Crimson Groves (18 page)

“I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!” I stammered, words rushing off my tongue faster than I could think them. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay.” He pressed me harder into him, almost crushing, but in a good way. “It was an accident. I should’ve been more careful.”

“What if another accident happens? I’m a monster! You’re not safe with me around!” Tears started welling up in my eyes again. Oh great. Just great.

“It’s no safer without you around.” He let go of me and stepped back. My arms fell to my sides. He cupped my face with both hands, staring down me, his eyes intent and solemn. “I’m not going anywhere and neither are you, unless it’s together. I’m not losing you over a stupid cut on my finger.”

I shook my head. My shoulders slumped. “But I can’t control myself. I couldn’t stop…your blood. It smelled incredible. I’ve never smelled anything like it.” I cautiously gazed at his beautiful, perfect eyes, looking for a sign of fear, or resentment, or anything like that, but none of those emotions were there.

“Maybe that’s because you love me?” He leaned down, eyes blazing green fires, his lips creeping closer.

A fire ignited in my stomach and then started traveling up my spine. Goosebumps scattered over my arms. A chill crept up my face. My vision got blurry. My throat tightened. His breath was a warm gentle wind on my face, his mouth less than an inch away from mine. I licked my lips, tasting his closeness, then bit down hard on my bottom lip, tasting blood. I gasped, stepped back, freeing my face from his hands. “No,” I breathed. “We can’t do this.”

He stood there for an uncomfortable moment, the air tense and restless. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” He ran his fingers through his hair and then surveyed the bathroom. “I’ll get this cleaned up.”

“I can do that. It’s the least I can do after everything that’s happened.”

Since neither of us would obey the other’s offer, we cleaned the bathroom together, working in complete silence.

After it was sparkling clean and filled with the aroma of Lysol, he pointed to his bedroom and said, “I’ll bring you the new clothes. You can change in my room for privacy.” He looked down at the floor. “Unless, of course, you’d like to…”

“Your room is fine.” Nice try, wise guy.

A dresser, the same color as the wooden floors, stretched along the left wall, and a mirror hung on the back of a closet door. His bed was just a queen-size mattress lying directly on the floor. I sat on the edge of it until he came in with the brown paper bags. He set them on the floor by my feet and then left, closing the door behind him. The bags made crackling noises as I rummaged through them. I quickly decided on the worn jeans and stretchy black button-up shirt. In a flash, I was out of that baby doll dress and comfortably wearing the new outfit. I stood in front of the mirror, very satisfied with how everything looked. Even the new brown hair.

Later on in the day, since we still had some time to kill before nightfall, we used an empty dining room to practice a few basic defensive fighting moves. Tyler came to the table with some of his own experience, but we both quickly found that I was much better—and not only because I was a vampire. I taught some moves that could easily be done by a human, and I could tell he was pushing himself to succeed. Occasionally I’d use some of my incredible senses to escape his swinging fists or flying feet. Fortunately I barely felt it when he did land a blow. When Tyler reached the point of exhaustion, we ended our training session.

We returned to the living room, sitting on the sofa away from the windows. Tyler brought me up to speed on some research he’d done earlier while he was out. Since he had taken his laptop, he used the WiFi at Starbucks and researched some donor clubs outside of Georgia. He’d narrowed it down to Rayver’s Pub or ex-RAYNE, both located in Hilton Head, South Carolina. But since Tyler had not gotten anymore of his futuristic visions, we had absolutely no idea which club would be our safest bet. Unfortunately he couldn’t force his visions to happen, which meant there was a chance we’d have to make the choice on our own. Seemed like gambling to me, and I was never any good at that.

13

Predicament

RAYVER’S PUB WAS LOCATED IN an expansive, one-story building that stretched down an entire block. Several other businesses shared the space, but most of them didn’t look open for business. Tyler waited in the parking lot across the street, giving me a generous head start. We made a pact similar to our last one. He agreed reluctantly.

