We Own the Night (The Night Songs Collection Book 3) (23 page)

“Hi.” I could barely speak. This was going to worse than seeing the actual sex tape.

“Have you ever done this before, Callie?” What a loaded question.

I assumed he meant go in front of the camera. I shook my head.

“Okay, I’ll call action, and then let Tristan take the lead.” What a horrible idea that was. “And just react to what happens. I’ll call cut at the end of the scene, and we might want you to go back and do things again. We’ll make this as painless as possible, I promise.”

Impossible. I smiled at him anyway. I just wanted this to be done.

We were led in to the couch, like it wasn’t our couch, and placed on it, with me closer to the TV. They decided I should sit almost in Tristan’s lap, like we were just having a quiet night watching TV. You know, like everyone did, surrounded by a film crew.

After Michael called action, Tristan switched on the TV. He whispered an absolutely filthy joke in my ear and I burst out laughing. I melted against him a bit as he pulled me in tighter. I looked back at him, smiling down at me, and for a second I thought this wouldn’t be so bad.

Behind me, I heard a girl voice’s giggling and moaning. I narrowed my eyebrows, still looking at Tristan, whose eyes darkened as he looked over my head, towards the TV. His smile faded completely as the girl started crying out.

At first, I’d hoped maybe one of the crew members slipped and laughed when they weren’t supposed to. But these were professionals, I’d seen the payroll numbers, and they were paid well enough to keep their mouths shut when the cameras rolled. Slowly, I turned towards the TV, knowing full well that this was one of the sex tapes I did not star in.

I watched the redhead writhe against Tristan for a few moments before I realized I knew her. She threw her head back as Tristan buried his head between her massive breasts, then turned to the camera and smiled like she knew she was being filmed.

“That’s Amanda,” I gasped. My roommate Janelle’s former BFF. They probably still would be attached at the hip if Janelle was alive.

“Is it?” Tristan asked, with the same level of interest as if I’d just declared it was Thursday. I looked back at him, indignant, but he didn’t see me. He was too busy staring at the screen.

Before I could register what I was doing, I slapped him across the face. That got his attention. He looked down at me, not quite sure what to say. I pushed away from his body so hard the couch rocked back and forth on its legs. I could barely see, I was so furious.

Why, of all the Vultures willing to spread their legs for these guys, did they have to pick this tape? I can’t even imagine the satisfaction she must have felt, fucking my boyfriend after spending so much time insisting that I wasn’t his type.

At least Tristan knew my name.

“You’re so beautiful.” It was Tristan’s voice but he hadn’t said a word. It came from the TV. He had the audacity to call Amanda by my pet name.

I jumped up from the couch, as if Tristan’s body repelled me, then kicked the couch, sending it over onto its back with Tristan still on it. “How dare you?” I growled through clenched teeth, doing anything not to bare my fangs.

“You knew about this.” Tristan’s head popped up from the wreckage of the couch, looking ridiculous. “I told you. Fear. Desperation. That chick was desperate,” he said, pointing at the screen. “That’s what you can’t give me.”

My skin vibrated with anger. I wanted to storm off this stupid set, but I knew they’d just call me back and make me relive this nightmare. And where was I going to go? I lived here. No place to run, no place to hide.

“Among other things.” Amanda’s voice was no longer on TV. That slut was standing right in front of me. This had to be a joke. The most unfunny joke I’d ever heard.

“What the hell is going on?” I turned to Michael, ignoring Amanda. “Why is this whore in my house?”

“Your house.” Amanda snorted. “It’s Tristan’s house.”

“Cut.” Michael sounded annoyed. “Callie, you can’t talk to the crew while we’re shooting.”

“You really think you’re going to tell me what to do right now when you spring this slut on me?” My hands were on my hips. I wanted to rip Michael’s throat out.

“I’m the director.” He sighed. “That’s what I do. Rolling?”

“No,” I interrupted. “Not rolling. Cut. Whatever the hell you people say that means stop.” I turned to Amanda and stomped my foot, like I planned to attack her. “Get the hell out of here!”

She fluffed her hair and tapped her foot in a nervous rhythm. She and her friends thought I was responsible for what happened to Janelle, so she had to have been a little nervous. There was no reason for her to know anything about Blade. “I’m being paid to be here. I’m sorry, Callie, if you can’t keep your boyfriend satisfied. Thank God Blade released those videos, now we all know we have a chance with Tristan again. All this lovey dovey stuff was getting so boring. We don’t go to the shows because the music is good. Sorry, Tristan, but it’s the truth.”

Blade’s plan had worked in spades. Who knew he was such a businessman? I walked over to Amanda, and pulled her head down by her hair so she was at my eye level. I hissed at her, knowing my eyes were as red as her hair and not giving a damn. Whimpering, she tried to pull away from me, but my hold was too strong. “Get away from me, you freak.”

“If you don’t get the hell out of here, I will rip you into tiny pieces and feed you to Blade myself, do you understand?”

Amanda’s whole body shook violently. I almost couldn’t register her nod. God, I hoped she didn’t pee herself. If she peed on my foot, it would send me right over the edge. If there was one person’s mind I had no interest digging around in, it would be Amanda. I would love nothing more than to suck the desperation and bitchiness right out of her, but I’d scare the hell out of everyone in this room when I let her body fall in a heap at my feet. How many of them knew what it really meant to be a vampire? I let go of her, sending her tumbling into one of the light stands. She scrambled backwards, taking a few seconds to collect herself before climbing back to her feet and running out of the room.

“And cut!” Michael bellowed.

