Scorpion (17 page)

“Where are you headed?” Szar looked my over very brotherly/fatherly like but it still creeped me out a little.

“Um, Szar.  Look at me like that again and I will punch your face in.”

“Cool you jets.  I just want to make sure Cas is okay with you leaving the house like that.  I
’m still your brother and someone has to watch out for you.”

Stupid overprotective brothers.
 

“Yeah, cuz
’ you can do something about it.”  I adjusted my skirt that was indeed a bit short, but the black tights covered me completely and showed not one bit of skin.  I am sure my lower than usual neckline would not go unnoticed by Cas but that was my intention.  I wanted him to notice that I was still in fact a girl.  Lately I felt like I was a little to battle ready in too many ways and I didn’t want to be “just one of the guys”.

I bent over to finish lacing my knee length books and nearly fell over with the words that vibrated in my brain.

Hell no!

I landed on my butt across the chair under me bumping the opposite chair I was using to prop my foot on.  Gracefulness was not my friend at the moment.

A shadow fell over me.  

You
’re not letting anyone see you like that. 
His body moved like a wasp trying to whip around me. 

“
Cas.  You’re being ridiculous. 
YOU
told me to dress this way.”

I told you to dress for a date, not wear so little every male will be dead by nightfall
who even dares to look at you. 

“You are not going to do that.”

The hell I won’t.

And I dressed for you, not anyone else,
I threw in being reminded that we were “getting out” like I asked.

You
’re baiting me.

You
’re overbearing and broody.

You
’re too stubborn.

“You want me to put on a potato sack?”

If it covers what belongs to me, then yes. 

Huff! 

“Told you!” my brother listened like a little sneak. 

“
Shut up.”

I finished lacing up the second black boot and stood up about three inches taller and almost eye level with Cas.  When this happened, he caught the change immediately.  His eyes darkened to the silky gleam that told me exactly what he was thinking though I couldn
’t read his mind at all.  He leaned back a touch and scanned every inch of me in very much a silent appreciation.  I did enjoy this immensely no matter how nerve racking it was.  My heart skipped a beat when he finally said.

Okay.  You can go.
              Like he can order me or something.  I raised an eyebrow that was incidentally even with his.

I can handle seeing your eyes this close to mine for a long, long time.  But tonight, you stay very close to me.  Do not leave my side.

Ha!  I won.

             
Szar whistled under his breath and said something to Cas making his fists ball up on each side.  I wanted suddenly to be an only child.  I wanted to kill my twin.

             
I was too busy being angry with them both when Cord came back into the room not alone.  I still had my back to them when I turned from grabbing my earrings off the table and putting them on.  Turning, I felt like Mona Lisa naked and on display.  Both of them didn’t hide their reaction to my transformation.  Maybe this was a bad idea.  Maybe being one of the guys was better than reminding them that I was a girl. 

             
Appraised head to toe by all of them I vowed to have more female companionship in my life.  And soon.

             
“Where are you going...like that?”  Calum was looking at parts of me that were way below my eye level. 

             
“None-ya!”

             
“The hell it is.  You’re not leaving anywhere like that.  Cas.  Put a stop to it.”

             
“Stay out of it, Hunter,” Cas snarled at him.

             
“You okayed this?” Calum held both hands out in front of him towards me.

             
“No, he didn’t.  But that isn’t for him to decide.  I can dress however I want and the four of you need to get down off your high horses and leave me to decide what I wish.”

             
Sure, I was being a total teenage drama queen about this.  But growing up too fast will do that to you.  I wanted to be a girl.  Young and free.  And a little careless. So, I come close to losing my life every stinking day and that is considered careless.  I wanted careless with a capital C for Cross.  I wanted a date with my Vampire boyfriend where he was completely and totally enamored with me. Me. ME!

             
Cord piped in, “Then I’m going to.  I’m not letting anyone get near you.”

             
“This isn’t a group date.”  Cas was pissed.  He blocked my view of them or vice versa and at the same time arranged his body into what I knew well enough to call his “
Come and get me”
stance for fighting.

             
“Fine.  Where are you going?”  Cord reared his chest up in the air much the same.

             
When Cas didn’t answer, Cord answered with, “Okay then.  I will just follow you.”

             
“Can anyone say stalker?”  I mused out loud pretending to pull my sleeves into place.

             
“Same here.”  Calum cleared his throat and stepped up beside Cord as if they were bosom buddies. 

             
You know Szar.  “Not here.  I trust Cas to watch over her.  It’s not like he’s likely to forget and let her go far with her like this.”

             
“Shut up brother.”

             
“Shut up yourself.  It wasn’t Cas who had to fend off the hordes of boys for years who tried to get your attention and father instructed me to keep away.”

             
“What boys?”

             
“Exactly.”  He was indicating he was good at
that
job. 

             
“If we’re going, then let’s go,” Cas said through gritted teeth and I prayed that anger would not be taken out on me. 

