by Weil, J. L.
Lexi’s smile was anything but sweet. “I threatened to snap one of his games in half.”
I gasped.
Chase looked like he was about make some form of overbearing and controlling suggestion. I butted in. “Give her some slack. It’s Halloween.”
“The day of the damned…I think I have a right to worry,” he retorted.
“Look, we don’t need a babysitter all the time. You’re stifling me. Us,” I corrected. He had me on edge. I don’t know why I said it, but I regretted it the second the words flew from my mouth. Everything between us was so intense now. I didn’t know how to deal with all these emotions I was having, and I knew taking it out on him wasn’t the answer.
I was going to have to apologize. Later.
“Yeah,” Lexi punctuated. “We are here to have fun, dance and drink. Not necessarily in that order,” she said, plucking a fruity wine drink from one of the coolers.
Chase scowled. He barely spared me another glance before he took off. I lost sight of him in the crowd and sighed heavily. The look on his face stuck in my mind. I tried to convince myself that I imagined the quick streak of hurt.
“Come on,” Lexi grinned, grabbing my arm. “Let’s mingle.”
I do not mingle. I don’t drink due to daddy issues that have completely sworn me off alcohol. And I most certainly do not dance. But it was kind of hard to say no to the strength of a half-demon pulling you along.
Kailyn and Brandy spotted us and waved wildly.
“What took you guys so long to get here?” Kailyn asked at our approach. She was dressed as Pocahontas. With her dark hair in braids and her olive complexion she fit the part perfectly.
“I promised my mom I would pass out candy while she was at work,” I informed her.
Brandy looked like she belonged in a harem. Her midriff was bared, and the material covering her legs couldn’t have gotten any sheerer. She looked like a genie in a bottle, but with a lot less class. “Well, you haven’t missed much, that’s for sure.”
Shocker. In a town this small, we would have already heard about it if something had happened. Everything moved slower than snot here, except for gossip. That spread faster than the flu. “The night is still young and in Spring Valley, you are more likely to see a UFO than something of real importance happening,” I said, unable to help myself. Poking fun of this town had become like second nature to me. Sort of like my love-hate relationship with Chase, though lately it seemed like we had come to some kind of truce, tonight excluded.
The world must have frozen over.
Brandy and Kailyn giggled.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Lexi agreed. “And trust me, alien sightings are a common occurrence here.”
No doubt, with the high demon activity they have running amuck. We chatted, but I sort of checked out of the conversation. Since I’d lost sight of him, Chase had been on my mind even though I tried to forget him. Scanning the crowd again, I looked for those silver eyes. Nothing. My heart sunk a little.
It’s your own fault, I reminded myself. You wanted space. Well, suddenly I felt like I had too much space.
Lexi took a long swig of her bottle. When she turned her bright eyes on me, I knew I wasn’t going to like what she had in mind. She grabbed a hold of my hand. “I love this song,” she declared in a voice much louder than necessary. Someone was feeling a little buzzed.
Before I had a chance to protest, I found myself in the middle of what felt like a mosh pit. Bodies were bumpin’ and grinding, in what I guess what was called dancing. Someone elbowed me in the ribs, my toes got trampled, and I hadn’t even started moving yet. Not that there was much room to really move. I was so out of my element.
If I survived tonight, I was going to strangle Lexi.
I lost track of how long we swayed our hips to the bass. Somewhere between Tim McGraw and Miranda Lambert, Lexi brought me back to earth. She was also the reason I was wedged like a pickle.
“He’s watching you,” Lexi sung, twirling in a circle, the crystals on her dress catching in the firelight.
I was pretty sure that wine cooler had gone straight to her head. She wasn’t making much sense. What a lightweight. “Who?” I asked, trying to concentrate on the movement of my feet.
She rolled her turquoise eyes. “Chase, dummy. Who else?”
My heart sped up in triple time. “Oh. Whatever. He is probably waiting for me to trip over my feet and fall on my ass.”