I cautiously looked around, not seeing anyone else on the streets, and then took the last few steps separating me from the donor club. The entry door was held open by a wooden barstool. My fingers brushed across the rotted doorjamb as I walked inside. Three square-shaped tables covered by white tablecloths, each with four chairs, were situated in the front. Beyond them was the bar. The wooden countertop was wide enough for six barstools, but only five of them were positioned there. Perhaps the sixth was participating as the doorstop this evening.

A woman sat on the left side of the bar, so I made a beeline for the right side. She looked over at me and smiled. Her shoulder-length blond hair was heavily streaked with dark lowlights, and she looked to be about my age. She wore a red-ribbed tank with a pair of skin-tight jeans. Her curvy thighs and butt overspread the seat. Her sun-kissed skin betrayed endless summer days at the beach. Since Hilton Head was a beach town, that wasn’t so surprising. It made me feel better knowing she was human since Tyler would soon be in here.

I smiled back at her and then sat down, leaving an empty seat between us. She looked away, stealing a few sips of her beer before returning to the magazine that previously held her attention. The bartender was an older man, fifty-something, slim, with thinning salt-and-pepper hair. His tan skin looked like a leather belt. I could sense he was not a donor. What in the heck was he doing working at a donor club? I swallowed hard, then gave him my drink order. He flashed me a smile and got busy with my request.

A couple minutes passed and then he handed over my drink. Then he turned around and headed toward the side of the bar. A hallway twisted out of sight behind it. That must have been where the VIP rooms were located. I coughed, pretending to clear my throat but really wanting to get his attention. It worked. He stopped at the edge of the doorway and looked back.

“Excuse me, sir,” I called out, “I kind of need your help with something.”

He took a few steps back my way. “What ken I help ya wit’, honey?” His voice was deep and raspy.

“Um, it’s um, kind of personal, could you come here?” I used a teeny weenie bit of my persuasion on him to be sure there would be no suspicious delay. It worked perfectly: he walked right up to me. The blond woman never looked up from her magazine.

He leaned down, face to face. “If der’s a way I ken help ya, I’m happy to do it. Just as long as it ain’t illegal or any utter kind of trouble.” I smelled whisky on his breath.

“No trouble,” I whispered, “I just need access to your back room, please.”

“Oh, well dat’s an easy one, honey. What’s yer name and I’ll let my boss know yer here? Oh and I’m Quinn.” A huge grin flashed across his face. All of his teeth were perfectly shaped and bright white. Not really what I’d expected.

“I’m Anna. I really appreciate your help, Quinn.” I smiled back.

“I’ll be back in a jiffy, Anna. Just wait right here.” He turned around and headed behind the bar.

I sensed Tyler behind me. Within seconds he was sitting down on my right, leaving a barstool in between us. He pretended to barely notice me, or the human girl beside me. He wore faded jeans and a long-sleeved, gray button-up shirt. His leg impatiently rocked back and forth.

There was movement and voices behind the bar. Then Quinn popped out, smiling, as he headed toward me. “I’ll be right wit ya, sir.” He politely motioned to Tyler and then looked at me. “Anna, my boss Stone said to meet him in duh back for dat meetin of ya’lls. I can take ya der now.”

“All right, great. Thanks.” I got up and followed him behind the bar without looking back. I could sense the anxiety spilling out of Tyler, and I hoped that he didn’t look suspicious to that human girl.

I was led through a small hallway illuminated by canned lights in the ceiling, and we quickly approached an oversized wooden door. Quinn knocked three times and then turned the handle. The door creaked as it opened. He walked inside. I stayed close behind him. The room was long and narrow, with black painted walls and old wooden floors. There were two black sofas in the front, sitting adjacent from each other. In the back of the room was a wide, rectangular-shaped table with six chairs. There was a built-in cabinet with a sink just beyond that. The room reminded me of a studio apartment, but without the bed.

