Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(13)

“Oh thanks for that, Kale.” I scoffed. I didn't appreciate the stupid reference, but the honesty was credible. “What's stupid is if I listen to Arys and don't talk to Harley. He knows things. Things that I need to know. And, the more people tell me to stay away from him, the more certain I am that I need to see him.”

We walked toward my car, the softly falling flakes landing perfectly, so that I could see every elaborate detail. Despite the cold and the hellish road conditions, I loved this time of year as much as any other.

“Of course Arys would want you to stay away from his sire. Harley almost bound you. And now that he can't, he may just come up with other plans for you.” Kale crossed his arms over his chest; the sound of his leather duster as it moved was pleasing to my senses in its familiarity.

“Like what? It's not as if he can gain much by killing me. He knows I'd be back with a vengeance in a body lacking a heartbeat. That couldn't possibly do him any good.”

Pulling my keys from my pocket, I unlocked my car and wondered again why I didn't get the remote start feature. “Anyway, Arys threatened me. So his opinion right now means f**k all to me.”

“He threatened you?” The shock adorned Kale's face like a mask. It was almost funny.

I paused, replaying Arys' careful words. His actions were worse, and the remembrance of his aggressive lovemaking caused me to flush, hot with anger. I was pissed with him, but I was angry with myself, too. His actions had been stake worthy, and I'd allowed it to happen. Love may be blind, but the stupidity really does me in.

“Well, yeah. He basically promised that I would regret it if I went to Harley. And, whatever that means, I know it won't be pretty.” I cast my eyes down at the snow-covered ground. I didn't want Kale to read the humiliation in my gaze.

I could feel the heavy weight of his appraisal before I had the strength to meet his eyes again. “Are you sure that's something you're willing to risk? I mean, do you love him?”

Now there was a heavy hitting question I would have expected from my best friend, Kylarai, but not from Kale. I had to swallow a few times before I could give voice to my response.

“I do. But, if it means being controlled by him, then we have a serious problem. I have to love myself more. I learned my lesson already. Loving men like Arys rarely works out the way you'd like it to.” Ok, so I wasn't really talking about Arys there, but he was so much like Raoul with his extremely dominant tendencies.

“And besides,” I rushed on, hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions. “This isn't about love. It's about me getting the information that I need. My power is useless if I don't know how to command it entirely. Might as well run around with an Uzi after ditching target practice.”

Thankfully, Kale had been around enough years to know when to push and when to let something go. He chuckled in response to my comment. Inclining his head thoughtfully, he held a hand out to catch the snowflakes as they fell. His cold skin enabled them to linger before melting whereas they melted immediately upon touching mine.

“I can't say I blame you for feeling the way you do, but don't go rushing in there without careful consideration. Harley doesn't have to kill you to hurt you.” Kale's words brought frightful images to mind. I expected him to talk me out of it, so I was mildly surprised when he said, “If you want to go back to The Wicked Kiss, I'll go with you. Just don't go alone, Alexa. It's bad news.”

“Really? You'd come with me?” I wanted him to confirm it so he couldn't backtrack later. This might be just too perfect. “I don't want you to have to tangle with him though.”

Kale made a noise of disgust. “Please. He barely notices my existence as it is. Any vampire that doesn't live for the rush of the kill is no better than an insect to him. I think I'm safe.”

That was likely true. However, I'd seen Harley smack Kale around before, and I had no desire to put any of my friends in a situation like that again. However, I just wanted to talk to Harley. Maybe he would be receptive, yet I doubted that Harley’s help would come without a price.

“I can face him by myself,” I said, rubbing my arms as the cold slowly started to set in. “But, if you want to come run interference for me, just in case I need help getting out, that would be great.”

“Just say when.”

Kale's tentative smile revealed fangs in the moonlight. Since he and Kylarai had stopped seeing one another, he hadn't been involved romantically with anyone else. He always had been somewhat of a loner, and I knew it was because of his tortured past.

Still, I would have liked to see him able to share himself with another. Nobody deserved anything less. This life was too hard to face alone.

“Thanks, Kale. I appreciate that. I'm thinking tomorrow night. I'll meet you there. If I put it off any longer, I might just chicken out.”

“If keeping this from Arys is important to you then you don't want to go through the front. It'll get back to him in no time. I'll take you in the back.”

We hadn't talked about the vampire bar, The Wicked Kiss, in a while. Not since Kale had attacked me after I'd dragged him out of the place. Not long after that, he'd attempted to come to my rescue when Harley had me trapped there, risking his own safety in the process.

It wasn't any of my business, but I had to ask. “Have you been spending a lot of time there lately?”