“No, I’m hungry, and I want to go out to dinner. How much time do I have? I want to put some makeup on.”
“To make our reservation in time, we need to leave in twenty minutes.”
“That’s all I need.”
He extends a hand to help me up, and I hurry into the bathroom to clean myself up and then put some makeup on. I’ve been lucky with this pregnancy in regard to my skin. Not being fully human has definitely awarded me with some benefits, like being in really good physical shape, a very high tolerance to alcohol, and impossibly clear skin. My cheeks get red every now and then, and my skin tone isn’t as even as I’d like, but overall, I can’t complain.
I fuss over my eyes, trying to get the eyeliner right three times before giving up, wiping it off, and going with earth tones for my eyeshadow along with mascara. I swipe some powder on my face and highlight my cheeks, trying to recall a makeup tutorial I watched on YouTube only a few days prior. Too bad Eliza wasn’t here to do my makeup for me.
Using magic, I curl my hair as I straighten out my dress in the mirror. I grab a pair of four-inch heels from my closet, knowing I’m going to most likely regret it later, but hey—at least I’ll look good while I’m hating my life choices, right?
Lucas fed my familiars and Scarlet for me while I was getting ready, and after letting Scarlet out, we take off. We’re not sure if we’re staying the night in Chicago or not, so I packed a small bag just in case. I have leggings and a black sweatshirt, my toothbrush, a vial of my morning sickness potion, prenatal vitamin, and maybe a small arsenal of magical supplies.
Because a girl can never be too careful.
I usually carry salt, at least one vanquishing potion, and some sort of weapon with me anyway. I’m just adding to what I already have, really. I grab a blanket off the back of the couch, put on my stupid heels, and don’t complain at all when Lucas picks me up, carrying me from the house to his black Mercedes, which hasn’t been driven in “far too long” according to him.
The seats heat up fast, and twenty minutes into our drive, I ditch my blanket.
“I was thinking that maybe going to the vineyard would be fun,” I say, adjusting my seat so I’m leaning back just a bit more. I’m not all that far along, but damn, my back is starting to hurt. “Maybe we could take a week and go.”
“If that is what you want, my love, then that is what we will do. I miss the smell of sunshine in your hair.”
“It hasn’t exactly been sunny here,” I grumble. “And when it has been, it’s so bitterly cold I’m not going outside.”
“Then we should go. You can invite Kristy and the twins.”
“You wouldn’t mind if they went with?”
“No, as long as they understood that I plan to fuck you in every room in that house, and on the patio when the moon is full and shining down upon your glorious naked body.”
“You always know how to make a girl blush,” I say with a giggle. “And that would be really fun. We could do, well, I don’t know, we could do something during the day.”
“You could take a private jet to Disneyland. It’s over an hour plane ride, though.”
“Hey, that’s not too bad. It can easily take us over an hour to drive to Chicago and yet we do that within a day.” I smile. “I’ve never been to Disneyland. Just Disney World. Tabatha took Evander and me as often as she could.”
“I’ve seen your photos.”
“That place is magic without magic.” I smile. “And my friends would love that. But I’d also love for you to come with me at night.”
“Then I will.”
He takes his eyes off the road, looking at me for way longer than he should be able to without crashing. It used to freak me out, and it still does, if I’m being honest. Lucas is so used to being invincible I think he forgets sometimes how fragile humans can be. “Whatever you want, my love, I will give to you.”
“And I want to give you whatever you want, too,” I say quickly. “I feel like this relationship is all take and not much give on my end.”
Lucas, still not looking at the road, slows, somehow seeing that traffic ahead of us is coming to a standstill. “First, you gave me the sun, Callie. Then you gave me love, which is something I didn’t think I was capable of giving or receiving. And now, now you’re giving me a child.” His hand rests on my stomach, and the slight pressure makes me feel like something is fluttering inside me again.
