by Mary Abshire
"They seem to be hitting it off," Jeremy said, jolting my attention back to him. "She looks interested in him."
I grinned. I'd bet my annual salary she was interested in him. I picked up the second glass and swigged it down. The glass clinked when I set it on the counter. Jeremy followed my lead and downed his shot with equal speed. He let out a gasp as he set his glass down.
My gaze veered back to Veronica. She had a bright smile and curled lips. Was she flirting? That bitch. I balled my fists. A wave of heat rushed to my head, and it wasn't because of the alcohol.
"Let's leave them here." Warm breath tickled my ear. I didn't need to look to know he'd edged closer. Heat from his body radiated and warmed me.
"I can't."
His heated hand covered mine. "You can. It's easy. Just come with me."
My heart thumped faster. Between Jeremy's suggestion and Veronica's tongue gliding over her lips, I didn't know what distracted me more.
"No, Jeremy," I said flatly. "I'm not leaving him."
"You seem to be attached to your friend."
My lips hinted a smile. I wondered if I should inform him of my card reading.
"I'll give you my address as down payment for our agreement," I said, changing the subject. I turned my eyes away from the black-haired bimbo and read off my address to Jeremy. I further informed him that I lived with someone.
"Is your roommate female?" He had an impish grin that scared me a tad.
"Uh…" Did it matter? What was he thinking? "Yes."
"Maybe I should visit."
He traced the bones in my hand with his finger. Heat seared my flesh. I swiped my hand away from him.
"Not a good idea."
"You should listen to her, Jeremy," Drake said from behind me.
I spun to face him. The second our gazes met, I had the sudden urge to kiss him and wrap my naked body around him.
Jeremy stood up. "Maybe you should stick with your own kind."
I leaped from my seat and moved between the two. Facing Drake, I placed my hand on his chest. His eyes turned into black balls of emptiness. Jaw tightly clenched and muscles expanding, he looked ready to attack. The feral glare directed over my shoulder even intimidated me a pinch. Clearly they were ready for a fight.
"Where's Veronica? Why did you leave her?" I asked, hoping to bring him back down to earth.
His gaze deflected to mine. "She is waiting for us. I want you to meet her."
My jaw dropped. Why did I need a formal introduction? "I thought you didn't want her to know about me."
"I have a plan." He took hold of my hand.
I twisted to face Jeremy. "Jeremy, I will be in touch."
"I count on it. And if you don't, I know where to reach you." He gave an errant grin.
Ignoring the threat, I turned to Drake. His killer gaze stayed on Jeremy. I squeezed his hand and his attention shifted.
"Are we going?" I asked, and he turned, pulling me along with him.
Drake led the way through the crowd at a slow pace. He paused for a second, then leaned close to my ear. "Do you still trust me?"
"Yes." The answer came without any hesitation.
He lifted my hand and kissed it. "Stay quiet and follow my lead."
Nervous energy sprang from within me and I bit my lip to help stay calm. Whatever he was up to, it had to be part of a master plan. I trusted him.
Veronica uncrossed her long white legs and stood up to meet us. She wore a long, black, form-fitting gown that revealed too much. The minute her eyes graced me, her once-playful grin morphed into a look of disappointment. I suddenly felt happier than someone who'd just won the lottery.
"Drake—" she started.
"Veronica, this is Jessie." He introduced us without releasing my hand.
I smiled with a look of pure enjoyment and extended my free hand. "Charmed."
Her lips curled in disgust at the sight of my hand. "This is the woman from the other night."
"I didn't want you to know she was with me," he explained.
"I really didn't spew my guts all over the floor," I said, swatting my hand in the air. "It was an act."
Drake squeezed my hand with too much force. Pain shot up my arm. Okay, got the signal. I zipped my lips.
Veronica examined me closely, too closely. Starting with my lips, she traced down my neck, hovered there for a few extra seconds while tilting her head, went down over my breast, stayed there way too long with another tilt of her head, and then farther down. Why did I feel visually molested?
"She's—" Her finger tapped over her lip. The long, manicured fingernail coated in red polish nearly matched her lipstick. She stepped closer, biting down on the tip of her nail.
