Chapter Four
On our way
out the hotel, I stopped by and told Claudia where I was going. Cameron went up ahead of me as he let
Claudia and I talk.
"So,
what did he tell you?"
"That
Jonas's was a gold mine of information."
I went to turn around, but thought of something, "do me a
favor."
"Sure." She stepped out of the phone booth and
looked at me.
"Look
inside a folder that is on the table in the room."
"Alright. Now, why are you leaving with him?"
"I was
really rude and thought I would make up."
"Uh-huh
Sara. You like him, don't you?"
"Maybe,
maybe not."
"Yeah,
you like those dark haired guys."
"Claudia,
can you do me two favors now?"
"Yeah."
"Shut
up!"
She pushed
me away from her then started walking back to the hotel room. I went in the direction in which Cameron
did.
He was
standing near a small aqua blue Nissan truck.
It must have been like a '94.
Maybe I was wrong. Doesn't
really matter. His shirt was blowing in
the wind showing a little glimpse of his abs.
Damn, he looked good.
He was
leaning against the passenger's side with the door open. I suppose that's where I'll be going.
He smiled at
me as I walked closer to him. "So
this is the dream machine?"
"Yes. Now, will my lady please take a place in the
grand..."
"Stagecoach?"
"Nah,
please get in the truck." I
laughed. Best to be straight out, huh?
I let him
hold the door open while I stepped inside.
I even let him shut the door.
Amazing.
I buckled
myself in while he began to get into his seat.
He was staring at me while I was positioning myself in his little
truck. I looked over at him and wanted
to ask, "got a problem?" but I'm not that rude. Anyway, I'd owe him another dinner if I kept
being rude.
"You
wanna start the ignition now?"
He shook his
head and then flew back to reality.
"Yes, I'm sorry for staring."
"It's
alright. So, where is Casa Ole?"
"About
a mile from here. I'm guessing you've
never been there." He put the
truck in reverse and started backing up from the hotel.
"Bingo. I don't really remember many people in
Houston. I mostly stayed to myself when
I was here. All except Claudia."
"And
those poor dead vampires," he turned his head to me with a huge grin on
his face.
"They
weren't poor," I rolled my eyes.
He added,
"but, they are dead."
"Sure
are, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
He stared at
me as if he didn't understand.
"Wanna
watch the road?"
"Yeah,
sorry."
I sunk deep
in the seat and thought of how to explain it.
"Listen, I kill because my life depends on it. Those vampires tried to kill me. What was I supposed to do? Stand there and let them rip me to
shreds?"
He was
shaking his head. "No, I guess
not. But you don't look like the type
to kill."
"Looks
are deceiving."
"I'm
guessing that."
I smiled at
him. "So how close are we to the
restaurant now?"
"So
very close."
"What
type of lycanthrope are you?"
His face
turned to me and his eyes held a type of raw sadness that almost overwhelmed
me. He wasn't expecting that
question. He should have known it was
coming. He swallowed and then answered,
"I'm a werewolf."
"Mind
if I ask a little further?"
"Why
not."
"How
were you infected?"
"One
night I ran away from my nightmare of a suburban home and went straight to my
uncle's house. There, he was having sex
with some woman off the street. I
slowly made my way inside the living room and stayed. From there, I heard these terrifying screams coming from the
bedroom. Like a curious child, I wanted
to know where they were coming from, so I went to his bedroom. I opened the door, and there, with all its
mighty presence was my uncle in his werewolf skin. He had changed during sex and killed the woman. He then came after me and sliced my arm
open. When he realized who I was, he
ran out of his own house."
"How
did your family take it?"
"From
that day, my family didn't claim him.
He was eventually put to death by the state. I, on the other hand, had to live with myself as a werewolf. Even at that young of an age."
"How
young were you?"
He blinked
twice before he answered me.
"Twelve."
I
gulped. Most people I know can't handle
what they are at their own adult age.
Here was a child forced to live a life most people feared.
"You
are so very brave. A hell of a lot
braver than I am."
His face
turned back to me with a smile of respect spread across it. "Thank you."
"You
are so very welcomed."
He eased the
truck into a packing space and stopped the engine.
"Alright,
Ms. Pezzini, we're here."
"Well,
about time."
He started
unbuckling his seat belt. "You
can't honestly believe that a ride with me was that bad."
"You're
right. It was better than I
expected."
"And
what did you expect?"
"Truthfully,
someone conceited."
"It's
always nice to prove people wrong."
I opened my
door, jumped out, and slammed it. "Jackass."
He stood
there and laughed like there was no tomorrow.
