BloodlustandMetal (19 page)

Joey and I decided to put the flirtatious banter we had
onstage on hold, telling the other guys that we were going to leave out the
theatrics and stick to the music tonight to see how the crowd responded. Joey
and I knew the real reason was that the crowd might sense the tension between
us. It might take a little while until we were comfortable around each other
once again.

“Thank you for coming out tonight,” I said after the closing
notes of one of the songs faded away. “We’re Bloodlust Diamond from good old
Boston, Massachusetts, and it’s great to play at home tonight in this
motherfucker! Now we’re going to slow things down a bit. Didn’t every metal
band of the eighties have a signature ballad? It’s so hard to choose one of the
many good—and not so good—ones. But tonight we’re playing one we haven’t played
before. Most of you know this song and know most of the lyrics. So bring out
your lighters like it’s 1989 and sing along as if you’re in high school again,
thinking about the one who got away.”

I stood still in front of the microphone as I began with
barely a whisper, singing The Scorpions’
Still Loving You
.The
lyrics told the story of two lovers falling apart, their distance exacerbated
by pride, with the singer declaring how he still loved her.

A problem with pride definitely resonated with me as I sang,
thinking about the roller coaster ride with Devon. Were there ever two more
proud people clashing? I only hoped Joey wasn’t feeling any of this song for
me. Maybe this wasn’t such a good choice after all, but he agreed to it in
practice earlier this week. And as they say, the show must go on.

As I continued the song, I closed my eyes and pictured
Devon. What was he doing now over in London? Had he moved on? Had he already
forgotten me? Over the last three weeks, I’d tried to move on with my life back
here in Boston, continuing with the band. I still wasn’t sure what I’d end up
doing with the rest of my immortal life, but for now I was still the singer of
this band.

When I reopened my eyes at the chorus, I swore I
saw
Devon
in the crowd.

It’s not Devon. You were just thinking about him and have
projected him onto some other guy in the club. It’s an effect of the stage
lights and your mind. Same as a soldier in combat in the woods for too long—you
start to see people who aren’t there. So snap out of it. Don’t get your hopes
up, it’s ridiculous. Devon is in London. You’re in Boston. There’s an ocean
separating you—in more ways than one.

I blinked a couple of times to see if there was someone
standing there. Yes, there was definitely a man watching me from within the
crowd. And he definitely looked like Devon.

But it couldn’t be him. There was no reason why Devon would
fly over from London to be in a dive rock club I was singing at in Boston.
There was just
no way
that was happening.

I tried not to focus on the mirage as I finished the song.
When it was over, I spoke to the crowd. “Now to snap you out of wanting to
drunk-dial your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend and declare some undying love,
we’re going to close out our set with a special treat. Don’t any of you think
of calling the exes. You know it didn’t work out for a reason. And if I catch
anyone outside on the phone after this set, I will personally kick your
motherfucking ass. Got it?”

The crowd hooted and cheered their agreement.

“So here we go. Get all you frustrations out right now with
a little Guns ‘n’ Roses. How about
Welcome to the Jungle
?”

After our set, I left the stage with the guys. We liked to
mingle with our fans. Not hide out backstage like we were some untouchable rock
stars.

Besides, we weren’tthat big yet. We were barely even
known off the East Coast. We told ourselves we were keeping it real for when we
hit the big time.

After talking to as many people as I could, I escaped to the
ladies’ room. When I came out, I heard a voice that stopped me midstep.

“Layla.”

I’d know that English accent anywhere.

“Oh sorry,” he whispered when he stepped closer beside me.
“I forgot you’re Angelica over here.”

It was Devon’s voice. And only he would know me as Layla in
Boston.

“Devon?” I said with uncertainty before turning to face him.
“Is that you?” He wore a faded gray T-shirt that clung to him just enough to
remind me of the muscles that lay beneath, ones that I could have explored
infinitely had our time together not run out. When my eyes traveled up to his
face, he looked at me with such warmth in his eyes I thought I had to be
imagining this entire experience.

