“Yes.”
Her heartbeat accelerated, knowing she was on to something. “What do you mean by different? Their lifestyle?”
“Partly.”
“Why are you being cryptic? What else? You’re not suggesting some of them aren’t human, are you?”
Danton didn’t answer right away. “Some things are better understood through discovery rather than what someone tells you.”
Tracy scrunched her face up in confusion.
“If I told you I was a gargoyle without showing you,” Danton explained, “would you have believed me?”
“Of course not.”
He had a point, Tracy conceded. She would have had him kicked out of the club, dismissing him as a nut job. Her mind darted to whatever types of creatures he might be alluding to, but it was too much for her mind to process. She wouldn’t have believed in gargoyles unless she had seen him change and even then she had thought it must be unreal, some sort of drug-induced hallucination.
Approaching another subject, Tracy asked, “How did you end up in Vamps?”
“Michel Camard brought me over.”
Her mouth dropped open before she could formulate her next question. Michel Camard was her former boss, the previous owner of Vamps. “Did he know what you are?”
“Of course.”
Questions swirled in her mind. “Is he—a gargoyle?”
She couldn’t believe she was even having this conversation about people she knew who might be supernatural beings.
Danton chuckled. “No.”
Something clicked in Tracy’s mind. There was something about Michel that always attracted her to him. Sure, he was hot as hell and she thought about jumping his bones more than once, but there was something else that made him different.
“He’s not human, is he?”
Danton picked up a stone and threw it to the ocean, where it skipped twice. Tracy suspected he used it as a distraction while he avoided her question. Or maybe formulated his thoughts. She waited a few moments and was about to ask again, when he answered.
“I can only share my secret with you. I cannot reveal others, just like I won’t reveal yours.”
“I respect that,” Tracy said while the gears in her mind spun ’round, trying to determine what Michel was. “I have a guess,” she began. “But I won’t put you in an awkward position. Can you tell me at least how the two of you met?”
Danton nodded. “We were acquainted in Paris.”
“Paris,” she cooed. “How long ago?”
“A long time ago. That’s all I can say.”
Tracy narrowed her eyes while she guesstimated. Years? Decades? Centuries? Not wanting to press him for something he didn’t want to tell, she focused on the city where they met. “I’ve always wanted to go to Paris. Never did I expect it to be filled with gargoyles and with—supernatural beings.”
“I would love to take you.” Danton picked up another stone and skipped it. “I haven’t been back to my homeland in too long.”
Tracy beamed like an excited schoolgirl as they resumed walking the beach. What woman wouldn’t want to go on a romantic trip to Paris? Let alone with someone who looked—and fucked—like Danton. Then she remembered one little obstacle. He turned back to stone tonight.
Regardless, she pictured them on a flight to Paris. Wait, Danton had wings.
“Can you fly?”
“Yes.”
“Oh,” she said softly, imagining flying the night skies in his protective embrace. Her mind was ready to explode with all this new information. The more she knew, the more questions came up. “How did Michel convince you to come to America?”
“He hired me for protection in the club. Both for himself and the people within.” He tapped his thigh again as if formulating what he could and should reveal. “You know the humans employed as bouncers there. That’s for the human element. But if there was ever any sort of paranormal incident, humans would be useless.”
Tracy was quiet for a moment while she let that settle. “Are there more living gargoyles guarding Vamps?”
He nodded slowly. “Not all are decorative.” Then he leaned back as if assessing her. “I assume I can trust you to keep what I tell you to yourself.” His eyes searched hers, looking for truth. Trust.
“Of course, Danton. You can trust me.”
She stood on her tiptoes so she could kiss his cheek, punctuating her point. Strange—she’d never been one for public affection, but she kissed him without any hesitation.
Danton cradled her face in his hands and said, “I do trust you.” He dove into the kiss, nibbling and sucking her bottom lip before pulling back. “I have brothers there with me.”
His kiss almost made her forget her question, leaving her heady with want. Clearing her mind, she asked, “More gargoyles? Like you?”
“Yes,” he hissed, kissing her neck.
Despite her many questions, she bent her neck to offer him easier access. The pleasure he could provide turned her insatiable. A wanton woman who thought of nothing but her desire for him since she met him. She moaned in pleasure, wanting him to take her on the beach right now, onlookers be damned. Her panties grew moist as need coiled in her pussy. How could she be ready for him again all so soon?
Families were around. Kids.
Get hold of yourself.
She fought to regain some sense before she tore off his shirt. The more he told her, the more she wondered. “We have to stop.” She pulled away reluctantly. “We can’t do this here.”
Danton’s eyes had darkened. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to touch you. To taste you again. Give us one more chance to be together before I change back.”
The warmth of his breath on her earlobe made her skin tingle. And his words only exacerbated her need for him. If it was dark and nobody was around, she’d pull him down right now. “Yes,” she purred.
Danton took her hand as they continued to walk the beach. “Let’s get something to eat. I’m hungry.”
