Blaze: Underground Encounters 6 Read online

  Chee said, “Move over.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Taking you home.”

  “Are you insane?”

  “Some say so. But the Viking dude told me to get you out of here and I’m doing my duty to see that you get home safely.”

  “Your duty?” I repeated, shaking my head. “You’re out of your frickin’ mind, Chee Keydood.” I dropped his stage name with as much contempt as I could muster. “Now let me close the door.”

  “We’ll fight about it on the way. Let me in.”

  “Damn it, no.” I tried shutting the door, but he wouldn’t budge.

  “You may think I’m a dick, but whatever the hell happened in there is fucked up. I’m going to make sure you get home okay.”

  I must have been the world’s biggest idiot, but I moved over and let him climb in next to me.

  Uncomfortable about the drama we caused getting in, I peeked at the taxi driver, but he had a look of disinterest as if he’d seen this scene played out hundreds of times. Just another couple having a few too many drinks and ending up in an argument. I gave him my address in what I hoped was a calmer tone.

  Chee leaned back with a smug grin. “I’m picturing the last time we went to your place together.”

  “I’m regretting this already.” I slumped in my seat next to him. Our thighs touched and sparks of awareness shot through me, recalling the feel of his hands caressing my thighs. I pulled my leg away to make my point clear, even if it was with a twinge of regret. “Why do you care if I get home safe or not?”

  He stared straight ahead with an unreadable expression. “I don’t know. I just do.”

  I pulled out my cell phone to call Lily. If she didn’t find me back at Vamps, she’d freak out wondering what happened.

  “Hey Lil, it’s me,” I said.

  “Where are you, Ally? I’ve been looking for you.”

  The strange incidents that happened tonight began to come back to me. How Nike, a tall, beautiful woman convinced me to go backstage. I don’t even remember what she said to get me back there. And, somehow, I ended up with Chee Keydood, the guitarist I’d hooked up with from the Velvet Cocks.

  “I’m in a taxi going home,” I told Lily.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  Instinctively I reached for my neck. It had stopped bleeding, but I felt dried blood over two tiny bumps. When Nike had kissed my neck, sharp points pierced me, and I cried out, but such a flood of pure pleasure followed, I didn’t stop to question it. After the blond guy had pulled her away, I was still overcome with such a pleasurable sensation, it didn’t dawn on me to be afraid at all. It hadn’t been until Chee carried me out of there and pointed out the blood on my neck that I started to come out of a fog, as if I’d been entranced.

  “I’m fine,” I said. Well, now, at least.

  “Good,” she replied. “Hey, this may be a weird question, but have you seen Mike?”

  “Who?”

  “Chee Keydood,” she corrected herself. “Knowing him, he probably left with some girl, but Nico’s looking for him.”

  “Um yeah,” I admitted through gritted teeth. “He’s with me.”

  “Get out!” she squealed. “How did that happen?”

  “No, Lily, it’s not like that. At all.”

  “Yeah, okay,” she said in an unconvinced tone.

  “Can you grab my coat?”

  “Yeah. No problem. Have fun, kids.”

  “Lil—”

  It was too late. She hung up the phone.

  “Nico’s looking for me?” Chee asked.

  “Yeah. How did you know?”

  “She was practically shouting. I heard every word.”

  “She’s in a club. She had to yell.”

  Chee pulled out his phone and began texting.

  “Your name’s Mike?” I asked.

  “Guilty.” He tilted his head, appraising me, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

  “What’s my name, rock star?” I called him out, batting my eyelashes.

  “Um.” He bit his lip. “It’s um…” he began again and stared out the window.

  “Wow,” I exaggerated my disbelief. “You sleep with a woman and don’t remember her name.”

  The taxi driver who had been focused on the road peered back through the rear-view window. Even he knew Chee/Mike was in deep doo-doo over that one.

  “It was a long time ago. And I had a few drinks that night,” he said.

  “But, you remembered what we did in my apartment.”

  “Yeah.” He leaned in closer, raising an eyebrow.

