The Original Sin (Skye Morrison Vampire Series, #3) (16 page)

“Hagan?” What am I missing here?”

Hagan shook his head as he pulled into The Mausoleum’s employee parking lot.  “Nothing you should concern yourself with, Morrison.  Let it go.”

I frowned as I looked between the two of them.  I was willing to bet that they had found something else in my house and were not planning to tell me what it was.

“This is bullshit,” I growled unhappily as I got out of the car and started to walk inside.

Archer flashed next to me and grabbed my hand as he walked with me.  “Don’t be angry with me, Skye.  I need to work some things out, but I’ll tell you everything as soon as I can.  Stop worrying so much.  I promise you, everything is okay.”

“Said the man who thought I was a Trojan Horse,” I sighed as I leaned into him, resting my head against his arm.  “You swear I’m okay?”

“Yes, baby,” he said as he opened the door for me and quickly kissed the back of my head as I walked inside. 

A few of the dancers were mingling in the hallway and saw Archer’s brief kiss.  Their eyes followed us as we swiftly went our separate ways and I turned into the employee lounge to put my bag in my locker. 

“So, are you dating the big boss now?” Peyton teased as he walked in behind me.

I turned around and smirked playfully at him.  “Archer and I are just good friends, Pey.  There’s nothing naughty going on, so cool your jets.  We don’t want to start the rumor mill, now do we?”

“Hey,” he laughed, putting his hands up defensively, “what you do on your own time is your business, boss lady.  Though, I don’t think it’s a half bad idea, if I do say so myself.  I think you’d make a sexy little couple.”

“Peyton,” I groaned when I noticed a few of the other dancer’s listening into our conversation.

“Back to work, alley cats,” Peyton cooed lightheartedly to the crowd, “nothing to see here.”

I playfully smacked him on the arm as I turned to greet the other dancers.  After a few hugs and a quick dance battle with Eden and Alex to Lady Gaga’s ‘Hair’, I saw Brian and Rachel arrive arm-in-arm.  I smiled brightly when I saw how happy she seemed to be.  She winked at me as the crowd of dancers descended on them and chattered excitedly about their new relationship development.  I gave myself a proverbial pat on the back for a job well done and silently made my exit.

As I walked out onto the main floor, I glanced over at the bar to see Courtney leaning over the counter, flirtatiously talking to Jameson.  He looked up to see me strolling over and smirked as he leaned across the counter to seductively tuck a stray strand of her long blond hair behind one ear.  My heart instantly thundered in my chest as jealousy ripped through me.  I knew what he was doing; I had hurt him so he was trying his hardest to hurt me by flirting with another girl.  I didn’t want to see him in pain but I definitely didn’t appreciate the needless, flirty floor show.  It really hurt me and if that was what Jameson was aiming for, well mission accomplished.

When I got up to them, I stood off to the side and put on my best and brightest fake smile.  “Hey, guys!  How’s it going?”

Courtney turned around and immediately blanched when she saw me standing there.  “Uh, hi Skye.  I was just asking Jameson if he would mind making me a drink before I went on.  I wasn’t flirting with him, I swear,” she stuttered nervously as she sat back fully in the barstool.

I chuckled and put a hand on her back to calm her down.  Courtney wasn’t the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree and I was afraid she would jump up and bolt back to the break room any second.  “Honey, it’s fine,” I smiled on the outside while dying a little on the inside.  “Jameson and I are no longer dating.  We’re just friends now, so there is no need to worry about upsetting me.  You two are consenting adults, so have at it.”

Jameson frowned at me and I swallowed thickly.  This ‘pretending I was fine’ game totally sucked and I didn’t know how much longer I could keep it up.  Inside I was screaming at Courtney to keep her gigantic tits out of my man’s face and for Jameson to keep his scheming hands off my dancers.

“Jameson, would you mind calling up to Archer’s office and asking him to bring down tonight’s VIP wristbands for the dancers?” I asked as I tried not to fidget nervously.

