Love Sucks!

by Melissa Francis

  Robbie and Lex followed me into the kitchen. I went immediately to the fridge, grabbed three hemoshakes, and passed them out. We were all famished.

  And exhausted.

  I took a long pull from my drink and almost grimaced.

  “Once you’ve tasted real blood, these hemoshakes just don’t quite do the trick, do they, sailor?” Lex asked.

  “Tastes better than Mr. Charles’s blood, though,” I said with a laugh.

  But he was right. The hemoshakes were almost bland compared to the velvety richness of real blood. And I wanted to taste it again.

  Actually, I wanted to taste his blood again.

  But there was no time for that right now. We had more important stuff to talk about. Like the runes that we hadn’t even looked at yet.

  We all took a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen, with our cans of fake V8, and wearily watched as Lex pulled the dirty brown package from his pocket and untied it.

  He dumped the contents between us. There were several stones, some gravel, and one palm-sized smooth black rock with some weird lettering on it.

  “There’s only one,” Robbie said, confusion clear in his voice. “There should be three, but there is only one.”

  “Maybe there was only one to begin with,” I offered.

  Lex picked up the rune and studied it. “No. There are at least two more. This one is marked ‘tra,’ which is three.”

  “Do we need to go back and look again?” I asked.

  “No. They’re not there. I’m sure we would’ve been guided to them if they were. We just have to keep looking. And we can’t let Ryan get to them first,” Robbie said.

  Sadness shadowed my heart with his words. The one person I used to trust the most was now public enemy number one. Or maybe public enemy number two. I was pretty sure the demon was first on the list. At least for now.

  Robbie looked at me and smiled. “You did good today. Blocking me, that is. I couldn’t get in for about two hours. And that was during stress. So you’re getting there.”

  “Thanks. You’ve taught me well. Now, if I could just keep the bastards out of my head at night.”

  “Is it getting better?” Lex asked.

  “Somewhat. But they’re still there. I can always feel them. They might not be knocking on my door, but they’re definitely looking through my windows, and I don’t like it.”

  “We’re staying here tonight,” Lex said. “There’s no telling when Doreen will be home, and you guys aren’t going to be here alone. We’ll sleep in the living room, so don’t worry about your virtue.” He winked. “It’s completely safe with me.”

  “Good to know,” I said with a laugh. “Actually, I’m glad you’re staying. This whole thing has me on edge.”

  Lex put the rune back in his pocket and walked me upstairs to my room.

  “There are linens in the closet under the stairs,” I said, suddenly nervous. “Anything you’ll need to keep warm.”

  His smile was slow and lazy as he propped himself against my door frame. “You could keep me warm.”

  My belly flipped. “Good thing I know you’re just playing with me to get a reaction, Alexander Archer.”

  His chuckle was low, throaty, and melt-in-your-mouth sexy. “You know that for sure, do you?”

  I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his. “I do. Because no matter how much you play at being a bad boy, you’re a good guy at heart. And you would never try to seduce me while my mother was fighting for her life. Plus, I’m barely eighteen.”

  His eyes went from playful to serious in a split second. “You know all that about me, do you?” he asked.

  “Am I wrong?”

  “No. What gave me away?”

  I reached up, cupping his face in my hands. “The eyes. They give everyone away.” I touched my lips to his. He responded with a sigh.

  “Good night, kitten,” I said, smiling as I closed the door to my room.

  “Just so you know, I have no trouble with your age,” he said.

  I leaned against the door and listened to Lex’s footsteps as he went back downstairs. I heard the linen closet door open and shut, and just as I was walking away from the door, I heard Lex mutter, “You had to get tangled up in a smart one, didn’t you, Archer, you stupid git.”

  I smiled. Alexander Archer might be one helluva tough guy and vampire trainer, but he was a powder puff at heart. And I liked that about him.

  The dreams came at me like a runaway train: full speed and out of control.

  I couldn’t tell what was real, what was imagined, and what images were being forced on me.

