Good Intentions (39 page)

“Aw,” the girl grinned. She glanced around self-consciously, but the dining room had already emptied out. The girl leaned in as if to pass along her secret. “Lorelei’s been watching you al night. You know who I mean?” Alistair nodded. “She’d like to see you…in the upstairs bathroom.” Of course she would, Alistair thought, though he presented an air of surprise and flattery. “Thank you so much,” he said, pausing to take the girl’s hand and kiss it. She giggled and squirmed the way girls so often did under his attention, and then winked at him as he stepped away. He could’ve sworn she muttered, “Douchebag,” as he left…but that would be ridiculous. Alistair glided up the stairs to his rendezvous. It was about time, he thought, that the woman gave up on her feigned disinterest. She was dealing with a master of that game, and sure enough, her resolve had wavered. At the top of the stairs, outside the bathroom door, Alistair smiled. He could hear the shower running. Intriguing, he thought. He knocked, and a voice full of more than one note of invitation responded with, “Enter.” The window over the shower was open, al owing the steam to escape without fogging up the mirrors. But it was good enough to fog up the shower door, which somewhat blurred the view of the naked perfection behind it. The little black dress lay over the closed toilet lid. Alistair smiled. It was an odd approach to seduction, but it had its charm. “I was hoping you would join me,” Lorelei said. “I hate to shower alone.” “That would be a tragedy,” Alistair agreed, already shedding his clothes. “Lock the door?” “Of course, of course,” he nodded, turning to give the doorknob the requisite twist. “Everyone’s distracted downstairs by some tomfoolery in the front yard, anyway.” “Excel ent.” She slid the glass open just enough to peek around, and to extend a beckoning hand to her pale visitor.

“Come to me.” Smiling, Alistair did so. Clearly she wasn’t so attached to her “love” downstairs as she had let on. That, too, hardly surprised Alistair. She retreated into the shower as he stepped forward to join her. He drank in the vision of her naked, wet beauty, feeling his appetites stir as she gestured for him to join her under the spraying water. Her hands reached for his pale face, drawing him in close. Their mouths joined. Their bodies slid together. Lorelei wrapped her arms around his naked waist, pulling him against her as she exhaled into that deep kiss. Alistair’s eyes went wide with agony and utter panic. He flailed and beat against her, unable to break her grip, but it was already too late to scream. The flames she gently breathed into him had gone straight down his throat. Alistair caught fire from the inside out as Lorelei exhaled. The water cut down on the flare-ups that erupted from various parts of his body as he burned down in her arms. He didn’t give off a whole lot of smoke; vampires rarely did when they burned. The open window was enough to take care of what little plumes he gave off. Lorelei shivered at the exquisite rush of ending someone in her arms once more. It wasn’t quite the same as drawing out a victim’s soul along the way. Nor could any of that compare to the ongoing joy and satisfaction she derived from her lover. Nothing could compare to him. She knew that for sure now—and found it a reassuring thought. But this would still put a spring in her step. Soon Alistair was a mere pile of ash, and a wet one at that. Lorelei stepped around the remains to nudge the lumps apart, easing their path down the drain. She hummed an ancient tune as she washed away every trace of the hapless vampire. *

Things had gotten to a much closer staredown on the front porch between Wade and Gabriel just as Alex came into the doorway. “Gabriel,” he said, “you wanted to talk to me?” “Yeah,” Gabriel shouted, stepping quickly back from Wade and then jabbing a finger in Alex’s direction. “Are you fucking my girlfriend?” “Nnnno, I’m standing here wondering why you’re making a scene,” Alex blinked with feigned confusion. The door didn’t close behind him; there were quite a few spectators now looking through, as well as through the windows. “I’mma beat your ass, faggot,” the tal er young man snarled. “Hey, hold on there,” Number 14 said, “we don’t gotta be al homophobic an’ shit.” Sadly, everyone ignored him. “Gabriel, seriously, chil out,” Alex frowned, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Do you really think coming up here al crazy is going to accomplish anything?” “Curb stomping your ass would be enough. You’ve had your nose in my business ever since I hooked up with her.” “I’m her friend, Gabriel. I never made a move to steal her away and you damn well know it. I’ve hardly talked to her in over a year.” “Yeah, until this week! Did you fuck her?” Alex tried to keep his cool. “Dude. What do you want me to say? I’m not gonna tel you anything about Taylor, ‘cause that’s Taylor’s business.” “Whatever. There’s still you and me.” “Oh God,” Alex sighed. “Look, I don’t want to fight. Seriously, I’ve been in three fuckin’ fights this week. So what is it?

