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Carmen started walking, just let go of the table and walked straight across to Devon. She grabbed a fist of his loose jeans, and then fell forward on his boots.
“Did y’all see that?” Devon raved jubilantly over the baby’s achievements. Velvet ran over cooing encouragingly for her to do it again. Naturally, she wouldn’t now that she had everyone’s attention.
From the far corner of the living room, Wilder leaned against the wall, he kept his eyes on her. She seemed content enough, ten days since her indiscretion with Troy. She wasn’t moping around all heartbroken, thank goodness. What choice did he have but to get between them? Troy was too dumb and a big risk to her safety. One day Velvet would see that and love him more for it.
“Wilder.” Celeste sailed up to him looking as unreal as any department store mannequin. As usual in the house, she wore a long flowing dress. “Do you know a kid named Rex?”
“Rex?”
“He was on the phone earlier, wants you to call him back.”
“Why do you need to know anything about that kid?”
“If he’s a vampire shouldn’t we inform Velvet?”
“My business is my business.”
“I understand.”
“Then quit that staring at me.”
She followed Wilder’s eyes back to Velvet and Devon on the couch playing with Carmen. “What’s going to become of that baby?”
“I’ve no idea.”
“Well, they can’t keep it. She isn’t a pet. If the authorities found out they could be in trouble.”
“I’m sure Velvet knows what she’s doing.”
“Really?” Celeste questioned. “You didn’t think that when she fucked that wolf man. In fact, you went nuts according to Devon. Are you sure, Velvet is the woman she used to be?”
“Say what you really mean, Celeste.”
“I’m not trying to be a troublemaker,” she qualified first. “But keeping an orphan isn’t a reasonable thing to do. She should be turned over to the authorities. Otherwise, it looks like Suzanne abducted her. And what about Devon? He’s got it in his head Carmen is like him because she can hear.”
“Maybe she is.”
“Even so,” Celeste stressed. “Don’t you think their attachment to the child is unnatural?”
“How would I know?”
“I wonder,” Celeste smiled.
“Wonder what?”
“How she manages to keep people so loyal, especially you. Were you an experiment? The way you cling to her isn’t the normal way a vampire acts with a witch. You two should be repelling each other.”
“Is that so?” Wilder smiled, turning his body on the living room scene, and purposely blocked Celeste’s view. He made a show of ogling the form of her chest. “Cooking witch or not, you’re still a witch. I don’t see you repelling from me.”
“They call me a kitchen witch, not a cooking witch. Not that either term applies to me. Anyway, I haven’t spent more than ten minutes alone with you, so how do we know what our natures might do?”
“You wish to be alone with me? You want to see how close you can get to a vampire?”
“Would it be against the rules?”
“There are no rules as far as how or with whom I spend my time.”
“Really?” Celeste looked around him, over to Velvet leading Carmen by a finger across the room.
“Well that depends on what you plan to get done in this time alone.”
“I think you know,” she said. “But I need to know if Velvet has you off limits.”
“You know all you need to know, Celeste. Excuse me.”
He took the vacant spot on the couch next to Velvet. Devon had gone to study. Carmen crawled over into his lap. She played with his lips at first then tried to pry them apart. “Careful, Carmen,” he said, holding her hands then bared his fangs for her. Carmen still tried to touch them. He closed his mouth and let her hands loose. She went for his lips again.
“I didn’t know you two were so chummy,” Velvet remarked.
“Carmen and I are pals.”
“I meant you and Celeste over there in the corner.”
“Just talking.” Velvet put Carmen down on the floor. “You object?”
“No. Just be on your toes around her.”
“Why did you hire her and let Suzanne be her roommate?”
“After what she tried to pull with you, I want to know what her game is.”
“I see.”
“Wilder, I want you to tell me why you interfered with me and Troy.”
“It’s been ten days why are you asking now?”
“Just tell me. I know it wasn’t about any Talon Group report. You used that as leverage to get your way. What is the real reason you can’t stand Troy with me? He never did anything to you, so where is all this hate coming from?”
“All right. Jerome wanted Troy, and he meant to have him. You got him first and you got him to help you take down the Grove. He wants revenge. He might forgive Troy if you stay away from him. If he has Troy, he might leave you be, if you don’t get in his face.”
“That’s it? Is he nuts? Troy doesn’t like men like that. And if he did, it wouldn’t be a manic like Jerome.”
“You think that matters? Jerome has decided what he wants and they are connected. All he has to do is bite him again and keep on biting him.”
