by Kasi Blake
The clock over Van’s mantle ticked away the minutes, closing in on midnight. Nick was in Van’s den, sitting by himself. A huge leather chair, soft as butter, nearly swallowed his large body, and it felt like his bones were melting. He brought a half-empty glass of amber liquid to his lips. Swallowing the contents, he closed his eyes and allowed the alcohol to work its magic.
A pretty face was haunting him, and he wanted it to go away.
Nick patted his pockets and found them empty. He’d lost his favorite lighter. It was ruby red and had the initials of his alter-ego engraved on the bottom. He couldn’t remember seeing it for a while. The memory of his last cigarette lingered in the back of his mind. Bay-Lee had caught him smoking. He vaguely remembered using the lighter then.
Maybe it had fallen to the ground on its way to his pocket.
The den door opened. Slow footsteps crossed the hardwood floor to stand next to his chair. They were the quiet steps of a hunter. Nick knew who the intruder was before he opened his eyes and gazed up at his best friend. Mike placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder, concern etched on his tight face. “The housekeeper told me you were in here trying to drink yourself into oblivion. Should I be worried?”
Normally he would make a smart remark or tell Mike to mind his own business, but the situation with Bay-Lee coupled with the alcohol in his bloodstream had his defenses at an all-time low. He muttered, “Her boyfriend is back.”
Mike sat on the edge of the coffee table and wiped his hands on his jeans as if they were covered in sweat, but it was a nervous habit. “Good. Maybe he can mentor her.”
“Gavin Murdoch? A mentor? Have you been drinking?” Nick’s words slurred. His tongue seemed two inches thicker than usual. He blinked in slow motion. If oblivion was his destination, he was almost there. “He isn’t even a Warrior. He sucks. I’m the best. It’s what... why she wanted me, you know. Van told me. She wants to be trained by the best.” He jerked a thumb in the direction of his chest. “That’s me.”
“Yeah, you’re a real treasure.” Sarcasm dripped off Mike’s tongue.
“Van told me about your visit to his office.”
Mike squirmed beneath Nick’s narrowed gaze. He glanced around the room as if searching for a quick exit while Nick pushed himself higher in the chair. The leather was slippery. No matter how hard he tried to sit up straight, his body continuously slid down. He pushed with his feet and gripped the arms of the chair tight. Dizzy, he closed his eyes for a moment. There it was again, Bay-Lee’s face. She haunted him in a way no spirit could.
Nick tried to remember Van’s exact words, but his booze-addled brain refused to cooperate. He totally lost his train of thought. Was he upset with Mike for going to Van or thankful for his friend’s attempt to set things right?
“I was just trying to help.” Mike said.
Nick held his empty glass out. “If you want to help, get me a refill. I can’t get out of this chair. I’m way too comfortable. Have you tried this chair? It’s like sitting on a fluffy cloud.”
Mike snorted. “I think you’ve had enough already.”
“What, are you my mom now?”
Mike flinched.
Nick’s family was usually off limits when it came to conversation. He didn’t talk about them. In fact, he hadn’t thought about them in at least a year. In his world they didn’t exist.
“She hasn’t tried to contact you, has she?”
Nick made a rude noise. “Did hell freeze over?”
Mike went to Van’s private bar and filled Nick’s glass halfway. When he handed it to Nick, he didn’t let go until Nick had a firm grasp on it. Instead of sitting, he looped around the occupied chair. “The only reason I talked to Van was to try to convince him to bring Tyler back, but it didn’t work.”
“I appre... appre... thanks.” Nick’s stupid tongue did not want to form words. Maybe it was angry that it didn’t get to touch Bay-Lee’s tongue. The image sent him into a fit of laughter. Holding his stomach, he slid way down in the chair. Tears filled his eyes as Mike glared at him. He sure wasn’t going to tell Mike what was so funny. The boy would hit the roof.
Mike sat on the table’s edge again. “Why are you in here drinking alone? Is this another attempt to get under Van’s skin? Are you trying to show him how much you need to be Tyler Beck, or are you really losing it?”