“You were filming? You can’t be serious. I said cut.”

“You can’t say cut.” Michael shook his head like I was the biggest idiot he’d ever met. Sorry, buddy, I forgot to go to film school. “Only the director says cut.”

Frozen in the middle of the room, I wasn’t sure what to do next. I looked around, but no one would make eye contact with me. I felt Tristan looking at me, but I avoided acknowledging him as long as I could. When it would have been childish to ignore him any longer, I looked at him, shaking my head and rolling my eyes.

“I hate you,” I spat at him before storming past the crew members picking up the light stand Amanda had just knocked down.

Once I was in the guest bedroom, I leaned against the door, letting my heart settle and the blood drain from my face. When I felt a bit calmer, I dove into the comforter, rolling myself into a ball. I’m sure I’d screwed up my pretty hair and makeup, and probably rubbed off my boob job. Too bad. The show was over.

Someone knocked at the door and I ignored them. There wasn’t one person in this city I wanted to see right now, with the exception of maybe Lennon, and she wasn’t here. They didn’t go away, knocking again, and I still didn’t move.

“Callie, can I talk to you?” It was Denise. She wanted to talk now? A little late for that.

“Whatever,” I said loud enough for her to hear. I hadn’t bothered locking the door. I’d known I wouldn’t be left alone for long.

Denise took the liberty of sitting at the edge of the bed. That was the problem with all of this. No one had any respect for personal space, personal anything. They all just considered Tristan, the band, and now me as walking dollar signs. We might not be alive any more, but we still had feelings. And more scruples than this production.

“It’s not as bad as it seemed.” Denise started talking even though I hadn’t so much as looked at her.

“How, Denise?” I finally met her eyes, and I knew mine were glowing red. I was scaring the shit out of her. She deserved it. “You might as well have put a giant ‘for rent’ sign on my boyfriend, or whatever the hell he is, that seems like such a stupid word for our relationship, and now anyone who watches the show knows he isn’t faithful to me. Do you know how that feels? What if the whole world knew your husband was fucking someone you hated?”

She looked away from me quickly. I’d hit a sore spot. Good.

“It will be edited to look like—“

I cut her off. “That’s never going to see the light of day. So the editors have nothing to worry about.” I smiled as her mouth dropped. “What was the plan, Denise? Were you going to have Tristan fuck that slut right in front of me?” I sat up and crawled closer to her. “Because you know what happened to the last girl who tried to pull that stunt?”

Denise shook her head. I sat forward, just inches from her now.

“I killed her.” I smiled, my mouth was so close to her face I brushed her cheek as my lips turned upward. Fangs out. “I drained every last drop of blood out of her while Tristan fucked her. Not exactly what the sponsors had in mind, I suppose?”

She gasped, and I sat back on my heels. I’d made my point.

“You’re fired, Denise,” I said quietly. “Get your shit, and get the fuck out of here. If you repeat anything I just told you, I’ll make sure you never get another job again. And let your friends know I will find out if they were involved in this little stunt and they’ll be fired, too. They’ll probably want to start looking for a new job when they get home.”

She stood up and nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

I smiled, baring my fangs. “That’s right. Now go.”

The silence was beautiful. I stayed in the guest room, just staring out the window at the city below. It reminded of the first night I’d spent here, when I hoped somehow I could pick Blade out of the tiny army of ants below. It reminded me that someone else still needed to be fired tonight.

When I went back to the living room, everyone in the production was gone. I didn’t see Tristan right away. Maybe he left, too.

I found him rolled in a ball against the window, black hair and clothes against the black night, staring into space just like I’d been doing in the other room.

His eyes were so sad when he looked up at me. I envisioned a door closing in my mind. I wouldn’t let him in.

“I’m so sorry, beautiful.” His voice was barely loud enough for me to hear.

“I still hate you.” I glared down at him. “But I need you to drive me to Embrace.”

L
ennon was thankfully working that night. I made a beeline for the bar, hopped up and climbed over it because I needed to hug her so badly.

“Are you alright?” She stood super straight as I wrapped my arms around her.

“Bad night,” I said against her shoulder. “Can Melanie watch the bar for a minute? I’ll tell you about it in the office.”

“Sure. I’ll meet you in there in just a second.” She pulled down the draught tap to fill beer orders as I walked away.

Lennon startled me when she opened the office door. “What are you doing, doll?”

I couldn’t blame her for asking. Standing on the desk poking at the ceiling with a ruler couldn’t look normal.

“Do you know if there are cameras in here?” I continued prodding the ceiling.

“Have you lost your mind? Sit down.” Lennon tugged at my leg. “I doubt it. All the vampire big wigs like to do business in here. Why do you even care?”

All the vampire big wigs didn’t include me, and I needed to let that roll of my back. I had enough to be angry about. I came down off the desk, but made a lap around the room, checking the bookcase and the knick knacks for any signs of surveillance. So absorbed in my mission, I didn’t see Lennon get up and stand in front of me. Like it mattered if there were cameras. I didn’t even know what was going on in front of my face.

“Sit down,” she insisted as she led me over to the desk chair. “Now tell me, what happened tonight that’s made you a paranoid lunatic.”

I burst out laughing. “Yeah, I must look pretty crazy.”

“Just a little bit.” Lennon winked at me, and sat on the desk so close to me her legs touched mine, maybe to make sure I stayed put.

“So we filmed the scene for Immortal Forever tonight, the response to that stupid sex tape, and someone thought it would be a good idea to show one with Tristan screwing Amanda.”