Blood Moon (Skye Morrison Vampire Series, #5.5) (2 page)

“So, I’ll…uh…let you get to it then,” Dean said a bit uncomfortably before he turned around.  Hesitating at the door, he gazed back at me.  “Just let me know if you need anything,” he added before closing the door behind him.

With a heavy sigh, I downed the rest of my beer before heading into the bathroom.  Eager to wash away the past few days, I turned on the shower and quickly stripped.  I set Dean’s borrowed shirt aside on the counter and threw the trashy blue monstrosity into the wastebasket.  As I walked toward the shower, I caught a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror and paused at the reflection before me.

Gasping, I tentatively touched the damage.  Before this moment, I had no idea how bad it actually was.  Scattered bite marks marred my neck, arms, torso, and inner thighs.  I studied the dark purple bruises at my hips, inner thighs, arms, and the streaks of blood everywhere before I couldn’t take anymore and turned away in disgust.  Thank God my full sleeve tattoos hid most of the damage on my arms.  The sight of my wrecked body brought back a flood of unwanted memories and I bit my bottom lip hard to keep from screaming—in anger or pain, I wasn’t sure.  Most likely a bit of both.

Brushing away a flurry of tears, I stepped into the bathtub and closed the translucent shower curtain.  A wave of embarrassment hit me as I realized how many people had seen me in this state.   I was weak, scared, bruised, and used.  Normally, I was a pretty tough chick and always prided myself on my abilities to take care of myself, but nothing I did could have saved me from the horrors of the past few days.  The vampires proved stronger and meaner than even my Krav Maga training had prepared me for.  Once they had me, they kept me pretty much out of it by mainlining me with copious amounts of the bad shit.  Heroin was my guess.

Grabbing the bath sponge, I covered it in liquid soap and set about scrubbing every inch of my body as hard as I could.  I could still smell the men that’d violated me on my skin and it made me sick to my stomach.

After scrubbing until I felt I’d bleed, I turned the water as hot as it would go, curled up into a ball against the side of the tub, and attempted to let the scalding water wash away the rest of my shame. The sting was a welcomed distraction to my ongoing emotional agony.

Dean

I ran my fingers through my hair as I stared into the refrigerator.  I didn’t have much in the way of proper food, but I needed to feed Nikki something.  By the looks of her, she hadn’t eaten in days and I desperately needed to fix that.  For some reason, she brought out a side of me rarely seen or felt; I wanted to nurture her, protect her, take care of her, and kill any bastard who dared hurt her again. 

Shoving the confusing feelings aside for some much needed later analysis, I dug out sandwich fixings.  I piled lunchmeat, cheese, lettuce and tomato into a high stack on top of sourdough bread and topped it with another slice.  After setting out three kinds of potato chips on the bar, I searched around for something other than beer to drink.  Coming up empty handed, I fixed a glass of ice water and set it by her plate.  It would have to do.

I dusted my hands nervously and dubiously eyed the offerings.  I hoped a sandwich would suffice for tonight.  It wasn’t a proper meal, but in my defense, I didn’t know I’d be entertaining guests; and a woman at that.  My boys never minded a cold sandwich, but Nikki was certainly no boy; she was all woman and I couldn’t help but take notice.

Nikki appeared a few minutes later wearing a Round Rock Express t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweats.  Her long black hair hung wet down her back and her eyes were rimmed red, like she’d been crying recently.  Taking a deep breath, I looked away, the sight upsetting me.  It bothered me to know she’d been crying and I hadn’t been able to be there for her.  What bothered me even more were the feelings she was bringing out in me.  I didn’t understand them.  I had met Nikki a few times when I’d hung out with Skye Morrison, but she’d never even entered my radar.  She was a cute girl, gorgeous in fact, but I’d been distracted by my feelings for Skye; not that she’d ever date me.  She had her head so far up Archer Rhys’ ass, her vampire boss; I was surprised she could even still breathe. 

“I fixed you something to eat,” I said as I got another beer out of the fridge.  “It’s not much, but it’ll have to do for tonight.  I’ll run by the market tomorrow and get more stuff.”

“I’m not hungry,” Nikki said softly as she took a seat at the bar and eyed the monster of a sandwich in front of her.  “I could really use another beer or five though…maybe something stronger if you have it.”

“I’ll make you a deal, toots,” I sighed with understanding, turning to her.  “You put a good dent in that sandwich first, and then you can have the run of my liquor cabinet.  I can tell you haven’t eaten in a while and I need to feed you.”

“Why?” she asked, not understanding why I cared.

I popped the top on my beer then rubbed the back of my neck.  “I don’t know,” I said honestly, uncomfortably.  “I just do, okay?”

