Sweet Oblivion (Shady Arcade Book 2)

by Sharon Stevenson

  He pursed his lips for a moment and turned away from her to pick his drink back up.

  She shook her head. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

  “I do whatever I please,” he told her, his hand landing on her bared knee and moving upwards, pushing the skirt of her dress away from her pale skin.

  She got up, slapping his hand away. “Touch me because you want me, not to make a goddamned point.” Marching out of the room, she worked on her breathing exercises. He didn’t know compulsion didn’t work on her. She had to make sure he never found out.

  Chapter Four

  Chloe had given up on drawing Larry out of his room by the time she decided to go home and get some actual sleep. She left a mug of blood by his door and commanded him to stay inside the flat. She’d be back in the morning to check in on him. Yawning, she left the building. Her stomach grumbled as she walked. The realisation that she’d barely eaten all day hit her.

  She made a stop at a twenty-four-hour shop on the way home. Her phone started vibrating when she came out of the shop. Zack’s name flashed on the screen. She hadn’t spoken to him since the hospital. She wasn’t supposed to ever contact him. But there were no rules about him contacting her. She knew she was playing with fire when she made the decision to leave him her number when she went to his flat before, but she didn’t regret that choice then and she wasn’t about to start now.

  Shifting her bags, she answered the phone. “Zack?”

  “Chloe, hey,” he said, breathing loudly as he spoke.

  Her paranoia sprang into action. “Is something wrong? Where are you? I’ll...”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” he said quickly. “Can we meet up tonight?”

  “Meet up?”

  “There are some things—” He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “This new body guard is driving me crazy. I need a break and a familiar face.”

  She agreed to meet him, wondering what her Council would make of it. When it came down to it, she decided she didn’t care. She was a dead girl walking right now. What did she have left to lose?

  ***

  Zack flexed his fingers in his worn-out gloves as he waited for Chloe. Turner’s eyes were on the back of his head; he could feel the heat of his stare. It was unnerving. He felt more threatened than protected every second he spent in his company. The second he saw her, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. His rescuer had arrived.

  She was wearing a short black jacket over a blue top and black skirt. The boots were pretty punky, but other than those and the little skulls on her bag she wasn’t dressed too strangely. She definitely wasn’t weird enough to fall for him.

  “Hey,” she said, trying a smile that came out weak. She was probably wondering what the hell he wanted asking her to meet him like this.

  “Hey,” he returned her greeting, glancing around.

  “So, you wanted a break from the new guy?”

  “He’s kind of scary,” Zack admitted. “And I might have had an ulterior motive.”

  She raised her eyebrows as he started to walk. “Ulterior motive?”

  He answered her only once they were out of sight of the flat. He knew there was no way the new guy would have heard him before, but he wanted to make absolutely sure. He managed a tight smile. “I need to know where my old house is.”

  She stopped walking and he noticed her grip had tightened on the strap of her bag. “Zack, I don’t know if that’s such a great idea.”

  “Please, Chloe. I don’t know anyone else who can help me. I have to know.”

  He watched the struggle in her expression. She gave him a sympathetic smile but her brow furrowed with worry. She knew where it was, he was sure of it. Probably everyone knew. Just like they all knew he was crazy. “I’ve seen you lose your senses, Zack. I don’t know what to do if that happens.”

  “I always come back,” he said, tugging at his hair. “I only ever talk to myself. It’s not like—” He sighed. “Shit. Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” He felt defeated. The only clue he could get to where his family had been taken was in that house. He had to get there but it wasn’t fair to ask her to take him. “Can you just tell me where it is?”

  She took a breath and let it out slowly. “Are you going to try to remember? Is that why you have to go there?”

  He nodded slowly. “I need to remember.”

