The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (22 page)

“Well
,
no offence Keira but he was the last person I did it for.” Ok I was walking on thin ice now
,
as I half expected the trucker to get up and throttle him because he swivelled in his stool and stared at us both with purple tinted fury. I frowned at him giving him my sternest stare trying to will him to back down. Jack was turning to see who I was glaring at and I waited for disaster. My harsh eyes were replaced by ones of dread and pleading. But just in time
,
Jack was faced with more of a creepy smil
e
and it came across as more of a gay admire
,
than the hate it had been. Jack sort of smiled back but quickly turned away, being clearly freaked out.

“What was all that about?” He whispered behind his hand.

“Beats me
!
” I said trying not to laugh at the memory of this big fat trucker smiling like a little girl dressed in her best, smiling at a boy she fancies! Well if Draven wanted to play games then h
e definitely won with this move.

We continued to chat for a while longer until I noticed the time was getting on and I needed to get ready for work. Jack walked me out to my car
after receiving an even creepier wink from his new trucker friend.  Thankfully we started laughing about it once we got outside. As
I said goodbye he leaned into kiss me on the cheek
,
when an almighty crash came from th
e dumpsters being turned upside
down made us both jump
.

“Wow
what the Hell was that?
” He was asking the right person as I had seen the whole thing but I couldn’t tell him that it had been my colossal bodyguard having a paddy at the sight of me be kissed goodbye! Jack couldn’t see him and I was thankful. Ragnar looked enraged and his skin looked aflame as he showed it. I got in my car before Jack could finish his gesture. I pulled away not caring how Ragnar got back. I felt like a prisoner having my every move watched. This wasn’t protection
,
this was a dictatorship. Was I even in any danger or was this ju
st an excuse for Draven to catch
me do
ing
things he didn’t like.

By the time I got home I was still gripping onto the wheel like it was the enemy. We were going to have words tonight
,
that was for sure. I wondered would it always be like this. A constant up and down of agreeing and disagreeing. He was just going to have to get used to not getting his own way all of the time. I pulled up outside the house and Ragnar was there already waiting for me. I sighed before cutting the
engine and begrudgingly got
out to deal with him and his face of thunder.

“Ragnar” I said nodding to him as I approached. He crossed his stone pillar arms across his vast chest.

“You should learn
your place and know it’s
not to anger your Master
.
” He said in his usual hoarse deep voice that had a strong accent. I got closer to him and crossed my own arms but I doubted it had the same impact as he had. Never the less
,
I jutted out my chin and raised my head.

“He is NOT my Master, he is yours! I don’t answe
r to anyone, do you understand?
” I said this in my sternest voice and I was amazed that it didn’t shake in the face of this monster Viking.

“Huh
!
” He j
ust lifted up his shoulders as if
he didn’t believe me and this angered me more but he just smiled to himself like he knew the trouble I would be in later and moved to let me pass. I couldn’t help it and knew it was childish but as I walked past him
,
I said “Jerk” under my breath. But this had him laughing heartily as he walked away to do his rounds of the house. I could still hear him once I was inside. However Libby and Frank couldn’t.

I trie
d to hide my frustration from them as I walked in the living room. Justin had gone but Frank and Libby were still talking about him.

“Oh hey Kazzy, did you know Justin was here
?
” Libby asked but before I could answer
,
Frank spoke for me.

“Oh yeah she was here to hear the boyish charms of my brother. I think he has a soft spot for you Kaz because he wouldn’t
shut up about you after you left
and wanted to know all about Dominic. He also wanted me to ask you if you would take him to the club next weekend
,
as he’s coming back to stay for a few days?” Oh no
,
this was bad! I was a
bout to protest but my helpful
sister came to my aid.

“Yeah
,
sure she will
.
” Ok
,
maybe not!

“Won’t you
?
” She said giving me the eye as if to say, you bloody well will! So I caved and nodded knowing this was definitely going to come back and bite me in the arse and not in one of those nice
,
sexy ways!

I could just imagine Draven’s opinion on this and the idea of having to tell him was making
me forget Jack.
Hell
,
he was a piece of cake to explain compared to Justin! If Draven thought me seeing Jack was bad, then this was going
to be a disaster, titanic style.
Jack was just minor league flirting but Justin
,
he was a big player and was definitely up there with the pro’s. The problem I faced was not controlling Justin, Oh no
,

It was controlling Draven…

My Demon rage
fuelled boyfriend.

Chapter 10

Never a
Good T
ime

I was ready for work in record time and it was probably down to autopilot. I was still frustrated with Draven’s possessive behaviour, first with
having Ragnar follow
ing
me around
for
so called safety
and then with Draven eaves
dropping
at the din
er
. But despite all this
,
my main frustration was the opposite of all these things. It was really down to how much I missed him when I wasn’t around him.

