enjoy every last second of it ... for him.
“I’m not ready to call it a night,” Trey said.
“That might have something to do with the three energy drinks you’ve downed,” Neon said.
Trey tilted his head in thought. “Probably. Where are we going to find something to eat?”
Chase pulled out his phone. “It’s after two. Nothing’s open.”
“Frozen pizza it is,” Trey countered. “My place. Meet you guys there.” There was a general consensus among the guys that included a few head nods as Trey led me to the BMW. “I hope this is okay,” Trey said once we were on the road. “I probably should have asked you.”
“This isn’t going to be the kind of marriage where we ask permission to do things, is it?” He grinned at me, and I continued. “Besides, now that we’re married, I feel like I just gained three brothers. They’re welcome anytime.”
“Just one of the many reasons I love you,” he said. “The most important being your wicked grilled-cheese-sandwich-making skills.”
I scoffed. “Oh, is that right?”
“You must be doing something right,” he teased.
It was five in the morning before I found myself surrounded by Catalyst and manager in the game room of Trey’s – our – house. We’d heated up a few pizzas and brought them upstairs. Jonas and Neon had a game of pool going on and O’Shea had put some music on. Trey was sitting on the floor between my knees while I worked some of the tension out of his neck and shoulders. The white, button-up shirt he’d been wearing for the video shoot was rumpled on the floor near my feet, and his tie had disappeared the moment we’d walked in the house. Jonas’s tie was now tied around his forehead, and he’d been claiming to be a ninja since he arrived. Chase was using his tie like a wet towel to whip anyone who walked past him where he had his feet kicked up on the sofa.
I was flooding Trey’s mind with soothing images again. He’d been working hard for hours, and I was determined to help lessen the effects of all the caffeine he’d ingested so he could get some sleep eventually. He was in a whole other world when O’Shea called his name, and I released his mind.
“Yeah?” Trey said dreamily in response to O’Shea.
“Have you thought at all about our stage when we start the tour?”
Trey came to sit next to me on the couch, entwining his fingers with mine. “Do I ever disappoint?” he said, feigning insult. “Don’t worry. It’ll be amazing, whatever it is.” Then he silently added wow and thank you for my benefit.
Anytime, I mouthed.
“Speaking of the tour,”
Neon said. “I’ve confirmed all the dates for North America. I’ll get each of you a list.” Neon leaned on his pool stick and looked at Trey and me. “Is it safe to assume the newlyweds will want their own bus?”
“Yes,” Chase answered for us, making me laugh.
“That settles that,” Neon said with a grin. “How about the rest of you? You going to share?” He looked at the others who took turns nodding and shrugging. “You realize you’re making my job too easy.”
“We’ll see if you still feel that way a month from now,” I said to him, smiling.
Chapter 27
Aurora
“SAY HI TO THE fans,” I told Trey as I turned on Jonas’s video camera.
“Hi to the fans,” Trey said from the makeup chair he was lounging in. It was night two of the video shoot, and he’d been getting zombified for the last hour along with the rest of the guys in the band. I walked closer, getting a close up of his new look. “What do you think?” Trey said to the camera, striking a model-esque pose. “Sexy, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know if sexy is the word I would use,” I said with a laugh.
“You know you like it.” Trey leaned forward as if he were sharing a secret with the camera that I couldn’t hear. “She won’t admit it, but she finds me absolutely irresistible right now.”
I rolled my eyes and O’Shea, who was in the chair next to Trey’s, gestured for me to hand him the camera. I gave it to him, and he turned it on Trey and me.
“Here’s a peak at the newlyweds,” O’Shea said as Trey pulled me down onto his lap. I leaned forward, careful not to get any of his makeup on my shirt. “How’s married life treating you guys so far?” O’Shea asked.
“It’s great,” Trey said, looking at me through the white-out contacts that had returned from the zombie photo shoot they’d done last week. He smiled, and I returned the gesture. “It’s been what – three days now?”
“Happy three day anniversary,” I said to him.
“You, too. I’d kiss you right now but, well, I’d get zombie all over your face, and that’s just gross.”
O’Shea turned the camera on himself then. “I’m pretty sure they’re about to make out or something right now,” he said.
I took the camera back from him and recorded him, Chase and Jonas for a few minutes before Neon walked in.
“Actually, we need to introduce somebody to all of you,” Trey said as I turned to him again. “Come here, Neon.” Neon raised his eyebrows but stepped over to Trey’s side and waved at the camera. “Everyone, this is Neon. He’s the newest member of the Catalyst family. He’s making sure things on our end run smoothly right now. He’s got tour dates lined up so we can come out and see all of you on the road real soon.” Neon’s phone rang and he excused himself to go answer it. “He’s a busy man,” Trey said as he watched Neon walk away. “We keep him on his toes.”
“We’re working hard for all of you,” Chase added as I turned the camera on him. “Being a zombie is sort of exhausting.”
“Chase, you’ve been a zombie for all of five minutes,” O’Shea chimed in. “What’s so hard about sitting in a chair?”
“We can’t eat until we get this makeup off,” Chase countered. “It’s practically torture.”
“You had dinner an hour ago,” Jonas added. “I think you’ll live.”
“Or will I?” Chase said dramatically, and I zoomed in while he waggled his eyebrows up and down.
