Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (79 page)

I stood a little back from Draven trying desperately to hide behind him, but he wasn't having that. He pulled my arm round so that we were side by side and so I was now in everyone's clear view. Then they all stood up at our presence and I wanted to die with shame! Draven held out his arm and motioned for me to take the seat in between
himself
and Sophia. I had never felt so out of place before in my life and I wanted to just get up and run away from how bad I felt. Why had I agreed to this? I was surrounded by scary guys and the most gorgeous girls.

Sophia was, as always, breathtakingly beautiful in her red bell shaped dress with perfect lips to match. And then on the other side was Celina with her amazing red hair that twisted down to one side making a cascade of curls that lay on her shoulder. She wore a black corseted dress that went up to one side mirroring her hairstyle. The black satin material made her hair look more wild and alive, like a head full of fire snakes.

I looked like the thorn amongst the roses and I couldn't understand why on an earth full of such beauties as these, he would want something as pale and plain as me. I couldn't swallow the self-conscious imagine I held of myself even when someone as Godlike as Draven sat here next to me. I wanted to turn to him and just scream out why... WHY ME! I knew the reason I had flown off the handle when Draven had described the feeding habits of Angel and Demons.
Because finally it would have made perfect sense in a world that was completely void of all normality.
Finally a reason I could comprehend, something I could grasp on to. One that made me
understand
what it was he was getting out of it.

“Lauren!” Draven had called over another beauty just to seal the lid on my pit of jealously. He leaned into me putting his hand on mine, bringing me out of my mental
breakdown.

“Keira, what would you like to drink?” I turned to face him knowing exactly what I needed.

“Tequila with salt and lime please,” I said and his face exhibited shock.

“Really?”
He whispered and I just nodded but the rest of the table looked amused.

“Bring a
bottle,
we will all have a drink.” He ordered and then he turned to me and kissed me on the top of my head making me stare at him in amazement, why would he do that in front of everyone.

“So Keira, now you know about us are you very angry at me for burning down our school?” Sophia asked me very sweetly.

“WHAT!” I shouted in shock and every eye stared at me, as this was the most noise I had made. I instantly regretted it but come on. She can't drop a bombshell like that on me and expect me not to react like a...well like a human!

“Sorry to shout but what? You did that...why?” I asked and I could hear her giggling along with a few others.

“Sophia, I hadn't got round to that yet!” Draven said and I shot him a look. Of course he had known.

“It wasn't just my idea Keira and besides we have paid so much into that place over the years it was about time we got some fun out of it.” She said sounding as if she had done this type of thing a few times before.

“You just love the pretty flames don't you Zagan?” She nudged him in a teasing way but he just shot her a look under his hood and then playfully pinched her nose. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

“So are you going to tell me why?” I asked but she was like a child and she reached across me and poked her brother’s arm.

“Nope but he will
now he's not boring
anymore
.”

“Sophia behave!” He said trying to be stern but failing miserably. He then leaned into me again and said,

“I will tell you later.” He gave me a smouldering look that could have burnt my skin from my jelly filled bones. What was it with this man and what he could do to me with just one
look.
Of course this feeling amplified when he raised his hand to my neck to grip it gently. It sent a bolt of sexual sensations right down my spine and straight to my girly bits making me tighten my thighs. It was such a mark of possession by the most powerful man in the room, there was only one reason for it...

It was clearly a warning.   

Then Loz came with our drinks. She set down the shot glasses all bunched together near me and then the bottle, which was topped with a pouring spout. So when I stood up to pour them everyone shot me a look. Draven's hand was on mine and I looked around but couldn't helping saying,

“What? Everyone wants one, don't they?” Draven laughed at me light heartedly and the rest did the same. I lined the glasses all up in a row as I used to do on busy nights at the pub back home. I ran the Tequila over the top of them making sure that just a drop hit the rims of the glasses. I then sprinkled the salt back and forth over where the liquid had hit making the salt stick. Then I held the bottle more firmly in
one hand and filled each one to the same amount near to the top. I moved it back and forth until each one was ready for consumption. I then placed a piece of lime resting it across the top and I was finished. When I finally looked up everyone stared at me as though I was the supernatural being!

Draven was also shocked but his eyes held something more for me...lust.  Everyone passed them round and then we all held them up before knocking them back. I then casually sucked on the lime and Draven leaned into me moving the stray hairs that had rested on my neck to whisper in my ear,

“What you just did...well I would like to request a private show later but be warned Keira, I have other
ideas
for that lime!” He said and I think I nearly swallowed it whole at the thought. I couldn't believe he was flirting with me...here, now!

I turned back round to find my glass refilled and I shot it back again with ease.

“Yuck, I don't know how you do that, it's foul!” Sophia complained calling Lauren back over for another drink.

“Well Dom, the girl can drink, that much is clear.” Vincent said smiling, clearly amused and Draven punched him on the arm in agreement. But I couldn't believe how at ease I was now starting to feel. Then a corona was put down in front of me thanks to Sophia as she nodded towards it.

“Thanks” I said to Loz and she smiled at me.

