Crimson Rush A Vampire Romance (Crimson Book 1) (5 page)

Maybe it was due to the residue left over from the terror I’d lived through over the last couple of days, or possibly my desperation to help Max, but something inside of me snapped.

People were dying!

Did I really have any choice but to help Charlie?

With every minute that went by, the thought of helping Charlie seemed to make more sense. I didn’t think I could ever go back to work at Westland’s, and
not
relive that nightmare. That meant I’d need another job. Working at Club Crimson was hardly my best option, but it would just be until I got Charlie what he needed. After that, I could get a different job.

I’d made up my mind, though I can’t say I wasn’t still a might squeamish about it. Hopefully that would pass.

I turned the key in the ignition. There was still one more place I had to go before I went home.

* * *

After knocking twice¸ I waited until I heard Dora Parker yelling for me to come in. As soon as I stepped through the front door, I came face to face with Judge, the Parkers’ Rottweiler. Judge proceeded to sniff my leg, but I quickly swatted his nose away. “Judge, you know better than that,” I scolded.

Max’s mom stepped out of the kitchen. “Hey Star. It’s been a few days. Heard about what happened this morning. I’m so so sorry you had to live through that.”

Dora couldn’t be near as sorry as I was, especially since I really wanted to get through the day without having to talk about it anymore.

“Yes, it was scary,” I told her.

“Do they have any suspects?” she asked.

I shook my head. No sense in telling her that I already knew who killed Johnny. Then again, maybe in a way I didn’t. Whatever that thing had been, it hadn’t been Jaycee.

Dora Parker was kind of a mousy woman, too small to be petite. She always wore her dishwater blond hair in a ponytail, which didn’t help make her beady eyes seem any bigger. Dora was a sweet woman, though I did think she worried a little too much about the more trivial things in life, like constantly dusting. I could hardly recall a time when she didn’t have a duster in her hand.

“How’s Max doing today?” I asked.

Dora’s sad smile was heartbreaking. Though Max was home from the hospital now, he’d shown no improvement. Rumor had it that Dora Parker went to church everyday to pray for Max.

It would seem God was a little too busy to be listening.

As soon as the thought entered my mind, I kicked it right out. God worked in mysterious ways, at least that’s what Mom had always said. Maybe this was one of those times when we were going to have to trust that God knew what he was doing.

Not that I intended to sit back and see if the Almighty actually did have a plan. Nope. I was a take matters into my own hands kind of person.

“Oh he’ll be glad to see you. I do think there has been some improvement.” Dora told me, as she led the way to Max’s bedroom.

“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything. Would you like some iced tea?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No I’m good, but thanks.”

The open blinds allowed enough sun in the room to illuminate a thin cloud of dancing dust particles. Light touched the bottom half of Max’s body, but from the waist up he was submerged in shadow.

Though it was already late afternoon, he was still wearing pajamas. Max would never notice what he was wearing. Just like he didn’t notice how short his hair was now. If it had been his choice, he would never have worn his hair cropped so short.

The wheelchair faced a small TV in the corner of the room. With the volume down low, you could barely hear the music video.

Max’s empty eyes stared straight ahead, no longer absorbing anything from the outside world.

But that also didn’t matter.

Choking back a sob, I painted a smile on my face before taking the chair near Max.

“Hey Max. You feeling any better today?” It was the same question I asked each time I came to visit. Not that I expected an answer, but I asked anyway.

“You’ll be wanting to get better. Moon Fest is coming up soon … you’re really not going to want to miss that.”

There was not even a flicker of recognition in his brown eyes - eyes that had once been so warm and full of laughter.

If anything would stir some response, it would be talking about Moon Fest. The Moon Fest Carnival was held each year in September, on the weekend closest to the full moon. That was in a couple of weeks. Moon Fest was second only to Halloween, at least as far as Max was concerned.

I noticed he was leaning too heavily to one side. If he was in this condition much longer, he might completely lose the use of his muscles. If that happened, recovery would be so much harder on him.

Taking a deep breath, I did my best to fight back tears. There was a time and place to grieve, but that wasn’t when I was with Max. Even if I was feeling a little hopeless, there was no way I could let him sense it. Hope was the one thing he needed.

