Scorched Ice (Fire and Ice #3)(40)
He recalled the conversation they’d had in Clint’s bar about her ending things with Zach before the Hunter had lost his life. ”They didn’t work out on my part. The chemistry wasn’t there, you know?” she’d asked of him.
”I do,” he’d replied.
Melissa had gone on to tell him that, ”Sometimes things are just… just not what you were expecting.”
”I understand.”
”You would understand, perhaps better than anyone.”
Julian recalled the way her gaze had gone to Chris after she’d said this. At the time, he’d been more concerned about cleaning up the remains of the vampires he’d killed in the bar, but now he realized there had been more to her words and that look. There had been something he’d been missing with Melissa in his drive to protect Quinn.
Melissa’s onyx eyes briefly met his across the table before she pushed her plate away. “I’ll be back,” she said and slid out of the booth.
Chris didn’t look up to watch her go, happily oblivious to anything other than his greasy burger as he doused it with more ketchup.
“I don’t think you’re going to be able to taste the meat,” Quinn said to him.
Chris glanced at her while he placed the ketchup on the table. “It enhances the flavor.”
Quinn gave him a doubtful look as she lifted her cup and took another sip of her drink. Julian turned in the booth to find Melissa and Cassie engaged in conversation near the front door. Devon, Luther, Dani, and Lou remained in the booth a few feet away from them.
Vern, Hadie, and Prue would be meeting them here, with some of their recruits, before they continued on to Herb’s house. Julian wanted to crush The Commission himself, to grind every last one of them into dust with his bare hands, but when it came to Quinn, he wouldn’t turn away help in order to end any threat to her life.
There had been little more useful information in the journal he’d read through. He’d received no further glimpses into the life of the Hunter he’d killed. Herb’s house would have answers, he was certain of it, and as soon as they were all done eating and Vern was here, they would be heading to that house. They’d made the drive to Pennsylvania far faster than he’d anticipated, but then they’d all taken turns driving the RV throughout the nights to get here.
He glanced around the tiny diner with its 50’s style motif and bright lights. The sizzling of bacon and the scents of cooking meat, grease, and potatoes filled the air. A handful of patrons sat on the stools lining the counter. They talked with each other as they ate their dinners. He had a feeling the men, most of whom had gray hair and wrinkles lining their weathered faces, met here often as the staff conversed easily with them and the men acted as if this were their second home.
Somewhere from the other end of the diner, music began to play from one of the small, silver jukeboxes on each of the tables. Biting into his cheeseburger, Chris leaned over and, with his other hand, pushed the button to flip through the music choices.
“It’s all old people music,” he muttered before glancing at Julian. “You would like it.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed on him as Quinn choked on her soda. “Keep it up and you won’t live long enough for your music to be considered old people music,” Julian warned.
Chris grinned at him and lifted a handful of French fries from his plate. “You’re really not all that intimidating now that I know your bark is worse than your bite.”
Julian’s fangs extended as he leaned across the table toward him. “Want to see if that’s really true?”
“Maybe you wouldn’t like the music after all,” Chris replied with a grin. Julian retracted his fangs before leaning back in the vinyl red booth again. “There’s no classical. Mozart was more your time, right?”
“You’re a dick,” Julian said to him, and Quinn gave up on trying to hide her laughter.
“What can I say? You’ve rubbed off on me,” Chris replied with a shrug and shoved a handful of French fries into his mouth.
A few of the older men glanced their way, and a couple of them smiled as Quinn wiped away her tears from laughing so hard. “I think Mozart would be new to him too,” she teased.
He couldn’t stop himself from smiling at her as her eyes shone with amusement. He playfully tugged at the end of her hair. “He did come along later in my life,” Julian replied, “and I did enjoy his work.”
Quinn leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’re an ancient.”
“But I more than keep up with you.”
“You do,” she agreed.
Chris rolled his eyes. “Melissa had to abandon me to mated vamps, lucky me.”
Julian stopped himself from replying that Chris might be able to have someone who would make every day a lot better too, if he’d pay a little bit more attention to something other than food. When Melissa wanted Chris to know something about her feelings for him, she would tell him. Until then, he knew Chris would remain completely oblivious. He was the type who needed to be smacked over the head with some things.
“Well, I’m going to be abandoning you too,” Quinn said and slid from the booth. Julian made a move to follow her, but she waved him back. “I can walk to the bathroom on my own.”
He sat back in the booth again; his back to the cool plate glass window as he watched her walk down the aisle toward Cassie and Melissa. They both turned to talk to her when she stopped beside them. Breaking away, Melissa went with her toward the bathroom while Cassie returned to sitting beside Devon.