by Dannika Dark
“Do you think you’ll have room for pie?” Betty sounded more chipper than usual, but she also seemed enamored by my father.
My mouth watered when I looked down at my burger and onion rings. “Not today. Thanks, Betty. You’re a lifesaver.”
“That’s what they’ll put on my tombstone,” she said while striding away. “Here lies Betty McGuire. She rescued burgers from the kitchen fire.”
We all chuckled.
“I like her,” Crush remarked.
Christian lifted a cracker from his plate and studied it. “Shall I retrieve her number for you?”
Crush pounded the bottom of the ketchup bottle until his fries were drowning in sauce. “I think she’s more your speed. You seem to like younger women.”
“So… how’s the shop going?” I jumped in, trying to salvage this dinner.
Crush had just taken a sloppy bite of his burger, and ketchup dribbled down his goatee. “Fine,” he said with a mouthful of food.
“Thinking about retirement yet?”
With my help, he had recouped his losses after draining his account on bounty hunters and loan sharks.
Crush grabbed a paper napkin and wiped his mouth. “A man needs a purpose in life. I like fixing bikes and cars. You want me to sit around watching court TV all day?”
“No, but what about traveling?”
“Been there. Done that.”
“Oh?” I chomped into an onion ring. “When is the last time you’ve been to a country where you didn’t have a gun strapped to your side and were shooting people?”
He wiped his goatee. “That’s a regular Saturday night in my book.”
I watched Christian stir his chili. “You should try something new.”
Crush ate some of his fries and wiped his greasy fingers across his T-shirt. “You talkin’ to me or the Vamp?”
Christian sharpened his gaze. “I’ll thank you kindly to refrain from the derogatory remarks, human. Why don’t you stuff your gob with more artery-clogging meat?”
“Now you’re starting to sound like Raven. Why can’t a man just enjoy a good meal without someone harping on him?”
Christian lifted his spoon and studied it. “I ask myself the same question every day. Why can’t a Vampire just have an empty plate? But Raven enjoys her petty little torments.”
Crush gave a hint of a smile before eating a few fries. “I thought she was a handful when she was fifteen, but that was nothing compared to now.”
Suddenly, Crush and Christian had found common ground.
Me.
“I liked you two better when you were enemies,” I grumbled.
Crush pinched another cluster of fries. “One time when Raven was seventeen, she tried to give me a makeover for Father’s Day. She went to the thrift store and bought a white button-up, slacks, and a pair of shiny-ass shoes that were two sizes too small—just like the shirt.”
“Jaysus.”
“Couldn’t just stay home. No. She wanted to go out to a fancy restaurant.”
Christian tasted the chili and didn’t look repulsed. “Is that so?”
“She knew I’d never spend that kind of money on food, so she told me she’d saved up and wanted to take me out. What could I say to that?” Crush lifted his glass and pinned me with an icy stare. “Found out later that she sold some of my tools to pay for dinner.”
“Oh, come on,” I argued. “Why does anyone need five power drills? Besides, it was worth it to see you all dressed up.”
“Don’t you mean undressed? I lost three buttons by the time dessert came.” He wiped his mouth again. “Women look at us like a pet project. Always trying to fix us and not taking care of themselves.”
“No matter what you do, it’s never enough,” Christian added. “You spend years trying to be the man they want until you’ve forgotten who the feck you are. Then they treat you like rubbish and cast you aside.”
Suddenly I realized that Christian wasn’t talking about me.
Crush folded his arms on the edge of the table and locked eyes with Christian. “How did a romantic like you wind up putting a tattoo like that on your arm?”
There was sarcasm in his tone. Christian wasn’t one to wax poetic, and his negative remarks on relationships and women clearly alarmed my father.
“I’m not trying to change anyone,” I pointed out. “That’s why what we have works. Christian doesn’t make any demands, and neither do I. All I want is honesty.”
Crush shook his head.
I met eyes with Christian. “Look, I’m sorry I made you wear that tonight. I’m not trying to change you. I just wanted my father to see that beautiful tattoo without a strip show.” I turned my attention back to my father. “And I’m not trying to control your life either. If I take away the salt, it’s because I want more years with you. If I’m asking about retirement, it’s because you’ve worked your ass off your whole life and if anyone deserves a vacation, it’s you. Maybe it’s not what you want, but it’s just my way of looking out for you. I’ve got a suitcase full of my own issues, so I’m hardly in a position to tell anyone what they should do with their life.”
When I leaned back, Christian reached under the table and held my hand.
“I’ll be regretting the chili later,” he said. “But you were right. It’s not half bad.”
Crush pushed the salt away. “I don’t need that stuff anyhow. They already salt it before it gets to the table.”
When Christian squeezed my hand again, I cautiously looked into his insightful eyes. He studied me for a beat, and by his perplexed gaze, he couldn’t read me. Perhaps my furrowed brow and slowing heart rate signaled something was amiss, or maybe it was when I averted my eyes.
Had I pressured him into this too quickly? Even my own father hadn’t been ready for the love of his life despite his tattoo and even my mom’s pregnancy. They’d had an amicable relationship, but it wasn’t what it should have been. Crush had demons he wasn’t able to shake.