“I think I feel her moving again,” I tell Lucas, smile taking over my face. I rest my hand on top of his.
“I feel something, too.”
I press his hand a little harder against me, and there’s a definite feeling of something moving inside me. “Do you feel that?” I ask him.
“I do,” he says, looking away from the road again. “It’s our daughter, Callie.”
“Fuck,” I grumble, blinking away tears. “It’s real now, isn’t it? I mean, it’s been real since I peed on that stick and that positive sign showed up, but she’s growing and I wasn’t sure if she would,” I confess.
“You didn’t think she would?”
I shake my head, worried I’ll start crying if I talk.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to make you upset,” I croak out. “I’m not human, Lucas.”
“Don’t keep anything from me for my expense, my love,” he says gently. “I am here for you, and I told you, you’re not going through this alone. I am here, in every way I can be. Tell me your worries and your fears. Tell me your frustrations and annoyances.”
“You’re too good to me.”
“I’m not,” he tells me, taking my hand. “I’ll never be enough, no matter what you say.”
And now I’m losing my battle with tears, and it doesn’t help that we start talking about how we want to celebrate our first wedding anniversary the rest of the way to Chicago. Traffic isn’t too terrible, and I was right about Lucas using the valet parking so we don’t have to walk in the cold.
My surprise reservation is at a fancy French restaurant, one we’ve planned on going to but have had to cancel because of demons. I can tell right away this place is expensive, and the hostess checks Lucas out not once but twice on her way to take us to our table. I can’t really blame her, though. Lucas was an impressive specimen of a human man, and the fact that he’s nearly two thousand years old is alluring, drawing you in before you realize why.
I order sparkling cranberry juice instead of wine and look at the appetizer menu, needing Lucas to translate it for me. He leans in, taking both my hands in his.
“Order for me,” I tell him, lacing our fingers together. “I’ll butcher whatever I try to say.”
“What do you want?”
“Surprise me again. But if it has a lot of carbs and cheese, I’m sure I’ll love it.”
“Carbs,” Lucas echoes and looks at the menu. It hits me that he has no idea what food are high in carbs, and the last time he ate human food, people probably didn’t know about carbs and proteins and eating specific amounts of either.
“Pasta,” I say with a laugh. “And bread. Those are carbs.”
“So you’ll like the croque monsieur, then. It’s a pastry with cheese.”
“Heck yes. I want that. And please tell me it serves two so I can eat both my share and yours. And don’t tell me how eating for two isn’t really eating for two. I know, but I really want cheesy bread now.”
Lucas’s lips curve into a smile, and he leans over the table, going in for a kiss. Then he suddenly stops, jerking his head to the side. Nostrils flaring, he smells them the moment before I see them, but fuck, there they are: Nancy and William Martin.
Chapter 11
My fingers tighten around Lucas’s hand, and I shift my eyes from him to the Martins and back again. It’s then I know I have a decision to make, one that will change the course of the evening. Lucas and I are out together, having a good time and excitedly talking about the future and not demons. Lucas put thought into our date toni
ght, and I need a fucking night off.
The last time I saw Nancy was at Thorne Hill’s trick-or-treating event, when she tagged along with Abby and Penny saying she didn’t want to miss her granddaughter’s first time trick-or-treating. I’m sure that was true, but I’m also sure another part was her wanting to come and creep on me. And I know that’s the only reason my asshole former brother showed up. I completely ignored Nancy that night, and it felt good. I didn’t waste my time engaging with her or Scott. I focused on the night and had a nice time.
Well, until a scrapper demon ran into the road and dented my poor Jeep.
And William…I haven’t seen him since I accidentally transfigured Scott into a cat, and I still regret not taking him to the vet to get neutered. Seeing him used to make me crippled with anxiety. I’d feel like that little girl once again, scared and helpless, crying in the waiting room of what I was told was a doctor’s office. I knew it then, even though I was young, and didn’t want to believe it.
