My eyes darted to Randal. I watched him fuming as the wraith continued to taunt and tease him, to purposely piss him off. He had to stop. He had to show some self-control.
“Randal.” I couldn’t shout, my head hurt too badly. “Randal, listen to me.”
He couldn’t seem to hear me, or if he did, he didn’t care. He was too far gone, lost in his rage for the wraith and what he had done to his sister.
I pressed my hand to the back of my head and stood. Pain tore through me, making me feel nauseous and hot. Once Randal saw me, he would gain control over himself; he would stop. I just had to remind him I was here, that I was the reason he came, not his sister. Me. Then we could get out of here.
The room had grown larger. I was sure it was because the wraith was gaining strength. As I slowly made my way across the floor, I wondered if the sudden expansive size meant that the wraith had taken me over a little more as well. I needed to find out if that was its purpose; did it take over its hosts? The guy from Mystic had seemed like the wraith had completely overtaken him. Was that what would happen to me?
Randal hadn’t noticed me still. He was so locked in his hatred for the wraith that my movements had gone unnoticed, not only by him, but also by the wraith. The moment I was close enough, I reached out and gripped Randal’s shoulder.
“Stop, please,” I muttered. He turned to face me, ready to dodge any blows I might give, ready to fight if need be. He was in a blind rage. I hadn’t realized how far he was gone until I looked into his eyes. They were bloodshot and glossy. “Stop. You’re fueling him.”
My words stabbed at him like a needle pressing into an overfilled balloon. His anger deflated, and before I could blink, he was gone. He had vanished right before my eyes.
I was left alone with the wraith, wondering what had happened, where Randal had disappeared to. Not for long though because before the wraith could stop laughing, before he could realize what had happened and reach me with his frozen touch, my eyes were fluttering open and I was awake.
Chapter 19
I bolted upright in bed, my heart racing against my rib cage. It was over. I was awake, and Randal was on his knees beside me. There was a concerned look twisting his features and questions dulling the cold of his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Randal’s voice pulled me from the weird place of confusion I was stuck in.
I smoothed a hand through my hair, grazing along the back of my head, anxious to feel if the knot was there. While I was feeling slightly woozy, I was thankful my fingers didn’t find anything.
“How did you find your way into my nightmare?” I shifted until I faced him. “I mean, how is that even possible?” His expression left me wondering if I had been dreaming.
“Your guess is as good as mine, I can assure you.”
His answer confused me, especially when I focused on his eyes. The concern for me had become replaced by a strange level of emotion I couldn’t quite name. “Is that something you’ve always been able to do, walk into people’s dreams?”
Maybe I should have been thanking him for intruding on the nightmare and rescuing me from the wraith, but all I wanted to know was how he had been able to do it. I needed to make sense of the situation. The lack of logic and reason present in my life was starting to screw with me.
“Not always, no.” He leaned back against the headboard of my bed. “It is something I discovered I could do over the last twenty years. I do not do it often. In fact, sometimes it happens on its own accord.” His eyes remained focused on the wrinkled sheets beneath us as an uneasy silence filled the room.
The erotic dream I had of him once passed through my confusion.
My heart beat triple time as I realized it hadn’t been a dream, but some sort of sexy dreamwalk. Scenes from a book I read a few months back where the main character could dreamwalk flashed through my mind. I blinked, unsure what I should feel—violated or turned on from the prospects?
“When I noticed you struggling in your sleep, whimpering and shifting as though you were in pain, I couldn’t sit back and do nothing. The desire to see what you saw, to get a better idea of exactly what we are dealing with, consumed me. I apologize if you feel as though I overstepped by doing so, but this is something I wish I had access to when my sister was infected.” His jaw grew tense, and I knew it was because of the things he had learned while in the nightmare with me.
“Someone has a vendetta against you. Wouldn’t you say so? They spent an awfully long time tracking me down with a hoodoo witch’s help. Whomever you’ve pissed off is serious, Randal Vincent. Shouldn’t that be where your thoughts lie?” The wraith’s words echoed through my mind.
Heavy silence trickled into the room. It festered and grew until I could feel it pressing against me from all sides.
“Now, more than ever, I must find away to get rid of this evil for good.” There was audible stress in his tone, but his eyes killed me. They were filled with anguish. It was swirling through their depths, churning and growing with every breath he took. “I refuse to let this wraith be responsible for taking away another person I care about.”
His words made the breath in my chest still. Even though I knew Randal cared about me, it was still nice to have it confirmed.
My eyes swept over him, taking in his features, and the rise I felt in emotions from his words suddenly dipped until it was extinguished by the pain in his eyes. This moment wasn’t just about me. Randal had learned things that made memories of his sister resurface. The torment was clearly reflected across his face.
“Tell me about her,” I whispered. “Were the two of you close?”
Randal turned his head away, conflicting emotions ran across his face, and I wasn’t sure asking about his sister was the best topic of conversation. When he stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankle, I relaxed.
“Her name was Clara.” His voice was low and deep. It chased away the silence of the room, but didn’t steady my heartbeat.
