Revolution

Deacon

Best decision I ever made. And possibly the worst. This angel looked hot as hell in that outfit.

“Well, how do I look?” Carrie raised her arms to the side and spun, presenting herself to me.

I wanted to unwrap that present and take it for a ride. Or have her take me for one. Either way would work for me.

She was giving me a knowing, and somewhat amused look. Right, I was supposed to say something. I probably looked like a teenage boy right now, seeing a real woman for the first time.

I didn’t care. It almost felt like I was.

“You look…wow. Angel, you look…” Screw it. “You look sexy as hell.”

She tipped her head back as she laughed, opening that luscious neck to me. It was a good thing there was still a table between us. Not that it was much of a hindrance to me, but still.

Her whole face was flamed in a blush when she looked at me again. I could feel the fire in my blood begin to boil, the need to taste the blood running through her veins. I stood and turned to push the chair back in, keeping her from seeing my burning eyes.

I didn’t need to see them to know. I could feel the fire burning that ran through my own veins, which would ensure they were glowing. I barely caught it earlier before she noticed.

“We should head down, I’ll be opening earlier than normal from now on, since most people will need to be home before dark.”

She followed me to the door and took the arm I lifted. It wasn’t something I had done in many years, or decades, but it felt natural to escort her like a princess. Even though she looked like a goddess.

“I have to be honest. This isn’t what I was thinking of when you said uniform.” She admitted to me softly as we made our way down the staircase, which was just wide enough for us to walk side by side.

“What did you have in mind?”

She shrugged self-consciously. “I don’t know. Jeans and some kind of shirt.”

If she was anyone else, it would have been just that. But I wanted to be able to see as much of her as possible, all the time.

“And it might be for some bars. We are going into hard times. People, men in particular, are going to come to try and escape. You, looking like this, might just keep my bar open. Sex sells, angel.”

“I am not a hooker.” She stated so matter of factly, that I had to laugh.

“No. And no one will be allowed to touch you either. They may try to flirt, but if they get too obnoxious with their comments, there will be consequences.” I bit back on the possessive growl wanting to come through me.

It wasn’t the first time this morning I felt this way. I listened in on her phone conversation earlier, not that I had to really work for it. As soon as I heard mention her ex, I nearly lost it. Then when she explained that she dumped him for cheating on her, I wanted to kill him for hurting her.

She seemed over it already, but I was sure it had hurt when she found out. Mates weren’t supposed to betray you. And they weren’t even mates yet.

I led the angel on my arm toward the serving bar and sat her on a stool. “I don’t expect too many people in this afternoon. Not after yesterday. Some will come, needing to get drunk and escape the world for a few hours, most will be at home, trying to make sense of their lives now. For the most part, I will have you waiting tables. This isn’t a fancy restaurant, just ask what they want, write it down, and bring it to me. As the orders come in, I’ll show you what to do. Times when we aren’t busy, I will show you how to make their drinks. This crowd isn’t all that creative. A beer, a shot of whiskey, bourbon, or scotch, and they are good. The cook mostly does burgers, wings, fries, and sometimes sandwiches. I will have to make changes based on what supplies are available to me in the near future.”

I watched her, as she watched the bar warily. My angel was so far out of her comfort zone right now. It made me sad.

“Come here.” I waved her behind the bar, and she slowly followed. I pulled down a shot glass and poured her a small amount of scotch. “Drink this.”

“Oh, I don’t really drink very often. A glass of champagne at parties, or a glass of wine with dinner. That’s about it.”

I took her hand and set the glass in it. “You need it to help steady your nerves. Especially when I get to the next part.”

Her eyes widened as she realized there was still more, and she wasn’t sure she could handle it. I could smell the panic rising in her again. I nudged her hand, hinting for her to drink. For someone who wasn’t a drinker, she downed it like a pro. I set a bottle of water next to her. That one shot was stronger than what she was used to.

“Alright, hit me.” She set the glass down roughly and I held back a laugh.

How to put this?

“For as long as I’ve been open, I have had a certain type of clientele at night.”

Apparently that was enough. Carrie started stepping backward, her heart racing so fast I could practically feel the movement in the air. I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.

“Let me finish. They used to stay hidden in the corner, but we both know they won’t be wanting that anymore. I fully expect them to start piling in now. And they won’t want to hide behind curtains.” I started talking faster, seeing as this woman was on the verge of a panic attack. “I won’t say they are on their best behavior while they are here, but they do behave better. You are safer in this bar, with me, than you are anywhere else in the state, possibly the world.”

“Why?” The vulnerability in that one word nearly knocked my knees out from under me. Her fear was more dangerous to me than a silver dagger to the heart.

