Master for Tonight (15 page)

“Figured that was it. I won’t be able to a
few nights, but I’ll do what I can. See if I can find a friend to
take over the few nights I can’t guard her.”

“I have to make sure she’s protected from
Evangeline. Make sure she’s okay. Can you go tonight? I can’t risk
going there myself, although there’s nothing I’d rather do more.
I’m damn lucky she hasn’t torn Kate apart already. I know she’s
biding her time. She’s holding Kate over me, an unknowing hostage.
She could snap at any time and murder her.”

“Yeah, sure. I can rearrange something and
go tonight. Just tell me where.”

“‘Thanks’ is not enough.”

“What are you going to do about
Evangeline?”

“Keep her busy until I can figure out how to
destroy her.”

“You’re serious?”

“Deadly.”

“Thank the gods! How you’ve lived with that
bitch for these many years, I’ll never understand. I wouldn’t last
a night. I’m not asking how you’re going to keep her busy, and for
the love of everything holy, please don’t tell me.”

“I tried running and that didn’t free
me.”

“You never told me you ran from her. That
you tried to escape. Why didn’t you? I always thought you found her
irritating, but stayed for your own reasons.”

“I’ve tried everything to get away from her.
I even tried reasoning with her.”

“How did that work out for you? Reasoning
with the deranged.”

“Worse than you can imagine. Trust me. The
things that bitch made me do, and still does... I have to act like
I love it.” Julian walked to the edge of the roof, kicked the
ledge, and walked back over to Reese.

“You can stop now.”

“Now she makes me feed from her only! I was
bleeding out from my wrists. She basically drained me every single
fucking day for weeks! When I was silvered, she withheld blood
until I was out of my fucking mind, and then fed me from her
disgusting snatch.” He spat onto the rooftop.

“Hey, Jules? I really don’t need to
know—”

“Beat me with my own fucking belt! Can you
believe it? Beat me until the buckle came off! Then she wanted me
to kiss her right after? She’s a damn psychopath!”

“Okay. Let it all out. Don’t mind the blood
tricking out my ears, listening to all this. Don’t worry about
scarring me, as well,” Reese mumbled as Julian continued his
tirade.

“She might as well have eaten my dick, she’s
bitten it so many times with her fangs. Bitch! She silvered my
fucking cock!”

Reese cringed and grabbed his own.

“She should die for that alone, but I think
I have an answer for you.”

“Hmm?”

“She is really feeding you herself, and
you’re not just snacking on her, right?” Reese smiled when he
received no reply. “God, man, you look like you’re going to puke.
This is good news.” He clasped his hands behind his back, stepped
back onto the ledge, and walked down it a few yards. He turned and
walked back. “I guess she doesn’t know then, or she wouldn’t be
doing it. No surprise there, but good news for you.”

“Reese.”

“Hmm. You’re not going to like it, but
you’re already doing it.” He steepled his fingers with his index
finger at his nose as he continued his musings aloud.

“Reese.”

“Your Maker should have been destroyed long
before now for her ignorance, and for purposely withholding from
you the little knowledge she does have. It isn’t done! You know, a
few hundred years ago, Makers like her were—”

“Reese!”

“Hmm? Oh!” He jumped back down onto the
roof, landing by Julian. “My friend, it’s time for a crash course
in vampirism. Sit.”

Julian sat with Reese and quickly learned
the answers to all the questions he had about his entire existence.
Knowledge poured from Reese freely. As they talked, Reese revealed
the key to unlocking Evangeline’s hold on Julian forever, and why
Julian didn’t discover it while he was silvered and bleeding.

“The only things Evangeline ever told me
were to drink blood and stay away from the sun. Everything else, I
learned on my own, and mostly by accident. Influencing humans was a
total fluke. I wanted someone to do something and discovered the
fire thing our eyes do. I owe you, Reese, more than you know, not
only for explaining all that to me, but so much more.”

“You want me to do it? Get rid of Evangeline
for you?”

“Appreciate the offer, but I want vengeance
for everything she’s done to me, and now, to Kate. I want to be the
one to dispatch her.”

“Okay, Jules. Let me know if you change your
mind. Now, where am I going?”