  I inhaled his aftershave, an intoxicating musk that spiked heat between my legs.

  He whispered, “Of course.”

  I squeezed my thighs together, hoping he wouldn’t notice how he’d affected me. “Dick.”

  When we arrived at my place, I pulled out some cash to pay the driver, but Mike stopped me. “Go on, I’ve got it.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered and climbed out of the taxi.

  A moment later, he caught up to me and the taxi drove off.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Making sure you get home safe.”

  “O-kay,” I drew out the syllables. “I’m safe. Thank you for your concern.”

  He walked with me up to my door. “You’re welcome.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows. “There are plenty of women back at the club waiting for you to slay them with your rock star sex appeal.”

  “Slay,” he repeated with a laugh. “I like that.”

  “You’re wasting your time with me. I’m not sleeping with you again.”

  “That’s not why I’m here. But now that you bring it up.” His eyes widened with mischievousness. “Oh wait, you’re into girls. Should we find one to join us?”

  What was with this guy? He was decent one minute with getting me home safely and a dick the next. Probably just took me home to sleep with me.

  I unlocked my door, but there was no way I was letting him in. “Thanks for making sure I got home okay. Good night, Chee. Or Mike. Whatever your real name is.”

  “Good night.” Dark brows tightened over inquisitive eyes. “What is your name, anyway?”

  Humiliation burned like he’d branded me with a blowtorch.

  After I entered my apartment, I shot him a look of pure venom before slamming the door. I threw my keys across the room and shouted, “Bastard!”

  Chapter 2

  Danton

  While I waited for my lover Tracy to finish up her bartending shift at the club, I glanced at my brothers. They watched over this club from their stone forms, as I did for many months before breaking the curse.

  After she cashed out, she said, “Ready to go home?”

  “I’ll meet up with you there. There’s something I need to discuss with my brothers.”

  She peered at me with an inquisitive glint in her bright eyes. “What is it?”

  “I’m not sure yet, my love.”

  Since I’d taken the gargoyle oath with Tracy, who was human, my powers had grown stronger, so much so I could now switch from stone to man at will. And as the ancient magic filled me, I could also help my brothers come over, although the process drained me.

  She kissed me and flashed a naughty smile. “I’ll be waiting.”

  “I won’t be long.”

  “Good. It’s a cold night. I need you to warm me up.”

  I pulled her into my arms. She leaned in, pressing her full, round breasts against me. My cock immediately responded. Her delicious scent filled my nostrils. I kissed her, deep and slow, one to leave her wanting more.

  “Did that warm you enough to get you home?”

  “From my head to my toes. I’m all tingly with heat.” She leaned in to whisper, “Especially one place in particular.”

  “One of my favorite places to warm up.” I grinned.

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  She put on a long black duster, which covered all her s
exy parts in a seductive package I couldn’t wait to unwrap. Tracy often wore tight, black dresses when bartending here at the club. With her pink hair and luscious figure, she commanded the attention of all the men who came into the bar, and most of the women, too. I was one of them, watching through stone eyes for many moons. Fantasizing about her night after night, a futile delusion. She was flesh and I was stone. It wasn’t until she was in danger one night that I was able to transform into human form and reveal myself to protect her.

  “Don’t forget your hat,” I reminded her, pointing to the hook it hung on behind her.

  “What would I do without you?” she said.

  “Freeze?” I teased.

  She grabbed her purse and blew me a kiss. As she walked out the door, I followed every move of her body. Even after all the months that had passed, I hungered for her with as much intensity as I had in stone from afar. More so now that I’d had a taste and touch. I still couldn’t believe she’d taken the oath to be with me.

  I was the luckiest being of any shape or form to have ever lived.

  After she had left, I turned my attention to the next order of business, changing my brothers.

  “Mattias, Lucan,” I addressed two gargoyle statues perched in the club, the way I had been for many years. “I’m going to transform you.” I gave them a warning before I summoned the magic. “We need to discuss something.”

