by Jet Lupin
By Jet Lupin
© 2019 Jet Lupin
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, contact Jet directly at [email protected].
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Also Available from this Author
Nasu
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 1
PHIL
“Earth to Phil!”
Phil blinked at the sudden snap inches from his nose. He shook himself as the world rushed up to meet him. He’d been adrift in a sea of consciousness surrounding them. There were 30 other people in this restaurant, and at any given time, Phil heard the thoughts of the closest 15 or so, everything from the mundane to the raunchy. None of it was his business, but his instinct was to latch onto every granule of information as he noticed it. Giving in was very easy and very satisfying.
“Sorry. I’m here.” But he hadn’t been. Thoughts continued to float in and out of his mind, not all of them his own. Today was particularly bad. It kept getting harder to focus on the things he needed to live his life.
Before, he needed to concentrate to hear other people’s minds, like eavesdropping. Now it was like everyone spontaneously broke into fits of reciting their inner monologues. There was no way to tell when it would start, but nine times out of ten, it was when he needed all his mental faculties.
He’d taken more breaks at work than what his job owed him, just to get away from the noise. People had started to notice. He’d been lucky enough not to hurt anyone yet, but it was only a matter of time.
“You sure?” Jerome said with no small amount of skepticism threading through his words. “You’re a little spacey.”
“I got distracted by a work thing, but I heard every word.”
Jerome cut his eyes at him. “What’s the last thing I said?” He smirked.
“You asked how things are with Shige.”
Jerome sucked his teeth. “Lucky guess.”
The question from his brain reached Phil before Jerome put it into words. It got mixed in the deluge of their fellow diners’ minds, but he remembered because it concerned him directly and hadn’t been about the food. He focused on Jerome, and the feedback lowered to a dull hum, blending with the audible background noise of the restaurant.
“So you got an answer for me? Hurry up, while it’s just us.”
“We’re good. Why would I go on this trip with him if we weren’t getting along?”
The short answer was what Phil told him; things between him and Shige were fine. The truth, as always, was more complex. He didn’t know what they were or where they stood.
Jerome huffed as he pushed the last of his food across his plate. Phil had never been more grateful that the people in his life couldn’t read minds as well.
Seven months ago, Phil’s world changed. He found out not only were vampires real, but so were werewolves, dragons and other creatures, walking around disguised as humans. They had their own society, their own structure and culture. He found himself in the middle of a power struggle between two ancient beings all because he accepted a drink from one of them at a bar. He’d almost died because of it, and Shige had been trying to do right be him ever since.
Phil moved to a more secure apartment building where Shige himself lived after an explosion left his home a mound of rubble. In the weeks following the attack, a security detail accompanied him whenever he was out of the building, at no cost to him. All of this to keep him safe, but he hadn’t seen much of the man himself. He stopped by about once a week, but they hadn’t gone out or been intimate in months. Their meetings were too brief, with Phil going to bed as Shige was getting up. Of course, if there was a will, there was a way, but neither of them pushed the issue. Phil assumed Shige was as unsure as he was. They both needed time, and to talk about it.
He knew what Jerome would say if he shared any of this with him.
Leave.
Simplify things. Find some new dick. But their connection was about more than dick. Things he couldn’t discuss, that he didn’t completely understand himself. But he didn’t want to give up on this, whatever it was.
“People do stupid things all the time hoping it’ll help. My nephew Jordan? Totally a fix-it baby. You saw how well that turned out for them.”
“A trip isn’t a baby.”
“As much as it costs, it might as well be. A month in another country?” Jerome shook his head. “It’s a huge step. You’re stuck over there with him with no way to leave until it’s time to fly out. I don’t know if I could do it without a lot of trust and thought.”
Oh, Phil had thought about it, devoted hours to it. There were a dozen reasons why he should reconsider, one of which Jerome just brought up. He’d be stuck there, he wouldn’t know anyone, he didn’t speak the language well, it was expensive, and Shige was his only way in or out. There was only one reason in favor of going when their relationship was so unstable. It stood on its own, outweighing the list of cons.
He needed help.
Not being able to control himself stuff wasn’t only an inconvenience, it made him a danger to others. What if he lost focus while administering medication? Or driving? Right now, the thoughts of a couple sitting across the restaurant were growing in pitch, threatening to dominate his mind: he was wondering how long until he could take her home; she was worrying about her cats.
Jerome was too busy dealing with his own distraction to notice Phil’s mind wandering again. His lips parted in a goofy grin as the third member of their party returned to the table.
Tall, tan, and towheaded, Alex was easily the whitest person Jerome had ever dated (to Phil’s knowledge). He was a lot leaner, too, his physique closer to that of a swimmer than a powerlifter. A country dream in tattered blue jeans, complete with Southern drawl. They might have made a nice couple if Phil wasn’t aware of how much the man clashed with Jerome’s usual tastes.
