No Mercy (6 page)

“Doesn’t she live around here? Can’t she just go home?” Adelina asked.

Rolling her eyes, Adriana said, “Don’t be a bitch, Addy?  I’m sure if she could have gone home she would have.”

“She’s camping in the woods if that’s any of your business. And we have more than enough room,” Luke said none to friendly.

“No, it’s not a big deal.  I just thought,” Adelina backpedaled.

“Look, I don’t want to start any problems or break up any relationships,” Sara said.

Adriana jumped in.  “It’s really no problem.  And we aren’t their girlfriends as much as I wouldn’t mind that.  We’re just here for the weekend and then we head back home.  If you had a nasty spill by falling or something, it’s probably better that you are around people and not alone in case you have a concussion.”

Sara looked at the girl then seemed to decide. “You are a genuinely nice person aren’t you,” she said.

Adriana blushed. “It’s like the saying goes.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Then the bitch bared her claws. “Ana,” Adelina said to her sister.  “Not his girlfriend. Are you serious?” she declared, with hands on her hips.

The other girl looked at her sister in confusion. “I’m not,” Adriana said, while clasping a hand around a necklace she was wearing.  Only then did I notice the yellow top she wore with thin straps leaving a lot of skin uncovered.  She was shifting on her feet nervously and I caught a view of the short tan shorts she wore.

“Oh, and I suppose Flynn knows that ever since you met him there has been no one else.  I mean you gave him your virginity and even though he doesn’t commit to you, you won’t go out with anyone else hoping he’ll throw you a bone.  You just go running every time he calls you.”

Adriana paled.  She looked sick and embarrassed. And I felt like a shit.  She wasn’t dating?  I mean we had an understanding.  I didn’t force her to come visit me or anything.  I just thought we were having a good time.  Then another thought filled my brain. Had the girl become addicted to me?  According to everything I knew about my species, it could happen.  I was well aware of the problem.  But I’d been careful.  At least I thought I had.  A quick look at Luke and he arched a brow at me in question. I turned back to the two girls wondering how this was going to play out.  More importantly, I needed to figure out a way to distance myself from Adriana in the future so the effects, if there were some, would wear off. 

Color began to fill Adriana’s face. “Well, if we are just putting it out there.  Why don’t you tell everyone about that actor’s poster you have hanging on your wall next to the door?  The one that looks like Luke here,” she said holding out a hand in the guy’s direction.  “The one you kiss everyday on your way out of your room.”

Trying to hold back a laugh, I saw Luke face drain of color. “The guy’s hot.  So what if Luke looks like him,” Adelina countered.

“You didn’t put his poster up until after you met Luke.  And not to mention you only date blond blue eyed guys now like you are looking for a substitute.”

The girls stepped to each other and what seemed funny for a second was going nuclear.

“Wow,” Sara said loudly, bringing all of our attention on her. “It’s freaky.  I mean. You two are twins right.” She didn’t bother to wait for an answer.  The two girls looked enough alike for that not to be obvious.  “And you are like an angel with spunk,” she said pointing to Adriana.  “And you,” she said pointing to Adelina, “are like hell’s spawn.”

Luke laughed, head thrown back and all.  Even Adriana giggled.  I bit back a laugh while watching Adelina turn beet red.

My curiosity was seriously piqued about who Sara was and more importantly what she was.  Somehow, I didn’t believe she was a human.  Not just human at least.

Luke came into the kitchen and walked into Sara, leaning over her back to reach the Johnnie Walker.  Before he peeled himself off her, he whispered in her ear. “I think I like you very much too.”  His eye caught mine before he stepped back.  Sara winked at me. Had we all just agreed to something?  Demon or not, this girl was something.

Chapter Eight
–
Luke

Flynn’s announcement that he was hosting a party tonight was well timed and it averted a catastrophe. I couldn’t have been more grateful for the diversion.  The thought of Adelina obsessing over a picture that looked like me, made me want to hurl.  Hopefully, I could get lost in a sea of people tonight if more than the shifters would be coming.  There were quite a bit of people who lived on and around the lake year round.  So there should be a good turnout.

