“Nice to meet you, Addie. I’m Kris.”
I took the shirt from her. “Thank you,” I said with sincerity. I wasn’t looking forward to putting that dirt-caked one back on, so her shirt was a welcomed gift.
After drying myself off with one of the dry cloths from the basket, I yanked the black, lacey shirt over my head. It fit snugly, barely covering half my chest, with the bottom hem an inch below my belly button. I looked in the mirror. The top was very revealing, and I said a silent prayer of thanks that I’d decided to wear a black bra that night, because the lacey number was see-through.
I quickly became aware of the bedraggled state that my hair, face, and jeans were in. The difference was painful against the dressy shirt. Addie picked up on my discomfort. She turned me towards her, and a surprised squeak slipped out of me as she attacked my belt and the button to my jeans.
“You’re in good hands, Kris. Don’t you worry. Feel free to throw your gun in my purse until you’re ready to leave.”
What was going on? I’d just met the woman, and she was already stripping me out of my clothes and disarming me. I decided to go with the flow. That gun wasn’t the most deadly weapon at my disposal. My power was.
Addie’s face pinched up like she smelled something vile. She stopped shoving my pants down and looked cross-eyed at my feet. “How could you let your boots get so trashed? A woman’s shoes are her temple.” She grabbed the damp cloth I’d been using and bent her knees until she was sitting on the backs of her heels. This girl was something else, a style drill sergeant. She grabbed my calf in one hand and polished the dirt and grime off my boots with the other.
“There, that’s much better. These boots are hot; they can stay, but these pants?” She clucked her tongue at them. “They have got to go. Take ‘em off,” she ordered.
I did what she told me to. When I finished taking my jeans off, I stood as she tossed me a grey, leather skirt. I drew it over my hips and slipped my boots back on.
Addie rifled through her purse. “Here it is!” she said, holding up a silver makeup bag.
Before I knew what was coming, she went for my face with a triangle sponge and a plethora of different-sized brushes. They were swept across my eyelids and cheeks, and she used black and red lining sticks to color all my creases and lips. When she was satisfied with her work, she moved on to my hair.
“That pony tail is out of here.” She huffed. Like a genie, Addison made a big spray can appear in one of her hands and a large round brush in the other. She pointed at me. “Judging by all those knots, this is going to hurt you way more than it will hurt me. Hold your breath. I’m going in.”
Her first stroke hit a knot and she tugged it through. “Ouch!” Maybe she wasn’t as innocent as I’d first thought!
“Stop your whining. Beauty exacts its price, and you’re finally paying it. And from the looks of you before, you’re paying the discounted rate.”
Chapter Sixteen
The vodka was going down way too easily. I looked at my watch; fifteen minutes had passed since Kristina left. She was taking her sweet time in the bathroom. Women were a mysterious lot, I couldn’t help thinking. They could cozy up in their closets, bedrooms, and bathrooms for eternity. How or why, I couldn’t comprehend.
“Where’s Kris?” Rafe asked, walking up to the table. As he dragged out the barstool, the legs scraped hard against the floor, making a screech. He jumped onto the stool, saying, “I was expecting a better view—a more feminine one. Not your ugly mug.”
He grabbed the bottle of beer with a smirk and slammed it down in three gulps. “I’ll take two more,” Rafe said to the passing waitress whose half-naked body had been circling the table like a shark since Kristina left to freshen up.
I didn’t give the woman more than a passing glance. One night stands had lost their flavor for me. Best believe that’s exactly what was on thigh-high’s mind; she wanted a hardcore romp in the saddle. Last week, or even last night, I would have been happy to oblige her. But after that mind-blowing kiss between Kristina and me, my appetite for other women had been obliterated. That beautiful, sexy woman was a constant pain in my ass.
I gave the punk vampire a hard look. He didn’t even flinch, the asshole. “She’ll be back. Went to freshen up. I see you found a closet to raid.”
Rafe was wearing a pair of black dress slacks and a silk shirt. The top buttons were left undone. I figured him for a more scuffed-up, casual style, but if he was able to pay the big bucks for an awakening, he had to be rolling in dough and could afford the duds he was sporting.
