Erin planned to head deep into the heart of Texas for some appearance at a strip club. She’d join up with us after the show. The things she did scared the hell out of me. And I always missed her when she wasn’t around. She was my only piece of “normal,” as screwed up as our lives had become.
“I’m not feeling so great tonight,” I lied to Ryder. We’d already had word of protesters outside the club. “I think I’m going to stay in the room and just watch some bad TV. Maybe get a hot fudge sundae or something from room service.”
“I’d rather stay here and lick whipped cream off of you.” Ryder leaned over and kissed my hair. My muscles clenched, making me crave more than just ice cream. He looked beautiful, hair perfectly mussed and ready to go on stage in a dark oxblood leather blazer, a band shirt, and dark distressed jeans. “But I have to go secure my place in Texas as the antichrist.”
“Sounds like fun.” I grinned at him, practically sitting on my hands not to drag him back into bed. “But I need to catch up on my reality shows.”
“Save a little something for me,” he whispered in my ear, squeezing my thigh before he turned and walked out the door with Josiah.
It felt strange to be by myself. But good. I pulled the blankets up around my waist and flipped through the channels, picking some familiar trash. I ordered the hot fudge sundae and settled in to enjoy my night.
Even though I was expecting someone to bring me my sundae, I still jumped when there was a knock at the door. My heart was still pounding when I opened it, and even more so when I saw who was on the other side.
Catelyn.
“Don’t you have a job?” I asked after I recovered from my shock. “I mean, how do you pay for all of this?”
“I live with my sister’s family and save up my vacation time. Listen, I have some questions for you.”
“Of course you do.” I sighed.
“Can I come in?” She looked hopeful.
“No.” Nothing good came of that last time I let her come some place with me.
“They’re checking your cell phone records.”
I opened the door and let her into the room. “Fine.”
Room service arrived, eyeing us as he delivered my dessert. Our tension must have been visible. “Thanks. Charge it to the room, please.”
I turned back to Catelyn. “Tell me what you want before my ice cream melts.”
“Whatever. The show starts soon, anyway. Rachel woke up and can’t go out in sunlight. She craves blood.”
“How is this any different than stalking Soul Divider?”
“Very funny, Melanie. You’re on the news every night, by the way. My friend is a goddamn vampire. Her parents are trying to schedule an exorcism. You don’t have any answers for me?”
I hoped I didn’t wear my shock on my face. “No. You’re delusional. Vampires are something you see on TV, not in real life.”
“Well, there are rumors that Immortal Dilemma isn’t pretending.”
“That has nothing to do with Soul Divider. Or your friend.”
“They have the same manager, Melanie.” Catelyn looked smug, like she had all the answers. Problem was, she did.
“I don’t know what to tell you. I guess you shouldn’t have come to the party with me. You have to be careful what you wish for. And right now, I wish to eat my sundae and see who gets eliminated from this competition.” I motioned towards the door as she headed out. “Have fun at the show, Catelyn. Don’t let anyone bite you.”
She opened her mouth to speak but I shut the door in her face. I leaned against it, heart still pounding.
How on earth did Rachel get turned into a vampire? I wasn’t a vampire, and Ryder fed from me plenty of times. It didn’t happen by mistake. Or did it? A chill ran down my spine.
Catelyn ruined my appetite. I swirled the spoon around in the soupy mess of my treat, hoping to still get some enjoyment from it.
This couldn’t possibly be good.
Ryder returned to the room around 1:30. I had planned on a sexy greeting, before I was so rudely interrupted by Catelyn’s visit. Now I was sitting bolt upright, watching national news and dying a little more inside every time my face flashed on the screen. How the hell could I relax?
“Feeling better, babe?” He peeled off his clothes immediately and slid under the blankets beside me. The sight of his body always made me feel better.
I scooted down so we could be eye to eye as he propped his head up on a pillow. “Catelyn came by while you were out.”
