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

by Jessica McBrayer

She smiles. “You know how to take a punch at least. You have half the sport down,” she says and chuckles.

  I’m not amused but I am ready for my turn. I have a new-found reason to beat the crap out of the bag. I line myself up with the bag and try to remember all the tips Katie gave the vamps ahead of me. I hold my hands in the proper way and let a punch fly.

  “Good, another,” Katie encourages.

  I let another and another go. Soon it’s just me and that bag and I am punching my heart out. My eyes are burning and my chest is wrenching. I feel a cool hand on my shoulder and I snap out of my trance when Katie grabs the bag from the back. She’s grinning at me.

  “Lily, you are a total natural. I want to see how you kick after class before I move you up a level,” she says. I look for Helena and she is grinning. I step aside for her and she has a natural grace as she attacks the base. She finishes with a spinning roundhouse. I hear Petra grunt but Katie nods and pats Helena on the shoulder.

  “This isn’t your first class, Helena,” Katie eyes her suspiciously.

  “It is, Katie dear, I’ve just been around the block a time or two.”

  Katie pulls two more vamps aside to test to move up to the next level. We stay behind as she tells everyone what a great job they did tonight.

  “Now, Helena, you pass so you can sit this out. Lily, have you ever kicked someone before?”

  “Yes and a few doors,” I say. The others snicker at me.

  “Okay, smarty pants, let’s see you,” Katie says.

  I bounce up to the bag and let a front kick go and it hits solid. I follow it up with a side kick and then a back kick. I can’t do the spinning roundhouses yet.

  “You pass, Lily, those were solid hits. You can sit with Helena.”

  “Who’s next?” Katie asks. A cocky male vamp comes up and takes a kick and misses the bag completely. He gets pissed and tries again and sends it flying wildly. Katie grabs the bag and steadies it.

  “You need some more work on control, but you’ve some real strength. I’ll need you to stay in the beginner’s class. You can go now.” He grabs his jacket sulks out of the room.

  Last up is another female vamp and she has a better time than the male vamp but is a little shaky.

  “You’re on the edge, Stacy, I’ll leave it up to you,” Katie says.

  “I think I’ll stay in the beginner class and work on the basic stuff a little more, thanks,” she says.

  “Good choice,” Katie says and pats her on the back.

  “What about me?” Petra pipes up in her nasal, whiny voice.

  “What about you? You have no control over your punches, unless you did it on purpose?”

  “Why would I do that?” she asks trying to pull off an innocent face.

  “You stay in the beginner class. You can head out now,” Katie says with some glamour behind her words.

  “Now you two, come with me,” she says as she heads towards the office. The motion sensor light flicks on as we enter.

  “The intermediate level classes are on the third floor. Here is the schedule. We rotate who teaches them so no one person molds the students so I will see you again,” she says smiling.

  “Thanks, Katie,” I say. “Good night.”

  “Bye,” she says.

  “Lily, I’ve never seen you so focused. It was beautiful the way you were punching that bag. I could tell you totally tuned out,” Helena says as we walk to the car.

  “I was. I think I was in ‘the zone’ as they say. I felt like screaming out a wild cry and pounding the hell out of that bag.”

  “That’s why we’re here,” she says as she gives me a one armed hug. “Let’s get home and tell the boys how well the women did. Ha! The warrior women! I feel great, Lily. This was so much fun. I’m glad we’re moving up faster and together. I want to start sparring,” she says and there is a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  I think Helena needs this. Girl time, physical activity – no war play. That is what she wants and misses. I snicker and soon we are both engulfed in great cathartic laughter. It feels so healing. I must remember to tell Sophie about it.

  We pull up at the manse. The house blazing with lights. Our electric bill is enormous. Good thing we have money. I keep trying to talk the rest of the ‘family’ into going solar and I think they are almost convinced.

  Sebastian opens the door and smiles when he sees us.

  “You too look like the cat that caught the mouse,” he says.

