Cherry Creek (26 page)

“What if I don't interact with you guys?”

She gives me a look. “Remember those groups I told you about at school?” When I nod again, she continues, “Well, not all supernaturals get along. There's always going to be a rivalry. There are supernaturals that will hate you on sight either because of what you are, or because you're a Deveroux.”

“What does being a Deveroux have to do with anything?”

“Not everyone gets along with Khristos, let's just leave it at that. My point is, at school you stick with your own kind. Your own kind provides protection.”

“Nobody would attack me, would they?” I ask with a hint of alarm.

“The supernaturals wouldn't dare, because even if they don't like Khristos, he's still someone they don't want to mess with. Unfortunately, the humans have no clue what we are, so they can be worse. I've been jumped a few times at school. I'm not going to lie, it sucks.”

“Were you hurt badly?”

“Not really.”

“What did you do after it went down?”

She smiles with unsettling relish. “Fucked their boyfriends. No one's come after me in a long, long time.”

“That means the only friends I'll have are you guys,” I realize.

Tatum nods. “Pretty much.”

“But what about Nathan? He's human. How does that work at school?”

“Roman's big on trying to mix with the other students. Nate's popular at school, and he's liked enough that he can gravitate between us and his other friends. It helps Roman and Harper fit in. The guys have it easier than I do,” she says truthfully.

“Are there any other succubi at school?”

“Nope. Just me.”

“And now me,” I murmur.

“Harper and Roman have a rep, and most guys won't mess with them. Stick with them, and you'll be fine.”

“How does all this work? I mean, how do you all keep the humans from finding out about you?” I ask with puzzlement.

“Secrecy is the key. But it also helps that all the public officials in Cherry Creek are supernatural. Something bad can go down, and the public will never know. That's why so many supernaturals reside in Cherry Creek and in the cities. You don't have to hide what you are so much, because all the higher ups take care of it. But that doesn't mean we go around telling humans about us. If word gets out you're spreading rumors or secrets,” she mimics slicing her throat. “They shut you up.”

“They'll kill you?” I gasp.

Her eyes hold mine. “There are serious rules here, Livvy. Cherry Creek will protect you, but if you're stupid, it can
kill
you.”

I blow out a breath and stare at the kaleidoscope of lights flashing along the ceiling above the dance floor. What exactly have I become a part of?

Tatum pats my knee. “Let's go dance,” she says brightly as she gracefully stands up.

“You just told me I'm screwed at school, and you want to go dance?”

She smiles down at me. “Yep. Let it go for now, worry about it later. C'mon.”

With an inward sigh, I rise to my feet and follow her across the balcony and down the stairs. Tatum pulls me out on the dance floor, and I soon find my concerns about school fading. We're having a good time when Trace comes up out of nowhere. His eyes meet mine as he says loudly over the music, “Time to leave, Livvy.”

I look at him blankly, then glance at Tatum to see if this is a joke.

Tatum quits dancing, and she gives him an annoyed look. “Let the girl breathe a little and have some fun. It's not even bar time yet.” Trace gives her some sort of look and she blinks, recognition crossing over her pretty features. Her expression promptly shifts to acceptance as she turns to me. “I'm about to leave anyway. We'll talk another time,” she says simply, and I watch as she fades into the crowd.

I'm left alone with Trace, and I frown up at him. “Why do I have to leave?”

He shakes his head and mimes he can't hear me over the music. “We'll talk in the car,” he says before he rests a hand on the small of my back, nudging me in the direction he wants me to go.

I want to balk and refuse, but I don't want to make scene. I reluctantly begin to make my way through the crowd, fully aware of Trace's warm hand on the small of my back. As we leave the dance floor behind, we pass by a bouncer who nods meaningfully at Trace. Before I can ask what's going on, I'm led to the back of the club and out the back exit. We find another bouncer climbing out of the driver's side of Trace's SUV, which is parked at the curb.

Trace's hand drops from my back as he reaches out and opens the passenger door for me. I give him a puzzled look and slide in. He shuts the door for me and hurries around to climb in the driver's seat. I'm just finishing buckling my seatbelt as he pulls out of the back alley and into the street. “What's going on?” I demand.