“I had to see you.”

“You did? Why?”

He looked around the crowded club. “Can we go somewhere else
to talk about this? Somewhere private?”

As if on cue, a couple of guys interrupted us. One said,
“Hey Angelica, great show. Can I get you a drink?”

“Thanks. I’m fine right now. Excuse me, please.”

I took Devon’s hand and turned to walk away, but ran
straight into Joey.

“Joey.”

How long had he been there listening?

“The last time she went somewhere with you, she
disappeared.”

When I turned to look, Joey was giving Devon the tough guy
stare-down. Devon’s face revealed nothing, but I noticed his fists clenched at
his sides.

“Joey, no!” I stood between them, trying to calm Joey down.
“You don’t understand.”

“You’re right, Angelica. I don’t. I don’t know what exactly
happened last month, but I do know that your trouble started after you went to
talk to this fucker.”

“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him! You don’t
get it. You could never understand what happened or what we are. Please don’t
get involved!”

“‘What we are’? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Just go away. Please.”

“No.” Joey crossed his arms. “I’m sorry, but I won’t sit by
and let what happened last time happen again.”

“Goddamn it, Joey. You have to back off! I thought we’d
settled everything the other night.”

“Maybe seeing this asshole again has stirred up some
feelings.”

“I made it clear when I joined the band that I needed my
privacy. No questions. That hasn’t changed. If you can’t give that to me, then
we can’t have any sort of relationship. That means working together or being
friends.”

Joey’s nostrils flared in and out several times before he
answered. “If you want to leave with this piece of shit, I won’t stop you.”

Devon took a step closer to Joey and glared. “I’ve been
patient as I’ve had to deal with your interference, but if you think I’ll let
you talk to either of us this way, you will be quite sorry.”

“Oh yeah, by who? You?” Joey gave the impression that he
wasn’t scared off by Devon, but if appearance alone was any indication, Devon’s
muscular torso would flatten Joey’s leaner one without much of a challenge. Not
to mention Devon’s inhuman strength.

I put a hand on Devon’s chest to try to stop this from
escalating, not that it did much good.

“Yes. She has told you repeatedly what she wants. And if you
don’t respect what she wants, I will be the one
interfering
in
your
life.”

Joey breathed in a few times before answering. “Whatever,
dude. I said I wouldn’t stop you.”

“You wouldn’t be able to if you tried.”

I glared at Devon to knock it off. “Thank you, Joey,” I said
sternly. “We’re leaving.” Then I took Devon’s hand as we left the club, aware that
Joey was glaring at Devon the entire time.

We walked out into the spring night, down Commonwealth Ave.
I looked back.

“I think we set him straight,” Devon said as if reading my
mind. “I don’t think he’s following us.”

“I’m sorry about that,” I said.

“I don’t know how you stand that bloke. If he wasn’t your
friend, I’d tear him apart right now after what he just called me.”

“Thank you for the restraint. He means well, but he just
gets so—protective—when it comes to me.”

“He cares for you.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Nothing wrong with that. People should care about each
other. Friends, lovers.”

“That’s the problem. He wants more. I don’t.”

“Why not?”

I didn’t answer at first. My relationship with him was
strained at the moment and I hoped we could get past it. “Let’s not talk about
Joey right now. It’s a beautiful night and I’d really like to continue our
conversation.”

Devon examined our surroundings. “Let’s walk down this way
and head into the Public Garden.”

“You know your way around Boston? I didn’t know you’d ever
been here.”

“I haven’t, but I’ve been in the city for a few days just
walking around and thinking.”

“Why did you come?”

The walk signal lit up so we walked across the crosswalk to
reach the Boston Public Garden. Neither of us said a word, but we still held
hands as we passed the gates to enter the garden area. The Public Garden was
one of my favorite places in Boston. The paths were well-lit so I could admire
the ever-changing variety of flowers even though I couldn’t experience them in
daylight. The Swan Boats and ducklings as part of the Make Way for Ducklings
statue were some of its unique residents.