  “We both got moved up to the intermediate class. You should have seen Lily, she kicked some serious ass on the bag,” Helena brags for me. I give Bast a shy smile. His dark eyes shine, his eyebrow quirks and his mouth stretches in a small smile.

  “Let me take your bags and you can go take showers. We’ll have a drink to celebrate your promotions,” he says. He moves at a blur to deposit our bags in our rooms and then is back down. He winks at me as he passes us to go to the library. Helena left to tell Julian she was home and would tell him all the details, after she cleaned up.

  I walk up the staircase with a lighter step than I’ve had in a long time. I feel my phone vibrate and check it. It’s a text from Mark.

  Lily,

  How are you? I can’t wait to see you again tomorrow night. I’ve made reservations for a great new restaurant called Wild Fire. I hear they have an excellent wine cellar ;) Just wanted to see how your day has been.

  Yours,

  Mark

  I just saw him. I don’t really feel the need to see him so soon. But I can’t wait to try Wild Fire. I’ve heard so many good things about it. Anyone who is anyone has been seen there recently. I wonder how he got the reservations?

  Mark,

  Excited about the restaurant. I’ve heard good things about it. What time is the reservation for? My day has been fun. I need to jump in the shower now. Talk to you later.

  Lily

  I strip down and separate my clothes into the appropriate laundry baskets. Then I turn on the shower extra hot to make sure I work out any impending soreness. Stepping into the steamy stream feels wicked good. I let the soapy water float over my body and luxuriate in the scent. I give my hair a quick wash and get out. Toweling off, I realize that I feel rather amazing. The physicality of the class and the possibility of a new neutral friend have lifted the worst of my melancholy. But the proud look from Bast and his words and touch have mended a big tear. I’m very confused if this is what I want but it feels good and right at the moment.

  I dress in jeans and a long Irish sweater and tall suede boots before I head downstairs. I can hear Helena regaling the men about our class.

  “… and then Lily hit the bag again and again. She was in the zone,” Helena says and the deep bass laugh of the men echoes her declaration. I smile to myself.

  “Fighting at one hundred and twenty-three pounds – Lily Goodwill!” Julian exclaims.

  “Hey blabber, my weight was supposed to be for the werewolf experiments,” I say and stick my tongue out at him. Liam and Sebastian snort but Andrew comes to my defense.

  “A lady never reveals her weight, Julian. Shame on you,” Andrew says. I snigger behind my hand at Andrew’s outrage. He shows his umbrage by serving Julian last. They’d opened a bottle of champagne. Silly vampires, they will use any excuse to celebrate. We get so tired of the tedium. But it is yummy.

  After much champagne and laughter, I retire to my room. I promised Sophie I would do some journaling and some other homework for tomorrow. Sebastian follows me up. Neither of us says a word. He’s right behind me when I enter my room and quietly shuts the door.

  “Lily, I just wanted a minute to tell you how proud I am of you,” he says. He takes a breath and steps into my personal space.

  “Bast, your opinion matters to me, regardless of what I might have said under the influence the other night.”

  “I’m happy to hear that. I know you weren’t feeling well but I was worried you had given up on me completely. On us.”

  “I don’t kn
ow where this new Lily is headed but I hope that you will stick around and wait to find out,” I say. I look down but let my hand reach out and rest over his barely beating heart. “You are very important to me.”

  He takes my hand and brings it to his lips, slowly kissing each finger in turn making parts of me wake up that had been dead for months.

  “You are the better half of me, ma cherie.”

  16 SEBASTIAN

  I left Lily staring at her fingers with a look of wonder. Soft delight on her face. This is not a game for me but I am making strategic moves. Calculating, manipulating our environment by following her to her room for privacy. Anything I can do to rekindle our love, I will do it. I know she still loves me. I just have to help her get over her fear and trust issues. Unfortunately, I have all the time in the world to contemplate and get angry over the way I had been used to cause those issues. Never again. If I can get her back, never again will I give her a reason not to trust me. My flirtation with Nico may have been too early in Lily’s recovery but maybe not. It made her aware of me.