Tracy felt hunger as well, but not for food. As they left the beach, she forced erotic images away and scanned the waterfront for someplace they could eat.
“This place serves the best seafood,” Tracy said. “The lobster and clam chowder are unreal.”
They sampled a variety of seafood dishes and cold beers from a local brewery. Danton had her captivated as he told her about the places he’d been. He was unlike any guy she’d ever dated, most of whom were screwed up in one way or another. She began to see a pattern—she wanted to save them from themselves. Danton didn’t need any taking care of; in fact, he was the one who wanted to care for her. Although her independent side didn’t know what to make of it, she enjoyed feeling safe and protected around him.
Tracy thought about how long he must have been there at Vamps, locked in stone. One night in particular stood out. “What about the night of the fire?”
“Some of Michel’s enemies hunted him down.” Danton leaned back in his chair, beer glass in hand, his body appearing as relaxed as if he was discussing the weather, save for the intensity in his gaze. “My brothers and I communicated to each other silently, deciding on how to take action without revealing ourselves and causing more chaos.”
“What did you do?”
“We changed into winged human forms and flew the couple of remaining unconscious humans to a safe area outside under the cover of the dark smoke, but close enough to the firefighters so they would be found. Then, after they were all safe, my brothers went to help Michel and I searched for you.”
“You did? Why?”
His eyes were full of warmth and earnest. “You know why, Tracy.”
Having someone care about her so deeply was something she wasn’t used to. She swallowed before replying. “Did you find me?”
“Yes. You were outside the club talking to a police officer.”
“I had to give a statement.”
“After seeing you were safe, I joined my brothers. They saw Michel jum
p into a car driven by a female. They intervened to stop Michel’s enemies from following them. Once I joined them and these enemies knew they were outnumbered by gargoyles, they fled.”
Tracy’s mind spun with this knowledge, but she fought to remember his words. “I followed you home to make sure you were safe. The following year while they rebuilt the club, my brothers and I returned to Paris and lived with our kind. Nobody would be looking for us while they renovated the club. While in Paris, I thought about you often. I knew I had to return. Once I knew the club was reopening, I told Michel I wanted to return to Vamps. He no longer owned the club, but made the arrangements.”
“I don’t know what to say, Danton. Thank you.” Tracy tried to process all she had heard in the last few minutes. The more she tried, the more questions popped up.
“How do you communicate or move or anything if you’re in stone?”
“Our kind has many magical properties. Those who have made the bond have a greater ability to use magic and they aid us in navigating the gargoyle and human worlds. They can transform us to our human form for short periods.”
“Whoa,” Tracy dropped her forehead into her hands. “So if you took the bond with someone—like me—you’d become more powerful? You’d be able to use gargoyle magic?”
“Yes.”
The guilt returned, weighing heavy on her as she contemplated all she was hearing. She could offer her body to him for the day, but she just couldn’t offer him her heart and soul for eternity. Her heartbeat sped up. She shook the guilt away and asked, “What about Vamps’ new owner, Mr. Stone? Does he know what you are?”
“I don’t know what Michel told him. But he knows we are more than just stone. And that we are sacred.”
“Crazy,” Tracy whispered. She focused on her beer glass while contemplating what he revealed. Her breathing escalated and her vision began to blur. “No, not now.”
“Tracy, are you okay?”
She tried to focus on his face, but couldn’t. She tried to slow her breathing to calm her overworking systems.
“Tracy?”
She raised her hand. “Hold on.”
Using meditation techniques to calm herself, she breathed in through her nose and out her mouth. She counted in her head to focus on something else, anything else.
It was no use. A panic attack had begun and she knew she only had moments before it was in full effect, where she’d be a wreck thinking she was about to die.
“I’m sorry, Danton. I have to go.”
She stood up and pushed her way through the chairs to get away from everyone, while the tightness in her chest and feeling of dread came over her.
“Tracy!” He stood up.
“This is all too intense for me. I need to be alone.”
She rushed out of the restaurant and turned back to see him right behind her. “Please don’t follow me. It will only make it harder.”
He stopped following her, his eyes filled with concern.
“I’m sorry.”
She ran without looking back.
Chapter Five
In her bed that night, Tracy tossed and turned, replaying events of the day. She checked the clock repeatedly. At what time would Danton switch back? Vamps closed at one a.m. and it took awhile to get all the stragglers out. Between cashing out and cleaning up, a good part of an hour could pass. She figured he’d probably turned back around two a.m. It was now almost four. She turned the clock in the opposite direction.
Had she made a mistake in running away? She could have been with him for the evening. They could have returned to her apartment after dinner and spent the rest of their time in her bed.
No, she couldn’t think that way. Sure, it was rotten timing to have an attack, but they occurred during times of stress, especially when she dated Brian. Too much had happened since last night and she needed some distance to understand it.
Too late for regrets. Danton was gone. She passed up the opportunity to be with him and had to move on.
Throughout the next day, anxiety settled inside her like a physical weight. She was working the bar tonight, which meant she’d be near Danton. How could she continue tending bar at Vamps as if nothing had happened? She knew too much—and now she felt too much—to just brush it aside.
