MERLOT AND DIVORCE AND DEADLY REMORSE

by Jodi Vaughn

“Girls, we need to get going,” I called out from the kitchen. I’d finished my first cup of blood and was now on my second. I figured I wouldn’t feel as drained if I was fueled up.

  “I can’t find my shoes,” Arianna whined as she stepped into the kitchen.

  “They are by the garage door.” I quickly put the lid on my coffee cup and grabbed my purse and keys off the kitchen island. “Where’s your sister?”

  “Am I my sister’s keeper?” Arianna glared.

  “Yes. You are your sister’s keeper,” I retorted before heading towards Gabby’s room.

  Gabby rushed out into the hall, nearly bumping into me. “I’m ready,” she called over her shoulder.

  Shaking my head, I rounded up my gang and herded them into the garage. The girls quickly climbed into the backseat, while I double-checked the contents in the back before sliding into the driver’s seat.

  “Is Daddy coming to the game?” Gabby asked.

  “I think so.” I turned out of our neighborhood and onto the street. The last conversation I’d had with Miles wasn’t good, but I hoped he would try to come to the game anyway.

  My stomach tightened. What if Miles brought Nikki?

  I clenched the wheel. Surely, he wouldn’t be that cruel.

  I took a long drink from my cup. There was no telling with Miles.

  We finally turned into the parking lot of the soccer field. As soon as I turned off the engine, the girls were out of the car and running towards their teams.

  I shoved my hat on my head and made sure my light jacket covered my arms. I had chosen to wear jeans with boots and a gray shirt. I’d left my hair down but curled a few strands to give myself a beachy look.

  I got out of the car and started unloading my stuff from the back. I glanced around for Miles’ Tesla but didn’t see it.

  I sighed. My girls were going to be disappointed.

  I grabbed my chair, the cooler with the snacks, and my large coffee cup and headed towards the field.

  “Hey, Rachel!” Liz called out and waved. I smiled and headed in her direction.

  “I saved you a place to sit by me.” She smiled, and I gave her a grateful grin in return.

  “Thanks. I see that Arianna’s team is up first.” I set up my chair and fixed the canopy to make sure no stray sunbeams could touch my face.

  “Yes. And we are playing Raider.” She pulled a face.

  “They’ll be tough to beat.” I sat and took a drink from my cup. “But our girls are doing better, so I think they have a chance.”

  I watched Arianna and her team enter the field. She saw me and smiled and then she looked around for Miles. Her face fell.

  I wanted to beat the hell out of the man. It was one thing for him to fall out of love with me, but it was another to fail his children.

  The urge to protect my daughters rose up in me. It felt like my face was on fire. I wanted to go to war. I had to remind myself to calm down before someone saw me and started another rumor.

  “Rachel.”

  I cringed at the cackle of the voice that belonged to pure evil.

  I didn’t bother turning around. I wouldn’t put forth that much effort for her.

  “Hello, Veronica.”

  “I don’t see Miles,” she cooed. “Is he coming?”

  “Well, since you seem to know it all and talk to him more than I do, why don’t you answer your own question.” I took another sip and tried to keep my attention on the field.

  She snorted and walked away.

  I figured she must be losing her touch.

  I took another sip and concentrated on the game.

  Arianna was up first. I would have to leave about halfway through to go watch Gabby start playing on the next field.

  “Just so you know, I invited Carla for book club. Judith thought it was a good idea.” I looked over my cup at Liz.

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s great.”

  “I just hope the rest of the club agrees.”

  “I can’t think of any of the girls in the club who wouldn’t want Carla to come.” Liz shrugged. “Hell, Judith will probably try to give her a makeover.”

  I laughed. Judith was always trying to be helpful, but it was more irritating than anything.

  I turned my attention back to the game. The match had started, and Arianna had the ball. I jumped to my feet. Arianna evaded the other team and scored a goal.

  “Yes, Arianna!” I screamed and clapped my hands. The other moms on our team cheered as Arianna grinned. All of her teammates high-fived her and gave her hugs. All except Elizabeth Grace.

  “Looks like Arianna has lost some weight. Which probably helped her make that goal. Fat girls don’t run fast, you know,” Veronica sneered.

  I turned and whipped my sunglasses off my head, so I could stare the devil in the eye. “She probably has since Elizabeth Grace has been stealing her food.”

  Veronica’s mouth dropped open, and she clasped her imaginary pearls. “Are you insinuating that my daughter is a thief.”

  “I’m not insinuating anything. I’m straight-up telling you. And if you don’t get your daughter under control, I’m going to handle it myself.” I shoved my glasses back over my eyes and settled back in my chair.

  I reached for my cup and waited to hear more from Veronica. She stormed back to her car. All the mothers turned and looked at me. Slowly, one by one, they began to clap. For me.

  I smiled as it occurred to me that Arianna was not the only one who had scored that day.

  Chapter 27

  After the soccer game, we headed back home. The girls were still excited from all the running around, so I let them each go over to a friend’s house for the afternoon. Lucky for me, both friends lived in the neighborhood, so it was a quick drop off.

