She didn’t look at him, but he felt a subtle change in her as she shrugged. “I already told you I knew about Hunters and how they were created.”
“Yes, but it took me years to find out about all of their capabilities. I learned something new, and somewhat surprising, from another Hunter we’re friends with two years ago.” He wasn’t going to go into detail about what Cassie could do, that was something they all kept secret. “Hunters aren’t exactly open about what they can and can’t do, especially not around vampires.”
She finally looked at him. “I guess I figure things out quicker than you. They were created from us. It would only make sense they would inherit our healing abilities, since they receive an extrasensory ability from our blood too.”
Maybe that was true, but he wasn’t buying her explanation. Before he could question her further, and maybe uncover a little of what she was hiding from him, a loud squeal sounded and a rolling ball of energy flung herself into Quinn’s arms, knocking her back a step.
“I can’t believe you came!” It took Julian a second to recognize the human cannonball as Angie. “Finally! You’re going to have so much fun!” She hooked her arm through Quinn’s and pulled her forward. “Come on!”
Julian watched as Angie dragged Quinn toward the fire and a group of men gathered around a keg. One of the men lifted his hands into the air, and stepped forward to hug Quinn. Julian stiffened; his eyes narrowed upon the man as Quinn remained rigid in his grasp and slapped him awkwardly on the back.
Stepping away from the man, she took hold of the red plastic cup shoved into her hand. “Are we going to walk around and see if we can find the guy?” Chris asked.
Realizing his teeth were clamped together, Julian forced himself to relax his jaw. “Yeah, let’s go.”
The heat of the bonfire beat against his skin as he walked across the slipping sand. Quinn glanced over at them, said something to Angie, and broke away from the group. She jogged toward them without spilling a drop of her beer onto the sand.
“There’s a group of people that were at Clint’s on the other side of the fire,” she said as she stopped before them. “Angie said there had been another group of fighters here, but they took off when they saw the guys they’d been fighting with last night. This way.”
She gulped down her beer as she took the lead. Finishing off the drink, she wiped away the layer of foam on her upper lip and tossed the cup into a trash bag set off to the side. The orange glow of the fire caught her eyes, causing them to gleam like a citrine. She bee-lined through some more people, but began to slow as they advanced on a group of five men and three women gathered around another keg. Three of the men barely looked old enough to drive, never mind drink, and the other two would have been questionable to vote.
“Those five guys were there last night,” Quinn informed them in a conspiring whisper. He doubted anyone would have heard her over the competing music coming from the radios of the vehicles parked around the fire, and the crackling of the ten-foot high flames.
“Do you know them?” he inquired.
“Not really, they just started coming into Clint’s.”
“Ok. Come with me.” Her lips compressed into a flat line as she stared at him disapprovingly. He wasn’t used to having to play nice with strangers, even after two years he was barely used to playing nice with Chris and Melissa. “It will be weird for me to walk over and start talking with a group of people I don’t know.”
She glanced at Chris, but to Julian’s amazement she didn’t protest further. Turning away, Quinn walked beside him toward the group of men and women. The overwhelming scent of alcohol drifted to him, but he also caught the sweeter scent of lust and the mustier scent of sex upon the man and woman holding hands and leaning close to each other.
“Hey,” Quinn greeted as she stepped up to the keg. “How’s it going?”
Their gazes slid over her, two of them broke into smiles, threw back their shoulders, and grinned at her. The other two were busy filling their cups at the keg. “Ya work at Clint’s,” one of them said in a voice already slightly slurred.
“I do,” she replied with a smile. Then the boy’s eyes flickered to him and Julian saw a lot of their interest fade away. They looked past her toward a group of girls who were giggling near a Ford Explorer. Sensing their waning attention, Quinn turned toward him; the smile on her face should have warned him. “You see that guy over there?” They all nodded when she pointed to Chris, who gave them a brief wave. “That’s Chris, and this is his boyfriend, Julian.”
