“Hi, I’m Di—"
“Ortha!” he said, cutting me off. Giving me a stern look, he continued, “This is Diortha. She will be filling in for Tamara until she returns. I thought it would be nice if you got to know each other over dinner.”
I shot him a scathing glare. Are you fucking kidding me? Diortha? Who in their right mind would name their kid Diortha? No one, that’s who! His dark eyes twinkled with humor, and I wanted to cause him bodily harm. No, I wanted him to get me off, and then to cause him bodily harm.
Zack claimed he had business to attend and took off for who knows where, while the three of us found a seat at the table. Thankfully, my plan worked. The minute they saw my neck, I was in. Over dinner, we talked about the origins of my name. With a mental eye-roll, I told them my mother named me after the goddess Diana—which was actually true—and my great-grandmother, who was named Ortha. My great-grandmother was actually named Ethel. At least he hadn’t introduced me as Diethel. After that, we talked about where we were from and how we ended up in this specific line of business. Apparently, it was an honor to be a nourisher. In fact, both girls had come from a long line of nourishers. By this point, I was kicking myself for not having read those damn books. When my turn came, I said I kind of fell into the position. This, of course, got me odd looks, so I quickly changed the subject.
“I’m so sorry about your friend Tamara. I overheard Zack and Victoria talking about her.” Leaning forward, I drew them in with a whispered, “They said she might not make it.” The idea was to tell a secret and hopefully get one in return.
Naya let out an indignant-sounding huff. “Yeah, well, she should have listened to us.”
“Naya,” Anya warned.
“No, I’m tired of everyone going on about it. If she hadn’t left with Jessie, she wouldn’t be in this position.”
“Bad dude?” I asked while shoveling a forkful of delicious tasting Mac-N-Cheese into my mouth.
“He’s not that bad of a guy,” Anya cut in. “He’s part-owner of Venom. That’s a popular bar in Charleston.” I was very aware of what Venom was as well as where it was located. “That night, he wanted us all to go to SangreLa. Have you heard of it?”
Boy, had I. SangreLa was a notoriously nasty blood club. “The blood club?” I asked.
“Yeah. Tamara knows we’re not allowed in blood clubs, but since she’s obsessed with Jessie, and it was Jessie’s suggestion, she ditched us and went anyway.” I wanted to ask why they weren’t allowed in blood clubs but had a feeling I should already know the answer.
“Does Jessie go there a lot?” I asked.
Naya rolled her eyes. “He’s friends with the owner, or so he says.”
This was starting to get interesting. “You think he’s lying?”
She shrugged. “I think he’ll say anything to get into Tamara’s pants.”
I decided not to push for more.
By the time dinner was over, the three of us were fast friends. They asked if I wanted to join them and the others back at their place. I told them I still had training to do, which seemed to do the trick because neither of them questioned it.
Zack appeared right as they were leaving. Before I had a chance to speak, he muttered, “Not here. We can talk in the car on the way back to your place.”
“Gun,” I said as I followed him back into the tunnel. He handed it over, and I asked, “Do you all live here in the main house?”
“There are five other houses on the property, two of which belong to the nourishers. Gunter, Victoria, and Alana live with me in the main house, and the rest are scattered throughout the other three houses.”
Once we were on the road, I told him what I’d learned from the girls.
“I think we should stop by Venom for a drink and pay Jessie a little visit. What do you say?”
“I can’t tonight.”
I wanted to ask why but didn’t. It wasn’t any of my business. So why did the thought of him with another woman bother me? Because I had issues, that’s why.
Zack pulled in front of my apartment building, his nose turning up in disgust. “This place is a cesspool.”
After the academy, I moved back to Charleston. Both of my parents were gone by then, and my sister was busy traipsing across Europe. I could have purchased a fancy row house in the historic district, or even a house on Folly Beach, but then I’d be known as the rich girl. I wouldn’t have been taken seriously. So, I found a place that I could afford on a rookie’s salary. Through the years, I’d made it mine. It was the only thing I’d ever had that was all mine.
I didn’t tell Zack this. Instead, I decided to let him in on a little secret. “When I joined the police academy, my mom disowned me. Keep in mind, I already had enough money to last ten lifetimes, but that’s beside the point. She felt I was an embarrassment to the family name and that by disowning me, she would bring me to heel. You see, I was the only one who ever told her no, and she hated me for it. She hated me for being different, for defying her, and for wanting to forge my own path. She died with that hatred. So yes, Zack, this place is a cesspool, but it’s my cesspool.”
Before he could reply, I exited the car and started for my apartment. I felt him behind me—this dark, deadly, force of nature that made me want things I shouldn’t.
My apartment was on the second floor. As we reached the door, I turned to face him. “We need to talk to Jessie, the sooner, the better.”
Sensing my irritation, he said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have
