Crimson Rush A Vampire Romance (Crimson Book 1) (10 page)

In Cookson Springs, we didn’t have much of anything to speak of. The things you might take for granted in the city, you’d never find in Cookson Springs. There wasn’t a Starbucks for miles, and if you wanted to see a movie, you had to go to Stilwell or Tahlequah. 

There just wasn’t much of anything in Cookson Springs, but there sure wasn’t a shortage of quickie marts. There were at least five in town, but only one between my house and Uncle Basile’s.  

Seeing how I was choking from thirst, I stopped at Brownie’s Quick Mark. As soon as I stepped inside, I was half tempted to stay awhile. The air conditioning was heaven. Taking my time, I made my way to the soda dispenser and filled a large cup with ice and lemon-lime soda.  A little old lady was ahead of me at the checkout, but I didn’t mind. It gave me a few additional minutes relief from the heat. When it was my turn, I set my drink on the counter. That’s when I noticed the cashier was someone new.

According to the little white tag on his shirt, the new employee was Jerry, but with his black clothes and all the eyeliner, he looked more like a Goth wannabe. Crimson Club was sure doing a number on local fashion.

After Jerry rang up my soda, I placed enough money on the counter to cover my purchase.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” he asked.

“I don’t think so.”

No doubt I would have remembered meeting someone like Jerry.

“Hmm … do you work at Club Crimson?”

I was taken aback. Technically, I did work there, but hadn’t interacted with any of the customers.

“Part time,” I answered.

“I knew it,” he said, handing me my change. “What’s your name?”

Did I really want to give some stranger that much information?

Not really, but I didn’t want to seem rude either. “My name is Star,” I told him.

A stunned look swept over his face and he quickly looked away. “Maybe I’ll see you around. I’m at Club Crimson a lot.”

This didn’t surprise me. He definitely looked like someone who would be welcoming to a vampire, if for no other reason than because he fantasized about becoming a vamp.

It was surprising how much you could pick up on a person in such a short period of time, but I’d always been good at surmising character with a first impression, unless the guy was hot. Then my judgment of character seemed to go to hell.

It didn’t take long to get to Basile’s shop. I parked next to Dusty’s gray Ford F-150. The garage doors were open, so I knew someone was working in the shop. Dusty was bent over the engine of an old car that didn’t even look like it was worth repairing. My cousin was shirtless, and had black grease all the way up to his elbows.

His curly black hair was everywhere and full of grease from working on the car. Looking at him, I just couldn’t understand why so many of the women in town had a thing for my cousin. I knew I wouldn’t have, even if he weren’t my cousin.

“Hey Star,” he said, barely looking up.

“Hey. How’s it been?”

He shrugged. “About the same for me, but I hear you been hanging out at that new night club.”

“Actually I’m working there now.”

“With vampires?” he asked, arching one brow. “Are you fucking nuts?”

“So you know about vampires too?” I was really starting to feel a little left out. It was like the whole world had known about the vampires before I did.

“Star …” he shook his head. “Sometimes I think you’re sleepwalking most of the time. Just because people don’t talk about the vampires … doesn’t mean they don’t know about them.”

“It sure would have been nice to know about them before Charlie showed up with one at my front door?”

“Yeah I heard about that. Grandpa Basile says you need to stay away from Charlie.” Dusty grabbed a black stained rag and wiped the grease from his hands.

“Where is Basile?” I asked.

“He’s inside … fixing the kitchen sink.”

I turned to go into the house, but Dusty stopped me. “Sorry about Jaycee and Johnny.”

“Thanks, but you should be telling that to their families.”

“Are you going to the funerals tomorrow?” he asked.

I nodded. “Of course. What about you?”

“Don’t have much choice. You miss someone’s funeral around here, and people don’t quit talking for ten years.”

Dusty’s outlook didn’t surprise me at all. If something didn’t involve women or whiskey, he wasn’t too interested.

“Oh, Terry Jean was asking about you today.”

Dusty’s face twisted like he’d just taken a bite out of a lemon. “Well hopefully you told her I got ate by a bear or something.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Dusty DeBlanc! You are so mean. I don’t see why any girl wastes their time talking to you.”

Before going into the house, I made sure the bite mark on my neck was covered with my hair.

I found Basile with the top half of his body hidden in the cupboard, beneath the kitchen sink.

“Hey Uncle Basile.”

He grumbled something that I couldn’t quite make out.

“Do you have a plugged drain?” I asked.

Basile slid out from beneath the sink. “So you decided to take your ass away from those vampires long enough to come visiting?” 

“I haven’t been hanging out with them that much.”

“Aha. I been hearing about you at that vampire joint.”

“I’m working there now,” I informed him.

Basile shook his head in disgust. “You been hanging out with Charlie too much. Now you’re as dumb as rocks … just like him.”

“I haven’t even seen Charlie for a couple of days.”

Basile waved away my words. “Don’t mean he aint rubbing off on you already.”

“Jeez! You’re grouchy lately! Have you been to the doctor to get your blood pressure checked?” I asked.

His only reply was a grunt.

“I have to ask you about something that happened last night,” I told him.

He gave me a wary look, but since he said nothing, I told him about my vision in the shower and the dream. Of course I left out all the stuff that would really make him grouchy, but gave him enough information to get the general idea.

Basile frowned. “Well there be some things you don’t know about your gifts, but I guess it’s about time I told you.”

