by B. N. Toler
“Maybe just lap dances, you don’t have to get naked for that.” He pulls out another cigarette and lights it.
“I’m not exactly coordinated. I mean, I can barely walk a straight line without tripping.”
“It’s true,” Thomas adds with a snort.
I shoot him a look that says stay out of this.
“Lap dances are just about grinding over the customer.” Carter shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“Is that all?” I ask dryly fighting the urge to roll my eyes. “Sounds delightful.”
He pours more bourbon into his glass. “Corbin, you met him out front. He’s not a healer, but his wife is, and she was taken almost a year ago.”
I glance over my shoulder towards the entrance. “That’s terrible.”
“He’s an endless source so he comes in handy.” That would definitely come in handy. Corbin, just like my friend Lila, has never ending energy. A healer can draw energy from him and it won’t exhaust him. I wonder what drinking his blood would be like? Shit! I can’t think that way. I have to hide that I’m a hybrid. No one can know.
“If you’re a healer, and you have an endless source handy, why are you sick?” I ask. His cough is nasty and it would be very easy for him to heal himself.
“I’m a smoker and having this sort of ailment makes me less obvious. I haven’t healed in years. I have to remain under the radar.”
“Okay.” I shrug not really understanding his reasoning.
“Obviously, you know Thomas. I also have a young girl named Kaitlynn staying with me. She’s a runaway from the nest, but I can’t bring her here. She might be recognized.” Carter chugs his bourbon. “Do you need a place to stay?”
“I have a place to stay right now, but maybe down the road,” I nod. I have enough money to stay in the hotel thanks to the money Lucy left, but I really don’t want to use it all unless I have to.
“I have a four bedroom apartment about eight blocks from here. You’re welcome to stay with us.”
“You’re letting me in and inviting me to live with you just like that?” I question at how easily this all played out.
“You’re Lucy’s girl. I know you’re good.”
“Thanks George.” I smile appreciatively.
“Call me Carter, and don’t thank me yet. We have a lot to talk about.”
Over the course of the next few weeks, Carter has Mary train me to wait tables. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. Not dropping trays while wearing heels and having drunks ogle you is challenging. In my free time, Carter fills me in on his surveillance of the nest and the limited information Kaitlynn has been able to provide. She was never taken outside of the complex where the newborns were taken, so she only knows stories of what the other children told her. Together, Thomas and Carter educate me on the functions of the nest. The nest had been located in California, but moved to the east coast when there was an overthrow of power. Sebastian, the former leader, was killed when Andre, a younger vampire, led a rebellion against him. Many vampires fled, but the majority stayed with Andre, along with most of the blood healers. Andre had apparently grown up in Charlotte when he was human and wished to return home. Carter had watched the nest in California, but never attempted any form of interaction with them. He hadn’t been able to develop a team to take down the nest. When he followed the nest to South Carolina, he quit healing and opened his club near the nest’s location hoping it would bring them out. We agreed I would need to win over Andre if he ever came in, which was rare.
Weeks pass and Andre does not come in, leaving me frustrated. Corbin and I spend many nights after work sitting on the balcony of Carter’s apartment, drinking beer and bourbon, trying to occupy each other’s thoughts. My friendship with Corbin has grown quickly. He’s so easygoing and we find an odd kind of comfort hanging out with each other. Of course, I know he misses his wife, but he doesn’t know I have someone—or many someone’s that I miss, too. Corbin is an endless source, like Lila. It’s no wonder he and his wife, a healer, ended up together. He shares stories with me about how they met, where they married, and what he’ll do when he gets her back. It’s easy to see his wife is his world.
Thomas avoids the club, but sometimes he wears a disguise and comes in to watch the security cameras in Carter’s office. He attempts to talk to me, but I always cut him off. I can’t hear his excuses and lies. I don’t trust him.
I haven’t had blood since the day after my birthday, when Daniel let me feed on him. All and all, I feel fine, but my ability to spell is weakening. Last night, I tried to spell Thomas into not talking to me and it didn’t work.
