The Book Waitress Series Volume One (25 page)

He had some important issues to mull over during the night. Derek’s absence hadn’t gone unnoticed. Why didn’t she have him stay? Was their relationship more of a friendship rather than a sexual one? Or did she not want to deal with watchful eyes analyzing every glance that crossed between them, every word spoken, and every desire hanging in the air like an ethereal mist? Either way, they were alone all night long. He could accomplish a lot with her across those hours.

Sounds coming from the floor below caught his attention. He peeked in on her and saw her resting comfortably. Curiosity dragged him away and down the stairs to explore the realm of ghosts. Maybe he could communicate with this John spirit. Or coax Betina out of hiding.

“Hello? Anybody down here?” He turned around in his spot at the center of the periodicals department. “I’m not here to harm you. I’d just like to talk. If you can hear me, make a noise.”

Suddenly a book whooshed passed his face and landed on the floor, pages splayed open. A couple of inches closer and it would have hit him squarely on his cheek and nose. “Hey! That’s not cool. I’m not looking for trouble, man. Don’t make any and we’ll get along just fine.”

Another book sailed by and landed near the one already on the floor. Its pages spilled open, too. “What the hell?” Synn walked over to the two books, and each had words highlighted. He supposed he was meant to read them. “
He will find you here and then find me. Go away.
Wow, friendly guy, aren’t you, John? Well, I’m afraid I can’t do that just now. You see, I have a woman to protect. You remember women, don’t you? I hear you had one of your own. But wait, she wasn’t really yours, was she? She belonged to someone else and you stole her away. Kinda like what I have in mind. We’re really not that different from each other, now are we? Except for the fact I won’t be killing her like you killed Betina.”

A barrage of books and magazines flew at him like daggers. A disembodied voice howled as he covered his head for protection. “Get out! I’ll take care of her!”

“Oh, got a little crush on our Marked One, now have we? Boy, is she a popular woman!”

Strong pressure knocked him off his feet and bowled him over on the floor. An invisible force crushed his chest. “I want you out! Leave and no one gets hurt!” Like a release valve, the intense weight eased up and his lungs expanded rapidly, filling with air.

All was quiet, and as he sat up, he watched in amazement as the books and magazines closed and stacked one upon the other, lifted off the floor, and returned themselves to their rightful place on the shelves. A female voice whispered by his ear. “I’m sorry. My fault. I’ll fix it.”

Betina. It had to be. “It’s okay, Betina. You shouldn’t take the blame for John’s actions. He makes his own choices, just like I made mine. Don’t sacrifice yourself to him for our sake. He ought to repent for what he’s done to you. Good night.”

Trudging up the stairs, new sounds wafted through the air. Camille was in trouble. He ran the rest of the way to her room to find it lit up like a camp out, with Camille being the bonfire. “Damn it!” He quickly grabbed her hand, but the frosted threads melted before they could fully coat her scars.

Throwing off his shirt and peeling off his pants, he scrambled onto her bed and willed the frost to cool as he touched his body to hers. Sizzles and snaps, spits and hissing blended in a cacophony of angry retorts to his insistent freezing. He hoped he wasn’t too late to save her and prayed he wasn’t killing her in the process. Twisting their bodies, he re-positioned them on their sides, never losing precious contact. Frozen tear drops dotted her cheeks as steamy puffs of breath clouded between them. He dialed back the frost factor, but refused to release her from his embrace.

Camille roused from what had to have been a pain-induced stupor and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.
Does she realize what she’s doing? Do I care? Now is the time to act.
He kissed her melting tears away and his lips found their mark, her tremulous mouth. Their connection wouldn’t be denied. She whimpered as her hands sought his face to hold, and he leaned in, impossibly closer, to quench his persistent thirst. She tasted of berries on a summer’s day and he wanted to drown in them.

He pressed his hardened self against her core as he eased her onto her back. Would she let him in? Would he be okay if she didn’t? He would have no choice but to obey her wishes. She tore her lips away from his and gasped for air. He caught them again to smother her desire to speak. He didn’t want to hear the impending rejection. She twisted out of the passion play and gazed at him with drunken eyes.

“Synn, stop. We
can’t
do this.” She shook her head and scooted away from him.

“Why not? What’s to stop us from doing what our hearts tell us is right?”

“But that’s just it. It’s not okay. Kissing you by accident during the throes of an episode is one thing, and can be explained away and forgiven, but to go any further would be devastating to my relationship and the team. You know that.
I
know that. I sent Derek home because I love him but I’m an emotional wreck and don’t want to hurt him.” She cried out her frustration and pounded a fist into her chest. “And yet from somewhere deep inside me, I know I must have you. Around me, in me. Why do I know this? Why?”

