Crimson Desire (3 page)

I murmured, “Welcome to the good ol’ neighborhood.”

“What do you like? I like cats and dragons and tattoos.” She showed me a small lavender butterfly tattoo with silver speckles on her wrist and a light emerald green, tiny dragon on the other. “Aren’t they cute?”

“Yeah,” I replied. I loved tattoos. I thought they were really cool, but I didn’t know if I could get one since I was a vampire now. Would my skin reject the ink? I’d have to ask Darius.

“I noticed you drink a lot of coffee. Do you have anxiety issues?” she inquired all-too quietly.

“Yeah.”

“I do too. Um, do you have any pets?”

“I have a goldfish.” Technically, a dead goldfish but what the hell.

“That’s cute. I have a few cats and dogs.”

“Aw, that’s great. I love horses, but I don’t have the money or a place to keep them right now.”

“I’m sure you will someday soon,” she assured me happily with a flip of her hair.

There it came again, the light-headedness. A ringing started in my ears and everything became so much louder, so much brighter, and I cried out in pain.

“Are you all right?” Anna asked worriedly.

“I’m okay.” The pain suddenly died down and I felt “normal” again.

The door
jingled
from the bell Amy had put there to alert us of a customer and in came Sang with his studded sunglasses on. He wore them because he didn’t want people seeing his scarlet eyes and thinking he was a freak. He’d had people do that before and things didn’t end pretty.

I acted as if I didn’t know him and kept working with Anna. This was unexpected. He’d never come inside the store before, usually just waited outside for me on the sidewalk.

“Lily!” Sang called ecstatically from across the store, and I knew this was going to be a long day.

Anna accidentally poked me with a hanger and fumbled to place the dress on the rack. “You know him?” she asked.

“Yeah. Be right back.” I briskly walked to Sang who was now in the lingerie section examining bras.

“This would look cute on you, Lily,” he commented while holding up a leopard print pink lace bra.

I grumbled in embarrassment. “Give me that!” And swiped the bra from his hands and hung it back on the bar.

“This place is smaller than I thought.” Sang stepped to where the panties were and held up a thong. “How do people wear these things? It smells weird in here.”

I grabbed it from him and threw it in the discount bin. “Sang, I’m not allowed to be seen speaking to you. Amy will get mad.” I seethed in a forced whisper.

“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll be here when you’re ready for lunch. I want tacos today.”

I mentally slapped my face and spoke, “Sang, I don’t know if you should stay in here while you wait for me. I have five minutes left. Just, um, wait in the car.”

“Alice is lonely now that you mention it.” He thought aloud and said to me, “Okay. But you better be out in five.” Alice was Sang’s red Corvette and his
baby
.

I almost sank to my knees I was so frustrated. If only we had a men’s section, it would be different, but this was an all-women’s store.

After watching the clock as if a snake waiting for the right moment to strike, I went into the back room to tell Amy I was leaving. Her face was buried in a magazine so she just nodded her head, and I left.

On my way out of the store, I bumped into Anna who carried a heap of boxes. They all fell down, and she fell with them.

“Are you okay?” I offered her a hand, guilty it was my fault she fell in the first place.

“Yeah, I’m okay. My ankle hurts, though.”

“Try and walk on it,” I suggested.

She got up, walked, and instantly cringed in pain. “Ow. I think I sprained it.”

With Anna out of the picture, there wouldn’t be anyone to help stock. I told Amy about the situation, and she said to take Anna’s place for the rest of her shift.

“I’m really sorry,” I apologized to Anna, rubbing my fingers together. “I didn’t see you coming.”

“It’s okay. I owe you for taking over for me. Hey, how about I treat you and your boyfriend to some drinks tonight?”

I really wanted to refuse, because I didn’t want to drink alcohol, and I really didn’t like Anna, but the eager look on her face made me say yes.

People pleaser.

“Okay, I’ll see you guys at Morty’s tonight at eight.”

“Just get some rest,” I recommended as she left the store.

Oh, shit, what about Sang? I went outside, and Sang was inside his car listening to music. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Sang, there’s a change in plans. I’m taking over someone else’s shift so I can’t go with you to get tacos. But this new woman who works here said that she’ll buy us drinks tonight at Morty’s if you wanna go.”

