Blood of the Son (Book #1 in the Skye Morrison Vampire Series) (Skye Morrison Series)

by J. L. McCoy

  I turned around and slowly made my way back to Archer’s booth. When I finally made it through the crowd, I noticed that Archer wasn’t alone. Two girls were sitting at his table and another three were lingering only a couple of feet away, stealing seductive glances at him. The two girls in the booth were positively fawning all over Archer. One was sitting next to him, rubbing her hands up and down his thigh, and whispering in his ear. The other one was bent over the table, insuring him the best view of her substantially augmented breasts, while she ran her fingers through his hair.

  I stopped in my tracks and watched as Archer sat there letting the two women touch him. He didn’t seem to mind and that upset me a little. I know that Archer and I will never be a couple, but I couldn’t help the way my body felt about him. As I watched the girl sitting next to him run her fingers over his chest, I silently wondered if this was the way I acted when I was around Archer and Jameson. It was a disgusting display of his vampire pheromones hard at work.

  I shook my head and reminded myself that I didn’t care what or who Archer did. I downed my beer as I turned and made my way over to the bar.

  Dan was just coming out of the stockroom carrying two huge cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon. I managed to grab his attention and order a beer before another patron had the chance. I smiled at my small victory. Dan handed me two beers with an exhausted smile and refused my ten dollar bill. “It’s on the house, doll.”

  I thanked him and made my way back over to the dance floor. I snuck a quick glance in Archer’s direction and was a little startled to see the booth now occupied by four guys. I glanced around the bar and didn’t see him anywhere. “Odd…” I thought. “He must have left for the night.”

  “Hey! There you are,” Gavin called from behind me. “I was just going up to the bar. Can I get you anything?”

  I smiled at his courteousness. “I’ll do you one better, friend. Have a PBR on me.”

  “Now, that’s what I’m talking about,” he said happily as I tossed the can to him.

  We both popped the tops on our beers and took a long sip. “Ahhh,” Gavin sighed. “That’s some damn good beer. Thank you!”

  “Anytime.”

  I heard the tempo slow down as a new song began. I grabbed Gavin’s hand and playfully pulled him toward the dance floor. “I think I’ll have that dance now. What do you say?”

  Gavin’s eyebrows rose in surprise and a smile quickly spread out on his lips. “I say, Hell yes!”

  We found an open spot on the dance floor and started rocking to the beat. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to get lost in the song. My body swayed as my hair whipped about. I felt the vibrations of the Bodhran drums in my chest, and saw the bright pattern of the stage lights through my closed lids. I sighed. I was happiest when I was dancing. I felt a smile creep across my face.

  “Wow. You look so happy,” I heard Gavin say to me.

  I opened my eyes and saw him standing right in front of me, smiling. “I am happy,” I said, downing the last of my beer and putting the empty in a nearby trash can.

  The song ended and I heard Jameson’s voice come across the mike. “This is a song I wrote the other day. It was the best breakfast I’ve ever had. I hope you like it.”

  I looked up at Jameson and smiled. He gave me a quick wink and turned back to the band.

  The new song started and this one was uncharacteristically slower than all of the others. It was a ballad about coffee-free breakfasts in bed with someone special. I especially liked the line “She’ll have her sort of breakfast, and I’ll have mine. I could tell right away that she was one of a kind.”

  I laughed and resumed dancing with Gavin. He put his hand on my hip and I looked down, surprised, but didn’t pull away. I let him twirl me around and dip me a few times. I couldn’t help but blush. I didn’t ever dance like this and the way he expertly maneuvered my body around made me giggle. He was a really good dancer and I wondered if he took lessons in ballroom or something.

  “Get your fucking hands off of her,” someone suddenly snarled from behind me.

  Gavin stopped dancing and let go of me. There was a look of sheer confusion on his face. “Are you talking to me?” he asked.