Visiting Max tore at my heart, especially when I remembered him, as he’d been only a short time ago. He was always laughing, joking, and as silly as a goose.

No matter how hard it was on me, it had to be a lot worse for Max. Getting visitors was the best thing for him. According to the doctors, he needed lots of mental stimulation. They said it was best to continue talking to Max, just like he could hear you, because he actually might be hearing what people said.

There was nothing physically wrong with him, at least nothing they could find. His body functioned fine. He just seemed to be gone from it, or locked inside so deep he couldn’t be reached.

My thoughts drifted back to the day I came home from the hospital after having my tonsils out. I was seven years old, and not exactly crazy about having to spend the entire day in bed.

Max, being the rascal he was, decided to sneak in my bedroom window, bringing with him a cup full of bugs he’d spent all day collecting.

The memory brought a smile to my lips.

Poor Max. He’d thought I would be as ecstatic about the insects as he was. That wasn’t the case, but I’d bit my tongue and pretended to be thrilled to see those creepy little things trying to get out of the Styrofoam cup.

That was Max. If he had a passion for something, there was no way he could understand me not sharing that passion with him.

Things hadn’t changed much since we were kids, especially where Max was concerned.

Leaning closer to him, I asked, “Was it vampires that did this to you?” I kept my voice low, so that Mrs. Parker wouldn’t overhear what I was saying. For sure she’d think I’d lost my mind.

Max’s hand jerked, but that was the only response I got.

I reached over and covered his hand with mine. “I promise you Max. I’m going to find out what happened to you. I won’t stop until I do.”

It was already dusk when I pulled up to my house. My stomach knotted with apprehension as I stared out at the darkness. Never again was I going to be able to look into the woods at night, and not wonder what kind of nightmare might be hiding just out of sight.

Another first was my fear of being alone. Normally I didn’t mind being alone, but tonight I did.

It was nice to know a vampire couldn’t get into your house, unless they were invited. That helped me feel a little better, though I was sure there were other things lurking in the darkness, like whatever Jaycee had turned into.

Soft yellow light illuminated the old fashioned covered porch. As I climbed the stairs, I noticed something leaning against the front door.

It was a dozen red roses.

Who would be leaving me flowers?

I hadn’t gotten flowers since the night of my senior prom. That hadn’t turned out so well. By the end of the evening, Justice Newton would have taken them back, if he’d thought he would get away with it. All because I wouldn’t put out like he’d been hoping.

Fooled him. Never went out with him again either.

Curious, I pulled out the card attached to the flowers.

Just wanted to say thank you, and apologize for disrupting your life.

Luke

The gesture was sweet, but unexpected.

Luke was cute, and such a gentleman. It was too bad he was also dead. I still wasn’t grasping the reality of vampires.

How could it happen?

How could the dead be reanimated?

I had so many questions, and no one to ask. When and if Luke came back, I was sure going to find out more about vampires.

Opening the door, I stepped into my dark living room and silently cursed myself for not leaving at least one light on. I spent the next few minutes flipping on everything that still had a working bulb.

After finding a vase for the flowers, I read the card again, and couldn’t help but smile. I had to admit there was a certain thrill in getting flowers from a vampire.

Making my way to the kitchen, I opened my old white refrigerator and pulled out a soda. I really needed something stronger, but soda would have to work, since I was fairly sure that getting hammered right now wasn’t a good idea.

Too much had happened and I was totally burned out. I needed some down time. Going to the living room, I flopped onto the couch and switched on the TV. For the next half hour, I did my best to focus on the news, but my brain retained none of it.

That changed when I saw Sheriff Jud’s face splashed across the TV screen. He was standing outside Westland’s and answering questions about Johnny’s murder and Jaycee’s disappearance. When a reporter asked about the cause of death, old Jud refused to comment further.

As I watched the newscast, I started getting a really bad feeling. I couldn’t tell if it was just a remnant of my experience, or something about what I was seeing. It took a few minutes to pinpoint the feeling.

Something didn’t seem right with the Sheriff. He seemed different somehow. It was almost as if he were not shocked enough over what happened with Jaycee and Johnny. It crossed my mind that old Jud might be more informed as to what was going on at Club Crimson, than what he let on.

