Sam whirled on the Wayward and shoved Baird off of him. “No one’s hurting anyone, Baird. Lay off.”
Blue could see the resolve in her brother’s eyes. She knew that he did not back down easily. “Baird!” she shouted. “You can’t attack a Vemreaux!”
“I warned him! I promised him a broken arm if he didn’t keep his hands off you, Blue!”
“Control, Baird!” Blue yelled. Her fear and anger fought to dominate his rage. “You hurt him, they’ll take you away! Think of the girls!”
Baird considered this, but his fury was too fresh. “It’s worth it!” He lunged at Sam, fighting until he had the man in a headlock.
Grettel screamed, and Elle stumbled to her feet. “Baird! Stop!”
Alec and Brody stood in front of Liam, unsure how to extricate the prince from the duel when the two bears were brawling so close to the door.
Blue was on the floor, clutching her temples, mentally fighting with a foe they could not see. She looked crazy as her fingers clawed at her face. Alec was not keen on letting Liam too near her insanity, either.
Sam easily gained the upper hand in the scuffle. He tossed an apologetic look at Blue before flipping her brother over his shoulder.
Baird landed hard on the floor, the wind knocking out of him and deflating his fight. Reason crept back in slowly, pushing out the violence that wanted to dictate his actions.
Instead of rushing to Baird, Elle dove for Blue. Her shaking arms went around her friend, hoping to stop the blackout that she could tell was trying to take over. “Shh, baby doll. Quiet now. It’s okay. No one’s in danger. No one’s fighting.” Her trembling voice told another story. “Sam’s not gonna press charges. He won’t take Baird away from us. Right, Sam?”
Sam’s anger at Baird softened when he took in Blue’s tremors. “No. Of course not. I’m not going to send someone to be killed just because he’s stupid.” Then he turned to Baird, who brought himself up to sitting, and scowled. “Very stupid. I’d like to know what damage you thought you could do to me, Wayward. You’re not the bleeding Light. The only thing you’re doing is annoying me. Trust me, that’s not what you want. I didn’t do anything to your sister.”
Baird succeeded in ignoring Sam when he took in his sister’s rocking and the telltale signs that a blackout was forthcoming. “No one’s fighting, Blue!” he shouted, hoping the night would not end in a slaughter.
“Someone get me the towel!” Elle pleaded.
Grettel was too afraid to move, her sobs obscuring her vision as she held her knees in the corner of the room. Baird was the first to obey, grabbing the towel from the bathroom and draping it over Blue’s head.
Elle held the fabric tight over her friend, cutting out any light from getting to her. “See? No black. Just close your eyes, Blue. It’s all fine. Nothing’s wrong. Just your brother being an ass. Normal day.” She fumed silently at Baird, who ignored her jabs. “Baird, tell your sister it’s over. Tell her you won’t go after Sam anymore.”
Baird glared at Elle, wishing there was any other way. He knew that Blue needed to know the threat was diffused, but the urge to throttle the cocky Vem was still too appealing. “I won’t break Sam’s arm, Blue. No one’s getting hurt tonight, so calm yourself down.” When his sister whimpered, his voice turned sharp. “I said calm down! This is what it looks like when I care about you, so stop your whining! Do you want to hurt these guys?”
“No!” Blue moaned.
Elle’s shoulders relaxed that Blue was lucid enough to speak. The massacre had been avoided. Elle wanted to sob all over again, but knew the job wasn’t over yet.
Baird’s intensity did not wane. “Then you will get a hold of yourself!” He counted to five, ignoring Sam and Liam, who fired off questions he would not answer. “Are you under control?” He watched his sister nod from inside her makeshift fabric fort, and then pulled the towel off of her. She had pink lines traced down her cheeks – a sign of the stress that pushed her to self-mutilate so she did not have a blackout. His fury lessened, knowing that this was entirely his fault. “You have to waitress in the morning, Blue. You can’t go marking yourself up like this.”
