Crimson Rush A Vampire Romance (Crimson Book 1) (15 page)

It was time to defend myself. Maybe he was right - maybe he wasn’t. I hadn’t really gone that deep into myself yet, and didn’t really feel like doing so at the moment. What I did know for sure was that Max Parker also had a bit of explaining to do.

Folding my arms in front of me, I fixed him with one of my no nonsense glares. “What about you, Max? What are you doing? Going by what all the vamps have told me … you can’t be human.”

Giving me a lopsided grin, he did a jump and flop on my couch, though I’d told him time and again not to do that. One day he would end up breaking the couch, and I sure couldn’t afford a new one.

“It is a family secret,” he told me with a shrug of his shoulders.

“But I thought we promised a long time ago not to keep secrets from each other? We are supposed to be best friends … remember?” I added with a sour scowl.

“I know, but how would you have treated me if you’d known the truth? Do you even think we would be best friends now?”

“I’m mad Max Parker! Do you really think something like that would make a difference to me? Best friends are best friends … no matter what!”

The frown on Max’s face pulled at my heartstrings, though it didn’t wipe away my irritation entirely.

“That’s easy for you to say. The most you ever dealt with was seeing a ghost or two. Try being a little kid, and waking up in the middle of the night to find yourself in the body of some critter. It’s harder to control when you’re sleeping.”

“So you’re a shifter?”

Max nodded. “That’s why I’ve never even stayed the night with a girl. Didn’t want to deal with her freaking out when she woke up next to a raccoon or something.”

In light of this new knowledge, Max’s behavior when we were growing up made a lot more sense. Even when we were young enough that my parents would have allowed him to do a sleepover with Daya and I, he never would.

Sighing, I asked, “If you knew all of this … why did you do the Rush?”

“Damn girl! Do you think I just sucked up someone’s blood on my own? When I left the club that night, three guys wearing reaper costumes cornered me in the parking lot. They forced me to take it.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t make any sense. The same thing happened to me, but they didn’t make me take Rush.”

Max turned around on the couch so he was sitting upright. “Could be because it’s common knowledge the Lavelles and DeBlancs are witches. They didn’t need to see if you were.”

“I guess it’s common knowledge to everyone but me,” I remarked, throwing a sour look his way.

He gave me a sheepish grin meant to soften my heart. It worked.

“Your family didn’t want you to know. Mom made me promise a long time ago, not to talk about witches with you.”

“Whatever!”

“Sorry,” he said, again shrugging his shoulders. “They threatened to keep us from being friends, if I ever talked any hocus pocus with you.”

Sighing, I sat on the couch next to him. “I forgive you … but only because right now I think it’s totally awesome to have you back.”

“Thanks,” he said, putting an arm around my shoulders.

“That must be how they are testing to see whose blood will work and whose won’t.” I changed the subject so fast that even my own head was spinning. Things were happening at such a rate that it was difficult to keep my train of thought on one thing for long.

“When I was talking with Andrea at the party, she told me about Johnny and Jaycee. I’m sorry you had to see something like that,” he said.

“Me too,” I told him, my eyes misting with tears.

It was Max’s turn to change the subject. “Well hell! Things are looking up. Tomorrow night is Moon Fest. We can party!”

He was right. Moon Fest was a blast, and we’d been waiting months for September to get here.

It would be fun, especially now that Max would be with us. I knew I should be ecstatic that things were looking up, but something told me this year’s Moon Fest wouldn’t be anything like it usually was, at least not for me.

And then there was Marcus’s strange behavior at my party.

* * *

Club Crimson was closed for the night, but there were still some stragglers hanging around the parking lot. I knew that if there were intoxicated people, there were probably vampires close by, ready to swoop down and take advantage of those who were not quite alert enough to resist.

Inside the club, there wasn’t a soul in sight, though the lights were still on. I could hear music coming from behind Marcus’s door. 

This time when I knocked, the music stopped suddenly.

“Come in Star,” he called from behind the door.

When I stepped through the door, I instantly felt a sadness so profound, it was almost tangible.

Aside from the flickering candlelight, the room was completely dark. When I caught sight of Marcus, I felt the air rush from my lungs.

The soft glow of candles cast shadows on his handsome face, while it lit up his waves of golden hair. Just looking at him was enough to take my breath away. He was a walking contrast - a being that radiated a beauty as pure as any heavenly creature, but at the same time, he was the essence of darkness.