So there were more secrets being kept from me.

Somehow this didn’t surprise me much. “I’m listening.”

Basile let out an agonizing breath and got to his feet, but not without some trouble. I tried to help him off the floor, but he brushed me away. “I can stand up on my own.”

“Okay, fine then.”

When he was up, he went to the fridge and got him an RC cola. “Want one?” he asked.

I shook my head.

Shrugging, he opened the can and took several drinks before turning back to me. “You already know the part about you being descended from one of the Salem witches … what you don’t know is that there be witches on your mother’s side too. Your great grandmother was the voodoo queen, Octavia DeBlanc. She was taught by Marie Lavue herself.”

I wasn’t real surprised about the voodoo bit. After all, I’d known Basile was involved with voodoo for as long as I could remember.

“So that means that I have extra power?”

“It means more than that. You were born during the Harvest Moon. According to family legend … that makes you a Moon Witch. You be the first one in generations.”

Now I was surprised. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any stranger, someone drops something like this on me.

“So what does all of this
really
mean … other than making me weirder than I already am?”

“The meaning of it be you can do a lot more than you think. You have the third eye … that be why you could see through his eyes … and hear what he be hearing. I don’t reckon I know lot more about the Moon Witch, that be coming from your dad’s side of the family and all. But what I do know is you don’t want to let others get wind of it … especially the other than human types.”

“Well it’s getting late, and I have stuff to take care of. I should probably be going, but thanks for the info,” I told him.

“You be careful of them bloodsuckers, and be keeping what I told you to yourself.”

No doubt I would do that. A secret weapon wouldn’t be much of a secret weapon, if I went around telling people about it.

* * *

It was well after dark when I arrived at Crimson, mostly because I’d stalled going there for as long as I could, hoping Luke would show up.

Grace was surprisingly absent. It was the first time I’d been to Club Crimson without seeing her. Aaron was working behind the bar.

I sat down on one of the stools near where he was working. “Hi. Is Marcus here?” I asked.

“In there.” Aaron nodded toward the back of the club.

“Thanks,” I said, already on my way to the back.

“But I wouldn’t go in there right now,” he warned.

“I really need to talk to him,” I tossed the words over my shoulder.

I knocked¸ but the music coming from behind the door was loud. The door literally vibrated as the sound of an electric guitar slammed up against it.

When there was no answer, I tried again. I figured the music was too loud for him to hear me knocking, so I opened the door. I immediately wished I’d listened to Aaron.

He was sprawled on the floor with two women, and none of them were wearing anything. Marcus was feeding on one while the other was doing things to him that I didn’t really want to be witnessing.

Gasping, I started backing out of the room, but not before he looked up to see me standing there with my mouth hanging open.

“Wait,” he said, pushing the second girl away. There were droplets of blood running down the corners of his mouth.

I stopped, but kept my eyes averted.

“You’re not leaving already are you?” he asked, his voice ringing with laughter.

“I’ll come back later,” I yelled, so I would be heard over the music.

Marcus picked up a remote control and turned down the volume to the stereo. “Why don’t you join us?”

“I don’t think so,” I told him.

Luke had sure known what he was talking about when it came to Marcus.

“You girls get back to work,” he said to the two women.

The girls dressed as they were going out the door. When I looked back at Marcus, he’d put on his jeans, but still wasn’t wearing a shirt. At least he’d cleaned the blood from his mouth.

I was staring without realizing it, fascinated by the way the muscle rippled beneath his skin as he moved. I may not have realized I was staring, but he’d noticed.

“Like what you see?” he asked, a spark of amusement in his eyes.

Damn! How did I always manage to get myself in such awkward positions?

“I could have come back later,” I told him, refusing to acknowledge his jibe.

“No need. I was growing bored with them anyway. So … any new information?” he asked.

I stepped further into the room. “Can you tell me more about Rush?”

He looked at me sharply. “Why do you want to know about it?”

“I have my reasons,” I replied.

“Not good enough.”

“I found out my friend may have taken this drug, and that could have been what happened to him. I’m curious about how that could be, especially if it only affects vampires?”

He lifted his brow questioningly. “This is the friend that doesn’t walk or talk anymore?”

I nodded.

“It doesn’t have any affect on humans … so that tells us that your friend isn’t human,” he told me, in a matter of fact tone.

I shook my head. “I’ve known Max my whole life. He’s not a vampire.”

“I didn’t say he was, but he’s not human either.”

Now this was getting interesting.

“Then what the heck is he … if he isn’t human?” I asked, still not convinced Marcus knew what he was talking about.

He lifted his shoulders. “Can’t tell you that. Rush affects different species in different ways. Knowing what he is could be useful in helping him.”

He pointed to a seat next to his chair. “Please sit.”

I did as he asked, and waited as he poured himself a drink, and then looked over at me. “Would you like?”

“No thank you.”

He sat next to me, and I noticed the beginnings of a smile. “So prim and proper. It would be enjoyable to see you drop your inhibitions and embrace your nature.”

“And what nature is that?” I asked.

His smile became even more seductive. “The part of you that wants to have wild sex with me.”

Again, I felt the heat in my face. I really wished he had a shirt on. It would sure make it easier to get into the self-denial mode. He was totally hot. There was no way around that, but he was the type of presumptuous guy you just really want to smack right across the face.