The Moon Rises (18 page)

“Another girl disappeared?”

“Yes. And another new waitress showed up from out
of town. Silas checked into Violet’s history and turns out he couldn’t really
track her background clearly either. Like he checked her references and people
said she worked there or lived there, but it was always vague. This waitress
fessed up though that she used a different name because she’s hiding from an
Alpha from the West Coast.

“Said the asshole killed her sister and covered it
up. Even said the bastard hurt his kid. Violet is living in Gigi’s apartment building
with the kid. You know Silas. He got all uber protective once he checked out
her story. He said some of it was hard to track down, but some of it sounded
real. It’s all weird though. Two missing waitresses, two new girls to town.
Violet has a back story though. Gigi is a mystery. Not only because she has no
real memories, but because she doesn’t smell of magic.”

“She’s human though.”

“She’s worked at The Moon Rises for a week now. 
She should smell of magic, but I saw her today and she smelled like her.  Not a
hint of magic.  It’s weird, but if she’s been tampered with then I guess it
makes sense.  Everyone’s just nervous though.  Roger left town, girls go
missing, and new girls arrive with weird back stories.”

“Gigi didn’t say anything about someone new living
in her apartment and Gigi tends to attach herself to people.”

“Violet’s probably keeping her head down. I’ve
seen guys go homicidal on their mates. He’ll want his kid back, just to
dominate her the way he dominated his mate. If that sick bastard shows up here
though, I figure we’ll quietly disappear him.”

Finn smiled softly, but he was trying very hard
not to look at John Moore who was the making rounds of the restaurant.

“I’m sorry about Gigi,” Anton said as their food
arrived.

“If it had worked out though, you wouldn’t be able
to sniff her anymore.”

Anton laughed. “Wouldn’t I? Like you could stop me.”

“I’d order Gigi to stop helping at your office and
then she’d stare at me and I’d back down. Those stares of hers are pretty powerful.”

“Tell me about it. She was staring at Chad today and he almost started crying. That saddest part was I don’t think she was even
looking at him, but behind him at a spot on the wall. It was probably the most
interesting spot on the wall in history.”

Finn laughed. “She’s not dumb.”

“I’m sure she’s not. I haven’t spoken to her
except for the one time, so I don’t really know.”

Nodding, Finn was relieved to see John Moore
leaving the restaurant. Anton showed no reaction, but he had to know his father
was gone.

“What happens now?” Anton asked. “With you and
Gigi? Ella said Gigi’s back on the market. Does that mean Declan will make his
move especially after he made himself look like an idiot at the gym?”

“Hell, is there anything Ella didn’t announce to
the world?”

Anton grinned. “She nearly peed herself telling
the part where Gigi thought you tried to eat her. I felt like you did the males
of the Circle a favor though. Now Gigi knows licking doesn’t equal being eaten.
The next guy won’t have to worry about rattling her.”

“And you’re sure you don’t want to be that next
guy?”

Anton eased back into the chair and stretched out
his long legs away from the table.

“If I did want Gigi, it would end badly. You have
to want more for her than that.”

“Anton, you don’t have to end up alone. None of
the Alphas really do. It’s a choice.”

Anton’s eyes darkened. “You think Gigi would be
the first good woman I’ve dated? There have been many of them and I can’t let
them too close. You know that. Your mom and Declan think I can just be with
Ella and get married and the only thing stopping me is the rule about Alphas.
You know that’s not true for me. Even if I wanted to be with someone, I
wouldn’t know how.”

Finn nodded, but he wished Anton wasn’t alone.
Maybe Finn grew up with too easy a life, but he didn’t understand why Anton
wouldn’t at least try to be close to someone. On the other hand, if Anton truly
was incapable of loving someone, Finn hoped he stayed away from Gigi.

Gigi didn’t like Vamps. While Simon hadn’t
noticed this fact during her first shift on the Vamp floor, it was quite
obvious the moment she left the elevator.

Her eyes showed not a hint of emotion and her face
displayed even less, but Simon knew she wasn’t a fan of the fanged ones. She
saw him then and a smile lifted one corner of her mouth. Simon didn’t mind if
she hated every Vamp in the world as long as she swooned for him.

Sara and Dahlia were both on the floor and tried
to direct Gigi to certain tables, but Simon told Dahlia to send the blonde to
him. Sara frowned darkly at Simon who grinned at her in return. He liked Sara,
even if she didn’t like him anymore. Dahlia was another matter, but right then
Simon only had eyes for Gigi.

“I think I’m supposed to work.”

“We’ve covered this, Gigi. Entertaining me is
work.”

Gigi didn’t smile, but her eyes lit up with
amusement. Simon patted the booth and she slid in next to him, her hands on the
tabletop where he could see them.

Simon inhaled her scent and sighed. Just lovely.
Sara always smelled good, but no one smelled like Gigi. If he didn’t know better,
Simon would think Gigi was filled with magic. No human should smell so good
without great effort. Based on her lack of makeup and simple hairstyle, Simon
doubted Gigi put enough effort into her appearance to create such a wonderful
scent on purpose.

“Sara doesn’t want me to be over here with you.”

“She’s just jealous.”

“No, I think she’s worried about me. She’s my
friend.”

“Yes and you want friends.”

“And you want minions.”

Smiling, Simon slid a bit closer. Gigi glanced at
his sudden proximity and her dark eyes searched his face. Then she smiled.

“You wanted to make Sara a Vamp.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“She’s lovely.”

“Yes, she is,” Gigi said without a hint of jealousy.

Her gaze instead found Sara who was across the
dance floor. Based on the look in Gigi’s eyes, she was very fond of Sara which
wasn’t such good news for Simon.

“Sara is teaching me things.”

