Suckers Bite Back (San Francisco Vampires #5) (Vampires of San Francisco series)

by Jessica McBrayer

  “Diel, can a vamp get drunk and have brimstone too? She’s unresponsive and limp,” I ask urgently. I want to get her to the manse but have to wait for Diel to finish yelling at Mark before I can pop him back.

  “It’s not great for her. Brimstone is incredibly addictive to vamps and Mark knows that. You never give a vamp you care about brimstone, you asshole.” Diel picks him up by the neck and squeezes. Mark scrambles to get a foothold. Diel lets him just touch his toes, enough to keep from suffocating.

  “I swear, you fucker, if you got Lily hooked on brimstone, I’ll kill you,” Diel growls out.

  “Then I will resurrect you and kill you again. I can do it and will,” I say. “Diel, as much as I would like to play with him, I think Lily needs some attention.”

  “Of course. Mark you stay the fuck away from her.”

  Mark wheezes as he hits the ground. “C-can’t she’s like a drug. I want to mate with her, Diel.” Mark coughs and sputters until we understand what he says.

  “What! If you even think of mating with a drunk and brimstoned girl again I will make sure you lose everything. The rest is for Lily to decide, when she is conscious and if she is willing. I will tell her what you said and she can contact you if she wants to.” When Mark stands Diel pushes him down again. “You will stay the fuck away from her.”

  “Here’s my card. It’s got all my info on it so she can contact me,” Mark says handing it to Diel.

  Diel grudgingly takes the card. We pop out of there to the manse and to Lilith’s bedroom.

  “Diel, will you get Helena? Please,” I ask.

  “Sure thing, buddy,” he gives me a sorrowful look. He looks at Lilith with pity.

  Suddenly I am furious. The temp in the room increases ten degrees. I want to explode something. So I burst her vase of flowers on the other side of the room just as Sebastian and Helena come in. They look at me with open mouths. Oh if they knew how much smashing I’ve done in the past couple of months. The frustration has been unbearable but I will not allow anyone to look at Lilith that way. She will find her path in this world. She’s having a hard time right now. I think I might be part of the reason and so I make an instant decision. I’m going away for a while. I suddenly feel better.

  I wave at the vase and everything jumps back together and cleans up. In fact I add some more flowers to the bouquet, some lilies, her favorite. I take a deep breath and then smooth Lilith’s hair off her forehead. She’s still out of it and bats at my hand and giggles. I smile at her. I love her so much. But I’ve learned since I’ve fallen in love part of that love is to make sure she doesn’t destroy herself.

  Helena comes to sit down next to Lilith and Sebastian takes up a seat.

  “I smell brimstone,” Sebastian says. He has a pained look on his face. He looks scared.

  “Let me take Diel home and I will fill you in,” I say. Sebastian nods.

  Diel and I pop over to his house and before I leave I hear Hannah start yelling about brimstone. Can’t put anything past her.

  I pop back into the manse. Helena is working a spell over Lilith and has brought sage up to smudge her room. I pull a chair near Sebastian’s and Julian’s.

  “It’s about as bad as it looks. She met Mark, the Demon that owns The Devil With You. I went to get Diel. Meanwhile Mark got her drunk and took off with her. Mark took her to his house near Ocean Beach.” Sebastian runs his hands through his hair. Julian’s eyes narrow.

  “Diel and I didn’t have any problem finding her but I had a difficult time invading her trust and privacy. She has made it very clear she wants space.”

  “Yes. That’s why I started up with Nico. She’s just arm candy, nothing to care about. I know that sounds cruel but I thought if Lily thought I had moved on she could too. I feel like I’ve caused her pain,” Sebastian confesses.

  “You’re not the only one. I feel the same way. I have decided to go away for a while after seeing her tonight. If she will go to such extremes to dull her pain and if I’m contributing to it, I need to leave,” I say. I have a plan. Months of not knowing what to do are over for now. I feel lighter.

  “What made you go inside Mark’s house, Aidan?” Julian asks.

  “The smell of fresh brimstone. We popped in right after that. Diel says it’s highly addictive to vampires and that you don’t let any vamp you care about even try it. Is that right?” I ask.