“You know how to use the phone,” he said, plainly dismissing me, and turning his attention back to Courtney.

Courtney timidly glanced back and forth between us and I winked at her, letting her know that everything was okay, as I went around the bar and picked up the phone.  I took a silent deep breath as I dialed Archer’s extension and tried to calm my rampant emotions. 

This was a nightmare scenario for me.  Courtney was my co-worker and one of our star dancers.  I couldn’t fling myself across the bar and rip her hair out like I had wanted to.  I needed to stay professional and act completely unaffected.  Then there was Jameson.  Half of me was angry at Jameson, half of me loved him.  I knew it was a bad idea to date my co-workers from the get-go and I was uber pissed that I hadn’t listen to my smarter inner self. 
You knew it was going to get messy!  I warned you!
  I bit my bottom lip, deep in thought, as I realized that Jameson definitely knew what he was doing; I was certainly jealous and boy was I hurt.  As I listened to the phone ring, I felt the full weight of my agony settle heavily into my soul. 

“Yes?” Archer said quickly, picking up the phone.

I shook myself out of my inner turmoil and cleared my throat.  “Uh, I need to get the dancer’s wristbands from you.  Would you mind terribly if I asked you to bring them down?”

“You got it, babe,” he answered before ending the call.

I swallowed hard as I gently set the phone back down and steadied myself. 
Get ahold of your emotions.  Smile.  You’re fine.  It’s just another normal day at work.  BREATHE!
  I reached over and grabbed an empty glass from the shelf, quickly filling it with the closest bottle of hard liquor I touched.  I took a big gulp and cringed when I felt vodka, my most hated liquor, slide harshly down my throat. 
Yuck!
  I shook my head and immediately poured it down the bar drain, rinsing the glass before fixing myself a 5 Star General. 

“Crap,” Courtney said with a sigh.  “Here comes the boss…I better run.  Catch you after work, James?”

I sneered at her new nickname for him and took another slug from my glass as I peeked up to see Archer slowly descending the wide metal stairs.

“You betcha’, fine thing,” Jameson purred sexily and I turned around to face him, feeling like he had just stuck a knife in my heart. 

His words to her brought me back to the very first time I had ever talked to Jameson.  I was waitressing at Drop Kick Dan’s and he was playing a show there that night with his band.  Dan asked me to take Jameson an Irish Car Bomb on the house and when he approached me, he spoke to me in the same tone using almost those exact words.  Our first meeting had been immensely special to me and now he just crapped all over the memory with his words to her.  He had frequently referred to me his ‘fine thing’ over the course of our relationship and now he was calling her that?

I angrily watched Courtney saunter off to the employee lounge and as soon as she was out of sight, I put my hand on Jameson’s shoulder and made him turn to face me.  “How could you call her that?” I asked, outraged and feeling as if our whole relationship had meant nothing to him.  I know we had only been dating a month or so, but that whole period I spent with him was akin to heaven; that is, up until his vampire family almost killed me.

“Call her what?” he asked snarkily as he folded his arms across his chest.

“Is this a game to you?” I seethed, roughly setting my drink down on the bar beside him and sloshing half its contents out in the process.  “You think this is a game, ‘James’?” I spat Courtney’s nickname for him back in his face.  I was suddenly furious and could feel the anger and hurt rapidly building within me.  I wanted to lash out and rip his gorgeous brown hair from its roots. 
Do it.  You’ll feel better
, a little voice inside my head said and I lifted my hands with a frustrated growl to do just that.

Jameson’s eyes grew wide with shock as I launched myself at him.  Someone suddenly seized my arms and pulled me back right as the tips of my fingers touched his silky hair. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Archer shouted as I bucked and writhed to free my arms.  Jameson took a step back as Quinn and Hunter flashed from their drinks upstairs to assist Archer.