What do I have to say to resolve this? That you’re the better man? I’m sure you are, Gabriel. I’m sure al the chicks dig you more than me. You’ve got a big time basketbal career and I’m nobody.” It was hard to really say it al with any sincerity, and though Alex failed, he at least tried. At first. As he went on, though, his tone became less and less earnest, until he finally ended in rambling. “Gonna be famous. Rich. You’re a snazzy dresser… uh…I’m sure you’ve got a tremendous penis,” Alex shrugged. “Not compared to you, he doesn’t,” they heard Jocelyn snort from the open living room window crowded with observers. The crowd laughed. Alex winced. “Aw, fuck,” he groaned. Gabriel’s eyes flared. His right jab caught Alex on the left side of his jaw and knocked him over. Drew, too, was very quick. As Alex stumbled, Drew’s leg came up over and around him in an outside crescent kick that smashed right into Gabriel’s face. With that, it was on, and the fight quickly became a tangled mess after that. Drew and Wade, both trained fighters, were soon occupied two of Gabriel’s teammates each. Shouting erupted from inside and then quickly from partygoers who had come out from around the back of the house to see the fight. Some yel ed to break it up. Others yel ed random quips of bloodthirsty enjoyment. Gabriel recovered only a heartbeat sooner than Alex. The enraged youth tackled Alex, carrying him off the porch and into the entrance of the side yard. Spectators scattered left and right. The two struggled, throwing awkward and half-effective blows. finally, Alex punched Gabriel right in the throat. Gabriel jerked backward, choking and giving Alex a moment to try to catch his breath again. He glanced up to see Wade wrestling with the blond bal player; the other one that had jumped him was now on the ground, clutching his knee. Drew pummeled another of Gabriel’s boys. The fourth, Number 14, quickly saw that he really didn’t want a piece of Drew. Number 14 spotted Alex as he tried to rise and rushed over to put him down again.

It was al too fast for Alex. Number 14 caught him before he could get his footing again. In the struggle to recover, Alex sent them both down the small rise of the landscaping between the house and the street. On the rooftop across the street, Martina groaned. It was very clear to the angels what would happen next. “Aw, dammit,” she mumbled as she darted across the street. “Run, Forrest, run!” Rachel cal ed out after her with laughter. It was a minor chal enge for a guardian angel’s speed, but it had to be taken seriously. Martina made it to the sidewalk just an instant before the two tumbling combatants hit. Her hand was under Number 14’s head before it could hit the concrete, reducing what would have been a debilitating or even fatal injury to a very mild bump. His body wound up absorbing most of the impact of the landing for Alex, who landed on top of him. Number 14 coughed as he rose, but still maintained his focus on the fight and powered through the pain. He was about to throw a punch before Alex could recover when suddenly he let out a garbled wail of pain and crumpled to the ground. Jason was standing there with a stun gun in his hand. “Dude, check out what I bought at the mal !” he grinned to Alex. Unseen by al of them, Martina looked down at her fall en charge with disappointment. “I knew you should’ve taken the scholarship at central Washington.” “Guh,” Alex grunted, waving at Jason as he rushed back to the house. Gabriel was up now, ready to take a new swing at Alex, but it wasn’t like that surprised him. Alex didn’t really hold out any hope of putting Gabriel down alone. His recent experiences in fighting aside, Alex knew how lopsided this confrontation was. Gabriel was significantly larger and a star college athlete. Alex had been a mediocre high school swimmer. Alex focused on catching the first fist that was thrown. He managed it, twisting and grabbing Gabriel’s right wrist with one, then both hands. Gabriel’s other fist came into Alex’s side, twice, then a third time, but Alex wasn’t worried about that. It was painful and he felt like crumpling, but he hung on. If he couldn’t pul this off, or if one of his friends didn’t come bail him out, he would really get his ass kicked.

Alex clung to Gabriel’s right hand, which didn’t stay in a fist the whole time as they struggled. The pounding Gabriel delivered with his free hand just had to be endured. finally, Alex got hold of Gabriel’s thumb and shoved it backward as hard as he could. He felt it snap. “Aaargh!” Gabriel roared. He shoved Alex away. After the pounding his side had taken, Alex didn’t have a whole lot of reason to stay in the grapple. He stumbled to the ground, on one knee and gasping for breath. But he’d accomplished his goal; Gabriel stared at his hand in worry and rage. “Stupid motherfucker, you broke my thumb!” Words didn’t come easily for Alex, nor did breathing. “People get hurt in fights, Gabe,” he croaked. “And then they can’t do things like play college sports. And then they have to explain why they got hurt.” After a couple more gasping breaths, he rose, a bit stooped over but still ready for Gabriel to make another attack. “People tried to kil me this week, you douche,” he huffed. “None of this parking lot after school bul shit. You wanna beat my ass, fine, whatever makes you feel better. I can’t take you out. But I’l take you off the roster for this season before I go down. Is it worth that to you?” As if to punctuate his statement, Gabriel’s tal , blond teammate was tossed to the ground between them. He fell like a sack of potatoes, rol ing a bit to one side with a groan to indicate that he was quite done with the fight. Wade stepped over to Alex’s side, breathing heavily but still standing straight. “Ah’m not much f’r fightin’ fair, either,” he frowned. A moment later, Jason was standing there, too. Back behind them, they could hear someone yelling, “Uncle!” and it plainly wasn’t Drew. Then someone asked, “Wade, could you move, please?” Wade blinked, and stepped aside, and then Taylor rushed through to plant an enraged fist twisting upward right into Gabriel’s gut. The tal youth’s eyes bulged in shock as al the air left him. “You stalked me here, you stupid fucking asshole!?” Taylor roared. “What part of ‘I don’t want to see you again’ do you not understand!?” Gabriel tried to grunt something in response, but Taylor just slapped him. “Do I need to get a