Julian managed to keep his mouth closed as she continued to smile at him sweetly. He didn’t know how to respond, but he was spared from having to by the eagerness of the two guys who had been ogling her before. One of them stepped forward and handed her a drink while the other began to enthusiastically offer up Dorito’s and Twinkies.
Julian remained by Quinn’s side, as the girls by the Ford gave him a disappointed look. He barely spared them another glance as Quinn laughed with the men. They didn’t hear it, but he caught the falseness of her tone. While she kept them occupied, he managed to find a subtle way to touch three of them. It wasn’t until Chris and Melissa joined them that he was able to confirm none of these guys were who they were looking for.
“I think it’s time to go,” Julian said and gave Quinn a pointed look.
“Sorry boys but party pooper here is my ride,” Quinn told them.
“Aw,” one of them protested. “We can give you a ride.”
“Not tonight,” she replied.
Their faces fell, Julian’s teeth ground together when Dorito boy “accidentally” touched her ass for the third time. It took all he had not to break one of the orange, cheese coated fingers that were far too grabby for his liking.
“Will we see you at Clint’s?” Dorito asked eagerly.
“I’ll be there,” Quinn replied airily. It wasn’t until they were out of view of the guys that she shuddered and wiped at her ass. “Do I have cheese on my butt?” she demanded.
“No,” Melissa assured her.
“Please tell me one of them was who we’re looking for. I don’t think I can take anymore skeasy drunk guys, parties, or strip clubs tonight.”
“No, they weren’t,” Julian informed her. “If you hadn’t told them I was gay, I would have stepped in and stopped it.”
Chris and Melissa choked on their laughter as they swung admiring eyes toward her. “I never told them you were gay,” Quinn replied flippantly.
“Yes, you did,” he said to her before turning to glare at Chris. “If I were you, I wouldn’t laugh so much, you’re my partner.”
Chris’s laughter died down, but he continued to grin like an idiot. “No.” Quinn halted and turned to face him. “I told them you were Chris’s boyfriend.” Julian shot Chris a look when he began to laugh again. “Angie could be considered my girlfriend, but I’m not a lesbian. They jumped to the conclusion you were gay, and apparently, so did you. Is there something you would like to tell us about yourself?”
For the first time in years, Julian found himself completely speechless as she turned on her heel and walked away. Chris lifted his finger and pointed it at Quinn when she stopped to talk with Angie again. “I like her,” Chris managed to get out in between grating bursts of laughter. “I really like her.”
Chris didn’t acknowledge Julian’s glower at him. “I agree,” Melissa replied with a chuckle.
“Yeah, she’s a ball of sunshine and fun,” Julian muttered. “Or more like a thistle.”
Chris and Melissa almost tripped over themselves from laughing so hard when they started to walk with him toward Quinn and Angie. “She knows how to put you in your place,” Chris said.
“It’s about time someone did,” Melissa added.
“What did I ever do to you?” Julian protested. “After I stopped trying to kill you, of course.”
“I do remember something about someone being called Romeo,” she replied with a smile.
“I stand by m
y earlier assessment of Zachariah.”
“Zach,” she replied automatically.
“I’ve noticed you’ve backed off the poet too.”
“He’s a good guy, and he’s not really mushy like that, he was just teasing.”
“But?” Chris prodded.
“But nothing. I’ve known him for three days, can I know him a week before you two start questioning me on it.”
“Ok,” Chris agreed. “We’ll give you a week.”
“Thanks,” she muttered sarcastically.
“Anything for you,” Chris assured her as he draped his arm around her shoulders.
Quinn barely glanced at Julian when they stopped before her and her friends. Angie bit on her bottom lip; her admiring gaze raked him from head to toe. Julian instantly looked away from her when Quinn began to speak. “Angie says the four men who took off from here earlier were heading to the Mitchum’s place.”
“Then we should get going,” Julian said.
“It’s at someone’s house, they might not let you in,” Angie interjected.
Julian flashed her a smile. “There’s nothing I can’t get into.”