I really wished I had someone to talk to about this, other than Uncle Basile.

Pulling my phone out of my pants pocket, I started to dial Daya, but changed my mind when I remembered she’d gone to Oklahoma City for a few days.

Daya Berry was the same age as Max and I. The three of us had been friends since our first day of kindergarten, and practically inseparable since. That had changed over the last few months. Daya was keeping busy with her new boyfriend.

I was happy Daya had finally found someone she liked, but missed the old days. It sure would have been nice to have my two best friends to talk to. With the three of us putting our heads together, we could figure out anything.

Daya usually had some inside information when it came to the supernatural. That was on account of her granny being Cherokee. Indian people tended to be a little more open to things like that than other folks.

Too bad Daya was out of town. A little inside information would have been great about right now.

After double-checking the locks on all the windows and doors, I climbed the stairs to the second floor. I still had the same room I’d had when my mom and dad were alive. It suited me fine, so I didn’t feel the need to take the master bedroom, although it was bigger.

Everything in the house was exactly the same as it was the day my parents were kill in a car accident on the old highway between Cookson Springs and Stilwell.

I’d kept the house the same, partly because I couldn’t bear parting with so many memories, and partly because I’d been so busy trying to put my life back together. Though I kept telling myself I’d get to it next week, or maybe next month, I sometimes thought I’d never have the strength to do it.

Thinking of Mom and Dad brought on the familiar pang of sadness and intense loss that had taken over my life since the accident. I quickly pushed it away. The last thing I needed tonight was to get depressed.

After a hot shower, and brushing my teeth until they gleamed, I was finally relaxed enough to crawl into bed. But before I did, I made sure to turn off my alarm. There wouldn’t be any need to get up and go to work in the morning. My job at Westland’s was history. I’d have to call and tell personnel I was quitting, but I didn’t have to get up at four in the morning to do that.  It wasn’t long before I fell into a troubled sleep - haunted by ghastly scenes of blood and death.

* * *

The gentle rocking of the porch swing didn’t do a lot to ease my anxiety. My apprehension continued to grow as I watched the sun disappear from the western sky. Other than the roses, I’d heard nothing from Luke or Charlie.

Though I’d originally planned to wait until they returned to make my next move, I was getting impatient. The longer I waited, the bigger the risk more people would die. Besides, I figured my best chance of finding a way to help Max was at Club Crimson.

When the last rays of sun faded from the sky, I got to my feet and smoothed the wrinkles from my jeans, and white lacy blouse. I had no clue if Club Crimson would even hire someone who wasn’t a vampire, but I was about to find out.

The club didn’t open its doors until eight in the evening, but I’d seen cars in the parking lot at least an hour or two before that. Hopefully, someone would be there, preferably someone who wasn’t a vampire.

It was only a few miles from my house to Cookson Springs. The club was located on the outskirts of town, in an old warehouse that had once been used to store and sell farm equipment.

When I pulled into the large parking lot, there was only one other car, a black Camaro.

The exterior lights were on, but it wasn’t yet dark enough to see them well. The outside of Club Crimson wasn’t all that impressive. In fact, it was kind of shabby, but the fresh coat of paint they’d thrown on helped.

Instead of the ugly tan color it used to be when it was an warehouse, it now had a fresh coat of white pain with red trim. There were a few windows, but they had also been painted.

I wondered where the vampires went during the day. It was a possibility they stayed at the club, but it wasn’t all that big. If there were a lot of vampires hanging around Cookson Springs, I had my doubts they all lived at Club Crimson. It was difficult to imagine having a vampire as a next-door neighbor. I was gradually beginning to realize that scenario was a real possibility for anyone living in Cookson Springs, or any city for that matter.

I hadn’t decided how I was going to explain my sudden interest in working at the club. If Marcus remembered me, I was sure I would have to have some kind of explanation. 

There was always the option of telling the truth, at least in part. I didn’t want to go back to work at Westland’s.

Getting out of the car, I took a deep breath and started toward the entrance. If I didn’t get this done with, I would lose my nerve. 

It took three rounds of knocking before the door finally opened.

