Slade (Venom Series) Book Two

by Kristen Middleton

  “Susan spoke to him after we left the club,” said Melody. “I’m sure he called Faye right away. He’s definitely involved.”

  “He’s a Roamer,” I replied. “And, he works for Faye. Of course he’s involved.”

  “What do we do now?” asked Melody, staring ahead at the road.

  “We find you a place to rest. Somewhere safe,” I answered. “We’ll talk about what to do afterwards.”

  Neither of them answered. I turned up the stereo again and we drove in silence.

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER, we arrived in a small town two hours east of Shore Lake. I made the girls wait in the car as I reserved adjoining rooms at a motel.

  “Really? Why this dump?” asked Melody, looking pissed off as I got back into the vehicle. “This place looks like something out of a horror movie.”

  Chelsey snorted. “And after everything… you’re surprised?” .

  “It may not be much, but it’s inconspicuous and available,” I answered, irritated. Melody had just whined that she was broke and was now complaining about a free place to stay. The girl was obviously spoiled and used to getting her way.

  “I can see why it’s available,” she replied, shaking her head in disgust.

  Even I had to admit, it was kind of a dump, but we couldn’t afford to be choosy. Plus, hiding out in a luxury hotel would be far too risky. Liam had informed me that Faye was now aware that I was helping out the girls, and we all needed to keep a low profile.

  “Chill out, Mel. Beggars can’t be choosers,” said Chelsey, as I parked in front our rooms. “Frankly, I’m just exhausted and could use a shower. As long as it has a bed and a bathroom...”

  “I’m sure it does. Along with giant roaches that are waiting for our arrival with open arms,” answered Melody.

  Chelsey grimaced. “Nice. Thanks for that disturbing image.”

  “It’s probably true,” she said.

  “The room will be fine,” I assured them. “It’s not that bad of a place. I’ve stayed in much worse.”

  “We haven’t even seen the inside of the rooms yet. They could be much worse than your much worse,” said Melody.

  “I’m sure it will be fine,” said Chelsey, yawning. “Let’s just get inside.”

  “Oh crap… we don’t have any clean clothes,” said Melody, staring down at her outfit. “I’ve been wearing this for over two days. I doubt this place will have those fluffy, white robes either.”

  “None of us are in any position to be choosy,” I answered, getting out. “Considering the time and our location.”

  “Speaking of. Where are we?” asked Chelsey.

  “Jaynesville,” I replied, staring up at the dark sky, looking for shadows. I couldn’t imagine the Roamers finding us this quickly, but I wasn’t about to let my guard down.

  “Never heard of it,” replied Melody. “From the looks of this hick town, the population must be under five-hundred.”

  “It was thirteen-hundred and four,” I said, recalling the sign as we passed it.

  “Jeez, there has to be something better than this place,” said Melody, getting out of the car. She swung her blond hair over her shoulder and fluttered her eyelashes at me. “Slade… seriously. Maybe we could drive a little further out? Find a Holiday Inn or something?”

  “No. It’s late,” I answered, tired of her bitching. I pulled the seat back so Chelsey could get out. “And I’ve already checked us in.”

  Chelsey climbed out and looked up at me. “So, do you really believe that Faye is still searching for us?”

  My eyes moved from her greenish-blue ones to the light splash of freckles that ran across her nose. I sensed that she had no idea of the kind of beauty she possessed. She literally took my breath away. “I’m pretty sure she’s not going to want to leave any loose ends. She went after your parents. She’ll keep looking for you.”

  “Until when?” she asked.

  I stared at her dark red hair that shined under the moonlight. My fingers twitched, as I imagined running my hands through those silky strands. “Until one of you is dead.”

  She laughed coldly. “That’s reassuring.”

  Her sarcasm actually made her more intriguing. I fought the idea of charming her into desiring me, in the same way that I hungered for her. Make her sneak out after Melody fell asleep. Just the thought of undressing her gave me wood. I quickly turned away and began moving toward the motel. “It’s the truth.”