What worried me most was that Christian and I had a few of our own.
Chapter 2
After parking my pickup truck in our underground garage, Christian and I strolled up the driveway.
“That went well,” I said, reflecting on our evening with Crush.
“You mean the part where he pointed a steak knife at me when I suggested that Ducatis are superior to Harleys?”
“He didn’t stab you with it, did he? Like I said, it went well.”
“Your da is a real piece of work.”
“It’s not personal. I don’t think he’d give anyone a fair shot of winning him over. He’s not just doing it because he’s hardheaded.” I stopped to face Christian, and a lightning bug flashed between us. “He’s got doubts because of his own past. The only woman he’s ever been completely devoted to is me. He gave up alcohol so he wouldn’t lose me. He couldn’t even do that for my mother.”
Christian swept a lock of my hair aside and gingerly held my necklace between his fingers. “He’s afraid if I take you, he’ll have to let go.”
“It’s not one or the other.”
“Aye. But that’s not how a father sees it.”
“And how would you know what a father sees, Mr. Poe?”
“Because long ago I was human, and I imagined a family life.” He released the ruby from his grasp. “The foolish dreams of a young lad.”
It was hard to imagine Christian as anything but a Vampire. He offered me glimpses of his past—a dashing young man with blue eyes and a pocketful of dreams. But connecting that image with the man in front of me proved impossible. It was as if they were different people. Christian had chosen a life where children weren’t an option, and now neither of us was fit to raise a child even if we wanted to.
When we reached the front door, Christian fell back a step.
I glanced over my shoulder, wondering if he’d left something in the truck. “Are you coming?”
Christian moved swiftly past me and opened the door. “My lady,” he
said, holding it open like a gentleman.
“Why are you acting strange?” I kept my eyes locked on his as I moved inside the house.
Christian closed the door and held his reply. He could be moody sometimes, so I shrugged it off.
Damn, he looked good. The tank top wasn’t a typical sleeveless but had narrow straps and a U-shaped neckline that showed off his pecs and defined muscles. I wanted to lick his clavicles. I flashed him a wicked smile.
“What’s on your mind, lass?”
“I just might have room for dessert after all.”
He headed toward the dining room, and I didn’t mind following. Christian had a commanding walk—squared shoulders, straight back, and an aura about him as if he were about to destroy a city.
“Where are you going?”
Christian didn’t look back. “We have guests.”
It wasn’t unusual for Viktor to invite guests over for a drink, but we didn’t crash those parties. Not unless he summoned us. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket to check my messages, but I didn’t see anything from Viktor.
I strutted into the dining room, my black boot heels knocking against the stone floor. The gathering room beyond the open archways was dark and empty. Viktor normally invited people for a drink by the fire, but to my surprise, he and his guest were sitting at the dining table to our left. A ring of candles on the iron chandelier cast a warm glow in the room, as did the lanterns on the walls. But those weren’t the only old flames in the room. Lenore Parrish set down her wineglass to greet us with a smile.
It was easy to see why Christian had once obsessed over the woman. Her feminine features, blond hair, and lithe body were beguiling. She stood three inches taller than me and never slouched.
Lenore rose from Wyatt’s usual seat and approached me. Her long white dress floated behind her, and the empire waist brought attention to her small breasts, which looked like two dinner rolls that someone had pushed together.
To my surprise, she greeted me first with a kiss to the cheek. “Darling, so good to see you.”
Her radiant, flawless skin was almost unnatural. A few wisps of blond hair had fallen loose from her clip, but nothing ever seemed unkempt about her. She centered her black eyes on mine and gently held my chin, turning my head from side to side. “I see a summer glow on your skin, but it’s fading. I remember a time when only the lower class had brown skin. That was how you could tell them apart from the aristocrats. Well, that and their fingernails. So many people tried to infiltrate good society by stealing a few nice clothes, but a fraud is easily seen when you know what to look for.” She gave me a quick once-over before turning her attention to my partner.
“Miss Parrish,” he bit out.
“No need to be so formal.” When she leaned in to kiss his cheek, he tensed up. She flicked a glance to his tattoo and gave him an impassive look. “You’ve changed since I last saw you.”
“Aye, I have.”
“You two make a darling couple. Can I say that?” She looked back at Viktor. “Or is this another secret?”
“Join us,” Viktor said, waving us over.
Christian and I took our usual spots while Lenore returned to her seat across from me.
She pinched the sleeve of Viktor’s grey cardigan. He often wore something similar at night when the house got cool.
Viktor scooted his chair back and collected two wineglasses from the table behind him. “Miss Parrish was just entertaining me with stories about ancient Greece.”
She lifted her crystal glass and smiled. “Your leader is a charming host. He indulges me with his patience. My stories can be quite dull.”
Viktor filled our glasses and sat down. “On the contrary, you have a most captivating background.”
She swirled her drink. “All ancients have stories. The retelling diminishes my enthusiasm, but I am delighted that you are entertained.” Lenore initiated a toast by raising her glass. “To interesting stories.”
