Forever Viper (13 page)

Just as I reach Jade’s house, Noah’s hunger hits me and I hear him call out my name. Jade lets me in and I rush to his side. I bite into my wrist and let him feed. I untie him when I know it’s safe to, but he doesn’t move an inch, he doesn’t attack me with sexual lust like he usually does, he stares at me blankly. “Noah what’s wrong?”

He slowly sits up, never taking his eyes from mine. “I lie here every day, thinking of you both, waiting for that moment so we can be together again. I’m fighting this change for you Juan, for Peppa. I heard your thoughts, don’t you fucking give up the fight. You told us both, we are a threesome and will stay a threesome. If you think I’m going to let Peppa or you walk away then think again. I believe in us, have you stopped believing Juan?”

He gets off the bed and walks to the bathroom closing the door behind him. I stand there brooding, not knowing what to say or how to feel. Self-condemnation washes over me and I do the one thing he didn’t want me to do, I walk away.

When I reach the venue we are playing at, Cruz is pacing the floor peering at his watch. He looks at me and points to my drums. I don’t give him time to scold me as I tell him, “Don’t fucking start with me tonight Cruz. I’m not in the mood.”

Something in my tone must have worked because he kept his mouth shut through practice and the gig. I go through the motions of each song. I shut out everything that is going on around me as Noah’s question kept repeating.
Have I stopped believing in us?

After the gig I can tell Saul wants to talk. He usually leaves Cruz and I to pack and load our instruments into the van, but tonight he helps. I didn’t want to talk, this is my burden to take care of and I make my excuses saying I need to get to Peppa.

As I walk into the lounge, I find Peppa asleep on the sofa. I walk over to her and bend my knees, lean over and place a kiss on her lips, the taste and smell of alcohol lingers all around her. I find an empty glass lying on the floor and pick it up.

Monica walks into the room from the kitchen, “Hello Juan, I’m glad you’re here, we need to talk.”

She walks back into the kitchen and I follow her. Placing the empty glass on the counter I take a seat next to Monica and ask, “What’s going on?”

She looks me right in the eyes with a doleful look on her face, “I’m worried about Peppa. She’s trying to be strong Juan, she really is. She isn’t eating much. She fainted this morning and after the visit from the police and what Detective Payne told her, well as you can see, she has passed out from too much vodka.”

Confusion crosses my features and I run a hand through my hair, “Why didn’t she phone me?”

A flash of anger crosses Monica’s face and she goes on to say, “She doesn’t want to disturb you.” With her next words she uses air quotes. “You being a rock star and all that.” She pauses, “Sorry that was uncalled for. Look the police searched the house today and we were warned beforehand by Lara that Mr. Blaise had asked the police to search for proof that Peppa has a right to be in the house.”

I mutter, “Fuck.” under my breath then say, “He’s trying to get her out of the house? What is that man’s problem?”

She ignores my questions and goes on to explain what else she knows, “There must be some form with Peppa’s signature on it to say she can be in the house because Detective Payne told her he thought Mr. Blaise would be stupid to force the issue. She lost some of her strength today Juan, and I can only do so much to build it back up. She needs you and I hope to god they find Noah too, because this is killing her.” Monica lowers her head to hide her tears. I often wonder why women do that, I guess they don’t like to show their weakness either.

I reach over for Monica and bring her in for a hug, “I’m sorry for being the rock star but it’s kind of my job. I’m here for her, I always will be, but I will talk to her. I love her and I hate seeing her suffering.” I close my eyes because this is all on me, I’m part of her suffering.

Monica steps out of my arms and smiles at me weakly, “I’m off to bed. Look after her Juan, don’t let her lock herself away inside herself, because I don’t think we will get her back.”

I watch her walk out of the kitchen and I sit there in torment. Noah’s question comes back to me and I have my answer. That night as I watch Peppa sleep, nightmares plague her and she calls out for Noah. Images of ice cream and the sea come to me and then she settles into a deep sleep.

I can’t let all three of us suffer any longer, I know I need more time with Noah to get his blood lust under control, but I make the decision that it’s time Peppa knew the truth.