Because parents are supposed to love their children.
The hostess, who was leading Nancy and William to their table, slows and looks over her shoulder to see why they stopped following her. It’s then I realize they’re with another couple, and I vaguely recognize the man as one of William’s politician friends. By the way he’s staring at me, he remembers exactly who I am. What story did William tell him? I had to be locked away because I was crazy and dangerous? I was so overcome with guilt I begged—at eight years old—to be allowed to go on mission trips, helping the helpless?
I’m still squeezing Lucas’s hands, and I know he’s waiting for me to lead how this encounter is going to go. If left up to him, he’d spring up, grab William by the throat, and gnash his fangs in his face, telling him that the only reason he’s not bleeding to death on the floor is because I don’t want to deal with having to hide another body.
“Callie,” Nancy says, eyes nervously shifting from me to Lucas and back again, as she comes to a stop. William reaches for her hand to pull her along, but she snatches it back. I can feel Lucas’s eyes on me now, waiting for me to give him the slightest hint at how I want this to play out, and my petty and impulsive side is begging to come out.
“You look nice,” Nancy goes on.
“Oh, you know each other? Would you like to see if we can find a table nearby?” the hostess asks, trying hard to keep the confusion off her face. Nancy is looking at me as if I’m a mythical unicorn, and William is staring at me with so much hatred I can feel it. And their friends, which I’m pretty sure are the Smiths, have no fucking clue what to do. If that man is indeed Gregory Smith, then he’s been part of the Martin politic ring long enough to know something happened to me.
“No,” I tell the hostess, giving her a sweet smile. “I’ve never seen them before in my life.”
“Isn’t that Callie?” William’s friend asks. His voice is scratchy from smoking, and I know for sure it’s that asshole Gregory now.
“What a surprise,” William says, trying to force a smile to his face. “We had no idea you were back from your mission work in Africa.”
Ah, he went with that classic lie.
“I’ve never been to Africa.” I keep the smile on my face.
Mrs. Smith is looking all confused now. “I’ve seen the photos.”
“I don’t know who they photoshopped my face over, but I assure you, I’ve never been to Africa for mission work.”
“She’s lying,” William rushes out. “Making up stories like always.”
Lucas pulls his hands out of mine and draws his fangs. “Are you calling my wife a liar?”
William tenses, and Nancy jumps back, bumping into Mrs. Smith. The hostess has no idea what to do and looks mortified. This is not the low-key romantic evening I had in mind.
“Like she said, we do not know you, and I suggest you stop harassing us and let us enjoy our meal in peace.” Lucas takes my hand again, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. “I am so sorry about that, my love. I trust it will be handled. After all, discrimination against a vampire-human relationship is illegal in Chicago.” He looks at the hostess, who quickly nods and raises her hand, signaling for the manager to come over.
This is a swanky place, and as far as everyone in the restaurant knows, we’re innocent victims.
“Let’s go,” Mrs. Smith urges. Her cheeks are bright red, and her eyes dart around, aware almost everyone is staring at them.
“You are no daughter of mine,” William snarls, just having to get the last word in.
“Oh, I know,” I reply. “I met my real father, and he is not someone you want to piss off.” My heart speeds up, and I feel energy buzzing around me. Inhaling deeply, I remind myself that I’m the motherfucking Queen of Hell—unofficially, that is. The petty drama the Martins bring with them wherever they go is insignificant. “Now go,” I say, and my eyes flash blue for just a second.
“Is everything all right?” The manager comes over, talking in a low, hushed voice. He has a French accent and looks pissed at the Martins for making a scene.
“It’s fine,” William grumbles.
“Just a misunderstanding,” Gregory goes on.
The poor hostess pushes her long hair behind her shoulder and motions for the Martins to follow her. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed they didn’t get thrown out.
“I am so sorry about that disturbance,” the manager tells us.
“It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. People are crazy, right?”