Back in his seat, he downed the last of his beer. “You two about ready to go?” Phil wasn’t the only one eager to be out of here, if the bounce of Alex’s restless leg was any indicator.
They settled up and headed into the early October night. There was a faint chill in the air that raised goosebumps on the backs of Phil’s arms, but once they started moving, it was almost warm enough that he didn’t need a jacket. The trees lining the street had begun to turn, their leaves crisp in shades of pale yellow, red, and orange. All this fall pregame, with none of the stress of impending snow. Phil dared someone to disparage a west coast fall. They would be wrong.
Out on the street, fewer people meant Phil’s mind got a break. It wouldn’t be long, but it was better than none.
The Reef was only a few blocks away, easy for three healthy folks to take on. Yet they hadn’t gone half a block before Jerome sighed.
“What is it, babe?” Alex called from somewhere behind Phil. His concern was cute, if unnecessary. Phil kne
w Jerome’s issue, no sensitivity required.
“I wish we could just go to the Blue Room.”
Phil rolled his eyes. He had no one to blame for that but himself.
The couple who owned it lived in Jerome’s neighborhood. They shared a grocery store, a dispensary, and a coffee shop. At said coffee shop, Jerome spotted one of the owners with a man who was not his husband. Jerome insisted he would have happily minded his business had said boy toy not cut him in line and caught an attitude when Jerome called him out on it. Then, the owner jumped in instead of keeping a low profile. Things got messy, social media got involved. In the end, the owners divulged the details of their open relationship and Jerome was no longer welcome at their establishment.
Alex chuckled. “The scene’s bigger in San Francisco. And it’s not that far. Just go there. Is this blue place really that great?”
“Yes,” Jerome said the same time Phil fired off a definitive “No.” Phil had only gone there because of Jerome or his ex, Marcus. It wasn’t a terrible place, but it didn’t warrant so much repeat business.
“Don’t listen to his hating ass.” Phil could hear the eye roll even though he couldn’t see it.
“The only reason you liked it so much was because you were a regular. Everybody knew your name? Sound familiar?”
“Shut up!”
“Yeah, you guys are definitely friends.” Alex laughed again, earning himself censure from his lover.
Phil was eager to get off this subject. He loved Jerome, but he was mostly made of pettiness. He could go on all night about how he’d been wronged if they didn’t stop him now.
“Tell me again how you two met?”
Alex was on the same wavelength. “I’ll let him handle it. He tells it better than I do.”
Jerome sighed loudly in complaint but started anyway.
“I went with Juan to review La Bouche. We had just ordered our courses when the waiter came over and asked about drinks. Then he came back again, and asked about how done we wanted out steak. It was like he kept making up reasons to come over. Something else was up, obviously.
“I mentioned him in the review, how he was attentive to the point of being annoying, and he confessed that he knew who I was in the comments section. We met up for coffee, and things took off from there.”
Dating a fan struck Phil as weird and vaguely narcissistic, but if it worked, it worked. He’d gone out with the two of them a handful of times in the previous months, and there was definitely chemistry.
Their words and the unwanted peeks into their minds spoke of how fond they were of each other. They thought about each other constantly. Often, it was really sweet. He could have done without the glimpses into their sex life however.
A flash of Alex in nothing but a baseball cap and crew socks had scarred him for life. He still struggled not to picture the man’s cock whenever he shook his hand.
Their route took them down an alley, cutting through the last block. At the end, Phil could see The Reef, warm light streaming through the front window. They’d be around people again, but dealing with that was better than the flashes he got of how Jerome and Alex each wanted the rest of their evening to go. They were really compatible in one department, at least.
Hugo. Puppies. Puppies with fat, fuzzy bellies. Cheesecake. Beer. Shige.
He tried to conjure all of those things to distract himself from the dual assault of his best friend in various stages of undress and coitus. This was more than Phil ever wanted to see of him.
He was so busy trying to blot out the intrusive images, he ran into someone coming from the opposite direction. He’d only clipped them, but he apologized profusely.
A hand shot out and clutched his forearm firm enough to keep him from walking on. The eyes trapped Phil’s attention first, piercing and a vivid green.
“I thought that was you, Phil.” Soldana smiled warmly. “Have a minute to catch up?”
Phil’s stomach cramped with the realization. The last time Phil had seen Soldana, she was being ushered along a queue so more of Shige’s admirers could pay tribute. She looked like she’d wanted to talk to him then, but Shige made sure she hadn’t had the chance. Phil thought he’d never see her again.
Alex and Jerome stood by, expecting an introduction and answers to the questions bubbling in their heads. Phil couldn’t think of anything kosher to tell them. He wanted to ignore her and move on, but from that hand on his arm, that wasn’t going to be possible. There was one thing he could do.