Maybe I should look for another job. But where? Another bartending gig would be easy to get, but they wouldn’t have the same vibe as Vamps.
She’d have to look outside Cape Ann, in Boston or Portland perhaps. As long as she avoided the college scene. What made Vamps unique was the crowd, an alternative mix of goths, punk rockers and black-clad members of the counterculture.
To make matters worse, Brian called.
“You know you’re not supposed to call me,” she said.
“I don’t know what the hell happened last night, but I know what I saw. I did not hallucinate it. A giant man with wings threw me over the bar.”
“You had to be on something, Brian, because you were way out of line grabbing me. And by the way, you’re not supposed to be calling me, visiting me or trying to shove your goddamn tongue down my throat. Don’t call me again!”
She slammed down the phone. She thought Danton scared the shit out of him enough so she wouldn’t be hearing from him again. But unfortunately, Brian used it as a reason to bother her yet again.
Her doorbell rang. When she answered it, she saw a delivery man holding a giant bouquet of sunflowers. After signing for them, she closed the door and opened the attached card.
These flowers reminded me of breakfast with you. After a night I’ll never forget.
Thank you for your kindness. I wish you all the happiness there is.
D.
Tracy pressed the card to her heart. Last night was one of the best nights in her life. She remembered highlights of the short time they had.
Have I made a huge mistake?
Tracy took extra care with her hair and makeup before she went to work. She wore her favorite strapless black dress with silver buckles and zippers that were more decorative than functional, and accessorized it with silver-buckled motorcycle boots and silver jewelry.
When she walked into the Vamps, she realized she was holding her breath. In a few moments, she’d be near him. He’d be frozen, but she’d know he was there. How could she be the one to send him back to his stony prison? No matter how he described it as his way of existence, that’s what it seemed like to her. Being locked in stone, unable to move.
Trying to push the guilty thoughts out of her head, she pulled on the door with the sign reading “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here”. Her eyes darted to the left of the bar where the gargoyle statue stood and immediately her heart pounded in panic. It turned out she didn’t have to worry about working near him after all. The gargoyle was gone.
She scrutinized the other gargoyle statues standing upright or perched on walls. What was real and what was stone?
“Where’s the gargoyle?” she asked one of the bar backs, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.
“Oh yeah, it’s gone. I was wondering what looked different over there.”
“You don’t know where it is?”
“No idea.”
Tracy ran through the club, investigating storage areas and stairwells. She asked the other club staff if they knew where the statue was. No one seemed to know. Danton had vanished.
During her shift, she tried to stay focused on her patrons, grateful for the distraction. Most of them ordered beer, but some of the fancier drinks, like Tempting Fate, had a number of ingredients that required her attention. It was difficult enough to hear drink orders over the DJ, but tonight they had a punk band starting the night with a very short and loud set.
She searched for her boss Tristan or his girlfriend Maya, as they might know about Danton, but they weren’t around. The hours crept by.
Where was he?
When her shift ended, she left Vamps and circled the club, hoping she’d find a clue. She searched nearby buildings to
see if Danton perched on one of them. Coming up with nothing, she still wasn’t ready to go home. Her cold bed and shower taunted her by reminding her of all she’d be missing. Instead, she walked to the ocean.
If she lived in a bigger city, she might hesitate before walking around alone after midnight. But this was Caterina’s Cove, a sleepy seaside village north of Boston. Vamps was the darkest aspect in the area, hidden in the shadows of warehouses.
She took off her boots so she could traipse down to the water, feeling the sand between her toes. The breeze coming off the Atlantic cooled the otherwise humid July night. She hoped the relaxing sound of the waves reaching the shore would help relax her restless mind, wondering and worrying about him, but she was wrong.
The beach, the sand, the waves—all of it reminded her of being with Danton on the beach. Their walk together, their kiss. They could barely keep their hands off each other, both ready to roll around in the sand. Despite the desolation on losing the flesh-and-blood version of him, she smiled. She’d fallen in love with him. Whatever he was, stone or man, she was drawn to him unlike anyone before.
She had to find him and tell him how she felt.
But where was he?
She furrowed her brows and tried to think where a gargoyle statue would disappear to. He couldn’t just evaporate. Someone must have moved him. Unless he left while he was still in human form and took his shell with him.
Tracy was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t see anyone approach and didn’t realize she wasn’t alone until the interruption. “I know you know what’s going on.”
Adrenaline hit her. She knew that voice and the heady scent of alcohol on him. “Brian, why are you following me here?”
“Because you’re lying. You saw that thing attack me.”
“Fine, whatever you say.” She rolled her eyes in an effort to hide her apprehension. “Happy now? Can you please leave me alone?”
“I miss you, Tracy. I want to go home with you.”
“No. You need to let go and move on. We are over.”
“What if I quit drinking?”
“You should quit drinking. It makes you crazy. But we’re not getting back together.”
GargoylesEmbrace Page 4
