Slade (Venom Series) Book Two

by Kristen Middleton

Then, as if nothing strange had taken place, she smiled and her eyes cleared. “Here’s your card,” she said, handing it back to him.

  “You haven’t charged it yet.”

  She laughed. “Oh, sorry.” Then she swiped it and tapped her fingers on the counter as it processed.

  I looked at Slade and he smiled.

  The cashier pulled out the receipt and brought it over to him. “Sign here, please.” He signed it and she handed him a copy. “Thanks, uh… Sam. Have a great day.”

  Winking at her, he answered, “You, too.”

  When we stepped outside, I asked him if he hypnotized people frequently.

  “No. I don’t like manipulating people. But, it wouldn’t be in our best interests to have her telling the world that she saw me.”

  “I suppose not,” I replied, as we approached the car. “So, your last name is Lazar? Is that a stage name or a real one?”

  “It’s a name I acquired a number of years ago. My first name has always been Slade, however.”

  “Oh.”

  “Shit. Where are they?” he asked, stopping in front of the car, which was empty.

  I LOOKED DOWN the street and noticed a small diner at the end of the block. “There,” I pointed at it. “Do you think they might have walked over there?”

  “Probably,” he said, unlocking the trunk. He shoved our bags inside and slammed it shut. “Although, neither of them have money.”

  “Maybe they’re waiting for you to walk over and pay for it,” I replied.

  “I guess we’re supposed to be mind-readers now,” he answered as we walked back to the sidewalk and followed it to the restaurant. Sure enough, they were both inside and already eating.

  “Thanks for the heads-up,” said Slade dryly as we stopped at their booth. “Next time, leave a note or something.”

  “Sorry. I couldn’t wait any longer. My appetite rules me,” replied Liam, who was holding the largest double cheeseburger I’d ever laid eyes on. “You of all people must understand that.”

  Slade sighed. “I do, but with Faye looking for us –”

  “Don’t worry about Faye,” interrupted Liam, his mouth full. He finished chewing and swallowed. “And you should know by now that you don’t need to worry about me.”

  “I wasn’t worried about you. I was worried about Melody,” said Slade.

  “So was I,” I replied, a little agitated myself. “You had the both of us worried.”

  He winked at her. “As you can see, she’s also fine.”

  “I’m better than fine. Oh, my God, you’ve got to try a bite of this,” said Melody, who was eating lasagna. “It’s amazing.”

  I slid in next to her. “It looks like it. Okay, now I’m starving.”

  “Take a seat, Slade,” said Liam, moving over for him. “I know this isn’t your thing, but some of us need real food.”

  “I can eat real food, too,” he said, sitting down across from me.

  My eyes widened. “You can?”

  He shrugged. “Vegetables, fruit, nuts, stuff like that.”

  “Why don’t you order a salad then?” asked Melody.

  “Because even though I can eat them, they don’t always settle well,” he answered. “Especially if it’s not organic.”

  “Pesticides give him the runs,” said Liam, smirking.

  “Thanks for sharing that,” said Slade, clasping his hands in front of him. “I’m sure the girls appreciated it.”

  “Yeah, it was a little T.M.I.,” answered Melody, breaking a breadstick in half. She handed part of it to me. “Want this?”

  “Yes. Thanks,” I said, taking it from her.

  “Hey, at least you girls now know to wear a scarf and always lock up your vegetables when Slade is around,” said Liam.

  “Wow. Have you ever thought about becoming a comedian?” asked Slade. “You might actually get some fans that don’t wake up in the morning with hangovers or fleas.”

  Liam’s chuckled. “At least I don’t have to charm anyone to get into my bed. Or should we say, coffin?”

  “Whatever.” He grunted. “Coffin. Anyway, I choose to remain celibate with fans because it’s the right thing to do. And you know I’m right.” He clasped his hands together. “What else you got?”

  “That’s what your last lover said when she saw you with your pants down,” he replied.

  Slade chuckled. “Asshole.”

  Melody’s eyes widened. “I thought you said you didn’t use coffins.”