  “Did he just say that Faye would keep searching for us until one of us was dead?” whispered Melody in the darkness.

  “What do you think?” Chelsey answered.

  “Shit. We’re screwed.”

  “Tell me about it,” she answered.

  I walked to room ten, which was on the end, and unlocked it. Pushing the door open, I turned on the light and glanced inside. There were two queen-sized beds, covered in outdated flowered comforters, a small bathroom, and an old pine dresser with a television resting on it. It was shabby, but relatively clean, despite the musty air.

  “It smells bad in here,” complained Melody as she stepped around me and walked toward the nearest bed. “Like… mothballs.”

  “It could be worse,” said Chelsey, following her inside. “To be honest, I expected much worse than this when we pulled up.”

  Melody’s nose wrinkled. “Well, I’d almost rather sleep in the car.” She pointed at the bed. “God, I hope this place isn’t infested with bed-bugs.”

  Chelsey walked to the other mattress and raised the linen. She leaned closer and inspected under the sheet. “It looks safe enough. Nothing crawling around with legs.”

  “You can’t always see them,” replied Melody.

  Chelsey stood back up. “Honestly, I think we have more to worry about than bed-bugs at this point.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Melody shuddered. “I’d rather deal with Faye than get lice or bed-bugs. Besides, we have Slade.” She smiled at me and fluttered her lashes. “He can handle Faye. Right?”

  “Hopefully we won’t have to find out,” replied Chelsey.

  I silently agreed. I was weak from hunger and not thinking too clearly. I wasn’t sure how much help I’d be against Faye, or her Roamers, should they find us before Liam and the others arrived.

  Chelsey stared at me curiously. “Are you okay?”

  Nodding, I stepped backwards until I was in the darkness and fresh air. “You’ll be fine. I’ll let you girls get some sleep,” I said. “I’ll be right next door if you need anything. Room Nine.”

  “Wait,” said Melody, moving toward me. I knew what she wanted from the look in her eyes.

  I forced a smile. “What is it?”

  She placed her hand on my chest and began stroking it. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like some company?” she whispered.

  “Are you offering dinner?” I replied, showing a hint of fang.

  “I guess I’m open to whatever you’d like,” she answered, surprising me. “Especially if it involves something ‘orgasmic’.”

  My smile fell. Me and my big mouth. “You need to get some sleep.”

  “Don’t you like me?” she whispered.

  “Of course I do. But, not like that.”

  “Are you sure?” she said, placing my hand on her breast. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “I’m very flattered, Melody,” I said, snaking my hand back. “But, you shouldn’t offer yourself so freely. Especially, to someone like me.”

  “But, that’s just it. I really, really like you,” she answered. “And I don’t care if you’re a vampire. It turns me on.”

  “Go inside, Melody,” I ordered, staring into her eyes. “You need to sleep.”

  The smile fell from her face. “I’m going inside. To get some sleep.”

  I sighed in relief. “Keep your door locked. Your world, right now, is a very dangerous place.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are we… are we really safe here, Slade?”

  She looked more like a lost child than the sex
-kitten from ten seconds ago. It reminded me of how young she really was. How naïve. “Melody, there are no guarantees. Just don’t let your guard down. Not for anyone.”

  “That’s good advice,” said Chelsey sharply, now standing in the doorway. She grabbed Melody’s arm, pulled her inside, and slammed the door in my face.

  I could hear Melody gasp. “Chelsey, that was rude!”

  The wind picked up, blowing my hair, as I stared at the gold-plated number ten in silence. The redhead was definitely feisty, which made her even more appealing. Smiling to myself, I turned and walked to my room.

  “HOW IN THE hell can you flirt with him?” I asked, walking away from the door, frustrated. “You, of all people, know what he is.”

  “Of course I know. It’s just that he’s been so… nice and you have to admit, he’s totally hot.”