I watched as she took a deep breath and looked down at the food in front of her.  She seemed to come to a decision and glanced up at me as she nodded her head.  “Okay,” she said softly then swallowed thickly.  “But you have to have a few drinks with me.  Drinking alone is kind of pathetic and I think I’ve already hit my pathetic threshold for the month.”

A slow smile spread across my face and I nodded my head once in agreement.  “Deal.  Now dig in.”

“You just going to stand there and watch me stuff my face?” she asked around a mouthful as she slid me the other half of her sandwich.  “Make yourself useful and help me finish this thing.  It’s just going to go to waste if you don’t.  I don’t have a hope in hell of even finishing my half, let alone the other.”

I could tell she was serious and I decided I could stand to eat, so I took a seat beside her at the bar and started chewing.  We ate in comfortable silence and, to my surprise, Nikki finished her half of the sandwich and even a handful of original Lay’s potato chips before hopping down off her stool and taking the plate and half-full glass of water to the sink.

“Thanks for feeding me,” she said, turning around to face me as she leaned back against the counter.  “You make a mean sandwich.”

“Thanks for eating it,” I smiled crookedly at her as I chewed my last bite.  “Liquor is in the cabinet behind me.  Glasses are inside.”

Nikki nodded her head, walked into the living room, and opened the solid oak liquor cabinet that had once belonged to my dad.  I watched as she took out a bottle of 151 and two shot glasses, and then took a seat on the couch.

“You coming or what?” she asked me over her shoulder.  “I’ve got some questions and you’ve got the answers.”

I could only imagine the things she’d be asking me and I’d been hoping I wouldn’t have to have this conversation until morning; seems I wasn’t that lucky, though.

Sliding off the barstool, I grabbed my beer, strolled into the living room, and took a seat on the ottoman a few feet from the couch.  With a sigh, I glanced over at her.  “What do you want to ask?”

I watched as she poured up two shots of rum and slid mine across the coffee table toward me.  “I’ve recently learned that there are things in this world I had no idea existed until a few days ago,” she said before tossing the shot back and wincing at the strength of the alcohol.  “Vampires kidnapped me and…”  I watched her swallow thickly, a dark, haunted look crossing her eyes before she shook her head and continued, “That was a helluva way to learn that things from nightmares and scary movies were, in fact, real.  Are there other things out there that I don’t know about?  I mean, tonight I saw you as a wolf, and then a few minutes later, you were a man.  I just need to know what the fuck else is out there.  I can’t protect myself if I don’t know.”

I noticed her hands trembling as she poured herself another shot and quickly down it.  She slowly slid her eyes to mine and then down to my still full shot.  “Drink,” she whispered.  “I already feel pathetic enough.”

“You are not pathetic,” I growled defensively, startling myself and her in the process.  I quickly changed my tone as I took a deep breath and picked up the shot glass.  “Don’t say shit like that.  It’s not true.”  I threw the shot back and slid the empty glass toward her for a refill.

“Vampires and werewolves exist,” I said running my fingers through my thick, dark hair.  I wasn’t supposed to tell her about the others since she was human, but she asked, and for the life of me, I didn’t want to lie to her.  “We’ve been around as long as time itself, and though we are mortal enemies, we coexist peacefully for the most part.  As for other supernaturals, I can only tell you about the ones I personally know of.  Witches are real and I’m not talking about those tree-hugging Wiccan types.  I’m talking about legit, malicious bitches.  You definitely don’t want to cross one because they will make what little life you have left a living hell.  Demons and ghosts are also real, but most of the ghosts I’ve seen aren’t sentient.  They seem to exist in a continuous loop, cursed to live out the same event for all of eternity.”

Nikki watched me with wide, rapt eyes as I continued.  “Demons, on the other hand, are evil, intelligent beings whose sole purpose in life is to destroy yours.  That’s where you get your human possessions from; they like to take up shop and use you guys as puppets.  The only way to rid a human of a demon is by exorcism or death.”

“Holy shit,” she whispered and slid me another shot.  “So, like, Captain Howdy and the Exorcist…that shit can really happen?”

“So I’ve heard,” I shrugged and picked up the glass, “though I’ve only heard of a few actual, confirmed cases.”

“Holy shit,” she whispered again as she watched me toss back the liquor.  “What about zombies?”

I couldn’t help it and laughed loudly, the sound making Nikki jump hard and look away.  My laughter quickly died as I leaned forward on the ottoman and looked her over with concern.  She had wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach and was rocking slightly as she hid her face to the side.  My brow furrowed with worry and I stood up and took a seat next to her on the couch.  Gently, slowly, I placed my hand on her back and she immediately froze and tensed up.