We passed the George Washington Memorial of him majestically
looking over the city while astride his horse. We then reached the footbridge
crossing the pond. “So why are you here, Devon?”

“I was hoping it was obvious. I came for you.”

“You did? Why?”

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you, Layla,
Angelica, Catherine, whoever you are?”

“Layla. I prefer Layla. And say what?” I teased, hoping I
knew exactly what he meant.

He stopped on the footbridge and looked around. Then he
faced me, taking my other hand. “In a setting as picturesque as this, I can be
excused for letting down my manly guard to make a romantic declaration.”

“Naturally. It could turn the hardest of men into jelly,
could it not? But as of yet, I haven’t heard any romantic declarations.”

“I’m getting there, Layla. I’m not good with these kinds of
words.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “I crossed an ocean for you because
I can’t stop thinking about you. I want you in my life. I need you near me.
Since you left the UK, I’ve had an empty pit inside me just aching for you.”

I was trying to be aloof, but my attempt fell short as a
huge smile spread across my face. “So you came to the US because you
ache
for
me? Where—in your pants? Is it just a sexual thing?”

“It’s an everything thing. Want, need, love.”

“Love?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Yes, love. You’re going to make this hard for me, aren’t
you?”

“Me, difficult? Never! You of all people should know that.”

“I’ve been the recipient of a few difficult jabs from you in
my time.”

“What were you saying about love again?”

“I love you, Layla. Whatever your name is, whoever you are,
whatever you are. I love you and want to be with you.”

A few pedestrians approached. I waited for them to pass
before I whispered, “How could a vampire and a shifter ever make it work? We’re
too different.”

“I think we found more similarities than differences while
we were together, don’t you agree?”

I nodded. “True.” More people were crossing the bridge on
this beautiful spring night in Boston. With the weather furiously windy one day
and then oddly calm the next, Bostonians were used to taking every opportunity
to get outside and embrace a milder spring day. “Let’s walk. There are too many
people on this bridge.”

We held hands again and walked off the footbridge. Once we
had some space between us and the people around us, I said, “We’d face so many
obstacles, Devon. I can’t go out during the day; life with me is under cover of
darkness, in the shadows. Even in a place as magnificent as this, I can never
experience the flowers reaching out to the sun, the rays reflecting off the
ripples in the pond.”

“Then it’s a good thing the gardens are open at night. We
can experience the quiet, graceful beauty under the moon and stars. And it’s a
good thing that the animals I shift into have excellent night vision.”

I knew there were other obstacles we’d have to face to be
together because I’d been dwelling on them since I left England. Every time I
fantasized about us being together, I had to convince myself that it could
never work and that I had to move on with my life.

But still, in the back of my mind, I entertained the hope.
With Devon here with me that hope had bounded out of my body, threatening to
engulf me with happiness. I had to point out the practical reasons to see if
he’d considered how a life with me would actually work, and was one he’d be
willing to take on.

“You know I won’t be able to bear your children?”

“Good, then we don’t have to worry about birth control.”

“Don’t you want to have children?”

“No, I decided long ago that I can’t have children in my
line of work. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want to expose children to my
lifestyle.”

“And later on? Maybe if you one day decide you don’t want to
be a bounty hunter. What about then? Don’t you want to pass on your
super-shifter genes to another generation?”

“There are enough shifters in the world, trust me. I can’t
see myself being a father. I like kids, but I don’t want to father any. My
sisters will have kids, I’m sure. So I’ll visit them and then go back to my own
life.”

Well, at least he was okay with me not bearing a brood of
his shifter children. But there were several more practical matters to consider.

“I’m not exactly good company in restaurants either. I can
eat a little human food, but that’s it.”

“A guy’s dream—I can have my plate and most of yours too. I
have quite the appetite, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“I have. In more ways than one.” I gave him a flirtatious
smile. “And I like it.”

“So what do you think? You want to give us a go?”