“They aren’t connected, and Troy won’t let him!”
“Velvet, you know there are ways. Now, you stay out of that.”
“I’m not going to leave Troy to Jerome. I have to warn him.”
“I’ve already done that, and he agreed it is better to leave you alone. He cares about you enough to do that at least.”
“You sound like you don’t think he liked me.”
“He wasn’t very classy or romantic in my opinion. Doing you in the club where all his wolves could hear and smell you.”
“All his wolves weren’t there and it was spontaneous and real sexy.”
“Sleazy, if you ask me.”
“I didn’t ask you.”
“If he truly liked you he’d have been discreet and patient.”
“Like you? It took you seven damn years to finally make love to me. And then you only did it because you were scared I was about to move on from you.”
“Is that how you remember it, or is that bitterness speaking out loud?”
“Is this mess really about Jerome? Or do you think Troy is the man that will take me away from you for good?”
“Darling, no one is taking you from me. You know it and so do I.”
“You...” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Sometimes I wish I’d never let you bite me.”
“It wasn’t your choice. I took the first bite and that was the bite that made me yours.”
“Maybe I’m tired of you, Wilder. Maybe you need to leave.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. You’re upset with me now, but you will get over it. You always do.” He gathered her in a hug and told her, “I am your vampire- always.”
“Aren’t you dressed to go out?” She pulled out of his embrace. “The night isn’t going to last forever.”
He stood up and watched Carmen play with an empty soda bottle on the floor. “Would you come with me?”
“No.”
“Please, it might take your mind off things.”
“I want my mind to stay on things.”
“Then good night, my darling.”
“Good night, Wilder.”
~*~
“Here?” Celeste asked, after reading the sign on the building. Tanaka’s, it said. Walking around were normals and werewolves. Some in wolf man or woman form. She looked at Wilder as if hoping he was joking. “It’s a freak show!” She cried out loud. “Animals!”
“Werepeople,” Wilder corrected, annoyed at her reaction. He got out of the car and went around to her side to help her step out. She hesitated, then took his hand climbing out. The slit on her halter dress was all the way up her thigh. It opened showing a good amount of bare skin and that she was wearing a thong. Sexy underwear, Wilder noted, pleased at the sight. He put a hand at the small of her back, allowing her to proceed as they moved toward the club. His annoyance with her was immediately forgotten, as he viewed her shapely perfect back in the extremely low cut dress. “You’ll love the free atmosphere.”
“This is Troy’s place, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Is this really one of your favorite party places, or is this how you keep an eye on Troy?”
“I thought you wanted to hang out with me and have fun. So far, your conversation isn’t putting me in a fun mood.”
“Oh?” She stepped and stopped in front of him. She did a slow flourish, allowing him time to openly appreciate the view. “I thought this dress was all about fun.” A slim, partially transformed wolf man and his human date, gazed at the perfect figure she made. Celeste frowned back at them, until they turned and walked away. “Dumb animals.”
“Hey!” A young man stepped out of a car near the front of the building in preferred parking. “Yo! It’s the outcast!” Two more young men and their dates emerged from another car that was parked nearby. The first young man marched right behind Wilder and Celeste. “Where you think you are going all dressed up? Man, you’ve been cast out! You can’t party with decent coven fearing vampires.”
“Oh DC, leave him alone. He’s cute,” one of the girls said. She wore red hip boots and a red mini dress that plunged down her thin chest.
“Naw, Angie, he’s a disgrace!” DC exclaimed. “What’s that thing on your arm, man?”
“Thing?” Vexation seemed to overcome Celeste instantly.
“Looks like a damned Barbie. Girl, don’t those eyes blink?”
“Young man,” Wilder began. “I’ll give you and your friends this one opportunity to leave us alone.”
“Stan! Sparks! Y’all hear that? Sounds like the old one wants to throw down.”
“Sure is what it sounded like to me,” Stan agreed, pushing his date aside. “Sweetie Pie, you and Angie go stand between those cars for a minute.”
“Stan, you said we were gonna party like regular folks.” Sweetie Pie pouted, but obeyed easily enough. Like her friend she was dressed to party, all in black, she wore tall high heels with a short tight dress that hugged her slim hips.
Angie, however, grabbed on to DC’s arm. “Leave them alone. I didn’t get dressed up just to watch you guys brawl in the parking lot.”
“Listen to your girl,” Celeste advised and turned loose of Wilder’s arm. She stretched her arms out at the group.
Before she began to glow, Angie backed out of the picture to stand between the cars with Sweetie Pie. “Guys that’s his witch and she don’t play.”