  I turned around and took a step backward into Gavin. Jesse Prescott, my ex-boyfriend turned creepy stalker, was standing there. He had his arms down by his sides; his fists clenched tight, a look of pure rage on his face. Seeing him this close to me, and this pissed off, scared the hell out of me. I remembered our last meeting at Afterburner’s where he pushed me down into my chair. I was terrified of what he might do next. There was obviously no telling anymore. I had never seen him so enraged.

  I took another step back as Gavin put his arm around me and maneuvered my body slightly behind his. “Look here, dude. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t really care, but Skye here is free to dance with whomever she pleases. I don’t believe she has to check in with you beforehand.”

  Jesse took a step closer, towering over Gavin. He lifted his hand and jammed a finger into Gavin’s chest. “That’s MY GIRLFRIEND!”

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a quick flash. I turned to find Archer making his way over to us, fighting his way through the crowd. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. Archer was on his way and he’d make everything okay.

  Gavin turned his head to look at me, his face full of question. I shook my head and quietly told him that Jesse wasn’t my boyfriend. Gavin’s face became severe with anger. He turned back to Jesse and started to say something, when Jesse suddenly lunged forward and grabbed a fist full of my hair, pulling me away from Gavin.

  I yelled out in surprised pain, shocked at his brutality. Jesse quickly jerked my body toward the exit. Within a second, Gavin wretched my arm free from his grip and roughly grabbed Jesse by the shirt. He cocked his fist back to swing.

  Archer’s hand suddenly appeared on Gavin’s fist, stopping him from wailing on Jesse. He whispered into Gavin’s ear for a second and Gavin nodded, lowered his fist, but looked a little reluctant to let go of Jesse’s shirt. Whatever Archer had said to him seemed to calm him down at least a little.

  I quickly scrambled behind Archer’s towering body and held onto the back of his shirt. Archer reached around and held my other hand, comforting me. I peeked my head out from behind his body, afraid to fully come out and risk Jesse grabbing me again. Gavin released Jesse, backed up a few feet, and stood by my side, allowing Archer to take over the situation.

  Archer gently squeezed my hand as he turned to Jesse. “I believe we have met before. And it seems as though you didn’t learn your lesson the first time.”

  Jesse laughed and got in Archer’s face, his body dangerously close to Archer’s. “Yeah? And what the fuck are you going to do about it, bitch?”

  Archer stood there, his face hard. His body tensed up and his grip on my hand became tighter. I could tell he was trying to control his anger. When Archer remained silent, Jesse laughed and pushed him hard in the chest. Archer’s body swayed a fraction of an inch backward.

  I could feel Archer’s chest start to rumble through his back a second before I heard a low growl emanating from him. “You are so lucky we are in public little boy… ” Archer said, trailing off.

  Jesse scoffed and opened his mouth to speak, but Archer suddenly held his hand up to silence him. He let go of my hand and took a step forward, cocking his head, and looking Jesse directly in the eyes.

  Whatever Jesse saw on Archer’s face seemed to scare the hell out of him. His eyes got huge, his bottom lip quivered, and he started walking backward. He ran right into a group of guys who promptly shoved him off of them and onto the floor. Jesse scrambled to get up, his eyes never leaving Archer’s. He finally managed to right himself and he turned and took off running to the front entrance.

  I looked around and no one seemed to have noticed our exchange with Jesse, except Jameson. He had just finished the song and quickly mumbled something into the microphone, before hopping offstage a
nd coming directly to us.

  “Are you okay, love?” he asked, grabbing my shoulders and frantically searching my face.

  I took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m fine, I’m fine…I think. Just a little shaken up is all. Thank God Gavin and Archer were here.”

  A pained look crossed Jameson’s face as he dropped is hands and looked at Archer.

  “There was nothing you could do, Youngblood,” Archer said, patting Jameson on the back.

  I turned to Gavin and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you for your help, Gavin. I’m sorry you had to get involved with that.”

  “He was lucky. If your friend hadn’t have shown up, it would have turned physical. I was ready to re-write his face,” Gavin said, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding to Archer. “So, crazy ex-boyfriend, huh?”

  “Aye,” Archer replied. “I’ve dealt with him before, but it seems I may have underestimated his obsession with Skye.”