While I waited for more words to spill out of her mouth, I considered shoving her off her feet if she didn't say something nice. Better yet, let me slap the slut out of her. I mentally dared her to touch me.
"Perky and shaped nicely," she continued.
Her gaze once again traveled to my chest. Was she jealous? If I had her A-size chest, I'd be jealous, too. Fortunately, I didn't. Proud of my 32Cs, I sucked a gulp of air and held it.
"But her scent is less than desirable," she added.
Annoyed, I gripped Drake's hand. I showered with coconut-lime bath gel. I put on deodorant, twice. I smothered my skin in sweet-smelling lotion. There was no fucking way I stunk of something foul.
"Veronica, dear, I know you will be pleased," Drake told her.
I turned and narrowed my gaze at him. What did that mean? I looked from Veronica to Drake. Both had spellbinding eyes and expressions that were downright naughty. Something shared between them put me on edge. Uncomfortable, I squeezed his hand twice.
"I'm still not convinced," said the bimbo molester with her hands on her hips.
Drake squeezed my hand hard enough to break my bones. I'd heal fast if they broke, but it still hurt. I bit down on my lip, fighting back the pain.
"I have an idea," he said to her. "If you could taste, would that be enough? Would you be willing to join us?"
I clamped my jaw as anger rose within me. Questions about the plan he'd conjured up began to swarm in my mind.
"Yes," she said with a grin that I wanted to slap off her face.
Drake spun me to face him. Holding my hand up to his lips, he gazed into my eyes. He kissed my fingers with tender, loving care, one at a time. It hit me what he wanted. With a single squeeze, I gave him my answer.
The tiny pinpoints of his eyes swelled into black marbles. My heart pumped harder as the anticipation grew. He held my fingers near his lips as he parted them. Two white canines began to appear. He slid my forefinger into his mouth. I watched, mesmerized, as he curled his tongue curled around my digit, teasing and tickling me. I couldn't help but smile. Then he tilted my finger and punctured my finger with the tip of one of his canines. I barely felt it.
He gently removed my digit from his mouth. Blood bubbled to the surface from the tiny hole. A small throb beat under the skin. Drake pinched my finger and the bubble ballooned.
"Here." He extended my finger to Veronica. "Taste."
My temperature rose fast. The thought of her mouth touching any part of my body infuriated me. I tensed tighter than a fishing line snagged. Drake slid his arm around my waist and drew near me. I didn't feel a single miniscule amount of comfort in his touch.
Veronica took my finger into her mouth. My stomach retched. Drake held me steady with a firm grip on my hip and my arm. I wanted to pull away, but I knew Drake had a reason for this. The more I watched her taste my blood, the more I wanted to puke. I looked away and made a promise to myself to scrub my finger with alcohol and disinfectant back at Drake's condo.
"Mmm…" she murmured.
Another spasm jolted my stomach. I swallowed in an effort to keep the bile down.
"Mmm…mmm–mmm–mmm…" She released my finger from her mouth.
I glanced at Veronica. Her dark eyes revealed large, black pits.
"Drake, I am impressed," she said.
"Then you will join us?" Drake asked.
"Yes, gladly."
The grin on her face nearly brought the vomit shooting out of me. She revolted me, angered me, and I couldn't wait to put the bitch in her place. After she released my hand, I took a step back and wiped my wet finger on my skirt. If I didn't put some distance between us, I would set the putrid fluid within me free on her face. Oh, how I wanted to, but I behaved.
"I am parked in the lot next door," Drake said. "We can go to my place."
"Wonderful. I have always wanted to see where you have been hiding."
I looked at Drake. He avoided my gaze.
"Here is your chance." He grinned at Veronica.
The proverbial lightbulb flashed in my head. He'd managed to convince her to leave with us by using me as an excuse, and my blood sealed the deal. Good plan, minus the fact he used me—oh, and the blood part. I was involved, and I didn't even know my role. This went against my better judgment. Still, I trusted him, and what a fine opportunity to show it.
