Taste the Dark (Elwood Legacy Book 1)

by Nicola Rose

I went wobbly. Sweet Jesus, as if one gorgeous man and his electric lips wasn’t enough, now I had his dazzling twin giving me heart failure, too. He was all shades of bad and yet the memories of all he’d done began fading rapidly, like I had no control. They just slipped away from my body, floating on a breeze, leaving only a lusting sensation where the anger should be. What the fuck was the urgent heat burning between my legs?!

  Zac snarled like a rabid dog. If I thought he looked menacing before, then there were no words for this. He dropped the human facade, his eyes black, lip curled up like a growling wolf.

  “Calm down, kitten. Can’t a gentleman be courteous to a lady these days?” Alex released my hand, smiling sweetly, as Zac stepped protectively between us.

  “You? Courteous?! You delusional wanker,” I muttered, ignoring my traitorous body which was still singing with delight after the touch of his lips. Alex smiled wider.

  “What do you want?” Zac asked. “It’s all dealt with here, right?”

  I tried to peek out from behind him at beautiful, dangerous, asshole number two. I was angry, at both of them. I knew it, in my head. But I couldn’t feel it. Fuck this. Fuck them.

  “Zac—” I began.

  “Shut up, Jess,” he hissed.

  Alex shifted to the side to make eye contact. He grinned, easy and carefree, not a single concern in the world. “Evidently not. There’s no courtesy to ladies anymore,” he muttered under his breath.

  His eyes, like Zac’s, had an intensity that was clearly beyond human. But where Zac’s were deep, golden flames, his were piercing electric blue, almost turquoise. Opalescent, even. The colour seemed to switch and change, shimmering blues like tropical waters. They weren’t brooding and dark like Zac’s, shrouded in angst, no… his eyes sparkled with a seductive playfulness.

  Alex took in a noisy lungful of air, nose pointed in my direction, and slid his tongue along his teeth, exhaling with the sound of satisfaction.

  “I dare you to do that again,” Zac growled. He was seething with so much rage by this point that I thought he might actually transform into a wild animal before my eyes. Was shape shifting a vampire thing?

  Alex let out a long, low whistle as he stepped away. “OK, Zachariah, whatever you say.” Then, to me, he said. “Another time, darlin’.” Before vanishing in a flurry, a cool breeze sweeping back my hair.

  Zac had tried to talk to me more, asked me to go back to his place, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. It didn’t matter how much my body cried out for his touch, how whole he made me feel. This was too monumental.

  How was I supposed to look Danny in the eye, knowing what they’d done to his mind? How many times had they messed with it already? Zac assured me that Danny didn’t know what they were, no one did – they made sure of it.

  The mood at the firehouse after the incident had been unbearable. Not because they were distant, or angry, or confused. But because they were normal. Whatever the vampires had done to their minds, they did a thorough job. The crew joked around, throwing playful banter at me like I was their best friend, like nothing untoward had ever happened.

  I had no doubts that their relaxed attitude towards me was thanks to Zac and his gang. Did they think to just add in a little extra mind-bending whilst they were at it? Forget all this dead body business and our presence here, but whilst we’re at it, go ahead and think of Jess as your best buddy. Even Danny had lost the anxious look, no longer watching me from afar with anguish, but instead patting me on the back and laughing.

  The whole thing made me cringe. It wasn’t right. But what other option was there? What would have happened if Zac had gone ahead and left that body there? The coroners would have had a field day with that.

  No. They did what they had to do. And that made me even angrier. I didn’t want to agree with them. Didn’t want to accept it as OK. Or maybe I was just terrified. For the idea of what they could do to me.

  They could make me think anything, do anything. And of all the possibilities, all the ways they could mess with my head, what made me feel the most nauseous?

  The fact that Zac could make me forget he existed.

  When I arrived at MoJoe’s the following night I found Danny behind the bar, helping himself to drinks. Anna and William sat on the other side, snuggled up close, smooching, passing loving gazes back and forth.

