Thirst (23 page)

“That’s
enough, Jules,” Daimhín said. Jules didn’t respond, and Daimhín
turned her attention to me.

“I need
you to deliver this tonight. Wait for his instructions. Send them
to my phone by text, do not return here. The person you’re looking
for is known as Gabe. Don’t worry, he isn’t a vampire.”

I
shrugged, hoping she wouldn’t see how relieved I felt. Delivering a
package was fine with me, especially if the recipient wasn’t a
vampire. I took the package, listened to her directions, and headed
for the door.

“Try to
get this job done,” Daimhín said. “Don’t get yourself bitten on the
way.” Jules let out a hyena laugh. I glared at them all, not
feeling like backing down, especially because my hand still stung,
and I hadn’t been able to heal the wound yet.

“Oh, by
the way,” I said, ready to run with my fingers gripping the handle
of the door. “My place is being staked out by vampires.
Yours?”

Daimhín
smirked as if mildly amused. “Not mine. But I’d drink some blood if
I were you. Just in case.”

“No,
thanks.” I opened the door too roughly and semi-slammed it behind
me, feeling better for the petulance of the act.

I
considered running to the delivery point but, without human blood,
I wasn’t half as fast. I walked, the whole time feeling an
imaginary pair of eyes on my back.

I rang
Peter, even though I was still mad at him. He hadn’t contacted me
at all, and it bugged me more than I wanted to admit. After the way
we had left things, we were overdue an important conversation. I
needn’t have bothered trying; he didn’t answer. I put my mobile
back in my pocket, shifted the dagger so I could keep a tight hold,
and counted how many steps it took me to get to my
destination.

The
drop-off point turned out to be a small, cosy nightclub. It was
slowly dawning on me that otherworldly beings ran most of the
businesses in town. I supposed it made sense; creatures like
vampires couldn’t exactly work ordinary day jobs.

The club
itself was modern and clean; a live band played unobtrusively in
the background. Huge comparison to the dank vampire bar I’d visited
before. There were lots of free tables and only one person working
behind the bar.

The aroma
in the air was strange and lovely. Something attracted me, but it
was too mingled with scents of magic and other things to figure out
exactly what it was. I sat at the bar and waited for the bartender
to notice me until a new, familiar smell distracted me.

Glancing
around, I saw Peter Brannigan sitting next to a man who had short
horns on his forehead at a table in the corner. Peter looked as
serious as always, focused on his companion. Not the least bit
pretty, his gruff appearance still managed to stir something in the
pit of my stomach.

Peter met
my eyes and shook his head as if to say, “Leave it.” I shrugged and
turned away. I wasn’t going to force him to talk to me, but I
couldn’t deny the little twinge I felt at seeing him.

The
bartender was short, blond, and looked to be in his mid-thirties.
Slim and covered in tattoos, he wore a short-sleeved shirt that
exposed his inked sleeves. I gawked at a dragon on his forearm that
seemed to move.

“What can
I get you?” he said, moving his arms behind his back.

“Um, I’ve
a package for some guy called Gabe. You him?”

He threw
back his head and guffawed loudly. “Some guy called Gabe,” he
muttered, shaking his head. “Hold on, babe. I’ll see if he’s out
back.”

I glared
after him, wondering what was so damn funny. I couldn’t stop myself
from sneaking one last glance at Peter, but he had already left.
Without speaking to me at all.

I leaned
my elbow on the bar and sunk my chin into my palm with a loud sigh.
The appealing smell became more concentrated, and I sniffed the air
appreciatively, smiling to myself.

“You have
something for me?”

I jumped,
startled, and gazed up at the single most beautiful creature I had
ever seen in my life. Tall, broad, and muscular, his obvious
strength gave me the urge to expose my belly. Figuratively
speaking. His thick hair was coal black, his eyes a deep, dark,
chocolate brown. He grinned, and I shook my head slightly, trying
to focus.

“Yeah,
are you Gabe? Daimhín sent me.”

“I am
Gabe,” he said, like it was his title or something. His voice slid
over me like a silk sheet, and suddenly I was imagining him wrapped
up in one.

My cheeks
flushing pink, I handed over the package. “I’ve to wait for a
reply.”

He opened
the package right there, revealing wads of money. A lot of it. He
read through the accompanying note then glanced up and down my body
appraisingly.

“You may
tell Daimhín that you will not suffice. Not even as part
payment.”

I stopped
ogling long enough to listen. “Excuse me?”

“Daimhín
wishes to exchange you in order to clear a long-standing debt. You
won’t do.”

“Are you
for real? Show me that!” I snapped the note out of his hands before
he could stop me. He exchanged a bemused glance with the bartender
who was chortling behind his hand. I ignored them and read the
note.

I
couldn’t believe it. She had actually tried to sell me to some
randomer.

“Of all
the… I don’t believe this shit.” I was sick to death of vampires
and everything else. “Well, you can’t have me,” I added, pointing
at Gabe.

“I don’t
want you,” he said, sounding like he was talking about a drink or a
bar of chocolate. “But tell her I’ll consider Eloise.”

“Screw
you,” I said, turning to leave, ready to hit something.

“In your
dreams.” The cockiness of his words turned me cold, no matter how
pretty he was.

“Stupid
supernaturals with no damn morals. I’m not a thing! You can’t all
keep thinking I’m… ownable.” My fingers curled into fists as I
stormed out, ignoring the laughter that followed me.

Daimhin
was pushing it. How dare she try and sell me? I worked for her,
albeit reluctantly, but she did not own me. I stayed furious most
of the way home, too angry to pay attention to anything going on
around me. My fingers trembled as I struggled to text Daimhín’s
phone to let her know what happened at the bar, remembering to
mention Eloise, whoever she was.

The cold
presence returned and blew on the back of my neck. I glanced around
but couldn’t see a thing. On alert, I convinced myself I was being
watched.

I tried
to use my other sense to feel if anyone was around, but I was too
agitated. To err on the side of caution, I assumed a vampire was
out there and sped up, multiplying the numbers of my birth date
together in my head to keep me calm. I tried to use my other sense
again, peering into the night on another level. Instead of the
emptiness I’d been expecting, a bright, white light burned into my
brain. Whatever was out there, it wasn’t a vampire.

My
stomach turned when I came close to home and remembered the
vampires who kept a constant eye on my building. When I turned onto
my street, I saw two of them and stiffened, goose bumps rising on
my arms. Neither of them approached, but I couldn’t relax until I
had made it within the safety line of the magic surrounding my
apartment. Relief flooded through me when each vampire looked a
little puzzled as I disappeared before them.

Feeling
lucky, I trudged up the stairs. Being away from home at night
wasn’t doing me any favours. If I could find a way to leave
Daimhín’s workforce, then I’d be right on it. The vampires outside
could attack me any night, but they didn’t. The anticipation kept
me on edge.

I caught
his scent a half-second before I noticed him. Carl rose when I
approached. With a bag at his feet and a solemn look on his face,
it seemed like he had been waiting there for a while.

“Carl?
What’s wrong?”

His eyes
were red-rimmed and unhappy. I felt sick, expecting the worst. It
hadn’t been that long ago when Carl was compelled to follow me
around, going so far as to wait outside my door all night. This was
all too familiar.

“I’m
sorry, Ava, but can I stay with you for a few days?”