  “So what if he’s hot? I’m sure he uses his looks to coerce girls into giving him blood among… other things.” I still wasn’t a believer that he hadn’t had sex with any groupies or hadn’t taken blood from humans to survive. Not after the way I’d seen the rest of his band attack the Roamers. They’d ripped them to shreds, gorging on their blood like starving animals.

  She sighed. “He isn’t like that. You heard what he said.”

  “I don’t care what he said,” I replied, rubbing my forehead. My headache was definitely coming back. “He’s a vampire and we are his food supply. You jump in bed with him and you may never jump back out.”

  “You’re just jealous,” she huffed, stepping into the bathroom.

  I grunted and followed her inside. “Jealous? Are you crazy? Did you forget what in the hell has been happening these last couple of days?”

  “Of course I didn’t forget,” she said. “I’m just saying that he’s been extra attentive toward me and it drives you crazy.”

  I folded my arms across my chest. “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw the way you were looking at him earlier. Like you wanted to tear his shirt off and lick him from head to toe. Although, I don’t blame you.” She grinned. “He is totally lickable.”

  I stared at her in horror. “Are you really that oblivious to everything? Our parents have been killed by his kind and you’re talking about jumping his bones?”

  Her smile fell. “He’s not like them, and of course, I know that our parents are dead,” she said, her eyes filling with pain. “But… we’re alive, and like it or not, it’s because of him. He saved our lives, vampire or not… and don’t forget… he was once just like us.”

  “I know, but –”

  “Chelsey! He didn’t ask to be a vampire. He’s a victim. Just like we are. If anything, I feel sad for him and so should you.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. “Why should I feel sad for him? He’s rich. He never grows old. He can basically do whatever he wants.”

  “Maybe, but he has to hide who he truly is from the world. Like he’s some kind of freak.”

  I laughed. “I’m sorry but he is some kind of freak. One that we can’t turn our backs on. He basically warned us not to trust him before I slammed the door in his face.”

  “He wasn’t talking about himself.”

  “You’re just blinded by his looks,” I said.

  She didn’t say anything for a few seconds, and I knew that I was right.

  “Look, Chels, if he wanted to kill us, he would have done it already. He’s been nothing but kind and you… you don’t even appreciate what he’s done for us. He could have just stayed behind with the rest of the band. But, he didn’t. He risked his own life by helping us.”

  I knew she was right, but it was hard to let my guard down when it came to Slade. For more reasons than I cared to admit. I smiled sadly. “I just don’t want to die.”

  “Me neither. And we won’t. Not if we stick with him.”

  “You really think we can trust him?”

  “He rescued us, fed us, and now we have a place to sleep. He even offered to fly us to Europe. How can we not at least try to trust him?”

  I didn’t reply. Even though she had a point, I just couldn’t put my guard down around a man who was also a vampire. Especially, since there was some kind of crazy chemistry going on between us.

  “Just try to be nice to him,” she said. “And… be happy for me.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  “Slade and I were meant to be together,” she said, turning on the shower. “I knew it the moment I first set eyes on him at Club Nightshade, and now… fate has brought us together.”

  “You’re not serious.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked, pulling off her shirt.

  I looked away as she continued undressing. “You honestly think that Slade and you were destined to be together? That he’s going to carry you off into the sunset? Or should I say… the moonlight?”

  “Of course,” she said, getting into the shower. “And deep down, he knows it, too. Why do you think he’s been so helpful? He doesn’t want to lose me.”

  I stared at the closed curtain in disbelief.

  She was delusional.

  The Roamers had obviously drugged her and the effects hadn’t worn off. At least, I hoped that was the case.

  I PACED AROUND in my room, trying to fight both the hunger and desire that was now consuming me. It didn’t help that I could hear the shower running in the room next to me. Images of Chelsey, lathering herself with suds as water ran down her naked body, raced through my mind.

  I had to get out.

  Get some fresh air.

  Grabbing my cell phone, I sent Liam a text, telling him where we were staying, and then informed him that I was going to hunt.

  He texted me back right away.