He was definitely like a drug and when I was without it, I was cranky. I would rather be around him disagreeing and arguing than not at all. I was still stewing over all these little factors when I was in my car driving towards club
Afterlife. It was strange, as though
the closer I got to him the happier my body felt. I even turned on the radio and sang along to some cheesy music. I was h
alf
way through Tina Turner’s ‘
S
imply the Best’
when I arrived.

It was already starting to go dark when I got inside the club and as soon as I walked through the huge oak doors my body filled with a warm positive energy. It was like a wave of joy and it took all my effort not to go running up the stairs
in
to Draven’s arms and say to hell with work! I wonder
ed if he felt the same about me...
could he sense that I was here? 

The Club wasn’t busy yet but I knew that as soon as the band set up
,
then the club would flood with Goth’s, Emo’s and Rockers. We even had a few Cyber Goth’s as I call
ed
them. Now
they
were extreme! With huge material hair and the biggest boots I had ever seen. Some wore coloured gas masks over their mouths and I had no idea why. But at the moment
,
the bar area only h
eld a few early gothic birds with
Mike and Helen working behind it. I hadn’t seen them for what seemed like ages but it had only been a week.

“Hey guys
!
” I said hoping for the same happy response.

“Well look whose back, word had it you quit
.
” Mike said in a friendly tone and my heart calmed after that. Helen waved before reloading the glass washer. 

“Yeah
,
I kind of did but no one else would have me, so here I am
.
” I said half joking and Mike smiled. This was a clear indication that none of them knew about my new relationship with
their
boss
,
along with mine.

“Well
,
it’s good to have you back
.
” Mike said but just then Cassie came from behind the back room carr
ying some empty glasses and said,

     
“Speak for yourself
!
”

Cassie had never liked me and the feeling was most definitely mutual! She was a little slut and she didn’t try to hide the fact. She hated me for two reasons, the first was that Mike took notice of me and the second was because I had been chosen to work in the VIP area. This had sealed the deal as she would have sold her soul to get up there. I smiled at her to show I was a bigger perso
n than the Gothic Barbie look a
like that was
now
scowling at me. Mike rolled his eyes as he wasn’t her biggest fan, although you wouldn’t have thought so to see Cassie throwing herself all over him
, like a wasp
over a squashed grape.

The evening started to ge
t busy when a band called ‘The Shin Splints’
started to play but they were a little heavy for my taste. I was behind the bar serving the swarm of students when the worst thing possible happened. Ok
,
slight over statement
,
but to a girl at work it was never a good time to get your period. I had to grab Helen and ask her for any girly supplies as I had forgotten to load up my bag. Luck
y
for me she always had some, so she informed me.

I ran to the toilet to ass
ess the damage and yep you guessed it, I had leaked! After some clean up and lots of toilet roll
,
I was ready to go again until the worse bit about periods hit me….the pain! I usually didn’t get bad periods but every once in a blue moon I would get a real doozy that would make me feel like I was giving birth to a baby elephant….and tonight was the night for it! I could normally cope if I had pain killers to take but I had none. Again I had to ask Helen but on this, she was no help. So I soldiered on only every now and again I had to stop for cramps.

“Keira are you alright?” Mike asked as I was taking a minute by the sinks.

“Yeah, just cramp” I said like I had spent the day running. Ha
,
me running, I hated to run!

“
Kaz, I have five sisters and I know enough about girls to understand the signs! You
get
yourself off early...
it’s quietening down now and Jerry is fine with it
.
” I wanted to laugh at this last part, of course Jerry would be fine with it, considering my connection to Draven
,
I think he would have given me his first born if I asked for it! I nodded while already getting my bag and jacket from the hook in the back room. This was Jerry’s office and also where we kept some of the spare bottles of spirits. Jerry was at his desk cashing up one of the tills.

“You off now?” He asked looking up. He was smiling until he saw my face then it dropped. I knew then that I was deathly pale.

“Um
m...I hate to say this but you don’t look good
kid
.
” He frowned and looked like he was going to pick up the phone but I knew who he’d call and I didn’t want the fuss.

“I’m fine, just a bit of a head ache but nothing an early night won’t cure
.
” I said making him think twice about the phone call idea.

“Yeah
,
that band was a bit far out tonight
.
” Jerry like
d
rock music but he was more of an old fashioned lover of it than some of the new stuff and when tonight’s band had mixed techno with screaming, it had all gotten to
o
much for him….and me!