“Fuck you,” Isaiah ground out before ending the call.
“Damn,” he muttered to no one. After the image Drew had painted in his mind, Isaiah was painfully aroused. It’s not that he didn’t have any experience with women, but he’d honestly never been all that kinky. He had no idea who he was at the moment. He’d gone from the shy nerdy vampire who rarely got laid, to a stalker who was getting off on thoughts of bondage and spanking.
Chapter Seven
After parking, Phoenix hurried up to her small apartment. It was nothing like the large house she’d grown up in, but it was home, and she mostly felt safe here. At least, she had until today. While it had been her hope that Hayden would give up on finding her, she knew that had been a ridiculous thing to hope for. She still couldn’t get over the fact that he’d somehow recruited hunters to help him. By this point, she’d figured the hunters weren’t going to come looking for her. If they’d really wanted to find her, she would have already been discovered, spelled tattoo or not.
She’d struggled with her desire to call her parents the entire drive home. It was probably stupid to call them since nothing good ever came from any of their conversations. Neither had been happy about having to leave their old lives behind, and her dad still doubted the need to do so. At first, she’d stayed away from them to keep them safe in case the hunters came looking for her. Now, she stayed away from them because she suspected they would eventually tell Hayden where to find her. They’d never believed he was a danger.
As much as she hated to admit it, her parents might be to blame for Hayden’s presence in this area. It was always possible she’d let it slip to them where she was hiding. Finally, giving in to temptation, she called her parents.
“Hello,” her mom answered hesitantly.
“It’s me,” Phoenix said, feeling awkward. Talking to her parents always felt awkward. They’d been pushing her to take her place as a hunter her entire life. Admittedly, her mom had begun to accept her decision, but her father still only spoke to her through her mom.
“Phoenix,” her mother breathed out. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she lied. “Things are good out here, and the witch who helped me just did some more work on my tattoo. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Not worry,” her mother scoffed. “How am I supposed to do that when you insist on staying away from us?”
“How is Dad?” Phoenix asked to avoid further discussion on whether she’d be safer with her parents. Bringing up her father might even remind her mom why she was safer on her own.
“He’s doing fine with his new job,” her mom replied in a more strained voice. “Things have been rough for him lately. He wants to check on the rest of the family.”
The rest of the family consisted of her aunt, uncle, and two cousins.
“Don’t let him call them, Mom.” There was no hiding the tremor in her voice.
Silence greeted her.
“Mom,” she whispered. “Please, tell me he didn’t call them.”
“Shayla’s run off, and her parents have no idea where she is,” her mom continued. “Your father said Hayden is beside himself with worry. She’s been gone as long as we have. Do you think she ran away because you did? I know you girls were spending a lot of time together.”
Phoenix felt the rising panic. Ignoring her mom’s question about Shayla, she pushed for more information. “Did he tell Hayden where you’re staying?”
“Of course not,” her mom assured her, sounding annoyed that she’d asked. “He simply told Hayden we’re safe and tucked away in a small town in the Midwest, while you’d gone to hide where there are more witches.”
Phoenix knew she should be happy that her father hadn’t revealed exact locations, but he’d given Hayden enough to start with. At that moment, she was even more thankful her father didn’t know where she was.
“When did he talk to Hayden?” she demanded.
“Don’t get all dramatic about this,” her mom scolded. “Hayden is family, and he’s worried about you. I understand you had your issues with him when you were kids, but those childish spats shouldn’t still be bothering you at this age.”
Phoenix wanted to scream at her mother, but she fought the urge because she’d learned long ago it did no good to try to make her mom see the truth when it came to Hayden. She’d screamed, cried, and begged her parents to keep Hayden away from her while growing up, but they’d refused to believe a word she’d said against him. Even when she’d been fourteen and Hayden had wrestled her to the ground and groped her breasts, her parents had insisted he just had trouble remembering she was a young lady and their childhood play was no longer appropriate. It had never been play. Hayden hated her for having a hunter’s mark when he didn’t. That hate had somehow manifested itself into a sick obsession.
“Phoenix?”
“I’m still here,” she told her mom. “You need to move.”
“Hayden promised he wouldn’t tell anyone where we are,” her mom assured her, which meant her dad had likely revealed more than her mom was letting on. “What do you think happened to Shayla? I hope she’s okay.”
The day Shayla had come to Phoenix with bruises from Hayden trying to strangle her, Phoenix had known how truly unstable he was. Shayla had been lucky to get away with her life, and that’s when Phoenix had realized they needed to run before Hayden found out about her biggest secret. Her parents had never heard the full story, though she’d been tempted to tell them many times. Instead, she’d chosen to leave Shayla out of the story, and let them think Phoenix’s mistakes were the only reason they’d had to run. Honestly, they were used to blaming her, so it was easier that way.
“Hayden’s phone calls might be monitored since he’s family,” she lied.
“I hadn’t thought about that,” her mom admitted. “Still, I’m sure the hunters have no interest in finding us. You’re the one they’re looking for.”
“Please, Mom, just move.”