Noah is a little distant with me when I show up to feed him the next day. We make conversation and I tell him about Peppa and his father but that riles him up. I calm him down and tell him we need to talk more as I have made a few decisions. He does hug and kiss me goodbye and lets me know he’s going to think of a way to help Peppa out so she doesn’t have to worry about being kicked out of his house.

There’s some sort of confusion when I reach the venue for tonight. I walk in to find Saul holding Cruz back from whom I assume is the manager shouting, “We did not phone to cancel!”

Saul spots me and waves me over, “Take him and get him a drink, I need to talk to the manager.”

I drag Cruz over to the bar and sit him down but he stands back up and storms off. When Saul comes back he tells me that the manager received a phone call five minutes before they arrived saying Viper can’t play tonight. We were lucky he didn’t have a chance to do anything yet and he is willing to let us go on stage tonight. He didn’t have much choice, as screams and banging on the doors and windows started up shouting out for Viper. The gig is a success apart from some people managing to get on the stage and halting our performance. When we open the back of the van to load our equipment, there are two naked girls getting it on. Cruz jumps in and tells us he will deal with everything and sends us on our way.

Peppa is awake when I make it to see her tonight, but like Noah, she is a little distant so I do what I usually do, I take her to bed and hold her until it is time to leave.

Saul is banging on my door as soon as the sun sets shouting at me to, “Wake the fuck up.” I open the door to a pacing Saul, “You better hurry up and get dressed, Cruz has stormed off to the pub we are playing at tonight. He received a message on his phone, it’s another cancelled gig.”

A string of curses leave my mouth and I quickly get dressed and we rush to the venue. Once we get there, Cruz has some guy backed up against a wall with his hand around his throat, “Give me your fucking phone.”

I walk over and stand to the side of him and he turns his head to me and I notice his fangs have dropped, “Cruz let him go and walk away, you need to calm down.” I nod to his mouth and his tongue comes out and runs across his bottom lip and hits his fang. That’s when he realizes his mistake and lets his hand drop from the guy’s neck and storms off.

Saul strolls after him and I turn back to the man who now has his phone in his shaking hands. “I’m sorry about Cruz…”

He didn’t let me finish as he says, “I’m phoning the police, there’s something not right about him. He can’t go around attacking people like that.”

My hand reaches for his phone and he stares right at me and I use a bit of mind control, “You won’t be phoning the police, you will forget you were attacked. You will hand your phone over to me willingly.”

I stand back from him and watch as he blinks a few times and looks at me, “Here you can check my phone for a number.”

He hands his phone to me and as I’m checking it I’m hit with an intense pain which causes me to bend in half and I hear Noah’s voice in my head calling for me.
Shit I need to go to Noah.
I shout for Saul. He comes rushing over and I hand him over the phone. Through the pain I manage to spit out, “I need to go and sort Noah out, I’ve left him too long.” The pain eases and I say a quick goodbye before I leave the building.

I have to hide in the shadows as there are Viper groupies hanging around but as soon as I know I can run without being seen, I do. I have to stop a few times along the way as Noah’s pain intensifies and I feel everything he does. He starts screaming my name over and over again. It feels like my head is going to explode, but I finally get there. I rush past Jade when she opens the door, not even giving her a glance or a hello.

Noah is writhing around on the bed, foaming at the mouth and blood spills from the rope burns he has inflicted on himself. I bite my wrist and lower it to his mouth. His tongue, his teeth and the suction of his mouth ravish my arm as he gulps down my blood like he is dying of thirst. His eyes find mine and I see relief in them but I also see he is disconcerted, so while he takes what he needs from me, I explain the situation with the band and that is why I am late and I promise I will never let that happen again.

When he has had his fill and I untie him, he sits ups and stares absently at me and I know then he is still angry with me about the other day. Noah reaches over for a laptop I didn’t notice before and says, “I think I have found a way to make sure Peppa has enough money to pay the bills until it’s time to let her know I’m alive. But first you need to send a text to Cruz and get him to ring my father to see if he knows anything about these cancelled venues.”