  Slade looked at her. “You really need to stop watching horror flicks.”

  “Liam was kidding. He’s just trying to push Slade’s buttons,” I explained.

  “Of course,” answered Liam. “Slade would think something was wrong if I didn’t give him shit.”

  “It’s true,” answered Slade. “He gets like this when he’s happy and eating. If Liam is quiet and polite, then we have problems.”

  Liam smirked. “Exactly. It usually means I’m trying to control myself from changing and eating all of you.”

  Melody and I looked at each other.

  “They’re so gullible,” laughed Liam. “My favorite type of women.”

  “Slade is right,” I replied. “You are kind of an asshole.”

  “But I’m an honest one. You have to give me points for that,” said Liam.

  “I don’t think you’re an asshole,” said Melody. “You just crack me up.”

  “Honey, you just need to get to know me better,” he answered, winking.

  “This place is dead,” I said, changing the subject. I liked Liam, but not his chauvinism. “It’s kind of weird. I hope the food is good.”

  “It’s delicious,” said Melody, holding up her fork. “Here, have a bite of this.”

  “Are you getting sick at all?” I asked, remembering how I’d caught the flu from her one year and had spent the entire week in bed. After that, I’d made it a point not to share forks. But, her lasagna did look fantastic.

  “No. I’m good. Really,” she said.

  I opened my mouth and accepted it. “Mm… yeah, it’s very good,” I said, after swallowing the warm, cheesy, goodness.

  A young waitress walked over, her eyes wide as she stared at Slade.

  Liam grunted. “Here we go again,” he said under his breath.

  “Oh, my God, are you Slade from Venom?” asked the waitress, Annie, her cheeks flushed.

  “He sure is,” said Melody, smiling broadly. “And that’s Liam. He’s the drummer.”

  I glanced at Slade, who I could tell was less than thrilled.

  “I knew you looked familiar, too. I just couldn’t place it,” replied the waitress, looking at Liam with a sheepish grin. “But, seeing you together… it’s obvious.”

  “No problem,” said Liam. “You looked pretty busy when the lunch crowd was leaving. I’m sure that didn’t help.”

  She brushed a few strands of blond hair away from her eyes. “Yeah. We just ended our lunch rush. That’s why it’s so slow in here at the moment. At least you’ll have my full attention now.”

  “Always love a woman giving me her full attention,” replied Liam, smiling up at her.

  She laughed. “Well, I’ll do my best to serve you guys.”

  “Excellent. Could I get another strawberry-lemonade?” asked Melody.

  “Of course,” said the waitress, staring at Slade again. I could tell from her expression that she was still in awe. “Wow, I can’t believe that you’re here! I love all of your music. You’re so talented. Both of you. My friends and I drove all the way over to Shore Lake the other night to see you play. It was amazing.”

  “Thanks. You’re very kind. Can we get a couple more menus?” asked Slade.

  “Sure. Um, do you think I could get both of your autographs?”

  “Of course,” said Liam. “Give us something to sign, besides the check, and we’ll be happy to do it.”

  She laughed out loud. “Okay, I’ll try to find some paper.”

  “We also sign
body parts,” he added, winking at her. “If you can’t find anything to write on.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  Her cheeks turned pink. “Even though that sounds… tempting, it wouldn’t be permanent. I couldn’t prove that I’d actually met you.”

  “You could always take a picture with them, or even videotape it,” said Melody. “Put it on YouTube.”

  Her eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea! Not signing my… body part, of course. I have to admit, I’m a little shy. But… signing the paper would be awesome. If I give you my phone, can you video them doing it?”

  “Sure,” said Melody. “I’ll do it after you bring that lemonade. I’m really thirsty.”

  “That’s right,” she replied, backing away. “Wow, this is so cool. I can’t wait to show my friends. I’m going to post it on my Facebook.”

  Slade’s jaw tightened.

  “If you don’t mind, we’d prefer that you keep our being here a secret, at least until after we leave,” said Liam, glancing at Slade and then back at her. “Word gets out that we’re in town, well… you know.”

