Page 16 of Every Bite You Take (Midnight Siren Supernatural Cruises #1)

CHAPTER 16

DAMIEN

A few nights later, the energy on stage was electric, but not in a good way. The air crackled with animosity and the tension crawled up my spine. Caleb and Angus had gone at it again during practice and had almost come to blows before Van and I had stepped between them. Now during our set, Angus prowled ever closer to Caleb, his invasion of his space clearly meant as aggressive. Caleb shot eye daggers back as he smashed his drumsticks on the pads.

This was bullshit. Not the way to put on a show. When I’d joined this band, I didn’t think I was signing up for a grating ego fest. And with how much I missed Kylie, my patience was at an all-low.

We were halfway through the set, which was as uneasy as a vampire evading sunrise, when Angus snapped. He tossed down his bass—which landed with a tragic thunk—and shouted, “Want to go, rockhead?”

Caleb barely got out from behind the drum set before Angus lunged at him. The crowd gasped in shock. No wonder. The band they’d come to see perform instead threw down a challenge like they were in a cage match. Van and I exchanged a not-entirely-surprised glance, then we jumped in to pry our bandmates apart.

I had the unfortunate task of trying to pull back Caleb. It wasn’t easy to move a heated, angry gargoyle, which was essentially like dragging a granite slab across the stage.

Van wrestled with Angus, who had the wiry strength of a caffeinated ferret.

“I swear to all things unholy,” Van muttered, “if you don’t cut this shit, I will stake you both as décor to the bow of this ship!”

“Caleb, back off,” I grunted out as I yanked him backward. When he didn’t flinch, I added his prized possession. “Before your drum kit ends up a casualty of war.”

He paused at that wakeup call and glanced back at his precious instrument.

Angus wiggled out of Van’s hold like a slippery eel. “Fuck this. And fuck all of you.” He motioned at each of us with a pointed finger. “I quit.”

The audience released a collective gasp.

“Good!” Caleb bellowed back. “We’re better off without your drama.”

Angus stormed out of the Nocturnal Lounge.

Van groaned. “Like dealing with toddlers. This is why I drink.”

I ran after Angus, barely catching up to him as he headed outside and climbed over the railing.

“Angus,” I called out. “What are you doing?”

He ignored me and leaped overboard.

“Shit.” I ran to the railing and searched for him in the dark waters churning below. He popped up, breaking through the surface. Then he went beneath it again. The next time when he resurfaced, he was in selkie form. At least he was okay. He swam away from the ship and then disappeared.

Unbelievable.

I stared out at the water for a long time, trying to process how everything had fallen apart. First with Kylie. And now the band.

Kylie.

Losing her hurt worse than anything. She was gone, far across the country on another shore, another ocean.

“Hey, Damien,” Bria said as she turned the corner, interrupting my rumination. She waved as she passed and continued her laps.

“Bria,” I said and straightened.

Seeing her reminded me of our very brief encounter in the past and how different things had been with Kylie. What we had was real. Lasting. Not fleeting.

It was time to do something about it. Go after what I wanted.

And if Kylie didn’t want me?

Then… I gulped. I’d have to live with it.

Turning inside, I rushed to the internet café and booked a flight to Boston.

I stepped into the Danger Zone, the rock club where Kylie worked, and the thump of a Rob Zombie song echoed off the dark walls. The dark gothic ambiance with skulls and cemetery decor fit the vibe, and I would have loved to visit on any other occasion, but tonight, I only had one goal.

Find Kylie.

I scanned through the throng of moving bodies, their scents an array of human and supernatural, until I found her and sucked in a sharp breath.

Kylie stood behind the bar, where she made a drink and chatted with patrons. Her violet hair reflected the light like an amethyst. She wore a black shirt with a gothic skull printed on it.

The moment our eyes met, a jolt surged through me, igniting a spark I thought had long extinguished. The lethargic rhythm of my undead heart thumped with a resounding beat—the way it had when I’d first met her. It left me stunned for several seconds. Only she could do this to me, make me feel alive once more.

But I didn’t travel all this way to gape at Kylie from across the club. I maneuvered my way through the crowd, where several women and a few men sang along and danced to “Dragula.” A fitting entrance for a vampire.

I reached the bar, leaning slightly to catch her gaze again. Her expression turned wide-eyed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice breathy and tinged with disbelief.

I stepped closer, a one-sided smile tugging on my lips. “I came to see you.”

She blinked slowly before widening her eyes. “Wh—why?”

As I approached, her scent hit me—that fragrance that had haunted me for weeks. The taste of her sweet blood had added to the torment, reminding me we were connected and should be together. That she was the one.

Most of the people in the club were oblivious to my declaration, save for those nearby who watched us in rapt silence. But they all faded away as I pulled together my chaotic thoughts into words.

“I came here to see you. Not in a stalker way. And only if you're okay with it.” My nerves gnawed at me, and I stumbled to a halt. “I mean,” I faltered, gathering myself again, “I wanted to see if you’ll give me another chance. Because I want to be with you.” The tightness in my chest spread. “Because…” I’d never felt so vulnerable before in my life, dead or undead. “I fell in love with you.”

Her mouth dropped open in apparent shock, but it felt good to get it off my chest, to admit what had become more apparent each day.

“You’re the only one for me.” I placed my hand on my heart. “I know it in here. I feel this bond to you and have been in agony since we’ve been apart. I love you, Kylie.”

She gaped at me for several more seconds, and I braced myself for rejection.

Then she rushed out from behind the bar, but slowed her steps as she approached me. “Stop talking, vamp.”

Oh, shit. I took it too far. I let my shoulders sag and dropped my gaze. “Okay…”

In the next second, Kylie threw her arms around me, leaving me stunned. “Kiss me instead.”

Holy mother of… I glanced down at her, reveling in the feel of her in my arms again. She stared up at me, eyes bright, and smiled so wide she beamed with radiance. “I know what you mean. I feel it too.”

My brows shot up. “A bond?”

“Yes.” She nodded and her lips parted as she searched my eyes. “I love you too.”

I let out a whoop and pulled her closer, lifting her off the ground. Once I put her back on her feet, I bent down and kissed her while cheers and wolf-whistles echoed around us.