Destiny (8 page)

The young women had a Goth thing going on with their ink black, stick-straight hair, double hoop lip piercings, bright red lipstick, white face powder, and heavy eyeliner around sky blue eyes. The Goth girl farthest from us fingered her black lace choker and gave me a flirty head tilt and smile while the other one narrowed her eyes and flared her nostrils, mouth set in a grim red line, giving off one hell of a hostile vibe. Jealous? I barely resisted a bemused eye roll.

Their male friend gave us an appreciative once-over while running a beefy hand over the pointy tips of his black and red Mohawk. When done with his inspection, he gave us a cheeky grin and puffed out his muscled chest, stretching the skull and cross bones on his black T-shirt.

Oh boy. I choked back a laugh and focused on the man seated directly next to me.

He kept his gaze fixed on the window, his sake cup hovering near his too-red lips. In a classy black mandarin collar tuxedo shirt and custom fit black slacks he seemed out of place with his three young punk-meets-goth companions. After setting down his cup, he drew in a breath. A pulse of power hit me on his exhale.

Vampire.

How had I failed to notice this vampire sooner? He must have blocked me. Add to that my preoccupation with Dixon and pretending happiness for my friends and the result—oblivion.

Hell.
Now I had to manage an unknown vampire. Friend or foe?

The waiter returned with a pale pink sake bottle. Gen accepted it from him then jerked her head at the vampire, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Hot vamp,” she mouthed at me. “Flirt with him.”

Of course, she’d see this as an opportunity to get back at Alexander. “No,” I mouthed back.

Claire, sporting a sly smirk, jerked her head at the vamp. “Yes.”

I fought not to blush. My friends were
not
subtle. At all.

I cleared my throat. “Hi. Sorry for the flying technology. Would you hand it to me?” I noted their green sake bottle, quarter-full. “Your next bottle is on us.”

The vampire faced me. In profile, he seemed cute enough but full on…
Whoa. A pretty boy.

Dark eyes, liquid brown like blackstrap molasses, gazed at me from beneath unbelievably thick lashes. His smallish nose twitched as if he scented me. Twin dimples appeared below his high cheekbones as he smiled, red lips glistening—with lip gloss? I caught a flash of straight white teeth before his too perfect, almost feminine bow mouth hid them from view.

Such a delicate looking man, but, as with all vampires, looks deceived and power came in packages of varying size. This package looked like a twenty-something pretty boy with a pale face, graceful hands, and stylish shoulder-length hair as coffee brown as mine, but my gut said he was several centuries old. And with age, came power.

As if hearing my thoughts, a burst of light flared in his eyes, and energy pushed against my forehead as he attempted to capture me with his gaze.

Good thing I was glamour-proof.

I lifted my chin and met his stare dead on. “You did
not
just try that,” I whispered at a level inaudible to our human companions.

I rose, invading the hell out of his personal space to collect my phone from his table, hovering over him in a blatant display of dominance and challenge. If he played for the good guys, he’d know my identity and back off. If he didn’t, Stella and Lily were one shout away, and my fire power even closer.

He narrowed his eyes, his too-pretty mouth curving in a frown. He shot another pulse of energy my way. It nipped at my arms like electrified ants, reminding me of the sting of Stella’s power. Testing my boundaries?

Okay, pretty boy, let’s dance.

My eyes watered and slid to black in their usual chilling, waterfall glide as I opened myself to my special ability. Energy surged through my arms and pooled in my palms.
Time for a barbecue preview.

I trailed a finger along his jaw, leaving behind invisible heat. His companions gaped while my pals grinned at my perceived flirting.

An invisible hand pushed at my chest, probing, searching for a way in. I glared at him in disbelief.
Really, dude?
This felt like one of Jonas’s lessons. Push me and see how much I can push back.

Well, I didn’t need to touch the cheeky bastard to do damage. Like all vampires, I possessed innate power that came with the vampire territory. It just wouldn’t turn him into a crispy critter like my unique fire ability but it served me well.

I raked invisible claws over his intrusive energy and it withdrew fast.

The vampire rubbed his hands. “Nice. I do so enjoy a bit of pain with my foreplay,” he mused in a velvety voice complete with cultured, British accent.

Fantastic. Another Brit.
Dixon’s ugly mug appeared in my mind, but I ripped the image to shreds and focused on Mister Flirty.