  “You’re right,” Helena says. “And then on top of being so drunk. How could he?” Helena says. A low sob shakes her shoulders.

  “He had her straddling his lap and was taking her top off. She was higher than a kite and I scooped her up and Diel choked Mark.”

  “I will kill him,” Sebastian says through gritted teeth.

  “That’s not the worst of it. He says he can’t stay away from her. He wants to mate with her.”

  “Mon Dieu! I hope that Diel set him straight,” Sebastian says exploding out of his chair. He sets to pacing across the room.

  “Diel said he couldn’t answer for Lilith but that if he ever heard of Mark trying to mate with a drunk and brimstoned girl again he would kill him. Then he told him to stay the fuck away from Lilith.”

  “Bien. I need a drink. Merde.” I zap a large Brandy for him and two for Julian and Helena.

  “Thank you, Aidan,” Sebastian says between long sips. He sits again.

  “You’re welcome. What can we do for Lilith? Is there a chance she’s addicted already?” I ask Helena.

  “She could have been, but I know a spell or two to counter act the effects if she’s found early enough like she was. She owes you a lot.” Helena rubs my shoulder and leans down and kisses my cheek. “She’ll be out of it for a couple of days as it is. That was potent brimstone, medicinal grade I’d guess. That’s one plus. It wasn’t cut with chemicals.”

  “I’ll kill the bastard,” Sebastian says. His manicured nails leave ragged marks in the elegant wooden arms of the chair.

  “We need to leave his regulation up to Diel, Sebastian,” Julian says. He pats Sebastian on the shoulder but Sebastian brushes him off and gets up to pace some more.

  I have to get out of here. All of this feels like my fault. If I hadn’t seduced Lilith into sleeping with me maybe she wouldn’t be in such a bad place now. I feel like I destroyed this young, vibrant woman. A caring, slightly OCD, vampire-woman.

  “I’m leaving. I can’t stand seeing her this way. I need some time to think. I’ll be back in a few days or so. Do you have everything you need to look after her?” I ask Helena before I leave.

  “Yes, dearest. This isn’t your fault, you know. You didn’t do this,” she says as she gestures to Lilith lying on the bed.

  “I can’t be sure. I just have to sort through things,” I say. I give her a kiss on the cheek and pop out.

  I become my true self, a fire spirit, and let myself float on the hot winds in the desert for the time being.

  11 LILITH

  I wake up with a hangover. How can that be possible? I’m a vampire for goodness sake. I’m not supposed to feel sick.

  “Helena,” I mutter. I can’t speak any louder because it hurts my head. I search through my memory to what I did last and it’s a bit blurry. I realize I am in a silk night gown so someone has changed me because I last remember wearing leather, going to The Devil With You and then riding a motorcycle. Wait, an Indian motorcycle. I smile at that. Mark was his name. He was damn fine and sweet too.

  I was drunk and there was an octopus named Oscar. Somebody mentioned brimstone. Ohhh Goddess, I snorted brimstone. What’s wrong with me? No wonder my head hurts so much. What if I’m addicted? I jump up and then sway for a second. As soon as I get my balance I stumble as quickly as I can to the shower and turn it on hot. Hoping it will help scrub the nightmare away.

  As I’m showering, Helena comes in.

  “So, you remembered what happened,” she says as a fact not a question.

  “Yes. What was I thinking snorting brimstone? Am I addicted? How will I know?
”

  “I worked a couple of spells on you so you won’t be. But I won’t the next time. You’ll have to face the consequences of your actions on your own,” Helena says.

  I shrink in the shower. I’ve never heard her talk this way.

  “I-I’m sorry.” I start to sob. “But Helena, I needed to feel numb for a while. Just to escape. I never meant it to go so far.”

  Her voice softens, “I know, Lily. I wish I could help you but I can’t. Maybe we should get some professional help? There’s a good vamp psychologist in town. Would you consider seeing her?”

  I step out of the shower and she wraps me in a towel and then in a hug. I continue to sob. My head is pounding. My body aches and my heart is broken. I might as well see one of the professionals I’m always sending my clients to. If I called into my hotline I would send me to a psychologist at this point.

  “I’ll go see her if we can get an appointment. She must be booked solid and have a waiting list,” I say but Helena shushes me and rubs my back.