“You guys go on ahead,” Phil said to them, doing his best to seem nonchalant about being a vampire’s captive. Again. He knew nothing about her. If she was up to no good, he wouldn’t let her use his friends as leverage. “Tell Shige Soldana held me up.”
Soldana’s touch eased up as the pair left Phil behind. “You didn’t have to send them away. I would not harm them. Or you.”
“You’ll have to forgive me for not trusting you. I’ve got a lot of healing to do to before that happens.” Realistically, he’d never trust a vampire aside from Shige if he wanted to have a long life.
The corners of Soldana’s mouth tilted down. She turned her face away. “I’d heard rumors, but I did not want to believe them. I’m sorry that something so bad happened to you.”
Not as sorry as Phil was.
He took a step back, his arms folded. “How did you know where to find me?”
“It’s not like you were trying to hide, were you? I asked around about Shige, and then about you. Everyone in our community knows who you are, if only because he told them to stay away.”
Yet, here she was. He didn’t like every vampire on the West Coast knowing who he was, but if no one had approached him until now, maybe it worked. She hadn’t gotten to why she’d broken protocol yet. He doubted it would be for anything he’d like.
Phil glanced over his shoulder towards the bar. Jerome and Alex had just made it across the street. The Reef, and help, were only seconds away.
Soldana touched his arm, calling his attention back to her. “I’ll say what I came to say. You’re leaving this country soon? On a trip with Shige-san? I wish you wouldn’t, but I ask that you be careful. This place he’s taking you is his territory only in name. He’s neglected it, and there are people who won’t be happy he’s decided to return after all these years.”
Poking her nose into his business was a lot more effort than any vampire he’d me would extend for a strange human. Phil tried to listen to her mind, but all he got was static. Anxiety, anger. No cohesive thoughts. A vampire’s emotions were harder to read than a human’s, but not impossible. It was almost like she was blocking him out.
“Why are you telling me this? Why do you care what I do?”
She took him by both arms and squeezed, disrupting his focus. “Promise me you’ll be careful?”
He swallowed hard, his throat burning.
“Who do I need to watch for? Can you tell me that?”
She made no move to answer, her eyes fixed on something behind him. Phil followed her gaze to Shige, his face dark as he advanced on them. When he turned back, Soldana was gone.
Shige patted him down when he reached him. “Are you hurt?”
Phil shook his head. “Shaken up a bit.”
Shige exuded relief he wouldn’t let show, his face pinched and drawn. “I don’t think she would hurt you, but she shouldn’t have come here. What did she want?”
Phil repeated her message, leaving nothing out. When he finished, Shige’s scowl deepened.
Shige eyed both ends of the alley from where they stood. “She’s gone now. We should go meet with your friends. They’re waiting.” He wanted to go after her, Phil could feel it, and honestly Phil wanted him to, but they couldn’t abandon Jerome and Alex waiting with no explanation.
The Reef was as warm and homey inside as it had looked from the street. He and Shige had been here once. Phil liked it. He wouldn’t get to enjoy it much this time around with Soldana’s warning hanging over him. But h
e would try.
Jerome met them with a worried look when they joined the table. “Everything all right? The way Shige ran out of here, I thought I needed to go out there too.”
“I should have explained. That was an old friend of mine. I didn’t know she was back in town. I wanted to catch her.”
“But Phil’s met her?” Jerome asked. “This old friend?”
“It was when I was on vacation at Shige’s. Remember that?”
Phil couldn’t help listening in on his friend’s mind.
Jerome remembered that, but he was reserving judgment. At the root of his skepticism was always a kernel of hope. He wanted to believe everything was as it seemed, but it was his duty to doubt when no one else would. He was skeptical every time when Phil spoke of Shige, had been from the very beginning. Now they were meeting in the flesh for only the second time in more than six months, Phil didn’t expect things to be much better.
Jerome slid against Alex’s side and helped himself to the bowl of pretzels on the table. “It’s nice to talk when we’re both sober.” Mostly sober, Phil silently added. They’d had a few glasses of wine at dinner and more was on the way, if he knew his friend at all. “Too bad you couldn’t meet us for dinner.”
Shige gave him a cool smile. “I wish I could have made it, but tonight it just wasn’t possible. Another late night I’m afraid. But I did not come empty handed.” From the vacant fifth chair, he produced two boxes crammed full of Japanese snacks and candies. Jerome shook his box. It didn’t rattle, too densely packed with goodies.
“It seems like every time we try to get together, you’re too busy.”
Shige shrugged, his façade of neutrality firmly in place. “It comes with owning a business, I’m afraid.”
“Mmhmm.” Jerome kept his demeanor all business. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Phil, but I’m sure it doesn’t come close to the actual man. He must have left something out. Tell me about yourself?” They’d gathered under the guise of a social occasion, but there was nothing fun involved in the second half of their evening.