restraining order on you? Do I? Should I just go talk to the coaching staff?” “Nnnoo,” Gabriel managed to groan. “I thought about calling the cops, actual y,” cal ed out another voice. Sherri was there, standing on the porch now next to Lorelei with her cel phone in her hand. “Just three little numbers. Nine. One. One,” she narrated as she tapped the keys. “And then al I have to do is press ‘Send’ in ten… nine… eight…” The intruders were getting to their feet now and shuffling off. Most of the spectators backed away at Sherri’s urging. “Hi, Taylor,” Alex ventured. She turned to him, but then quickly looked to Wade. “Hey,” she said, “I haven’t seen you since you got back. Thanks.” “F’r whut?” Wade blinked. Taylor gave him a hug. “For coming home alive.” “Heh,” Wade grinned. When she let him go, he turned to head back up to the party. He was stopped in his tracks by Lorelei…who, oddly, paused to toss a tied-up garbage bag full of something or other down to the driveway. Her hair was wet, too, as if she’d just gotten out of the shower. “I can’t leave you alone without you getting into trouble, can I?” she smirked at Alex. “Hey, I think this is just what happens when I go out with you,” he huffed. “I can’t take you anywhere.” “Ah. Al my fault, surely.” Lorelei turned her attention to his friends. “Since the four of you gentlemen are al together now,” she said, a wry smile, “I would very much like to have a private chat with you.” There were collective glances and shrugs between Alex and his buddies. Lorelei sauntered back toward the house. As they moved to fol ow, Alex felt a tug on his sleeve. He stopped and turned to find Taylor staring at him with a

somewhat accusatory smirk on her face. “Hi?” he tried again. “Jocelyn? Real y, Alex?” “Oh God!” Alex blurted guiltily. He was still stooped over, clutching his side. “I was—we—wait, you’re fucking with me right now, aren’t you?” he said, seeing her face split into a laugh. “You’re not mad at al !” “Maybe a little,” she shrugged. “Because now I’m gonna have to hear al about it from her. Thanks for that, by the way. Real pal. Always looking out for me,” she rambled dryly. “What, that thing with Gabriel?” “What? God, no. I’m still talking about Jocelyn. This fight thing was totally unnecessary. If you had gotten me, I’d have just punched him just like I did and it would’ve been over. But no, you dumb boys have to have your stupid fight.” “You’re still fucking with me.” “Yeah,” Taylor smiled. Alex frowned a minute out of sincere confusion. “Why aren’t you mad at me?” “Why should I be?” “Because you and I…I mean, I don’t even know where that’s going, but you…um.” He faltered, realizing he hadn’t really thought this through enough to be articulate about it. “I mean I don’t want to sound like I’m jumping to conclusions and we both know I’ve got a girlfriend, but, y’know, that happened the other night, right? And here I am hooking up with someone else right after that without having even talked to you on the phone or anything, and you’re not mad?” Taylor’s grin remained, though it became more curiously amazed. “Wow. Y’know, she said you really don’t know how to let go and have a good time, but she didn’t tel me you’re spectacular about it.”

Alex’s expression didn’t become any less worried. “You’ve been talking to her?” “Yes. She’s cool. Now go see what she wants.” Jason joined Alex as he turned to do just that. There was an odd buzz from his buddy’s new stun gun. “This was totally worth sixty bucks,” Jason grinned. * Rachel’s smile was utterly smug and utterly merciless. “You can’t seriously think you won that bet,” Timothy frowned. Her grin was undiminished. “Your boy admitted he couldn’t win! My guy was al over him!” “Who’s going home crying, Timothy? Who’s still at the party?” “He could’ve stuck it out long enough to put Alex in the dirt,” Martina grumbled at Timothy, “but he didn’t. The whole thing was dumb to begin with, but he could’ve seen it through.” Rachel nodded, folding her arms across her chest. “Wear it like a hat, bitches.” Timothy glared at her sul enly. It was really al just teasing. No harm was done. “Fine,” Timothy frowned. “What do you want?” “You,” she said, pointing at the blond basketbal player’s guardian, “On your knees, buddy. Holy of Holies. You,” she said, pointing at another, “cal the corners. I wanna hear the full deal. You? Maha Mantra. Sing it. Sing it ‘til the rest of ‘em are done.” She looked to Martina. “Gimme something Buddhist. Something long. And you,” she grinned at