Chapter 12
1371 Words
Titus nearly choked on his beer. “That’s on the other side of the country.”
“It’s also the highest point east of the Mississippi,” Boris said. “About half the clans came out of the forests surrounding that area. They don’t want anything to do with what’s about to go down here in L.A.… and I can’t really say I blame them for returning home.”
“Do they actually know what’s going on?” Titus asked.
Boris shook his head, “Not really, but there have been too many demon sightings for their liking.”
“And what do you want to do?” Titus sighed wondering if he’d come back to this city for nothing.
“I’ll stay here with you and the rest of our clan,” Boris answered. “I don’t fear what might happen to me… I do fear what might happen if we don’t stay. This is our new turf and I find it a bit disturbing that the other clans are so willing to give up their territory.”
The front door of the club opened and both men turned their attention toward the visitor. Titus raised an eyebrow when Damon stepped in and closed the door behind him.
“Good evening.” Titus said without getting up from his seat. Why stand up when there was a risk of the vampire knocking him down again… depending on his mood. He couldn’t stop himself from rubbing a hand across his chin remembering the last punch.
Boris kept silent wondering why the vampire was here. He’d learned long ago to avoid the creatures that were stronger than him as much as possible.
The age-old story about vampires and werewolves constantly waging war on one another was a load of bull. It was the byproduct of some ancient human’s imagination that had happened to see one of their kind battling against a vampire-like creature a few centuries before… absolutely no truth to the legend at all.
That had been a soulless vampire… not the same breed as Damon and Michael. However, that didn’t stop werewolves from staying out of their way.
“What can I do for you?” Titus asked after Damon approached the table.
Damon quickly tossed a briefcase on the table in front of them. “I’m here to make you an offer you would be foolish to refuse.”
Titus quirked an eyebrow, “What kind of offer and what do I have that you would want?”
Damon unlocked the briefcase and opened it before turning it around to reveal a large sum of money neatly stacked inside. “I want to buy Love Bites.”
Boris looked up at Damon in confusion. “Why do you want this place?”
“Does it matter?” Damon asked as he narrowed his gaze warningly.
Titus looked at the briefcase before reaching out and closing the top. “There’s more in there than this place is worth.”
Damon smirked, “I’m feeling generous and besides, this won't even put a dent in my pocket.”
“This could be the chance for that fresh start you’ve been wanting,” Boris pointed out. “And since we are down in numbers we won’t be able to open the club anyway so why keep it.”
“Micah did offer for us to come and stay with him at Night Light,” Titus said thoughtfully then looked up at the vampire. “How long before you want us out?”
Damon gave Titus his best poker face. “Long enough for all of you to grab your personal belongings and get out.”
Titus almost laughed at Damon’s blunt attitude but hey… with all the money in that case, Damon probably could have bought all of Rodeo Drive without batting an eyelash.
“I’ll go get the deed,” Titus said at last before rising up from his seat and heading into his office.
*****
“It feels strange driving now,” Titus said as he and Damon stepped out of Titus’ car. “There’s not as much traffic after last night’s earthquakes. I guess the humans have decided to take the day off.”
Damon nodded as he straightened his jacket, “I saw a news broadcast last night where the authorities have issued voluntary evacuations for fear of the main fault line finally giving way.”
Titus whistled, “That’s a scary thought. The big one hits Los Angeles and in the pandemonium… the demons run amuck. Hollywood would have a field day making that into a movie later.”
Damon nodded but something in his gut told him there was more to that news broadcast than just a warning. Los Angeles had experienced earthquakes, before but for the authorities to issue an evacuation of this magnitude was out of character.
They walked through the front doors of Night Light and froze at the sight before them. Alicia went flying through the air at Michael, who caught her in mid-flight and stumbled back a few steps.
Damon’s eyes narrowed when he saw Michael’s hand on her a*s and his hands fisted tightly. He saw red when Michael lowered his face until he was nose to nose with Alicia and started whispering something dangerously close to her lips.
“Hmm, they look like they’re having fun,” Titus said with a grin and took a step forward. “I want in on this.”
“Like hell!” Damon snarled.
Titus blinked and Damon was on the other side of the room with his hand around Michael’s neck holding him against the wall. Amazingly, Alicia was safely standing in the spot Michael had been standing in a split second before.
The breath was knocked from Michael’s lungs and he quickly took hold of the hand squeezing him around his throat. Looking into Damon’s angry eyes, he inwardly smirked knowing what he must have seen when he walked in.
“Damon stop!” Alicia yelled. “He was only helping me out.”
“Helping you out my a*s,” Damon growled as he glanced over his shoulder at her. “He had his hands all over you.”
Alicia shot him a glare and crossed her arms over her chest. “How the hell else do you expect him to teach me how to fight if he can’t touch me?”
“And do you actually think I’d let someone besides you manhandle my sister?” Micah demanded. “What the hell do you take me for?”
Damon blinked in surprise and jerked his gaze back to Michael’s. He slowly released his hold on his brother.
Michael slumped over with his hands on his knees trying to learn how to breathe again. He was glad he couldn’t manage it because if he’d had the breath in him, then he’d been laughing his a*s off at Damon.
“You are such a jerk,” Alicia grumbled as she walked up to Michael and placed a soothing hand on his back, glaring at Damon the whole time.
Damon sighed and realized he still had a long way to go before his jealousy was anywhere near under control.
Seeing her like that with Michael brought back memories of the now faceless woman they had both fought over and killed in their stupidity. It was as though time had run backwards and he was seeing it in slow motion. But that was the past… this was the present and both brothers had learned a very valuable lesson… a lesson that finally surfaced after decades of sibling war.
“I bought Love Bites and shut down the club,” Damon said after a moment. “It is open for the family to move in at any time.”
“We have a vampire nest!” Alicia said excitedly and without thinking voiced the first thing that came to mind. The same thing she had fantasized about the only time she’d ever been to Love Bites. “Just imagine… three extremely yummy male vampires living under one roof. That would be enough to get any woman’s blood boiling.”
Damon almost bared his teeth when Alicia started talking. She didn’t need to be looking at his brothers… she needed to be looking at him.
“That would be four male vampires,” Michael corrected trying not to laugh at the jealousy shining in Damon’s eyes.
“Syn and his bright ideas,” Damon mocked grabbing Alicia’s hand in the lightest hold he could manage when his instincts was to hold on so tight it would hurt her.
Alicia frowned, “who’s Syn?’
“A fourth sexy vampire for you to drool over,” he growled.
This time Michael did laugh as he stood upright. Alicia was priceless in her innocence. When Damon turned his annoyed glare back toward him, Michael cleared his throat and changed the topic, “Have you told Kane and Tabatha?”
Damon finally smirked, “Syn told me he was going to take care of it.”
- Writer