  Panic seized me as I lay in my bed completely paralyzed, in a state of semiconsciousness. I couldn’t stop the images flashing in my head.

  I was being crowned queen in front of a faceless crowd. I was happy, enjoying the moment. And then the lights panned across the audience and all I could see were fangs and blood. Everywhere.

  Suddenly I was gasping for breath. Trying to figure out what had happened. Did I betray my family? Myself? Did I rejoin the Serpentines?

  I wanted to let out a scream, but it was stuck in my throat. I wanted to run, but my feet were stuck to the floor. Stuck. That was exactly what I was.

  Wake up, love. Wake up. It’s just a dream.

  Lex’s voice was a light in the darkness. I couldn’t see where it was coming from, but I could feel it. It offered warmth and protection, so I latched on and followed it.

  That a girl. C’mon. Follow me.

  I didn’t know where I was going; I just knew this was the right path. Keep talking.

  I had a dream about you last night, sailor. We were on the beach, holding hands, watching the sunset over the ocean. Your eyes matched the water. To quote a song, they were deep-blue, need-you eyes, and I couldn’t stop staring into them.

  My heart was racing, but I was no longer scared. Tell me more.

  He paused. I think you’re the first girl I want to introduce to my mum.

  And with that, I was no longer paralyzed in my bed. I wiggled my feet, moved my legs, and opened my eyes.

  Lex was sitting on the side of the bed, staring at me intently. I blinked away the sleep and confusion and tried to get my bearings.

  “You all right?” he asked. “That was some dream.”

  “You could see it?” I asked.

  “I could. Woke me right up when I thought I was being crowned. I don’t look good in tiaras—not that I’ve ever worn one before.” He laughed and winked at me.

  “I’ve been doing so well keeping you out of my head. Why now?”

  “When you go to sleep, you have less control over your subconscious. It just takes some more training. That’s all. I know you can do it. You’re already blocking Robbie, which is amazing. So don’t worry, love. You’ll be fine.”

  I sat up and rubbed my face. The sky was slowly turning to gray as dawn was creeping to the surface. His words nestled into a small corner of my heart and warmed me. But as much as I wanted to explore the whole mum thing, we currently had more urgent things to tackle.

  Resolve took hold of me like a vise grip.

  “We have to find the other two runes,” I said. “Where are we going to start?”

  “We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” Lex said, pulling the rune from his inside jacket pocket. “It’s as cold as ice to me. Is it still warm when you touch it?”

  I took it from him and heat filled my palm. And then suddenly I saw the second rune in my head. It was like looking at a picture in an album. “It’s trying to tell me where the second rune is,” I said.

  “What do you mean?” Lex asked.

  “I mean, when I hold the stone, a picture of another rune flashes in my head. They’re trying to communicate with me. Or with each other. The rune isn’t buried, but I can’t tell where it is.”

  “Let’s sort it out at breakfast. I bet we can figure it out together.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Lex lifted his hand to my hair
, pushing it away from my face. “You okay now, sailor?” he asked.

  I placed my hand over his and smiled. “Better. Thanks for waking me.”

  “That’s what we bodyguards do,” he said with a sad laugh.

  “You’re definitely one of the good guys, Lex Archer.”

  “So you keep saying. But even good guys have their limits. I better leave now or else I’ll be risking my virtue as well as yours.” He gently popped the strap of my tank top and winked at me.

  I swatted his hand away sleepily. “I’m going to shower, then I’ll be downstairs. We can go on the great rune hunt after we check on Mom, Rick, and the baby.”

  Lex stopped at the doorway and turned back to me with a slow smile. “I’ll be taking a shower as well. A long, cold one.”

  “Shut up.” I threw a pillow at him, which he easily dodged.

  “Guess I know what we’ll be working on at our next training,” he said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Target practice.”

  “You’re funny.” I rolled my eyes as he walked away.

  “Uh-oh,” he said from the hallway. “Brace yourself, sailor.”

  I slid out of bed and wrapped the comforter around me to go see what Lex was talking about. Before I got to the hall, I heard Ryan’s angry voice.

