Jared (28 page)

“That’s a loaded question.” Nicole walked into the room heading straight toward Damon. “Hey Sloan.”

“I guess you’ve been listening in.” Sloan grinned.

“Ah yeah.” Nicole snorted. “Have to make sure my girl was being treated right.”

“We are not barbarians Ms. Callahan.” Sloan sighed shaking his head.

“Most times.”
Nicole
shot them all a wicked grin. “Anyway I
’m
here to get Tessa so she can help me shop for some wedding stuff. Pam is going to meet us.”

Tessa and Nicole frowned when all the men started shaking their heads with huge frowns and ta
l
king at once. “We have training so you are going to have to wait.” Damon said above the other voices.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whooooa!” Nicole threw her hand up in the air her voice growing louder with each word. When they all stopped talking she put her hands on her hips. “First of all I didn’t ask your permission. Second of all I don’t want anyone going but my bridesmaids….”

“I thought Pam was your only bridesmaid?” Damon frowned.

“Noooo.” Nicole said slowly as if he was an idiot. “I told you last night, but obviously you were not listening, that Tessa was also going to be my bridesmaid
because you have fifty groomsmen and I don’t want to look like a loser so I was going to ask Tessa to stand up with me.
”

“Seriously?” Tessa grinned clapping her hands together.

“I don’t have fifty groomsmen.” Damon grumbled with frown.

Nicole nodded at her grinning back. “
Guess I should ask you.”

“Yes!” Tessa laughed. “I would love to be a bridesmaid.”

“Sweet.” Nicole leaned up and gave Damon a peck on the cheek. “See ya soon babe.”

“I don’t like this.” Jared frowned. “Adam
,
go with them.”

“What? Ah, come on.” Adam actually whined. “I don’t want to go shopping with them.”

“Good call cause we don’t want you coming. Love ya kid, but you’ll cramp our style.” Nicole patted Adam on the cheek. “We’ll be fine. I got vamp moves now.”
Nicole bobbed her eyebrows up and down.

Jared rolled his eyes before glaring at Damon. Damon just shrugged his shoulders with a grin. Tessa went to walk past him, but he grabbed her pulling her close
kissing
her so hard he bent her over backwards.

“Oh God my eyes!” Adam gagged scrambling to the door. “Dude that’s my sister…ugh.”

“
We get the point man.
” Sid grumbled with a good natured grin as he followed Adam out the door.
“She’s yours. Get a room man.”
Everyone else got busy with anything other than watching Jared attack Tessa.

Jared slowly pulled
her
to a
n
upright position with their lips still
sealed
.
Finally letting her go he tipped her reddened face to his. “Stay safe and keep your phone on and with you at all times.”

Tessa nodded looking into his eyes suddenly not sure she wanted to go with Nicole, but go back to Jared’s room instead.

Grabbing Tessa by the arm Nicole pulled her away and out the door. “Girl we need to have a serious conversation.” Nicole groaned at the glazed look in Tessa’s eyes. “Damn warriors.”

Adam drove the twenty miles to meet Angelina. He was feeling pretty nervous
,
which was a new emotion for him when it came to girls. Tonight she had wanted to double date with her friend
Debbie
and her boyfriend.

Pulling up to the restaurant
,
he spotted his Angel right away. His eyes
moved
from her
to her friends.

“Okay time to man up.” He flicked off the lights
and cut the engine
. “You’ve
done the double dating
before minus
the fangs and crazy vampire shit.
You got this.
”
After his pep talk to himself he ma
de
his way toward them and all his nervousness vanish
ed
at the smile his Angel greeted him with.

“Hey.” She smiled shyly
,
taking his hand in hers.

“Hey.”
He replied
,
staring down at her
not caring he was ignoring her friends at the moment. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, take her somewhere they could be alone.

“
You remember
Debbie
and her boyfriend Dale
from school
?
” Angelina
broke the uncomfortable silence.

“Ah yeah.” Adam smiled tight lipped in
an
effort to hide his fangs. He
honestly
didn’t remember them.

“Hi.”
Debbie
gave a half smile sizing him up.
The look in her eyes clearly stated she found him lacking
.

“I watched you play football.
” Dale stared into his one golden eye as if hypnotized.
“
Didn’
t you get a full ride to Penn State?”

“Yeah, but things didn’t turn out.” Adam said politely
,
wanting to edge the subject in a different direction.

“Man,
sorry about that.” Dale replied with a frown. “You were damn good.”

“Thanks.” Adam nodded
,
glancing to the door of the restaurant. “Never eaten here before. They got good food?”

“You eat food?”

“
Debbie
!” Angelina frowned at her friend.

Debbie
held her hands up. “Sorry, but I’ve never met a vampire before.”

“It’s okay.” Adam forced himself to smile down at Angelina. “Haven’t met a steak I didn’t like.”

Dale laughed
,
patting him on the back as they headed into the restaurant. “
That makes two of us
buddy.” Dale opened the door for them all. “So let’s get in there and do some damage. I’m starved.”

The whole dinner was uncomfortable with Angelina trying to keep up conversation that included Adam, but it always came back to him being a vampire.

