Page 18 of Craving Darkness

I glanced down, expecting to see the mess I had made earlier. Instead, it was neat and orderly. My bed was made, and my bag was set on the floor beside it. Fuck, she had done that. I looked over to the kitchen, where the few items that had been used earlier were gone, and the sink was empty. Kallista was in a dangerous situation, with vampires out for her, ready to use her for likely more than just her blood, but she cared enough to clean this pathetic place I rarely visited.

I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose as I took in everything I knew about her. It wasn’t much, but I was learning that beyond the fright of her own demon living inside her, she was a caring woman. I thought about the years I’d spent in solitude, about how lonely it could be, even if I were trying to protect the world around me. Kallista thought she was a danger to others, but she had no idea what danger truly was.

I strode back over to my motorcycle and reached into the storage compartments to locate the rest of the bags full of clothing I was sure she could use. I had allowed the saleswoman to talk me into buying garments I had no idea women would need. After hauling out the last of the bags, I pulled out the food that had been tucked away, glad to see that it was still somewhat warm.

With my arms full, I stalked back over to the couch and stood there awkwardly.

“I got food. I’m sure you’re hungry.” At my words, Kallista’s stomach let out an angry rumble, and I wanted to kick my own ass again for forgetting to feed her earlier.

“It smells good,” she offered quietly, not looking up at me. I wanted to demand she give me her eyes so I could see the colors that I had grown fascinated with. Instead, I dropped the bag of food onto the couch beside her without a word. I turned and placed the packages of clothing on the ground by the wall before taking a seat where I had the last time.

“It’s just tacos,” I rumbled as she picked up the bag and peered inside. “I didn’t know what kind you would like so I bought several different ones. There are salsas, too. Different heat levels.” I clamped my teeth shut to stop my rambling as Kallista rummaged through the bag.

“I love anything. I think,” she sniffed at a couple of the foil-wrapped tacos. “Except raw onions. For some reason, I love them cooked, but I just can’t stand the taste of them raw.”

She handed over several of the small foil packages, and I took them, careful not to touch her soft skin. I wasn’t sure if she noticed, but her small smile dropped, and she cleared her throat.

“You should probably know that Syn came back a little bit after you left.”

That got my attention, and I stopped peeling back the wrapper on the taco I was holding to stare up at the woman fate had decided was mine. The muscles in my jaw tightened as anger flared inside me.

“Did you let her in?” I demanded. She shook her head as she bit delicately into the side of her food. Her soft moan had the rest of my body tightening.

“No. I didn’t make a sound, but she knew I was here.” She frowned down at her taco, and I hated the sight. “She said she could hear me anyway.”

I finished the taco I was holding in three bites as I waited for her to continue. I watched as her tongue darted out to lick a small bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth and fought the urge to be the one to lick her clean.

“She said that she promised me to the vampires and that they swore they would treat me well.” She hesitated, and I knew I wouldn’t like what she had to say next. “They threatened the rest of the girls from the club if I didn’t show up. Syn made it clear that I would be responsible for whatever happens to them if I don’t comply.”

I slammed my fist into the floor, my entire body vibrating with rage. I was certain there had to be more that Kallista wasn’t telling me, but what I had already heard was enough for me to want to destroy Syn. It didn’t matter how long I had known her. It was evident that she wasn’t the person I thought I knew. A wave of disappointment swept through me at her behavior. She had already been putting her girls at risk by agreeing to let the vamps feed from them. She hadn’t said if anyone had been hurt, but it didn’t matter. If they hadn’t given consent to be fed from, it was as bad as rape.

“You will not sacrifice yourself,” I growled as I stood to my feet, abandoning my uneaten food.

Kallista scrambled to her feet as I strode quickly to my bike. “Where are you going?” Her voice was full of worry, but I couldn’t take the time to reassure her. “Valen! Please don’t go.”

I stopped before hitting the button to lower the lift. I was already straddling the motorcycle and was ready to ride back to the strip club. “Step back, Kallista,” I demanded. “Go back and eat your food. There are more bags of clothing for you. Go through them. By the time you’re done sorting them, I’ll be back. If there is anything you don’t like, we can exchange them for something else.”

With her hands clutched together in front of her, Kallista did as I said. Her face was full of worry, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she had something she wanted to say before she finally gave a jerky nod and stepped back another foot. I paused once more before pushing the remote button.

“Do not leave this room. I mean it. Don’t. Go. Anywhere. And don’t let anyone in.”

She mouthed the word “okay”, but it was too soft to hear. The worry in her expression only increased as she watched the doors close in front of me, sealing me inside the lift before the motor began to whir and the floor began to lower.

As soon as the doors to the outside opened, I started the bike and quickly sped down the street, heading back toward the highway where the remote strip club was located. Syn and I needed to have a long, overdue conversation. Our friendship wasn’t going to save her from the mess she had made for herself.

The sun was already beginning to set on the horizon, the air taking on a chill as the shadows lengthened. Thick tree growth took place of warehouses and other buildings. The drive didn’t take long before I was pulling into the gravel parking lot that was already beginning to fill up with cars. The bright neon from the sign provided plenty of light over the gravel in flashing reds and pinks.

I pulled right up to the doors, the bouncer giving me a grim nod, obviously remembering me from the night before. I gave a chin lift back in acknowledgment and walked into the dimly lit club. Music was already pounding while a mostly naked girl gyrated against a shiny pole up on the center stage. I stopped and swiveled my head from side to side, looking for Syn. I took in a few steadying breaths to get my anger under control. I would never purposely hurt Syn or any other woman, but I couldn’t be sure that my power wouldn’t leach out of me without my consent. I had told Kallista I was dangerous. That was why. I couldn’t always stop the destruction I was capable of.

“Val, darling!”

Syn’s voice was the same sultry purr it always had been, but now I could hear the sickeningly sweet undertones, the ones that beckoned a man to follow. I finally understood what she was. She wasn’t a Succubus. The demoness was a Siren. Working in the sex trade was likely the easiest way she had discovered to lure in her prey. I thought it was so she’d have a steady supply of food. In a way, that was still correct. It’s just that her food wasn’t through sexual energy. She was literally in the business of sucking the life out of men.

Before she could reach me, I turned and stalked toward the door she had led me through the night before. I didn’t wait to see if she’d follow; I knew she would. As soon as I pushed through the swinging doors, I turned to the right, heading toward her office. The lights were still dim down the hallway, but the music was, thankfully, a lot quieter.

I shoved the heavy wooden door open and strode in, stopping next to her desk. I ignored the rest of the room as I watched Syn walk in with a smile tipping up the corners of her brightly painted lips. Even though she was smiling I could see the irritation she was trying to hide.

“Eager to be alone, darling?” she asked in a mocking tone as she sauntered over to her drink cabinet and began to pour herself a shot of something clear. I idly wondered if she ever finished the glass of expensive vodka last night after I left.

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