When he heard me enter, he looked up. As I gazed into his luminous blue eyes, I became absolutely certain of one thing.

He was haunted.

There were ghosts in his eyes - specters that had remained his constant companions for almost a thousand years. The phantoms of his past continued to torment him relentlessly, but just as unsettling as the pain, was the anguish I felt because of that pain.

“Too restless to sleep after all the festivities tonight?” he asked, his tone unusually soft.

“What did you mean by a
parting gift?
Where are you going?”

After leaning his guitar against a nearby chair, he looked back at me. “I no longer have any reason to be here.”

“But what about the Club … the Rush?” I asked, surprised by the fear his words inspired in me.

“Someone else can run the club … and your uncle will do just fine with the rest of it. Any other questions?”

My heart hit the floor and I couldn’t even understand why.

“When are you leaving?”

He lifted his shoulders. “Not sure … but soon.”

There had to have been some part of me that had hoped the few intimate moments that I’d shared with him, would have been enough of a reason for him to stick around. It was apparent that wasn’t the case.

They had all been right. No woman could hold Marcus Savoy.

My one consolation was that I hadn’t given myself to him completely. It wasn’t much of a comfort, but it was something.

“Well it’s been good working with you. I wish you the best,” I said, before turning to walk away.

“Star,” he called my name. I noticed a slight quivering in his voice.

I paused, but didn’t turn around. There was no way I wanted him to see the pain in my eyes.

“You need a nice guy Star. You’ll never get that with a vampire,” he told me.

“Thanks … but I already knew that.”

Without another word, I left Club Crimson.

A stranger stared back at me from the mirror. I didn’t look anything like myself.

Daya had picked out my costume. I’d been so busy dealing with other things that I hadn’t had time to get something to wear to Moon Fest. Of course Daya obliged, and found one for me.

There hadn’t been many costumes left, so the selection was slim. At least that’s what she’d told me. I half suspected she was trying to make sure I had something sexy to wear. Just like Dusty, she thought it was time I found me a guy.

I was supposed to be a Pumpkin Patch Witch. The costume was a little silly in my opinion, but I had to admit it had a certain charm to it. It would have been better if it were a tad more modest though.

The dress was orange silk, trimmed with black lace. It looked good, but it was short and had a slit clear up to my hip. My fishnet stockings and high top leather boots went great with the outfit.

After brushing my hair out until it glistened, I put on the final touch - the black witch’s hat.

“See … you look great,” she commented, as she stepped in front of the mirror to look at her own reflection.

I thought Daya was the one who looked great. She was going as Cleopatra, and she was beautiful enough to do the old queen justice.

“I’ll trade you costumes,” I offered.

Daya shook her head. “You’re the one that needs to be sexy tonight. I already have my guy.”

“But he isn’t even going with us,” I put in with a frown.

I didn’t mind that Brian was skipping out on Moon Fest, but it made me mad that he was doing something like that to Daya. She’d been looking forward to them going as a couple for months now. Brian was supposed to go as Antony. Too bad he had to screw it up for her.

Daya shrugged her slim shoulders. “Oh well. We’ll just have to have fun without him. At least now I’ll be able to get into as much trouble as I want … without having him breathing down my neck.”

I was a little shocked by her words, but it’s what I should have expected. Daya had always been a free spirit, and Brian had been doing his best to smother that out of her.

We were interrupted by a knock at my bedroom door. “Y’all decent?” Max asked from behind the door.

“Yeah … you can come in,’ I called back to him.

Max opened the door a few inches and peered in cautiously. Apparently he didn’t fully believe it was okay for him to come in.

“Hey Max.”

Once he saw we were fully dressed, he stepped in the room. He looked morbid, but handsome in his old-fashioned undertaker costume. That was Max though. He had a taste for the macabre.

“There’s some guy downstairs that says he’s your uncle … and he’s with a vampire,” he added, a frown obscuring his boyish features.

“Oh that’s Uncle Charlie. I haven’t had time to give you that piece of gossip yet. I’ll have to tell you about it later,” I said, as I was making my way to the door.

Max shook his head. “I missed all the action, didn’t I?”

“Let’s hope so,” I told Max, as I brushed by.

