Cherry Creek (25 page)

As for Roman, we're getting along better than before. He lets me pick his brains whenever a question enters my mind, and I like that. All the newness of everything has been quite the distraction, and I haven't been left with much time to think about Trace. I know he's been around, but I haven't seen him since the day he'd held me while I'd slept at the pond. Everything Roman told me echoes in my head when I do think of him, though. I need to keep my relationship with him strictly platonic, or I'm asking to get my heart broken.

I'm just about to take a bath when there's a knock on my door. Roman's the only one who comes up to my room, so I know it's him. Either he's bored or he wants something. “Come in,” I call as I open my dresser drawer to pull out something comfortable to wear after my bath.

“You have got to get a life,” Roman announces as he saunters into my room.

I glance at him and try not to stare. He's on the prowl tonight, because he's looking hotter than normal. Dang, I have got to stop noticing how his shirts outline his muscles. “I have a life. A crazy one at the moment,” I say dryly as I turn away and grab a pair of shorts and a matching shirt.

“No, your life is boring as hell,” he corrects. “All you do is work and hide out up here.”

“That's about all I've felt like doing lately,” I say with a shrug as I close the dresser drawer and look at him warily. “Can I ask you something?”

He folds his arms across his wide chest and smiles teasingly. “You usually do.”

“Do you think Khristos would really track down my mom if I asked? He said he would at one point, but was that just to keep me calm at the time?”

Roman sobers up real fast. “You want to go back to your mom? That's a bad, bad idea, Vee.”

“I didn't say I want to go back to her. I just want to talk to her. I need to know if it's true, that she accepted money to send me off with Khristos—who was a complete stranger to her at the time.”

“You're just looking to get hurt further. I think you should just leave her in the past and say good riddance,” he says with open derision.

“She's my mom, Roman,” I point out.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I never had one, so I guess I can't really begin to understand what it's like to be in your shoes. I just think she'll hurt you more if you hear it from her yourself. You already know it's true, Vee.”

My eyebrow arches. “Khristos could be lying for all I know in order to keep me here.”

Roman's face darkens. “Is that what you think?”

“Honestly, Roman, I don't know what to think,” I say with exasperation. “I've been kept in the dark about so much. I just want some straight answers, and I don't think I can move on until I know why my mom was willing to give me away for money.”

“Money makes people do stupid things all the time.”

“It's just money,” I mutter. “You can buy all the superficial things in the world, and yet it can't buy you happiness.”

“You exasperate me most of the time, but then you go and say shit like that, making you absolutely fascinating.”

“There's nothing fascinating about me.”

“That's where you're wrong,” he says, slipping his hands in his pockets. “I've been around wealth since Khristos took me in. I'm accustomed to it and what it can do. People will do just about anything for a fat check. You, on the other hand, you could care less about it. It's a bit refreshing,” he says with an approving grin.

I toss the clothes I pulled out of the drawer on my bed and rub my temple as I go back to my original question. “Do you think Khristos would find her if I ask?”

Roman's eyes suddenly focus on my temple where I’d rubbed it. “Headache already?” he asks, frowning.

“Hm? No.”

He looks relieved. “Good. I'm hoping you won't have to feed again for at least another few weeks or so.”

“Why?” I ask as my head tilts with interest.

He gives me a knowing look. “Because it'll piss you off if you have to. That, and I'd like to see you adjust to what you are before you have to feed again.”

I nod and look at him with determination. “About Khristos?” I press.

Roman gives me a look of exasperation. “Yeah, he'd track her down for you in a heartbeat if that's what you want. As long as you aren't wanting to go back to her, that is.”

My lips tighten. “I don't think I could, Roman. If she pretty much sold me to him, I don't think I could ever trust her again.”

Roman walks over to me, his eyes oddly somber as he puts a warm hand on my shoulder. “We're family now, Vee. You’ve got me, and you have Khristos when you're ready for him. You don't need her anymore,” he says before he releases me.

I don't say anything as I look at the clothes on the bed and fidget slightly. I haven't yet embraced Roman and Khristos as family. I'm not sure how long it'll take until I consider them important to me. Right now, they still feel a bit like strangers.