“I’ll talk to your father,” her mom relented, but Phoenix already knew that meant they weren’t moving. Phoenix wasn’t even surprised that her father had called his family. What she actually had trouble believing was that it had taken him this long to do it.
“I need to go, Mom,” Phoenix told her. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetie,” her mom replied. “Maybe we can all move somewhere together and be a real family again.”
It was a struggle not to laugh. They’d never been a real family.
“I’ll call you soon,” was all Phoenix said, ending the call to avoid arguing about where she should stay.
Hearing that her dad had talked to Hayden meant she needed to make one other call.
“What do you need?” Shayla asked, sounding almost angry.
“My dad talked to Hayden,” Phoenix replied, bypassing the niceties and small talk. They didn’t have that kind of relationship anymore.
“Shit!” Shayla shouted.
It was hard to make out her cousin’s voice with the background noise.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Shooting range,” Shayla explained.
“You bought a gun?” Phoenix gasped. Her cousin had been afraid of her own shadow for years.
“Yep,” Shayla replied, and Phoenix could picture her cousin’s lips twisted into a condescending smirk. “Fucker comes anywhere near me, and I will blow his balls off.”
“What if you don’t have the gun with you?” It’s not that she didn’t want her cousin to feel confident in her ability to defend herself. She just didn’t like the idea of her relying on a gun to do it.
“That’s what the Karate classes are for,” Shayla replied. “I guess Hayden was right about one thing.”
“What’s that?” Phoenix asked.
“That mark on your body doesn’t mean that much. I can defend myself now, but I’ll bet that even though you’re in danger, you still haven’t learned how.” There was no missing the anger in her cousin’
s voice.
When Phoenix didn’t respond to Shayla’s snarky comment, Shayla let out a sigh. “Sorry about being a bitch. I’m just worried about my parents.”
“Why? Did they say something when you talked to them?” Much to her dismay, Shayla still called her parents on occasion.
“I’ve tried calling them twice in the last few days and they haven’t answered,” Shayla explained. From the sound of it, Shayla had just climbed into her car. “I know you’re probably going to tell me they could be busy, or Hayden could have been around when I called.”
“Both are possible,” Phoenix said.
“The last time I talked to them, my mom said Hayden was looking for you,” Shayla told her.
“We already knew that,” Phoenix reminded her.
“This is worse,” Shayla continued. “According to them, he’s calling you a whore, and he’s even gone to the local hunters to try to convince them you need to be found immediately.”
While Phoenix had no idea why Hayden had suddenly become so determined to find her after all this time, it helped explain why he was here. It seemed he’d gotten the help he wanted from the hunters.
“Hayden is here,” Phoenix admitted. “There are hunters with him, and they’ve been questioning the local witches.”
“My parents would have answered the phone when I called so they could warn me that Hayden had left the area,” Shayla insisted.
Normal parents would do that, but Shayla’s parents weren’t normal. Despite what Shayla wanted to believe, Phoenix wasn’t convinced Shayla’s parents wouldn’t tell Hayden where to find both of them if they knew. Monsters weren’t simply born. Hayden had been a strange child whose parents had enabled him to be violent and cruel by making excuses for his behavior and covering up anything that looked suspicious, like mutilated pets. It was impossible to predict what her aunt and uncle would do.
“They might be afraid you’d warn me,” Phoenix told her.
There was a pause before Shayla answered. “You’re right,” she admitted. “I still need to get someone to check on them.”
Phoenix let out a frustrated sigh, knowing there was no way to talk her cousin out of this.
“After I call, I’ll ditch this phone and grab a new one before I leave town. I’ll let you know what I find out about my parents,” Shayla told her before ending the call.
Phoenix wanted to cry. She was tired of running and tired of lying. There hadn’t been anything truly good in her life for so long; she wasn’t sure if she’d recognize good. Then her mind drifted to Isaiah and the shy smiles he gave her every day. Isaiah was the one good thing in her life, and she couldn’t keep him.
Phoenix was beyond exhausted when she made her way into the bedroom. She barely managed to slip out of her clothes and into a sleep shirt before collapsing onto the bed, in desperate need of a good eight hours of sleep. Not that she’d get eight hours before she needed to head into work again, but she’d take what she could get.
She had no idea how long she’d slept before her phone rang, but it hadn’t been long enough. Reaching over to the bedside table, she remembered her phone was still in the living room. Sadly, she no longer lived a life where she could ignore her phone in favor of sleep.
Dragging herself out of bed, she padded into the living room, barely missing the call. It was Shayla, so she called her cousin right back, but the call went to voicemail. Deciding against leaving a message, she waited a few minutes in case her cousin tried calling her again.
The voicemail indicator popped up on her phone, and Phoenix felt her gut tighten. They didn’t leave voicemails because they worried the wrong person would listen to the messages.
“Hey. I called one of my mom’s friends to check on my parents.” There was a long pause, and Phoenix heard Shayla’s shuddering breath in the message. “They’re gone. There was a fire, and the whole house burned to the ground. There were matches all over in the house, and my parents were tied to chairs. The police suspect it was a burglary gone wrong, but we both know Hayden killed them. According to their neighbor, who’s also a breeder, Hayden is claiming that you murdered them to hide some big secret. I’m getting rid of this phone, so don’t try calling me back. Get out of that area before it’s too late. If he’d kill my parents, he’ll definitely kill you.”
