The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (69 page)

I turned to see RJ showing her tonsils as her mouth hung to her chin. She wasn’t the only one sporting this look and finally I looked in the direction everyone else was fixated
on
,
only to find myself doing the same thing. The only face that didn’t match the rest of the room was Justin’s.

“Excuse me while
I just steal
my
girlfriend away
.
” Draven
’
s powerful voice cut through the whispering room like a judge delivering his sentence. I found I had forgotten how to breathe, along with every other girl in the club. Justin looked like a little boy in the sand box after being pushed down by the bigger kid, meanwhile Draven barely even acknowledge
d
his ex
istence, which just made Justin’
s hate burn with a
n even
brighter flame.

He didn’t wait for his answer but instead took me gently by the arm and led me to the bar, along with every eye in the building. I don’t know how but I knew Sophia was watching
all
this from above and giggling her little
demon
heart out! He only looked back once to stare at the band, which quickly started back up again as though being
secretly
commanded
to
. This seemed to
break the spell and once again the room began to dance to the new club beat.

Once we got to the bar, Draven only had to nod at Mike to get him to move into action. Jerry quickly ran to his side and was about to take over
,
when Draven spoke.

“Mike
,
isn’t it?” Mike, bless him, could only manage a head bob in return.
Jerry backed away
,
taking Draven
’
s look for code and
therefore
let
ting
Mike serve us.

“The lady would like a coke
and I will have a Corona.” H
e ordered the drinks with ease and perfect manners, not like I was used to seeing in the VIP. Don’t get me wrong, he was never rude but there was
always
a clear cut masterful
tone with everything he ordered
,
although
now he was acting like just another regular. Except he wasn’t fooling anyone…everyone in here knew who he was. You could see the gossip travelling
amongst the club
like a freight train.

Mike brought our drinks over
,
only
mine had lost a bit on the way due to
trembling hands, which made a little tune
on account of
ice tapping against the
glass.

“Thank you. Now be sure to get one for yourself
.
”

“Yes…Sir, Thank you…Mr Draven…Sir
.
” He stammered out before moving to the other end of the bar to breathe.

“Cheers
!
” He said tapping the side of my glass with the bottle neck. I had never seen him drink a bottle of beer before
,
so it looked a little foreign in his large hand
. He wore an amused look
,
by
which I
could tell
that he was enjoying my shock. He leaned into my ear and moved a stray piece of hair before whispering his thoughts, or more like mine.

“You didn’t think I would do it, did you?” His cheeky smile made my heart flutter and I smiled with him.

“No I didn’t but I’m glad you did
.
”

“Why, did you miss me on your date with the human
boy
?” He teased
and I bit my lip.

“Firstly,
you know it wasn’t a date and secondly…I always miss you
.
” At this he did something unthinkable in front all thes
e people and I didn’t know whether
I wanted to cry out with shame or bliss! He had grabbed the back of my head with one palm and turn
ed
it
a
side to kiss me. The whole room seem to gasp at the same time making it sound like a surge.

“Ah
,
that’s better. Now you
’d
better introduce me to your friends because the pink one is trying to refrain from running to the bar just to shake my hand
.
” He turned just in time to look down at RJ, who looked close to hyperventilating.

“And you must be RJ
?
” His smooth tone had
her instantly
hypnotised
into falling in deep and it took me back to the days when I had felt the same. It was like being pulled under the waters of a dark lagoon and knowing that you should try and swim to the
surface but just don’t want to…you just wanted to drown in him.

“Y…You know my…name!” She snorted out like she was meeting a celebrity.

“Keira has told me all about you and
,
being one of her
closest
friends
,
I’m sorry I haven’t met you sooner
.
” Oh jeez that did it, now she wanted his babies!
For once she was speechless. Which was a monumental day
in it
self. T
hat
,
along with a Draven coming down to spend time with the common folk.

“Oh that’s alright, Keira had said how busy you are
and we all appreciate all that you do for our little town
.
” I don’t know why but her eyes kept fluttering like something was in
them
. Anyway
,
this had quickly become a change of tune, it wasn’t long ago she was singing to Justin’s
little jealous beat. Now what? Had she had joined cheerleader for the Dravens of Afterlife.

“Can I get you a drink?”

“That’s very kind…thank you
.
” Ok
,
this was getting weird now, like pod people had come and switched RJ with a quiet, polite, carbon copy just to try an
d
impress Draven their leader. Draven was clearly waiting to find out what liquid form she wanted but she just stood there looking up like he was her new Gothic God.