  “Unbelievable.”

  I stood in the doorway and watched the two guys in my life glare at each other on the stairs. Ryan looked at Lex, then over at me. “Maybe he should’ve slithered out of your room a little earlier, AJ.”

  “Ryan, it wasn’t like that. I had one of my nightmares and he woke me.” Even though I didn’t owe him an explanation, I wanted to give him one.

  “I thought the nightmares had stopped,” he accused. “And honestly, AJ, how could he have known you were having nightmares unless he was in here with you? I’m across the hall and I don’t hear you. I thought he had to be in the vicinity for his Jedi mind trick to work.”

  How could I explain it? Ever since my training, the dreams had stopped—I’d been sleeping like the dead. But yesterday’s mental exertion and battle with Tall, Dark, and Ugly must have drained me. I wasn’t strong enough to keep them away.

  “He was downstairs and got pulled into my dream with me,” I said.

  “I like how you’re using his mind trick as a cover. Very smart.”

  “Listen, mate. It’s not like that,” Lex said. “Why don’t you just calm down? You’re worried about your family, you’ve been up all night, and you’re just a little punchy right now. Get some sleep, then let’s all talk this afternoon. We have a lot to discuss.”

  Ryan clenched his jaw. I could almost see the steam pluming from his ears. “You’re not my family, you’re not my mate, and you don’t belong in my house. Get out.” He nearly spat the words at Lex.

  “Grow up, kid,” Lex said as he tried to pass Ryan on the stairs.

  That sent Ryan over the edge. He shoved Lex hard in the chest, knocking him backward.

  “Ryan!” I yelled. “What the hell?”

  A strange look flitted over Ryan’s face, then immediately he masked it.

  “Feel better now?” Lex asked.

  Ryan smiled, and suddenly he seemed very calm. “I do feel better, actually. I’m outta here,” he said as he turned and started back down the stairs. “Later.”

  “What was that about?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. His mind went blank just after he shoved me. But I can tell you one thing, sailor. Wherever he’s going, we need to beat him there.”

  “I have to go to the hospital. If you want to follow him, go for it, but my family comes first.”

  “Okay, I’ll go after Ryan. If I find out anything, I’ll call you.”

  Lex and Robbie took off after Ryan like bloodhounds hot on a trail.

  Aunt D called to tell me she’d be home soon and asked if I’d wait for her. I took a long shower and tried desperately to wash the stress away.

  I let the kids sleep in since we wouldn’t be going to school today. They hadn’t been to the hospital yet, and now that everyone was out of surgery they could finally go visit.

  The kitchen was filled with early-morning sun and the smell of fresh coffee. Thank the java gods for automatic brewing. I wasn’t sure what I needed more right now, a shot of hemoglobin or espresso.

  I pulled a hemoshake from the fridge, downing it without tasting it as I poured my first cup of wake-up.

  “Now, what to eat for real breakfast.”

  Just as I began to forage for food, I heard a knock on the kitchen door. I grabbed a key-lime yogurt out of the fridge, then turned to see who was there, fully expecting it to be Bridget or Malia.

  I promptly dropped my yogurt, splattering the floor, the fridge, and the wall with blobs of spring green.

  It wasn’t one of my friends.

  It was my father.

  Chapter 15

  Clive Ashe stared at me through the window. He hadn’t aged much since I had last seen him. His short, almost white blond hair was just slightly thin at the temples, his teeth were perfectly straight, his blue eyes were so vivid they practically twinkled, and even though he was smiling at me, my blood ran cold.

  I hadn’t seen this man in almost eight years. And until the whole you-might-be-a-venomous-Serpentine thing came up last year, I had barely thought about him. What thoughts I had had since then hadn’t been that complimentary.

  During my angry-teen phase, I used to imagine all the awful things I would say to him if I ever saw him again. I’d have pretend conversations in my head (okay, out loud), and I would tell him off in the best way a thirteen-year-old girl knew how.