“Nothing,” he says as he begins to navigate through traffic. Even after midnight, people are out and about, searching for a good time.

“You just dragged me out of there, Trace.”

“Khristos felt like it was time for you to leave.” He glances in the rearview mirror before changing lanes.

He ushered me out of there way too quick for this to be as simple as Khristos wanting me to go home. “Why do I have a feeling you're keeping something from me?”

Trace glances at me. “You have a lot to learn, Livvy. There's a lot you don't know, and you're not going to learn it all in just a matter of days.”

“So there's more!” I exclaim as aggravation mixes with dread. “What else are you guys keeping from me?”

“Let it go for now,” he says, sounding distracted as he switches lanes again.

I can't resist looking in my side-view mirror. We're leaving the city behind, and Trace has taken an exit that leads to some back roads. I see headlights behind us, but they aren't following too close or anything. I sigh inwardly, knowing I'm not going to get anything more out of Trace. The men here in Cherry Creek are tight-lipped when they want to be.

Trace seems to relax once we enter the estate grounds and pull up to the mansion. I'm silent as he escorts me into the foyer, which is brightly lit. “Why don't you go on up to bed,” he suggests.

I toss him a scowl. “I'm not a kid.”

He gives me a meaningful look. “I'm well aware of that.”

Footsteps distract me from retorting, and I look up uncertainly when I see a man approaching us. He’s bald, but it just makes him look more bad ass. He's a big, muscular man, but his movements are smooth and deliberate. His hazel eyes focus on me briefly before he meets Trace's questioning look and nods.

“Who are you?” I ask boldly when I realize he works for Khristos and isn’t a threat. He's not here to harm me. Probably the opposite.

“Marko. I work for Khristos,” he says simply.

I look between Marko and Trace. Something is definitely up.

“Go to bed,” Trace repeats lightly.

The next time we see each other, I'm going to have a few things to say to him. I give him a glare that tells him I'm less than pleased before I reluctantly walk away. If that's not bad enough, I can hear Marko chuckling under his breath.

***

The next morning, I find myself on a mission before I even bother with breakfast. The men in this house are keeping something from me, and I want to know what it is. I am so sick of being left in the dark until they feel they have no choice but to tell me the truth. Well, this time I want the truth before the situation gets dire enough that they have to fill me in after something bad happens. I know where Roman's room is now, and I make my way to the east wing of the estate.

When I reach his door, I knock on it three times. I add a fourth knock just to aggravate him. Knowing Roman, he's still sleeping. When he fails to open the door, I pound on it a few more times.

Suddenly, it swings open and Roman stands there, his expression irritated. I can't help but do a little ogling. His dark hair is sexily mussed, and he's bare chested. He has a pair of jeans on, but the top button is unsnapped, and I can tell he'd literally just climbed out of bed. His irritation fades as he squints at me. “Vee? Something wrong?”

“I want to talk to you,” I say as I try to ignore all the skin he's showing off. I make a move to walk past him into his room, but he blocks me. I look up and frown questioningly at him.

Roman gives me a meaningful look. “I'm not alone,” he says pointedly.

Oh. I try not to look embarrassed, because I need to get used to all this sex stuff. I live with sex demons, I'm fifty percent of what they are. It's ridiculous feeling awkward over something that's a way of life. I tilt my head up and look at him a bit stubbornly. “If she's not awake, do you have a minute?”

He glances over his bare shoulder briefly as he steps out in the hall, quietly shutting his door. “What's going on?”

“You tell me. Trace dragged me out of the club and had me home and tucked in bed in no time at all. I'm sure you know what's going on. Fill me in.”

He sighs, and his hand carves through his messy hair. “It's nothing for you to worry about.”

“Liar,” I accuse. “I didn't see him dragging you out of the club. Whatever is going on has to deal with me.”

Roman gives me a look. “Finding out you're a succubus completely threw your world off its axis, right?”

“Yeah. Obviously.”

“Then concentrate on what you do know and work on adjusting to it.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “Roman, I am more concerned with what I
don't
know.”

“Don't worry about it.”

“Right,” I say sarcastically. “Keeping me in the dark from pertinent information has worked out so well for me in the past.”