“Bloody hell RJ, this is the part where you tell him what you want to drink!” I said with a little overload on the att
itude. I just couldn’t help it, she was acting like someone I had never even met, a band groupie I could take but sister Rachael Jane, soon to join the
church, becoming the first Goth
fairy
nun…Oh no!

Draven looked down at me like I was the one acting out of character but I ignored him as what I
had said seemed to have taken e
ffect.

“Alright snappy
McGee!!
W
hat
are
you drinking then?” Hail
Mary, she was back! I
smiled and shook my coke in answer
.

“Well
,
that’s not much fun
.
” She
noted and had undeniably relaxed enough to
drop the innocent act in front of Draven.

“No
,
but neither is getting wrapped around a tree…I’m driving
.
”

“She wouldn’t understand that, seeing as I’m the responsible one in the family
.
” Jack said as he came up behind her, seeing us on his way to the bathroom. He laid two hands on either side of her shoulders as he spoke and I was expecting there to be
animosity in his tone but he seemed his usual happy self even though he was now faced with Draven.

“Mr Draven
!
” He said adding a nod in his direction making me think tonight I had somehow entered the twilight zone. Ok
,
now it was official, Draven was extending his hand to him and saying
,

“Please call me Dom
,
”
meaning
I
was
in the Twilight zone, only the kind where everyone is happy
and getting along with one an
other. I was j
ust about close to singing the Sound of M
usic, Julie Andrews’s style when my bliss filled cup smashed
to
the floor with the sight of Justin stomping his way over. I think Draven and Jack both frowned at the same time. I mean could this night get any weirder?!

“So this is the famous
Dominic
Draven then
?
” Justin spat out
,
making the cool exterior
he was trying for
,
look like a puddle of misery. It was funny then
,
that Jack was the one to react first and slapped him on the back while saying,

“Sure is buddy and Dom, this here is Justin, he’s just such a swell guy!” He said sarcastically before giving a respectful nod to Draven and walking off into the crowd. Meanwhile Justin looked like he was about to turn red from rage and start
choking
on his tongue.

“Well
,
we didn’t think you were going to show up… did we Kazzy?” This wasn’t helping my mental health I will tell you, it was like wishing for an outer body experience just so that I could kick Justin in the shins to shut him up. What was even more surprising is that Draven seemed to be amused by the whole thing
,
not the eternal wrath I was expecting.

“Ah
,
well that’s surprising because
Keira
knows I always keep my word and I’m always watching over her
.
” A little hint of the usual protective Draven burst through and Justin knew he had hit a nerve.

“A little paranoid aren’t we…w
hat’s
the matter? Worried someone will
come and steal her away from you
?
”

“JUSTIN, that’s enough
!
” I said giving him a severe scowl. But Draven merely laughed.

“I’d love to see them try for a start but I think you missed the point. Being protective and being jealous are two very different things
.
”

“Oh yeah, how’s that then?” Justin baited.

“One is essential, the other is pointless. My protective side I
welcome
.
”

“And jeal
ously, do you welcome that too?
” It was like watching a tenn
is ball being flung back and to.
RJ
and I
were in the middle
,
still looking from one to the other like mutes.

“NO, I conquer it. Drink?” He turned abruptly to the bar and Ju
stin foolishly looked smug, as if
he had won this round but I knew differently. I was the only one who caught the purple glint of anger in his eyes, that’s why he had turned…to control the beast within, the beast that wanted to tear into Justin’s vital organs!

“I will have a shot of something
.
” Piped up RJ and I
was about to protest knowing how
she gets when she has one too many but Justin interrupted.

“I think I
will join you.
Draven
,
you game?”

“Always
!
” The way he answered made me shiver with a hidden fear. It was the way he said it, like it was a game of life and death he was sporting.
He was a chillingly lethal mix of perfect
calm and
Mt. Vesuvius and like Italy, nobod
y wants to be around when either
erupts!

“So
,
what we having big guy
?
” Justin asked with a distinctive lack of re
spect in the way he called him ‘Big guy’
, like it was meant as an insult.

“What about tequila?” I piped up trying to lighten the situation. It didn’t work but it at least made Draven smile at me like I was sweet.

“I was thinking something a bit more…exotic
.
” The smile he wore for me soon turned into one of cunning.

“Ooo
,
that sounds exciting
.
” RJ clapped her hands together making the chunky
me
tal rings clash.

“What do you have in mind?” She continued. Justin just rolle
d his eyes like he was bored of
RJ drooling over Draven. Rather that or he was jealous that he was no longer RJ’s flavour of the month.