Angie giggled, “I believe it.” Quinn’s nose wrinkled, her upper lip curled before she pressed her lips flat in disapproval. “Why are you looking for those guys anyway?”
“One of them stole Chris’s wallet during the fight,” Julian answered.
“That’s awful!” Angie gushed. “But you can always find them some other time, maybe tomorrow.”
“Need my license,” Chris said. “And credit cards.”
Angie’s face fell. “Oh yeah.” She turned to Quinn. “You finally come out and you’re going to leave already.” Her gaze scanned over him again; she gave a little shrug. “I guess I can see why.”
“It’s not like that, Ang,” Quinn murmured. “I’m only trying to help out, and I know where the Mitchum’s place is.”
Angie’s head tilted to the side as she studied them all. “What happened to your friend from the other night?” she inquired.
Julian frowned questioningly as he turned toward Quinn. “Oh, Scully was just passing through town and could only stay for a couple of hours. We had a cup of coffee, and he went on his way.” Quinn’s words were flippant, but her eyes had hardened at the reminder of Scully. Stepping forward, Quinn gave Angie a hug. “We should get going.”
Before Angie could protest further, Quinn released her and hurried across the sand. “Have fun!” Angie called after them.
Quinn didn’t look back when she waved at her. “I’ll drive,” Julian offered when they got to the Jeep.
“Nope,” Quinn replied.
Chris shot him a look; he made an odd gesturing motion with his hand as his eyes pleaded with Julian to try again. Julian smiled at him before sliding into the passenger seat. Melissa and Chris both hesitated before reluctantly climbing into the backseat again.
Chapter Twelve
Quinn pulled up in front of the large house at the far edge of town, pulled the emergency brake, and turned the Jeep off. Dim light shone from around the navy curtains covering the windows on the lower floor of the building. The front stucco façade was a deep orange in color and reflected the moon shining upon it.
Chris leaned forward in his seat and propped his elbow on the shoulder of her seat. “Nice place.”
“It was a movie theatre at one time, but it’s been remodeled since then,” she told him.
“Must be pretty interesting inside.”
“I imagine so.” Quinn could hear country music playing inside as she studied the building. It was a welcoming, mellow beat after the pulse of the strip club and the competing melodies at the bonfire. “I barely know the couple who owns this place. They come into Clint’s once in a while. They’re about ten years older than me, and I’m not sure how they’re going to feel about me walking in there,” she told them.
“They’ll get over it,” Julian said and slid out of the seat.
Quinn didn’t know how to respond to him, but then again, she never knew how to respond to half of what came out of his mouth. She watched him as he walked in front of the Jeep and stopped to study the large building.
Her attention was drawn to the shadows next to the building as she spotted people moving amongst them. The couple was mostly hidden behind a large cactus. When she heard the sound of giggling and then a slurping kiss, she hastily looked away. She’d had enough of naked bodies and people groping each other for one night.
Grabbing the keys from the ignition, she jumped out of the Jeep. “Are we going to have to couple up in order to gain entry?” Julian asked her and looked pointedly at the keys in her hand.
The teasing glint in his eyes caused a strange flutter in the area of her deadened heart; she forced herself to scowl at him. “If you put your arm around me, I’ll break it.”
He leaned so close to her that she realized the white band encircling his pupils actually had inflections of pale turquoise within them. She tried not to lose herself to his striking eyes, the smile curving his luscious mouth, or the intoxicating pull of his power.
“One of these days Quinn, you’re going to admit you like me.”
Her lips compressed into a flat line. She gave him a disapproving look, but she couldn’t deny the excitement sliding over her at having him standing so close. He rose back to his full height and turned toward the house. Chris and Melissa’s eyebrows were in their hairline when he stepped away from her.
She looked quickly away from the pointed glances Chris and Melissa swapped with one another. They may not be saying anything, but plenty of silent conversation was being exchanged between them.