  “I know her. We can get you in today if you want,” she says as she pulls away enough to look me in the eyes.

  “Yes, I might as well.”

  “Excellent. I’ll call her. Her name is Sophie.” Helena leaves me to get dressed and steps into the hall with her phone. Since my room is sound-proofed I can’t hear her. I am curious about how Helena knows her.

  I know that if I want to feel good about myself I need to start from the inside out so I pick out my favorite lingerie and build from there. I end with a new dress from the Paris fall fashion shows that Aidan had given me as a treat. It is black and white and hip gripping. I take a long time on my makeup.

  When I am ready it’s time to take the plunge and go downstairs. The first thing I hear is the nasal tones of Nico speaking French with Sebastian. It grates on my nerves. I am almost to the bottom of the stairs. I stop and start to turn around but Sebastian is on me in a flash. He must have left Nico still talking.

  “Don’t even think of hiding in your room,” he snarls as he grabs my arm and walks me to the parlor. “I don’t know who I’m more angry with, you or this Mark character.” He stops to take a pause and glances down at me. His eyes widen slightly as he takes me in.

  Suddenly he pulls me into him. “Cherie, be mad at me later,” he murmurs into my hair as he kisses my head. “I was so worried.”

  I relish his hands on me. His smell, his strength and his kisses. Then I remember Nico.

  “How’s Nico?” I ask into his chest.

  His whole body stiffens and slowly he releases me.

  “She means nothing to me, Lily. You mean everything to me.”

  “The evidence speaks differently doesn’t it?”

  “What about you and that Demon?” he shouts.

  “What about it? I don’t see a ring on my finger,” I shout back. I probably went too far with that. Sebastian looks like I slapped him. His face holds so such pain that I reach for him but he pushes me away and walks out of the room.

  I cover my face with my hands and succumb to the pounding in my head and the wrenching in my chest. I collapse into a chair and hold myself trying to keep everything together. I don’t know what made me say something so cruel to Bast. He’s only wanted to marry me. He’s tried over and over to get me to commit and I was the one… no he was the one… no we both screwed it up. Oh Goddess I’m confused.

  Helena finds me in this mess.

  “Lily, dear heart, come with me into the library and have some coffee. Sebastian looks like you tore his heart out and you look like you can’t keep all your pieces in place,” she says, with almost a thousand years of age and wisdom behind her uncanny sense.

  “I did. I totally lashed out at him when he was just being kind. I was afraid and I was mean. Helena, that’s not me.”

  “I know sweetheart. That’s what Sophie is going to help you figure out. She’s going to see you at four this afternoon. Come on, show Nico how you wear a designer dress,” she says smiling.

  “I think I should go to my room, don’t you?” I say.

  “No, I don’t. Come, child.”

  I follow Helena timidly at first and then I put my game face on. As we enter the library, Nico looks up and then does a double take at my wardrobe choice. She probably is drooling on the inside. Ha! I’d flash her the fangsters but Sebastian would get pissed and Helena would have to glamour her.

  “Bonjour, Nico,” I say from a distance. I go to get my coffee.

  “Bonjour Milly,” she says. I growl. Sebastian hurriedly corrects her but she doesn’t say anything. Just turns her nose up at me.

  Andrew enters stage left.

  “Finally, you’re back on your feet and wow, are you ever on your feet. You look sensational, girlfriend!” he says with a finger snap. “BTW if you plan on scaring us like that again you better take out some life insurance on me. Scared. To. Death.”

  “I promise not to do that again, Andrew. Did you have fun the other night at least?” I ask, desperate to change the subject.

  “Liam and I had a blast! Definitely up for it again sometime. Well, in a controlled environment. No wild nights for us,” he says as he waves his hands all over the place to reiterate the crazy.

  “I’m glad you had fun. Is there a paper around here?” I want to find out how long I’ve been out of it without coming out and asking in front of Nico. Andrew hands me the Chronicle. Three days. Shit! I lost three days. I can’t believe it. No wonder Sebastian was so worried.

  Speaking of worried, where is Aidan? I’d expect him to be here.

  “Where’s Aidan?”

  Everyone looks anywhere but at me. Uh oh.