             
Of course, they followed us out the door and I heard Szar shouting from the closed door, “Well if you two are going stag then count me in.   I’m not getting left at home to eat rocky road and cry my eyes out like a damn girl.”

             
So off we went with all in tow.  I didn’t know Cas’ intentions were Club Toxic.  A dance club.   We got in under his face and handshake alone.  The guy at the door didn’t even take our money.  Calum and Cord were peeved off that they had to pay and Szar just laughed as he whipped out the twenty-dollar cover charge.

             
Cas ordered me a soda and one for himself as well.  I felt kind of odd being so prudish about our drinks when he served me wine all the time now.  Oh well.

             
It kind of made me feel good about the fact that Cas paid that close attention to all things concerning me.  Other times it annoyed me, but not this time.

             
The rest of the guys ordered beers all around and even had a second designating us as the drivers to go home, i.e. their homes. We sat at a table for a good ten minutes before Cord and Szar both headed off to the “little boy’s room” for a time out.  Cord returned.   Szar didn’t.

             
“Where is Szar?”  I asked.

             
“How the hell would I know?”

             
Who bit his wolfie butt?  I sipped my soda.

             
Being a twin, I called myself wanting to zone in and find him as if I should keep tabs on him like he does me.  Unfortunately, I found him.

             
A leggy brunette slinked around him near the bathroom like a working girl on the corner of one of those blocks where the Vampire bars are located.  Heck, I was shuffled in this place so fast she might have come from a corner like that for all I knew.  She wore her shirt dress shorter than what is considered a skirt and boots up to her thighs.   I won’t even say what was spilling out of the top of her shirt.  My brother just made me see him in a different light.  That was purely disgusting.

             
“You okay,” Cas screamed whispered in my ear. 

             
Crap.  He’d followed my line of sight.  Suddenly I worried that Cas had been down that road.

             
“I won’t lie.  I was once a sixteen year old curious teenage boy, but I was over it faster than I enjoyed it.  Besides, it was just to block you out of my mind for which never seemed to work.”

             
Okay.  Who would argue with that?  And I can’t judge him.  He has never once judged me for the spite I hold for my lineage or that I was hidden from everyone but who my father deemed nonlethal. 

             
“Yeah.  Wish my brother could grow up I guess.”

             
“He was sheltered more than you realize.”

             
I turned my head through the smoky filled room only to bump my forehead into his cheek.  He’d been yelling all that in my ear I guessed, but it was hard to tell for all the ecstatically loud music.  Good music, just loud.

             
“He protected you more than you will ever know, Kissa.”

             
Maybe. I watched my twin gyrate on the dance floor now with moves I never knew he had.  He really was good dancer.  Really good dancer.

             
“Where did he learn to dance like that?” I asked Cas but Cord decided he needed to interject and fill me with his knowledge.

             
“Here.”

             
Assuming he knew this because he was also a patron of this place I honed out my Stace surveillance to pick up the clues I’d apparently ignored.  Calum sat quiet beside me just watching.  I knew he was new to the place too.  He and I were beside each other in the car discussing going to clubs and such.  For all his brute force and solid intelligence, he was sheltered some too.

             
“And you know this because you also are not necessarily a first time guest here tonight?”  I didn’t look at Cord till my last word.  He smiled a very experienced smile looking away from me to the dance floor.  I didn’t want to know anymore. 

             
“Your boyfriend here knows just as much.”

             
Lava boiled up fast and spewed underneath the table.  I kicked the freaking tar out of Cord’s shin without my body moving a single inch above the table surface.  Tears brimmed his eyes, but he didn’t say another thing.

             
Play nice, Kissa.

             
“
Then why did you bring me here?” I screamed.  He tried to take my hand under the table and I pulled free and scooted away.

             
He didn’t say anything at first and I never saw him stand.  I saw the button of his button fly jeans flash in front of me.  I followed the line of buttons up the all in black look he always held giving off the easy appearance of the man he was, or creature.  He just screamed bad and scary, but I knew the truth.  I arrived at the eyes reminding myself that those same eyes didn’t seem to look like
that
at anyone or anywhere else.

             
Nor do they desire too.

             
Gods, I need to block.

             
“Will you dance with me?” he asked all huskily.

             
No way, Cas.  I’m not like...
I looked around indicating what moved around us...
those girls.  If that’s what you want, then have at it.  But I’m leaving.

             
I want you.  

             
Then why are we here?

             
Humor me.
              “NO!” I screamed out loud at him.

             
His glance to our table partners sent some kind of message I couldn’t read and he gently pulled me to the side of the table out of their earshot and peripheral.

             
His mouth came to my ear where he very cleverly blew hot air and pressed a sweet kiss on my neck that he knew would throw my balance off. 

             
“I want you,” he breathed in a whisper yell.

             
“Here?  And this is not like...you.”

             
Humor me.
              “Why?”