Moving past them, she followed Julian to the front door. He knocked on the door and stepped back when the sound of feet approaching from the other side could be heard. Quinn didn’t recognize the woman who opened the door, but it didn’t matter as the woman’s eyes found Julian and stayed there.
The three of them could have been wearing ninja costumes and waving katanas around, the woman still wouldn’t have spared them a glance. She tossed back her bleached blond hair and stuck a hip out in a seductive gesture. If she pushed her lips out any further, she would be giving Daffy Duck a run for his money, Quinn decided. The woman lifted a hand, wrapped it around the doorframe, and thrust out her ample breasts.
“Hello there,” she purred. Quinn tried to remain impassive, but she felt her eyes narrow upon the woman. Images of knocking those lips back into place and stopping the fluttering of those lashes filled her mind. She didn’t know how the woman opened her eyes with all the goop she’d coated onto those lashes. “Have you come to join the party?”
“We have.” Julian waved at the three of them when he spoke, but the woman’s eyes still didn’t flicker in their direction. The sexy smile, and subtle lean in toward the woman that Julian gave her, caused her not to hesitate before stepping aside. She waved her hand in a welcoming gesture, it still wasn’t enough to grant them entrance. “Are you sure we’re welcome?” Julian prodded.
Smooth as grease, she thought. She couldn’t help but admire his suave manipulation of the woman though.
Yep, she wouldn’t mind plucking every one of those lashes from the duck mouthed woman across from them as she leaned close enough to Julian to press her obviously fake boobs against his arm. “You’re welcome anywhere I am,” she purred and Quinn couldn’t stop the disgusted sound that escaped her as the woman stepped aside. “Come in.”
Julian slid gracefully past her, but Quinn’s movements were more measured. She stared at the woman who gave her as much attention as she would a speck of dust. Melissa and Chris followed her into the dimly lit, massive foyer of the home.
Quinn could just barely make out the bones of what remained of the movie theatre in the two massive doorways across from them. She could picture holding her popcorn and drink as she made her way into one of those doorways to see the show. One of the doors had thick red drapes blocking it; the other had black dra
pes pulled back to allow people entrance.
On her right was a kitchen so large she felt the urge to cook for the first time in six years. Stainless steel appliances sparkled in the dim glow coming from the recessed lights. Shiny copper pots hung from a rack over the island in the center of the room. Nothing remained of it, but she assumed the kitchen had once been the concession area.
To her left was a dining room with a table large enough to seat twelve people around it. The china cabinet behind it had at least a year’s worth of her pay tucked behind its glass doors. Maybe it had once been the ticket and entrance area of the theatre, or perhaps it had been some backroom for employees only, either way it was magnificent now.
“This way.” Duck lips wrapped her hands around Julian’s bicep and began to walk with him toward the room with the open drapes.
Quinn tried to focus on her surroundings, but she felt herself glaring daggers into the two backs in front of her. She really hoped this would be their last stop of the night so she could go home and bash the crap out of her punching bag. The idea of pretending the bag was Julian made her almost giddy with anticipation.
She tried not to think about what the feelings rolling around inside her might mean. She didn’t want him in her life and she wasn’t going to let him any further into it. However, she still wouldn’t mind kicking old Ducky in the ass.
Shock rippled through her when they stepped into the room. Across the way, the stage that had once held the movie screen had been turned into a dance space with wood floors. The bar behind the dance floor easily rivaled the size of the one at Clint’s. All of the movie seats had been ripped out and replaced with red couches and black chairs that were set up so they faced each other. The people lounging within those seats could talk to each other without having to raise their voices to be heard over the music.
The idea had never once crossed her mind before, but looking around she realized it was pretty freaking awesome to live in an old movie theatre! She found it difficult to keep her mouth closed as she tilted her head back to look into the space above her. Numerous speakers were set within the rafters; the music drifting from them wasn’t overwhelming or too loud. There were various movie posters hanging from the ceiling that had all been stitched out of cloth. They depicted classic movies with the newest one being Anthony Perkins’, Psycho.
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