  You? I thought that was against your principles?

  Not humans, I texted back, grimacing. I’m going after animals.

  I didn’t particularly like the taste, but it would help sustain me until we were back in Europe, and my stocked supply of human blood. Unfortunately, my other stash was somewhere on the tour bus, in Montana. The one that was now missing.

  LOL. Sounds tasty. We should be there soon. I might have to meet up w u.

  Sounds good.

  Liam enjoyed hunting any kind of game. There were times when I envied his species. His diet was easy and consisted of typical human food, as well as fresh, raw meat. Both were so much easier to acquire.

  Leaving the motel door unlocked, I flew into the early morning sky, heading for the woods we’d passed by in the car earlier. Fortunately, it didn’t take long before I had my hands on a large buck. Charming the creature with my eyes, I slowly placed my hands on his neck and began petting him. He relaxed and then, as I continued to stroke his fur, resumed eating the nuts he’d been nibbling on. As he continued eating, I grasped him firmly with both hands and sank my fangs into his fur-lined flesh. Panicking, the deer made a bawling noise and tried to pull away. I held it firm and took only enough blood to quell the hunger pangs in my stomach. When I was finished, I released the buck and he tore off through the trees.

  Sighing, I reached into my jeans and pulled out the white towel I’d taken from the motel. As I wiped my lips with the rag, I felt eyes upon me.

  “I know you’re there,” I called out, recognizing the scent of my watcher.

  Liam leaped through the brush and landed next to me in his lycan form. He changed back to a human and stood up, naked and proud as usual.

  “The leaves must have given me away,” he replied, his blue eyes dancing. “They tremble in my presence.”

  I laughed. “I don’t know what you’re more full of… yourself or just plain shit?”

  His face grew serious. “Speaking of shit… it certainly hit the fan. Faye Dunbar was pissed as all hell. I heard she released her Roamers all over town, looking for you and the girls.”

  “Is she still scrambling to find us?”

  “To be honest, I think she’s already moved on, although her goons are still tryi
ng to track Chelsey and Melody.”

  “What do you mean, moved on?”

  “Jimmy snuck inside the club earlier and was doing a little ear-wigging. He overheard one of the Roamers gossiping, a foxy little number named Celeste, talking about someone named Nikki. She’s apparently Faye’s newest target.”

  “Nikki? Don’t know anything about her. Is she a Roamer?”

  “Not sure. At least it takes the heat off of Chelsey and Melody. We can drop them off in the next state and head back to Ireland.”

  “It’s not that easy, my friend. You know that.”

  “It has to be. Look, they aren’t your responsibility, Slade. Besides, we have some concerts coming up and we can’t afford to miss them because of this shit.”

  “You’re wrong, Liam. They are my responsibility. Faye used Melody to get to me and now both of the girls’ families are dead. I can’t abandon them.”

  “What do you propose, then? Take them back home with us? Make them back-up singers?” he joked.

  “To be honest, I’m not sure what to do. But, I’m not going to just walk away. They can’t go back home. They don’t have family in any other state, either. They’ve got nobody.”

  Liam sighed. “Why don’t you just give them some money then?”

  “That’s not going to keep them alive. They need more than money. They need protection. At least if they’re in Europe, they won’t have to worry about the Roamers.”

  “For now, at least.” He sighed. “Have you already invited them to join us?”

  “I mentioned it.”

  He grunted. “I figured. What was their response?”

  “Chelsey didn’t care for the idea.”

  “Which one is Chelsey?”

  “The redhead.”

  His eyes lit up. “The one who gave you wood on stage?”

  “What in the hell are you talking about?” I said, hoping he’d forgotten about it.

  “You’re so full of it,” he laughed. “You hadn’t had a boner in so long you didn’t even know how to hide it.”

  “When you’re built like me, it’s too hard to hide,” I said, laughing.

  Liam shook his head. “Admit it. You wouldn’t be going through all of this trouble if you weren’t so hung up on that girl.”