by Rain, J. R.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
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“You really trapped them underground?” asked Tom.
We were playing darts at the Mystic Grill, slumming again in our favorite hangout. It had been three days since the confrontation in the woods, three days since Gracie broke my heart, and three days that I had spent drinking. I had finally emerged into the world and met Tom here at the Grill, where I’d proceeded to tell him everything. Tom, a true Mystic Falls resident, didn’t even bat an eye. He believed every word, saying only that he always knew there was something wrong with this town.
“Yes,” I said.
“How did you know there was a sinkhole there in the forest?” asked Tom.
“I didn’t.”
“Wow, you Elementals are weird.”
“Could you say that a little louder?”
“Sorry, I’m nearly drunk … and this is all damn weird.”
“Tell me about it.”
“So, are they, like, trapped there for eternity?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why not just kill them, Max?”
“Because I’m not a killer.”
“Well, I would have killed them.”
We continued drinking and playing darts and shaking our heads at the craziness of it all, when the waitress came over with a drink. She handed it to me, along with a message written on a napkin. “Courtesy of the lady over there,” said the waitress, and pointed across the bar. There, sitting alone and drinking what appeared to be a dirty martini, was Gracie Lockwood. She gave me a sad smile.
I frowned and unfolded the napkin. On it she’d written: “Sorry for trying to kill you, Max. My bad. Can we please start over?”
But I took too long to decide. When I looked up again, Gracie was gone.
Tom returned from the dartboard with a fistful of darts. “Hey where did you get that drink? Who’s that note from?”
“No one,” I said, looking at where Gracie had just been sitting.
Despite myself, I grinned. What was wrong with me? The woman had tried to kill me. Hell, she had betrayed me … and yet, seeing her … my heart still skipped a beat. Two beats.
“Unbelievable,” I whispered and turned back to the dartboard. A few tosses later, I caught movement from the corner of my eye. So did Tom. We both turned as a very lovely young lady approached us, determination in her step.
“I hear you hunt vampires,” she said in a lilting English accent. She extended her hand and brushed aside her long, blonde hair.
“I—no,” I said.
“Oh, nonsense, Mr. Long. I overheard you. I have a bit of a vampire problem, myself.”
“Er, what’s your name?” I asked.
“Rebekah,” she said. “Rebekah Mikaelson.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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A special thank you to Danine Katt for her expertise in all things Damon and Stefan. And, as always, many thanks to the tireless Eve Paludan.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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I was born in southern California and have lived up and down the West Coast. I currently reside on a small island outside of Seattle. I am the author of 33 novels and 5 short story collections. I have sold over a million ebooks, across all platforms. I am a Hemingway enthusiast and read all I can about the man.