Page 22 of Wicked Bite
Right, nothing like showing up late to a date . . . three weeks late.
A lot had happened in such a short period of time. The simple truth was it was a shit show but sorted now. For the most part. I’d see in the fullness of time how things played out. But for now, I had time to myself, and I wanted to spend it with the Sassy Creature who’d captured my attention from the start. I stood outside the bar where she’d told me to meet her in Salem and sucked in a breath. The night was colder than when we’d met. Winter was upon us, and an icy chill pricked at my skin. The street was eerily quiet compared to those of Boston or New York City. It was like the town itself shut down, and now only the dredges of society scurried in the shadows. The pub where she worked was still open but there were barely any people there. Outside metal furniture sat vacant and even the portable heaters were covered up tight.
I pulled my jacket in closer around me and took a step toward the glass door. I didn’t smell her warm honey scent lingering on the air like the first night, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t here. Fried food, burgers, and desserts also filled the air. This place was more a restaurant than a pub, with booths and tables scattered throughout and a large bar in the middle of the room. It was made of light hardwood with tall chairs all around it. TVs were stationed on the walls around the room. There was a big difference between Salem and Boston. I glanced around looking for her and caught the barest whiff of her scent.
Hope bloomed in my chest. Hope that she’d be here and hope that she’d forgive me for missing our one date. I wanted to prove that her picker wasn’t broken regarding me. Missing a date isn’t the way to do that, jackass.
Tonight wasn’t as busy as when I met Piper. There was room to move and walk right through the tables straight to the bar. A guy stood behind the bar and leaned against the shelf behind him. He crossed his arms over his chest and blew a puff of air from his lips. When I approached the bar, he didn’t move.
“What can I get you?”
I glanced around to no avail. “I’m looking for Piper. Is she here tonight?”
The door to the kitchen smacked open and hit the wall. Dice staggered through carrying a case of beer. She blew a stray strand of her blonde hair from her face. “No, she’s not here.”
Her tone was cold and dismissive with a hint of pissed-off. I’d been around enough women to know if you hurt the bestie, no amount of lava will thaw the chill the bestie would give. “Dice, lovely as ever to see you.”
She slammed the box on the countertop and ripped the top open. “Wish I could say the same.”
The guy moved to her side and glared at me. Like he was some kind of bodyguard. When I knew for sure that Dice didn’t need one. He puffed his chest up. “We good here, Dice?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” She pulled a bottle from the case and shoved it down into the ice. He gave her a single nod then walked over to the other side of the bar to chat up a waitress.
Oh, the death glare. I leaned against the bar. “Oh, come now, love. You can’t honestly be that put out with me.”
She froze with a bottle in hand and her head snapped up. “Does talking that shit really work on people?”
“Usually.” I shrugged.
“Leave.” She rolled her eyes.
“I can’t do that.” Truth was I really couldn’t. Piper captured my interest, and I wouldn’t be swayed from it. She had a vitality about her that contradicted the way and style of Vampires. There was no cold demeanor with her. She was all fire, and I was here to get burned.
“So, try, lover boy.” She turned away from me to toss the box into the corner.
“I find it difficult to get her out of my mind.”
“Once again, try.” She marched back over to the bar and mirrored my position. “You ghosted her for three weeks and then show up here like it’s nothing. But it’s something.”
Bang. Right to the heart of the matter as a best friend should. The queens would’ve done so with knives and magic. This tiny human did so with words. Respectable. “Indeed, it is.”
“And yet here you still stand.” She motioned toward me.
“What if I told you, it was life or death?”
Dice pressed her hand to her chest and batted her eyes. “How very dramatic. And so very unbelievable.”
A customer came up and I stepped to the side, waiting while Dice took their order and poured the drink. The moment he left, I stepped back into place. “I’m being serious. One of my closest friends nearly died . . . I mean, he did die. But they got him back. But it was a . . . fight. Of epic proportions.”
Technically, not a lie. Some of my closest friends had gotten trapped in unseelie and nearly died . . . some even died for real. But some shady deals were made, and they all came back. Mostly unscathed.
“Funny you should say that.” She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Mine almost died, too. The night you were supposed to meet her.”
My heart stopped in my chest. “What do you mean?”
“I mean if you bothered to show up, she would’ve been fine. Instead, I found her all bloody on the ground.”
My stomach churned and I placed my hands on the bar top to steady myself. How could I react this way to meeting her one time? Yet, here I was three weeks later, following my infatuation back to Salem and to the ends of the earth if I had to. I would eviscerate any who hurt her. The realization was startling considering how short a time I’d known her. Her face haunted my dreams for weeks and my every waking moment.
