Possessed By You (Overworld Underground Book 1) (2 page)

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's all you got?"

"Okay," Isabel said, a dreamy quality to her voice. "That sounds like fun."

Stephen quirked an eyebrow and looked almost comically confused. "Come with me," he said, leaning in even closer.

"And, that's enough." I stood up and pushed him back a few feet. "If you don't leave us alone, I'm calling a bouncer."

"Got a problem?" Alex called out from behind me.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at Stephen. "Well, do we?"

His easy smile flattened, and his eyes glinted like hard diamonds. "No, of course not." He smirked. "Be seeing you."

"Not if I can help it," I muttered, pausing a minute to watch him go back to the far side of the bar.

Isabel stood and moved to follow him. I grabbed her arm and sat her back down. She flinched. "Whoa, Em." She shook her head as if clearing out cobwebs. "I think I must've had too much to drink."

Her glass was still half-full and Isabel wasn't exactly a lightweight, but I was willing to go with the drunk angle. "If you hadn't asked for double vodka, you wouldn't have encouraged mister stalker over there."

A little sigh escaped her lips. "Oh, poo. He's gorgeous. How could you
not
like him?"

"After everything I've been through, you still ask me that?"

She frowned. "I'm sorry, Em. Oh god, I'm so stupid sometimes."

I smiled and hugged her. "Don't worry, I still love you."

"I miss you being there to take care of me." She patted my back as I hugged her. "You know how weak I am when it comes to temptation."

"I recall both of us failing when it came to that," I said with a laugh. "Remember the time we gorged on all those Dove bars?"

"Right after our boyfriends broke up with us in the same week!" She shuddered. "I thought I was going to
die
!"

That had been our freshman year at university. At the time, it had felt like the worst week ever. We'd overcome it the womanly way, with lots of chocolate, ice cream, and a weight gain of at least five pounds. Isabel, naturally, had a new boyfriend by the end of the next week. I didn't have even a single prospect I was interested in.

By the time I choked down my martini, Izzy covered her brief affair with Alex, and I'd forced confessions out of her about three other guys she'd dated. Me, I had nothing to report. And why would I? Just thinking about my last "romance" made me sick to my stomach. If I'd learned anything in my twenty-three years on this earth, it was this: romantic love didn't really exist. Only lust and carnal needs did. Men desired nothing more than sex and control.

"Oh god, you started thinking about him again, didn't you?" Isabel said. "Alex! Emergency!"

The bartender showed up. "We have a nine-one-one in progress?"

Isabel made a panicked face. "Shots, on the double!"

He returned a moment later, shot glasses filled to the brim with something that smelled like pancakes. I grimaced. "I wasn't planning on getting smashed tonight."

"Doctor's orders," Isabel said, pushing one of the glasses in front of me. "Besides, it's a Saturday night, you're all gloomy, and neither of us have any prospects for a happy ending later." Her eyes wandered the bar to find Creepy McCreeperson chatting up some other girl.

I groaned. "Girl, that guy may look good, but he's full of shit."

Isabel sighed. "I know. But all I want is one little happy ending."

Determined to tear her mind off tall, dark, and gruesome, I held up my shot glass. "Here's to being roomies again."

"Roomies!" she said, her shout overpowering the noise of the crowd for a split second—enough to attract the eyes of the nearest dozen people.

Isabel hadn't changed a bit. Something inside me snuggled up against that comfortable fact. True, she might not exactly be a role model for moderation, but she loved me, I loved her, and the rest of the world could go to hell.

We gulped down the shots in tandem. I nearly coughed mine back up as it burned down my throat. Not a minute later, I crossed the "comfortably buzzed" threshold and entered "mildly intoxicated" territory.

"Let's do another," Isabel said, raising her arm to get Alex's attention.

I fumbled for her arm, pulling it back down. "Give me time to recover."

She laughed.

"I've got to pee," I said, unsure if I might also need to throw up. The concoction Alex had made us left a sickly sweet coating on my taste buds.

"Want another martini?" Isabel asked.

I stood up. Shrugged. "Keep the vodka level normal this time, okay?"

"You got it."