  I fell into bed when I got back home. Despite having drunk almost four glasses of cow’s blood, I was exhausted. The second my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

  I woke at six that night, refreshed and ready to face the night.

  I stretched and headed into the living room. I opened the front door to go and get the mail. Even though Miles wasn’t here, the bills still needed to get paid.

  I glanced down as I stepped out and froze.

  A bottle of wine with a ribbon and a note card sat on my welcome mat.

  I smiled and picked up the bottle of Merlot. The card read: This is for being a good friend.

  I looked over at Carla’s house. No lights were on. Had she dropped off the gift? Or was it another friend?

  I shook my head. It was probably Liz.

  Forgetting the mail, I closed the door and took the bottle into the kitchen.

  My phone dinged, and I picked it up. It was a text from Arianna, wanting to know if she could spend the night.

  Normally, I wouldn’t let her because we had church in the morning. But since she was going through this divorce as well, I relented. I quickly sent a text saying it was okay but that I would be picking her up early so she had time to get ready for church.

  After that, I sent a text to Gabby to see if she was ready to be picked up.

  She texted back saying that they were going out to eat and that Lori’s mom could drop her off afterwards. I said it was fine and laid my phone down.

  I looked at the bottle. I wasn’t really in the mood for wine, and it no longer had an effect on me, but I wanted a glass anyway. I dug around in my drawer and pulled out the wine opener. I grabbed a pink wine glass and poured a good amount. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch. I didn’t really want to watch TV, but I had nothing else to do.

  I aimed the remote, and the TV came to life. I clicked through the channels as I lifted the glass to my mouth.

  I froze and wrinkled my nose.

  I dropped the remote and looked down into the glass.

  There was a distinct smell coming from the wine. An odor I had never smelled before. It reminded me of garlic.

  I went into the kitchen and looked at the label on the
bottle. It was a wine I had never heard of before, but it looked like it was expensive.

  Maybe my palate wasn’t as sophisticated as I thought.

  I lifted the glass to my lips and forced myself to take a sip. I gagged and ran to the kitchen sink to spit it out.

  “What are you doing?” Khalan’s voice would have made me jump if I weren’t busy trying to get the nasty taste out of my mouth.

  I grabbed a dish towel and wiped my lips and tongue. I turned and looked at my Maker.

  “I think that wine has gone bad.”

  He narrowed his eyes and looked at the bottle. He picked it up and lifted it to his nose and then cringed.

  “It’s not bad wine. It’s been poisoned.” He looked at me.

  “Poisoned?”

  “Yes. With arsenic. Where did you get this bottle?”

  “Someone left it on my doorstep. With a note.”

  “From Miles?” He narrowed his eyes.

  “No. The note said thanks for being a good friend. Miles wouldn’t have left that.”

  “Maybe he did, and he just wanted you to think it was from a friend.”

  “No. I don’t think so. Miles would never hurt…” My words trailed off.

  “Never hurt you? Except he did, he cheated on and betrayed you. What makes you think he wouldn’t try to kill you, too?”

  It was a gut punch, one I hadn’t been expecting. “It’s different. He wouldn’t kill me.”

  Khalan held my gaze but didn’t say anything. An uncomfortable silence stretched between us.

  “Want me to get rid of it for you?” Khalan asked.

  “Sure. I don’t want it in the house with the kids.” I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned against the sink. “So, what would have happened if I drank more of it?”

  “You would have been sick. But it wouldn’t have killed you. Since being turned, your senses are heightened, and you have an incredible healing ability. As a vampire, your body will fight anything that tries to harm you.”

  I grabbed the wine glass and poured the rest of the liquid down the sink. I washed the glass and then put it in the dishwasher.

  “It will break in there.”

  “I don’t care. I’ll take the chance.” I looked back at him. “So, what are you doing here?”

  “Can’t I just pop in for a visit with my progeny?” He arched a smartass brow.

  I blinked. “You never just stop in for a visit. You always want something.”

  “That’s not true.” He glared.

  I held up my fingers to tick off the occurrences. “You stopped by to make me go with you to deliver coyote pups. You stopped by to tell me to stop having a nervous breakdown because it was causing you to lose sleep. You stopped by to get me to go glamour and drink some helpless victim.”

  He held up his hand. “I stopped by that one time to drop off your car.”

  “And to tell me to leave my life and children and live as a vampire,” I deadpanned.

  He scratched his unruly black beard. “Yeah. I guess you are right.”

  “So, what did you stop by for tonight? Need an accomplice to murder some unsuspecting human?”

  “And what if I did?” Khalan leaned in close. A slow, sinister smile crept over his full lips. “Would you go?”

  My heart jumped into overdrive.

  “You’re not serious,” I said breathlessly.

  “You’re right. I’m not.” He shrugged and stepped back.

  “You’re a jerk.” I glared and stomped past him into the living room.

  “Rachel, I think you need to be more alert.” He followed me.

  “Alert for what?” I sank down onto the couch.

  “Didn’t you tell me that someone hit you in the backyard with something?”

  “Yeah. I’m still not convinced it wasn’t you.” I glared.

