I wonder what that will be like. Me…them…us.
Barret’s words pull me out of my wistful fantasy. “Where do you think Cal will be?”
“We’ll check the upper levels of the Academy first,” I say immediately, shaking my head to clear my muddled thoughts. “But you know Cal better than I do. Where do you think he is?”
“Normally, when he’s upset, he’d find himself a pussy to fuck,” he states matter-of-factly, and I have no doubt he’s quoting Cal verbatim. For reasons I don’t wish to decipher, the mere prospect makes me uneasy. As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, Barret glances at me out of the corner of his eyes. “But I doubt that’s what he’s doing.”
“So then where would he be?”
Barret scrubs at the whiskers on his chin absent-mindedly. “He’s part fairy, and fairies often have certain vices they partake in.” I nod once in understanding. It’s why fairies rule the drug world—their own cravings and addictions make them capable of creating the perfect substance.
“And what are Cal’s vices?” I question.
Barret makes a face. “Sex, as you probably know. And alcohol, particularly the fairy variety.”
With a sigh, I reach for Barret’s large hand and drag him out the door.
“Come on. I think I know where he is.”
CHAPTER 39
VIOLET
The club I went to with Frankie is even more crowded than it was previously. Every monster who attended the Roaring seems to be waiting patiently in line.
“Come on,” I say, putting Jack’s car into park.
I’m severely underdressed this time around, but I can’t be bothered to change. Not when I’m already worried about Cal.
Barret’s hot on my heels as I bypass the line and face the familiar, bald bouncer who was so smitten with Frankie.
Yeah, not at all salty about that, thank you very much.
Forgoing formalities, I step on my tiptoes and stare the man intently in the eyes. It’s taboo for a vampire to use compulsion on another monster. More than that, some would consider it an automatic death sentence.
Frankly, I don’t give a damn.
“You will allow me and my friend admittance,” I whisper, my words curling around him like a tightening leash. His eyes glaze over as his tattooed arms drop to his sides.
“I will…?”
“You will allow me and my friend admittance,” I repeat, pushing even more power into those words. I can see when they embed themselves into his mind, for he immediately steps back, sweeping his arm back to let us through.
“Hey, what the fuck?” someone from the line exclaims, but I don’t bother turning to see who’s speaking. Hopefully, he didn’t see me use my compulsion. If he did, and he reported me…
Refusing to allow those thoughts to fester, I stalk into the dimly lit club. Like before, the pungent scent of sweat and alcohol barrage me, and I wrinkle my nose. Why can’t clubs smell like…I don’t know…Febreze or some shit. Maybe that’ll be my new invention.
I scan the thrashing bodies for a familiar pair of red wings and light pink hair.
“There!” Barret points his finger across the room to where Cal is disappearing around a corner, his hand intertwined with a person I can’t see.
“I thought you said he wouldn’t have sex,” I ask, unable to contain the sudden surge of jealousy that crashes over me. I remind myself immediately that I have no right to feel jealous. He’s not my boyfriend, just a friend. Besides, I have four other men who care about me and kind of, maybe, love me, quirks and all. I don’t need to add another one.
Ignoring my outburst, Barret leads us through the crowd, one of his hands gripping mine and the other shoving bodies away at random. His profile is shadowed, but even still, I can see the determined set to his jaw and the fire burning in his eyes.
When we reach the hall Cal disappeared down, I pause, tugging on Barret’s hand until he stops as well.
“I think he went into one of these rooms.” I nod towards the various storage closets lining the perimeter. The last thing I want or need is to walk in on Cal balls deep in some skank.
“Let’s look.” Barret begins to open one door at a time. The first shows a male with fur sprouting on both of his arms as he fucks a female. I awkwardly stand in the doorframe as he pounds into her.
“What the fuck?” the man bellows, and the woman screams, attempting to cover her pert breasts.
“Sorry. Continue banging,” I whisper awkwardly, waiting until Barret closes the door.
The second door has two females kissing passionately, their tops off and ample breasts on display.
“Wanna join?” one of the girls asks as she circles the other female’s nipple with her tongue.
“Sorry. Continue banging.”
The third room is, of course, the same, but this one has three guys and four girls.
“Sorry. Continue banging.”
It’s the fourth room that sends icy dread skating down my spine.
“Cal?” I whisper as Barret stands in the threshold, frozen.
It’s definitely my pink-haired cupid, but I’ve never seen such rage on his face before. It distorts his features entirely until he’s barely recognizable. His eyes are a solid shade of red, madness lurking in their depths, as he stands over a familiar male.
Alex’s father.
His face is mottled and bloody, one of his eyes completely swollen shut. A myriad of bruises darken his skin—some fresh and light pink, while others are a hideous shade of blue and black. His bloody lips curl in a hideous sneer as Cal towers over him, radiating fury.
“Cal?” I repeat, but he doesn’t seem to hear me, too lost in his anger and rage. I desperately turn towards Barret and shove him forward, hoping he’ll be able to penetrate Cal’s…darkness. That’s the only word capable of encapsulating what I’m seeing. He’s every inch the dark and dangerous monster you read about in horror novels. When Barret remains silent, mouth agape, I say,