I wandered to the back of the bar and, with guidance from a helpful waitress, found the queue to the washroom. The men's room, as usual, had only one guy waiting outside, while I stood behind at least six other women. All in all, it took about five minutes. When I returned to my place at the bar, Isabel was gone.

My eyes flicked across the crowd, looking for her dark hair while my ears listened for her excited squeal. Isabel was not an easy person to hide, crowd or not. With her exotic, canted eyes, honey-brown skin, and infectious personality, the crowd usually migrated toward her. When I failed to find her, I looked back at the bar as Alex deposited two fresh martinis in our spots. Izzy's purse was gone. Mine still hung by the hook.

"Did you see where Isabel went?" I asked Alex, shouting to be heard over the crowd.

He shrugged. "Thought I saw her talking with that guy from earlier."

"Guy?"

"Yeah, the one you pushed."

A hot rush of anger hit me. "Thanks," I snapped.
Isabel, I'm going to kill you!
This wasn't the first time she'd ditched me to go with a guy, but she usually told me before running off. And to leave my purse just hanging there without even bothering to watch it was beyond the pale. It might not be a Burberry, but damn it, it held my ID and what little money I had, not to mention my phone with all sorts of personal stuff on it.

"I think they went outside." Alex gave me a concerned look.

Despite the heavy alcoholic buzz in my head trying to make me happy, I had to take a deep breath to calm my anger. My first night in town, and Izzy had eloped with a guy I expressly told her was a loser. "Can I tab out?"

"Izzy left the tab open on her card." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'll cut it off later."

I didn't feel a bit guilty about letting Isabel pay for my drinks at this point. I tried to smile, but barely managed to twitch my lips before snatching my purse off the hook and pushing my way through the crowd and out the door. A cloud of cigarette fumes invaded my nose, thanks to the crowd of smokers huddled in the cold outside. I didn't spot Izzy in the group, though I'd hoped maybe she'd just followed McCreeperson outside so he could smoke.

With a huff of anger, I got my bearings and headed down the sidewalk in the general direction of our flat. I knew I had to take a few turns here and there, but they were right on Peachtree. Walking might take longer, but I had no money to get a cab. Besides, if I didn't have time to cool off, I might say something rather nasty to my friend.

As I passed the alley between Gronsky's and a restaurant next door, a distinct moaning noise caught my ear. I turned and peered down the dark alley. Two shadowy outlines moved at the fringy of light offered by the closest streetlamp. I almost called out Izzy's name, but the words lodged in my throat. Whether it was fear of embarrassing myself, or just plain old fear, I wasn't sure. Even though Izzy wasn't all that choosy when it came to guys, I knew one thing. There was no way in the world she'd stoop to having sex in an alley.

It had to be someone else getting it on down there.

I turned to continue on my way, when one of the figures made a little squealing noise, faint, but unmistakable. Izzy
was
in that alley.

Now I really was going to kill her.

My inhibitions dropped away, replaced by disappointment and angry disbelief. I was going to drag her sorry little tail out of there and give her a verbal lashing she wouldn't forget.

As I walked further into the alley, a chill that had nothing to do with the night air crystalized like frost beneath my skin. When I closed to a few feet, the taller of the two silhouettes pulled away from the shorter. Isabel was kind of tall for a girl, but there was no mistaking Stephen's taller frame. I grabbed Izzy's arm and jerked her into the light. She slumped to the ground sideways, her dark hair spilling across the alley floor.

The other figure stepped into the dim light. Stephen smiled, and licked blood from his lips.

Chapter 2

I meant to scream, but fright somehow made me forget how to vocalize even the simplest word. Instead, a hoarse whimper replaced the scream and my legs went weak in the knees. I sucked in another breath, this time planning to really make a go of it, but Stephen was on me in a literal flash, pressing me hard against the wall. The rough surface of the brick bit through my sweater and against my skin. Stephen's hand slapped over my mouth. His skin felt dry, like slightly cool fabric against my skin. The cold aura drifting from him grew into an almost tangible entity of its own, like a reptilian presence that wanted nothing more than to sink its fangs into my flesh.

