Page 60 of Night of the Vampire
He started to roll his eyes again, and then thought better of it. A smart move. "We talked. We shared. She hugged me goodbye. That's all. I swear it."
I let what he'd just told me sink in. Jamal was a pain in the ass sometimes, but one thing he was not was a liar. He also wasn't afraid of me as much as he should be. If he said that's what happened, then that's what happened.
"Get me a whiskey," I ordered Elias.
Little by little, he released his hold on me, ready to jump back in at a moment's notice.
I took a few deep breaths, willing my heart to slow and focusing on Jamal and what he'd said. As my irrational anger drained away, Brogan loosened his hold, then took a step back.
When I'd drained the glass Elias had brought me and had a second one in my hand, I looked up at Jamal. "Do you know where she is?"
He nodded. "I do. But I promised her I'd give her a few days to herself before I told you."
I cocked my head. "So your allegiance lies with her now, and not me?"
"She just needs a little space. Let her digest everything."
I swallowed the rest of my whiskey and set my glass on the bar. "I'm not good at waiting."
Jamal laughed. "Don't I know that. But if you don't want her to hate you, you'll do this for her."
Walking around the bar, I pulled out more glasses for everyone. Brogan, Elias, and Dae immediately took a seat and let me serve them. It was my way of thanking them for keeping me under control because Elias had been right when he'd said I'd never forgive myself. At one time, a long time ago, Jamal had been my one and only friend. My best friend. I still loved him as such, and hoped one day we could get that relationship back.
They accepted my apology with toasts and requests for refills, which I obliged. "Sorry I ruined your night," I told Dae as I filled his glass.
"Aww." He waved one hand back and forth as though he was waving away a bad smell. "No worries, man. The ladies will be back tomorrow. And they're bringing more friends."
"How do you know?" Brogan asked.
"Because I 'suggested' it to them as I was wiping their memories of what they just saw here."
"Awesome. I could use the extra." Brogan lifted his glass for another toast.
Jamal still stood behind them, his arms wrapped around this middle as he looked off at the stage without really seeing it. Bringing the bottle of whiskey with me, I joined him. "I—"
He shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. I get it." A thoughtful expression came over his face. "I mean, I don't really get it. But I get it."
I nodded, taking a swig from the bottle before offering it to him. It burned going down, warming me from the inside out and melting away my anger though my mind and my reflexes remained as sharp as ever. "I know she's not at her aunt's. Is she at a hotel?"
"Killian. Let it go. I'm not going to tell you."
Taking the bottle back, I finished it off. "What if she never wants to stay with me?" I asked him quietly as the others goofed off behind us. "What if, like you, she can't forgive me?"
"There's nothing for her to forgive. It's not like you knew this was going to happen. It just...is."
"It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't harassed her into coming to the swamp and then bit open her wrist to save Kenya." I pointed the bottle at him and then back at me. "This wouldn't have happened between us if I would've just left her the hell alone like you told me."
Jamal thought about that. "I dunno, Killian. Maybe it would've happened anyway. Eventually. She's your mate. And I get it now. Why you were so drawn to her, I mean."
"I can still smell her on you, and it's driving me mad."
He gave me a wary look.
I suddenly thought of something. "Wait. If we're all here, who's with Kenya?"
"Kenya's okay. Not well, but better than she was. I told her I'd be back as soon as I could."
Turning around, I set the bottle on the bar. "I'll go. You stay here. Or do whatever you'd like to do tonight. You've been stuck at the house enough while I've been chasing Lizzy around. And apparently she doesn't want anything to fucking do with me right now."