“The fan girl? We can take action if she won’t leave you alone. We’ve had to do it before. People used to bother Shannon, too.”
“I think something’s going to need to happen, but not exactly that. Her friend, who disappeared, got bit at that party. And woke up as a vampire.”
“Fuck!” Ryder yelled, slamming his free fist into the mattress. “How? Everyone said they didn’t know who she was!”
“Were there any other vampires at the party?”
“Not that I know of.” His face reddened the harder he pursed his lips together. I could tell Ryder just wanted to explode. “Someone is lying about what happened.”
“I think a lot of people are. Including Catelyn and her friends.”
“Do you think they’re lying about the vampire thing?”
“She said Rachel’s parents were planning an exorcism. I don’t know if she’d go that far. Why would she lie if no one is supposed to know about it? How else would she get it so spot on? But how do you even become a vampire? I mean, do I need to worry?”
“It’s a blood exchange,” Ryder explained, his voice low. “She would have had to drink blood after someone drank from her. A lot of it. It’s not easy.”
I didn’t say anything for a while, just laid there and thought about how this possibly could have happened. The rest of the guys weren’t careful at all, since that poor girl got drained just a week ago, but would they be stupid enough to create a new vampire? And then just leave her to her own devices? Even if they were drunk or high?
It just didn’t add up. It was too much stupid. Even for these guys.
“How was the show?” I asked Ryder after we both spent what seemed like an hour staring into space. He must have been thinking about the same things I was.
His eyes lit up. “Actually, it was pretty good. The protesters must have brought in a bigger crowd. You know, to see what the fuss was about. The place was packed. Drake was in a great mood. We did three encores.”
“I’m sorry I missed it. It sounds like you had a great night.”
“Well, the night is young. You still have a chance to be a part of it.” His hand slid up my side, underneath my T-shirt. I shivered from his cool fingers. I let myself get lost in his kiss. He pulled the shirt up over my head, running his fingers over my breasts and stomach as he kissed and nipped all over my body. I kept my fingers knotted in his hair as his head made its way lower and lower.
After licking and teasing me to the brink of madness, he rubbed the top of my inner thigh just like he always did before he sunk his teeth in to drink from me. My whole body stiffened.
“Not tonight.” I could barely manage the words as I pulled him away from me.
He looked up at me, his eyes showed hurt and surprise. His fangs glistened. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“I’m freaked out after what Catelyn told me about Rachel. I mean, what if it was an accident?”
Ryder sighed and crawled back up so we were face to face. He pulled me in close to him. I could feel him hard against my thigh. I reached down to stroke him. He cried out a little in surprise.
“Trust me. It wasn’t.” His voice was breathy.
I nodded, and kept working his hard length with my hand. I guided him between my legs so he could enter me, take me away from here, to a place where I wasn’t afraid. Of anything.
“What are you going to do when the tour is over?” I asked Ryder as we spent a lazy early evening in a tangle of sheets. We talked
a lot about the past, but hardly ever about the future. Maybe because the past was the only thing we were sure of. Neither of us could even guarantee the present.
“I need to find a new place to live,” he answered, stretching. It seemed like he’d rather talk about anything than answer that question. “I’ve been thinking about Vegas. Twenty-four hour city, kind of easy to blend in there. Plus there’s a pretty good support system for my kind.”
“You talk about yourself like you’re not even a person.”
“Technically, I’m not.” The sadness in his voice ripped through me. “I’m going to work on some songs for my album, figure out where to go from there.”
“Are you considering leaving the band?”
“Not in the immediate future. I was hoping for a long career with Soul Divider, but when people started to lose interest, I’ve got to have other options. I never intended for this to last for eternity. At some point, I’m going to have to break away from the crutch that Drake created for all of us.”
“Maybe this album will be able to do that.” I traced my finger lightly along his bare shoulder and arm, up to his neck and cheek.
