Cherry Blossom (Vampire Cherry Book 2) (2 page)

Asking my ex if he’d watched my current lover and me have earth-shattering sex would lead to all kinds of awkwardness, so I opted for yelling at Constantine to get out of the room and go wait for us in the kitchen.

He left with the huff and flourish that seemed to constantly accompany him since he’d become a member of the vampire council.

“Come on, before he pitches a fit.” Alex tossed my jeans and a top on the bed.

I ignored the clothes, and just watched him slide into his own jeans. The sight made up for the cramped sleeping arrangements. “He can wait.” I stretched on my back, and reached with my toes for one of his belt loops. “I think you should come back to bed.”

“And I think you should stop avoiding him.” He was right. I was avoiding Constantine. I bet Alex didn’t know why, though.

I
wasn’t sure I knew why. I only knew I felt odd being all couple-y with Alex in front of my ex. It was like I rubbed his face into my happiness with a man who wasn’t him. The lingering looks Constantine gave me from time to time didn’t help much, either. They weren’t looks of longing. He studied me, as if dissecting me. Trying to read my mind. He never said a word against Alex—or
for
him, to be perfectly honest—but his general disposition had turned snarkier. Gloomier. Not that he’d exactly been a ray of sunshine to begin with, but sensing I was the reason for his change made me feel bad.

“I just can’t deal with his smartassness first thing in the morning.” Pulling the covers over my head acted like an end to the conversation. Or so I thought.

Alex drew the covers away, and leaned over me, now fully dressed. “Get up. Stop being a five-year-old. He may have something important to tell us.”

He had a point. Constantine or his people—council members always have
people—
might have finally spotted Willoughby. With a groan meant to show my displeasure, I got up and put my clothes on. “Let’s go,” I said, and led the way.

****

Constantine sat at the table, entirely out of place in the spacious, well lit kitchen. It wasn’t his age that put him at odds with the modern tiles, shiny lacquered wood and glass surfaces, and metal elements. He looked mid-thirties and hot, his long blond hair framing an angular face devoid of wrinkles. Only his blue eyes betrayed he’d seen much more than his smooth skin and casual attire indicated.

His jeans and white T-shirt weren’t too stylish for him to be in a place where food was getting prepared and served, so that couldn’t be it either.

Eyes narrowed, I studied him until realization sunk in. It was his posture that made him clash with the surroundings. He held his back straight, shoulders square, and chin up, as though he were royalty sitting on his throne, waiting for peasants to bring forth their offers.

I
so
wouldn’t be one of them.

“Nice of you to finally join us,” he said.

“Like we had a choice.” I’d
known
he’d be sarcastic. I should have come up with a reply that had more bite.

Liza, who was never too far from Constantine, threw me a scolding look from her perch on the kitchen counter, her black eyebrows furrowed. She was absolutely gorgeous, and had been an aspiring model when my old talent agent delivered her to my maker, who wanted to add her to his undead army of models.

Alex, Constantine, and I rescued Liza and two other fledglings from Ádísa and her cohorts. Constantine took the girls in, and they more or less worshipped the ground he stood on.

Now I itched to tell Liza I’d been in Constantine’s life much longer than she had, and could therefore speak to the man she viewed as a god any way I pleased, but it seemed petty. Instead, I returned her look and took a seat across from my ex. Alex pulled out a chair between us, turned it around, and straddled it.

“Talk,” I said to Constantine.

“Would you like something to drink first?”

I looked around. “Where’s Wesley? I could go for some coffee. And maybe eggs.” Constantine’s human butler and his incredible cooking skills were among the perks of living at the mansion. Normal food doesn’t sate our hunger, but we enjoy the hell out of it.

“Wesley is busy. Liza has brewed tea.”

“Then no, thanks.”

Next to me Alex shook his head. “I’m good. What’s up?”

“There has been a possible sighting of Willoughby.” Constantine motioned at Liza, and she hurried to refill his teacup.

Gag.

“I can’t say more at this time, but you should be getting ready for a trip at short notice,” he said.

Alex nodded, unperturbed as always by Constantine’s exaggerated air of mystery.

I wasn’t that big a person. “You got us out of bed to tell us someone’s seen the bad guy, but not who or where? What’s next?” I deepened my voice to a basso. “It will rain one day in the near or distant future.” In my normal pitch, I asked, “Was that doomsday-worthy enough for you?”

“Cherry, this is all I can tell you right now. You have to trust me. What matters is we may have a clue as to his surroundings, if not his intentions.”

“A clue you won’t share with the class.”

“I’m sure he’ll tell us more when he knows more.” Alex placed one hand over mine, which I’d apparently fisted without realizing it. His effort at soothing me had the opposite result.

“He knows more now.” I locked my gaze on Constantine’s. “Don’t you?”

Constantine shook his head and smiled ruefully. “When did you become so cynical?”

I scrunched my face in mock concentration, then widened my eyes. “I know! Must have been about the same time I found out you’d been lying to me for years, and our entire relationship was a sham. Yup, that was the exact moment.”

His eyes were a stormy midnight blue that usually meant anger or extreme pain. Yes, the man came with preinstalled mood-rings on his face.

I wasn’t being fair. His maker had appointed him my sponsor. She wanted me to fall for him, and it hadn’t taken long for that to happen. But at the time, Constantine didn’t know Ádísa had ordered my turning. And contrary to her wishes, he’d really loved me in return. Just weeks ago, he insisted he still did.

Liza walked up behind Constantine, and laid both hands on his shoulders. Until that moment, I’d only thought of her as Head Concubine. I’d assumed all they shared was sex and blood. Apparently, I’d been at least partially wrong there.