  “So, you get hit in the head with enough force that it would have incapacitated if not killed a human. And now, you have a bottle of wine that someone gifted you with that has been poisoned with arsenic.” He cocked his head. “Has anything else dangerous happened lately?”

  “Other than having the garage door slam down on me?” I shifted in my seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention.

  “The garage door fell on you? That’s impossible. It has a safety mechanism.”

  “Which was broken off. I had to get the garage door people to come and replace the whole springy thing.” I looked up at him. His face was creased with an emotion Khalan had never exhibited before in my presence. Worry.

  “What?” I straightened on the couch. “You don’t think that someone did that on purpose, do you?”

  “How well does your husband know his way around mechanics like a garage door?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, when he’s not working or on call, he fixes things around the house.” I rubbed the back of my neck.

  “And he’s a doctor, so he would know how to get the arsenic.”

  “And the hit on the back of the head with the shovel? I mean, it would take a lot of hatred to bash in the head of the mother of your children.” I wrapped my arms around myself and looked out into the backyard.

  “How is the splitting up of assets going?” Khalan stepped up beside me.

  “It’s going.” I glanced over at him.

  “Which means he hasn’t agreed to give you anything—not the house, not alimony, and not the kids.”

  I turned and faced him. “Do you really think Miles would kill me just so he doesn’t have to pay alimony or child support?”

  Khalan looked at me with hard eyes. “I think if I was a getting a divorce and had a side chick, I would be trimming all the expenses I could. Do you think he’s going to keep you in the lifestyle that you are accustomed to?” He glanced around at the living room. “How much is this house worth? One point five million?”

  “I have no idea what it’s worth now. The mortgage was a million dollars, but the house has appreciated.” I swallowed. “I have an appraiser coming soon.”

  Khalan nodded. “Once your cheating ex-husband figures out he will make money on the house, he will force you to sell it and split the difference. As far as alimony and child support, well, if you’re no longer alive, there’s no one to pay it to.”

  A shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t want to hear what Khalan was saying, but so far, he was the only one who had consistently told me the truth.

  “So, what do you suggest I do? Confront him about it?”

  “No. Drain him and collect the insurance money.” Khalan picked up the remote and plopped down on the couch.

  I studied him. “I checked on the coyotes.”

  “You did?” He seemed surprised.

  “A few days ago. They seemed to be doing well.” I bit my lip. “Khalan, I have a question.”

  “You always do.” He picked up the remote and aimed it at the TV. “What is it now?”

  “What’s the dating scene like for vampires? Since I’ll be divorced soon, I was just wondering.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how idiotic they sounded.

  “Dating scene? Are you asking if there is some kind of app for finding the undead love of your life?” He chortled.

  “Maybe,” I said quickly. “Is there an app?”

  “Yeah. Swipe and Bite.”

  “Really?”

  “No.”

  “You’re such an asshole.”

  “So you keep saying.” He sighed. “So, which of the wolves did you talk to when you checked on the pups?”

  “The hot one.” I glared.

  Khalan stiffened and turned to face me. “And which one might that be?”

  “The one with the ripped muscles, abs to die for, and a sexy little scar across the nipple line of his right pec.” I shrugged and tried to play it cool. “Said his name was Jack.”

  “Fuck.” Khalan growled and leaned in close to me. “He didn’t happen to sniff you, did he?”

 
“Actually, he did.” I eased back on the couch.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Don’t you know he has your scent now?”

  “So?”

  “That’s like giving him your phone number, address, and credit card number all at once. He can find you anywhere.”

  “I think you’re overreacting. Jack seemed very nice. Besides, you are the one who told me to go check on the babies.”

  “Yeah, check on the coyotes, not get a booty call from a werewolf.”

  I jerked my head towards him. “You really think he likes me?”

  Khalan growled and ignored my question. He clicked on a different channel and relaxed on my couch.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m making myself comfortable. You’ve had multiple attempts on your life. Besides, whoever poisoned you will probably be coming back tonight to see if the job was taken care of. When Miles shows up, I’ll be here. Not to mention, you have now given your scent to a werewolf who has humped his way across the entire state of Mississippi.” Khalan continued clicking through the channels. He finally landed on the history channel and settled in for the night.

  I didn’t argue. I felt safer with Khalan in the house. Even if it meant putting up with his sucky attitude.

  Chapter 28

  It was late when Gabby was dropped off that night. I made Khalan leave out the back door when she arrived. I didn’t want her to find him there.

  I spent the rest of Saturday night thinking about what Khalan had said regarding Miles.

  It certainly seemed like someone was out to get me, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around it being Miles.

  Someone else wanted me out of the way.

  Could it be Nikki?

  Sunday morning, I was ready to hit the bed, but I had told the girls that we were going to church. After dragging Gabby out of bed and putting her in the car, I drove over to get Arianna.

  Surprisingly enough, she was up and waiting for me.

  We got back home, and everyone started getting ready for church. I made a quick breakfast of juice and cereal for the girls while I drank my sustenance from a big tumbler. The blood didn’t do much to bring up my energy level, but I was hoping that it would hold me over until we made it back from church.