  “Tell me, now.”

  “He needed some time to think. He’s gone. We don’t know when he’s coming back,” Sebastian says looking directly at me. Giving me a little hurt back. Paybacks suck.

  I just sit down with my coffee. My fingers shaking, I spill coffee all over the floor, amazingly missing my dress. Andrew rushes to me and takes the cup from me, puts it on the coffee table and cleans up the mess while squeezing my hand.

  “Thank you,” I say. But I don’t recognize the voice that’s coming out of me. It’s raspy, hoarse, dead.

  I’ve finally driven them both away for good. Isn’t this what I want? I stare into my hands not wanting to meet Sebastian’s eyes. I can feel them on me. Julian’s too. I don’t want their pity. I straighten my back and get up. Helena walks into the room.

  “I’m just going to freshen up before we leave,” I tell her. Her lips turn down and her brow creases. I can’t take it and I walk as gracefully as possible from the room.

  I hear Helena asking Sebastian what he did to me. He tells her to leave it alone in a gruff voice.

  I make it to my room and find that Andrew has brought up a mocha for me and it is still steaming hot. I let the heat settle its warmth into my hands and sip it, slowly relishing the ritual. At least this hasn’t changed. Curling up on my bed and staring out my window, I see nothing, trying to let my mind go blank.

  Time goes by but I don’t register it. Soon Helena is rousing me from my meditation saying we have to leave.

  “Lily, are you alright, darling?”

  “No, but that’s why we are going to see a shrink, right?” I say.

  The lack of inflection in my voice must worry her because she scoops me into her arms and rocks me.

  “Oh my dear, it will be okay. We will work this out. Julian and I are here for you every step of the way,” she coos.

  “I know,” I say and sigh.

  “What is it?” she asks.

  “Nothing, everything, I really fucked up my life, Helena. I thought I knew what I was doing and now I’m so miserable all I want to do is be numb. Not feel anything, not exist anymore.”

  Helena looks at me with panic in her eyes. “Lily, you will sort this out, I promise. Sophie is a miracle worker. She is so kind and insightful. She will help you, I know it.” She grips my shoulders hard and gives me
a little shake. It gets my attention. “We have to go, can you face them all again?”

  “Is Nico still here?” I ask.

  “Yes, but she is busy going through fashion magazines searching for your dress. She is sure she saw it on the runway. Little does she know it was and that Aidan got it for you,” Helena says, the side of her lips turn up.

  “Yeah, she was pissed when she noticed the dress. She called me Milly on purpose. The bitch.”

  “Well, she is of no consequence. Let’s stroll out of here with our heads held high.”

  “Does everyone know where I am going,” I ask, my head down. I’m suddenly aware that I don’t want to share this with people.

  “Just Julian.”

  “Okay, can we keep it that way for now?”

  “Of course. Come, young one.”

  We leave my room and click-clack down the marble staircase. Julian comes out of the library smiling. He walks towards us and envelops me in a hug.

  “You will love her. She will help, my dear,” he whispers in my ear.

  “Please don’t tell Bast where I am going. I don’t want anyone to know for now.”

  “My lips are sealed,” he says and then kisses me on the forehead. He gives Helena a kiss on the lips and walks us to the door.

  Helena is driving because she says I probably won’t feel like it after my session. I don’t feel like it now, to tell the truth, so I am grateful. I know she hates driving.

  “Do you want to take my Prius?” I ask. Her eyes light up. I didn’t realize how much she wants to drive it.

  “Yes. I’ve wanted to drive this little baby again since the attack in the parking garage with the rogue vampire that those witch bitches sent to kill us. It zips and zooms. I love this car. I hate the Merc,”she says giving it a nasty look. “At least for driving. It is nice to ride in.”

  I dig my keys out and toss them to her. She catches them out of the air with a vampire’s precision. We get into my little baby. Sebastian and Aidan both insisted on a GPS system for me so Helena punches in the address and we’re off. Sophie’s office is in a restored house in the Richmond district across from Golden Gate Park and the De Young Museum. She owns the whole building. Parking is a bit hard to find but not too bad for this time of day. We still have a half hour before the appointment but Helena explains that Sophie has paper work I need to fill out.