“What types of things?” Simon asked, feeling a
bit concerned by the idea of his new toy being stolen away by a vengeful
ex-lover.

“How to drive. She also taught me what to wear
and say and how to shop. She’s my big sis.”

“Have you discussed me?”

Gigi said nothing, her dark eyes pools of
emptiness. Simon knew this was her way of not saying anything at all, if she
had nothing good to say.

“Sara is complicated and I suspect she views me
the same way. I am not complicated though. I wanted her. She said no. I let her
go. No harm. No foul.”

“I like your eyes,” Gigi said, as if they weren’t
just discussing something else. “Why do they change?”

“The shade of green depends on my mood. It’s one
way to know if a Vamp is enthralling you.”

“They’re pretty. I wish my eye color was
something pretty. Sara has pretty eyes too.”

“Yes, she does, but I like your eyes better. With
Sara, I look in her eyes and know exactly what she’s thinking. I never know
what you’re thinking.”

“I’ll save you time and just tell you I’m not
thinking anything.”

Laughing, Simon grazed her smiling face with his
fingers. He wished to take her somewhere private, but doubted she would say yes
with Sara nearby.

“Have you spoken with the witches yet?”

“No.  I’m scared to know the truth. I like my
pretty lies.”

“I don’t blame you. The witches might find
something which makes you too irresistible. I don’t want my sweet Gigi to be harvested.”

“I don’t have magic though.”

“No, you don’t, but witches are devious. It’s why
I like them. It’s also why I hate them.”

“I thought you said you weren’t complicated?”

Smiling again, Simon ran his fingers through her
thick blonde hair. He could feel Sara’s eyes on them, but he avoided looking
her direction because Gigi might follow suit. Gigi studied his face with her
rich brown eyes. He could swim in those eyes for an eternity and never learn
all her secrets.

“I heard you did well on the ghoul floor. What
foolishness made you do that?”

“It was a mistake. I wanted to do badly, but the
little kids wanted me to like them. I couldn’t disappoint them. What if they
cried?”

“Horrid little monsters probably cry blood or
some nasty liquid. Good thinking to keep them from bawling all over you.”

Gigi frowned at him, disliking how he made fun of
the ghoul children. Simon adored how she saw something worth caring for in the
little monstrosities. This quality would make her easy prey though. Simon’s
mind returned to Were suitors.

“Dating yet, Gigi?” he asked, sipping his Vodka.

“I went on a date,” she said, her face now dark
with unhappiness. “It was good until I freaked out.”

“Freaked out about what? Did the doggy try to
sniff you?”

Gigi smiled brightly. “Doggy.”

Simon ran his fingers through her hair again and
this time she sighed from his affection.

“Tell me why you freaked out on your date.”

“You’ll laugh. Everyone laughs.”

“I swear upon the lives of my many useless
minions I will not laugh, no matter how wonderfully funny your answer might
be.”

Gigi didn’t answer, instead leaning into his
affections. Simon’s fingers slid into her hair, grazing her scalp, then her
neck. Simon considered snatching her away for a while and hiding Gigi in a room
meant for trysts. He instead pulled his hand away, so she could focus long enough
to answer.

“He licked me.”

Simon couldn’t help smiling. It was the
deliciously grave tone Gigi used. A male licked her and it was all very serious
business. Poor bastard just wanted a taste and the pretty dumb girl freaked
out. Served the dog right.

“I don’t know that I would want a dog to lick me
either,” Simon said with a grin.

“It felt good though. That’s the weird part. I
got scared because I thought he would eat me. When he licked me though, it felt
good. I really like being touched.”

Simon wanted Gigi before, but at that moment, he
decided he would have her. Any female so unassuming as to announce to a vampire
how she liked being touched was too good for the slobbering of dogs or
tinkering of witches. Gigi was Simon’s - she just didn’t know it yet.

“Well I wouldn’t worry over offending a dog. They
usually have multiple girlfriends all over town. Wives, mistresses, baby mamas.
It’s a mess with them really.”

Gigi frowned which made Simon smile. “Is that
true? He said he didn’t date much.”

Simon laughed. “Charming. Did he feign virginity
too?”

Gigi’s frown dissolved, leaving a slight pout.
Her eyes seemed confused and maybe a bit dejected. Did she think he was mocking
her?

“You must understand,” Simon said quietly. “Weres
are misogynistic and it’s in their DNA to misuse females. You can’t take it personally.”

“I forget how people lie.”

Gigi’s eyes flashed to Sara and Simon wondered
what the girls talked about when discussing him.

“I never lied to Sara,” Simon said as his hand
relaxed over Gigi’s. “I know she would like to think I did because she was very
tempted. It bothers her to have been tempted, but I never lied and I never
forced her in any way. Never enthralled her and always let her choose. She
chose to reject me and I hold no grudge.”

Gigi stared at his hand then glanced up at his
face. “Is it possible for two people to tell different stories and for them
both to be telling the truth?”

“Of course. Truth is subjective. People lie to
themselves more than they ever lie to others.”

“Do you lie to yourself?”

“No.”

“But…”

“I’m not people,” Simon answered with a smile.
“How often do you lie?”

“I rarely do, but I plan to lie more when I need
to.”

Grinning, Simon squeezed her hand. “Your honesty
makes me feel like a boy.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know, but one day I hope you will.”

Gigi watched him with those dark mysterious eyes
and Simon loved the warm feeling they gave him. People bored him and often life
bored him, but Gigi never would. He sensed they could spend a thousand years
together and she would still say and do things which surprised him. He missed being
surprised or curious.

No matter all the drooling from the Weres, Gigi
wasn’t for them. She belonged to Simon now and he planned to keep her for a
very long time.