Rafe shot me a dry look. “Why did you come with us, anyway? I distinctly remember inviting Kris along with me tonight; the offer wasn’t extended to you.”
I slammed my drink down. A small line crawled up the glass. I cracked it. I leaned forward and shot the baby vamp a crippling look of my own. “I know how you vampires are, prick. You think any women you lay eyes on are your personal property. Normally, I wouldn’t give a fuck, but Kris…she’s different. Back off her, man. She’s mine.”
Rafe stared at me. I knew my face was awash with red. I was pissed. My knuckles cracked white as I clenched my fists to keep from reaching over the table to punch the smug look off his face.
The waitress dropped off Rafe’s drinks, clearing the table of the empties and the glass I broke. I felt bad for giving her the extra work and slipped her an additional twenty for the trouble.
“Would you like another?” she asked, batting her mascara-caked eyelashes at me. She stuffed the twenty between her breasts and winked.
I grabbed Kristina’s tequila drink and slammed it. “Another round for the table would be great.”
“No problem,” she said, giving us both a half-hearted smile before taking off. No doubt, fleeing because she picked up on the tension between the vampire and me.
Rafe sat straight in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, hit me over the head with a club or pinch me really hard, so I know I’m not dreaming. That, my friend, is a vision of pure perfection—the stuff dreams are made of.”
Turning in my seat, I looked behind me. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and my tongue tried hard to roll out of my mouth; I almost fell out of my chair when I saw whom the dumb-ass vampire was talking about. A vision of beauty, of pure animal eroticism, was walking our way. I hardly noticed the curvy blond who was accompanying the goddess, Kristina.
A protective growl hovered menacingly in the center of my chest, threatening to erupt. I scanned the room. Just as I thought, everyone was staring at my woman. Her dark hair hung loose, gentle waves flowing over her left shoulder. The red-hot beauty was wearing a miniskirt that ended halfway down her luscious thighs; there was a brief show of skin before it was cruelly hidden behind her leather boots. I imagined nibbling on the exposed flesh. Her breasts were barely covered, plump, and pushed up to spill over the edge of her shirt. My heart jack hammered.
Kristina was a natural beauty who didn’t need the fuss of makeup and revealing clothing to get attention, but motherfucker! All the modifying she had done to accentuate that beauty didn’t hurt in the least. I had to reach down and rearrange the suddenly growing proof of it. No woman had ever had that kind of effect on me, and just my luck, the object of my ever-growing desire could barely stand me.
“Did I miss anything?” Kris asked, stopping in front of the table. She fidgeted with the bottom of her skirt and smiled at me.
I jumped up, and my elbow struck the corner of the table, making all the drinks rattle. I pulled out her seat. “You’re the only thing worth missing around here, Kris. You left this table a beauty and have returned a stunningly breath-taking vision. You have viciously stolen my heart; how cruel of you,” I said half-joking.
She blushed and took the offered seat. “You’re such a kidder.”
“He’s right. You are a vision of loveliness, ma chérie.” Rafe gave Kris a lecherous grin and slid a drink in front of her. It made me want to pummel his nose in.<
br />
“Oh, my God! Is that you?” The blond next to Kris squealed so loud, you could hardly hear the booming club music over it. “It has to be…but it can’t be!”
“Rafe stood up, opened his arms wide, and said, “Addie, get your sexy ass over here and give us a kiss.”
“It is you! Rafe, I have missed you so much.” With tears crawling down her cheeks, the girl Rafe called Addie went running into his arms.
~~~
I had to admit, the way the men, and even some of the women in the bar, were ogling my goodies as I walked towards my table made me feel kind of sexy. I was starting to enjoy that side of being a woman. It was a rare occasion for me to get all dolled up, and their reaction to my bared cleavage and legs had me wondering why I didn’t do it more often.