He reached out to caress her cheek. “I feel it, too. Because you and I were meant to be together, Camille. That’s all there is to it. I can appreciate all that Derek’s done for you, but he can’t be
the one
for you. You’ve got nothing in common with him and we’ve got so much.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hell and all its trappings built a bridge between us. I saved you from sacrificing yourself to Satan, and I’m risking my life to stay because my heart compels me so.”

“I don’t want to be the cause of any pain Satan will wreak upon you if he should find you with us. I couldn’t bear it. You’ve been through so much, and you mean too much to me.”

“It’s my choice. And there’s more. There’s something I need to tell you, to share with you. There’s a reason the Dark Lord took me all those years ago. Look.” He pulled down the waistband of his boxer briefs to reveal his left hip.

Her eyes widened in amazement. “Oh, my God, Synn. You…you’re….”

“A Marked One, too. Satan’s coming after me regardless of my interest in you.”

“How? How did you survive all those years as a human without being sacrificed to the devil?” She searched his eyes for some kind of understanding, but confusion reigned supreme.

“I was a homeless kid on the streets. That’s when he found me. He gave me over to a violent mob family. They groomed me to be lethal and cared for me, and I took care of their dirty work. The Dark Lord was pleased with my kills, so he let me stay. When I got picked up by a rival mob, I nearly died. He stepped in, brought me back with him, and I’ve been crossing through portals ever since doing his evil jobs. You know the rest. He’s coming, Camille, for you
and
for me. It’s just a matter of time. If we don’t close this portal together, we’re as good as done.”

She crawled over and hugged him fiercely, and he soothed her as best he could. “You’re not alone in this. When I saw your mark, I knew that I wasn’t alone either. So you see, we belong…to each other, with each other. Whether Derek’s in the picture or not.”

“We belong to each other,” she whispered, and nodded against his chest. “What can I say to him tomorrow that will make any sense of this? Will he understand? What if he and the others bail on me? Being with you feels so right, down to my very soul, yet it’s turned my world upside down. I’m scared things will fall apart just as we’re pulling things together. I’m really scared.”

“Let me kiss your fears away. I promise, just a kiss.” He tipped her chin up and kissed the tattoos above the moistened fringes of lashes. Then he dropped his lips to hers, hoping he conveyed the tenderness and strength she needed and deserved. Hoping that his guilty conscience would leave him the fuck alone.

Chapter Six

Derek drove home in a silent rage. Never before had he felt such murderous intent for another human being. Well, technically, Synn wasn’t human, so he didn’t need to feel so horrible about it. How dare he steal Camille away from him? They’d just declared their love for each other, and now he’s the one next to her in bed, probably, instead of him. He could kill him. He’s a demon crossed over. Weapons had been charmed. It would be easy. But Camille would suffer, too. He pounded the steering wheel.

“Hey, you kinda need that to drive, so take it easy, okay?” Mallory took a drag and blew the smoke out the window.

“Sorry, I’m just…oh! So pissed right now, I can’t even speak.”

“I can tell. Why don’t you tell good ol’ Mallory what troubles you. No, wait, let me guess. Trouble in paradise? Camille’s back there with her sexy demon and you’re here, driving home, with me.”

“Yup. But driving you home isn’t the bad part, Mal. And why’d you have to call him sexy? That doesn’t help at all.”

“It’s the truth. He’s a damn fine piece of evil ass. Don’t want him anywhere near me, but I calls it as I sees it. You think she’s gonna leave ya flat for him?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it. I hate to say it out loud, Mal, but I trust you to keep this between us. You know what I’m thinking of doing?”

“I think I may have a rough idea. Does it involve a specific charmed weapon meeting up with a demon’s head, by any chance?”

“You know me so well, it’s scary.” He laughed bitterly. “Sounds utterly ridiculous when it’s spoken out loud, doesn’t it?”

“Sounds like a man frustrated and desperate to keep what’s his. Very romantic, actually.”

“Killing another is not romantic, Mallory. It’s animalistic and will get me fifteen years to life in prison.” He shook his head at the thought.

“You know what you need to do?”

“No, what?” Derek had pulled up to his house and parked the car.

She stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut. “You need to relax and feel appreciated and desired. I tell ya, Camille doesn’t know what a gem she’s got in you.”

“I don’t need to relax. I need to get sloppy drunk and forget.” He unlocked the front door and they both walked in. Throwing the keys on the foyer table, he also stepped out of his shoes and made his way to the fridge where a not so innocent bottle of Jim Beam and a can of Coke sat waiting dutifully for him. He pulled them both out and poured himself a tall glass, good and strong.

“Whoa, boy, that’s a hefty bit of alcohol you got there. Got a smaller glass I can use?” Mallory helped herself to looking through his cabinets.