  She nodded vehemently. “Oh, I totally understand. I won’t say anything while you’re here.”

  “Thank you. Also, don’t forget that marker,” reminded Liam, pouring ketchup over his French fries. “In case you change your mind about a body signature.”

  “Right,” she said, smiling.

  “And two more menus,” I added, feeling my stomach growl.

  “Of course,” she said and then hurried away.

  I looked at Slade, who was rubbing the bridge of his nose. “So, are you going to erase her memory?”

  He nodded. “Of course. I have to.”

  “Erase her memory?” asked Melody, looking shocked. “You can do that?”

  He smirked. “I did it to you. Don’t you remember?”

  Her jaw dropped. “You did?”

  Slade chuckled. “Just messing with you. I didn’t erase anything.”

  She looked at me. “Is that the truth?”

  I snorted. “Don’t ask me! If he erased yours, he probably erased mine as well.”

  Melody’s eyes moved back to Slade. “Seriously, you didn’t erase my memory, did you?”

  He sighed.

  She put her fork down. “I swear if you did, I’m going to be so pissed off…”

  “Come on, now. Does it feel like you’re forgetting anything?” asked Liam, his eyes dancing.

  “I don’t think… I don’t know,” she said, looking frustrated.

  “Oh, just relax, Melody,” I said, patting her hand. “You’re fine. Heck, we’re both fine.”

  “Now I know something is wrong,” she said, looking at me. “You’ve been the one who’s been freaking out and now you’re as cool as a cucumber.”

  I sighed. “I’m still freaked out, believe me. But I also know that dealing with all of this calmly is smart.”

  Liam reached over and squeezed her hand. “Yeah, relax, beautiful. We’re all on your side.”

  She melted. “Okay. I believe you.”

  “Look, the only reason I’m going to charm, or alter Annie’s memory,” said Slade, sitting back against the seat, “is because she has quick access to the Internet and we don’t need her telling the world our whereabouts. Not with everything that’s going on. Who knows how far Faye’s reach is or how many Roamers are in Montana.”

  “Oh. That makes sense,” said Melody. She smiled sheepishly. “I guess I shouldn’t have told her who you guys were. Although, it’s pretty obvious.”

  “Well, from now on, don’t volunteer any information unless we give you the okay,” said Slade.

  “Yeah, he’s right,” said Liam, removing his hand from Melody’s. “And not just because of Faye. There are a lot of people we’d rather not run into. We don’t need anyone leading them to us.”

  “Fine,” she said, looking slightly embarrassed.

  “Slade, you might want to consider charming her into letting us sign her breasts,” said Liam, wiggling his eyebrows. “I mean, if not for me… for you. When was the last time you saw a woman naked?”

  Groaning, I closed my eyes. “God, Liam.”

  He laughed. “What? We can sign yours too, if you’d like.”

  I gave him a dirty look.

  “We are not signing anyone’s breasts,” said Slade sternly. “I’m charming her as soon as she gets back. I should have done it before she left the table. She’s probably already texting all of her friends.”

  “Or tweeting about it,” I said.

  Melody sighed. “Maybe we should just leave?”

  “I’m not done eating and I’m sure Chelsey would like something,” said Liam.

  “I know. You could just make her believe that it was some kind of a hoax,” I said. “That way if her friends ask her about it later, she won’t be confused.”

  “That might work,” he said, as the waitress hurried back toward us.

  “Here are your menus,” she said, handing one to Slade and then to me.

  “Uh, my lemonade?” asked Melody, pushing her empty glass at her.

  “Connie is bringing it,” she replied, picking it up.

  “One strawberry-lemonade,” said another waitress, coming toward us. From the beaming smile on her face, it was obvious that she also knew who Slade and Liam were.

  “Thanks,” said Melody, as the waitress set it down in front of her.

  “You’re welcome. Your meals are on us, by the way,” said the new waitress.

