She obviously trusted them since she was living with them, but still, he was from a completely different era. Like thousands of years ago. Not to mention a different culture entirely. Hell, species. He’d literally offered to kill her father like it was no big deal.
She knew he’d fought in a bunch of wars too. The concept was so foreign to her. It was hard to wrap her mind around him and his brothers battling with swords—or dragon fire, probably. She’d tried asking him about his previous life once but he’d shut down quickly so she hadn’t pushed. She understood the need for privacy, the need to keep some things to yourself. Even if she did wish he would open up to her some.
“I will do anything you ask of me,” Mikael said quietly as they reached the neighborhood dive bar. He placed his hand on the small of her back, something she liked.
“You’re a really good friend, Mikael,” she murmured as he opened the door and a cacophony of noise greeted them. Too bad he was just a friend.
Inside was busy, as normal. The red walls had always seemed garish to her, but they were growing on her a little. Three guitars were on the back wall, signed by some famous Irish musicians. There was a bit of exposed brick on three of the four walls, and little round-top tables that fit four people max and took up the majority of the bar. Little twinkle lights lit up the undercarriage of the bar top and behind it, intertwined with all the bottles. One thing that hadn’t changed since The Fall—still no smoking inside. Something she was grateful for. Still, it smelled like beer, too many people, and perfumes. She’d been coming here since college and something about this place was comforting to her.
They’d taken three steps when Avery’s gaze landed on her.
Oh my God. All the breath sucked from Avery’s lungs. She hadn’t seen Lindsey in six years.
Mikael shifted his body in front of hers in a subtle, quick motion. “What’s wrong?”
She clutched his forearm, digging her nails in. “Her. She is here. The woman my father…” She couldn’t finish. She tried to tear her gaze away from Lindsey Baird, the woman who she’d once lived with, once thought was her friend, until she’d stabbed Avery in the back in the worst kind of betrayal possible. The one who had apparently left her father, if he was to be believed.
“The one you told me about yesterday?” he asked quietly, his gaze trailing across the bar.
She took a step back, wanting to leave right now.
Just then Lindsey turned and looked at her, her lips a shiny ruby red, her blonde hair soft and perfect, falling around her shoulders and breasts like she was a freaking model. She looked paler than Avery remembered but it looked good on her, like she was a porcelain doll or something.
“Let’s grab a drink,” she gritted out to Mikael, looking away from Lindsey. Because she wasn’t going to let that woman drive her out of a place she liked. Now that she’d actually seen Avery, she couldn’t leave on principle.
As they moved to the bar, she barely blinked and Lindsey was right next to her and Mikael, smiling widely at her. What the hell? How had she moved so fast?
Oh no. A sinking sensation filled her gut as she realized…Lindsey looked different. She’d always been beautiful, no way to deny that. She was like a modern Marilyn Monroe. But oh God, she had to be a vampire. It was the only thing that Avery could guess, and she knew a decent amount about supernaturals at this point. She’d known about them before The Fall. You didn’t grow up in New Orleans and not know that the things that went bump in the night existed. And Lindsey looked even more beautiful than she remembered.
“Avery,” she drawled, stroking her long fingers against the delicate necklace around her neck. It had a single emerald pendant.
It had been Avery’s mother’s—her father had told her it belonged to him, had refused to give it to Avery. And since it hadn’t been specified in her mother’s will, she hadn’t been able to fight him. Lindsey might as well have slid a stiletto through her ribs. Seeing the necklace around Lindsey’s neck… It was just one more betrayal, one more stab in the back.
“I have nothing to say to you.” She’d started to turn away from her when Lindsey looked Mikael up and down, actually licking her bottom lip.
“What have we here?” She reached out a hand as if to actually stroke Mikael’s chest but he slapped her hand away.
Lindsey’s grin grew even wider. “Is this your idea of foreplay?”
“Oh my God,” Avery muttered and looked at Mikael. This was pathetic. “You know what I like. Order for me while I run to the restroom?”
He simply nodded, but his gaze was pinned firmly on Lindsey.
It was a strange look, one she wasn’t sure how to decipher. All Avery knew was that her stomach muscles pulled taut as she walked away, a brittle tension settling in her shoulders. She didn’t like feeling like a coward, that she was running away, but she needed some breathing room to process the fact that Lindsey was here in the flesh. And seemed to be a vampire—which was terrifying on another level. She didn’t think Lindsey would hurt her or anything, but she’d also never thought the woman would screw her father. So.
In the bathroom she turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her cheeks, the chill grounding her a bit. Seeing that woman was a jolt to her senses. She’d moved in a way that was far too fluid, too quick to be just a human.
Once Avery felt more in control of herself, she stepped out into the little hallway, only to be inundated by the noises of the bar once again. A man stumbled past her, heading for the bathroom door. As she headed down the hallway, it sounded even louder than before. It probably was. This was around the time people were getting off work, and especially after The Fall, people needed to unwind more than ever.
As she stepped out of the hallway and into the bar, she immediately sought out Mikael.
But as soon as she spotted him, she froze.
He was still at the bar, with Lindsey. He was leaning down talking to her, had his hand wrapped around her neck, his thumb along her jaw as if embracing her, like a lover would do.
Avery stared in horror at the picture the two of them made. She knew she didn’t have that kind of relationship with him, but still, he knew exactly how much that woman had hurt her.
He spoke in Lindsey’s ear, as if he was whispering to her. He wasn’t pulling back. No, he was…still embracing her, talking to her. Everything looked so damn intimate.
Feeling as if she’d been punched in the stomach, Avery ducked back into the hallway.
Nope. She couldn’t do this. She could not walk up there and act like everything was normal. She was… Well, she wasn’t going home. That was for sure. And she wasn’t staying here. Thankfully this place had a back door and she was going to use it.
Because she wasn’t going to stand around and watch that shitshow, that was for sure. If Mikael wanted Lindsey, he could have her.
This was exactly why Avery didn’t believe in fairy-tale bullshit.
Because that was exactly what fairy tales were.
Chapter 8
Mikael waited until Avery was out of sight before he approached the female who was most definitely a vampire. The one who made Avery smell like pain. The scent coming off Avery before had been the same as when her father had come to see her.