He tells me the number and I text Cruz telling him to make the call. There is silence again between us as we stare each other out. I swallow my angst at what my next words might bring. “I want to take you out soon to feed from another source. Noah, it is too early for you still, so you have to work extra hard at fighting the hunger but I can’t go on like this. It’s time Peppa knows the truth.”

I didn’t have time to blink as big strong arms find their way around my body and I’m enclosed in a hug that makes my body go weak and I melt into Noah's arms. He throws all these questions out at me and I answer them the best I can and then he goes on to tell me about his idea for helping Peppa out.

When we are all talked out, my hand reaches for his face and I stroke his cheek. I had a text back from Cruz saying the gig is cancelled for tonight and he is trying to find out if tomorrow night is still happening. “I have to go, I should be with Peppa.”

He nods, “I have the laptop and if you like, I can check the venues and text Cruz phone numbers and dates, if that will help?”

I lower my head to his and I place a gentle kiss to his lips. He takes the kiss but didn’t take it any further, which hurt a little, but I will make it right between us again. I said my goodbyes to Noah, then to Saul and Jade and headed to my woman. That night I hold Peppa in my arms as I do each night, the silent tears fall as she sleeps. Feelings of losing them both take over as both my Entwined harbored their own distant feelings towards me.
The sooner Peppa knows the better.

Friday runs smoothly. I feed Noah first and he has warmed up to me. He says sorry about the way he has been acting and is happy he will see Peppa soon. He even lets me suck him off, which is heaven and he returns the favour.

The gig proceeds without a hitch and we actually play well, which makes Cruz happy. He seems to have himself under control.

Peppa is a bit more talkative, but I notice her constant need to have a drink in her hand. Something is holding me back from approaching her for sex. I want her, there is no question about that, but I guess the accountability of my actions stands in the way as I feel I didn’t deserve her. Guilt eats away at me, it sank its claws in deep and isn’t letting go anytime soon. I'm right there when Noah awakes the next day. A phone call had been made the night before to make sure the venue we are playing at tonight hasn’t been cancelled. Noah is happy to see me.

I arrange to meet Cruz and Saul at the hotel we are staying in so we can travel to the venue in the van, to make ourselves appear like a proper band. It is usually just Cruz and Saul, as I have to sort Noah out, but tonight we are doing it right, showing a united front.

When we park up there are a few fans milling about and we sign stuff and take photos with them. It isn’t until we move closer to the pub that we notice a man writing cancelled on all the posters that are advertising us. Cruz storms over and starts ripping them down.

The man angrily pushes Cruz trying to stop him, “What are you doing you idiot! I need to get these done before more of the fans show up. Fucking stupid band, don’t they realize the trouble they have caused.”

Cruz takes a step forward and snarls, but Saul stands in front of him before he does anything stupid. Saul points to the poster and then to me and Cruz, “We are the band and we didn’t cancel. We wouldn’t do that to our fans.” He says this loud enough so those that are gathered around us can hear.

The man stares at the poster and then at each of us. Shaking his head with confusion he tells us to come in.

Once inside and trying to keep the fans out, Cruz starts pacing. “Who is fucking doing this to us?” He turns to the man and raises his voice, “I spoke to someone myself, last night, confirming our attendance. What the hell happened between then and now?”

The man shrugs and I hear Cruz growl and step forward, making his target known. I pull him back by his shirt and keep a firm hold on him as I whisper into his ear, “Calm the fuck down.”

The man’s heart races with fear and he steps back from us, “Look my partner received a call about forty minutes ago from someone called Cruz.”

Cruz starts to struggle in my arms trying to break free. “I’m fucking Cruz and I can tell you now, I did not fucking phone anyone here apart from last night.”

The man’s eyes scan the room for an exit. His fear fills the room and he walks behind the bar so there is something between us all. “I get why you’re angry, but what am I supposed to do? My wife deals with all this crap and I do as I’m told. She put a call out to the local radio and they announced the gig has been cancelled. Don’t you think I have enough to put up with when your fans realize you aren’t playing tonight?”

Cruz fucking loses it then, “Our fans? What about us? Do you know how bad this makes us look? I don’t believe this is happening. Let me go Juan, I’m calm.”