             
He was getting impatient but I didn’t care.  He was being weird.

             
“Anastacia.  I want to be closer to you and this is the only way I can get it right now.”

             
Ohhhhhh...why can’t we do this somewhere else...more private.

             
“Trust me, no one will even notice us.”

             
I didn’t know what that meant, but if he needs this, why not.  He slinked through the bodies far from the guys at the table and far from my slutty brother.

             
Someone tapped Cas and he kept a death grip on my arm.  He leaned into the Vampire “person” who spoke to him very businesslike.  I waited and watched.

             
My name was spoken in the vicinity making my head spin in the direction I thought it came from, but all I saw where two Elf half-breeds, a mangy unkempt Vamp who needed a bath, and some other creature I couldn’t name.  They all kind of looked mixed in some ways like all the mammas and daddies were from different factions and therefore making them undistinguishable on what race they favored most.

             
I zeroed in but looked away to show disinterest in hope that they would continue without me. 

             
“Mr. B found the silver sword right where they said.  Said the Godslayer would take care of the annoying witch who plagues all of us.  If this damn Valkyrie princess thinks she can just move in and take over all the factions,” the nameless creature pounded his fists together, “then she has another thing coming to her.  They will call her Anastacia the dead witch who had her voodoo sent to hell and will pay for her heresy.”

             
Harsh realities were nothing new to me, but being called a voodoo witch who wanted to go all Hitler on the supernatural factions was far from what I expected of Borgon.  Did he believe that?  Is he just spreading a rumor or did he really fear me that much?

             
Movement behind me made my uneasy.  Hands kept touching places I didn’t want to be touched at. 
              “Hello,” something warm and sticky breathed in my ear.  I rubbed my ear against my sleeve to make a point hoping said “sticky words” would move on.

             
“Ditch the bore and dance with me!”

             
Cas was busy.  I peeked under my hair to see him, even readied my knife hidden in the fold of my skirt under the fake belt on the front. 

             
The guy in question had a distance in his eyes and I was sure he was on something.  He then made a very crude, inappropriate comment that I won’t repeat.

             
Smack! 

             
I felt the wind swoosh by my face as Cas went in for round two, his eyes lit up with the familiar rage I knew he harnessed for those who truly made him show his true colors.

             
“If you touch her one more time Pinion I will cut you into pieces.”

             
Pinion was on the floor licking his wounds, or said lip.  “Sorry my lord.  I didn’t see that she was yours.  She is not marked.”

             
That caught my attention.  If it meant what I thought than, Eww!

             
“Leave here and never come back to my club.”

             
My club? 
Ricky
has some ‘splaining to do.

             
The Vamp talking to Cas before was gone and now I was wound like a spinner back into Cas arms.  The many Vampires that stood around us now, were watching and likely holding their breath.  The one on the floor was being hauled off and removed.  Excitement died after that and the regular scheduled entertainment resumed.  It really seemed like it might be a reoccurring thing and I probably didn’t want to dwell on that too long.

             
“Did he touch you?” Cas’ face blinked into Vampire mode for the briefest of seconds. 

             
“No.  You saved me.”  I smiled and left out what else I’d heard.  Cas wanted to have a good time tonight and I didn’t want to ruin it more.

             
Among the throngs of movement, Cas laced both hands on my hips, low.  I plucked both my own hands off my sides and wrapped them around his neck clasping my hands to hold me up in case he started something I couldn’t keep up with.  Our faces were close.  Our bodies closer.

             
The music changed to a slower tempo, but not slow music dancing.  It was more like the kind of music you imagine druggies spacing out too.  Cas started swaying to the music and in a sense holding me up with his hands.  Wait!  I was up.  He had me up two inches in the air, pressed against him, and moving in a way that I’d seen Baby and Patrick Swayze made famous.  Oh no!

             
He moved a little faster.  This was...

             
I was getting warm.  Too warm.  Before I knew it, my body was swinging in the beat and enjoying every single sexy look that Cas kept throwing me. 

             
Okay.  So this was...reassuringly distracting.  He was a better dancer than Szar from what I’d seen earlier and could feel now.  I wondered then if this is where Szar was always going.  In fact, I could see the appeal of coming here and dancing off the stress of life itself like this but not with just anyone.  Not anyone but Cas.

             
And that’s why I wanted to do this.  I only want to do this with you.

             
But you’ve done this before.

             
He danced a while longer.

             
And that bothers you?
  He twirled my upper body around in the air-like and then brought me back to him. 

             
Well, yes.  I don’t like the idea that you ever did this with another girl.

             
I feel the same.  I never knew their names or anything else.

             
I glared.  That doesn’t make me feel better.  Really.               

As long as it will always be with me from now on.

             
He stopped mid step and looked me straight in the eyes
.  I am completely in love with you, Anastacia.  If you go near another man, I will kill him.

             
Well.  Same to you Mr. Cassius Cross.