Tonight, I sit in the dressing room, waiting for my shift to start, twisting my necklace in my hand.
“You look like you’re a million miles away,” Mary says, snapping me back to reality.
“I was.” I laugh awkwardly, still holding my necklace.
“May I see that? You’re always wearing it.” Mary is a tiny lady who helps Carter run Marshall’s. She’s a native of Mexico and has the kindest demeanor of anyone I’ve ever met.
“Sure.” I hold it out to her.
“A horseshoe?” Mary smiles as she turns it in her hand. I smile, wishing I could share the story of how the horseshoe came to be on the rectangle, but I can’t.
Not long after I arrived in Charlotte, I had the horseshoe Rhett gave me welded on the silver rectangle I wear around my neck. I have no idea if I’ll ever see Rhett again, but I know he saved me from my dreams. I know whether we end up together or not, I’ll always love him and care about him and he will always be important to me.
“It’s lovely,” Mary says as she releases it.
“Thanks,” I smile.
“You’ve got a table. Carter says to tell you they’re VIP.”
“Really?” I question, feeling my heart rate increase.
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” I try not to panic. We have many regulars from the nest, an assortment of blood healers and vampires that come in. Every time they’re here, I have to make sure to hide my healer instincts. So far, I’ve gone unnoticed, but tonight I need to do something to grab their attention. VIP means Andre is here.
I quickly check myself, ensuring that I look as good as possible and that my wig and masquerade mask are straight. Carter didn’t like the idea of me wearing masks, but he let me do it because I was insistent. After I leave the dressing room, I enter the main room and scan it, noting the table of six seated in front of the stage. I recognize them all, but I don’t see Andre. I look to the back of the room and see Carter leaned over the bar, speaking with two men.
I sashay up to my table of six well-dressed, young looking men who are a mixture of vampires and blood healers. The only reason I know the difference is because of the ones that have come in while it’s still daylight outside. They smile as I approach them, letting out whistles. Dead or alive, men are pigs.
“Hey, fellas. How are y’all doing tonight?” I say in my best southern accent. Ever since I started working here I’ve pretended to be a southern girl, born and bred in South Carolina.
“We’re better now that you’re here,” Miles, the best looking one out of the bunch, smiles. I’ve learned some of their names by flirting with them and Miles is the one most susceptible to my charm.
“What can I get y’all tonight?” I twirl a lock of hair from my black wig between my fingers.
“A piece of this,” Jamie, the one to my right, says as he pinches my right butt cheek. I yelp, surprised. They’ve never gotten handsy with me before.
“Now, now boys. We have a no touch policy here.” I plaster a smile on my face to hide my aggravation, wishing I could rub my cheek.
“Oh, yeah,” Jamie laughs as he pinches my cheek again. Out of sheer reaction, I slap him across the face and the entire table goes silent.
“I said hands off, asshole,” I hiss, staring Jamie dead in his eyes. Jamie sits back, eyeing me, at first I think angered, but his lips curve slightly and I rea
lize he’s turned on by me slapping him.
I swallow hard trying to control my heartbeat, wanting to kick my own ass for slapping him. “Now, what can I get you fellas tonight?” I ask again, smiling as if nothing ever happened.
“Six whiskeys. The good stuff,” Miles answers, wearing the same expression as Jamie.
I nod and walk away, noticing Corbin in the doorway that leads into the main room from the entrance, shaking his head. When I reach the bar, I make sure to stand beside Andre as I give my order to Carter, who’s giving me the stink eye for slapping Jamie, before he goes about making my drinks. I recognize Andre from video footage from the security cameras, but I still haven’t gotten a good look at the man who stands beside him.
“I apologize for the behavior of my colleague. He’s such an animal.” Andre’s mouth curves slightly, and I bite back a gasp as I absorb his beauty. And he is beautiful. Short, curly blonde hair, strong jaw, and the most ardent eyes lit with tiny flecks of gold. He walks, talks, and gestures like a human, but he looks as if he’s a fallen angel.