  Danny beamed at me, bright and happy, but Anna and William gave me tight smiles. At least Zac hadn’t mind-fucked everyone on the island.

  Spring break was finally over. Six weeks or so of the constant, incessant, crazed crowds was too much. They grew tiresome with their young, lithe bodies and carefree attitudes. I was thankful to wave goodbye to the last of them. The place was still busy, but at least now you could breathe and get some space. Lord knows I needed that. If the world around me would calm down just a little, then maybe I could too. My head was such a frantic, emotional wreck.

  “Hey there, how’s my favourite girl today?” Danny asked, giving me a wink.

  “Sulking. But I’m better now, thanks to your gorgeous face.” I returned the wink and Anna looked at me agog, eyebrows raised. I cursed myself at feeling thankful for whatever they’d done to Danny, and for suddenly wishing that maybe, just maybe, it would have been helpful to brainwash Anna.

  “I aim to please, Miss. Jess. What can I get you?” Danny asked, radiant. It looked to me like his steel-grey hair had managed to turn even greyer since my arrival, but it suited him.

  “You look pretty good behind the bar… better in your uniform though. You should stick to the day job,” I grinned.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I am. So you better hurry and choose what you want before I come back round the other side of the bar.”

  “I don’t know, what’s on offer?” I hoisted myself onto a stool and leant over, my chin resting in my hands.

  “Anything you like, baby. I have it all.”

  Baby? OK, maybe they’d gone too far.

  “I bet you do. You certainly look… well equipped.” I nibbled my lip.

  “Don’t take it on what you can see from that side of the bar, Jess,” he moved in closer, wincing from the lingering pain that still haunted his ribs. “I operate a strict ‘try before you buy’ policy here, you know.”

  William coughed. Danny’s mouth was so close to mine that I could feel his breath on my face. I could reach out and stroke the silver-flecked stubble.

  “You do, huh? What exactly does that mean?” I cocked my head to the side as I feasted my sights over his lips. I shouldn’t be doing that.

  “It means you can always ask for a sample of anything behind the bar, have a little taste, just to see how much you like it before you come back for more,” he paused, his own eyes not leaving my lips. “Trust me. You’ll be back for more.”

  “You know, Chief, you’re pretty hot for an old man,” I smirked.

  “You know, Firefighter Layton, you’re not so bad for a cheeky-assed rookie. And anyway, you know what comes with age, right?”

  “Erectile dysfunction?”

  Anna snorted.

  “I was going to say experience!” he laughed. “And, quite the opposite of your suggestion, actually. I don’t get laid enough which makes for a rock hard ride when the opportunity arises. But you know that already, right?”

  I inched ever so slightly closer to him, when there was a sudden commotion behind me, giggling and shouting. The tension between us snapped and I turned around to observe Zac and his gang entering the bar, along with hoards of girls. Jabbering and squealing, throwing themselves, and their pert little titties, into Zac’s face. My blood boiled.

  “Wonderful. The carnage begins,” Danny pushed himself back off the bar and came round to join us on the customer side.

  I waited for Zac to acknowledge me. There was no way that he wouldn’t know I was there, he himself admitted that he could sense my whereabouts from miles around. Yet he didn’t look over once.

  Anna clicked her tongue and put a hand over mine. William st
iffened in his seat. Danny shook his head and glared at the vampires. I guess they hadn’t wiped all reasoning from his mind.

  I’d never seen Zac looking so… normal. He let his hands wander over the girls, laughed and chatted. Blending right in with the typical South Padre crowd. Even so, there was a flicker of something more, something angry, when another four people entered the bar.

  A momentary hush swept through the place, all eyes fixated on the newcomers. Three male and one female. It was immediately obvious that they were vampires, to me at least. Not hard now to recognise those startling good looks and the casual-yet-tense posture. The woman was all slender curves, attitude and silky-smooth skin.

  The bitch walked right up to my man and started sucking his neck! After a long moment of kissing and licking, during which time I thought the world was going to implode around me, she draped a hand on his shoulder and turned to see what he was glaring at; his expression hard and cold on me as I approached. I hadn’t even realised that I was moving towards them, my pulse thrashing in my head.