I was nervous to force him down this path. It was beyond my comfort zone, but for whatever reason, it felt like something that needed to be talked about. Randal needed it, and so did I. It was another way for me to get to know him better. I slipped across the space he had left between us, and he lifted his arm so I could press against his side. His masculine scent filled my nose, and his warmth covered me like a blanket. I snuggled my head against his shoulder and waited for him to continue.
“She was vibrant and full of life.” There was a smile in his voice. “Even as a vampire, she had a heart unlike anyone I had ever met. Her sense of compassion managed to exude from her regardless of the situation. It was one of the things about her that used to drive Bianca insane.”
I laughed. “I’m sure. Bianca doesn’t seem as though she could tolerate being around someone like that for long.”
“Bianca can be a bit rash, can’t she?” A breath of amusement escaped him.
“I’ve only met her once, but I can honestly say that isn’t the word I would use to describe her.”
“I’m sure I could guess the words you would choose. Most likely, you are not the first to choose them for her either.” A laugh rumbled through him. I could feel the vibrations of it against my skin.
When his chuckle died away, an awkward silence drifted between us. Uncomfortable with its weight, I broke through with something that had irked me for a while. I traced a pattern against his bare chest while I thought of how to voice my new question.
“Sage mentioned you turned her because she reminded you of Clara. Is that true?”
Randal sighed before answering, sending his hot breath washing over my body. “In the beginning, yes. In my mind, if I saved her, I was somehow saving a tiny piece of Clara I had let die when I couldn’t find a cure for the wraith.” He shifted until his hand rested against my forearm, and then smoothed his thumb along my skin in soft strokes. “Now that I know Sage well, the similarities stop with her dark hair and small frame.”
My mi
nd latched onto the way he had said that he knew Sage well. Jealousy pinched at my stomach. Never had I been the jealous type, but then again, I had never felt the way I did about Randal.
“Enough reminiscing. There is a trip we should be preparing for.” He interlocked his fingers with mine.
“I know.”
The cold fingers of the wraith slipped along my insides, a reminder of why the trip was necessary. For the millionth time, I prayed Lexy would be willing to help me.
My cell rang, scattering my thoughts and startling me. Randal chuckled as I dashed to my dresser to retrieve it. Bree’s name and number lit my screen. I swore underneath my breath. How could I have forgotten to call and check on her?
I pulled in a deep breath before answering. “Hey, how is everything?” I cringed as the words passed through my lips, hoping her response wouldn’t be something angry and bitter. I had been a shitty best friend.
“Oh my God, Kenna.” Her voice wavered when she spoke. I could picture her eyes wide with shock as she glanced around at the mess before her, trying to figure out how to word her response. “They busted out my sliding glass door and ransacked my entire downstairs. I can’t believe it! I mean, you should see the mess!”
“Was there anything stolen?” I held up a finger to Randal, letting him know I was only going to be a minute.
“Take your time.” He slipped out of bed and pulled his pants on. “I’ll make myself some coffee.”
“Is that Randal?” Bree hissed into my ear.
“Yes, it is,” I replied, knowing she would have something smartass to say next.
Guilt sloshed through my stomach. Her place had been ransacked, and here I was, shacking up with my boyfriend hours after she left as though it was nothing.
“See, I knew you were keeping him at arm’s length because I was there.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that.” Or maybe it was, but only because there was too much about him to hide. Damn, she was observant. “Anyway, back to your house. Are you okay?” I leaned against my pillow and pulled the sheets up over my chest.
“I’m fine. I’m shaken up, I’m not going to lie, but for the most part, I’m fine.” She sighed. “I’m just glad Kellen was able to catch a flight home too. Even though I know it’s unlikely, I’m still scared they might come back.”
“I’m sure! I would be scared of that too.”
“I feel so freaking violated. It’s an odd feeling.” Her words cracked with emotion. I hated that this happened to her. “And everything is such a mess.”
“I’m so sorry, Bree.” I wished I could be there to help her clean up and to be there for her, but it seemed as though the only trip I would be making anytime soon was to Avalon Bay in search of a witch.“At least they didn’t do much damage to the house, right?”
“Yeah, only the sliding glass doors really. I don’t even think they took anything. Kellen and I have been wracking our brains, trying to think of anything that might be missing.” I heard a squeak, and I imagined her sitting down on the noisy futon chair she’d had since freshman year of night school, tucking her knees to her chin. “I know Randal is there with you and the two of you probably want to do the dirty, but would you please just talk to me for a little while. Your voice makes me feel less alone.”
“I thought Kellen was there?”
“He is, but he’s too pissed to be consoling anyone.” The sound of something crashing to the ground in the background came through the phone, followed by Kellen shouting a few choice words.
“Got ya.” I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I talked with Bree for nearly an hour about nothing and everything. I made her laugh a few times and did my best to help get her mind off the mess in front of her.
