Chapter Nine
"Collins!"
Paige snapped her attention at the chef. Her food was ready to go out and she was standing there like an idiot. Thanking the man, she placed the plates on her tray and walked around the other waitress as she made her way to the table. At the table were two men leaving the office late. Both of their ties were loose around their necks and they had their sleeves rolled up. Thanking her, Paige went to go check her other tables before heading back to sip from her drink. A table lined up along the wall with a row of drinks from the employees. As Paige brought her drink to her lips, she cringed inside when she remembered what she saw last night.
The drugs hadn't worked so Paige called in sick last night. Meg didn't like the fact that her little sis was ditching work. Before she could say more on the phone call, Paige hung up and started cleaning her room. At least she didn't have to lift furniture that weighed more than her. Sweeping up shards from the picture frame and making sure her clock still worked, she got dressed and headed to the streets. She had no place in particular in mind so she just wandered around.
Things were getting worse for her and Paige feared the drugs would one day fail. Her picture frame and clock was more than enough to convince her. The only problem was that she didn't want to adjust her amount too much. She still considered her a light weight. Any more and she might be buying the drugs out of an addiction. Right now she had the will to call it off. That would be amazing if she was given the choice.
While Paige's feet carried her down the street, a foul stench drifted to her nose that she covered herself. Too late since the smell was in her nose. She gagged for a couple of seconds before holding her breath to find where the smell was coming from. It was across the street past the corner so she checked the street to see if she could cross. Her little investigation paused when an Escalade came cruising by. Once it was safe to cross, Paige was so focused on following the scent that she failed to notice she was heading the same as the Escalade.
She probably should've paid more attention when she poked her head into a parking lot.
Dhusk was sitting on the hood of his Charger.
There were bodies around him.
Paige covered her mouth so no one could hear her gasp. Her body shook when more people just as built and nearly taller than Dhusk came out of Escalade and looked around like they had a mess to clean up. Another person came out of the Charger and it wasn't Hhavoc. This person looked just like Dhusk that Paige didn't need anyone to tell her they might be brothers. One of the men threw Dhusk a shirt, bringing Paige's attention to the one he was wearing.
It might've been the trick of the light but it looked like he was covered in black blood.
Spinning around and clutching her chest, Paige couldn't believe what she just saw. Dhusk was completely covered in blood that a simple shirt wouldn't do. There were so many bodies by his feet that she didn't have the luxury to count them. And the look in his eyes told her he had done this more than once.
Paige feared someone might see her so she started out in a sprint before stopping by the corner. A light was above her, casting a large shadow around her body. She didn't stop because she felt like it. Something in the air caught her attention and she knew what it was. Wrapping her arms tight around her chest, she closed her eyes and begged in her mind for it not to happen. Nothing listened to her when the lights down the street began to flicker. Bringing her hands from her arms to her ears, Paige bit down on her lip so she wouldn't whimper when sounds of objects began to ring in the parking lot. She went down in a hunched position as more destruction happened where Dhusk was.
The sound of a street lamp falling caused her to shriek and look around. It were there she saw the fleeing Charger. As she stood once more, the light above her flickered so fast she knew the bulb would go out in a second. When she looked back at the speeding car, she swore she saw Dhusk looking right at her when the light gave.
Bringing her thoughts back the present, Paige finished her drink and brushed past a waiter who was done taking his break. The smell of smoke covered him and hardly dimmed when he waved the air around him. As Paige pulled out her pad and looked around at her tables, she nearly dropped her pad.
Dhusk was sitting at her table.
Checking the diner to make sure he was alone, she marched right up to the table and felt sick when he greeted her with a smile. She leaned down close so no one would hear the two. "Get out before I call the cops," she whispered. That smile of his shrunk when he heard her warning.
"I don't—"
"The police will find those bodies. It's only a matter of time."
Dhusk surprised Paige by taking her hand and going straight for the door. Even though she could've caused a seen to zero him out, she didn't want to be the center of attention so she followed him. That didn't stop her from wrapping her other hand around her pen. She could us that to stick him in the neck. Now all she had to do was figure a way to reach up there.
Pushing them both out the door and to the Charger, Dhusk finally released her. His eyes scanned the area and blew out a sigh when he saw they were the only ones around. He then turned his brown eyes to Paige. She held his gaze even though she was shaking inside.
"How much did you see?" he asked.
"Enough to know you're a damn murderer."
"Listen, Paige. I can—"
"Don't say you can explain because you can't. You killed people, Dhusk. I have every right to turn you and your friends in. And your brother if I'm guessing right."
She must've been because he raked his hands through his hair. As he shifted around like he was agitated, something poked from the back of his jacket. Paige already saw the two guns in their holsters. What surprised her was when she caught the sight of what looked like a dagger strapped to his side and a tomahawk on the back of his waist.
Dhusk caught sight of Paige backing up because he grabbed her by the arms. He then drew her behind the Charger. This time she dug her heels in the ground even though it didn't do anything. Next best thing for her to do was scream and she was on the verge of doing so. Dhusk silenced her before she had the chance of breathing in air. Once the Charger protected them from the view of the diner, Dhusk begged her not to scream. He waited until she nodded to bring his hand down.
"Just give me a minute to explain."
Paige wrapped her fingers around her pen as she nodded.