She looked over my shoulder. “Hmm. I don’t think so. He is looking right this way.”
“Lexi, stop,” I growled.
“He is…wait…” Her eyes narrowed.
“What?” I screeched, barely able contain my exasperation.
“He’s scowling,” she finally said.
I relaxed. “Why is that abnormal?”
She had stopped dancing and looked around. I continued to move with the music, trying to blend in with the crowd. “Everyone is staring at you,” she said, her eyes connecting back to me. “You’re magnetizing.”
“What?” I said again in disbelief. This time I stopped what might have passed as dancing. What kind of mumble jumble was she going on about? Note to self, Lexi and liquor don’t mix.
“Chase is going to go ape shit,” Lexi informed, like I didn’t already know.
Somehow, a circle had formed around Lexi and me, making us the center of attention, exactly what I hadn’t wanted. People were still dancing, but they were more or less dancing around us. It was as if a spotlight was shining down on us.
On me.
I was going to puke.
I was going to faint.
Maybe both. I had to get out of here.
Leaving Lexi to her dancing, I pushed my way through the crowd, looking for some space and air. I couldn’t breathe. I kept walking and walking, until the music was just a low hum. Leaning against a beat up, rusty red truck, I drew in huge gulps of the cool breeze. It washed over my heated cheeks. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment, the low music in the distance, the smell of burning wood, and the crickets singing in the fields.
Away from all the gawking eyes.
I didn’t hear the footsteps until it was too late for escape. My solitude was over. A cornstalk snapped, and I expected to see Chase’s surly face bulldoze into the clearing, even deadly with anger he looked devastating. But it wasn’t. Instead, I saw a very unwelcomed, wobbly Brody.
“Oh my God.” My hand flew to my chest. “You scared the bejesus out of me.” I didn’t even try to hide the annoyance from my voice. The hammering of my heart pounded under my hand.
He stepped in front of me with a red plastic cup in his hand and like most of the guys, forewent a costume. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I was being as loud as possible, I swear.” He drew a sloppy X across his chest and smiled at me.
What a dork. “I think I’m just jumpy. Too much caffeine or not enough.”
He laughed with brown eyes that looked glazed, like melted ice. “That’s what I like about you, you’re funny. Not like the other girls at school.”
If he only knew how different I was.
“I’ve been waiting all night to talk to you.” His words sort of blurred together into one.
“You have?” I was utterly clueless as to why he wanted to talk to me.
He took a step closer, our shoulders brushing. “Of course. You look great by the way. Who you supposed to be?”
I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the sketchy feeling his lingering gaze was giving me. Did no one in this hick town watch movies? “Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas.”
He blinked.
“It’s a movie,” I added.
“Oh. Well it’s by far the best costume of the night.” He drowned the rest of the contents in his cup, whipped his mouth with the back of his hand, and set the empty cup on the bed of the truck.
Attractive.
I was waiting for the epic belch to follow and maybe even some belly scratching. It would have made m
y night.
Yet for whatever reason, my body suddenly went on alert.
Maybe it was the fact that he was clearly drunk.
Maybe it was the funny, slurred speech.
Maybe it was the scary gleam in his eyes.
Regardless, for his safety and mine, I knew that I didn’t want to be alone with him. I was feeling very unsure about this whole situation, unsure about this whole night. Everything seemed off, bizarro.
“I didn’t think I would get a minute alone with you,” Brody slurred his words.
Touching. Can you believe this guy?
Suddenly he was in front of me, his arms boxing me on either side of the truck and pinning me in with his bulky body. I got that icky, sick feeling and swallowed my first taste of fear. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I realized I was trapped between his much larger-than-mine body and the side of the truck.
Shit.
Well this was an unexpected turn of events.
Not good.
“Brody,” I said, trying to make my voice stern. “Don’t do this,” I warned, risking a glance up into his glassy brown eyes.