Zagan was about to grab my shot glass and refill it when Draven's hand took it before he could.

“She's had enough!” He said firmly but I wasn't happy about this. He didn't know my limit and it was a hell of a lot more
than
two shots! I turned to him and frowned which was enough for him to change his mind. He threw it to him and I didn't even see Zagan's hand catch it, he was that fast but I had it back in front of me refilled by the time I looked back down. Once again I shot it back but now I was being cocky myself as I dropped the glass doing a trick I had learnt years ago from one of the regulars back home. I dropped it behind my hand making it disappear and transferred it to my other hand so quick the glass was upturned on the table in seconds. Of course to a table full of Angels and Demons this probably seemed really lame. But I didn't care!

“Where did you learn to do that?” Draven asked me in surprise but instead of giving a shy response I just winked back at him.

“I'm guessing this isn't the first club she has worked in!” A new face spoke acidly. There was one seat that had been empty, up until now that was. I had seen her before but never up close and after now I didn't want to again. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen but the most striking difference to her and the rest was that she was also blonde, making my scabby hair look more like straw than her lush locks of spun gold.

“Keira, this is Aurora.” Draven said
in an icy tone as she sat down
. Now she looked like a bloody Goddess!

“Hi,” was all I could say as I quickly went back to my sombre self. I gulped back my corona as I went quiet again.

“So Keira, it's my party tomorrow night and you will join us here won't you?” I
found it hard to hear what Sophia had said when I couldn't take my eyes off Aurora’s perfection. Her low cut dress, which concealed just the right amount but also showed enough that said ‘
look here's what you could have!’
  It was an emerald green colour, one that I could never have got away with. It hugged her every curve like it had been designed with her body in mind. Hell, for I knew it had been made for her!

“Yes we will be here Sophia.” Draven spoke for me as he must have known what I was thinking, after all, this was very emotional and couldn't he read me when my guard was
down,
well that was most definitely the case now. Aurora had in fact ripped my guard to shreds. I felt his arm on mine but I couldn't look at him. I just want to curl up into a ball and stop feeling so damn jealous. It was ridiculous.

“Good, but Keira, you will have to borrow one of my dresses,” she said, clapping her hands together at the thought.

“Dress...umm I don't do dresses,” I said keeping my voice down. But I could have sworn I heard Aurora laugh at this.

“But sure you do, I remember Halloween and I'm sure my brother definitely remembers it.” She winked at me and I blushed at the memory.

“What's the occasion?” I asked, being polite and I also wanted the excuse not to look at Draven.

“It's mine and Vincent's birthday!” She said smiling at her brothers who both rolled their eyes at the thought.

“Really…
oh!”
I said confused wondering how that worked. Weren't they triplets?

“It's not our birthday, it's more like our bodies' birthday,” Vincent corrected her. I looked at him but couldn't stop my eyes following round the table opposite me, where they found Aurora staring so intensely at Draven it made my blood boil. Then Draven stood abruptly and lifted me by the arm, raising me too.

“Keira and I are retiring for the night.” He said sternly and started to move me away when Sophia giggled and said “Yeah I bet you are!” Draven tapped her on the head as he moved past her. But it was long enough for me to see the burning desire in Aurora's eyes at one Dominic Draven.

He walked me calmly to the back of the VIP which was the entrance to their fortress like home. He had hold of my arm and wouldn't loosen his grip until we were through the doors and they were firmly closed behind us. I had a bad feeling about this, as he didn't look too happy. I followed him in silence to his bedchamber but stopped before the doors. I wasn't going to go in there with him like this.

“What's wrong?” I asked him and he finally turned round to look at me.

“Nothing, please just get inside.” But I didn't accept this, so I didn't move even when he opened the door and gave me a ‘
do as your told’
glare.

“Keira!”
He shouted my name making me jump so I gave in seeing as he wasn't going to budge. I walked through the doors and went over to the desk to lean on it, as I didn't want to sit before I knew what this was about.

“What did I do this time?” I said folding my arms but he turned to me with arrogance in his manner, which in his suit he reminded me of Mr Darcy.

“You were brilliant out there but it was a just a pity you tarnished it by not believing in yourself.” He looked over to me before helping himself to a bottle of something that had been placed where the bowl of fruit had been. He poured out one
green glass for himself and then poured me a glass of water. He downed his in one and then poured himself another.

“I don't know what you’re talking about,” I said taking the water from him.

“Really...because that's not what I heard in your over sensitive mind!” He snapped back at me.

“What do you want from me Draven?” I said knowing he was right. I was over sensitive but I couldn't help it, his perfection made my insecurities double.

“DAMN IT! Keira I want YOU!” He shouted at me as he still hadn't calmed down. He threw his glass to the floor and I jumped at both the sound of breaking glass and his arms that were now round my waist lifting me up to his face. He kissed me, crushing his lips to mine proving this was all he wanted to do and had done all night. I had once again been such a fool, no wonder he had been angry at me.

His hands spanned up my back and were about to start undressing me when they stopped abruptly and put me down.