Stone sat on the right-hand sofa with his feet propped up on a small table in front of him. He was very good looking. So attractive, in fact, that you felt embarrassed for even looking at him. He was maybe five foot eleven, slender, brunette, with eyes like azure skies. He wore black boots, black jeans, and a tight long-sleeved, red cotton shirt, showing off his well-shaped body. His light brown hair hung just below his ears. It was trimmed short in the back, against his neck. He patted the cushion beside him. I walked over, very slowly, and then sat down. The door creaked. I looked back and Quinn was gone. I was alone with the vampire boss. Oh goody for me.

He groped me up and down with his eyes. “It’s nice to meet you, Anna. I’m Stone Rayver.”

“Hi, it’s very nice to meet you.” I reached out my hand.

He firmly grabbed it.

“Quinn will be back shortly with another round of whatever you were drinking. I hope you don’t mind having a drink with me before dinner.” He pulled my hand close to his mouth and then kissed the back of my palm.

“A drink sounds good.” I eyed him nervously.

He smiled, showing off his fangs. “I can sense you are anxious. And very young.”

I nodded, tugged my hand away. “I was transformed a month ago.” Butterflies started dancing in my stomach, and it wasn’t just from hunger.

“One month, huh?” He gently stroked my cheek. “You are a very beautiful woman. Where is the one who made you?”

“We, uh, decided to go our separate ways.” Part truth, part lie. I just hoped Stone couldn’t sense the lie part.

“How on Earth could your maker abandon such beauty? I cannot imagine what drove him or her to that decision.” He leaned in close to me and sniffed my neck. “Your human essence still lingers within you.” He reached down and grabbed my hand again. “May I?”

I didn’t know what he wanted. Hoping that my young age would buy my naivety, I said, “I’m sorry but I don’t understand.”

“May I taste you? I’ve never tasted one that still carries the essence of human life.” He brought my hand up to his mouth and licked it. “Mmm, you’re delicious,” he sighed.

The door creaked, interrupting my need to answer Stone’s question. Quinn came in, drinks in hand, and made his way over to us. Setting them on the small table, he asked, “Ken I do anyting else for ya sir?”

“Please send the donor back here in about ten minutes. That will be all for now.” Stone looked away from Quinn and back at me. “Sorry for the interruption. Now where were we?”

I watched Quinn leave the room, wishing that he’d stayed instead. I wasn’t sure what Stone wanted, but I was afraid that if I said no he wouldn’t allow me to have the blood that I came for. I was getting hungrier by the minute.

“Quinn is human,” I nervously stated.

“Yes he is.”

“But he’s not a donor.”

“No he isn’t. Is that a problem?”

“Isn’t that forbidden? What about the Enforcers? Doesn’t Quinn have to be a donor to know about us?” My hair fell to the side as I leaned forward, setting my drink on the table.

Stone took a few sips of his golden beverage, then replied, “I guess in a way that’s true. The Head Council is strict about our secrecy.” He tilted his head to the side. “However, Quinn and I have an arrangement. There is nothing to worry about with him. Our secret is safe.”

“Head Council? Who is that?” I fidgeted with my hair, then leaned forward again and retrieved my drink.

Stone flashed me a suspicious smile. “Aren’t you the one telling me about the vampire code and conduct? You don’t know who our own Head Council is?”

Nope. I’d never heard about the Head Council. Bronx forgot to mention that part when he was educating me on vampire politics. I shook my head, embarrassed, then replied in a soft voice, “Sorry, I must have been misinformed.”

Stone reached over and pulled my hand out of my hair. Giving it a tight squeeze he said, “The members of the Head Council are the oldest, strongest vampires that are
unalive
today.” He chuckled. “They employ the service of all gifted vampires, calling them Enforcers. They ensure that we all keep a low profile and, of course, that all donor clubs pay the appropriate business fees to the Head Council, much like paying taxes. These payments also ensure Enforcer security at the donor clubs. Just think about it, who else could keep a vampire on their best behavior?”