I stood just out of the shot on the pier. Trey and the guys were set up right in the center of the T at the end with their instruments. They’d just spent an hour recording the scene in the video where the zombie hoard disperses after converging on them and the guys have been made into zombies themselves. Now they were playing along with a recording of the song to finish out the video.
Trey was rocking his zombie getup. His torn dress shirt and jacket blew in the coastal breeze as he worked the mic stand and slammed on his guitar like the rock star he is. I didn’t have to read his mind to know how much fun he was having. He was in his element. It would have been obvious to anyone who watched that he was born to do this, but what everyone else didn’t know was how much pain he was in. His shoulder was really acting up, but Trey was determined to give the performance of a lifetime despite the pain. The other guys were worried about him, especially O’Shea. Trey was pretending not to notice the concerned looks O’Shea was sending his way every few minutes, like ignoring it might just make it all go away. I’d been sending him encouraging thoughts in between takes and wishing there was something more I could do to help him with the pain.
The helicopter that was filming from above made a pass over us, causing my hair to dance around in the gust of wind created by its blades. If you’d told me a few months ago that this would become part of my life, I would have laughed. But here I was, standing by as the supportive wife, while my rock star husband filmed a killer music video. In a matter of weeks this video would be all over the internet. I had no clue when I’d done the painting of Pier 60 that now hangs above Trey’s fireplace that this place would come to mean so much to me. Trey and I had gotten married here just days ago and now Catalyst was filming their video here, as well.
When the director yelled “Cut!” for the umpteenth time that night, a guy from the crew ran up and took Trey’s guitar for him. Trey walked over to me, trying to ignore the girl who ran over to touch up his zombie makeup while he talked to me.
“This next scene will be the last one,” he said.
“How are you holding up?” I asked as I handed him a bottle of water and a few pain killers. “Are you ready for your Oscar?”
“I’m doing okay,” he said, swallowing the pills with a swig of water. It didn’t matter that I knew he was far from okay. “Do I look worn out?”
“No,” I assured him. “It’s just that you’re only human, still. I’m not sure how you do it.”
“The pain will be gone in a few days,” he told me. “This video will be around for a long time. I don’t want to look back on it and wish I had done a better job. If I’ve popped my shoulder back out by the time we’re finished, at least I’ll know I gave it my all.”
“Just think,” I said. “Soon your shoulder won’t be an issue.”
“I’m looking forward to that part,” he admitted.
I projected an image of him with fangs into his mind, and his eyes went out of focus for a second before he shook his head to clear it.
“Too much?” I asked.
“Nah,” he said, smiling at me. “I just hope I actually look that cool in the end.”
“You look cool now,” I said.
“Oh, so the zombie look is growing on you?” he teased. “I could leave it on when we’re done if you like.”
“Uh ... I wouldn’t go that far.”
“We’re ready for another take,” the director announced.
Trey closed his eyes for a second and took a deep, centering breath.
“You’re almost done,” I said, trying to be encouraging.
He let out a breath of air and nodded, looking at me. “I’m fine,” he said. “I can do this.”
“I know some vampires you’d put to shame,” I added, making him smile.
Thankfully, the last scene went rather quickly. The director filmed the band walking back down the pier to the sand on the beach. He mentioned something about fading them out completely as they crossed the sand in the finished product.
“That’s a wrap,” the director called, earning a round of applause from everyone around.
Trey put his good arm around my shoulder as we walked back toward the parking lot with the guys.
“Get some sleep,” he told them all. “In a few hours we mingle with sharks.”
Chapter 28
Aurora
I TOOK A SHARP left turn onto another street, and Trey laughed from the passenger seat of my car, glancing over his shoulder to watch behind us.
"I think you lost him," he said, grinning and settli
ng into his seat again.
"If I did, it won't last long," I said as I pulled into the parking lot near the docks. "We've got to get on that boat before they catch up." I pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine, Trey and I both jumped out of the car quickly and slammed the doors shut.
"Let's go," Trey said, and he took my hand as we jogged toward the dock. Just as we'd hoped, Jonas, Chase and O'Shea were already on the boat. We'd shown up a few minutes late intentionally, hoping we'd be able to get right on and go as long as everyone else was aboard.
"What took you so long?" O'Shea called out as we got close.
"Yeah, wasn't this your idea?" Jonas added. "And they say I'm always late."
Trey held my hand while I stepped onto the boat, and then he jumped in behind me. I heard the sound of screeching breaks and knew the Emissary detail we thought we'd lost had just pulled into the parking lot. I gave Trey a knowing look, and he pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it to the boat's nearest crew member.
"How fast can we get this boat away from the dock?" he asked.
The crewman, who looked like he was about seventeen, took a second to process his surprise as he looked out at the parking lot and then said, "Fast enough."
Trey clapped him on the shoulder, grinning victoriously. I still wasn't convinced we'd make it, but the kid set to work untying the boat from the dock, then several members of the crew pushed us off from it. The Emissary detail was still fifteen yards away up on the other end of the dock when our boat drifted away, and the captain used the engine to putter out toward open water.
Even at that distance, I could see he was visibly disturbed by the fact that we'd won this round. Damir wouldn't be happy that he'd lost us, and knowing that only sweetened the victory.
Immortals And Melodies (Blood And Guitars #2) Page 14