“It’s all just a fucking game to you, isn’t it?!” I exploded at Jameson as Archer, Hunter, and Quinn pulled me out from behind the bar, still kicking and screaming.  “Let’s see if we can completely decimate this pathetic human’s little heart, huh?!  You cold-blooded, vampi…”

A hand firmly clamped itself over my mouth as I was dragged up the stairs, but that didn’t keep me from trying to shout at Jameson.

“Jesus, Skye!” Quinn swore as he lost his grip on one of my struggling legs and caught a swift kick to the stomach.  “What the hell has gotten into you?!”

“Stop fighting us!” Archer growled roughly as they maneuvered me over to his private stairwell.

His harsh words seemed to cool some of my anger and for the first time, I briefly caught a look at the faces of my shocked vampire co-workers before the stairwell door was shut behind us.

I stopped struggling and allowed the men to carry me the rest of the way to Archer’s office.  My body suddenly felt tired and I was struggling for a deep breath under Archer’s hand.  My lungs heaved rapidly as my heart thundered ninety to nothing.  I was roughly set down on one of the chairs in front of Archer’s desk as the hand was removed from my mouth and my arms and feet secured.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Archer yelled down at me as he stood off to the side, his ice blue eyes starting to fade to white as a side effect to his anger.  “Are you on DRUGS?!”

I struggled to catch my breath and looked down to notice my crop top was lifted above my bra, fully exposing it and my generous cleavage.  “Be a lamb and fix my shirt, will you Archer?” I asked nonchalantly as I silently tried to come to grips with what just happened.

“Fix your shirt?” he asked incredulously as he ran both hands through his hair in frustration.  “Fix your shirt?!  You just tried to attack my brother and you are worried about your fucking shirt?”

“Okay fine,” I exhaled heavily, rolling my eyes. “Leave it where it is.  Would you mind letting go of my arms, please?  You’re hurting me.”

“Yes,” Hunter scoffed, “I would mind.  I don’t trust you not to jump up and act like a damn ass again!”

I sighed as I looked down at Quinn.  “Sorry I kicked you,” I mumbled begrudgingly. 

“What do you want us to do with her,
athair
?” Quinn asked Archer, ignoring my apology.

Archer shook his head, completely at a loss, and addressed me again. “Answer me, Skye.  Are you on drugs?  Is that what’s wrong with you?  Are you high on something right now?”

“No!” I shook my head, annoyed.  “I’m not on drugs, Archer.  I’m just pissed off!”

“Pray tell, then!” Archer threw his hands up, frustration painting his handsome features.  “What in God’s name has you so pissed off?  I can’t believe how you’ve been acting lately!  First you attack me, and now Jameson?!?!  What’s going on with you?”  I swallowed hard and looked down at my lap, suddenly ashamed and filled with deep regret. I chewed on my bottom lip as I lost myself in thought.  

I had never hit anyone before Archer, outside of sparring and stupid high school girl fights, and now I was attacking his brother? 
What the hell IS going on with me?
 I had never experienced rage and anger like I had in the past few days.  Was it residual effects from my kidnapping?  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?  Was it remnants of the anger from Archer and Hunter almost killing me?  Was I about to start my period and consequentially having the worst PMS of my entire life?

“Tell me!” Archer shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I…” I started to say and then took a frustrated deep breath.  How was I going to explain to Archer that I was burning with jealousy over something as stupid and petty as Jameson flirting with Courtney?  I was beyond embarrassed and I hung my head again with renewed feelings of shame. 

I was better than this, better than these stupid emotions.  I had never been a jealous type of person before and didn’t understand why I was suddenly acting like it now.  The first time I had ever felt jealousy over a guy was when Archer brought his feeder Vanessa to the club right after I was hired.  Him flirting with her sent me fleeing The Mausoleum in a fit of anger.  
Does it have something to do with vampires and their insane pheromones maybe?