“Because, I have created a reputation for myself. So, to speak. I’ve been around for a while.” The look in her eyes told me she knew I was skirting the truth. “I have a few humans who come in and work as donors. They get paid well for it. One of your jobs will be to make sure they have plenty of water and that they eat something while they are here. Every vamp knows they do not harm my donors. They belong to me.”

“That’s what you told the vamp last night.” Her body tensed. I could feel Carrie wanting to pull her wrist out of my hand, but she wasn’t. That was something.

“Yes. I claimed you. And before you freak out and run, you will not be donating or anything of the sort.” Not to them anyway.

Her air turned to confusion, her body relaxing at the conviction in my voice. “How will they know I belong to you then?”

“That’s easy, you will be here. With me.” I stepped a little closer, bringing her next to me. “I will need to make it look like you are more than just my employee though. It will help keep you safe.”

I struggled to fight back the grin when her eyes flashed to my lips. Naughty little angel. How did she make it this long while being so innocent?

“How will you do that?” Her voice was still soft, but the shake wasn’t from fear, this time. The panic and fear in her blood was fading, something much sweeter overriding it.

“Just a few small touches in public. I’ll keep them decent. I promise.” For now.

One day, she will let me do more. I had no doubts about that. I put my hand on her lower back, her skin as smooth as it had been the night before.

“Things like this, or…”

I stepped around her, my hand sliding to her stomach as I went behind her. I leaned down and kissed her neck. I let the grin fly this time, since she couldn’t see me, when her breathing stuttered.

“Little things that hint at something more.”

Carrie cleared her throat and stepped away from me. I hated the feel of her sudden absence, but I also didn’t want to push it too much on her first day.

“Is that it then? Vamps will be coming in to feed from the donors. Do they drink or eat food?”

I placed an elbow on the counter and leaned on it, trying to not look like touching her affected me so much. Why the hell did it? She was far from the first woman that I have held in my arms, but she was the first that I missed.

“Some do. Some buy it for their donors. I told my donors last night to spread the word that I will need more. What you really need to prepare yourself for is the show.”

Her head tilted slightly to the side, confused again. “Show? Like a band or something?”

I laughed and shook my head. “No, angel. The show is what you are about to get. Vampires don’t care about privacy. They get a thrill from voyeurism.” The angel grimaced. “Many prefer to play with their food while they feed, it helps the donor’s body create chemicals in their blood. It changes the taste. It also helps the vampire get what they need. Their bodies don’t create enough blood, or enough of the chemicals. That’s why they feed. Of course, some are just gluttons, and are addicted to the taste of human blood.”

Previously, I had always looked at them with distaste when they got addicted, but looking at this angel, I had a feeling I was about to experience that need firsthand.

“And your donors are willing to do that?” Her tone said she was only partially horrified by it. The rest was curiosity. She folded her left arm across that sexy stomach and braced her right arm on top. She began to chew on her thumb nail nervously.

“Only if they are willing. And they are paid extra for it.” I waited while she processed everything.

I decided she needed something else to think about. And I needed that finger out of her mouth. I reached up and grabbed it, folding my fingers around hers.

I hadn’t thought about it. I just did it. It felt right. Natural.

Carrie froze, then it was like her body sighed with relief. Not in a way that could be heard, and you could only see it if you were watching, which I was. I pulled her out of the room, not wanting to give these odd feelings any more thought.

I led her down a hall and opened a door. “This is the cellar. The storage room, I guess you could say.” I led her down the stairs, into the basement I used. “Pretty much everything is down here. If we run out of anything this is where you get it.” She pulled her hand out of mine and started walking around the room, looking at everything.

Just like earlier, my body felt her absence.

I cleared my throat, feeling uncomfortable with all these new and raw feelings, and pushed my hand through my hair, hoping to wipe away that disconcerting feeling, then tightened the band holding my hair back. When I left home, I stopped cutting my hair and trying to look the part of a royal. My father had been a stickler about appearances in front of our people. If we acted like all was right in the world, while bunking in caves, they would feel all was right. When everything was most definitely not all right.

“I’m going to head back up and get the place ready to open. Feel free to look around and familiarize yourself with all of it.”

The human shift was barely half of what it would normally have been. Many humans were trying to find a way out of the city, maybe out of the state. So far, it was mostly the larger cities that were getting hit. The freeways were being bombed, as well as taking fire from drones, near the state lines.

Someone was trying to cut California off from the rest of the country. Curtis was sloppy, but effective.

We had enough customers that I was able to help Carrie practice behind the bar, and turn food orders into Mike, my cook. My favorite was teaching her to pour a shot. She wasn’t a complete ditz. I knew that she could have probably just poured it on her own. Even still, I insisted on standing behind her and helping her pour it.

And then kissed that aromatic neck again.

When she gave me a questioning look I just winked and told her the humans needed a warning too.