Reflex kicked in, and my knee went straight for his groin. Somehow, he blocked it and used a leg to press my thighs tight against the wall. I couldn't move. Couldn't scream. All I could do was look into his hard blue eyes and the sadistic joy within.

"Didn't want to come with me, huh, bitch?" he said. "Looks like I get dinner
and
dessert tonight." He moved his hand from my mouth and shifted his grip to my throat. "Nobody turns me down." He sniffed me like I was his next meal. "Nobody."

With his fingers digging into my neck, I couldn't answer, only tremble in fear and loathing. I squirmed, using all my strength to win my way free, but he was insanely strong. It reminded me of—I cut off my thoughts, trying desperately not to conjure up those images, but it was too late. A claustrophobic sensation sucked the remaining oxygen from my lungs. Panic gripped my muscles and fired off every nerve in my body.

I struggled, but I was a mouse caught in the grip of a cat's paw. Judging by the amusement in his eyes, he knew it.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said. His mouth sprang open.

His teeth flashed in the light, two of them looking unnaturally long. Stephen froze. A croaking gasp escaped his throat and his grip on me loosened. His head snapped back. Flashed forward and smacked hard against the brick wall. I felt something wet spatter against the side of my face and winced.

Stephen thudded to the ground.

Another figure stood where he had. An older man with a concerned look on his face, and piercing green eyes. He took my hand. Gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. Tried to speak but nothing came out. My senses scrambled, I could hardly think straight.

He bent down and scooped Izzy off the ground, cradling her like a baby in his arms. He motioned with his head. "Let's get out of this alley, okay?"

I nodded again.

We made our way back to the street. Our savior set Izzy on a bench and looked her over. Pulled out a handkerchief and wiped at her neck, shaking his head and muttering.

"What did he do to her?" I asked, finally able to force words from my mouth.

"Crazy guy bit her," the man said. "Probably on drugs."

"We have to call the cops," I said, looking for my purse, and realizing it wasn't on me.

"You dropped it in the alley," he said, standing. "You stay with her. I'll be right back."

All I knew was nothing could make me go back down that dark tunnel. I shuddered. Squeezed my eyes shut against the terrors of the past and wished them away. I dropped next to Izzy and felt her neck, searching for a pulse. I found it. I also saw where Stephen had bitten her and grimaced. While it wasn't exactly a bad bite, it left a nasty mark.

"Nyuhhh," Isabel said, her eyelids fluttering. "Bluh."

Well, it wasn't the most eloquent statement in the world, but relief warmed me. She was okay. Everything would be all right.

The man returned a moment later with two purses, one in either hand. He set them both down on the bench next to me. "It looks like the attacker ran away."

"After the way you hit him?" I felt my eyebrows go up. "I'm calling the cops."

"You look exhausted." He frowned. "If you call the police, you'll be here for hours waiting and filling out paperwork."

"I don't want that asshole free to do this again."

He shrugged. "Okay."

I looked up at him. Though his face looked perfectly normal—average even—his remarkable eyes stood out like emerald beacons. When his gaze met mine, a hint of uncertainty crept into his demeanor. He backed away a step. Unlike the coldness I felt with Stephen, this guy emanated something I couldn't put my finger on, like heat with the underlying scent of something burning. Then again, this feeling probably had more to do with the alcohol in my blood and my state of shock. I sometimes had an uncanny knack for seeing more to some people than the everyday façade they presented, but this definitely wasn't one of those times.

"Thank you so much," I said, common sense finally gracing me with the hindsight to thank the guy who'd been our knight in shining armor. "God, my brain isn't functioning right now."

He chuckled. "No problem." Glanced at his watch. "Unfortunately, I have to go."

"But the police—"

"I can't," he said. "Cops and I don't get along."

I took a moment to look him over. He wore a pair of khakis and a white oxford. A pair of glasses perched atop his mid-sized nose. He looked to be in his mid to late thirties, and seemed moderately fit. While he was somewhat handsome he definitely didn't look like anything special, and he most certainly didn't look like someone the police would care about, lovely eyes or not.

"Are you a criminal mastermind?" I asked.

A grin broke on his face. "No." He shrugged. "Can't really explain." He held up a hand and whistled to stop a cab. "You have all your stuff?"