Elle hissed at Baird and snatched Blue closer. “Like that’s the thing to focus on.” Elle could see the worried expressions on the faces of the men staring down at them. “Look, I don’t know why we have company tonight, but whatever you all think of us, it could’ve been a hundred times worse. You should all leave now.” She made eye contact with Sam and mouthed, Be careful.
“What just happened?” Liam asked Elle.
“Baird almost got you killed,” Elle responded. “She doesn’t do well when the things she loves are threatened.” Then, to challenge anyone who would dare judge her best friend, Elle said, “Do you?”
Sam stepped toward Blue and bent down so he was in her line of vision. “Blue, I wasn’t going to hurt your brother. But Baird has to learn that he can’t start stuff this close to Liam. It’s not safe. I was just defending myself, and now it’s over. You don’t have to worry.” Sam ignored Baird’s growl and touched the marks on Blue’s cheek, watching her eyes flutter. “And you don’t have to do this to yourself. Baird’s not in trouble.”
“Sam,” Alec warned, watching as Baird seethed.
“I don’t think she was worried about Baird,” Elle commented as Sam rocked back on his heels to stand.
Blue blinked like she was coming out of a trance. That he could pull her into such an unguarded stupor frightened Blue and threatened to squelch the butterflies that were now swarming like killer bees in her stomach.
Baird was not happy. Instead of thanking Sam, he addressed Liam. “Time to go, guys. Freak show’s over. We’ll see you tomorrow after one when we close. We really need to get some sleep.” What he wanted to say was, “If that cocky Vemreaux so much as looks at my sister again, it’ll be more bloodshed that he’ll have to patch up.”
Liam understood, though he was just as baffled at his friend’s complete personality shift. “Not a problem. Good to meet you all.” He bowed his head, ever the diplomat, and pushed Sam out of the hut while he still recognized him.
Chapter Thirty
Stolen Moment
As soon as they reached the safety of the rented vehicle, Brody let loose before Sam turned the key in the ignition. “What was that?”
“Since when do you act all romantic? And with a Wayward? Are you just screwing with her? Because that’s not gonna fly if she’s going to be living and traveling with us, yeah?” Liam frowned as the car backed out onto the road. Before Sam could spit out his retort, Liam kept going with everything he’d been storing up to say once they were away from the Waywards. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but her brother hates you. Like, really hates you. You trying to get a rise outta him?”
“Actual hate,” Brody agreed.
“Stop slagging me off,” Sam grumbled.
“If he’s going to trust me with her, you’ve got to stop pushing him like that. String along the Femreaux who’re stupid enough to let you. They should know better, and it’s fun as anything to watch, don’t get me wrong. But Blue’s just a girl, Sam. She doesn’t get your short attention span. Plus, she’s obviously unbalanced. Did you see that thing they had to do with the towel? Not normal.”
“I think we’re well passed normal,” Alec commented as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “She didn’t do anything, but I can’t help thinking she was still a threat to you, Liam. I can’t predict her, and that makes her dangerous. And her brother? Pure psychopath. Good thing he’s only Wayward.”
Liam scoffed. “She’s a kitten. Not dangerous, Alec. And you can handle Baird. But Sam, trust me when I say that she’s way too much for you to handle. You’d have no idea what to do with a woman like that.”
Sam took a corner rather sharply, and Liam consented to buckling his seatbelt after that. “A woman like what?”
“A Wayward. It’s a different culture. Leave her be.”
Brody stretched
in the back seat next to Liam. “We’ll pick a different bar for happy hour tomorrow, and you can find some Fem to make it with. Get whatever it is you’re up to literally out of your system, Stone.”
Alec’s arms crossed over his chest as he pushed Liam’s point from the passenger’s seat. “If I had a sister, no way I’d let her near you. And Baird? He loves his sister. He’s insane, but he cares enough about her to not want you pulling your tricks with her. Can’t fault him for that.”
“Leave it alone, guys,” Sam warned. “I didn’t do anything. No tricks.”
“How many people’s sisters do you imagine you’ve slept with?” Alec prodded further.