Everyone’s glasses touched and made melodic chimes that filled the open room. I gulped my wine and then wiped my upper lip with the back of my hand.
“And what brings you all the way out here?” Christian asked, his tone flat but courteous.
“I was in the neighborhood, visiting an old acquaintance. Despite my first formal event, I find it difficult to form any new relationships. So much has changed. Mr. Kazan has been a gracious friend.”
“Spasibo. You are welcome here anytime, Miss Parrish.”
She touched his arm and gave it a light squeeze. “So generous of you to open your home to me.”
Blue coasted in with an empty glass in her hand. She froze when she noticed Lenore. “Sorry I barged in. I didn’t know you had a guest.”
“Nonsense,” Viktor said. “Join us. There is plenty of wine.”
“I love those earrings.” Lenore tapped her chin. “So very… What is the word they use these days? Earthy.”
Blue reached up with her free hand and touched her earring hesitantly. The feathers belonged to her falcon, souvenirs left behind after a shift. “Thanks.”
Lenore drank her wine, and it got uncomfortably quiet.
“I’ll just put this in the dishwasher.” Blue hurried into the kitchen, and not three seconds later she made a fast exit.
Lenore squeezed Viktor’s wrist, which she’d been holding. “Such a beautiful creature, that one. I used to have blue eyes.” Lenore touched her chin and looked up. “Or were they green? Sometimes I can’t remember. It’s not as if I have a picture to go by.”
Christian continued turning his glass by the stem.
“You have an interesting dynamic in this house.” Lenore folded her arms on the table and held my gaze. “I met Switch. Wasn’t he your companion at my party? I had no idea that he lived with you. Such a handsome man.”
“Perhaps you should ask him out,” Christian suggested.
Viktor cleared his throat. “I think you should treat Miss Parrish with more respect.”
“My apologies.”
Lenore tilted her head and gave Christian a loaded glance. “Perhaps Christian’s right about widening my dating pool—I’ve spent far too much time in the shallow end. It’s no wonder I haven’t found a worthy companion.”
I jumped when Christian scooted back and the chair’s feet scraped against the floor.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Christian gave everyone a polite nod before making himself scarce.
Viktor frowned at the empty doorway. “I apologize. I forget you are old acquaintances. Perhaps I should have left you two alone to catch up.”
“Nonsense.” Lenore gave Viktor a gentle smile. “I think I’ve outstayed my welcome. Your team must have important work that I’m keeping them from, and I did come by unannounced.”
“You are welcome here anytime. Do not worry about such formalities. It is an honor to have such a prestigious figure as yourself as our guest.”
She glanced at the delicate gold watch on her wrist. “Where does the time go? My driver should be back soon. Mr. Kazan, it was generous of you to offer me your vintage wine. I hope we can do this again so you can tell me all about your early memories of Russia.” Lenore stood and offered him her hand.
Viktor kissed her dainty little knuckles. “The pleasure was all mine.”
I chuckled under my breath. Watching immortals was like watching a period piece. Viktor was a gentleman at heart, but he treated us differently than he did those outside the house.
Lenore reached for her white clutch. “Would you mind if Raven escorts me out?”
There was no getting out of this one. Maybe I could escort her right out the door and into a shallow grave.
“Raven will see you to your car. I will be sure to look for that wine you recommended.”
She touched his shoulder as he rose from his chair. “If you have any trouble with the merchant, give me a call.”
We both rounded the table and quietly headed through the doorway. Lenore pulled a sma
ll pocket fan out of her clutch and snapped it open.
“You should open the windows in here. A house can get stuffy and acquire a certain odor.”
I opened the front door to let her out. “So can a person.”
She breezed outside, her sparkly heels making her a tad overdressed for a casual visit. “Don’t you adore Viktor? He’s not only a shrewd businessman, but he knows how to make a person feel important and valuable. That’s why so many people in this city respect him.”
I shut the door behind me. “Who do you know on this side of town?”
“An old friend.” She clutched my arm. “Let’s walk. It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it? So quiet. I should buy a house in the country. I hadn’t realized how much quieter it is than where I live now.”
I tried to pull away, but Lenore held on as if she might trip in her shoes. “You obviously haven’t been out here when the cicadas start up.”
“What a dreary existence they live. Can you just imagine living in a dark hole for seventeen years, only coming out once to mate and die?”
“Isn’t that what you do?”
She chuckled and pulled me close. “I like you, Raven Black. Believe it or not.”
I wrenched my arm free. “Sorry to say the feeling isn’t mutual.”
“After all the help I’ve given? Dear, oh dear. Just to put your mind at ease, the money I made from the auction went to good use.”
“Filling your wardrobe?”
Halfway to the gate, she came to a stop. “Filling the pockets of abused women.”
I studied her face, waiting for the punch line.
“Did you really think I’d keep it? Viktor enjoys donating to children, but so often adults are neglected. There are organizations that help abused women and men escape frightening situations like those wretched slave auctions or fighting rings. Some have no pack or family and wind up destitute. Where will the downtrodden turn if they’re rejected by society? We have a duty to look after them.” She fanned her face and stared off in the distance. “We women have to stick together.”
“Do you ask for favors in return?”