“Go put something on. Preferably short and sexy, because you have great legs,” Roman tells me bluntly.

My head whips back to him. “What?”

He levels me with a look. “It's time to start learning our ways. You're coming to Bane tonight, and I want you to get comfortable with the club. That's probably the safest place to feed. We tend to shy away from school parties, so Bane will be your home away from home. Go change.”

“But I don't feel like going out.”

His brow lifts. “You really want to sit here tonight doing nothing? On a Saturday night? C'mon, Vee. It's time to quit hiding.”

I give him a look. “No drugs, right?”

“No drugs. I swear. Trace tattled to Khristos about the two guys that had you cornered, so when you're at the club you have your own bodyguard looking out for you,” he says dryly.

“You're kidding, right?”

He shakes his head. “No. But you won't see whoever is assigned to you. They'll be watching, but they won't interrupt anything you're doing unless you get yourself in a bad situation.”

***

I won't admit it to Roman, but it feels good to be back at Bane. I like the loud music and the distraction the club provides. While I'm here, all my worries seem to fade. And now that I know everything that's been kept from me, I feel more relaxed and in the mood to have fun.

Roman leads me to our private balcony, and I tug the hem of my mini-dress down as I make my way up the last of the stairs before entering the secluded room. I feel a bit weird wearing such an expensive dress, but Roman insisted I wear something flashy from the wardrobe in my closet. Tonight, it's a sparkly red dress that hugs all my curves. I've paired the dress with red high heeled sandals.

Roman leans into me and says, “One drink tonight, nothing more. My ass will be grass if you get drunk on my watch after what went down last time.”

I nod to let him know I heard him and walk across the room to stand at the balcony. I have no idea if Tatum, Harper, and Nathan are coming tonight or not. For the moment, we have the balcony to ourselves. I stare down at the dancing bodies below.

“You wanna dance?” Roman asks.

I shake my head. “Not yet.”

“Fuck me,” Roman mutters under his breath a second later as he gazes down below at something.

I look at him questioningly. “What is it?”

He stares down at the main level for another long minute before tearing his eyes away to look at me. “I need to feed tonight, and I just found my meal. Do you care if I leave you for a while so I can go work her over?”

“Work her over?” I ask with a laugh.

He smirks. “Got to get her a bit riled up. That way when the club closes, she'll be ready to go.”

“Have you ever met someone you couldn't get into bed?” I have to ask.

“Nope.”

I shake my head. “Someday you are going to come across someone that's immune to you. I hope I'm around when it happens,” I say with an amused smile.

“Never gonna happen,” he says, flashing me a rakish smile as he starts backing away towards the stairs, his eyes still on mine. “You good?”

“I'm fine. Go.” I wave a hand to shoo him off.

“You've got your own guard, so have fun. No one's going to touch you unless you want them to,” he calls before he disappears down the stairs.

I turn back to the glass railing and watch for Roman. I see him enter the crowd a moment later, and he cuts through to the dance floor. He moves lithely among the grinding bodies until he approaches three women that are dancing and having a good time. He smiles and starts talking with them briefly before turning to the pretty brunette. He says something to her, and she smiles up at him and nods. A second later he's got her to himself and they are dancing.

I shake my head, feeling bad for the girls he feeds from. Roman can enthrall anyone with that charm of his, and I bet they have high hopes when they meet him for the first time. They probably think Roman might be the 'one' until he sends them on their way once he's done with them. I'm sure he's broken quite a few hearts.

“Hey, Livvy.”

I start with surprise and turn to find Nathan standing before me. “Hi,” I say awkwardly as he grins at me. I feel my face heating up as I remember just how much he’d enjoyed our kiss. “Um...sorry I took too much when we...” I'm trying to apologize for making him pass out, but I'm making things worse.
I need to shut up.

His gives me a lopsided grin. “Nah, it's all good.”

I don't know what to say, and I’m saved from the conversation when I see Tatum walking towards us. My eyes just about pop out of my head when I see her dress. It's modest on top and sleeveless with a collar. But then the navy blue dress turns quite provocative below her ribs and down to about mid-hip. Each side is missing, leaving a huge circle of tan skin on each side. Her hips are bare, making it very clear that she's not wearing any type of panties.