Once we hung up, I slipped my pajamas back on and tiptoed down the hall to find Randal. The scent of hazelnut coffee lingered in the air, but there wasn’t any noise coming from the kitchen. When I stepped into the living room, I spotted him lounging on the couch with his feet propped on the coffee table, reading. There was a peaceful sense about him. I trailed my eyes over him, soaking in the sight. There was nothing sexier than a man who enjoyed reading. The moment I realized what he was reading, I nearly died.
The vampire novel he had given me so much guff over was clasp firmly in his hands.
A hot flush crept across my face. Why had I not tucked that book into the bottom drawer of my nightstand with all the other unmentionables I hid there? The second he turned his back, that was exactly where that damn novel was going.
“How did your conversation go?” Randal asked without shifting his stare from the pages of the book. “Is Bree all right?”
I licked my lips. Was he seriously going to pretend he wasn’t reading vampire erotica? “Um, she’s shaken up a bit, but other than that, she’s okay.”
He turned the page. “Was there anything stolen?”
“No.” I stepped farther into the room. “Not that she can think of.”
“Good.” He adjusted his fingers against the spine of the book and took a sip from his coffee.
“Enjoying yourself?” I nodded toward the book in his hands, even though he wasn’t looking at me, as I crossed the room to sit beside him.
“It is an interesting read.” Amusement dripped from his words. He dropped the book to his lap and eyed me. “After reading the section that I have, I can clearly see why you had no qualms about the session we shared together earlier.”
My face was on fire. “Just because I read it, doesn’t mean I enjoy it in actual life.”
Randal cocked his head to the side, and smirked at me. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“And why do you say that?” My heart palpitated in my throat. Out of all the moments in my life where I’ve felt even the tiniest bit embarrassed, this one would have to take the damn cake.
“Like I stated before, I’ve grown good at reading people.”
I wanted to melt into the floor.
“Don’t surprise me with anything from that book, okay.” I took it from him and tossed it on the coffee table, fighting against the urge to bury it among the stack of bills where it had been so it would be out of my sight.
“I’ll make no promises.” Randal’s lips twisted into a smug smile as mischief twinkled within his eyes.
I blinked at his candidness. He had always been such a gentleman that it struck me as out of character for him to say such things. Maybe, like everyone, even Randal had many layers and I had only been witness to a few.
“Since I know you have the night off from Spark, I was wondering if you would be willing to attend a dinner with my sisters and me at Mystic before we leave for Georgia.” He set his mug on the coffee table. “There are some things I need to go over with Bianca in regards to Red River that she should attend to in my absence, and it might be a good time for you to get to know the two of them a bit better as well.”
“Oh, um.” I cleared my throat. “Sure. What time were you thinking?”
“How does six-thirty sound?” He stood and I followed suit, ready to walk him to the door.
“Fine. I guess I’ll see you then.”
“Absolutely.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. “Don’t be nervous. They have both wanted nothing more than to have a chance to get to know you better.”
“Okay.” I smiled, but his words didn’t calm the butterflies.
Arabella I could handle. She was sweet and seemed easy enough to get along with. It was Bianca I wasn’t sure I could make it through an evening without bitch slapping.
Chapter 20
I stared at the entrance of Mystic as Randal pulled into a parking space. If I was honest, there was no part of me in a hurry to step through those doors and have dinner or drinks with his sisters, but that wasn’t the only thing causing me to hesitate.
This was where it had happened, where I had been infected with a poisonous essence.
It had only been four days since the incident, and yet here I was, back
at the place my nightmare first began. Chills slipped along my spine as I continued to stare straight ahead. I could feel the wraith fluttering through my chest, reminding me of its presence, toying with my already heightened emotions.
Randal cut the engine and stepped out of his car. I remained where I was, chewing my bottom lip, watching as he walked around the car to open my door for me. A prickly sensation spread through my legs, and for a moment, I wondered if I would even be able to bring myself to step out of the car.
The air of the evening hit my clammy skin as Randal opened my door. I couldn’t move. My eyes shifted to my lap as I struggled to gather myself.
“Are you ready to go inside?” The slight chuckle ripping through Randal’s voice eased away some of my nerves.
I was being silly. There was no reason for me to feel like a scared little girl. The wraith was already inside me, and I doubted there was room for another. I needed to get over the fear and paranoia rooting me in place. The bad had already happened. In fact, I was still carrying it with me.
“Yeah.” I placed my hand in his outstretched one and slipped from my seat.
“Are you okay?” Concern puckered the area between his cool gray eyes.
“I’m fine. I mean, everyone has to face their fears in situations like this at some point, right?” I forced my lips to twist into a smile and turned to face him. Squaring my shoulders to project a level of confidence I didn’t feel, I climbed out. “Who knows? Maybe there will be some valid sense of closure I get from being here tonight.”
My heart pulsed in my throat. Was this how people with post-traumatic stress disorder felt?
I could feel Randal’s steady gaze sweeping over my face as he closed my door. It was as though he was studying me, searching for any cracks in my façade he felt were too deep.
“I should have arranged to meet elsewhere.” He placed a hand against my forearm. “I apologize, Kenna. I wasn’t thinking of what took place here.”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 28