Clearing my throat, rather unattractively, I try not to show his looks have affected me in any way, but I’m pretty sure I fail since I can barely take my eyes off of him. “I can take care of myself.” Much to my horror, my reply comes out soft and breathy. Get yourself together Aldo! He’s a vampire! Straightening my spine and planting me feet to the ground, I slap myself internally.
“What’s your name dear?” Andre asks, leaning toward me, while still leaning against the bar.
“Bristol,” I answer more assertively. “And you are?”
“My name is Andre and this is my associate—”
I lean forward to acknowledge the man as he introduces me to him and freeze.
“Daniel,” Andre finishes.
Daniel’s eyes meet mine and my jaw feels like it hits the ground. I quickly regain my composure and smile politely. “Pleasure to meet you,” I continue. What the fuck is Daniel doing with Andre? I’m so thankful I’m wearing a mask over half of my face to hide my expression.
Daniel is dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, his face covered with two to three days of old beard, and his hair is loose. He looks rough, but still sexy as hell. He glances at me and my stomach clenches. His eyes narrow slightly, but correct instantly as he works to hide his thoughts. Does he recognize me?
“The pleasure is all mine.” He extends a hand and without thinking I slip mine into his. As soon as we touch that feeling returns. Something clicks, a force rushes through my body and his eyes flicker. His hand squeezes mine harder and my breath hitches. Will he expose me to Andre?
“Bristol, huh?” Daniel smiles, but his eyes are fixated on me, those gray pearls beaming a thousand words that go something like you fucking run out on me, sneak off without a word and start working at a strip club? You really are a fucking idiot!
I glare back through my mask saying a thousand words as well. Like what the fuck are you doing with the master of a vampire nest, you fucking traitor! “That’s right.” I focus all of my strength on hiding my disgust with him. He’s part of the nest and he knows what I am. I’ve been fantasizing about a traitor, a fucking vampire supporter.
“Perhaps one day you will tell me your real name?” Andre asks before he sips his drink.
“I’ve told you my real name.” I smile coyly, making sure not to look at him. His eyes are insanely beautiful. Dark, but somehow bright with flecks of auburn.
“You look young. How old are you?”
“Why Andre, didn’t anyone ever tell you that you should never ask a lady such a question?” I twirl a lock of hair from my black wig.
A wolfish grin spreads across his face. “I’m sure they did; of course, they also told me ladies don’t work in strip clubs.”
Asshole.
I make a quick glance to Daniel as Andre chuckles to himself.
“What’s a sweet, young thing like you doing working in a place like this?” Andre returns to trying to charm me.
“Just trying to make a living.”
“We often hire girls from here for house calls. I’d offer it to you, but you seem way too innocent and shy for that.” He smiles wickedly, challenging me.
“Not everything is what it seems,” I wink shamelessly as Carter slides the tray with my drinks across the bar.
“Sometimes it is,” he replies.
“Shall I show you?” I challenge back. My eyes shift momentarily to Daniel who is watching the dialogue between Andre and me with great interest. His jaw is tensed, his lips pressed into a flat line.
“Show us what? That you are a lady or aren’t?” Andre quirks a brow.
“I like to think I’m the perfect combination of both.” I shrug. “It was nice to meet you both.” I glance at Daniel once more, screaming with my eyes, I’m going to fucking kill you, traitor, as he responds, your ass is mine, before I begin to walk away.
“Well, we’ve seen one side, Bristol, will you show us the other?” Andre calls.
I turn and sashay back to him. “Keep your eyes on the stage, fellas.” Andre’s eyes flex and I can see he’s eager to see me make good on my promise.
I leave slowly, shaking my ass as I do.
Ridiculous—I know.
My heart seems to be trying to beat its way up my throat so it can plop out of my mouth and thump its way across the floor to the exit.
What the hell am I doing?
My mind is racing and while I should be focusing on Andre, I keep trying to wrap my mind around Daniel hanging with Andre. Daniel showing up has thrown a wrench in my plans. He’s in with the nest. That’s why he has that apartment in Charlotte. God, I really am an idiot!