The message ended, and Phoenix was left staring at her phone, trying to decide what to do next. A big part of her really wanted to believe it had been a burglary gone wrong, but she had no doubt Shayla’s suspicions were correct.
After a brief conversation to tell her mom what had happened, Phoenix laid awake wondering if her parents would finally believe they might be in danger. She also felt even more alone than normal tonight. Brian would be gone soon, and that left her with no friends. Then her mind drifted to Isaiah again, wishing there could be a happy ending for her story, one that involved Isaiah.
Hours later, she finally drifted off to sleep, grateful that instead of dreams of death and fear, she dreamt of a sexy college student.
Chapter Eight
Phoenix had gotten almost no sleep the night before, and she’d been tempted to call in sick today. The only reason she hadn’t was that her boss needed her. He was getting older, and he couldn’t handle the shop most days. Everyone else working there was family, and they didn’t show up for their shifts most days. This was one of those days when there were definite benefits to working in a coffee shop. Caffeine was going to be her best friend today.
Phoenix was so tired, she hadn’t even noticed Isaiah walk in and sit at his usual table. When she looked up and saw him, she felt her breath catch. This wasn’t the first time she’d caught him watching her, but he’d never watched her this way. There was no mistaking the heat in his gaze, and it brought back images from all the naughty dreams she’d had about him the night before.
Forcing herself to look away, Phoenix made Isaiah’s latte, and grabbed a chocolate croissant for him.
Setting his drink and pastry on the table with a brief smile, she turned to walk away when Isaiah caught her hand. Just like that, he was standing much too close. Funny how the shop was emptier than normal today. She knew what he wanted, had easily read it in the way he’d watched her. This was very bad, and she needed to put some distance between them. Her mind didn’t seem to be focused on what she needed to do. She just stared at him for a moment before she got her brain to function enough to form a question.
“Did you need something else?” she asked, wondering when she’d suddenly developed a smoky, sexy voice.
Without responding, he released her hand and cupped both cheeks in his hands before leaning forward to kiss her. No longer thinking about anything but his mouth descending on hers, Phoenix’s lips parted slightly, and that’s when he claimed her mouth. There was no testing to see how she’d respond; his tongue slipped past her lips and stroked hers as he angled his head to get better access to her mouth.
When she moaned, Isaiah’s hands moved from her cheeks, skimming down her arms, which is when she realized her hands were gripping his firm biceps. He tasted clean and minty, and damn the man knew how to kiss. She should push him away, but everything felt so right. His tongue explored her mouth, making her imagine what it would feel like to have him slide into her body.
A throat cleared, and then a woman’s voice called out, “Excuse me.”
That cut through the haze of lust, and Isaiah pulled back slightly. When he spoke, she felt his breath against her swollen lips. “Have dinner with me.”
It was a request and a command at the same time. Licking her lips, Phoenix shuddered when she tasted him on her mouth. With a nod, she turned and walked to the counter.
“Sorry for the wait,” she told the young woman dressed in a prim black business suit.
The woman laughed and looked at Isaiah over her shoulder. Back in his seat, with his computer open on the table, his hungry gaze was still focused on her.
“I should be the one apologizing,” the woman told her.
“It looked like he was about to drag you into the back room when I interrupted. If I didn’t need these pastries for a meeting in thirty minutes, I would have come back later.”
Phoenix smiled and did her best to get back to work, while ignoring Isaiah—not an easy thing to do. “What can I get for you today?”
The woman gave her order, and Phoenix busied herself putting it together, making idle small talk with her customer. Thankfully, business picked up in the time it took to fill the woman’s order, making it impossible for Isaiah to continue what they’d started. Of course, she’d agreed to have dinner with him tonight—something she knew would be a huge mistake. She needed to get out of this area soon, and she needed to avoid any more attachments because she didn’t want to put anyone else in danger. At the same time, she was tired of ignoring her own needs. The idea of having a night with Isaiah—one night to feel normal—was so tempting that she wasn’t sure she could tell him she’d made a mistake in agreeing, no matter how much she should.
Chapter Nine
Kissing Nikki had not been part of his plans when he’d walked into the coffee shop this morning. Isaiah had come with the intention of confronting her about whatever trouble she was in and offering to help, but after a night of fitful sleep and dreams that had left him hard and aching, he’d had her in his arms before his brain could warn him what a bad idea it was. Now that he’d tasted her mouth, he wanted to taste everything. The urge to protect Nikki was even more overwhelming than the urge to strip her naked and savor every inch of her body. Not once in his life had he considered himself the knight in shining armor type, but this woman affected him in ways he’d never expected.
The question of who Nikki was still remained a mystery. So far, he’d been unable to find any information on her. Discreetly snapping a picture of her as she helped another customer, he decided he’d load the image later and try searching databases to discover her identity—that is, if she didn’t tell him on her own. It was his hope that Nikki would open up to him when they went out later. Giving himself a mental smack, he brought his attention back to work.
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