*

“Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh!” Kate’s fingers worked
inside her feverishly as she woke to her own cries. “Oh God!
Please! Please!” Her fingers were soaked, and they slipped over her
clit and around her walls. She kept her eyes closed, holding onto
the memory of a glittering demon pendant as it moved back and forth
over her face. Its fangs pointed to her neck.

Beauty.

She heard the voice which had called to her
in the dream as she plunged two fingers into herself, pumping them
hard. It wasn’t enough.

Reaching under her pillow, she fumbled for
her vibrator, using one hand to thrust it inside her hard and fast
while her fingers pressed hard and quick circles on top of her
clit. Her breaths were coming in bursts.

“Please…” She begged her absent lover to
finish her, to give her the tiny death she was striving for.

Beauty.

Her orgasm surged into her, and she flipped
onto her stomach to scream it out into her pillow. Her fingers
still pressed firm against her mound as the tremors began to recede
and her breathing slowed.

“Come back to me.”

Kate turned over and lay in the bed, staring
out of the bedroom window, as the light of daybreak pushed back the
dark. A beautiful day had been forecast, but a storm raged inside
her. Every morning, she awoke either an emotional mess or blank.
The façade she wore was wearing her down. The concerned look Mazzie
gave her when she drifted off in thought had not gone unnoticed,
either. She was becoming a dichotomy of inward hopelessness and
outward smiles, when she remembered to plaster one on her face.

Pushing herself out of bed, she stumbled to
the dresser, opened the notebook lying there, and scribbled new
hints—the necklace and ‘beauty.’

She didn’t notice how loose the pajama
bottoms were as she put them on, and they fell to her mid hip. She
pulled a tank top over her head, grabbed the notebook, headed to
the kitchen, and started making the coffee. She tried word
association tricks again as the coffeemaker sputtered and
hissed.

“All right. That’s it!” Mazzie stood over
her, holding two pills.

“Huh?” Kate picked her head up off the table
where she had fallen asleep. “I’m up, I’m up.”

“I don’t want you up. I want you to rest.
Take these. Now.”

“But—”

“No. I want you to sleep all day today, and
then we’re going out tonight. You have got to start focusing on
something else, and I can’t stay in this house anymore. I have got
to get out. I’ve been here a month. Do you realize that? All I
leave for is groceries. And you? You only move from the kitchen
table to the couch. I can’t take it anymore. What are you writing?
‘Sleep all day’? Give me that notebook.” She reached to take
it.

Kate clutched the notebook to her chest and
warned of violence with her eyes. “It’s another clue.”

“Okay. Fine. Whatever. Here.” She held out
two sleeping pills and watched to make sure Kate swallowed them.
“Open up.”

Kate opened her mouth, and lifted her tongue
as she glared at her friend. She had tricked Mazzie before by
hiding them under her tongue.

“You don’t understand. I’m close. I’m close
to the answer. I think I’ll have a breakthrough soon.”

“You’ll have a break
down
soon, is
what you’ll have.”

“I think that already happened. I think this
is recovery.”

“You. Sleep. Now.”

Kate staggered into the bedroom and wrote a
bit more before climbing into bed. The medicine worked its way
through her system quickly on her empty stomach, and she was soon
in a dreamless sleep.

When she awoke at twilight, it was with
resignation at the cruel déjà vu. Turning her back on the window,
she went to the bathroom, showered, and brushed her teeth. She
missed her favorite gels and shampoos, but she was not going to get
them. No way, was she asking Mazzie to get them for her. That would
just be an open invitation for Mazzie to try to torture her and
make her go get them herself.

“You ready?” Mazzie walked into the bedroom,
and leaned against the door jamb.

“Hey. I’m up and showered.” Her smile didn’t
quite make it to her eyes.

“You look half alive, too. Good! Hurry up
and get dressed. We’re going to that new place, Cork.”

“Oh.” She dropped the hairdryer to the floor
in protest. “I was hoping for some place closer and more low key.”
She didn’t even try to keep the whine out of her voice.

“Get dressed. We’re going.” Mazzie stormed
out of the room.

Kate placed her hands on the edge of the
counter, looking at her miserable reflection in the mirror. She saw
how sallow her skin was, and touched her cheek.