Sam’s knuckles were clutching the steering wheel so tight that he hoped it would break and bear his frustration. Through his gritted teeth, he summoned up a few choice words that seemed most appropriate to slap on his friend. Before he could spew them out, a moving spot of white caught his eye in the side mirror.
It was Blue in her white tank top. Sam could see the full length of her bare arms in that delicious garment. He expected them to be bigger and bulkier with the force he recalled her smashing him up against the wall with. As it was, she appeared feminine. Swallowing, his brain alerted him to the fact that his eyes were staring at a section of her body that was impolite in all social circles to ogle. It was the first time he was glad that she was not looking at him.
“Are you even listening to us?” Brody asked.
The urgency with which she ran to the diner had left her, and it seemed to Sam that she was jogging for the fun of it, chasing away whatever monster told her to claw up her face. She was much like him in that way. Neither of them wanted to be cooped up or contained in one place for too long. Both found ways to deal with the pain.
Blue’s hair fell and rose behind her as she jogged past the car which was now stopped at a red light. Her eyes were fixed ahead of her, but Sam could tell that she knew it was them and was making a concerted effort to keep her head from turning in his direction.
Despite the chill of the night air, Sam rolled down the window and called out to her. “Hey! You need a ride, little Wayward?” His was the only vehicle on the road at the late hour, so he ignored the traffic light when it turned green.
The smirk in his voice caused the corner of her mouth to turn up as she slowed and trotted over to the car, stopping a meter from it. Away from the watchful eye of her brother, Blue’s tightened tongue loosened. “No, thanks. I have a lot of time to waste while they sleep, sir.” Her eyes darted around to make sure that no eavesdroppers could hear her admission.
Sam looked around as well and caught the eye of Liam, whose stare was attempting to bore a hole through the back of his head. “I tell you what, how about you stop calling me sir and start calling me Sam.” He waved his hand between them. “You’re not just some waitress and I’m not just some Vemreaux. We’re friends now.” He shuddered at the word, wishing he’d picked a better one. He never realized how difficult it was to talk to women until she stood outside of the car, waiting for him to say something sensible. “If everything works out, we’ll be together a lot. Might as well just drop the formalities, yeah?” He gave her his best crooked grin, which exploded into a full-blown smile when he saw her cheeks darken even in the dim moonlight.
“Okay.”
Sam’s smile faltered at her immediate compliance. He thought about offering her a ride again, but stopped himself. It was one of the few times he’d heard her express an opinion. Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear, he’d accept the faint sting of the miniature rejection if it meant she was speaking for herself instead of spouting out the one word he was beginning to hate. “You and the girls doing okay?”
Again, she glanced in the direction of the hut to be sure Baird was enough kilometers away. “I’m sorry about all that back there. And thanks for not calling the cops. Baird can be…but he doesn’t know any better. We’re his responsibility, and he takes that seriously. I’m sorry he attacked you, though. He shouldn’ta done that. I’d just fought with him before we found Elle all torn up, so he wasn’t thinking clearly. I’ll watch him better next time.”
“I’m fine, little Wayward. I just don’t like seeing your pretty face all scratched up.”
Blue touched her heated cheeks. “It’s nothing. It’ll heal by tomorrow. Always does.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to stop by tomorrow to check on you.”
Blue tried to rein in her smile, but did not succeed. “Okay.”
“Have a good run, little Wayward,” he offered lamely. Then as she turned back to the road, he was struck with the uncontrollable urge to see her face one more time. “Hey, aren’t you going to wish me sweet dreams or something girly like that?”
The few steps she’d taken away from him were matched by the car he coaxed to crawl forward. It was worth the slow progression, for he caught a rare sight indeed. Blue tilted her head back and let out a quiet laugh that reached out and excited Sam’s entire body. “Sweet dreams, Sam.”
The sound of her laughter was nothing compared to his name cradled on her tongue, coming out of her pink lips. She leaned down and peeked past the driver to the rest of the passengers. “You too, sirs.”
“You can use our names, Blue,” Alec muttered.