  I shook my head and rubbed the sore spot on my scalp where Jesse had yanked my hair. “I don’t get it. I don’t know what the hell has gotten in to him. I didn’t even do anything. I mean, I did break up with him…but, he cheated on me. I did the right thing…didn’t I?”

  A tear slid down my cheek and I hastily wiped it away. I hoped no one saw it. I didn’t want to appear weak and helpless in front of them, but I couldn’t help it. Jesse’s unexpected visit had me really shaken up. I started wondering if he would go so far as to come by my house. And now that he had put his hands on me for a second time, I was terrified.

  Archer put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a side hug. “Of course you did the right thing. That boyo is obviously unstable. You deserve better than him and the way he treated you.” He turned my body to face him and gently raised my chin so he could look me in the eyes. “It’ll be okay, Skye. Jameson and I will not allow anything to happen to you. You are part of our family now and we take care of our family.”

  I nodded and buried my head in his chest. I silently cried as Archer stroked the back of my head. “I think it’s time to call it a night,” I heard Archer say through the low rumble in his chest. “Gavin it was a pleasure to meet you and I do hope to see you again.”

  I turned my head to the side, looked up, and saw Jameson hand Gavin a business card.

  “This is my club and you are welcome anytime. Just show this card at the door,” Archer explained to him while still stroking my hair.

  Gavin looked impressed as he took the card. “I’ll do that. You guys take care now, and Skye? Chin up? You’re in good hands. I’ll see you again soon?”

  I nodded and tried to smile, still gripping onto Archer tightly. “Of course, Gavin. Thank you again for helping me. I don’t know what would have happened to me if you weren’t here with me tonight.” I reached out and took his hand, gently squeezing it. He patted my hand with his free one, gave me a reassuring smile, then turned and walked toward the bar.

  Archer looked down at me and briefly pressed his lips the top of my head. “I need to run to the bar and close my tab. You’ll be okay here with Jameson until I return.”

  I let go of Archer and clutched tightly to Jameson’s outstretched hand. He pulled me into a tight hug and I started to tear up again.

  “Oh, Jameson,” I cried into his chest. “It was horrible. The look on his face…it was…I don’t know how to explain it. That isn’t the person I fell in love with. I’ve never seen this side of Jesse before. And, I’m scared. He could have really hurt me tonight. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. He calls and texts me all the time. Will he start coming by my house now?”

  My body started shaking as I thought of a one-on-one confrontation with Jesse. What if I’m alone the next time I see him?

  Jameson held me tight and gently shushed me. “Now, now, love. Don’t needlessly worry yourself. I doubt that he will come back around after his little visit with Archer.” He tenderly lifted my chin with his finger so our eyes met. “You are a remarkably strong woman, Skye. You can handle anything that arsehole throws your way. Don’t let him win by being afraid of him.”

  I gulped down my tears and wiped the wetness from my cheeks. Jameson was right. I am strong. I had studied Israeli Krav Maga for the last two years and could take most of the men in my class. If I could take them, I could take that pansy-ass punk Jesse Prescott. I nodded my head and thanked Jameson.

  “You’re right,” I sniffed. “I’m being irrational. He just shook me up is all. I won’t let him catch me off-guard again.”

  Jameson resumed holding me and lightly rubbed circles on my back with his hand. “Aye, that’s my girl. Don’t dwell on him, love. If he knows what is good for him, he won’t bother you again. That’s the thing about vampires, we don’t like repeating ourselves. And, we don’t tolerate anyone messing with our humans.”

  I pulled back, suddenly concerned, and looked at him. “Your ‘humans’? What’s that supposed to mean? I thought you said you didn’t want to eat me.”

  Jameson chuckled and shook his head. “No, no, love. I’m not going to eat you. What I mean is that you are my responsibility. You are under our protection now. No one can touch a single hair on your head without our permission. Doing so would incur our wrath. And trust me, love, no one wants that.”