  I can honestly say that the things running through my head right now put that thirteen-year-old to shame and definitely earned me the sailor nickname.

  “Ariel Jane, I know this is probably weird.”

  “Go away,” I said, walking to the sink. I grabbed the dishrag and began to clean up my key-lime mess.

  “You’re just so grown up. You look just like your mother. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

  “Sorry would’ve been great a few years ago. Now it’s just sad,” I replied coolly as I wiped up the green. Okay, I scrubbed one section of the floor. There was tons of yogurt all over the place, but I seemed to only be able to concentrate on one floorboard.

  “AJ, listen. The hospital called me. I know about the accident. I know that you don’t have anyone to help take care of you and your sisters. I’m here to help. I’m sorry. It was crappy what I did. But I’m here now. Let me make it up to you.”

  “Go to hell.”

  I turned my back to him, unwilling to let him in the house. If I let him in my kitchen, then I was letting him back into my life. And he was not welcome in my life again. Ever.

  Not just because he abandoned us. That was bad, but not necessarily unforgivable. But my gut said that he was involved with that whole Mr. Charles disaster last year. That he had sent that man after me and a dichampyr to stalk me and threaten the people I love most. For all I know, my father was the man responsible for turning Noah into a dichampyr in the first place.

  He was not allowed in my house. Or in my life.

  I finally stopped cleaning the one section of the floor and moved on to the rest of the mess. Little green blobs were dotted in random patterns on the barstools, the bar, the fridge, and my shoes. As I was wiping away the last of the goop, the kitchen door opened.

  “Oh, hello dearie. Let me put my bag down and I’ll finish cleaning this right up for ye.”

  I jumped at the sound of Aunt D’s voice. I looked over her shoulder to see if Clive was still out there. Nothing. Relief flooded my bloodstream. “That’s okay, Aunt D. I’m finished now.” I threw the yogurt cup in the trash and walked to the sink to rinse out the rag. “Was there anyone in the driveway when you came home?”

  “No. Should there have been?”

  “No. Just curious. Thought maybe Bridget or Malia would drop by before school.”


  “Are ye okay?” Aunt D asked. “Ye seem a little peaked. I can whip ye up some hemo-eggs if you need a little extra iron.”

  I smiled. Ever since Aunt D had been introduced to hemoshakes, she’d been creating all sorts of new vampire-friendly recipes. Some were good. The hemo-eggs? Not so much.

  “I’m just tired. You know, long night and all. Are you going to take the kids to the hospital later?” I had to stay focused. I couldn’t let the sudden reappearance of daddy-do-wrong shake me. I wouldn’t let him get to me.

  “Aye. After I kip a wink or two. Ye going to the hospital now?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Are they all . . .” I hesitated for a second, “okay?”

  “So far, so good. The bairn is strong. She’ll be out of intensive care soon. Rick is doing better. He woke up and spoke to Ryan for a few minutes this morning.”

  “And Mom?”

  Aunt D patted my cheek. “She’s hangin’ in. Go see her; ye’ll feel better.”

  Dr. Douglas was in Mom’s room when I arrived. His brow was furrowed as he checked out her chart.

  “Is it bad?” I asked.

  He started at my question but recovered quickly. “Hello, AJ,” he said with a smile. “I’ll be honest—it’s not great. We can’t seem to give her enough blood, and I have no idea why.”

  I took a deep breath and summoned up enough courage to look at her. She was pale—very pale. And the bruising on her arms and face made her look even more so.

  She seemed so small and frail in the bed. I had to fight the tears as I picked up her wrist and felt her thready pulse with my fingers.

  I blinked away the tears that threatened. I had to be strong. Not just for Momma, but for everyone in the family. Especially since Daddy Dearest was back in the picture. Or at least trying to be back in the picture.

  “What can we do?” I asked.

  “Pray,” he said. “I’m sorry, AJ. We’ve done all we can. We just have to hope her body will start accepting the blood soon.”

  Dr. Douglas left the room. Not exactly what I was hoping to hear. Not even close, actually.