“Drake is going to go ballistic when he hears about it. All of us, working together without him. He’ll think we’re doing it behind his back. Which would be right. I tried to do this a couple years ago, but he freaked out, called us all back to the studio early. Which was stupid because that was the album that tanked.” Ryder sat up quickly and started looking for his clothes.
I hated that I was making him uncomfortable but he had to work through these things. Ryder had to figure out what was best for Ryder.
“He knows you’re better than him.” I sat up too, pulling the sheet up around my bare body for warmth as well as a scrap of modesty. Josiah could wake up any time, and I’m sure he’d seen plenty when I was otherwise engaged, but this still wasn’t a free for all.
“Drake’s mind doesn’t work like that. He just needs to squash any challenges, whatever it takes.” Ryder sat back on the foot of the bed, now fully dressed. He exhaled, his shoulders slumping forward. I crawled over to rub his shoulders to help him relax.
He pulled me into his lap, still loosely wrapped in the sheet. “What are you going to do, Melanie?”
My heart stopped at the thought of it. I panicked. For all the free therapy I wanted to offer Ryder, I needed a taste of my own medicine.
“I don’t know.” It was hard to force out the words. I couldn’t look him in the eye. “I’d never planned on life beyond working at the bank. A life with Jamie. Now, what am I going to do?”
“I hope you’ll consider Vegas.” He murmured against my cheek, using his free hand to wipe away the tears streaking my face. “If I’m going to live forever, I don’t want to do it without you.”
I pulled away from him slightly, in wonder. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t wrap my brain around his words. I wanted to ask for clarification, just like a stereotypical goddamned girl, but I didn’t want to give him a chance to take it back.
“But you’ve seen the news, baby. It’s only a matter of time before they catch up to me. I’m only getting away with this because we’re on the move, and I can hide out with you. I’m luckier than I am smart.”
“Well, then you’re pretty damn lucky.” He pulled me back in, slipping his hand under the sheet, tickling me. “Not to mention sexy as hell.”
I laughed too loudly as he tickled my rib cage. The distraction was only temporary, the threat of waking up Josiah snapped me back into reality. I stiffened and shied away from his hand. The heaviness returned.
“I’m afraid I don’t have a future,” I whispered.
Ryder tipped my chin back up from my chest and looked me in the eyes. My tears blurred his face. He kissed me, gently but deeply, to say that he thought differently.
The kiss took my breath away. We stayed close like that for more time than I could count.
“We’ll make it work,” he said finally. “Drake’s got people. I mean, we’re not even technically alive and they’re making it work for us, so I’m sure they could fudge some things for you.”
“Drake hates me. He won’t do that,” I protested. There was no upside to this.
“Drake needs me. So he will.”
“You’re willing to put everything on the line like that? I mean, you’re putting together this solo album.”
“Stop worrying about Drake and start worrying about Melanie.” He kissed my shoulder. I wanted the tension to melt away. But I couldn’t make it happen yet.
I couldn’t believe Ryder already felt that strongly for me, and not only did he want to spend all of the foreseeable future with me, but he was willing to jeopardize his livelihood for me. Sure, I’d fallen for him hard in a hurry, but I’d had the last decade of fantasies to prepare me for our time together. Everything about me was new to him. It was overwhelming that someone could feel like that so quickly, even when I felt the same way.
Why did I keep trying to get him to push me away? Just to see if he would do it?
“It doesn’t bother you that I killed two people?” I asked, wary of his answer.
“As long as it doesn’t bother you that I’ve killed more.” He couldn’t look me in the eye when he replied.
All I could do was turn his face back to me and kiss him. I didn’t know what to say anymore.
I took a long, hot shower just to give myself some time to think about our conversation. It wasn’t like we were going anywhere, I wasn’t in a hurry. I wondered what it would be like to go out on a proper date with Ryder. Sure, it would be hard anywhere because he was so recognizable, or was he still? These clubs they played were so small. Did anyone care anymore? And it wasn’t like we could go out for dinner, but I’d love to watch a movie with him on a blanket under the stars, or get dressed up, go have a glass of wine, and listen to some local band. What about doing normal things, like shopping and housework? I smiled at the thought of doing Ryder’s laundry.