Charlie was already making himself at home in my recliner, a bottle of beer in his hand. “So what did I miss while I was gone?” he asked, as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

Before I could answer, Luke just couldn’t help but comment on my costume.

“Cute,” he said with a wink.

Blushing, I quickly pulled the slit at the side of the dress together. “Thanks.”

Charlie was still waiting for me to fill him in on what had been going on while he’d been gone, but I was in a spot. Not only was I not supposed to tell him about me being a Moon Witch, but if I told him about the business with Max, I’d have to give away the fact that I’d asked for Jonas and Marcus’s help. Somehow I didn’t think Uncle Charlie would much like that idea.

“I haven’t found out much,” I told him. It was an outright lie. I could have told him about Jonas, but for some reason, I didn’t feel comfortable doing that just yet.

“Max is better,” I added, throwing my friend a look of warning and a silent message to keep quiet. Even if he didn’t know why he was supposed to keep quiet, he would do it. Max was cool that way.

Charlie downed the rest of his beer without stopping to come up for air. “Seems things have gotten quiet here since we showed up. I reckon we’ve made our presence too well known.”

Cocking his head to the side, Luke arched one brow. “Well mate, it’s not like you tried to hide the fact that you were pushing Star on Marcus.”

I gave Charlie a curious look. “What’s he talking about?”

Charlie turned away, making his reluctance to answer all too obvious.

With a disgusted wag of his head, Luke spoke up. “He put you in front of Marcus, hoping you would seduce him. Charlie here … he has it all figured out. He thought that you’d bring out the old vamp’s weaknesses, so he’d be easier to kill.”

The horror I felt must have shown on my face because Max was at my side in an instant. “I don’t know you, but I can already tell you are one sick puppy.” Max made no attempt to disguise his distaste for Charlie.

“The only reason I’m not throwing you out of my house right now … is because you are kin, but I won’t help you anymore. Uncle Basile was right about you,” I told him, my bitterness and disappointment spilling into my voice.

“I’m sorry about this, darling,” Luke tried to apologize.

I turned sharply, now fixing cold eyes on Luke. “You knew about this and kept quiet.”

“No I didn’t. I knew only what you did,” he said, shaking his head.

I wanted to believe him, but logic told me that he was too close to Charlie, not to have known something.

My eyes moved back to Charlie. “I will have no part in helping you kill Marcus, not now … not ever.”

Charlie stood up, ready to set his empty beer bottle on my end table, but apparently thought better of it and kept it in his hand.

“I think when you get to know Mr. Savoy a little better … you might have a change of heart.”

“Well if there is something I should know about him, why not tell me now?” I asked, folding my arms in front of me. I was about sick and tired of Charlie’s half assed explanations.

“Don’t be fooled by his charm. Keep in mind he has spent a thousand years fine tuning that charm. You’ll just become another of his victims, I promise.” Charlie turned away, but not before I saw his eyes flood with sadness.

There was obviously a lot more animosity between Charlie and Marcus, than what I’d realized.

What was really going on here?

Charlie started for the door, but turned back to look at me. “I’ll be around every now and again to check on you, but I can’t protect you if you are hell bent on trusting these bloodsuckers.”

Luke threw Charlie a look of scathing indignation. “I think you should specify which bloodsuckers you are referring to, mate.”

“All of them!” Charlie spat out. “I don’t want you hanging around Star anymore.”

Luke glared at Charlie with furious - stormy green eyes. “That is up to Star … not you.”

“I’ll kill you first!” Charlie forced the words through clenched teeth.

With fury leaping from his glowing eyes, Luke flew at Charlie. They both hit the wall next to the front door, which just happened to be the same wall where my mom’s display case hung. It held all her souvenir spoons. The case crashed to the ground, and the spoons sailed in all directions.

“Stop!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. As my voice thundered through the house, it seemed to take on a life of its own. The walls were vibrating against the continuing echo. It didn’t stop there. The shaking grew worse until most of the pictures on the walls had crashed to the ground. I could hear the dishes in the kitchen flying from the cupboards and shattering.

When the shaking finally died away, everyone in the room was staring at me as if they’d just discovered a new breed of monster.

Maybe I was a monster.

I tried to say something, but couldn’t find any words.

Max and Daya were at my side, guiding me to the couch. “Sit here while I clean this up,” Daya ordered.

