Kates stared at me, long and hard, and then flicked her cigarette on the ground. “If you tell me that you didn’t know I was here, I will skin you alive.”
“I knew you were and there are three vampires on the other side of this door that know you’re here too.” I’d be awful under torture.
Kates rolled her eyes. “Honey, every vampire in that bar knows I’m here. I’m a branded slayer, remember?”
Okay. This wasn’t going how I thought it would.
“This is Cherry,” Kates introduced with a back wave. “Cherry, this is my best friend, Davy.”
“You’re the Empath.”
The way he made it sound, it was like I was the only one. There were nearly a hundred thousand of us in the world, but I was probably the only one stupid enough to meander into a vampire bar twice in one night.
Kates frowned at him. “Yeah, she’s empathic. What of it?”
His quick eyes snapped to hers and read the warning. He straightened and ran a hand through his auburn curls then he flashed a charming smile. “No, she’s not just empathic. She’s the empath that was cozying up with the Hunter.”
“What?” Kates whirled to me. Her mouth didn’t drop, but I felt her bristling in shock. Kates hated being surprised.
The Hunter. That made him sound like he was famous or something, but then I realized he was famous in the vampire community. All hunters were known. “I—it wasn’t like that.”
“Sure,” he scoffed with a knowing smirk.
Kates looked between us. “Okay.” She turned and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I’ll be seeing you.”
He didn’t respond, but seemed to melt into the shadows as Kates grabbed my elbow and walked me out to the street and across to the next block. “Kates, I—” I started.
She hissed, “Not yet. Not here.”
I was left with little choice but to follow. After we walked down another three blocks and hailed a taxi, Kates started as soon as the taxi’s door was shut, “What were you thinking? You don’t show up at a bar like that, not alone.”
“I wasn’t alone and hello—you took me to the first one, remember?”
“I was there! You weren’t alone. And what do you mean, you weren’t alone?”
“I went with the Vam—,” I shot a fevered look at the taxi driver. “I went with Roane.”
“Who?”
“Luke Roane, you know… the one that you wanted me to talk to in the first place.”
Comprehension flashed and she sat back, slightly appeased. “Why?”
“Um… I thought you were in trouble. I felt it. I did my thing and his name came up. I was told to get a hold of him and he’d know what to do. He could help you.”
“I’m not in trouble. What do you mean you did your thing? You didn’t—that’s private, Davy!”
If the taxi driver was listening, he’d think we were both crazy. “I didn’t! Blue did and she told me to call Roane.”
“What? Why?”
I shrugged. “She said that you respect him or something. I don’t know. She said he was the one to call about this.”
I waited for more confusion, but to my surprise there was just silence. I stole a look and saw that Kates looked contemplative. “Do you? I mean, do you respect him?”
She threw me a cold look. “That’s private. It’s not your business or your silly sponsor’s. I think that whole thing is just… you don’t need their help anymore. You’re doing fine just by yourself. Why do you keep talking to her?”
“Not this again.” I crossed my arms and scooted low in the seat.
“You don’t need help. They get in your head and mix everything up. It’s not good, Davy.”
“You’re just pissed off because someone might know a little more of your inner workings than you do, Kates.”
Silence. Complete, utter, death defying silence.
“How dare you!” Kates seethed. I felt her body bristling from unspent fury.
I’d done the deed. I’d gone where both of us knew I should never go again. The truth is that Kates had more baggage than I could ever feel my way through. I suspected that Blue had only done a quick sweep of what made Kates go boom.
“Emotional baggage? I’m not the one who lit a vampire on fire!”
The taxi jerked. I met his gaze in the rearview mirror and he looked panicked. Correction: he looked like he was about to kick us out. “Ex-nay on the ampire-way.”
“Screw that! And screw you, Daveeena. Do you even know what you were doing coming to the Shoilster? I thought you hated Roane. You hate all vampires and then I hear that you’re snuggling up to one? And it’s a Hunter! Really? Of all of them?”
“Kates,” I tried to assuage, but I already knew it wouldn’t work. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry. I don’t think you’re here to be my friend. I’m not stupid, Kates. I know that a crap load of vampires are in town. You didn’t come because I saw that girl kill herself. You came for all of the vampires.”
The taxi slammed on his brakes and neither of us was surprised. Normal people would’ve slammed against the seats from the abrupt stop, but not us. We reached out, held ourselves in place, and continued the argument.
“You’re telling me what kind of friend I am? Is that what this is about? Is that why you came to the Shoilster? Because I’m a shitty friend?”
“No…” Good gracious. For such a kick ass tough chic, she was sensitive. “Look, I’m just…”
“Get out! Get out! Get out!” The driver twisted around in his seat and gripped a steel bat in his right hand.
We didn’t blink. We got out and as the taxi shot off, Kates yelled, “You’re right. I didn’t come for you. I came because all the freaking blood-thirsty vampires are here, but do you even know why they’re in town? You have no idea because this isn’t your world. It’s my world, Davy!” She breathed in and out raggedly.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, perplexed. Our arguments never made sense. “I don’t even… What?”
“You’re right! I didn’t come for you. You were just my excuse. I’m a horrible, horrible friend,” Kates nearly screamed.
She was irrational. I wasn’t much better when I said things like this, “No, you’re not. You’re just… your mom was a slayer and you saw her die. All that power went to you and they all know you’re a slayer, but you can’t do what you’re supposed to do and you can’t do anything about it—except you have this weird thing with hooking up with vampires. I don’t get that. You’re protective about that world, which you can be because you know how I hate vampires, but…” What else could I say? I didn’t know what I was trying to say. “I’m rambling. I ramble when I have an idea, but I lose the idea and you’re here and I’m here and… I don’t know what we’re fighting about.”
Kates snorted. “Just call someone to pick us up, would you?”
I took out my phone, but I caught myself. Who could I call?
“What?” Kates growled.
I waved the phone around. “Who do I call? If you’re going to haul off on me again, I don’t want to call Adam or…” I had no one else.
“What happened to Love Bit and Twice Not Shy?”
I groaned at the name, but it was fitting. “Emily’s out for the count.”
“She passed out?”
“She passed out.”
I caught a fleeting grin before Kates turned her back to me and