I faked my happiness with a wide smile. "Yes, Veronica, won't you join us?" I couldn't wait to find out about her relationship with Alexander and if she was involved in the latest abduction.
"Love to." She beamed.
Chapter Nineteen
Veronica sat in the front of the car next to Drake, portraying her normal slutty image with her legs crossed and fully exposed. I sat in the back on the left side so I could keep my eye on her. Drake steered through traffic on the Interstate, glancing at me sparingly in the rearview mirror. I suspected he didn't intend to take her back to his condo. Where we were heading was a mystery to me, but I trusted him.
"Have you seen Alexander recently?" Drake inquired in his smooth-as-silk voice.
Veronica stretched out her fingers and studied her long, cherry-painted nails. "No, darling. I never showed up to meet him at the Beaumont."
"Has he contacted you since?"
"No, I told you, he contacts me when he needs me."
Her hand slithered over her knee, widening the crease in her long, slinky gown. I curled my lip in disgust. The woman made me want to gouge her eyes out and then send her soul to Hell. The world would be a better place without her. But I behaved and glanced into the rearview mirror. Drake watched me with sharp and studious eyes. If I were to guess, he knew what I wanted to do to her.
"Didn't you meet him at the Beaumont a couple nights ago?" she asked, caressing her leg as if it were a soft pet.
"No, I missed him," Drake said.
Veronica's gaze lingered down ever so slowly along Drake's body while she moved her hand up her thigh. My body temperature must have shot up. The air in the car felt steamy.
"Do you know how to contact him or where he is staying?" Drake continued probing her for information while ignoring her attempt to lure him.
"No, I don't know where he is or how to contact him." Her clipped words reflected her annoyance. She turned away from him, uncrossed her legs, and re-crossed them with her other leg now fully exposed.
The bitch was lying and I fought hard not to jump between the seats and punch her. I wondered if Drake could pick up the stench of bullshit as well as I could.
"I really do need to speak with him soon," Drake emphasized in a sharper tone.
"I wish I could help you." She turned her attention away from Drake and toward the window.
Drake pulled off the Interstate onto an exit I hadn't seen before. I leaned forward between the seats to get a better view. Veronica twisted to face me. Her eyes glowed, but they didn't frighten me one bit.
"Where are you from, demon?"
Her emphasis on the word annoyed me. Fortunately, she couldn't see me clenching my fist. I was ready to take a strike at her if I had the chance.
I glared at her. "I'm from Hell. Where are you from, vampire?"
How did she know I was a demon? Maybe Drake told her. But why?
She chortled. "I like her, Drake. Spunky and sexy."
A small bead of sweat trickled from my forehead. Any hotter and I'd blow steam from my nose. Damn the bitch, damn her to Hell.
"Drake," I said. He glanced at me from the mirror. "Could you turn on the air, please?"
He honored my request, but it didn't help. The woman had me fired up, literally. I hoped Drake had a plan for getting her to talk soon because I was on the edge of losing my patience and my temper. I'd break her neck myself if I had to. Then again, her bones would probably heal as fast as mine would. I needed another plan of action.
Drake turned onto a deserted street in a business district. He maintained a normal speed, which was unusual for him. I wondered how long it would take Veronica to realize Drake wasn't taking us to his condo.
I met his gaze in the mirror again. "Well?" I mouthed. If he wasn't going to interrogate her, I was ready to step up to the plate.
"Veronica," he said as his head subtly shifted from left to right. "I think you are hiding something."
The direct approach won my heart over. I had the urge to kiss him.
"I'm not hiding anything, Drake," she replied.
Her phony act of innocence stunk so bad I wanted to pinch my nose to cut off the odor.
Drake's speed dropped while he surveyed the neighborhood. Veronica noticed the change in Drake's driving. She stiffened and turned her gaze out the window.
"Do you know a Teresa Fitzgerald?" I asked.
Her attention swiftly shifted to me. "What?"
"Teresa Fitzgerald. Know her? Or did you know her?"
She looked at Drake. "What's going on here?"
Drake turned the vehicle sharply, then sped into an alley. I fell back into my seat and watched the vampire bitch closely in case she tried to make any sudden moves. Fortunately, Drake's driving had her bracing her hands on the dashboard.
