“I still never heard what time puts you all down,” I say as I shuffle my arms into the jacket.
I dig around in my bag for some money, but it looks like I only have about three dollars with me.
However, there are an outrageous amount of Gypsy Magic business cards in one side-pocket of my backpack. Awesome packing skills on those omegas.
Shoving the money in my pocket, I finger comb my hair the best I can, and find them both watching me when I look away from my reflection in the glass.
“Well?” I prompt, pulling out my baggie with my toothbrush and toothpaste from the other side-pocket.
I prefer regular toothpaste instead of the fancy stuff I worked hard on creating so I could sell it, but whatever. At least they packed some.
“Noon. At least, on this side of the world and within this time,” Vance answers in a flat tone. “It’s when the battle stopped, and the sacrifice was concluded. We’d slaughtered most of the Portocales within the first hour, with the knowledge they’d killed the woman we loved, along with her entire family. The altar had been set. If we got her vengeance, it would be the second sacrifice, and she’d rise. It lasted from midnight until well after dawn.”
For whatever reason, my mind niggles, like there’s something important I’m forgetting.
Chapter 7
VIOLET
It isn’t until I’m finishing up and washing my hands that a sickening thought forms in my head. I really need to talk to Emit…after I brush my teeth.
A gas station bathroom is the last place a girl wants to brush her teeth, so I shudder through it without overthinking it. After putting everything back in the baggie, I rush through the door.
I spot Vance toward the back, and notice two women pretending to be interested in the canned foods with dust on top of them. They discreetly eye the man in a suit, who remains oblivious.
He studies the cooler section like there are just too many options.
I start to leave, when I hear, “Violet, come pick your snacks.”
I don’t want to announce that I only have three dollars with me, so I move toward him, feeling the burn of two female stares on me.
Vance sniffs the air, and his eyes move to my lips immediately. Sort of weird, but that’s the theme of my life.
“The omegas forgot to pack my—”
He snakes an arm around my waist and abruptly pulls me to him, his other hand coming up and cupping my cheek, as his eyes flick over mine.
I go rigid, since he’s being even weirder than usual when he runs his nose along mine. Way too abruptly close for my mind to properly function.
“What the fucking hell did you brush your teeth with?” he asks on a groan.
Toothpaste isn’t usually sexy, so I’m not entirely sure what’s going on right now.
I do, however, lift my baggie, while slightly resisting his attention, simply because we’re very much in a gas station and I know at least two people are staring. Also…because my stupid mind is malfunctioning, unable to process how we ended up in such a compromising position to begin with.
He darts a glance to the baggie I’m holding up beside us, lips twitching like he’s entirely too amused, and then he runs his thumb over my lips.
“I really need to talk to Emit,” I say after swallowing harder than necessary.
“I’ll just grab you some things I think you’ll like,” he murmurs in response.
He releases me as abruptly as he grabbed me, other than the hand still cupping my cheek. His gaze lingers on my lips for a fraction of a second too long.
I startle when he leans down, but his lips move to my ear, instead of my lips, and he whispers, “I only pulled back because I thought it was wrong to have you before you knew the truth.”
Totally inappropriate place for this sort of conversation…
“It’s an old, complicated truth you should have just told me,” is the response I’m proud I make.
The other option is…what would Anna do?
My body is voting for the more debauched response that would lead to me throwing myself at him.
I’ve decided that motto isn’t working out so well for me, so I turn and start to walk away.
“It’s going to be a semi-long trip,” he calls to my back. “Never know what could happen.”
I turn back around, narrowing my eyes. “If you’re trying to say what I think you are, please don’t. Once burned and all that,” I point out, forgetting there are two women still soaking in all our interactions.
Vance’s lips tug into a crooked grin, and he glances back at the coolers, while I hurry out the doors to Emit. They find the strangest things to smile about, and they seem to have no qualms about anything that comes out of their mouths.
I know I look ridiculous in my hippo shirt paired with Emit’s much-too-large jacket. My hair also needs a brush.