And I’d never been to Vegas.
He wanted to spend forever with me. I tipped my head back to rinse the crappy hotel issue conditioner out of my hair and sighed.
I needed to stop thinking about what I thought was the right thing and just do what made me happy. Ryder made me happy.
It wasn’t like I was overwhelmed with any other options. And doing the right thing hadn’t worked out so hot for me so far. This was my now, and until someone came and pulled me away from it kicking and screaming, my future.
Wrapping my hair in a towel, I pulled my pajamas back on and headed back out to the main room. Ryder and Josiah sat on their beds, both of them still rumpled from a lazy start to their day, watching the news. Ryder changed the channel quickly when he saw me turn the corner.
“It’s okay,” I said quietly as I climbed on the bed beside him. “I should know what’s going on.”
“I don’t want to upset you.” Ryder’s eyes looked so sad. He could probably feel my tension. .
“I’m a big girl. I need to take responsibility for my actions.” I smiled weakly at him.
“Aw, Ryder’s just making excuses because he really digs Will and Grace. That’s why he changed the channel.” Josiah broke the tension. I couldn’t help but laugh.
We laid there like that, watching nineties sitcoms for most of the night. Josiah polished off a bottle of Venom. It was as close to normal as we could possibly get, two vampires and a murderer hanging out on tour in Texas, but it was perfect.
I could do this for a long time. Maybe even forever.
No one was expecting company, so we all looked at each other, puzzled, when someone knocked on the door. Josiah got up to answer it.
Erin’s voice drifted into the room, and I sat up and smiled when I heard it. I just wanted to get down on my hands and knees and thank God every time she returned from one of her adventures in one piece. I smiled even more when she made her way down the small hallway into the room. She looked so normal. She wore yoga pants and a hoodie
with her hair pulled back in a high ponytail.
“How was your engagement?” I asked, noticing Josiah smirking at my question. I kicked at him playfully.
“Eventful. Lucrative.” Erin flopped herself down at the foot of Josiah’s bed. “Those bible belt dudes are full of pent up energy.”
“Oh Lord,” I snickered at my own pun. “I don’t know if I want to hear any more.”
“I do.” Josiah didn’t hesitate. Erin and I looked at him in such a way he knew he’d never get the details. He leaned back and laughed, knowing his chances of getting the scoop were slim to begin with.
Unless Thomas found it on YouTube, or wherever else Erin appeared on the internet.
“Mellie, Drake wants to talk to you.” Erin smiled as brightly as she could, even though she may as well have told me she wanted me to eat shit right then and there.
“Why? This can’t be good,” I whined. Ryder’s arm tightened around my waist. He had to agree.
“I didn’t ask. If he wanted me to know why, he would have told me.” She picked at her peeling pink nail polish. “I’m sure it’s no big deal.”
I looked back at Ryder, who shrugged. Josiah looked surprised, as well. “Fine, I’ll go and get this over with.” I looked back at Ryder. “Are you coming, babe?”
“Just you, Mel.” Erin said. Her voice shook a little bit.
I sighed. “Just promise me nothing bad is going to happen.”
“You’re really afraid of him? Come on, he’s not that bad,” Erin protested.
Josiah scoffed.
“I’ll be with you. It’s nothing. Really. Just come.”
This was the last thing I wanted to do. But I knew how Drake reacted to the word no. I didn’t want Erin to tell him she couldn’t deliver. She walked such a thin tightrope as it was with him, between his temper and his public family life.
I pulled myself away from Ryder, up off the bed. I could feel the tension stiffening his body as I left his arms. Just before I left the room, I looked back at Ryder, who hadn’t taken his eyes off of me.
Night Moves Page 11
