Immortal Revenge (3 page)

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jules asked as Katie wiped the perspiration from above her brow with the back of her hand.

“No,” Katie replied flatly, then downed her third shot. She swallowed the liquor as if it were water. Again, she placed her empty glass in front of her friend and held it.

Jules didn’t say a word this time. She tilted the bottle.

“That’s enough,” Andy said, stopping Jules before a drop of liquor reached the glass.

They both turned as Andy strode behind the counter, heading their way. He wore a thin, black sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his mid arm. His short, bleached-blond hair stood out more with dark colors and gave him a suave look. He took the bottle from Julie’s hand. “I think she’s had enough.”

When the bar owner said enough, he meant it. Only stupid drunks would argue for more. Katie wasn’t stupid. A bit tipsy and enjoying it, but not dumb.

“It was just a few,” Jules said, and placed her hand on her hip. “She needs it.”

“Nobody
needs
it.” He twisted the cap on the top.

Katie grinned. If he knew her situation, maybe he’d hand over the whole bottle to her.

“Why don’t you go help Amy in the back?” he said.

“Someone needs to watch the front.”

“I’ll handle it.” He picked up a towel and handed it to her. “The tables need wiped down too.”

Jules snatched the towel from his hand and then faced Katie. “Do you think he’s trying to get rid of me, or what?”

“I’m not paying you to stand around and chit-chat, Julie.” All friendliness had left his tone. “I want to close on time.”

“All right. All right.” Jules passed him and a few steps later, she quietly spun. Facing his back, she flipped him off.

The priceless look of Jules’s lifted middle finger and wrinkled nose prompted a grin from Katie. Andy must have seen her expression. He twisted to look behind him. Jules jerked back around and continued on her way. He missed her rebellious behavior by mere seconds.

Katie shook her head gently. The three drinks had calmed her nerves and eased the worries from her mind. No more anger. No more pain. No more gloom and doom. She could use another for a longer effect.

“What are you doing here?” Andy asked, stretching his arms out along the bar. The man wasn’t a body builder, but he did have a nice torso and solid muscles.

“Visiting and drinking. I can pay.”

“You don’t drink.”

“I was thirsty.”

“I’ll get you a cola.”

“Never mind.” She twisted on the stool to give him the cold shoulder. Her momentary peace shifted into annoyance. What the fuck was wrong with her boss? He normally was a fun guy to talk to and had an uncanny sense of humor. Now, he seemed down right rude and a pain in the ass. She didn’t need any more problems to deal with.

Katie surveyed the dimly lit bar and took a deep breath. The Devil had an unusual feel. Tension. Darkness. Hatred. She rubbed her temple as she tried to figure out the reason for such odd sensations. She wasn’t psychic by any means, but after consuming enough vampire blood over the years, she’d noticed little changes, most to her senses. She had heightened eyesight, hearing and sense of smell, but they weren’t as keen as a vampire’s was.

Hearing the soft taps of movement from her side, she turned. Andy came to a stop too close for her comfort. Fortunately, the liquor made her not care.

He crossed his arms. “You should go home.”

She looked away from him. “I would if I had one.”

“So it’s true. Your boyfriend’s house burnt down.”

Boyfriend. She should’ve married Kyle when he’d asked. Instead she’d told him she wanted to wait until she was at least thirty. In three years, she would’ve been Mrs. Kyle Brown. The last name sounded cheesy. She’d asked him once why he selected Brown as a fake surname. Kyle had told her it was better than common names such as Smith, Jones, or Williams, ones many vampires used.

“How did you–”

“I have a police scanner in the back.”

“Ah.”

“Katie…” He lowered his arms and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I heard some other things. I’m not going to ask if they’re true or not, but drinking is not going to make you feel any better.”

Katie slid his hand off her. “Thanks, boss, for your concern.”

While his show of affection was kind, the simple touch made her want to punch him. What did he know? He’d never lost a lover, never had his world yanked out from underneath him, never spent nine years with someone only to see them headless and burning on a cross. Damn it, he didn’t know shit. If a few shots took her mind off the pain of loosing the one person dearest to her heart, then let her have some fucking drinks.

“I was an alcoholic for many years. I learned the hard way that booze only makes matters worse.”

She stared at him, unsure what to say. They’d spent years working together and he never mentioned he was an alcoholic. Why did he choose now to tell her? Did he think his confession would make her feel better, or make her think about the consequences of drinking? She appreciated his sympathy, but she already knew turning to the bottle to solve problems wouldn’t help her. She needed to be clear and focused to face her enemy. But for one night, just one, she needed something to help her swim through her misery before she drowned.

“Are you bothering the customers?” Jules said as she strolled up to them.

“Andy?” Amy called out as she stepped from the game room carrying a tray loaded with beer bottles. He twisted, then dashed to help her.

“So, what’s going on?” Jules asked softly.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. I saw the look in your
red
eyes when you took those shots. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered to you. I want to know what’s wrong.”

Jules was dead on with her assessment of Katie. The only thing Katie cared about at the moment was destroying the vampire who ended Kyle’s existence.

“I had a rough night.”

Jules chuckled and threw her arm around Katie’s shoulder. She pulled Katie into a sisterly embrace. “Honey, I’ve never seen you like this. If you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I’ll find a way to get it out of you. As you know, I can be very determined when I want to be.”