“Go for the one next to the sink. And leave some Beam in the bottle. I’m not done with it yet.”

“Got it.” She poured herself a neat shot and held it up. “Cheers, my man. Here’s to, well, Jim Beam, for saving our emotional asses tonight.” She clicked her shot glass against Derek’s monstrous cup and after tossing one back, she poured herself another.

He slunk over to the couch and nearly guzzled the entire cupful. He closed his eyes and sighed. He was so screwed. And he was wasted. He’d poured himself a strong one and it hit him like a brick wall.

“You know,” Mallory slurred, “Camille doesn’t know how lucky she is.” She flopped down beside him and nudged his arm. “
I
know. But I’ve known forever. You are one amazing guy, Derek. I’ve had my eye on you since that first day we met on the flight to the Philippines. Remember that?”

“Yup, you were so airsick.” He laughed and rumpled her hair. “It was that last puddle jumper that did you in.”

“And who took care of me?” She poked him in his chest. “You. You knew me all of what? Twelve or twenty hours, or something crazy like that. You held my freaking hair for me while I hurled over the can. Now that’s special. That’s devotion.”

“Sure is.”

“So, I say to myself all those years ago. I say, Self! He’s a good egg. Don’t let him out of your sight. But I did, didn’t I? I let you get away.”

“What are ya talking about? Mal, we’re like best friends. I haven’t gone anywhere.”

“Then let this best friend take care of her best friend tonight.” She stood up and pulled him up to stand before her. “Come with me, Derek. I’ll make sure the hurt goes away.”

She threaded her fingers through his shaggy hair and pulled his head down to meet hers. The scent of bourbon wafted in the space between them. She attacked him with a kiss and demanded he reciprocate. The room swirled around him. She’d taken him by such surprise, he pulled back, totally confused.

But his jealousy and insecurities pushed him to give in to his baser instincts, and returned her demand with a few of his own. He assaulted her lips and grabbed her by the waist, walking her backwards toward the bedroom. He crashed them into the side table first, knocking over a lamp, then into the corner of the hallway. That would leave a mark on her, but he’d apologize for it later. Right now, he needed a good screw, and having finished his entire glass, Mallory was a good substitute for his true desire.

His shirt came off first, then hers. He devoured each breast as it spilled over her bra and he ripped that off of her in nothing flat. She pushed him away and with a devilish grin she removed the rest of her clothing. Stalking toward him, he started unbuttoning his pants.

“No, let me. I’ve been fantasizing about this for years.” She stood before him, then knelt down, and one by one, unbuttoned his fly to expose his raging hard-on. “Oh my, seems you may have been, too.”

The next thing he knew, she’d pulled his pants down to his ankles, and taking him into her mouth, made him see God. He pulled her up as she wiped her swollen mouth, and kissed her hard, imagining her to be his Camille. And she liked it. He backed her up to his bed and turned her around, kneading the tensed muscles in her shoulders and kissing the nape of her neck.

Working his way down her spine, his hands followed and dipped into her leggings. One tug, and her apple bottom ass was ripe for biting. So he did. She yelped and laughed and begged for more. At one point, she tried to turn around, but he was strong and determined and kept her leaning over the bed, facing away from him. He took her, hard and fast. She cried out her pleasure over and over. Camille’s name lingered on his breath, so he remained silent no matter how desperately he needed to howl.

When their sexcapade ended, he crawled onto the bed and brought her up there with him. He collapsed, but not before covering them both with the blankets. “I’m sorry,” he murmured as sobriety crept back in.

“I’m not. Give it time to settle in.” She patted his belly. “You won’t be sorry for long, either.”

Tomorrow’s gonna suck royally
. He’d just made the hugest mistake of his life. No amount of wishful thinking on Mallory’s part would change that fact.
She’ll need time for that to settle in, too.

***

Morning was not kind to anyone. Storms had rolled in overnight and decided to torment the sleeping people with lightning and thunder and obscene amounts of water on their lawns, sidewalks, and roadways. By daybreak, the rain had tapered off, but the trail of gray, scudding clouds seemed endless. Derek wished he could climb on one of those racing past and escape rather than face his morning regrets. But Mallory already stirred next to him and she’d be awake soon.

Now was the perfect time to get up and brew up a strong pot of coffee. If only he liked the stuff.
Well, there’s a first time for everything.
He quietly removed himself from the bed, and after pulling on a pair of jeans, shuffled to the kitchen to find anything that resembled coffee. The landlord had stocked the pantry with staples, and there, at eye level, sat the can that would turn into the vile goo.