“If you liked that, you’re going to love my big guns.” I spoke
sotto voce
, for his keen vampire hearing only.

His attention strayed to my breasts, partially on display in the plunging neckline of my clingy dress. I fought not to blush at his deliberate misinterpretation of my meaning.

He licked his lower lip. “Oh, yes.” Another jolt of his energy skittered over my skin.

Seriously?
I sank to my seat, facing him. “Back off, pretty boy.”

If he expected me to retreat, he’d be waiting an eternity. I’d learned a few important lessons during my rapid and harsh introduction to the Otherworld—never show weakness, and never back down from a bully.

The vampire grinned, flashing his actor-worthy white teeth. “My apologies.” He extended a hand. “I’m Fineas. My friends call me Fin.”

I ignored his outstretched hand. “Fineas.” I dialed down my power and let my eyes return to normal, blinking away the watery sensation.

Fineas withdrew his hand. “Please, call me Fin. Would you care to join us for a bite? You seem quite hungry, Princess.”

Ah, the P word. I slipped my cell into my handbag. “So you do know who I am.”

His eyes widened in faux innocence. “Do I?”

“Cut the crap, Fin,” Gen bellowed from her side of the table, making me jerk in surprise.

She handed me my sake cup, filled to the brim, again, then stood and poured a round for the other table and Claire.

“Cheers.” She forced us all to clink our tiny cups and drink.

Fin, she called him Fin. “You know him?”

She sat and leaned over the table, elbows bumping the platter of spicy tuna roll. “Sure, who doesn’t?”

Claire rescued the tuna plate. “Everyone knows Fin.” She plopped a piece of the tuna roll in her mouth.

My brow furrowed. “Uh, I don’t.” My hand tightened around my sake cup. Given their naughty expressions when they’d pushed me to flirt with him, I should’ve guessed they knew him. I wanted to be mad they neglected to mention it, but given their inebriated status, plus the fact they were clearly trying to distract me from my Alexander angst, I’d forgive them. Hard to stay mad at friends who have your best interest at heart. “You guys hang with him?”

Not surprising Claire knew this vampire. As a DJ, she met a lot of people, alive and undead. But Gen? Hard to imagine my sparkly, shiny friend making time with Fin and his black-clad sidekicks. She was totally dance floor, life-of-the-party, while Fin and his crew seemed more the smoky Goth club type.

Claire shook her head, and Gen waved away my question. “Nah, but he hangs at Haven a fair bit. I’m surprised you never noticed.”

I knew exactly why I hadn’t noticed. For years, barricades embedded in my brain by my well-meaning family had made it impossible
to notice any preternatural creatures. Besides, he wasn’t my usual type. Give me rough and rugged bad boys. A manly, edgy musician like Alexander, lean yet well-muscled, slightly scruffy but otherwise clean and well-groomed, broad, toned chest, trim waist, narrow hips, long, strong legs with that large prize nestled between…

Want him.
My insides clenched with need.

Cool, slender fingers as pale as mine curled around my forearm, the touch a feather-light caress making goose bumps rise on my skin, bringing to mind another pair of hands, Alexander’s, gliding over my skin, slipping inside. I shivered in response. In need.

Fin leaned close, nostrils flaring. “It would be my pleasure to assist you with all your hungers, Princess.”

His accented voice, so unlike Alexander’s sultry timbre, snapped me out of my lusty haze. I gave my head a little shake, dispelling the image of Alexander running his hands over my—

Down girl. Wrong place, wrong guy. Stupid body. Wrong vampire.

I shook off Fin’s hand. “No thanks.”

Mohawk guy leaned closer, eyes bright and too eager for my liking. “Fin says you’re hungry.” He stroked his neck. “You could try me.”

“Maybe she prefers girls,” the flirty Goth girl added when I didn’t respond quickly enough. She pushed up one of her sleeves and exposed her wrist. “I’m Ember. I swing both ways. Want to play?”

The hostile Goth girl smacked Ember’s arm then bared her very normal, human teeth and hissed.

I laughed. “Oh, please, poser. Trust me, you don’t want to go there.”

Gen erupted in laughter too. “What she said, little Gothie. We eat babes like you for a midnight snack.”

Claire just shook her head, pink ponytails swishing, and polished off the last of our spicy tuna roll.