Katie couldn’t stop the grin from spreading on her face. The extent of her best friend’s resolve nearly matched that of Katie’s. Perhaps it was one reason why they got along so well. Months into their friendship, Jules had suspected something different with Katie. She’d followed Katie around town like a bloodhound for several days. One time, she snuck into Kyle’s barn and found an assortment of knives, blades, swords and guns. She’d even located spots of blood on the ground. With her curiosity piqued, she threatened to notify the police if Katie didn’t provide answers. Katie sat down with her and told the truth. Jules had actually taken the news about vampires well and vowed to keep Kyle’s existence a secret. Thank God, else he would’ve erased a sizeable portion of her memory. Jules was a good person–caring, generous, open-minded and always willing to listen. Katie gained a dear friend after she’d shared the truth and learned two valuable lessons about Jules. One, she’d never leave doors unlocked again. Two, Jules had the determination of a ram.

“I–”

“Julie,” Andy said, interrupting Katie. They both turned to face him as he approached. “Why don’t you take the rest of the night off?”

Amy came to stand next to him. She tossed her long dark hair over the back of her shoulder. “Hi, Katie. You missed the crowd tonight.”

“Yeah, you should’ve seen it,” Jules said excitedly. “This hunky guy bought two rounds of drinks for everyone and paid cash. Gave us a healthy tip too.”

“He was hot,” Amy added with a playful grin.

Jules chuckled. “Yeah, but did you see his friend? I think they might be gay.”

“All right you two.” Andy snatched the towel from Julie’s hand. “I don’t need both of you to close. Amy said she’d stay, so why don’t you head on home.”

Jules shifted her gaze to Katie.

“I’ll give you a ride,” Katie said with a grin.

Although Jules owned a car, her boyfriend, Joe, often dropped her off at the bar and took her sedan to his second job since his hours ended later. Joe was a butcher at night and a construction man during the day when the weather was nice. Needless to say, Jules never had to worry about home repairs or having enough meat in the house.

“I’ll drive. Just let me get my purse.” Jules dashed away a second later.

“I think you should stay with Julie for the night,” Andy said. “Maybe talk to her.”

“You planned this, didn’t you?”

Katie glared at him suspiciously. The sneaky bastard. He might have been an alcoholic, but the booze hadn’t killed many of his brain cells.

“If you want to come in and work tomorrow, give me a call.”

“Maybe those two guys will come back in again and you can see them.” Amy took the towel from Andy and wiped her hands on it. “I really don’t think they’re gay. Some Asian looking woman was with them.”

Andy crossed his arms. “I don’t care if they’re transvestites. As long as they’re paying customers, that’s all I care about.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Julie said loudly as she walked toward them with her purse hanging from her shoulder.

Katie snatched her bag from the bar. She twisted around and Andy stepped in front of her.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Sure. Thanks.” Katie stepped around him and headed for the exit with Jules.

Outside and several feet from the door, Jules asked, “What was that about?”

“He’s concerned.”

“Why is he concerned about you?” After they turned the corner, Jules grabbed Katie’s arm and stopped her. “Please tell me you’re not quitting.”

The look in Jules’s eye reminded her of a sad puppy. They’d been friends for years. They’d come to know each other’s deepest, darkest secrets and shared some great times too. If Katie ever moved, she’d sorely miss her best friend.

“No, I didn’t quit. Come on…” Katie jerked her head toward her car. “I’ll tell you about it at your place.”

Once Jules slid her hand away, they proceeded to Katie’s vehicle. Katie stopped at her door and dug her keys from her purse. Jules snatched them before Katie had a chance to unlock the doors.

“I’m driving. Remember?”

“Whatever.” Three shots made Katie woozy, but double vision had yet to be a problem. Still, if her friend insisted on driving, Katie wouldn’t complain. She walked around the back of the car, then slid into the passenger seat.

“Should we stop at the liquor store and pick up some vodka?” Jules asked as she backed out of the parking spot.

“Sure. I’ll pay for it.”

A slight grin spread across her face. Andy wanted her to stay sober, but he’d actually given her the perfect opportunity to get totally wasted. Leaving with Julie was his best plan yet. Maybe those days of his addiction to the bottle had killed a few brain cells after all.

Julie glanced over her shoulder at Katie while she navigated the car down the empty street. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Katie fished her wallet from her purse and withdrew a twenty-dollar bill. “Yes, but can you run in the liquor store and buy us something first?” She handed her the cash.

Jules snatched the money from her hand. “You’re going to make me wait that long?”

Katie laughed. “It’s five minutes in and out of the store, then seven to your place.”

“Why can’t you just tell me now? It can’t be that bad. Can it?”

This was Jules’s typical routine. Question, question, question until the person she was interrogating couldn’t handle it anymore. Katie often wondered why she was a bartender instead of a detective. She had the perfect skills for police work.

“Just get me something to drink and I’ll tell you everything at your house.”

“Is this worse than the time Kyle bit you on–”

“Just drive.”

Katie had told her numerous times that his little love bites gave her pleasure unlike any she’d ever known. Did Julie believe her? No. Jules didn’t think Kyle was evil, but any creature big or small with sharp teeth couldn’t deliver a pleasant bite, so she’d said.