“Man
,
I gotta ask.” Dale pushed his plate away. “What’s it like. I mean to have all that power has to be awesome.”

“Honestly I would rather be playing football at Penn State.” Adam replied. “This isn’t something I wanted. I was ready to go to college.”

“Why is one
of your
eye
s
yellow
?”
Debbie
grimaced as if it disgusted her.

Angelina reached under the table grabbing his hand. She looked at him with an apology in her eyes. “I’m a
half-breed
.” When he saw the confused look on their faces he sighed. “Half vampire, half human.”

“What does that mean?”
Debbie
frowned, her tone bitchy. “I mean do you have to have blood or…”

“It doesn’t mean anything.” Angelina broke in shooting
Debbie
a nasty look. “Adam’s been working with the Vampire Warriors.
He was at the fairgrounds…”

“Oh shit!” Dale laughed cutting in. “You’re the one who threw Hank Ross off the
F
erris
W
heel.”

Adam smile
d
sticking his hand out for the high five Dale was wanting to give him.

“Man I would of loved to have seen that.” Dale leaned back a huge grin on his face.
“
Hank
is such an asshole.”

“It was definitely a bright spot in my night.” Adam grinned then winked down at Angelina who rolled her eyes, but grinned right back.

“So you
’re
going to be a
W
arrior?” Dale took a sip of his drink.

Adam shrugged his shoulder. “That’s the plan.”

“That’s freaking amazing.” Dale looked awestruck turning his attention to
Debbie
. “
Isn’t that amazing babe?”

“Yeah…amazing.”
Debbie
replied cocking an eyebrow
,
still staring at Adam.

“We better get going. We’re going to be late for the movie.” Angelina grabbed the bill, but Adam snatched it from her.

“I got this.” Adam grinned wanting to kiss the frown off her face.

“I got the movie then.” Her tone was final
.

Adam leaned close. “Don’t think so.” He finally kissed her softly. “This is a date. You’re my
date…beautiful
.”

Angelina blushed and stood. “I’ll be back. You guys go ahead and I’ll meet you at the door.” She looked at
Debbie
. “You want to come.”

“No, I’m good.”
Debbie
smiled
,
grabbing her bag. She waited for Angelina to leave before turning her attention on Adam. “
So what’s your game Adam?”

Adam had stood to get his wallet out of his pocket and froze. “
There is no game.”
His tone was hard.
He knew what she was talking about because he could read her without even getting into her mind.

Slipping her purse on her shoulder she put her hand on her cocked hip. “Come on.”
She snorted. “Is she the only one who will give you the time of
day since you became….whatever
the hell you are?”

“That’s a little harsh
Debbie
.” Dale frowned
,
glancing around uncomfortable.

“Harsh
?
I’ll tell you what’s harsh. Watching your best friend cry every day after school for years, going to every dance in hopes to get a simple glance from some guy who doesn’t even know she’s alive
or how about
watch
ing
her cheer the loudest at his every football game
only to have him walk past her without a glance.” Debbie shot both Dale and Adam a nasty glare. “No Dale
,
that wasn’t harsh. Harsh is going to be watching her get her heart broken again.”

Adam felt like someone sucker punched him in the stomach. Never would he have thought his Angel had suffered so much because of him. To think he had caused her that kind of pain almost brought him to his knees. He kept his eyes straight ahead as Debbie and Dale walked past him to pay their bill, Dale giving him a manly
comfort
pat on the back.

“We ready?” Angelina returned
,
her smile making her eyes sparkle.

Looking down at her he wondered if Debbie was right. He couldn’t live with the thought that he had hurt her in the past. To think he would do it in the future would kill him. He loved her, but did he love her enough to walk away
?

********

Pam grabbed her stuff of
f
the kitchen table as quietly as she could. She was late already and wanted to get out before Kenny woke up.

“Where are you going?” His deep voice stopped her cold.

“I have to go get fitted for my dress.” Pam’s voice held strong. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Make sure you are.” He came up behind her, his hands cupping her hips pulling her back against him. “We have some things to take care of.” He grinded his hardness into her ass.

Nausea gripped her stomach fighting its way to the back of her throat. “I have to go into the office.”

“It’s Sunday.” He growled into her ear. “Stop putting this off Pam. I’ve warned you what
would
happen to your friends if you fight me.”

Pam pretty much hated herself for the weakness his words caused her. She hated what she had done, what she had to do. “I’m not fighting you Kenny.” She tried to keep the hatred out of her voice. “I have to take care of
a few things and then I’
ll be…back.” She couldn’t call this place home, not anymore
. It was her hell.

He continued to grind into her. “You have such a sweet ass.” He nuzzled her neck, his hand slowly moved from her hip across her flat stomach making its way to her breast.

“I’m going to be late Kenny.” She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain when he squeezed her breast with a cruel twist.

“You are on my time bitch.” He pinched her nipple hard. “If I say you don’t go…you don’
t go.”

Pam actually threw up in her mouth from the pain, the nightmare of what he had done to her the last time made her force it back down. “If I don’t go Nicole will get suspicious.”