“That ain’t Velvet Washington,” DC said and showed his vampire face. “Sparks, you ready?”
“Let’s do it.” Sparks rushed Celeste in a blur, grabbed her hands and lifted her up and away from Wilder’s reach in a matter of seconds. His buddies attacked Wilder as one, obviously used to double teaming an opponent. Security alarms went off in cars as they tossed Wilder about. “Old dude got nothing!” Sparks laughed, lugging Celeste over the parking lot by the arms. Finding it award, he roughly gathered her up, holding her from the back, hovering about the parking lot action. “Watch it, DC! Stan, don’t let him get hold of you, fool!”’
Wider was up moving fast and hitting hard without vamping out as his attackers did. Both DC and Stan were struggling to keep on their feet.
“What the fuck!” Sparks screamed. “Aw shit! DC, get off that ass!”
“Will you stop screeching in my ear?” Celeste said.
“What? You say something, Night Life Barbie?”
“Put me down and help your friends.”
“My friends don’t need any help. But I’ll put your ass down.” He released her and let her fall on the hood of a Volkswagen. He laughed, watching her scramble and slide off the car.
“Sparks!” Celeste shouted loud as she raised an arm in his direction. She didn’t glow, just shot a beam at him. Sparks avoided it easily. “Damn.” She sent another one and missed again. Sparks came at her flying fast. She ducked, barely avoiding him by getting behind the Volkswagen. Sparks touched down, shouting to his friends to hurry up and take the old fool out. “I’m not done with you, boy.” Celeste came out of hiding.
“Aw,” Sparks groaned at her and gave his attention to the fight between his friends and Wilder.
“Sparks, do not turn your back on me.” He kept walking. Celeste formed a ball of purple light in her palm.
“Sparks!” Angie and Sweetie Pie cried out a warning. He turned, and fast as he was, he avoided it only by an inch.
“Now, I done had it with you, Hoochie Barbie.”
“You haven’t had anything, Sparks, but here you go.’’ She threw three at him, he dived and danced around, but the last one struck his thigh. He grabbed himself holding onto a car hood for support. Celeste, holding her palms out, came at him.
“Stay back,” Sweetie Pie said, holding her shiny purse against her chest. “They were just playing. Vampires like to play like that.” Angie pulled her back behind the cars.
“Shut up, Sweetie Pie. Sparks can handle himself.”
“Damn,” Sparks winced. “What the hell is that shit? Keeps getting worse!”
“It can be anything, in this case, it is ultra violet.”
“Sparks!” Stan screamed on the ground. Wilder walked right over him, stepping on his chest and face. DC fell against a Saab, his legs were too weak to hold him up. Wilder vamped out, using his fangs, he tore into DC’s throat. When he backed off, DC crumpled and fell to the pavement. Angie held her head screaming, and Sweetie Pie fainted.
“He killed him,” Sparks said. He hobbled to his friend. “He bit out his throat.”
“Next time don’t insult a man’s date,” Celeste snickered.
“Oh!” Angie put his bloody head in her lap and wailed. “You killed my poor DC.”
“He isn’t dead, you idiots,” Wilder said, straightening his clothes. His platinum bracelet came apart, he tossed it at Stan who was still on the ground. “Just dress his wound and feed him.”
“For real?” Sweetie Pie asked, coming forward.
“You’re human,” Celeste said. “Why are you running around with these morons?”
“I’m twenty one. I can do what I want.”
Celeste took her by an arm. “You aren’t even eighteen.”
“Let go,” Sweetie Pie squeaked. “Angie!”
“Oh, who cares anyway?” Celeste went to Wilder. “Am I too messed up?”
“Might want to fix your make up in the ladies room.”
“You are a couple of shits!” Angie cried, coming up behind them. “Leaving people stretched out in the parking lot, while you go in and start partying! Wait until my master hears about this!”
“Who is your master, child?” Wilder restrained her from running back with a simple touch to her arm. “Name him now.”
“Jerome.”
“He sent you children out to hassle me?”
“No.”
“Angie.”
“He didn’t, I swear.” Wilder let her move farther away.
“Celeste, can you do something for DC?”
“Why should I?”
“Please, Celeste.” Sweetie Pie gave her the big eyes.
“I hope you kids learned a lesson tonight,” Celeste said. She went to DC and knelt beside him. She put her hands around his throat like she wanted to choke him. When she took them away her hands were bloody and DC’s throat was healed, not even the punctures remained.