“Nikki,” I said softly, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She was still a long time before her head suddenly dropped to her chest and her shoulders started shaking.  I did the only thing I could think of to do, and that was gently rub her back as she cried. I couldn’t stand to see a woman cry.  Not only was it heartbreaking, but it made me uncomfortable as all hell.  Even though I was barely touching her, I was scared to hug her or touch her further given the abuse she had suffered at the Dark vampires’ hands.  She hadn’t mentioned the rape, but I’d smelled it on her when I first approached her in my wolf form.  If the bastards who’d done it weren’t already dead, I’d have killed them all over again for what they’d put her through.

After a few minutes, she sniffled, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and fisted the neck of the 151 bottle.  I watched as she took a huge mouthful straight from the bottle and swallowed it like a pro.  “Are you okay?” I whispered, gently moving her long, silky black hair over her shoulder so I could see her face.

Nikki chuckled humorlessly and hugged the bottle close to her chest.  “No.  I’m so fucking far from okay.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you when I laughed.”

She swallowed thickly and turned her tear stained, aqua green eyes toward me.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.”  Passing me the bottle, she reluctantly elaborated.  “They…they used to…laugh…after.”

I tightly clenched my fists and fought the sudden urge to destroy something.  I couldn’t understand how anyone, even Dark Ones, could hurt a girl like Nikki.  My mind ran wild with all the things she must have endured and I was livid.  A perfect stranger enduring what she must have would’ve angered me, but the fact that I knew Nikki, and knew how strong she normally was, well…I felt murderous.  I wanted nothing more than to protect her and keep her safe. I never wanted to see Nikki cry again.

Without thinking, I set the bottle down, grabbed her shoulders, and turned her to face me, all thoughts of what my touch might do to her fragile state forgotten.  “They’re all dead,” I said, staring intently into her eyes so she would understand.  “We killed them all.  I swear to you, they can never hurt you again, Nikki.  You don’t ever have to be afraid.”

“Lyric is still out there,” she said in a tiny voice.  “He knows where I live; he’s been to my house.”

I sighed and wished I could tell her that her house had been destroyed by fire the previous night, but I didn’t think she could handle that particular news on top of everything else.  “Lyric will be taken care of,” I growled.  “I assure you, he will not get away with what he did to you.” 

“How do you know?” she asked timidly.

“Because I’m making it my mission to see that he suffers for his sins, toots.”

She stared at me a while longer and then slowly nodded her head.  “Good,” she said simply and picked up the bottle again. 

I sat back on the couch and we descended into a comfortable silence as we passed the bottle back and forth.  My sips were much smaller than hers as I wanted to keep my wits about me for her sake.  It had been a long and hard day, but I needed to be sober so I could be here for Nikki completely.

Turning my head slightly toward her, I studied her face as she stared down into the bottle of rum.  Her face was angelic, if exhausted, and for the first time, I realized just how amazingly beautiful she really was.  Nikki and I had hung out a few times when we were with Skye, but I’d never really given her much thought.  I found myself doing just that as my eyes slowly traced her profile.

She was beautiful in an unconventional sort of way.  Her forehead was a bit too tall, but she hid it behind her electric blue bangs.  Her eyes were a little too big for her face, but the color…the color was amazing—aqua green pools shimmered behind long, thick eyelashes.  Her skin looked incredibly soft and had a healthier glow now that she’d taken a shower.  For some reason, I wanted to run my fingers through her long, dark hair and caress her perfect, porcelain skin. And her lips…her lips were full, plush, pink, and made her wide-set mouth look utterly kissable.

Realizing my thoughts had taken a wrong turn, I quickly looked away and put a little more space between us.  Thinking the things I was about her was not only wrong, but confusing as hell to me.  This poor girl had just endured horrible, unspeakable things and here I was fantasizing about how soft her skin was.  I knew it was time to call it a night, but I was uncertain if I should leave her alone.

Clearing my throat, I sighed as I stood up and ran a hand through my hair.  “It’s been a helluva day, toots.  I’m going to shower and hit the sack and I think you should too.” 

Nikki capped the bottle and set it down on the coffee table before standing and meeting my eyes.  “Thank you for everything, Dean,” she said quietly then looked down at her hands.  “I mean it.  I’d be dead right now if you hadn’t pulled that vampire off me.”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I nodded silently then took a deep breath.  “Uh, my bedroom is down the hall from yours if you need anything.  Last door in the left.”

She nodded back and hugged herself tightly as I turned and walked off, checking the locks once more before retiring for the night.