  I inhaled deeply and exhaled, drawing the ancient power into my body. At first, I barely registered a tingle of its presence. The more it flowed into me, the stronger it grew. Within moments the magic spread through my body, flowing in my veins, tingling every nerve.

  Summoning such power could be dangerous if not used correctly. I respected the magic derived from the elements within me and focused on directing the magic to bridge my brothers.

  The air shimmered, its energy pulsating between us. First, the gargoyle near the entrance, opposite where my shell remained, animated from the stone. I could sense his transformation from stone to flesh as much as I could see it before me. His gray stone took on the color of an olive-skinned human and his stone wings unfurled to gray leathery ones. He stretched from a hunched posture and grew as he stood on two legs. The overlarge features of his face minimized to those of a human male and black hair sprouted from his head, extending past his shoulders. Mattias was as dark as I was light. The sensation of the magic leaving my body made me heady.

  As Mattias completed the transformation, I directed my attention close to the ceiling. Lucan preferred to perch high on the wall, watching the patrons from overhead, while Mattias and I had been positioned at an eye-to-eye level with the humans. Like Mattias, Lucan shifted from gray stone to flesh. From his position above, Lucan flapped his wings to slow his descent to the floor.

  “Aye,” Lucan said. “What is it, brother?”

  “Something peculiar happened backstage tonight.”

  “It must be important for you to change us,” Mattias said.

  It took a lot of energy to shift two cursed gargoyles to human form. But, having been cursed in stone myself, I changed them whenever I’d restored enough energy.

  “Yes. I met a man back there.” I motioned to the rear of the club. “He was watching two women. One of them was Nike. She bit a woman.”

  “She’s not a vampire,” Lucan asked. “Is she?”

  “No,” I responded. “But she is adopting the behavior of one. And doesn’t seem to be in control of her actions. We need to watch her.”

  “Is she a threat to humans?” Lucan asked.

  “Yes.” I nodded. “I believe so.”

  “What about Michel?” Mattias posed. The former owner of Vamps, Michel, was in fact a vampire and he had brought us gargoyles to protect those in the club, including him. “Does he know what’s going on?”

  “I’m not sure, but I will tell him what I witnessed.” I paced before them and rubbed my chin, still bothered by what happened back there although I couldn’t quite pinpoint it. “Something else happened.”

  “Go on, brother,” Lucan said.

  “A man witnessed the encounter with Nike. I tried to clear his memory, but my magic had no effect on him at all.”

  Mattias raised his hand, palm up. “He’s especially strong-minded, perhaps?”

  “Yes,” I agreed. “But it was more than that. A strong-minded individual would fight to block the intrusion. It didn’t even have an effect on him.”

  Lucan and Mattias exchanged a glance.

  “That is peculiar,” Lucan said.

  “What do you think the reason is?” Matthias asked.

  “I don’t know. I tried to ascertain what he was and there’s definitely something different about him.”

  “Gargoyle magic wouldn’t work on a vampire,” Lucan said. “Or a shapeshifter for that matter.”

  Right. Those were among the many things I’d considered. “I believe he’s human, but I sense something else. I need you both to keep an eye on him when I’m not here.”

  Mattias nodded. “What does he look like?”

  “He’s easy to spot,” I said. “The guitarist for the Velvet Cocks.”

  “The rock band Maya books to play here often?” Mattias said.

  Maya, girlfriend of the club owner Tristan Stone, booked many of the acts. She’d booked the Velvet Cocks many times. Clearly, she was a fan.

  “Yes.”

  Lucan’s mouth twitched into a smirk. “Is he the one who wears the crazy outfits? Like he’s from the Middle Ages?”

  “That would be the one,” I agreed. Chee Keydood was as recognizable for his outfits as for his antics onstage.

  “What shall we look for, in particular?” Mattias asked.

  Good question. “Take notice of anything at all.”

  “If he’s dangerous, we’ll handle it,” Lucan added.

  Although I didn’t sense a threat, I wouldn’t rule it out, either. We had to be vigilant.

  For anything.