  I took a step back, crossed my arms over my chest, and studied Jameson for a few seconds. I was carefully considering the words I was about to say. I didn’t want to offend him, because I appreciated the sentiment, but I didn’t want him to think that I was just some piece of property that he could put his foot down on.

  “Thank you for wanting to look out for me, Jameson. It means a lot to me that you care, honestly. But, I’m not a piece of property, okay? If someone wants to touch me, that doesn’t intend to do me harm, you’re going to have to accept and allow that.”

  He looked confused, but allowed me to continue. “I just want to make sure that you understand that I have free will here and I can do as I please. I don’t fully understand your culture yet, so I just want to be clear so there are no misunderstandings. I am my own person and no one owns me. I say what goes in my life…okay?”

  Jameson looked abashed and nodded. “Of course, Skye. I will do my best to not be overbearing. But some things may change in your life. I want you to be prepared for that. Humans are so fragile. We can take the protection stuff to heart sometimes, love.”

  I took a step forward, wrapped my arms around his neck, and gave his cheek a quick kiss. “I’m glad we have an understanding.”

  Jameson smiled and leaned in to touch his forehead to mine. “Me too, love.”

  Just then we heard the sounds of the band warming back up. Jameson looked reluctant to leave me until Archer arrived a few seconds later carrying a Car Bomb in his hands.

  “The tavern owner asked me to give this to you.” Archer said, his face showing mild disgust.

  Jameson laughed and accepted the two glasses. “Aye. Danny boy gives me one every show.” He then gave me a hug and told me that he would see me later, but not before having a silent conversation with Archer.

  “I’ll take it from here, Youngblood,” Archer said, patting him on the back. “I’ll follow her home and make sure the house is secure. No need to worry. I’ll see you at home after your show. We have a few things to discuss before my departure in the morning.”

  “Aye, brother.” We watched as Jameson wove his way through the crowd and jump back up onstage.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Right, shall we then?” Archer asked, one hand on my back, and motioning with his free one towards the front door.

  I patted my front pockets to make sure that my car keys were still there. The huge lump on my right hip told me they were. (I have a keychain obsession, what can I say?) We walked out the door and made our way around to the employee parking lot in the back of the building. “Thanks for your help tonight, Archer.”

  “You’re welcome, Skye. I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner,” he said, put
ting his hands into his pockets.

  “Are you kidding?” I asked, surprised. “You were there so fast. How did you know I was in trouble?”

  He took one hand out of his pocket and bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I’m…kind of… attuned to your heart,” he explained self-consciously. “It happens sometimes when a vampire has…a vested interest in a human. We can pick their heartbeats out of a crowd.” He put his hand back in his pocket and continued. “Yours was beating so fast. I knew something had to be wrong. Not to mention, I can read your thoughts, too. I tuned into your inner turmoil and rushed right over.”

  “For once I’m glad you can read my mind,” I said, looping my arm through his.

  We reached the parking lot and walked over to my car. We stood there for a few seconds awkwardly staring at each other. “You know, you really don’t have to follow me home,” I said eager to break the uncomfortable silence. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  “Nonsense, Skye,” he said, taking a step towards me and taking my keys from my hand. “I made a promise to Jameson that I would follow you home and check your house.”

  He inserted my key in the car door, unlocked it and opened my door for me. “Jameson is really worried about you. He wouldn’t rest tonight if he knew you were not safe.”

  I sighed and got into my car. I didn’t want him to feel responsible for me, but I couldn’t argue with him. I would feel much safer if he did take a look around. Archer handed me my keys and I started it up. I looked into his eyes and nodded my head. “Okay. Thanks, Archer. I’ll wait for you to catch up.”

  He smiled and closed my door. I watched him as he walked over to the back of the parking lot and got in a sleek silver sports car. He followed me out and onto the highway. My nerves were a bit frazzled and I didn’t feel like listening to music on the drive home. I was anxious to get there, have Archer check my house, and take a hot shower. I hated the way Jesse had made me feel; anxious, nervous, scared, unsafe. I wanted nothing more than to wash away my worries and insecurities. There’s something about taking a long, hot shower. It’s renewing in a way.