“What just happened?” I asked, my voice trembling.

Max shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a witchy thing.”

“I think I should accompany Star to the festival,” Luke said, tossing Uncle Charlie a look that just dared him to interfere.

He needn’t have worried. Charlie was still too stunned by what he’d witness to offer much of an argument.

Charlie wasn’t the only one in no mood for more drama. Seeing how I was still upset with Luke, I wasn’t too anxious for him to take me to Moon Fest, but I didn’t have it in me to fight him on it either.

* * *

The town of Cookson Springs was cast in the shimmering silver light of the Harvest Moon. The moonlight and colorful costumes lent the night an almost mystical quality. The slight chill to the air hailed the coming of autumn. As was usually the case, the cooler air meant fog. Tonight the mist seemed to crawl over the ground as if it were alive.

Like most town events, Moon Fest was held at the one and only park in Cookson. Larose Park was named for one of the town’s founding fathers, Jacob Larose. I now realize Mr. Larose had not just been one of the founders of Cookson Springs, but probably a warlock too.

Larose Park was one of those places that combine the beauty of nature with the quaintness of small town America. The park was as thick with trees as any nature reserve, but beautiful landscaping and trails added just a touch of civilization. In the middle of the park there was a huge gazebo where people were eating and dancing.

Dusty and Basile had taken their place beneath their favorite tree, a huge pine they called John Silver. They’d decided to name the tree for no other reason than they just thought they had to call it something.

That was my family for you.

Uncle Basile liked to attend town events, but since he didn’t much like people, and people didn’t much like him, he kept his distance. Just as I suspected would be the case, Basile wasn’t in costume. Instead, he wore old blue jeans and a flannel shirt. In my opinion, it was still a little warm for flannel, but you’d get nowhere arguing that point with Basile.

On the other hand, Dusty was taking advantage of the revelry. He was dressed as Zorro and loving every minute of being able to hide behind a mask. The mask might actually be a good thing, considering Terry Jean was probably already looking for him.

“Well aren’t you cute,” I said, a smile touching my lips.

“Not as cute as you. You sure came prepared tonight,” he snickered. “Too bad your escort will scare away all your potentials.”

Luke scowled, but said nothing. He also wasn’t dressed in a costume, partly because he hadn’t known until the last minute that he would be attending the Harvest Moon festivities.

“Hey Daya,” Dusty said with a nod of his head. “You’re looking good tonight. Where’s that boyfriend of yours?”

“Went to Tulsa,” she muttered.

“Good! Let’s dance,” he said, taking her hand before she had a chance to protest.

Basile didn’t so much as acknowledge Luke, but he smiled at Max. “Good to see you be up and about boy.”

“Thanks.” Max gave him a smile.

Uncle Basile went back to eating his smoked beef ribs. I figured that’s all we’d get out of Basile for the night, on account of him being an ornery old goat, in addition to being mad at me.

I turned to Max. “You want to dance?”

Max shook his head. “Not really my type of music … besides, I think I want to try some of those ribs.”

Well Max was right about the music. Like me, he’d have preferred something a little less down home country.

“Well that leaves us. Would you do me the honor of your first dance Miss Lavelle?” Luke asked.

Although I was still angry with Luke and didn’t trust him as much, I was also proud of him for backing Charlie down. Not that Charlie actually stood a chance against the vampire, but that newfound uncle of mine sure had his bossy ways.

Linking my arm with Luke’s, I let him lead me to the gazebo.

If there were ever a night for romance in Cookson Springs, it was Moon Fest. The gazebo was dimly lit with thousands of white twinkling lights, and the air was infused with the sweet scent of roses.

Slipping his arm around my waist, Luke was soon gliding me across the dance floor. He was an expert dancer, much better than myself.

Tilting my head so that I could see his face, I asked, “Where did you learn to dance so well?”

“In the Victorian era … from a young girl by the name of Madeline. She sure was a beauty,” he added, a wistful mist entering his eyes.

My brows rose. “Was you in love with her Luke?”

His lips spread into a soft smile, and he shook his head. “Can a vampire ever truly love?”

“Well you could have turned her … if a human wasn’t to your liking,” I offered.

Luke shook his head. “Never! Madeline was in love with the sun. She would have wilted into something I’d never recognize … if she were forever denied the light of day.”