He paused for a long while and said, “All right then, Lily. And don’t think I’m mad at you. Things happen. I’m excited for tonight, though! I haven’t been to a bar in weeks!”

“I’ll see you when I get home.”

“I’ll be waiting.” He revved the engine three times and sped off like a crazed lunatic.

Oh, Sang.

I went back into the store and immediately began to pick up those boxes. Tonight would be interesting.

* * * *

As I walked into the bar with Sang in tow, loud rock music blasted into my ears, and I swear I almost went deaf from the surprise. The bar was a full circle in the center and a tiled dance floor spread out around it with a stand for the DJ. There were flashing neon lights advertising beer brands and intoxicated people rocking their bodies back and forth on the dance floor.

I felt out of place in my beige jacket, jeans, and sneakers as everyone was either wearing nice clothing or barely enough to cover up. Sang was in his usual black T-shirt and jeans, and he sniffed the air with a cringe as we went inside.

“Oh, how I missed the smell of drunken humans,” he said to me with a laugh.

I could hardly see where I was going and almost tripped over my own foot it was so dark. Anna was at the bar, and she waved for us to join her. Sang had his sunglasses on although it was night since our vision was far superior to humans. I didn’t blame him. Some people could get real nasty at bars.

“Glad you came,” Anna said while peering at Sang behind me. “You also brought your boyfriend. Sweet.”

She wore a dark green mini-dress made of velvet and thigh-high black boots. She seemed like a movie star in a motion picture, sitting on the barstool all nonchalantly.

Sang’s hand clutched my shoulder so tightly it dug into me, and I pried it off and squeezed his hand assuredly. Was he really scared of being in a bar?

“Are you okay?” I asked him over my shoulder.

“This is weird,” he whispered in my ear.

“What’s weird?”

“This feeling.” His lips trembled. “I have an odd feeling.” His usual pale skin was whiter than normal.

“It’s just your nerves. When was the last time you were in a bar like this?”

“Twenty years ago.”

“See?”

I sat next to Anna while Sang took a seat by me, and I ordered a glass of lemon water. Sang got a beer, and Anna asked for a peach martini. The bartender was a stout man bald man who had a kind face and served us quickly.

Anna turned to me and said, “We’re at a bar, Lily. Why didn’t you get a beer?”

“I don’t drink and drive.”

“Oh, come on! One little thing won’t hurt!” She waved to the bartender, “Hey, another martini over here!”

I swallowed hard and turned my attention to the danger at hand. If I drank alcohol, I’d become paralyzed. But Sang would take me home, right? I’d pretend to pass out, he’d take me home in his Corvette, and everything would be fine. Yeah, he’d know what to do. He always knows what to do.

I glanced at Sang, and he was on his fourth beer already and going on five. “Maybe you should tone it down a little,” I suggested. How was he going to get me home if I couldn’t move?

“Don’t worry, Lily, it only lasts for about ten minutes and then I’ll be fine.”

I grumbled, “Whatever you say.”

He then leaned into me and spoke softly, “Lily, I have a bad feeling. A really bad feeling. Oh, and this beer tastes good, try a sip.” His words were slurred.

He held the drink to my lips, and I took a tiny sip and then my martini came, and I stared it down. Anna watched me eagerly and spoke, “Drink it, Lily. It won’t hurt. It’s my way of saying thanks for taking over for me today.”

I reluctantly grasped the martini glass and drank the sweet, fruity liquid. It was good, and I ended up downing the whole thing in one go and asking for another.

As the bartender reached over the counter to give me my second drink, my hand brushed past it, and it fell onto the floor and shattered.

Sang looked down at the broken glass and said, “I’ll pay.”

As he lifted his head, his sunglasses slipped from his face and onto the floor, revealing his beautiful carmine eyes.

Anna immediately gasped when she saw them, and I hastily grabbed his sunglasses from the floor.

“You,” she uttered to Sang in complete and utter awe, eyes wide open.

Sang didn’t do anything, just stared transfixed into Anna’s face, face expression blank as a fresh sheet of paper.

Anna reached her long fingers out and lightly touched Sang’s cheek. He flinched but otherwise didn’t move an inch.

“Lily, can we go outside for a moment?” she asked.

I shrugged and said, “Sure.” I didn’t know what was wrong with Sang, but I was going to find out.