Fin, however, wasn’t amused. “Scarlet.” Cold steel edged his voice. “Wait for us outside.”

Scarlet shrank away from him. “I’m sorry, Fin.”

“Go now.”

At his words, Scarlet’s face drained of personality, eyes glazed and unfocused. She rose and ambled out of the restaurant, like a sleepwalker. Or a zombie.

As the door closed behind her, he shot me his charming smile. “My apologies, Princess. My food forgot her place.”

“Your food?”

He shrugged. “Food, groupie, pet, chattel…”

I glanced at his other two humans. Their eager expressions and the way they stroked their necks made me squirm.

He followed my stare. “My other two would be happy to feed you, if you require…sustenance.”

I gave his humans a polite smile. “No, thanks.”

His lips curled in a seductive smile. “Perhaps I could interest you in something else?”

A small pulse of power stroked my cheek and grazed my lips. I blinked and suddenly, Fin sat right next to me, his leg touching mine. I hadn’t even seen a blur of movement. My gaze locked on his red lips. They beckoned me, waiting to be sampled. The restaurant and its noise, the people, my friends, all disappeared, blanketed by a cottony white fog until only Fin’s face remained with those tempting lips I wanted to taste.

His musical, velvet voice showered seduction over my skin. “You may taste anything you wish, Princess.”

Mind reader. I leaned closer, breathing in the strawberry scent of his breath. An alarm sounded in my head, my inner vampire howling her displeasure.
Wrong vampire. Resist. It’s a trick.

Some older vamps possessed additional, special powers, as unique as a fingerprint. Clearly Fin fell into that lucky category, and his focused on attraction, like a preternatural roofie of sensual pheromones.

“That’s quite enough, Fineas.” Lily’s voice tolled like a bell, shattering Fin’s magic.

The room crashed back into focus, sight and sound making me jerk and lean away from the misbehaving vampire.

Lily stood behind Fin, all five foot nothing of her vibrating with so much power the air around us wavered like the surface of a pond.

He scooted his chair back to his table and stretched out his legs, draping an arm over Mohawk Man’s shoulders. A mischievous smile curved Fin’s lips. “My dearest Lily, whatever are you on about?”

She gazed at him over the top of her tortoise shell, cat-eye glasses, her dark eyes glittering with knowledge and power. She reached into the pocket of her black pencil skirt then put her hand in the middle of our table, chanting softly in Japanese. The air crackled for a few seconds, making the hairs on my arms stand at attention. Lily pulled back, leaving behind a smooth and shiny black stone, roughly the size of a meaty, black olive.

“Protection,” she explained though the info didn’t enlighten me one bit. Then she cast a stern look at Fin. “Behave.”

“Lily, my love, I’m always on my best behavior for you,” the naughty vampire crooned.

She huffed. “We close soon.” Her face softened as she turned her gaze on me. “You stay for karaoke.”

Warmth filled my chest at her words. My friends and I had frequented her restaurant since our college days, and we’d quickly become like family to Lily and Sam. After-hours karaoke with the staff was one of my favorite pastimes. She left us without inviting Fin. Bad, bad vampire Fin.

My heart hammered my chest as I worked hard to control my temper. I was sick of old vamps messing with me, but my respect for Lily and my reluctance to make a public scene trumped my desire to grab my chair and smash it over Fin’s head. Besides, I could always do it later, somewhere far from prying human eyes.

I tossed back a cup of sake in one swallow and settled for spearing him with a disapproving stare. “She doesn’t like you.”

Fin tapped his empty cup on his table. “I’m like the son she never had.”

Gen snorted. “Fin, you’re such a troublemaker.” She scooped up the rock Lily left on the table only to drop it in a hurry. “Hey, that shocked me.”

Claire poked it with a chopstick. “Magic protection rock. Freaky and cool.”

“Black onyx,” Fin explained. “To deflect and absorb negative energy. Our Lily cast a spell using it as a shield.”

I mimicked him, tapping my glass on my table. “She’s protecting me from you.”

He chuckled. “I’m perfectly harmless, Princess.”

“Harmless like rabid bat, I bet,” I countered, voice heavy with sarcasm.

He set aside his cup. “Fine, you caught me. You’re now safe from my advances as long as you remain in Lily’s circle. The next time I attempt a seduction, my princess, I’ll ask permission first.”