Sara turned out to be more than a diversion tactician. “Maybe we should go and get the drinks and possibly snacks?” she asked.

Adriana, who looked happy with any reason to leave after her sister called her out, said, “I’ll go with.”

Sara turned to the girl, “You aren’t twenty one.”

Adriana winked at her. “That isn’t the only way to get what you want.”  Her voice and demeanor had all gone innocent school girl with a bit of eye action that said she knew exactly how to get what she wanted.

“Oh, I think that could work,” Sara said winking at her. If she was conning us somehow, she was doing a great job of making us comfortable with her.

Yet, I wasn’t reading any bad vibes from the girl but I couldn’t be certain. “You two aren’t leaving me,” Adelina pouted.  And I was surprised.  I thought for sure after what happened, she’d want to stay behind.  But it was good.  In the end, the two sisters would have each other if Sara turned out to be some kind of psycho.  I didn’t think so.  She was hiding something that much was true.  But she didn’t have any weapons and didn’t have a malicious vibe to her. Wearing Flynn’s shorts and his tee, I knew she didn’t have anything with her there even.  That thought made her look even more innocent yet totally hot in that get up.

Slipping on her abandoned Chuck Taylors by the stairs, she headed outside holding the door open for the twins while they exited. “See you two in a bit,” she said with a sly smile.  Then the door closed.

Flynn moved to my side. “You sure do know how to pick ‘em.”

“It looks like she’s picked us,” I said back.

“Do you think the girls are safe with her?” he asked.

Shrugging, I said, “I didn’t sense she meant them harm but who the hell knows.”

He must have felt the Luca’s were safe, because he said, “Let’s get this party started then. It shouldn’t take them long to get back.”

After lugging sound equipment and coolers down to the docks, we sat on the porch and waited.

“Did you hear back from them?” I asked for the tenth time.

“I told you yes.  They made a pit stop for ice and extra snacks.  They’re having a field day with my credit card.”

That was news. I missed the exchange of Flynn giving up his card.  Taking another pull on the bottle, I was still conflicted if I was worried about the twins or whether Sara would come back.  When the black Prius pulled in, a gasp of relief escaped my mouth.  Flynn heard and looked over at me.  I took another pull on the bottle trying to play it cool, waiting for the burn to do something more.  It took quite a bit of alcohol to make me loose.

Adriana got out carrying a couple of bags, Sara was equally if not more loaded including carrying bags of ice.  Adelina however held one bag.  Getting to my feet, Flynn and I hurried to help the two girls who were doing more than their fair share of the hauling.

“It’s a little humid tonight,” Adelina said.

Adriana countered saying, “Well, maybe a dip in the lake would cool us off.”  The tension between the two girls didn’t seem to exist.  Had Sara been responsible for that?

Sara said, “I don’t have a swimsuit, so I’ll pass.”  She didn’t have on a bra and panties either, but I didn’t point that out.

“You can borrow something of mine,” Adriana said, ever the helpful girl.  Flynn didn’t know what he had.

My eyes felt like ping pongs flipping between the girls' conversation.  So much more was said without words and showed in peoples’ faces.  I couldn’t help but watch, especially since I was trying to size up the new girl among us.  There was a lot more to this girl and I didn’t want to find out too late.

“Don’t be ridiculous Ana,” Adelina said to her sister. “She’s lacking up top.  Whatever you had would just fall off of her.”

The words could be taken a number of ways and even though it was said causally, I caught the look on Adelina’s face.  She was letting me know she had more to offer body wise than the new girl.  She obviously didn’t get that a great body wasn’t everything especially if the inside package spoiled the outside.

“I say we all go skinny dipping,” Flynn said. “That will solve everything.”