  I stopped in front of them and he gave me a disgusted look that made me flinch.

  “Do you want something? I’m a little busy here,” Zac snapped in my direction. The air caught in my lungs, like he’d punched me in the guts. I’d never seen that look in his eyes before, but it was venom, and fear.

  “Who is this tasty little morsel?” the bitch asked, absently stroking her washboard stomach with long, painted fingernails.

  “I have no idea, another follower I guess. This one’s more my type though,” Zac pulled one of his adoring fans to himself and groped her. Shocked happiness erupted across her face. I wanted to rip that smug smile right off and shove it down her throat. I couldn’t gather my thoughts enough to work out what I wanted to do to Zac, but it wasn’t pretty.

  “Interesting. She has a type I’m not familiar with.” Bitch-tits looked me up and down, sizing me up.

  Zac scoffed, “You’re just high from the junkie you sucked dry out there. Trust me, she’s nothing to get excited about.”

  28

  Jess

  I stood there gobsmacked, while the vampire bombshell laughed at me, along with the girl who was now nibbling at Zac’s ear. She got to nibble his ear, but I got yelled at when I attempted it?

  Do something, Jess! Shout at him. Hit him. Demand an explanation!

  I should have done those things. If only that look on his face hadn’t twisted my guts inside out. I turned and tried to walk away calmly, but I was heaving from trying to catch my breath, and I ended up running to escape the embarrassment.

  If vampires could alter people’s thoughts, could they do it to each other? Could Alex have made Zac forget me? There I’d been, worrying that they could make me forget them, but what if the opposite had happened? Had Zac forgotten me?

  No. He’d seen me, and he’d known me. But the malice, then the longing, they flashed across his face so fast. Ambivalence. Why? Why would he treat me like that?

  Anna and Danny followed me out, but I ran. I ran and ran, and didn’t stop. I cut corners, went through bars, in one end and out another, until I was certain I’d lost them. Then I continued to stumble blindly from one bar to another and proceeded to get shit-faced. An hour later I was still struggling to breathe. Partly due to the crushing pain in my chest, and partly because of the number of guys who I’d kissed without coming up for air.

  They were barely older than nineteen, maybe twenty – the current group of lads that I was eyeing up. They’d noticed me, the old woman drinking alone, desperate. I could feel their jokes, their laughing eyes catching mine. I wanted to fuck them. All of them. My body craved it so badly, to have their hands on me. Any one of them would do… all of them together would be better.

  They’d take away the worry, the unknown. I knew myself in the bedroom. I knew what to do and how to make it alright, to quiet the voices, the guilt and anxiety. It was my safe place, aside from the number one preference of adrenalin. If I fucked them, there would be no fears or doubts. Simple pleasure and excitement. The way life should be.

  It didn’t take long for one of them to stalk over and buy me a drink. His golden locks dangled loosely around his soft, youthful face as he smiled at me playfully. There was no point in waiting, in playing, pretending. I took his hand and led him to the restroom, his friends clapping as we passed.

  He fucked me in about five seconds. Start to finish. I hadn’t even bothered to take my underwear off, just pulled it aside. Must have been a premonition that it would have taken longer to take it off and put back on, than the act itself. Not worth the effort. It took him longer to get the condom on than it did to climax.

  I couldn’t face walking back into that bar, to his friends. I was embarrassed for him. For me.

  I gave him a brief smile and darted away, off to drown myself in another bar.

  The clientele were older in the next one. The beige leather sofas were clean and inviting, the warm light giving a soft glow to the surroundings. Ambient music played at a low volume. Calm. It was calm. Had I roamed away from South Padre?

  Before I had time to contemplate that, a tall, bland guy sunk into the sofa beside me and put a hand straight on my thigh. Nope. I was still on the island. Thank fuck for that.

  With a slight sigh I turned to smile at him, letting my lips meet his without having spoken a word. Maybe this one would fill the void.

  “That seat’s taken,” Danny’s voice drifted in from somewhere. The guy coughed an apology and made a hasty retreat.