I look back at Andre once more, meeting his gaze. He stares at me, daring me. He’s toying with me and while I’m annoyed by it, I’m captivated by it, as well. I’m scared shitless right now, but the challenge is enthralling.
Daniel is glaring at me. I temporarily focus on Andre, shoving the avalanche of questions I have in regard to Daniel to the side. I have no idea what Daniel is up to. He’ll probably turn me in, but right now I have to focus on Andre and make it out of here alive tonight. Glancing back to Carter, he shakes his head as he exhales a long stream of smoke from the last drag of his cigarette, warning me not to do anything stupid. But it’s too late. I place the six whiskeys on the table, avoiding getting too close to Jamie in case he tries to pinch my ass again, and proceed to make my way to the stage. The last girl has just finished dancing and scurries off of the stage. My heart is in my stomach, filled with panic. I almost wish I could be hypnotized so I wouldn’t feel terrified.
You have to do this and do it right.
My inner self pulls a mattress into the bathroom and covers herself with it while she lies in the bathtub, preparing for a class five disaster.
Alexandra, one of our waitresses, carries a tray with four shot glasses and a bottle of Tequila to my right. I just talked a big game to Andre, I have to come through.
“Alex, come here,” I order her and she obeys without question as I’m in the good graces of the boss. I take the bottle off of her tray and grab the four shot glasses situating them in my hand.
“Go tell Remmi to play “Don’t Break The Needle”.”
“Who sings that?” Alex questions.
“J. Roddy Walston and the Business,” I snip. “He’ll know. Go!” I order her angrily, not meaning to. My nerves are getting the best of me.
I climb the stairs of the stage with the tequila and glasses in hand. As I sashay towards the four guys the shots are meant for, sitting at the counter to the right of the stage, I notice they grow excited as I approach them.
My inner self keeps chanting, don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip.
“Are these for you, fellas?” I say with a southern twang that would put Ellie May Clampett to shame. They all smile and nod as I seat myself on the edge of the stage, my legs facing them. I gracefully take the saltshaker and hold it up to them.
�
�Are we celebrating tonight?” I question flirtatiously.
“It’s his birthday!” the guy wearing a baseball cap on the far end shouts pointing to the skinny, little guy sitting directly in front of me.
“Well, well. Happy birthday handsome.” Scooting my butt closer to the edge of the stage, I honestly have no idea what I am doing, but my goal is to prove I can be sexy or seductive or something. At this point, I’m trying to keep Andre’s attention by basically acting like a hoe. “How about a body shot?”
The group begins to hoot and holler and the skinny birthday boy who may have literally just turned twenty-one, stands and leans over the counter towards me. He gingerly takes the saltshaker out of my hand with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
Alex brings over a bar napkin with some lime wedges on it and places them beside me.
I’m a huge skank for doing this at a club with a complete stranger, but as my brother Whit says, “Go big or go home.” If sexuality is my only means of attracting my prey, so be it.
I lie back on the stage and place one of the lime wedges in my cleavage. After that, I pour some tequila in my navel as birthday boy licks my leg and shakes salt over the wet flesh he left.
“Happy Birthday!” I smile.
Birthday boy licks the salt off of my leg slowly before placing his face on my abdomen sucking the tequila out of my navel and burying his face in my cleavage to retrieve the lime wedge.
His friends are going nuts, chanting his name. Apparently, his name is Johnny.
Johnny straightens and extends a hand to me to help me up. He just took a shot out of a complete stranger’s belly button, which would kind of classify him as disgusting, but he wins me over with the gentlemanly gesture of helping me up. Most guys would have left me sitting there. He gives me a wink, a silent thank you I gather, and I nod back.
“What about us?” one of his buddies shouts.
“Sorry, boys. I reserve that for the ones I really like.” Okay, I’m lying through my teeth here, but oh, well. “However, I’m not done with all of you just yet.” I take the four shot glasses and fill them handing one to each of the four guys. When they all have their shots and a lime wedge, I stand and hold the bottle up to them in a toast. “To Johnny!”