He angled his moppy brunette head. “Why not? I know you want to. I can see it in your eyes.”
What an asshat. The only thing he saw in my eyes was disgust and fear.
“Brody look, I am sure you are a nice guy.” My voice was tight, fear gripping me. I flattened my hands on his chest, pushing. He was an immovable force. I couldn’t breath. That pause was just the opening he was waiting for and then his mouth was on mine. He smelled like a brewery and tasted worse. I hated beer. An assault of memories flooded me. I was frozen in absolute panic.
This wasn’t happening.
What was happening?
I couldn’t believe it. I knew that Brody could be a jerky jock, but this…
It just goes to show you how horrific my judge of character could be.
I knew in my head I should scream, but nothing came out. His hand grabbed me at the waist, digging painfully into my skin. His mouth was rough, bruising my lips with sloppy, wet kisses. I wanted to puke.
I needed to do something. Now.
I did the only thing I could think of. I brought my knee straight up in-between his legs with as much force as I could muster.
And I got just the results I was looking for.
His hands instantly released my waist as he moaned, clutching his groin. I wasted not a second of the reprieve I was given, knowing that it wouldn’t cripple him for long.
I scrambled away from the truck. “Chase!” I called, breathing heavily, knowing that I only needed to say his name, and he would hear me.
Or so I hoped.
He stepped out of the dark shadows, eyes glowing like the Las Vegas strip. His movements were deadly quiet and dangerous, and he looked a thousand times scarier than Brody.
Chase.
“What took you so long?” I snapped, all my fear turning into rage, that and the fact that I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and take me the hell away from here – far away.
Chase’s mouth thinned and his jawed ticked. “How was I to know that you weren’t into it? You wanted space, remember? Well, I gave you plenty.”
Ugh. He would have to bring that up now of all times. “I think I was making it pretty damn clear I wasn’t interested. This fucktard was just too drunk and stupid to listen.” My mouth tends to get filthier when I’m scared out of my wits.
Brody groaned again. In a flash, Chase reached down and hauled Brody up against the truck one-handed.
He wiggled his brows. “So you are admitting that you need me after all?” Smugness oozed from his whole entire body.
Brody made a grunting noise, causing Chase to remember he was still there and stiffen. Seriously bad move. He should have kept his trap shut. Now I was sure Chase was going to murder him. His eyes lit like embers against the starry night, and they were definitely filled with a murderous glare. Brody was toast.
I had to intervene.
Well, maybe not until Brody learned a lesson. No meant no, and if he needed the bejeebies beat out of him to get that, then by all means, who was I to begrudge him that lesson.
The first crunch of knuckles cracking against Brody’s cheek wasn’t pretty. I caught a glimpse of Brody’s head swinging back right before I hid my eyes, no longer thinking that this so called lesson was a great idea. Especially with the kind of fists Chase packed. It wasn’t exactly fair. Chase had been itching for a fight, and I just handed him one on a silver platter.
A trickle of blood seeped from Brody’s nose, but that didn’t stop Chase. He seemed to be out for more than just blood as he hit Brody again and again. If I didn’t do something now, Chase might lose control. I have had my fair share of run-ins with both half-demons and the nasty stuff from the underworld. And though Chase never hurt me, that didn’t mean I still didn’t fear what lied hidden inside him.
I would be a fool not to. And mama didn’t raise no fool.
Well most of the time I wasn’t foolish. There were those few times where desperation overrules reason.
“Chase!” I yelled from behind him.
At first I didn’t think he heard me. Then his hand stopped midair – clenched and suspended in barely restrained fury. The fact that he had been able to stop wasn’t lost to me, or the fact that I might be one of only a few people who could have actually gotten through to him. Later, when I wasn’t feeling so exposed and vulnerable, I might realize the kind of power I had with him. For now, it just washed right over me.
Muscles taunt, he had Brody slammed up against the truck again, eyes glowing brighter than the moon. Brody’s were full of fear and the fog of booze, he looked close to tears. “Touch her again, I dare you,” Chase said in a haunting voice.