Rouge caked onto my cheeks was a lot better than having dirt smudged across my face any day, but even so, I didn’t regret the work I did for the poor, suffering ghosts who contacted me. They needed someone to exact their retribution, and I was more than happy to do it. There was no better feeling than to send a once-distraught spirit home into the ether, so they could live out their eternity in whichever heaven each one of them believed in. And since I found out about the body-snatching phantoms—the lost souls who wander the earth in disparity until only darkness is left to consume them—I considered my work to be of even more importance. The fewer body snatchers traipsing the earth, the better.
I noticed how Rush was staring at me. At first, I thought he disapproved of the new and improved version of me, but upon closer examination, I recognized a deep and carnal hunger in the way he was drinking me in. My cheeks flushed darker than the blush, and I looked down to hide my reaction. Sound fell from my lips, but I didn’t even know what words were being formed.
Rush stumbled out of his chair and pulled out my seat. As soon as I plopped down, a shriek from behind me compelled me to jump and turn. The next thing I knew, my new friend, Addie, was in mid-fling, a collision course into my vampire’s arms.
Did I just call Rafe mine? The connection I felt towards him was becoming more intense, not to mention insane. They weren’t feelings of lust, love, or even longing. They were more aptly described as being a deep, instinctual protectiveness and somehow, an already established bond of kinship that usually took years of trials and tribulations to form. Speaking of close bonds and friendships, I thought of Jude and how much I already missed him.
“I thought you were dead!” Addie yelled over the booming music, blaring out of the club’s speakers. “Devil and I weren’t expecting you for years!”
Those two knew each other. Hmmm…. My ears perked up.
“I’d still be dead as a doornail if it weren’t for the lovely Kris, and from the way you two walked over here all chummy-like, I am assuming you’ve already had the pleasure of meeting my beautiful Creator,” Rafe said while looking my way.
Addie’s concentration was fierce as she swung around in Rafe’s arms to study me. “So I have you to thank for bringing this lunatic back to us so soon?”
I nodded. A huge smile brightened the bombshell’s face, and before I knew it, I was wrapped in a hug of my own. “I knew there was something about you that I liked,” she said.
Rafe quirked a brow. Amusement flickered bright in his eyes. “She raised me from the dead so I can do her evil bidding.”
After backing away from my arms, Addison took a seat at the table. I followed suit and so did the fellas. “So…what kind of evil task do you have in mind for him, Kris?” Her voice was filled with excitement.
Rafe snorted and answered the question instead. “She wants me to be good. Can you believe that?”
Addie’s hair flew back as she laughed. “Good luck with that one, honey. Rafe is a letch and a randy fool, and if you know what’s best for you, you’ll keep that in mind.”
“With friends like you, sweet Addison, I miss the company of my enemies,” Rafe jabbed back.
Rush turned with a smile and held out his hand to Addie. “I’m Rush Davis. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Addison stopped laughing, looked down at Rush’s offered hand, and then turned away. After a moment, she shook her head and politely said, “I’m sorry, but without permission from Devil, I can’t touch you. But thanks for being so nice. It really is a pleasure to meet you.”
I made a sound of disbelief; it grabbed everyone’s attention. “I know it’s none of my business, and I should probably shut my mouth now, but I never do. Your vampire master, or boyfriend, or whatever he is, has no right to control you like that. No one does. He sounds like a male chauvinist pig.”
I crossed my arms and sat back hard in my seat. There went my stress-free drinking bender. Vampires always screw stuff up. The men at the table said nothing. They looked around, wrung their hands, and stared at their drinks. Addie, however, was a different story. She moved her head slightly to the side, giving me a curious look, one that screamed, “Bitch! Who do you think you are?” She shuffled her long, blood-red nails against the table and kicked her chin up a notch before leaning forward, pinning me with an unrelenting glare.
“You know, looking out for another female is a trait to be admired, but to be a straight up bitch about something you know nothing about isn’t cool. Who put a bee in your bonnet, Kris? Something has to be wrong, ‘cause there’s no way you’re this big a bitch all the time.”