Liam pushed aside his shock long enough to respond. “You know you can call me Liam.” Then considering it, he added, “Or The Amazing Liam. Prince Liam. Legend with all Fair Femreaux Liam. Whatever suits you.”
“Okay.” Blue laughed again, the sound of it sparking between her and Sam like crackles of electricity popping in the air. “Sweet dreams, Sam and sweet dreams, guys.”
With what Sam deemed as too much ease, she turned and jogged away from them. It was only when Alec cleared his throat that Sam realized he was barely pressing on the gas so that he could remain next to Blue a little while longer as she traversed up the road. He recalled his former self and stepped down on the accelerator to take them into Capital City to their hotel.
Sam cringed as the stare and whistle from his best friend pulled him back down to earth. “Shut it, Li.”
“Oh, man!” Liam threw his head back on the headrest. “Baird’s gonna kill you dead.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The Last Test
Elle was feeling much better after a solid seven hours of sleep. While a day off of work to rest and heal would be beneficial, it was simply not an option. There was too much money to be made, and she wouldn’t put all that work on Blue and leave her with the slovenly Steve on a Peace Day weekend.
Life returned to normal as quickly as possible, Baird using his famous method of forbidding talk about the night’s events as a tactic to move past it.
Most of the Vemreaux were off work and ready to start celebrating. Happy hour started an hour early at the customers’ behest. Most alcohol did not affect them the way it did an A-blood or the unchanged B-bloods, which was why Baird’s Green Abby shots were so coveted. Absinthe was one of the few intoxicants that did them in across the board, and during a stretch like Peace Week, everyone wanted to celebrate a little more freely than the average weekend release.
The jukebox had a line around it, and the backup overhead music only played two light ditties when the restaurant first opened for lunch. Ever since then, the loud and angry celebratory electric guitars rang out triumphant from the vintage red and gold painted box. Every once in a great while, a Femreaux would request a sappy love song that would incur so many boos that the ballad was barely audible.
It was difficult for the wait staff to hear each patron as they placed their order, but as the day drifted into evening, Blue and Elle read their lips as most of them declared “Green Abby” as their choice for the night.
Baird flagged his sister over to the bar around midnight. The partiers were showing no signs of slowing or heading home, so breaks were rationed. It took Blue a little longer to weave her way through the tables to reach him. Baird had been distracted all day, working
out problems in his head while his hands were on autopilot pouring drinks.
“I gotta answer this.” Baird held up his cell phone that had since stopped ringing. “Could you take over with the shots for a while? I could use a break. I’m starving.”
Blue nodded. “Five minutes,” she warned, knowing she could neglect her tables only so long before they got riled up and it started affecting her tips.
Though there were three lines of drinks already poured, she knew they would be gone in a moment. Baird usually did two dozen at a time, but Blue wanted to do more. She lined up six rows of twelve miniature glasses and began dragging the flowing green liquid across the tops in a clean, even sweep.
Ten minutes later, Baird returned to the bar, saying nothing as he traded places with his sister. It was hard to believe that if all went according to the very new plan, she would be leaving the diner she’d just started working at in less than a week. He could tell that Blue wanted to ask him what Joe had said, but knew it was not the time to talk. “Hey, I thought you had tables to wait on. And that line at the door won’t seat itself.”
“Yeah, yeah. You know me. Slacker extraordinaire.”
Baird did not jump back into bartending immediately. Instead he moved slow, not bothering himself with the bottles on the ledge in front of him. His gaze was fixed on the hostess stand where Steve was actually doing his job for once. Blue followed his line of vision and saw Liam, Alec and Sam.
The three Vemreaux scanned the diner until Liam found Baird and Sam located Blue. Alec had his eye on Blue as he surreptitiously kept his sensors up for any danger that could be more of a threat than the young girl standing by the bar, holding an empty tray at her side.
The moment Sam’s gaze fell on Blue, he could not help the delight that appeared in his eyes, nor the slight hopeful wave that his hand made in the air to greet her.
The Way Page 30