  She nodded back and started to walk. He caught up quickly as she started moving faster. Her pace wasn’t leisurely, but she didn’t break into a run. He kept her pace, breathless when she stopped at a bench close to the woods. He didn’t remember ever being this close to the edge of town before. He didn’t recognise anything. He caught her glance and wondered why she looked so angry. She took another slow, measured breath and moved on into the woods.

  “You’re almost home,” she told him.

  ***

  Chloe felt her heart race as she led Zack home. Memories flooded her every step of the way into those woods. There were so many heated embraces between them here over the years they’d been together. He’d remember something, he had to. Didn’t he? She swallowed as she got to the door of his old house, turning to him.

  He had a determined expression etched into his face. “This is it.”

  She nodded, no more words forthcoming. This really was it.

  He moved forward and opened the door. She walked into the house behind him and closed the door as he took a few steps forward. The hallway didn’t look so different, if you ignored the graffiti on the walls and the dust caking every surface. The place had been abandoned and someone had broken the lock a while ago. She kicked at a crushed beer can as Zack stopped at the portrait of his family. He stared. She bit down on her lip. He glanced at her briefly before he moved on.

  ***

  Zack moved through the ground floor, trying the light switches to no avail. The electricity had likely been cut ages ago. If no one had been there in a year the bills definitely weren’t being paid. He pushed open a door that seemed to lead into a living room. The light-coloured carpet was marred with ugly dark stains. The couches had been slashed up and sprayed with tags. Zack looked around and couldn’t imagine this ever being a place worth living in. The trash littering the floor and the urine scent throughout really didn’t help to sell it. He moved on. The next room was the kitchen. And he was sure it was where the attack had happened. If the spray-painted body-outlines didn’t say it all he wasn’t sure what would.

  Chloe’s hand on his arm drew his attention to her sombre expression. She didn’t say a word. Hadn’t since she’d told him they were almost there. He cleared his throat and pulled the glove from his right hand. Slipping it into his pocket he swallowed. He was going to have to touch something in the room and he wasn’t sure what to go for. He knew he was avoiding the inevitable. He had to kneel and touch the grimy, stained floor. There was blood there, somewhere. Some of it had to be his.

  Crouching down, he put his naked palm flat on the stained floor. The emotional residue ripped through him, making his head pound in agony. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes against the flash of light that signalled the start of a vision. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was fresh blood. It was everywhere. The sound of wheezing drew his attention to Audrey. His red-headed sister was on the floor, gasping as she clawed at a strong arm wrapped around her neck. Blood streamed down her cheeks. Her eye-sockets were empty.

  “Holy fucking shit! Steve, I can’t even...”

  “Concentrate, Zack. You’re looking for something, remember? How the hell are you going to find it if you black out right now?”

  Imaginary or not, he was right. Zack had to focus. He turned away from Audrey’s struggle. He couldn’t help her now. This had already happened. She’d been turned into a vampire. He saw other things in the room. The floor was an endless stretch of crimson. A man lay on his side, his face a bloodied mess. He might have been one of the others from the painting in the hall, one of Zack’s brothers. It felt strange that he didn
’t remember. Sounds of struggling went on as Audrey’s voice hit his ears.

  “He has a trigger, you turn him at your own fucking risk.” She sounded pissed. He didn’t need to look at her again. A grunt of pain was followed by flesh hitting flesh. “He’s nothing special. He can’t help you. You kill him and a death curse will hit every last member of your clan. You turn him and he’ll Trojan Horse your sorry asses!”

  A man was laughing at her warnings. A sudden yelp drew his vision to the most jarring thing he’d even seen. Zack saw himself being flung into the room, stumbling into the horror scene and sliding through blood to land at Audrey’s side. His eyes were wide as he saw hers were gone. A sob choked him.

  “No! Audrey!” He fought in futility to free her from the vampire who was gripping her by the throat.

  She growled. Her teeth had changed. She had fangs now.

  “He’s mine,” she snarled as she broke free and sank her fangs into Zack’s throat.

  He cursed as his eyes rolled up in his head.