“Stop looking at me that way. I feel bad enough as it is. You don’t need to feed my guilty conscience with your silent reprove. I bet you do this to all the hung-over bastards who reach for you in the morning.” He scoffed and took the can off the shelf.

“Talking to inanimate objects now, are we?”

He whirled around, losing his grip on the can. It went flying across the kitchen and crashed against the wall, spraying the table and floor with grounds of milled coffee beans.

“Shit!”

“Oh, my God! Ha ha!” Mallory stood in the archway, dressed in nothing but a bra and panties. She held onto the frame as she doubled over in laughter.

“Shit, shit, shit!” He was not amused.  “I give up.” He stormed past her, and when he reached the bathroom, locked it behind him. A shower might do him some good.

Ten minutes washed down the drain, along with his anger. There was no washing away the guilt, though. Suddenly, the doorknob jiggled, and a waft of cool air floated over the semi-translucent shower curtain as Mallory entered the room and sat on the toilet seat.

“I locked the door for a reason.”

“I don’t like locked doors. You know that. They’re too tempting to open.”

“What do you want, Mal?”

“I want to know where your head is at. I know where it was last night. And I liked it in there.”

“You can be so raunchy sometimes, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah. Covers my insecurity, I guess. So, are you going to answer me?”

He turned off the water and sighed. No escaping this. “Hand me my towel, would you?” He reached a hand out from behind the curtain.

“Seriously? I’ve seen you naked more times than your mother, and now you ask for a towel?”

“Nevermind.” He stepped out of the shower in all of his bare glory and got the towel above her head for himself. Why did the bathroom have to be so God-damned small? “Let me finish up in here and then we’ll talk.”

“Well, I think that just about says it all there, Derek.” She shook her head and laughed ruefully.

“What do you mean?” He wasn’t stupid. But she needed to get things out in the open, and he’d let her.

She grabbed the towel sitting at his waist and pulled him to her.  Surprised, he saw a bit of melancholy in her eyes as she spoke.  “If you were into me, then you wouldn’t have locked the door, this towel would be off, and we’d be in that shower together by now.”

He hung his head, ashamed. “You’re right. I can’t lie to you. We made a mistake, Mal. A huge mistake. I was too angry and drunk to give a shit last night, but now, it’s different. Don’t get me wrong. The sex was hot, cataclysmic.  But…”

“But I’m not Camille.” She paused.  “I don’t need to be Camille. And you don’t need to be in love with me. We can be whoever we need to be for each other.”

He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead. “I don’t think that’s where
your
head is really at. That kind of relationship isn’t fair to you.”

“I’m a big girl and choose the life I live. I decide what I’m willing to accept from others.”

“You deserve more than that in your life, and more than that from me.”

“Honey, life is too short and crazy to wait around for perfection. As for you and me, we’ve known each other for years, and we’ll be in each other’s lives for a million more. Can you say the same about Camille? I don’t think so.”

“I don’t know where the hell that relationship is going, but I’m not ready to give up on it. I’m sorry. I really am.”

“Ah, well, just understand that I’m not giving up on us either. You know my instincts are pretty spot on. I predict you’ll be turning to me more times than not. Don’t worry, though. I’ll make sure to bust your chops about it every chance I get.” She winked, opened the door, and walked out, leaving him feeling off-balanced and guiltier than ever.

***

The stormy skies matched Camille’s mood perfectly. She’d spent the night exactly where she didn’t want to be and yet
wanted
to be at the same time, in Synn’s arms. To his credit, he promised just a kiss, and that was indeed all he gave her.

Dread washed over her as she stared out the front window and watched Arnie and Derek pull up in their cars. Should she mention that Synn is a Marked One, too? Would it make any bit of difference in the way Derek felt about him? It could make things worse. She decided to play it by ear and gauge where his
emotions were when he walked in. She plastered a smile on her face to get the morning off to a pleasant start, but as he and Mallory got out of the car, she could tell, something had happened since they’d seen each other. He looked to be in a foul mood, and she looked thoroughly guilty for it.

Arnie walked in first with a brown bag and a tray of coffee cups. “Morning, Camille. Thought I’d contribute to today’s breakfast. I found this bagel shop on the way and had to pick some up. There’s coffee in these cups. Hope you drink the stuff. I only got four because I didn’t think the demon ate or drank anything. Could be very closed-minded of me, but when was the last time I met a demon? Uh, never, so….” He walked passed her, not waiting for a response, and went straight to the kitchen.

Mallory arrived next at her doorstep. “Hey, how’s your demon boy?” Not waiting for an answer, she and her queen-sized ego traipsed in as if she owned the place. Camille took a deep breath and greeted Derek.

“Morning.”

“Hey, how are ya?” He smiled weakly and hardly looked at her. He tried to move past her, but she reached out to hold his arm.