  I caught the smell of his woody aftershave as Danny moved in to occupy the space beside me.

  “You planning on fucking your way around the whole island?” he asked.

  “Have you been following me?” I squinted at him, until his tight lips confirmed it. “That’s Zac’s role, not yours. You can’t be like him. Please don’t be like him.”

  “And what would he think if he’d been following you tonight?”

  “He’d have no fucking right to think a single thing. Anyway, I’m a nympho. I’m duty-bound to live up to the reputation, right?”

  “Yeah, sure, if you’re going to listen to the shrink labels when it suits?”

  I shrugged.

  “I can’t bear to keep seeing you like this, Jess. It’s killing me,” his voice cracked. His muscled body was so close to mine. I leant in and accepted the comfort of his arms. Warm and safe. I looked up and brushed my lips over his.

  “Easy there, tiger,” he said, pushing away. “I’m taking you home.”

  “Good plan. I have a bed. More suitable than this place, my last experience was far from fulfilling,” I laughed, choking on the agony fighting through my chest and into my throat.

  He escorted me with few words. Outside the motel I fiddled around trying to find my keys. I was cursing and crying. He took the purse from me and pulled me in close again. He wasn’t trying to get sexy with me; he was trying to stop me crying. That wouldn’t do. There was only one way I’d stop and it involved sex, and reeked of payback.

  I put my hand straight to his cock and rubbed, swaying on my feet. He didn’t stop me, so I kissed him. That’s all there is to say about it really. It was an alright kiss, nice and safe.

  A stray dog or something was close by. I couldn’t see, but it was growling threateningly, like an animal defending its territory. Something moved on the edge of my vision. Something dark, shadowy… and fast.

  “We should hurry up and take this inside?” I slurred.

  “Jess, enough. I’m not staying,” he said, but his eyes side otherwise.

  “Only a few hours ago you suggested I could try your merchandise, no strings attached,” I countered. “What’s changed?”

  “Everything’s changed. You’re a wreck.” His shoulders caved as his forehead leant against mine.

  “So fix me. Or are you suddenly afraid that you can’t fulfil the role of satisfying me?”

  “Cast your mind back four years and you’ll answer that questio
n for yourself.”

  I raised my brows. “I never texted you back. Doesn’t look good for you.”

  “You never texted me because you were afraid that I might actually ground you. Afraid that I could offer you stability and comfort. You weren’t ready to settle down.”

  I laughed, too loud. “I’m still not. I mean, I know I’m supposed to be. New start and all that. But my head is a total shit-storm.”

  “Which is why, if I come inside, you’ll shove me aside again afterwards.” His voice so full of need, of conflicting emotions. I knew that turmoil.

  I opened the door and stepped inside, urging him to follow.

  Morning came with a heavy thud, smashing my brain into my skull, squeezing its painful barbs around my insides. I lurched for the bathroom and hurled into the sink.

  When I returned to the bed, showered and yet still feeling dirty, Danny was propped on his elbows. I dropped down beside him and hid my face into his chest, too afraid to face him.

  “It’s OK, Jess. You don’t have to worry. This won’t change anything,” he said, his voice too strained.

  “I feel like a total dick,” I mumbled.

  “You’re not the only one. I’m sorry… for allowing this.”

  “You did nothing wrong.” I forced myself to look at him, at the rough stubble that had scratched over my most intimate areas.

  “And nor did you. You don’t owe him anything, Jess. Not one thing. Not after what he did.” His arms tightened, fists clenching.

  “It doesn’t make sense. He wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “Yet, he did.”

  “Yes. And he won’t get another chance to make me feel so low. Starting right now. I’m getting out of this shitty motel and putting my life together. That’s what I came here for, that’s what I’m doing.” I surprised myself with the certainty in my claims.

  “You know I’ll help you in any way I can.”

  “Danny, what happened at the fire the other day, on Isabel?” I asked.

  I sensed the confusion on his face, even though I couldn’t see it, with my cheek resting back against the soft hair on his chest.