Anna slapped a wad of cash on the counter, and we filed out of the bar. Sang moved like a robot as we exited through the door, and Anna took the lead. When we were outside, the moon was just a thin sliver in the sky and the only light as the clouds obscured the stars.

Sang went behind me and grasped my arm like a frightened kid would his mother. Anna applied some red lipstick and spoke, “You concealed your presence well.”

Sang made a small whimper.

Anna glided behind me to Sang and cupped his face in her hands. “Oh, Chester, how I’ve missed you.” Her voice was like flowing water, relaxing but powerful, and it held an air of possession in which I didn’t quite understand.

Chester? Why did she call Sang Chester?

Sang’s body wouldn’t move at all and it was as if he was frozen in a block of ice. Anna’s fingers played along the curve of his jawbone and slid down to his neck where her index finger pricked his skin and a small droplet of blood oozed out.

He cried out, and Anna shushed him soothingly, wiped the blood from his throat, and licked it off her hand.

Anna was a vampire? How could I not have noticed?

“What are you doing to Sang?” I interrupted boldly.

She turned to me and said in excitement, “I haven’t seen him for two hundred years. We’re getting to know each other again.”

“I don’t understand,” I said confused. “Who are you?”

“And you won’t understand,” she snapped and returned to Sang. His expression twisted as if he was being tortured, but all Anna was doing was touching him.

“He’s my boyfriend,” I growled and went to stop her when my entire body became still, and I was unable to move.

I tried to speak, but my lips were sealed, and I thought of how Darius had done this before. Other vampires could do it, too?

Sang whimpered more as Anna’s fingers brushed along his face, his neck, his chest, and she cupped his cheeks again. “Oh, Chester, how I’ve longed for this moment. I’ve wanted to see you so badly, but that monster Darius just wouldn’t let me,” she crooned. “Your eyes are lovely as always, so gorgeous, the most gorgeous I’ve ever created.”

What the hell was she going on about? How did she know Sang?

“Today I’ve come for that girl over there, but as a special treat I’ll bring you with me too,” she whispered and uttered something in his ear. His lips quivered, and he looked as if he saw a ghost.

“What a miracle this is. What a lovely surprise. Oh, I’m so happy!” she exclaimed joyfully. It was then that all her barriers came down, and her vivid green aura flooded out like a great ocean and wrapped around us.

She was powerful. Really powerful. And then it dawned on me.

She wasn’t just any vampire.

She was Annabelle, Sang’s blood-mother.

Shit.

Annabelle laughed like a madwoman as her aura poured off her in wispy green fingers, surrounding us like a thick fog, and soon we were trapped inside a sphere of crackling energy, completely withdrawn from the outside world. I became dizzy and almost fell over, but my will wouldn’t allow it, and I swayed on my feet instead.

“There, now nothing can bother us. We’re all alone in this bubble I created. Isn’t it nice?” Her words dripped with raw desire.

Desire for what, though?

Sang trembled as her fingers played along his neck and face, prodded his chest and stomach. I wanted to smack her away but as soon as I tried to move from my place, a jolt of terribly strong and painful energy shot through me, and I couldn’t do anything.

“Oh, Chester, you’ve grown weak. So, so weak. Well, I’ll whip that power right back into you.”

Did she want Sang? But didn’t she make a pact with Darius for Sang’s freedom? She couldn’t take him back, it wouldn’t be right.

I found myself able to speak as a small noise escaped my lips. “You can’t take him back,” I said confidently. “He’s Darius’ now, and you made a deal with Darius.”

She raised her index finger to her mouth and touched the tip of her long fingernail to her lips. “Oh, I did, didn’t I? Well, I’m sure he won’t mind if I just borrow you two for a couple of days. Besides, he can’t do
anything
now, can he? Not while he’s struck by the curse I had that witch put on him.”

I growled in anger. “You can’t just do what you want! Stop touching Sang, it’s creeping me the hell out!”

She whipped her head so she faced me, and in a flash, she was straight in front of me, hands cupping my cheeks. “Oh, Lily, what a treat you are. Now that I see you up close, I can see the flames burning in your eyes and all that potential power swelled up inside you. It’s giving me such exquisite goose bumps. You’re the real prize I’ve come for, but Chester will be an extra reward for doing so great.”