“What about my leg, Celeste?” Sparks wanted to know. “You gonna let it fall off?”
“Just have a couple of pints tonight. You’ll be able to walk, but it’s gonna nag you a few days.”
“A few days?”
“You better consider yourself lucky that UV was not at full intensity.” She rose and dusted at her dress.
“Celeste?” Wilder offered her his arm. “Shall we proceed?”
“Yes, even though I doubt what’s inside is as interesting as out here.”
~*~
Boy, was she was wrong. She kept the big guy in her sights for nearly an hour before she decided it was time to approach him. He was the finest man she’d seen in years! She left Wilder on the dance floor, he didn’t care if he had a dance partner or not anyway. As she sauntered, making her way to the bar, she noticed several women giving her the stare. She knew she was hot in the slinky dress, hotter than any of them. Go ahead, you bitches, Celeste snickered, make my night!
He was in conversation with the younger bartender behind the counter. Up close he was even hotter. She chose a barstool as near to him as she could get and waited to be noticed. While she waited, she lit a cigarette and proceeded to enjoy the scenery. The bartender wasn’t bad either, just a little on the young side, but nowhere in the same league as Troy Tanaka.
Finally, the bartender noticed her and gave her a big welcoming smile. “Sorry, ma’am,” he apologized. “Was just having a quick word with the boss.”
“No problem.” She spoke while catching Troy’s eye.
“I’m Craig. What’ll you have?”
“Vodka on ice with a lime twist.” While he was still looking, she gave Troy a big sexy smile and licked her bottom lip. “And then I’d like a word with your boss.”
“Do I know you?” Troy came up to the counter checking her out. Craig placed her drink before her on a napkin and slipped discretely off to the other end of the bar. Troy came around the counter and took the stool on her right. “Can’t say I recall your face.”
“Or my smell?”
“Afraid not. My name is Troy.”
“I know who you are.”
“Then I’m at a disadvantage here. Who are you?”
“My name is Celeste. I saw you looking at me when I came in.”
“Actually, I was more interested in who you came in with. You know that guy is a vampire?”
“He’s also one of my bosses.”
“Okay.”
“At Velvet Washington and Associates.” She sipped at her drink without taking her eyes off his face that now appeared guarded. “I know how they treat you.”
“Wasn’t aware that I was being treated.”
“Those two are bonded. The vampire will always be the main one. Anyone else is just a plaything.”
“And you’ve known them how long?”
“Maybe not as long as you, but I know things. I can sense things.”
“All right, Celeste. What did you come here to tell me?”
“I just came to meet you,” she said. Using her free hand, she touched his thigh. He jumped as if her touch were red hot. “Easy,” she laughed and gave his thigh a squeeze. “I don’t bite, unless you want me to. And I don’t mind being nibbled on either.”
“Celeste, if this is a come on, I’m not interested at this time.”
“Now, what does that mean?” She aggressively took hold of his arm as he rose to leave. “You mean you might be interested when she tells you in no uncertain terms to get lost?” She let his arm go and stood close looking up into his narrowed eyes. “Well, by then I’m sure I won’t be interested at that time!”
“What are- I don’t even know you,” he said. “I don’t appreciate you coming to my place to make a scene. Did Wilder put you up to this?”
“What do I look like to you, a whore?”
“Since I don’t know you, I’m not going to insult you. Now, if you’d like, we can act like this little encounter never happened.”
“Why would I want to do that, wolf man? Oh, you think all witches act like her?”
“Look, Celeste. I turned you down, and I’m trying to be nice. But I won’t be nice if you keep referring to my relationship with Velvet.”
“A relationship has to be worked on. When was the last time you worked, Troy?” Boldly, she reached between them and grabbed his crotch.
“Celeste!” He froze and watched her like he couldn’t believe what the hell was going on.
“Oh my!” She wiggled her body against him, squeezing the package in her hand. “Big boy, let’s go somewhere more private.”
“Take your hand off me.”
“Aw, come on. I’ll even let you go furry.”
“Are you nuts!” He snatched her hand away and jerked his body from contact with hers. “I’m going to find Wilder, and he’s going to get you out of my club. Don’t you ever come near me like this again.”
“Okay, fine, you ain’t interested in my kind of fun! No need to act like somebody is trying to rape your fine ass!” She watched him stroll out to the dance floor and disappear into the crowd. From the end of the bar, she noticed Craig frowning openly towards her. “What are you looking at?” She gulped the bottom of her drink then brusquely ordered another one. “Make it a double!”