  The vision ended abruptly as Zack gasped in a breath. He stood up quickly, staggering back. Chloe steadied him from behind. She held on as his breathing got back to normal.

  “Are you okay?”

  He shook his head. He’d seen more than he’d wanted to and it hadn’t helped him at all. All he knew for sure was that his sister had been turned. He’d already known that. It didn’t tell him anything, seeing all of that hadn’t helped.

  “Shit.”

  “Maybe we should leave.”

  He wiped his hand on his coat. He didn’t want to put his glove back on before he’d washed his hand. He wished he could get rid of the vision the same way, washing it out of his head.

  “Yeah, we should go.”

  ***

  Chloe bit back disappointment as they walked home. He didn’t want to remember anything now that he’d seen something and she had no idea what he’d even seen, though she knew it must have been traumatic.

  “If you need to talk about it—”

  He shook his head. “It’s fine.”

  “What did you... I mean—” She gave up trying to ask what he’d seen. It wasn’t her business, and he didn’t seem willing to talk about it. She shouldn’t pry, even if it was taking every ounce of her self-restraint, she couldn’t ask him what she wanted to ask. She wasn’t sure what he’d been looking for but he sure as hell hadn’t found it.

  “You know anything about vampires?” he asked.

  She blinked. “It’s kind of my job to know about them.”

  “Right.” His face flushed. “You’re a necromancer.”

  She nodded. “So?”

  “They turned my sister,” he said slowly, as if he was trying to make sense of it. “She tried to stop the same thing from happening to me.” He paused before he went on, “I still don’t understand how I lost my memory.”

  “Blood loss, maybe,” she said, wishing she had a solid answer on that. “You were barely alive when you were found. It took a massive transfusion to save your life. The damage had already been done.”

  “Where did they take Audrey?”

  “We don’t know which clan took your family.” Chloe shook her head. “And there’s no way to free someone from a clan once they’ve been claimed, Zack.”

  She stopped at the bench, their bench. Folding her arms, she tried to push back the anger that was filling her. He was never going to remember what they’d meant to each other. He was too lost. She had to let go. When she turned, she saw him run his gloved hand over his hair. He was glancing back at the trail to the woods. She took a breath. It was going to hurt, but she had to move on.

  “I need to go home,” she told him, moving before she could doubt her decision.

  His mouth opened when she glanced back, but he didn’t try to stop her. “Okay, sorry, I—”

  “I’ll see you around,” she called back, barely stifling a sob.

  ***

  Zack watched Chloe storm away, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He never should have asked for her help. Not for this. It was too messed up.

  “Shit,” he whispered, pacing back and forth from the trail to the bench. He balled his naked hand into a fist. He was no further forward. It hadn’t done him any good coming out here. He stopped pacing, flopping down onto the bench and growling out his frustration as he tugged at his hair with his gloved hand.

  The flash of light that hit as his naked hand touched the wood made him jerk upright. Suddenly he was constricted, pinned to his seat by the weight of a slender girl who was wearing fishnets under her skirt. His fingers gripped her upper thighs as her hands stroked through his hair. Her lips were coated in a sweet balm that tasted of cherry. She pushed closer and he gasped in a breath as her mouth broke from his. Just one look...

  The sensory vision broke as suddenly as it began. His fingers still sat on the bench, frozen in place. His lips tingled in memory of the contact. Breathing fast, he moved his hand, trying to knock lose another vision, something that would explain what he’d already experienced.

  It didn’t work. His sensitive touch had discovered something it wasn’t able to duplicate for once.

  “Shit,” he cursed, getting up and moving around. Even removing both gloves and sitting back down with his palms on the seat did nothing. Whatever he’d picked up, he’d lost again.

  Sighing, he gave up and headed for home. One thing was for certain, he’d kissed a girl on that bench at some point in his past. Even if he never figured out who or why, at least he knew it had happened.