The intensity of her words hit me like a fist. I wasn’t used to anyone speaking to me like that. Before I said something that could only end with me on the floor, fists full of blond hair, I reached over, grabbed my drink, and downed it. I was finally starting to feel the effects of all the alcohol I had been guzzling down like water, and my head was spinning. I reached up and cradled my forehead to try and steady myself.
Addison stopped reprimanding me, and instead, her scorn turned to concern. “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. Are you okay?”
I peeked between my fingers at her and nodded. “I’m all right. All the booze I’ve drunk is catching up with me, is all. I’m usually not a big drinker…just having a bad couple days. Sorry for being a bitch.”
“Her sister is missing,” Rush said. “She’s been a bit sensitive because of it.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Rafe added.
Wow! Rafe and Rush finally agreed on something—the fact that I was being a raging bitch. Perfect. “I like you guys better when you’re fighting.”
All three of them laughed.
With a smile, Addison hopped from her stool. She scrambled to stand next to a tall, well-built man. The gentleman wore a pristine black suit and crisp, ice-blue tie. He towered over Addie by at least a foot and had the broadest shoulders I’d ever seen. Any bodybuilder in his prime would have been envious of the mountainous man.
Addie faded into the background as she stood in contrast to the imposing force of nature. His size was intimidating; I wanted to hide under the table from him. But like all things that scared me, I pushed the annoying feeling aside and forced myself to sit taller in my seat, refusing to cower down, no matter how bad I wanted to.
My eyes burned, visibly glowing in response to the presence of such a powerful vampire. And make no mistake, his life force was potent. I concentrated on the magic invading my eyes, making the glow in them fade. I couldn’t get rid of the tell-tale sign completely, but I could make it dwindle down to a dull glint.
“Devil!” Rafe cheered in response to the vampire’s arrival. “I thought you’d be working. What a nice surprise.”
“Ah, there’s plenty of time for work later. Besides, how can I concentrate on paperwork when I receive word that someone who happens to resemble my dead best friend is breaking into my private quarters above the club? I, of course, had to investigate such a ludicrous claim.” The large vampire leaned down and pecked Addison on the cheek. He then slapped her rear and laughed. “Out of all the suits in my closet, you had to borrow my favorite Armani. Even undead, you’re a big
pain in my ass, Rafe. Stand up, brother. Let me get a good look at you…and my suit.”
Rafe walked over to Devil. The big ogre of a vampire pulled Rafe into a heartfelt embrace, one that looked to squeeze the life from him. They both laughed, and words were exchanged. I could hardly make out what they were saying, because their conversation came out in an excited rush.
“That’s my Devil,” Addie whispered in my ear. “And just so you know, if you’re friends with Rafe, then you’re like royalty in this place.”
“Why is that?” I asked, keeping an amused eye glued on the unabashed, brotherly reunion unfolding before me. It was a touching scene, and I felt privileged to be a part of their happiness. I slammed down a shot of something blue and sweet. Somehow, there was always a drink in front of me, which, I supposed, wasn’t a bad problem to have.
“Did you notice the sign when you walked in here tonight—the big, white and red blinking one?” Addie chuckled.
“Of course, I saw that flashing eyesore. Who could miss it? It said Devil’s Playground. Am I right?” I took yet another blue shot. “Pretty cool name for a club. A little morbid, maybe, but fitting.”
“So?” she asked.
“So what?” I giggled, and then hiccupped. I was pretty sure I hit drunk a while back. I was coasting on the having a fanciful time ride.
Addie huffed and pushed into the seat next to mine, leaving the guys alone to chum it up. She grabbed two shots and downed one, and then another.
“You’re drunk, Kris. And to that, I have only two things to say. First and foremost, we are partying tonight with none other than the owners of this here fine establishment. Devil—Get it? Devil’s Playground?—and his dashingly handsome partner in crime, Rafe Devereaux.”
When she received only a shrug from me over her ‘big’ news, she smiled and shook her head. “And two,” she said, grabbing up another shooter, “it’s high time for me to catch up with you.” That one was red, and it looked just as yummy as the blue one. She chugged it back.
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