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, dejectedly.  “I don’t know what came over me.  I’ve never acted like this before in my entire life.  When I hit you the other day…that was the first time I had ever hit a guy outside of sparring.  I don’t act like this.  I…I feel like I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“Damn it, Skye.”  Archer sighed loudly and growled again in frustration.  “What am I going to do with you?  You can’t keep acting like this.  Whatever is going on with you, you need to fix it.  If you feel you need to see a therapist, then by all means, please do.  I’ll even pay for it.  Something is very wrong.  If I caused this by what I did to you, I’m so, so sorry.  I’d take it all back if I could.”  He sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Release her, please.  The bout of anger seems to have passed.  I don’t think she’s going to cause any more trouble.”

Hunter and Quinn let go of my arms and legs and I brought my wrists around to rub the blood back into them.  He had held onto me so tight that it had cut off circulation to my hands.

“You didn’t have to hold me so tightly, Hunter,” I frowned as I rubbed.

“You’re damn right I did,” he scoffed in his southern accent.  “You bucked harder than a bronco at a rodeo.  I ain’t never seen the likes from such a small girl.  I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a human female as strong as you.  What the hell is Hagan teaching you down in that basement?  He got you lifting weights or something?”

My frown deepened and my brow creased as I shook my head.  “Not specifically.”

Quinn reached over and politely fixed my shirt for me.  “You’re insane, you know that?” he pursed his lips as he stood and crossed his arms.  “You remind me of one of those yappy little six pound dogs who think they’re a damn Rottweiler; always biting and barking when they don’t like someone or don’t get their way.  You’re biting off more than you can chew by picking fights with vampires sweetheart, let me tell you.  We’ve been taking it easy on you, but the next time you might not be so lucky.”  He frowned angrily and pointed a finger at my chest.  “And if you kick me like that again, so help me God, I’ll turn you over my knee and straighten you out myself!”

I swallowed hard and nodded my head.  “Yes, sir,” I said with wide, alert eyes.  I had never seen Quinn so mad before.  “I’m sorry, Quinn…really I am.”

“I know,” he growled as he turned and left the office.  Thankfully, he couldn’t have been too mad; his eyes never lost their color.

“Simmer down now, wild child,” Hunter drawled and gave me a rough pat on the shoulder before following Quinn out. 

I sighed and hung my head in my hands. 
What the hell am I doing?

“Infuriating me,” Archer mumbled as he took a seat behind his desk, “that’s what you’re doing.  But I do understand where some of your anger is coming from.  You were kidnapped and tortured by Amun, I go and damn near do the same thing thinking you were some kind of spy or secret weapon of his, and then you almost dying…by my orders.  Granted, it was unintentional, but still…”  Archer let out a deep breath and I heard his chair squeak a second before I felt his hand on mine, pulling it away from my face. 

“Look at me, Skye.”

I bit my bottom lips to keep from crying as I slowly tilted my head up.  The look in Archer’s eyes broke my heart.  He looked so sad, regretful, beseeching, and helpless.  “I can’t stand to see you like this,” he whispered as he kneeled down in front of me.  “This isn’t the girl I fell in love with.  My sweet, giving, patient, loving, caring, fun-loving Skye disappeared when you were kidnapped.  I’m so scared I’ll never get her back.”

I swallowed hard as I felt silent tears slide hot down my cheeks.  “I just don’t know how to cope with what has been done to me, Archer.  How do I forgive and forget?  It’s always been so simple before.  But now I’m dealing with things I never imagined would ever happen to me.  My ex-boyfriend was beheaded by sick, sadistic vampires, I was chained to a pipe in a basement and tortured for days, I was almost drained to the point of death, I’m having nightmares controlled by my deranged abductor who, by the way, is hellbent on killing off your bloodline, you of all people get this idea in your head that I’m some kind of secret monster and you literally mind-rape me.  Hunter gives me seizures and a heart attack while seemingly ripping my brain in two, I dump someone I care about and possibly love because he is a vampire and I feel like I can never trust any of you again, and to top it all off…I’m in love with one of the men who caused me pain…who betrayed my trust and further broke my damaged spirit by holding me against my will and who participated in the infliction of the worst pain of my entire life.  How do I deal, Archer?  How do I EVEN BEGIN to deal with this?”