  Ally

  As I walked on the paths with Lily, the scent of pine trees reminded me that Christmas was coming soon. Snow still clung to the ground and the air was cool, but it felt soothing after working my muscles during yoga.

  “Check you out at the gym on a Sunday,” Lily said. “Miracles do happen.”

  “Don’t remind me. I’m doing a favor for the instructor. She had a wedding last night and begged me to cover for her. I have half an hour until I teach Pilates.”

  “Sooo,” she began in a singsong voice. “How did you end up with Mike last night?”

  “We didn’t really end up together,” I protested. “We just ran into each other and he wanted to make sure I got home okay.”

  “Aww,” Lily said. “Sounds sweet.”

  “Ugh, no,” I clarified. “He didn’t even remember me at first. What an ass.” The sting was still fresh.

  “Was he trying to sleep with you again?” Lily took a swig from her water bottle.

  I chewed my bottom lip, trying to make sense of everything. “Probably. He’s a guy. And his reputation as a womanizer is well-known. He’s not like Nico.”

  Lily began seeing Nico several months ago. And they moved in together rather quickly if you ask me. She quit her job to start consulting, sold her sweet condo, and they bought a townhouse.

  “He’s not so bad, Ally,” Lily said. “I thought he was a jerk at first. Didn’t like him one bit. But he just takes some getting used to.”

  I snorted to show my skepticism.

  Lily gave me a sympathetic look. “I think he inflates the bad boy image to fit the role of a rock guitarist.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Because he’s different when he’s hanging out with Nico and John. Nico told me how smart he is. No matter how much they dig at each other, the guys respect him. Apparently, he’s a brilliant software engineer at work. Skipped a couple of grades at school and went to MIT.”

  A pang of empathy hit me. It must have been tough to not only go to a super s
elective and competitive school like MIT, but to be two years younger than everyone else. As a fan of the Velvet Cocks, I knew they were a bunch of self-proclaimed computer geeks who made a rock band for fun. Starting out as a parody at first, they created an outrageous band name and stage names and were as surprised as anyone when they took off and grew a following and landed a recording deal.

  “That’s kind of cool,” I admitted.

  “You know how some guys like that can be,” she continued. “Super smart, but lacking in social skills.”

  Perhaps. I’d had a thing for Chee Keydood, their brazen guitarist who sported sexy leather, medieval-style tunics, a belt with plates of armor, and enormous boots. Since I’d seen them play a few times, I was familiar with Chee’s stage presence. While Nico took on a punk look, wearing torn camouflage, combat boots, and a scowling expression, and their drummer Dorian Black took on the dark, brooding role, hiding among the shadows, Chee relished the audience’s attention. He played up to them with his guitar riffs and a naughty-boy smile and the crowd ate it up.

  Chee was known for his wild outfits. Some nights he sported a fantasy costume of tunics and boots, like from out of a role-playing video game with knights. Other nights, he wore leather pants with some type of fur covering his torso. And he might wear any number of costumes in between, whatever mood struck him. Most of them included giant boots and silver accessories.

  “He’s doing a convincing job in his portrayal of a womanizing jackass,” I said as we turned onto a path to head back to the gym. “He didn’t even remember my name.”

  The last time I’d seen them was on Halloween, months after we’d slept together. Chee went all out, wearing a pirate outfit that could put Johnny Depp to shame. It included a long, brown, leather duster over tight cropped pants and with no shirt underneath. He was lean, not overly muscular, but not soft like I’d expect from a guy who spent all day in front of a computer. And the boots—big brown leather boots with huge silver buckles. He’d worn a large, brimmed hat over his mussed sandy-brown waves that fell around his shoulders. He'd ended up dripping with sweat.

  I was so turned on watching him that I almost approached him again. I had to stop myself. We’d had a one-night stand, that was all. Anything more with a rock star was asking for trouble. And our one night would have been just peachy if my friend hadn’t moved in with his band mate and coworker. Talk about awkward. The last thing I wanted was to hang around him while Nico and Lily mooned over each other. Since that night, I’d avoided situations where we might run into each other.