“Don’t you think we should find our own kind so we don’t
have to deal with these obstacles?”

“If you’re trying to let me down gently, just say it
straight out.”

“I’m not. I’m just pointing out that life with me presents
certain—challenges.”

“Just like life with a shapeshifter presents its own set of
challenges. I figure we’ll learn about them as we learn more about each other.
I’m a guy who likes excitement and I love challenges. I’m looking forward to
learning more about you. Our life together will never be dull.”

“We live and work on two different continents.”

“That hasn’t stopped us from crossing the ocean yet. We’ll
figure out a way. We’re both transient types, moving around often for work, to
explore new places. Why not do so together?”

“Good question, Devon. In fact, there’s nobody else I’d
rather travel the Earth with than you.”

His smile started at his lips and extended to his eyes,
lighting up his entire face with expectation. “So you want to give us a go?” He
moved closer to me.

“More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

He picked me up in a bear hug and whirled me around with
such a giant yelp that other pedestrians stopped to look. I couldn’t help but
laugh. “You’re causing a scene.”

“I don’t care,” he said, putting me back on my feet. “I’ll
announce to everyone how you’ve agreed to be my girl and it’s the best damn day
in my life.”

“Don’t,” I said with a laugh. “No public declarations of
love, please.”

When I looked up at him, my eyes searched his for what I’d
been seeking for years, although I never knew until now what it was. I’d been
alone for so long. I hadn’t realized how I wanted someone like Devon. A
companion, a friend, a lover. Someone who cared about me and would risk his
life for me and I’d do the same for him. Someone I could love unquestioningly
and he’d love me back the same. I found the answer there in Devon’s eyes.

“You’re the one, Devon. My one and only.”

“Will you come to England with me?” Devon asked. “Meet my
family?”

“Introducing your vampire girlfriend to a family of
shapeshifters? That sounds like it will go over smoothly.”

Devon laughed. “They’ll get over it quickly since they’re so
eager for me to settle down.”

“Oh Devon, I think I might need some convincing. Something
that will take my mind off all the obstacles. Something that will make me focus
on other parts of my body—the ones that have yearned for you since I left
England.” I glanced up at him with a naughty glint in my eye.

Devon leaned in to kiss me on the lips, my jaw, moving over
to my ear. Then he whispered, “My hotel is right around the corner. And I have
a king-sized bed. Let’s go and I can show you how convincing I can be.”

“Ooh, that sounds like it could be promising.”

Devon led me out of the Public Garden back to his hotel.

“By the way, I have a little surprise for you.”

“You do? What is it?”

“Since you left England, I’d been trying to get my mind off
you. It was impossible. So I went back to figure out a mystery we’d been trying
to solve together—before we ran out of time.”

I furrowed my brows.

“Since I had a better idea of whose bank accounts to look
in, I was able to track down most of the money that was transferred through
your account. Gayle and Jon won’t be needing it anymore and who’s going to be
looking for it? I think you’ll be surprised by a nice little chunk of change
back in your bank account. After all, don’t you deserve it since they used your
account and framed you for it anyway?”

My mouth dropped, unable to find words.

Devon continued. “You know you always have a home with me in
England. Now you have more than enough if you want to buy a place of your own
in Boston. In fact, wherever you choose.”

“Thank you, Devon. I can’t believe you did that for me. You
could have kept the money yourself and I never would have known. How can I
thank you?”

“You already did.”

My brows furrowed again in confusion. “I did? How?”

“By agreeing to give us a chance.” Then he laughed. “But I’m
sure I can think of some other ways you can thank me back in the hotel.”

I scanned the scenery of the city around me. So many
possibilities lay ahead. Both in my own life and with Devon. What I looked
forward to most right now was starting this new life with Devon back at his
hotel.

“You’re lucky there are people around. I might be tempted to
thank you right here.”

Devon moaned. “Don’t say things like that. You’ll give me a
raging hard-on as we walk through the streets of Boston.

I squeezed his hand, smiled sweetly and said, “Lead the way.”