  “No, that’s okay,” said Slade, pulling out his wallet as he looked toward the front of the restaurant. “In fact, we should probably settle it and get going.”

  Crap, I thought, seeing a group of teenagers walk through the doorway. Now we had to leave.

  “We insist,” said Annie. “It would be our pleasure.”

  Their eyes met and he said. “Unfortunately, you were mistaken about us. My name is Sam Johnson and the other man’s name is… Lester.”

  Liam raised his middle finger.

  Her eyes dilated. “Sam Johnson.”

  Connie laughed. “What? Is this a joke?”

  He turned to her and did the same thing. Then sent both of them away.

  “Let’s get out of here,” said Slade, putting his credit card back into his wallet. He pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and left it on the table. “This should cover your meals.”

  “What about Chelsey?” asked Melody as we slid out of the booth and stood up.

  “I’ll get her something from the gas station. We need to fill up anyway. Is that okay?” he asked, turning to me.

  I nodded. “Yeah. No problem.”

  “The guys are probably getting pissed off waiting at the hangar anyway,” said Slade “You know Bradan’s going to give us hell when we get there.”

  Liam shrugged. “Oh well. We’ve had to wait for his ass many times.”

  As we walked to the exit, Annie stepped out of the kitchen and approached us.

  “You’re leaving, Mr. Johnson? Here’s your tab,” she said, pulling it out of her apron pocket. She looked at it and her forehead scrunched up. “That’s weird, I voided the ticket.”

  “I left some money on the table. It should cover it,” he replied.

  She nodded and shoved it back into her apron. “Oh, okay. Thanks. Goodbye, you guys. Goodbye, Lester. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You, too,” I said, smiling at the scowl on Liam’s face.

  “Goodbye,” replied Melody, as we walked out.

  “Shit,” said Slade, stopping in his tracks.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, stopping next to him. My heart stopped when I noticed that the Firebird was gone.

  “WHERE’S YOUR CAR?” asked Liam.

  I began walking toward the sporting goods store. “I don’t know.”

  “Maybe it was towed?” offered Melody. “Were your tags expired?”

  “No,” I said, trying to remain calm. “Everything was up to date.”

  The
others followed me, and when we reached the empty parking spot, I looked around, hoping it was just some kind of prank. That Bradan or Jimmy had shown up and moved it.

  “What are we going to do?” asked Chelsey, looking nervous.

  “Stay here. I’ll be right back,” I answered, walking around the corner of the building. Satisfied that nobody could see me, I shot up into the sky and began searching for my car.

  “THIS IS CRAZY,” said Melody, putting her hands on her hips. “How can a car just disappear?”

  “It can’t. I’m going inside to see if one of the employees saw anything,” said Liam, heading toward the entrance.

  “Someone must have stolen it,” I said. “I mean, it is pretty sweet.”

  “That’s true,” she answered and then her eyes grew wide as she looked behind me.

  “What?” I asked, turning around. When I saw the squad car pulling up next to us, and Sheriff Caleb’s face in the window, my heart stopped. “Oh, shit.”

  “Girls, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you,” he said, opening the door.

  Melody and I began backing away from his car. Obviously Caleb had something to do with Slade’s car missing.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, frightened.

  “Looking for you,” he answered.

  “How did you find us?” I asked.

  His smile was warm. “Oh, I have friends in this town.”

  “What do you want with us?” squeaked Melody.

  His eyes bore into hers. “Now, just relax, honey. I’m here to bring you back to your family. We’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “No,” I said firmly. “They’re dead and you’re not here to help us. You just want to bring us back to that woman. Faye.”

  He looked at me and our eyes locked. “I’m here to bring you back to your mother and father, Chelsey. You need to get into my car. Now.”

  A strange feeling swept through me and I relaxed.

  I was finally going to see my family!

  My eyes filled with tears. “They’re really alive?”

  “If you come with me, you’ll see for yourself, honey. Now,” he opened the back door of his squad car, “let’s not waste any more time. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

  “Okay.” I walked over and slid into the back. “Come on, Melody.”