None of that is important right now. I won’t be sidetracked from my mission again.
Emit is putting away the thingy that pumps gas just as I near him, and he sniffs the air. He can smell me over gasoline?
Good grief. I wish they’d just packed my regular toothpaste instead of the one made with Portocale orange essence.
I’m almost to him, when he smirks and grabs me at the waist without any real warning. He’s never really touchy with me.
It’s so shocking that I freeze, too caught unaware to even react. Well, I blink a few times, but that’s about it on the reaction scale.
He slides his nose along my cheek, as one of his very large hands slides down my hip. I’m not sure how things keep escalating right now. Also, I idly wonder if they could smell my morning breath this whole time…
Swallowing loudly is my next big reaction, along with a few more blinks.
“What the hell are you trying to do to us?” he groans.
A thought crosses my mind, and I almost curse some new friends. “I’m going to kill the omegas. These oranges are like crack to you guys. That’s why they packed it instead of my cheap stuff that I prefer. I mean, it’s not like they’re expecting me to hook up—”
I don’t know where the rest of my words go, because the second his firm, soft lips just barely brush mine, I almost ask what Anna would do.
Again.
Then remember why that’s a terrible plan.
Again.
Example A is in the gas station after saying confusing things.
Example B is probably perving on us right now, if I had to guess.
Example C is trying to happen as we speak, because it takes a helluva lot of willpower not to lean forward and give him what he’s asking for.
He’s a lot hotter when he’s taking charge. I didn’t know how into that I was until this moment.
Instead of speaking, since all the words are caged inside me somewhere, I stupidly jerk my baggie up.
His eyes flick to it, then to my eyes, his lips visibly resisting a smile.
“You make toothpaste?” he asks in a humored tone as he gives me a little space, slowly pulling his hands back, even as he lets one hand linger on my hip, effectively holding me in place.
I have no idea why my body enjoys that so much.
“It’s not really an interesting story,” I assure him.
He scrubs a hand over his face like he’s trying to wipe away his smile, as he finally releases me and turns to walk around to his side of the vehicle.
I’m still a little stupefied.
Just as I turn to get in, a little black car pulls up, and the two women who glared at me inside wave me over.
I’m hesitant at first, because, well, I look a little slutty at this point, and some women can be mean.
I stop a few feet away as the driver leans her head out. “This is probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever asked another woman, but what kind of toothpaste do you use?”
It’s hard work to keep a straight face. “It’s actually my own,” I say, holding up my baggie for the third time.
“Do you have business cards?”
I start to laugh, but stop. “Actually, I do.”
I jog over, grab out one of the cards I was annoyed with the omegas for shoving in here, and jog back.
“Can I just smell your breath?” she asks with a slight wince. “Is that too weird to ask?”
I blow in her face as Vance walks by, missing a step when he spots us. His eyebrows bounce up to his hairline.
Both of them swing their gazes to him and back at me.
“It really does smell that good,” the driver says with an excited smile and a shudder.
“Road trip,” the second says as she stares at my card.
They give me a quick wave, and speed off…
I just thought this day started off weird.
Vance is still giving me an incredulous look, but Emit is smiling, lips barely turned up in the corners, as he stares at nothing in particular.
“That was because they got the wrong idea about you two, but if it’s good for business…”
I let the words trail off as I skip past Vance to the vehicle, feeling a little peppy. And Mom thought I was ridiculous for making that toothpaste.
“Here,” Vance says, putting all sorts of bags of food in the car, and handing a sack of burgers to Emit. “I never see you eat, and I’m starting to wonder how you even have a curve left.”
Emit pauses his food at his mouth, eyes quickly flicking to mine in the mirror, as his brow furrows.
I snort. “I’ve tried going down a size for two years. And with all the monster stuff going on so very often, the opening of my store during my downtime, and having a houseful of horny omegas who have no problem tending to each other at all hours of the night, food isn’t the first thing on my mind.”