"Damn it," he mumbled. He started shifting around again. It didn't matter to Paige. His seconds were ticking by and she already found a spot to stick him in case he tried to do something fishy. "The others are so going to fucking kill me."
Taking in a deep breath, Dhusk raised his upper lip like he wanted to show Paige something. At first, she thought maybe he himself was on some sort of drugs. But when he stood there showing his teeth, Paige noticed two which were different. Leaning in to get a better look, she narrowed her eyes to sharpen her vision.
Every hair on her body stood up.
"Aw, hell no!"
Whipping out her pen, Paige stabbed Dhusk in the shoulder. She caught him by surprise because he stumbled back and fell against his car while clutching his bleeding shoulder. With surprise on her side, Paige darted around the car and was about to barge right through the doors to the diner when Dhusk magically appeared between her and the entrance.
"You…you're a…a…"
"A vampire." He paused for a second. "Half actually. My mahmen is human."
Paige felt the world go tipsy because she began to sway. Thankfully Dhusk got her from falling over.
"This is so not happening."
"I'm afraid it is."
She looked up at him to find his eyes wandering around again. It was like he was expecting someone to pop out of thin air and surprise them. Well, she did just see him do the act a second ago. There was a possibility someone might actually do it.
"Sorry if I look paranoid," he said. Paige pushed back now that she could stand on her own. "We're not supposed to tell humans. It puts them at a risk of being targeted."
"Targeted? By what?"
Dhusk's nervous expression turned dark and serious. "Our kind are hunted by what are called lessers. They're a type of hunter made to kill our kind. Those bodies you saw were the bodies of our enemy. Did you get a good look of them?"
Paige shook her head. She was too busy looking at all the blood.
"They're your dealers."
Now Paige had to sit down. Dhusk joined her while she inhaled and exhaled. "That's why you warned me," she breathed. "I've been their fucking source of income against you guys. God, I feel like a damn idiot."
"You didn't know and neither do the others who buy from them."
"So those guys? They're vampires too?"
Dhusk lifted his jacket and pulled out his dagger a bit. Paige noticed how the blade itself was black. Dhusk set it back in its sheath and covered it with his jacket. "We call ourselves the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The Brotherhood has been around for as long as our kind has existed. We serve our king and protect those who need it against the lessers. And if you're wondering, we don't live forever."
That was actually something she was going to ask. Might as well check that off the list.
"You do drink blood, right? Those fangs of yours aren't for show?"
"Only from our own. Human blood doesn't sustain us for long."
In other words, Paige didn't have to worry about someone sinking their fangs in her neck.
"And your little disappearing act?"
"It's an ability we use for transportation and escape if need be."
Paige nodded even though it was still weird. "So vampires are real. Great. Never thought about that one." She picked up a pebble and threw it across the parking lot. "So what now? You said you didn't tell humans because of them being targeted. Am I going to be hunted down as well?"
Dhusk leaned back to look at the sky. "Well, there is a way for me to make sure you wont tell anyone. We can erase a human's memory in case they see anything." Dhusk paused as if he was contemplating what he said next. "But if you don't got telling people, I think it's okay if you knew about us." His eyes shifted down to her. "It would make me feel better if you stop doing business with the lessers."
That was going to be a hard request. Paige kept her lips shut since she couldn't tell Dhusk. He just told her he was a freaking vampire and she was still afraid of telling anyone about it. Surely being a vampire was better than having to deal with this.
All Paige could give him was a low nod.
"By the way, you said you were there, right?" She did another nod to his question. "Did you see whatever made those quakes?"
It didn't faze her when she said, "No." Paige figured he would ask her sooner or later. "I was just hiding until it passed."
"Makes sense."
Paige shot an accusing glare at him and he held up his hands. "That's not what I mean," he hastily apologized. "I mean, the thing scared the shit out of us that I would've done the same thing."
Dhusk stood up and held out his hand for her to take. Since he was being nice, she took and wiped her rear off. This was so not how Paige expected her night to be like. She kind of hoped Dhusk wouldn't show up at her work. She also planned to call the cops if he did. Now she had to worry about these lessers finding out she knew about this Brotherhood and its members figuring she knew about them.
This was one hell of a night.
Taking a peek inside, Paige noticed how someone was covering her tables. Someone must've assumed she was on her break and acted. At least she didn't have to worry about getting fired. "Well, I need to get back to work."
"Yeah. And sorry for all of this. Hope I didn't freak you out too much."
"Not really," she murmured under her breath. Dhusk didn't hear her so he didn't ask what she meant.
"Oh! Paige?" She turned around when she heard her name. Dhusk was rubbing his head and looked a little sheepish as if he was nervous to ask her something. Something prickled in Paige's head and she figured out what he was going to ask her. She beat him to the punch by telling him she didn't have the jacket. He didn't look so surprised that Paige was suspicious of him. Her suspicion was right when he told her he would then have to come by tomorrow to pick it up.
Before she could tell him to go to hell, Dhusk got in his car and waved as he pulled out. Paige grunted and kicked a lonely rock once he was gone. Standing alone in the parking lot with the diner to her back, Paige began to wonder what she would do now that a vampire would be hanging around her. And if he would start coming by, more than likely he would bring his friends.
Paige really hoped nothing like last night happened around them or it would take more than a white lie to get her out of trouble.