Mental eye roll. I hoped that was more of a threat than a challenge. The last thing I wanted was Brody to give Chase another reason to beat him to a bloody pulp. His face already looked like it had a horrible meeting with a meat grinder.
I gasped, as Chase’s fist found the center of Brody’s belly for one last punch. Brody crumbled to the cold, rocky ground. Chase turned to me, and a slice of fear rippled through me. Sometimes I forgot how scary he could really be. His hand grabbed mine, tugging me through the overgrown brush of the field.
I sighed, suddenly tired of being manhandled. “Are we just going to leave him there?” I asked, leaves crackling under our feet as I scrambled to keep up with Chase and his superior speed and long legs.
A hopeless endeavor really.
He stopped and my legs thanked him. “Do you really want me to go back there?” he growled.
I swallowed. “Umm, definitely not–”
No sooner had the words left my mouth, when I felt the air sucked out of my lungs, and I was flying in the air. I never saw it coming. Somewhere in the distance, I heard a faint whoosh and humming, but it didn’t register in my brain. When you are sailing through the air, there was only one place to go. Down.
My back hit the ground with a jarring force, and my chest felt like it was crushed by a giant boulder. That giant boulder turned out to be a body. It seemed like minutes before I was able to breathe again. In reality it was probably only seconds, yet time seemed to have slowed.
Disorientated, I stared above me, looking into Chase’s glittering topaz eyes. He had tackled me, literally to the ground.
Now what?
Chapter 8
“What the hell Chase? What is wrong with you?”
He looked down at me, pushing the hair out of my face. Both of us were breathing hard from the unexpected fall. “You ungrateful little brat, I just saved your life – again I might add.”
I followed his gaze above our heads where I used to be standing. There, embedded in the grainy tree bark was a long sleek arrow with yellow feathers at the end. Someone had shot at me, or us, I wasn’t certain.
“I was being shot at?” I asked in disbelief, peering back at his looming face.
“It looks that w
ay.”
I tried to ignore the way his body covered mine. You think after a death defying moment, I wouldn’t be thinking about how glorious his rippled chest felt against mine, or that even when he was tossing me to the ground, I rarely get hurt. “Who would want to shoot me? With an arrow?” I asked, when I could think clearly again.
His eyes were studying mine. I could only assume that my eyes were doing that color changing dohicky. He had that look on his face. “Hunters. And it looks like they have figured out my kryptonite.”
Kryptonite? Did he mean me? I was his weakness? “I thought you said you weren’t a superhero?”
He snorted. “Angel, you’re impossible.” Then he kissed the tip of my nose before pushing to his feet. With a rough hand, he brushed his fingers through his windblown hair.
My chest felt lighter without his weight, though I missed the zing. I just laid there on the ground, looking at him hovering above me. He looked gorgeous and powerful with the moonlight at his back. He blended perfectly with the night. Yes, I was totally ogling, but so was he. We just couldn’t seem to help ourselves. We probably should have been running for our lives from whatever was hunting us, not spending an eternity eyeballing each other.
The side of my hip tingled in hypnotic bliss.
It was Chase who eventually broke what was becoming a sizzling spell. He held out a hand. “We need to go.”
Nodding, I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. I couldn’t have agreed more. Though, a tumble on the ground would have been fine too. Just saying.
But I knew he was right. We were sitting ducks out here in the open field. Who ever was out there, had the trees and the twilight as their cover. But I had a half-demon. I think I win.
So far this Halloween was becoming too much real life horror for me. It wasn’t my kind of fun. I’d like to leave the life-threatening situations to the movies. However, it seemed that wasn’t in the cards for me.
Not now.
I needed to be a realist here.
I was going to be hunted.
My life was going to be in constant danger.
And one day, Chase might not be there to save me.
“Let’s find Lexi before they decide to take a second shot,” he said, sounding stressed.