The laughter stopped. Nick considered his problem from every possible angle. Mike was his best friend. If anyone could help, it was Mike. So Nick gave in and told his lead guitar player the truth. “You remember when I told you I’d let you know if I felt myself falling for the girl?”
Mike freaked out. He jumped off the table and paced around the room, eyes bulging out of his head. He threw his hands into the air. “I knew it! I begged you to stay away from her, didn’t I? But you were sooo sure you could handle it. She’s the last girl you should be near. You just had to volunteer to mentor her, and now you’re stuck. She’s even got Van on her side. What are you going to do now? How bad is it? How worried should I be?”
Nick downed the entire contents of the glass in one long gulp before setting it aside. Standing up proved a difficult task. With both hands on the chair’s arms, he pushed. His legs felt like rubber. He wobbled and almost sat down again. For some reason he needed to be on his feet when he made his confession. As soon as he felt steady enough to walk without assistance, he took a short journey from chair to bar.
He leaned against the polished mahogany. “I’m in deep trouble, bud.”
“How deep?”
Nick groaned. “I don’t know how much more I can take. When she’s tough and strong and independent, I want to lose myself in all that energy. She’s so full of life. I’ve been resisting. It’s hard, but I’ve done it… and then she got all vulnerable on me. She still tried to be tough, you know, but her body was trembling. She’s headed for a meltdown. I just want to protect her.” His voice lowered, almost inaudible. “I just want to kiss her.”
“Bad idea.”
Nick made an exaggerated ‘thank you’ gesture. “That’s what I said.”
Mike paced the room like an agitated bull. He pointed a finger at Nick, an ‘ah-ha’ moment. “You told me she’s not irresistible! That was your exact word. Irresistible? Not.”
“I was wrong.” His head began to throb. “I’ve been mean to her, and I’ve repeatedly pushed her away. She’s strong and beautiful and unlike any girl I’ve ever met. I keep thinking about h-how there’s no girl on the planet like her. What if this is love? What if this is my o-only chance to be loved? When I saw Gavin today, I wanted to put my fist through his face. I wanted to tell him she’s mine.”
Mike waved his arms, signaling for Nick to stop talking. “What you need is a pretty lady to take your mind off her. Think about it. You only want her because you can’t have her. She’s forbidden. This is typical Tyler Beck behavior. It’s been too long since you’ve had a woman in your arms. You’re used to groupies throwing themselves at your feet. Go find yourself a pretty girl and get over Bay-Lee.”
“Huh?” Nick’s mind was a tangled mess. He hadn’t followed half of what Mike was saying. Nothing made sense to him at the moment. There was a girl living in his thoughts. No room for anything else. He poured himself another drink while Mike glared at him in disapproval.
Mike repeated the advice on how to get over Bay-Lee. This time Nick understood a bit more. His lead guitarist wanted him to hook up with someone else. He was sure it wouldn’t work. Bay-Lee was one of a kind. She couldn’t be replaced like a musical instrument.
“Where am I supposed to meet this incredible girl who is going to get me over Bay-Lee Van Helsing?”
“There are girls everywhere. Open your eyes. We have at least half a dozen female hunters within spitting distance. They’re strong and beautiful, some of them anyway. Fall for one of them. What about Keisha? She has a soft sp
ot for you.”
“Are you joking? She would chew me up and spit me out. If I’m going to use someone to get over Bay-Lee, she has to be clingy and follow me around like I’m a rock star.”
He started laughing again because he was a rock star.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Imagination played a silent movie in his head. He saw a stunning girl hanging all over him, fluttering eyelashes and a sweet smile. The scene changed and Bay-Lee was there, watching his pretty new girlfriend, pouting because she’d lost him. The mental image made him feel better. He stumbled to the door. Somehow he was going to find a girl to use in his battle against Bay-Lee.
Mike called after him.
Nick staggered down the hallway, everything forgotten except his new plan. They couldn’t be together, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make her want him. Mike was right about her being forbidden, but it was more than that. She needed to fall hard for him. Once she wanted him more than anything else in this world, he wouldn’t want her anymore. Simple. She was already halfway there. She wanted to kiss him. It was a start. Soon he would have her crawling after him.
The mere image made him want her a little less.
Chapter Twelve
BATTLES OF OLD AND NEW