He slowly lifted his hand and wiped the tears from my cheeks, devastation, sympathy and pain painted on his chiseled face.

“I feel broken,” I finally sobbed as I hung my head.  “My spirit is…utterly crushed.  And I’m angry, Archer…so angry.  I have so much hate in my heart,…so much that it makes me think I never fully understood what hate was until now.”

“Oh, baby,” he choked as he quickly pulled me up and into his arms.  “God I’m so sorry, Skye,” he whispered into my hair as he held me tightly.  “I want to help you baby but I don’t know how.”

“Yes you do,” I whispered against his strong, cool chest.  “You have to let me go.”

“What?” he asked, startled as he pushed me back a little to look at my face.

“You have to make sure Amun is dead so I can return to my normal life; the life I knew before I ever met you.”  I swallowed my tears and bravely met his eyes.  “When this is all over, I-I want you to have Quinn mesmerize me into forgetting all about you…all about vampires and what I’ve been through since the day I met you.  I want to forget everything.  I-I NEED to forget everything.  I don’t want to have to live the rest of my life feeling like this or reliving all those horrible memories.  I just can’t.”

“Skye,” he pleaded, his voice full of pain and panic.  “No.  No, you can’t.  I won’t allow it!”

I reached up and cupped his cheeks as I stared deeply into his eyes.  “If you care about me…at all…you’ll do this for me.  Don’t make me live the rest of my life loving you and hating you in the same breath.  It’s excruciating, Archer.”

“
A luaidh
, no,” Archer said, releasing me.  “You can’t ask me to do this.  I won’t do it.  I won’t lose you.”

I cringed and my head jerked back as if I’d been slapped across the face.  Jameson used to call me
a luaidh
and the words further tore at my already shattered heart.  “Please,” I breathed as I gripped my chest, my face contorted with pain and fresh tears, “don’t call me that.  Don’t ever, ever call me that.”

Archer reached out to touch my face and I shrank back from him.  “I can’t…  I-I think I’m going to go home for the night.  I don’t need to be here.  I-I can’t work like this.  I’m sorry, Archer,” I said as I backed up and turned for the door.

I felt his hand on my shoulder, trying to keep me from leaving and I stopped, took his hand in mine without turning, and softly placed a kiss on the back of his knuckles.  “Let me go home,” I pleaded in a barely audible whisper.  “I can’t face everyone right now.  Please don’t ask me to.”

Archer was silent as I closed the office door behind me and I was grateful for the respect he had just given me.  I couldn’t bear to work tonight alongside my vampire colleagues and I definitely couldn’t bear to look Jameson in the eyes again. 

As I exited the private stairwell, I noticed the club in full swing.

“How ya’ doin’, kitten?” Lochlan called out from behind the VIP/PVIP bar. 

I glanced to my left and saw him a few feet away mixing a drink using his unique flourish.  “Honestly, I’ve been better, Loch.  Have you seen any of the guards by chance?  I need a lift.”

Lochlan nodded his head to a table a few feet away.  “Killian’s set up post over there.”

I gave him a weak smile and thanked him as I walked over to Killian.

“Um, I hate to bother you, but I need an escort home,” I said timidly.  “Would you mind taking me?”

“Sure,” he said as he immediately stood.  “Did Archer approve your absence?  I am not allowed to transport you anywhere without his explicit permission.”

“Go see for yourself if you don’t believe me,” I nodded toward the stairwell door.  “I’m going to grab my bag and I’ll meet you by the back door.”

I ran into Quinn at the bottom of the stairs.  I apologized again and quickly leaned in to deliver a brief hug.  Quinn’s body instantly tensed up from the unfamiliar gesture before he relaxed somewhat and returned my hug with an awkward pat on the back.  “Women are confusing as hell,” he shook his head when I disengaged.