“Livvy,” she greets with a slight smile.

“Tatum,” I say with a nod.

Tatum turns her attention to Nathan, and she touches his arm near his bicep. “Nate, will you go get us something to drink?”

He looks at me. “Any requests?”

“Soda is fine.” I'm not in the mood to be drinking alcohol.

Tatum's eyes roll. “Just get her a wine cooler,” she says and sends him off. “Nice dress,” she comments, her brown eyes flickering over it politely. “It's last season, though,” she tacks on.

Great. Tatum's in bitch mode. “At least it's not missing any pieces,” I say dryly.

She gives me a slow smile. “The guys sure like it.”

“I'm sure they do.”

“Where's Roman?” Tatum asks as she scans the club below.

“He said he found his meal for the night and went off to work her over,” I muse.

Tatum gives an unladylike snort. “He doesn't have to work anything. All he has to do is smile at them and they drop their panties.”

I remember that Tatum is a succubus, and I look at her through newly enlightened eyes. With as bold as her sexuality is, I’m guessing she’s a full succubus rather than partial like myself. She has to have sex to survive, and I wonder if she resents it sometimes. I know I would. I certainly wouldn't want to share my body with a stranger every time I had to feed. It makes me wonder how much of this confident persona of hers is for show and what really lies beneath it.

“Why are you looking at me that way?” Tatum demands.

I realize I've been staring at her too long, and something must have shown on my face, because she looks about ready to spit nails at me. The last thing I want is to insult her. “I was just thinking that I'm glad I'm not here with a guy. If I was, I'm sure he'd be leaving with you instead of me. You look great.” I shake my head and glance at her dress. “I could never pull that off, but on you, it looks like the designer had you in mind,” I say sincerely.

“Are you hitting on me?” Tatum asks as her eyes narrow.

My mouth drops.

Tatum immediately bursts out laughing. “I'm kidding. Let's go sit. I'm betting you have a lot of questions since I'm the only female succubus you know.”

“You don't mind?” I ask with relief.

“No. Roman warned me you might have questions. He told me it's hard to answer some of them, since he's a guy. He said it might be good for you to hear some stuff from a woman's perspective instead,” she says seriously.

I owe Roman when I see him next. “If you don't mind, I do have some questions.”

She motions to the couch, and we walk over and sink down onto the cushions. Nathan happens to come back up to the balcony, and Tatum motions for him to go away. He gives her an annoyed look, but turns right around and disappears down the stairs.

I can't resist giving her a disapproving look. “Is he your human toy or something?”

Tatum gives me a strange look. “Nate? No, of course not. He's a good friend.”

“You don't treat him like a friend.”

“He is. I just don't waste time with sugary nonsense in fear of hurting someone's feelings. Nate will be back in a bit,” she says easily. “So, what's on your mind? Besides Nate's feelings.”

“You warned me about school. Will you tell me what I'm going to be walking into? Why won't people like me?” I hadn't wanted to ask Roman, because I'd worried that he might wonder why I was so concerned about it. I had promised Tatum that I wouldn't repeat our conversation we'd had at the store, so I figured I'd better hold off on it.

Tatum's silent a moment. “You know of the other supernaturals, right?”

I nod.

“Well, they know what I am, and they'll know what you are when you start school in September. Supernaturals gravitate towards us. They know what we can give them, but because we feed off of different people constantly, they look down on us.” She shrugs. “I guess you could say I'm considered a slut,” she says bluntly. “They know what I need, and it's beneficial to them, but all I'm good for is a good time. They'll never allow it to be anything else. So the supernatural guys will sniff around you, and the supernatural females will resent you for it, because they consider their guys, theirs. Get it?”

I slowly nod.

“Livvy, guys will want you, and girls will hate you,” she says simply. “Even the humans. They don't understand why we sleep around, since they don't know what we are. To the humans, I'm also a slut. The human guys are worse and horny as hell. Even the one's with the girlfriends. I'm the most hated girl at school. And because you'll be with me, Roman, and Harper, they'll assume you're like us. Which you are except for the sex part.”