Drake brought the car to an abrupt stop, then cut the engine. He twisted to face her. "You are going to answer her question, then I have a few of my own."
She kept her mouth shut while she glared at Drake. Icicles could've formed from her cold, hateful look.
"Answer or I make you answer," Drake said in a voice I'd never heard him use before.
"That bitch deserved what she got," Veronica said.
"Deserved?" I growled from between clenched teeth.
"She nearly stole a lover from me a few nights ago. She needed a lesson."
My heart pounded as I stared at her. Anger raced through my veins. I couldn't believe the words that had passed through my ears.
"Did you kill her?" Drake asked, keeping a stone face.
"Maybe."
"You killed her because you thought she almost interrupted your sex life? Are you fucking nuts?" I blurted. I wanted rip out her heart and feed it to the wolves.
"Was Alexander with you?" Drake spoke up.
Her head spun from me to Drake. "Maybe."
Wrong answer. Maybe equaled yes. Maybe implied she didn't want to admit she was in deep shit. Was she that stupid?
"Yes or no?" Drake tightened his grip on the steering wheel. I wondered how much longer he could tolerate her.
"What does it matter if he was with me or not? Are you that anxious to see him?"
She was stalling. Clear to me, she wouldn't give anymore information about Alexander. When her lips curled slightly, I reached my breaking point. Not to mention I had sweat dripping down the back of my neck. I needed air. I needed to beat answers out of her. I doubted I'd get the latter, so I pushed open my door. I exited the car, then slammed the door behind me. The cool night air felt good, but it did little to soothe me. Like a furnace, the fire within me grew to an insurmountable rage.
I stepped around the car and opened Veronica's door. "Get out."
Drake was at my side before Veronica had set her two heels on the pavement.
"Where's Alexander?" I demanded from her, hands balled into fists at my sides.
"I don't know, little demon," she snarled as she stepped toward me.<
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Drake's arm swiftly captured her neck. He lifted her off the ground, then thrust her into the wall. Her back and head hit the bricks with a solid thud. With a death grip on her throat, he lifted her higher. "Where is he?"
"I…don't…know," she said, voice barely audible.
"I don't believe you," Drake snarled, his fangs fully exposed to her.
He reached behind him and withdrew something dark from underneath his shirt. His hand encased it perfectly, blocking me from seeing what it was. I heard a click, then saw a shiny, curved blade with an very sharp point. The width and style of it impressed and frightened me. I took a breath and held it.
Drake pointed the sharp edge to her throat.
"Drake!" I shouted. "Wait."
The tip of the knife sliced into her flesh as if it were sinking into soft butter. Blood leaked from the open wound and spilled down her throat. I put my hand on his shoulder and he stopped driving the knife deeper.
"She's either lying, or she refuses to tell us," he said.
He held Veronica's immortal existence in his grasp. Little did she know, her soul would be in my grasp. She murdered an innocent person. She’d probably murdered many others during in her existence. And what about the six-year-old child?
"Veronica," I called, grabbing her attention. "Where is the child?"
I held onto hope the little girl might be alive somewhere. Veronica was a cruel, malicious bitch, but I didn't picture her as the type to harm a child. If she wouldn't divulge information about Alexander, maybe she would give them something regarding the missing girl. I hoped.
"The little girl who no longer has a mother because of you, where is she?" Ire clung to my voice.
When she didn't answer fast enough, Drake sank the knife deeper into her throat. More blood poured out over her pasty flesh.
"Don't…know," she gurgled as blood dribbled over her lip and down her chin.
Drake's glowing eyes fell on mine. With a single nod, he conveyed a silent question. I understood and blinked my response.
He slid the knife into her throat, sheathed it to the handle. Blood poured out from her and spilled on his hand. Unable to watch any further, I looked down at my feet. I glanced up once to find Drake severing her head. The sound of flesh tearing reminded me of cloth being ripped by hand. Bones crackled, reminding me of biting down on a thick carrot. I couldn't watch. The sounds alone were nearly causing me to lose my dinner.