“Indeed. Again, I am so sorry. Please allow me to bring you a complimentary bottle of wine. Red or white?”
I almost say red but then look at Lucas and smile. “I’m pregnant, so I can’t drink.” Lucas smiles back, liking hearing me say that out loud.
“That’s what we’re out celebrating.” Lucas takes my hand again.
“Congratulations, that is wonderful news,” the manager says, doing a shitty job acting like he cares. He wasn’t here when Lucas flashed his fangs, but I wonder if anyone around is listening in and wondering how this works, with me being pregnant and him being a vampire. “Is there anything I can offer you instead?”
“The uh…” I look at Lucas.
“Croque monsieur,” he orders for me and then says something in French, making the sullen-faced manager smile. He replies to Lucas in French, and both talk so fast I can’t discern anything, though it’s not like I know how to speak French anyway.
“I like hearing you talk in a different language,” I tell him once the manager leaves. “It’s hot.”
“I think the same when you’re speaking Enochian.” He laces his fingers through mine. “Are you okay, Callie?”
“Yeah, overall. I feel a little shaky inside, but that was more satisfying than it should have been. I keep saying I’ve let it all go and moved on, but I get so angry any time I see his face.”
“You control your anger much better than I would. I’ve killed others for crossing me in much less nefarious ways than what the Martins did to you.”
“I know, and I think it’s time to remind you murder is messy. If we bury any more bodies on our property, I’m going to have to resurrect them only so we can burn their remains.”
Lucas chuckles. “Fuck, I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
A woman in a power suit at the table next to us raises her hand, getting my attention. Shit. Did she overhear that? We were talking quietly, and I think anyone would assume we’re joking even though we’re totally serious.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn’t help notice those people bothering you,” she starts and glances at the woman she’s seated with. “We’re lawyers, and we might have something here.” She angles her chair toward us and looks over at where the Martins were seated. “Do you know who that man was?”
Keeping up my pretense, I shake my head. “No, I don’t.”
“That’s Senator Martin,” she whispers. “And we’ve been gathering information from human-vampire coupl
es like you.”
“Information for what?” Lucas asks.
“A discrimination lawsuit.”
“Are you tired, my love?” Lucas asks. We just got back into the car after leaving dinner. The food was amazing, and knowing Nancy and William Martin were staring at us the whole time, fuming over my lack of reaction, was the cherry on top.
“Not yet, surprisingly.” I pull the seatbelt over my lap and turn up the heat. “Is Eliza working tonight?”
“She should be. It’s a weekend, and the Taproom is always busy.”
“Want to go see her?”
“You want to go to a bar?” Lucas asks incredulously.
“Yeah, I’m really craving something hard on the rocks.” I shake my head. “That sounded dirtier than I meant it. And yeah, we can go see her. I haven’t been there in a while, and I can get another sparkling water with cranberry. And maybe some lime. That sounds refreshing, doesn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Lucas chuckles. He leans over and kisses me before heading in the direction of the bar. It is busy, but we get lucky like usual and find someone pulling away right as we pull up. I pull on my hood and put on my gloves, preparing for the short walk.
Lucas wraps his arm around me, and I look up, smiling. “Thanks for taking me out. It was really nice getting out of the house and out of my own head, if that makes sense.”
“It does, and I’m glad you had a nice time. We should do this more often.”
“Yeah, for sure.” I rest my head against him. “Now if I can only get Kristy and Evander to finally admit their unrequited love for each other and then we can double date.”
“Have they ever expressed feelings for each other?” He looks at me dubiously.
“Yes.”
“Feelings of love or sexual desire.”
“I’m sure,” I go on. “And I’m sure they just haven’t realized how much they’re meant to be. Come on, you have to admit it would be perfect. My best friend and my brother together forever. We’d double date and it would be fun.”
“Please tell me you won’t go slipping your friends love potions now.”
Reign of Night (The Thorne Hill Series Book 7) Page 10