The girls all laughed except for my viper.  Flynn was going to owe me big time.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long once the torches were lit and the music pouring out for people to make their way to Flynn’s little cove. When the shifters showed up, things started to get heated.  Lot’s of bodies pressed together.  I opted to man the ipod trying to stay neutral.  I hadn’t been alone either. 

A couple of cute girls had kept me company.  They flirted and I found myself flirting back.  That’s as far as I let it go.  Maybe Flynn was right. Maybe I should just get laid. Casual relationships weren’t normally my thing, not that I hadn’t done it before.  It just wasn’t something I did very often.  There didn’t seem to be a point to that. Having both, I understood the difference. I thought about Alexandria, my last serious relationship.  She’d been a keeper but her parents moved her up north and that had been that. One girl however was making me have second thoughts about not just staying in the now leaving thoughts about the future for later.  My eyes had been tracking her all night. 

Sara was making footprints in my brain.  There hadn’t yet been time for me to press her with the
What the heck are you
. Later, I thought.  It could wait for now.

Some short guy with boulders for arms was dancing with Adelina.  She kept looking in my direction.  Maybe she thought I would be jealous. Relieved was more like it. I didn’t get how she couldn’t see my indifference.  I was grateful to the bastard and would offer him my room if he’d keep her away from me.

Sara kept my attention. She was so at ease with who she was. She danced with guy after guy giving them a smile and flirtatious words that stroked egos.  I couldn’t hear her. Instead, I saw how they responded to her.  Feeling a bit like a stalker after a while, I stopped staring and only occasionally looked for her wavy blond hair.  Like me, she’d just let it air dry.  And it did, beautifully. 

Coming out of my thoughts, I found that I’d lost her.  She wasn’t dancing with that one guy.

A gentle hand griped my shoulder from behind. “Hey you.”

The voice was already seared in my brain.  Turning, I gave her a smile and looked again at her.  Adriana gave her a top to wear.  Sara being a bit slimmer and smaller on top allowed the gathering fabric to dip even lower than it probably would have on Adriana.  I found myself drawn to the peek-a-boo slight swell of her breast and the valley between.

“You like,” she said, with what appeared to be an offer.

Clearing my throat, I sputtered to say looking into her eyes now, “Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Meet me at the house in ten,” she said, giving me a wink.

Nodding, I was at a total loss for words.  Other parts were on board.  Watching her walk away, she tossed her hair just as she looked back at me a final time giving me a shy smile.  There was nothing shy about that girl at all.

A hand on my back almost sent me stumbling forward. “Fuck Flynn.”

“You like her don’t you,” he said, before a tap on his arm had him turning back to a short brunette with big blue eyes that batted lashes at him.  She handed him something and I watched her lips form the words,
Call me, maybe
?

Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t help the smile.  The guy was cursed with rock star status.  I didn’t envy him in the least.  The girl walked away with a little wave.  When she finally turned around, he turned back to me while stuffing what must be a phone number in his front pocket.  Looking at me, he shrugged. 

Getting back on topic like that little interruption didn’t happen, I said, “What’s not to like.”  Then, I added, “And don’t pull punches. You like her too.  I don’t know though.  Something feels slightly off.”  Like she the fact that she was too good to be true, screamed in my head.  I don’t know why, but I haven’t told him yet about our planned meeting at the house. 

Flynn handed me a bottle which was surprising with all his
Luke, you drink too much
mantra lately.  It was just beer, so what the hell. “Thought you said she wasn’t evil?” he asked.

“It’s not that.  There is just something more.  Like why was she running in the woods?  Who was she running from because I don’t believe that camping in the woods crap?” Yeah, I had questions, but they could wait.  Okay, that wasn’t right.  I wasn’t Flynn.  I didn’t think with my dick, but I was right now. Wasn’t I?

“She’s cute though,” Flynn said and then tossed back a drink.

Who was I to argue that one? “That she is,” I agreed.  I drank down the rest of the beer.  It was still not enough to get me buzzing.