  I have to go into the club to do some paperwork. I love my club. It used to take too much time which caused problems between Lily and me. Then I hired an excellent manager and my life has opened up considerably. I’m almost just for show at this point. Still, I try to stop in everyday to keep my face familiar to everyone.

  “Good evening Mr. St. John,” Dave says as he takes my keys.

  “Bon soir, David. Park it close, I’m not staying long.”

  “Sure, boss.”

  I walk into the nineteen forties themed nightclub and my heart aches. Not long ago Lily and I spent the night dancing, drinking champagne and hanging out with gangsters and movie stars. I have some of their pictures on the walls. The music takes me back. Thinking about friends we have had through the eras. I was a player, she was an innocent. And then I realized it was Lily – I never looked at another woman until Queen Zoe sent that other witch-vamp to spell me and destroy my engagement with Lily last year.

  The thirties were even better than the forties but Lily was so new at being a vampire that she stumbled around a bit. I thought the forties were more memorable for her since she had started coming into her own by then. So I created the club for her as a birthday present the year before.

  As I walk to the back I narrowly miss a candy girl. When I step out of her way I look up and see Aidan dancing with a beautiful African American model named Manda. What the hell? He barely has had two words for Lily this past week. He bailed on her while she was recovering and now he is dancing, and dancing close, I might add with another beautiful woman.

  Wait, maybe I should be glad about this.

  I go to the bar and order a cognac. Leaning against the bar top, I watch the two flirt and lean into each other. When the song is over, they go and sit down at a booth. I immediately flag a waitress and send a bottle of our finest champagne over to them with compliments from the owner.

  When they receive it, Manda claps and Aidan scrutinizes the crowd until he finds me. He whispers in her ear and then comes to talk to me. Bring it fire boy. If he thinks he can hurt Lily like this…

  “Hello, Sebastian. Thank you for the Champagne. Manda will enjoy it,” he says. His face is not giving anything away. He had to know there would be a chance I would see him here.

  “What are you playing at, Aidan?” I ask.

  “I don’t know what you mean, Sebastian.”

  “Yes you do. You haven’t had a moment for Lily but you are out with a hot supermodel. Are you backing down from Lily? I need to know. She needs to know.”

  He sighs, rubs his face and cracks his neck. I’ve never seen him so uptight.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing, Sebastian. I know that while I was gone my head cleared and I didn’t have this obsession over Lily anymore. I love her. I always will. But I think it’s time that I move on. It is the healthy thing to do, don’t you think?” He looks serious. Oh God, let him be serious.

  “You know what I think, Aidan. I would support you moving on. Manda is known for her kind heart. You could do a lot worse, that’s for sure. She’s beautiful, smart, kind…”

  “… funny, flirtatious, amazing, sexy, and she doesn’t even know half of it. That makes her even more alluring,” Aidan says wistfully as he waves to her.

  “Good luck, my friend. Enjoy the champagne. You know you have to tell Lily though, and soon.”

  “I know, I will. Tomorrow when she wakes up,” he says.

  “Good. That will be good. You shouldn’t let any more time go by.”

  “Agreed. Thanks again for the champagne, Sebastian.” And with that he moves back through the crowd to Manda.

  Her whole face lights up when he gets near. He deserves that. To be first in someone’s heart. Not second choice. I wish him well. I just don’t know how Lily is going to take this.

  I decide to hang around after all. Doing paperwork is not my idea of fun but it keeps me connected to the club at its basest level so I dive into it. By the time I am done, the club has closed and I am the last to leave. It’s early morning. Lily will have to sleep soon. Maybe if I hurry I can say goodnight.

  With that on my mind, I hurry to my car parked right in front. I don’t notice the big Demon until it’s almost too late.

  I narrowly avoid an uppercut and kick out with my right foot. Damn Italian loafers. He grunts and recovers fast, throwing a roundhouse that I dodge and two punches that I don’t. Each hit me in the side. I’m thrown against my car, setting the alarm off.