When I first saw him, I thought for sure I’d come face to face with one of the vampires. Then I remembered he was the same guy who had announced Night Reign on stage.

At least he wasn’t a vamp
.

There were really only a couple of indicators that pointed to him not being a vampire. The remaining sunlight that fell across his face was one. Not only didn’t he burst into flames, he didn’t even wince. The other sign that he wasn’t a vampire was the turtleneck he was wearing in eighty-degree weather. There was only one reason to wear a turtleneck in warm weather, and it wasn’t something I cared to think about right then and there.

“We’re closed,” he said tersely.

“Oh I know you’re closed. Actually, someone told me that since this place was new … y’all might be in need of some help, and I’m really really in need of a job.”

He shook his head. “No. We’re not hiring.”

I’d only been there a couple of minutes, and it already wasn’t going so well.

He started to shut the door, so I had to think fast.

“I’m great at waiting tables and washing dishes. I even do laundry,” I said, flinching inwardly. With all the lies I’d had to tell lately, I was near ready to wash my own mouth out with soap. I guessed Mom was probably turning over in her grave about now. Not that all of it was a lie, just the waitress part, but I could fake it. At least I hoped I could.

Leaning further out the door, he whispered. “You need to scram. Take my word for it … you don’t want to work here.”

“Aaron … who are you talking to?” The smooth female voice floated out from behind the door. The owner of that voice had a very pronounced southern accent, which meant she was from much further south than Cookson Springs.

Aaron twisted around so that he was facing whoever was standing behind him. “It’s just someone looking for a job. I told her we aren’t hiring.”

“Why ever did you do that? Bring her in.”

Turning back to face me, he gave me a now you’ve done it look, before stepping aside so I could enter.

Keeping with the Goth theme of the club, the woman was wearing a tight black skirt and a low cut blouse, along with matching knee high leather boots. Her dark hair fell in ringlets to the middle of her back. She had the prettiest eyes I’d ever seen. They were dark blue, with just a hint of violet.

What would it be like to be so perfect?

The woman smiled, revealing stunning white teeth. “So you’re interested in working here?”

“Yes. I figured with y’all only being open a couple of months … maybe you would still be needing some help.”

The woman raised one of her perfectly shaped brows. “Have you ever worked at a night club?”

“No, but I’m willing to learn.”

“Miss Lavelle. What an unexpected surprise.”

I nearly jumped clean out of my skin when I heard Marcus’s voice. I was even more startled to see that he was standing right next to me. I was positive he hadn’t been there a second before.

Although I’d spent hours thinking about what I’d say to Savoy, if by some chance I had another run in with him, at the moment it felt as if my tongue was glued to the roof of my mouth. Even if I could have remembered what I’d planned to say, I was completely incapable of speech.

To my immense relief, the woman didn’t give me a chance to respond.

“I didn’t realize the two of you were already acquainted. Miss Lavelle came here to ask about a job,” she said, directing her words to Marcus.

His gaze fell on me. “Don’t tell me that Thorne was stupid enough to put you up to this?”

The laughter I saw in his eyes made me want to crawl into a hole. This was a stupid plan. There was no way we were going to fool Marcus Savoy.

I shook my head. “He has nothing to do with this. Actually, he’s gone right now.”

There was a faint twinkle in the depths of his blue eyes. “Is he? If that’s true … then you are not nearly as smart as I thought you were,” he told me.

“Someone was killed at Westland’s yesterday. I don’t feel comfortable working there anymore. It doesn’t seem safe,” I rushed to explain.

So far, everything I’d said was true. I didn’t feel comfortable or safe working at Westland’s now.

Marcus laughed out loud. “And you think you are safer here? I almost feel insulted you would believe I’m that stupid.”

Now I was in a fix. I had a vampire on both sides of me, and they were completely aware I was up to something.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “This was a bad idea. I’ll just go look for work somewhere else.”

I swung around to leave, but then he was in front of me, blocking my way.

Damn was he quick!

“Not so fast. Why don’t you come in the back and we’ll talk about this?” He motioned in the direction of the room where I’d had my last encounter with him.

Since I’d already gotten over the idea of going undercover at Club Crimson, I was not thrilled with the prospect of spending more time with Marcus.