How well she knew him astounded me. Even though Constantine’s posture didn’t change, Liza noticed the subtle increase of tension in his body, just like I did. Thing was, I couldn’t tell if Constantine’s discomfort was out of guilt over the lies he’d told me in the past—for which he’d atoned by killing his own maker—or because he really knew more about Willoughby than he let on.

I didn’t want it to be the latter. Not when he’d been regaining my trust. My stomach clenched at the possibility. Instead of asking him, I said, “Fine, be mysterious. But while we’re here, can you remind Alex we’re not supposed to keep in touch with our families?” Might as well get one problem out of the way.

The tiny lines of tension around Constantine’s eyes smoothed out, and his jaw relaxed. Was it me, or did my ex seem relieved by my change of subject?

Before Constantine could speak, Alex piped in. “I want Cherry and me to meet each other’s folks. I know it’s not something vampires do, but I’m still alive as far as my mother knows, and I don’t see how Cherry’s family would be anything but ecstatic to see her again. She was never declared dead, just missing, so she can tell them she was off finding herself or something.”

I didn’t expect the matter-of-fact way he’d presented his case to do him any good. What he was asking went against council policy. No way would Constantine condone it.

Constantine smiled, his irises now faded to their normal light blue. “We have been doing things our own way for a while now.” He shrugged, apparently oblivious to how my mouth gaped at his response. “I don’t see why you shouldn’t do as you please, as long as you’re careful. I will, however, be joining you when you visit Cherry’s parents. As a precautionary measure, in case things go awry. I’ll have to make some arrangements first, but we should be able to leave by the end of the week.”

It was obvious from Alex’s eager expression that he’d go along with anything to get the go-ahead for his silly fantasy. I didn’t exactly view things the same way. It was weird how readily Constantine had agreed.

“Precautionary measure?” I asked. “You plan to mind-wipe them, if our little reunion is threatening to the vampire community?” Meaning if my parents somehow realized I was undead, freaked out, and threatened to tell the world about our existence.

The look he gave me was full of scorn. “No.” The word sounded like it was mentally accompanied by several non-flattering adjectives. “What I had in mind was that you’ll have a member of the council with you, in case another vampire realizes what you’re up to. My presence will make your visit legitimate.” I could swear I heard him finish his sentence in my head with, “You idiot.”

“Oh.” Because, what else could I say? He only had our best interest at heart, and I really should stop being so suspicious of him. If he said it was all right, it probably was. “Okay then, I guess.”

Constantine grinned. “Besides, a road trip with just the three of us? Think how much fun it will be.”

Yeah, he was hiding something, all right. All this cheer wasn’t normal. “What’s in it for you?” I asked.

“Just the pleasure of your company.” His mocking tone and arched eyebrow didn’t exactly vouch for his sincerity.

“And what else? Why come with? If you plan on hurting my parents—”

He slammed one hand on the table, making all of us jump. Outbursts were no more like him than cheeriness was. “I’m not planning on hurting anyone, you stubborn woman. I’m coming with, because you’ll need me there.”

I had no response for that.

Liza’s face fell. “Can’t I come with you?” Her big green eyes shone with unshed tears. She was really going to cry, because Constantine would be away for a few days? Or because he’d be with me?

But I had a boyfriend…who was glaring daggers Constantine’s way. Oh-kay.

Constantine tugged at Liza, until she rounded the chair and faced him. “You know Carrie and Sally need you,” he said, his tone grave. “
I
need you to stay behind and take care of our girls.”

She preened at his show of trust, and I felt bad for her. I’d been there, ready to do anything for his approval. I hoped it ended better for her.

****

For all his outstanding qualities in and out of bed, Alex wasn’t above snarking.

“So I ask nicely, but all it takes for you to agree is Constantine’s permission. Good to know,” he said with fake cheer, as soon as our bedroom door was closed behind us.

“Thought you got what you wanted.” I turned my back to him, kicked off my slippers, and went to the closet in search of my sneakers. I’d promised Sheena I’d catch a late movie with her, and I’d rather focus on that than what Alex was saying.

“No. Constantine got me what I wanted. And you said nothing when he said you’d want him there.”

“He said I’d
need
him there, and he’s right. He knows our laws better than me, and he can protect us from the rest of the council. You were the one who thought talking to him about it was a good idea.”

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and rolled his head from side to side. “Yeah…I’m just being an ass. I’ll call my mother and tell her we’ll go by tomorrow evening. She can’t wait to meet the girl I’m constantly talking about.”

Oh,
goodie
! With or without Constantine’s approval, the idea still held no appeal. “Isn’t it too late for you to call her? Maybe you should do it in the morning, and give her a couple days’ notice.”

“Notice for what? She’ll just be making dinner.”

My right sneaker was in front of me, but I couldn’t see the left one. I crouched down and started rummaging through the shoes that littered the floor of my closet. “I don’t know.
Notice.
Where is the stupid thing? Sheena will kill me if I’m late.”

Sheena wouldn’t say anything, even if I stood her up. She still felt guilty for being the one to introduce me to Willoughby, even though she didn’t know what he was at the time.

Alex walked up behind me, bent down, and closed his hand around the second of my shoes, as if by magic. “My mother’s always ready for guests,” he said, holding it out to me.

I grabbed it, and squeezed my foot inside without bothering to undo and redo the laces. “Call her in the morning.” By then, I might have found an excuse to avoid that get-together. With a quick peck to his lips, I rushed to the door. “We’ll talk when I’m back. We’re meeting the guy from the blood bank after the movie, so I’ll bring some blood home. Maybe you can try it?” He still refused to drink human blood, saying vampire blood kept him sated for a longer period of time.

I believed he saw drinking human blood as the last step to no longer being human.