Roman mutters something under his breath and shoots me a look. “Go bug Khristos. I am not the bad guy here.” He turns and goes back in his room, firmly shutting the door in my face.

I glare at the door for a second until I decide to do just exactly that. I have to talk to him about my mom anyway. I make my way down to the kitchen, because Adelaide usually knows where everyone is. Sure enough, she's at the stove making pancakes on a griddle. Just the smell has my stomach rumbling.

Adelaide looks up and catches sight of me. “Morning, Livvy.”

“Morning, Addie.” I'm gradually coming to terms with the fact that she's a witch, and every time I see her it gets a little easier. “Do you know where Khristos is this morning?”

“He's out by the pool.”

“Thanks. I'll be back in shortly,” I say lightly as I walk over to the patio doors. I see through the glass that Khristos is sitting at a table on the far side of the patio. It looks like Trace and Marko are out there with him. I look back at Adelaide, who has her back to me, her attention focused on making breakfast. “Addie?”

She turns her head and looks at me questioningly.

“Is it okay for me to go out there?”

This brings a smile to her face. “There's a new rule in this household. When you ask for Khristos, we take you to him immediately. He'll welcome your company.”

“Okay. Thanks.” I step outside and as soon as Khristos sees the movement, he looks up. I see him say something to Trace and Marko, and they both rise to their feet and walk towards me. At first I think they are coming to greet me, but then I realize they are leaving and walking towards the patio doors.

When I reach Khristos, I see that he's sipping a glass of orange juice, and he has a newspaper in front of him along with a cell phone. He looks like he's been up since the break of dawn. His hair is perfectly in place, and he's dressed in one of his usual suits.

“Good morning, Livvy,” he greets with a curious smile. “Sit down,” he says, motioning to the chairs.

“Khristos.” I pause near an empty chair. I'm not here to socialize, but it would be rude to stand over him the whole time. I sit down in one of the recently vacated chairs. “What was going on last night?” I dive straight into why I've sought him out.

Khristos studies me. “Nothing that you need to concern yourself with.”

“I'm not stupid, you know. The fact that Roman didn't have to leave says a lot. And Trace was acting as if he was concerned that someone might have been following us. What aren't you guys telling me?”

“I promise you, you have nothing to be concerned about. I think you have enough to deal with already. Don't dwell on matters that are of no concern, it'll just drain your energy faster.” He gives me a disapproving look. “You seem to worry a lot, and that's not good for you.”

“I worry more when I know something is being kept from me.”

He shakes his head. “If there's something you need to know, I'll be the first one to tell you. Until then, just take a deep breath and try to relax as you learn our ways.” He smiles slightly. “I'm glad to see that you and Roman seem to be getting along well.”

“Speaking of Roman, he said you'd find my mom if I asked you to. Will you?” I ask bluntly.

Khristos's expression doesn't change but for a slight tightening around his lips. “You want to speak with her.”

I nod.

“Even after what I told you.”

“Yes.”

“I will find her,” he agrees as his eyes pin me to where I sit. “But you must stay here, even if you forgive her. You have a lot of adjusting to do, and going back to her will only cause you more confusion in the long run. I want your word you'll stay if I find her.”

“I'll consider it.” I have no intention of going back to my mom, but that doesn't mean I plan on staying here indefinitely. I have every intention of moving out when I turn eighteen.

Khristos's eyes narrow. “I won't use my resources to find her if you won't give me your word that you'll stay here until your high school graduation.”

I look at him accusingly. “That's blackmail.”

“I'm well aware of what it is.”

“Why are all of you so difficult?” I ask with frustration.

“I'm not the difficult one,” he says dryly.

I can't make a promise I have no intention of keeping. Without a word, I stand and walk away.

Chapter Fifteen

I am distracted as I eat breakfast the following morning. I
know
something had been going on Saturday night. No one will tell me, though. Yesterday, out of curiosity, I'd tested my theory that Khristos has upped security around me. I drove around aimlessly and walked around downtown. I never saw a hint of Trace or anyone else for that matter. It’s as if something had gone down Saturday night, and now things were back to normal.