“You have to get through this. Do it for
Mazzie. Just fake it like you’ve been doing. Put on some blush.
You’re starting to scare me.”

She grabbed a familiar sweater dress off a
hanger and pushed her head through the neck. It was purple, and she
usually liked the combination between it and her hair coloring, but
not that night. Her usually perky locks were limp and dingy.
Zipping up her black stiletto boots, she grabbed her grey pea coat
and made her way down the stairs. It didn’t match her ensemble, but
she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“I’m ready.”

“Try not to get too excited. How are you
going to meet anyone in that getup?”

“I’m not looking to meet anyone.”

An hour later, they stepped into Cork and
approached the maître d’. “Patio table for two, please.”

As Kate and Mazzie settled themselves, the
hostess placed the menus on the table. The outdoor heaters rumbled
in the background, and they removed their coats.

“Holy cow.” Mazzie thumbed through the
myriad pages. “This isn’t a wine list. It’s a book.”

“Maybe just pick a price range and tell the
waiter what we like,” Kate suggested with a wave of her hand. “I
don’t know how anyone is expected to deal with something that
large. It’s too much, and a bit pretentious, if you ask me. We
should’ve gone to the grocery store, picked something up we know is
good, and ordered a pizza to be delivered. You said we got those
new movies in the mail.”

Mazzie scowled at Kate until she amended,
“But I’m very glad to be here. Thank you for getting me out of the
house.”

“I love you, but I swear, I am almost at my
wits end.”

A man sitting behind them at the bar
strolled casually up to their table.

“Ladies, don’t mean to pry, but I couldn’t
help overhearing your wine dilemma. If you ask me, this menu is a
lot of overkill.” He pointed to the leather embossed volume on the
table. Squatting down, he whispered, “I doubt they even have half
the bottles on hand they claim.”

“Exactly what I was saying. Let’s go.”

“Oh, I think the night can be saved. No need
to run.” The man stuck his hand out. “Reese Kelley. Pleasure to
meet you, ladies.”

Shaking his hand, Mazzie introduced them.
“Hi, Reese. I’m Mazzie Dowe and this is my best friend, Kate
Collins. We would appreciate any suggestions you have. We haven’t
been out in quite a while, so we’re staying. Are you waiting for
someone, or would you care to join us?”

“I don’t want to intrude on your night.”

“No intrusion at all! Right? Kate!” Mazzie
kicked her under the table.

“Hmm? I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit distracted
lately. I didn’t mean to be rude. Please join us, Reese.”

“Happens to all of us,” he said, taking a
seat, opening the book. Rubbing his hands together excitedly, he
said, “Well, what is it? White or red?”

“Red.” They both responded.

“Let’s order an obscure one and watch them
scurry. Shall we?” he said with a wink.

The hot water slid down Julian’s body as he
washed his cock for the third time, making sure Evangeline’s stench
would not linger on his skin. As he worked the soap in his hands,
making more suds, he recalled Evangeline’s lies earlier in the
night, and felt raw power surging through him at his most recent
feeding.

“I went to the bitch’s house,” she’d said,
waiting for his reaction.

Julian’s hips continued to work his cock in
and out of her, not slowing at her words.

“If you can still articulate thoughts, I
must not be fucking you well enough.” He slammed into her harder,
his hips slapping against her thighs as he held her legs together
and up in the air. He didn’t have to do it long.

“Ahhhhh!”

At her release, he dropped her legs, burying
his fangs in her neck to drink deeply.

“I enjoy feeding like this, lover.” Blood
dripped from his mouth, into hers. “I get both things I desire at
once.”

Shuddering at his words of endearment to
her, he scrubbed his cock harder. He wasn’t as stupid as Evangeline
thought he was. No way, was he bringing up Kate when he was so
close to ending Evangeline.

Kate.

Cock hardening at the thought of her, he
worked his shaft up and down, facing away from the shower door, as
the room filled with steam.

‘Lover’ was what Kate had called him. The
affection, so beautiful and true falling from her lips, unlike the
falsehood when spoken by his Maker.

Julian thought back to their lovemaking in
Kate’s shower.