  ***

  Guilt hit Chloe after her tears flooded out. She’d left Zack alone at the edge of town. Vampires were after him and he was out there alone. She wiped at her cheeks and moved quickly to her window. Surely, he hadn’t spent too long out at the woods. She should be able to catch sight of him walking past to get to his flat. Chewing at her nails, she waited. The night was still and quiet. It was five whole nerve-shredding minutes before she saw him, walking past slowly with his hands in his pockets. She breathed a shaky sigh of relief and moved away from the window.

  Her heart sank as the truth hit her. She couldn’t see him again. Not while she was awaiting her tribunal. Things were bad enough. If she endangered him in any way it wouldn’t matter what her punishment was, she’d never forgive herself.

  Chapter Five

  Audrey was careful not to reach out to Zack while Randall was around. Her boss was conceited, not stupid. He’d know she was up to something. And if he found out about Zack, it would be game over for Little Z. She dressed up in red satin and leather for the night’s event. Randall’s clan had recently formed an alliance with Midnight clan. The party was to celebrate the union.

  She wanted to make sure Zack was okay after his incident with the vampire called Bridget. Finding the chance to speak to him was becoming increasingly difficult and wasn’t helped by the fact that he’d decided she was just another voice in his head.

  “I wish you’d worn the dress I got you,” Randall commented, without even looking at her.

  “And I wish I was still human. We all make compromises, Randall.” She got into the limo before him and he sat down close to her when he got inside.

  “Your brothers will be there tonight,” he mentioned.

  Audrey glanced at her boss. “My brothers?”

  “The twins.” He poured himself a drink.

  She wished he’d step up his alcoholism just a touch. If he managed to cook himself from the insides out she could find a way to take over the clan. “They were only my brothers when they were human.”

  “That’s right,” he told her, patting her knee. “They were our enemies and now they’re our allies. There is no such thing as family to you anymore, not outside our clan. If I’d told you to kill one of them last week you would have.”

  She rolled her eyes as he sipped his drink. The car finally started to move. As soon as they got to the party she could separate from his insufferable ass. She only ever really l
iked Randall when he was on top of her.

  The journey was dull and seemed to take forever. She gazed out of the window, catching the red glint of her new eyes in the glass. She could bullshit with the best of them. Looking like a monster was a million miles away from acting like one. The twins were dead, killed and turned like she was. He wouldn’t be asking her to kill them if he decided he wanted them gone. He’d be asking her to put them out of their misery. And she knew if it had come to it she would have stepped up and done what she had to do. Protecting Zack was the single most important thing to her.

  The car pulled to a stop outside a mansion. She raised her eyebrows at Randall as he helped her out of the limo. “It’s bigger than yours.”

  “You’re going to pay for that comment later,” he murmured, punctuating the mild threat with a hard grab of her ass.

  “Can’t wait,” she said, smiling sweetly as she took his arm.

  They walked up a short staircase into a spacious hallway. A servant led them to the party. The ballroom was lavish. She glanced around, sure to look bored while she searched for her idiot brothers amidst the tantalising mix of cold and warm bodies. Some vampires were feeding from humans on sofas in the corners of the room. She was glad to see none were having sex. The last orgy style party they’d come to had stank of desperation. There was just something hideously uncivilised about naked bodies rutting in public view.

  “Go find your brothers,” Randall dismissed her without a glance.

  Apparently, the psychic vampires were not tonight’s entertainment. It was unusual, but she supposed they’d been around long enough for the novelty to wear off. No one was overly impressed with their mind reading party tricks anymore. Randall had only suggested she find her brothers to get her out of his way. She watched him approach a man at the other end of the room as she dropped wove her way through the other guests in search of her brothers. Her enhanced eyesight caught a glimpse of Mark as he moved out of the room. She moved faster, chasing after him. When she got to the hallway, she just caught sight of him disappearing up a flight of stairs. Rushing, she caught up to him on the first landing.