  The Demon bends down to finish me off but I haven’t even started. He got lucky and I act like I’m hurt before swinging a fist up into his nose, rallying on the sharp snap I hear. He stumbles back and I move in for the kill. While he grabs his nose I swing a kick to his knees knocking him down to the pavement. He howls in pain before I grab his head and bring it down hard on my knee, knocking him out.

  He is a brute of a Demon but relies on his size and obvious strength too much. He never learned to fight. I doubt he has taken on too many vampires. I search his pockets and find a card and club I.D. for The Devil With You. Fucking Mark. I know if I tell Lily she won’t believe me. It’s too early in our tentative realignment. I don’t have enough credit in the trust department yet. Too much back and forth between Aidan and me. No, I have to handle this on my own. For now that means going home to her and saying good night.

  17 LILITH

  Sebastian comes through the door just before I turn in for the night. I can’t help but smile at him. His hair is mussed and he is predatory. It does something to me. He sees my smile and his eyes light up. He stops to kiss my cheeks and say good evening before heading to the bar that’s located here in the library.

  “Cherie, can I get you anything?” he asks.

  “No, Bast. I was just getting ready to go to bed,” I say.

  He downs a shot of whiskey. Hmmm…

  “May I escort you to your room?” he asks politely. I know he means it respectfully.

  “Yes, that would be nice. You can tell me how your night went.”

  “Ahhh… I would rather hear about yours,” he says as he takes my hand and helps me from the chaise. “What did you do after I left?”

  He leaves the door open to my room. A subtle signal that I don’t need to feel pressured or rushed. I sit down in one of the big over-stuffed, striped chairs and he takes the one next to me. I notice him wince and favor his left side when he sits down.

  “Sebastian, I can see when you are in pain. Take off your shirt.”

  “What?” he says, eyes wide, startled.

  “You heard me buddy, off with your shirt.” He hesitates. “Now, Sebastian.”

  “Okay, cherie,” he says and tries to chuckle but grabs his side instead and grunts. I go over to him and take off his jacket and then start to unbutton his shirt.

  “You know I imagined this very differently,” he says softly as he runs his hand down my cheek.

  “I know, Bast. Let’s s
ee the damage first,” I say.

  I gently take his shirt off and grimace at the huge bruise over his ribs on the left side. I tenderly apply pressure and hear his quick intake of air. I feel at least one broken rib.

  “You’ll need to feed. You’ve got at least one broken rib. Maybe more.”

  “Fucking Demon,” he mumbles.

  “What was that?” I ask, truly not wanting to hear what I think I hear.

  “Nothing, cherie. Just a mix up after I closed the bar. I got jumped. I came out ahead, though. You should see the other guy,” he says and gives me a toothy, fangster smile.

  I can’t stop the tingling. I love his fangs. I rapidly push that aside to focus on the problem at hand. Why would someone jump Bast? And a Demon at that. My face falls.

  “No cherie, don’t worry about it. I can handle it. I’m a big boy and can take care of myself. He got one lucky punch. One. I got all the rest. I promise you. Besides, once I feed I will be better by tomorrow.”

  Why was he being so easy-going about this? It wasn’t like him. Bast has a temper or could have one if he or a loved one is attacked or hurt. Why isn’t he taking this seriously? There has to be some reason behind it.

  “I know you’ll be better tomorrow and that you probably pulverized the other guy but you’re being so calm about it. He must have been supernatural to have hit you even once.”

  “I was distracted. It was a lucky shot, ma petite. That’s all.” His eyes were begging me not to ask more questions.

  I placed a small kiss on the bruise and when I looked up at him his eyes had closed. Peace descended on him and it made me happy I could give him that. While his eyes were closed I kissed the corner of his mouth too. He groaned and pulled me close to him nuzzling his face in my hair and smelling deeply.

  “You smell so good Lily, it awakens something in me. Your shampoo and soap smell great but it’s your blood and you, your essence. God, I’ve missed your scent.”

  I make a motion to move away but Sebastian tightens his hold.

  “Just a minute more, please?” he asks.

  “All right.” I gently snuggle into him. He sighs and relaxes against me.