Page 4

CHAPTER THREE

CHANEL

I had grown accustomed to taking naps during the daytime so I could hang out with my man, my man, my man, in the nighttime. I loved calling him my man. Praying to the good lord to keep me from being possessive wasn’t working. I was just happy I was keeping all those feelings on the inside.

Because he owned and operated a nightclub, as his girlfriend, I had to make my presence known. I had to let these goofy groupies know that the boy was mine. I only had to show up and be with him. That was literally all I wanted to do. So, it worked out for me. Spending time with him was my drug of choice.

I didn’t know which vampires knew I was aware of their secret. I tried to treat everyone the same way I did before I knew about their little secret society. I tried not to stare at these deadly people. Pretty difficult when I was surrounded by vamps, and something about that level of danger was odd and exhilarating.

I was dressed in a skintight leather dress and peep-toe black Louboutin pumps. Both the dress and shoes were gifts from my mister vampire. I strolled inside the club on his arm with my pediatric nurse hat off, and my baddies Midwest hat fully activated. Zand was proud to show me off.

As we entered the club, I told Zand that I loved being his girlfriend, but I didn’t really need him to announce it to the world. I didn’t want a target on my back. Plus, a single club owner was more appealing than one in a serious relationship. I wanted to make sure his business stayed successful. If women come to The Castle because of the handsome club owner, I was going to have to deal with it.

Zand made me feel loved. So, I didn’t need to be claimed in the way I did with the men from my past. I was secure in this relationship. He was opening up to me. Even though he was a vampire, I didn’t fear he was going to snap one day and kill me. I felt fear when dating human men so many times there were too many instances to count. And since every six hours a Black woman or girl was killed by a man, mostly in domestic situations, I thought that maybe I was safer dating a vampire. This was me, in the woods, choosing the bear. My bear was a vampire.

“Do you need a drink?” Zand asked, bringing me out of my morbid thoughts and into the moment.

“Yeah, but I can go get it myself.”

“Go to Marco. He’ll hook you up.” He pointed toward the bar.

“Purple hair and tattoos?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s Marco.”

I never knew his name. I remembered he was nice to me and Morgan the first time we came to The Castle. He looked Hispanic.

I pushed the see-through curtain back and left the table in the VIP section, and I couldn’t even get up good before Natasha rushed over and sat right where I was sitting. I fought the urge to roll my eyes when I looked back at her. She was so damn extra. I could tell her and Zand never had anything sexual between them. She was more like an annoying little sister.

The bartender, Marco, was a vampire. I confirmed this with Zand on the ride over here, even though I didn’t know his name at the time. Marco wasn’t security, but he was a vamp. Now I was going to have to mentally question if everyone I encountered was a vampire.

After Marco greeted me, he started pouring my glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I was taking a break from my normal Pinot Grigio order. Several men and women eyed me while I was at the bar. I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t think I was that cute tonight. I was still a baddie, just not the baddest bitch. That was Trina. Some of these women looked like supermodels. Some probably were. I ignored the gawkers and waited as Marco poured my drink and handed it over.

There were a few more eyes on me as I walked across the dance floor to the VIP section. I approached the table with my drink in hand. Instead of Natasha, there was a young Black man sitting in my seat. As soon as he saw me approaching, he frantically stood. Zand stood too. The young man rushed out of my way and parked his bottom in the chair on the other side of Zand.

Smiling widely. “Chanel, this is the guy I was telling you about.”

“You were?” I was slow to connect the dots.

What guy? Zand has never mentioned a Black guy. Now that I thought about it, he didn’t have any Black friends. He didn’t know any Black people besides Morgan and me. She was White presenting. If I was keeping it real, she didn’t even count. You had to squint your eyes, be nearsighted and farsighted, to even catch a minor glimpse of her blackness.

Why was I just realizing this? I was the only person of color in Zand’s life? I had to table that thought for another time. There was a young Black man staring me down and skinning and grinning at me. Oh my, the guy had a neck tattoo.

Zand took one good look at me. He saw I had no idea what he was talking about. ‘ Harpo who this man ’ came to my mind, but I couldn’t say it out loud. Damn, had Zand even seen The Color Purple? Can vampires be racist? I had added even more questions to my list of never-ending questions. I was in dire need of another round of interview with the vampire.

“Chanel, this is my son, Donté?”

Huh? Oh okay, this young guy is straight up African American. Who the hell is Donté? My memory is too damn good to forget the name Donté. I stumbled back into the moment and spoke. “It’s nice to meet you.” This is his son? Ain’t no way.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” I looked down at the guy’s hand extended at me and I took it and let the handshake commence. This young man was a vampire. Why would Zand turn a Black boy and make him his son? All of this didn’t make sense to me. Just why?

Blink twice if you need help, young brutha, I said in my mind like this Donté guy could hear my thoughts. I forgot to ask Zand if vampires could read the minds of humans. I was sure they couldn’t.

“You’re the son?” It wasn’t really a question, but it came out that way.

“Yes, I am. Lucky me.” Donté looked at Zand with respect and admiration.

I noticed that something else caught Zand’s attention. “Natasha needs me. I will be right back.” Zand rushed away from the table, leaving me alone with his new vampire— his son.

I needed information. This was all so strange. Just call me Olivia Benson because I was about to launch a whole ass investigation. This was operation S.V.U. Special Vampires Unit.

“So, you and Zand. How did you meet Zand?” I asked, as I gave him another penetrating stare.

“At UIC Medical Hospital. I didn’t know you were Black. Father didn’t tell me that part.”

Oh Lord, this Black boy is calling Zand, father. I took a sip from my glass to stop me from passing out. I already need another glass. Not wine, whiskey.

“You worked there?” He didn’t look like a nurse or candy-striper. Did candy-strippers still exist? He didn’t even look like he worked maintenance. There was no way he was a doctor. I could spot healthcare workers a mile away. I was one.

“No ma’am. I was sort of a patient. I mean, I was probably dead on arrival, but the doctors tried to work on me and bring me back to life. They did the best they could, but I was outta there. Multiple GSW’s, four.”

“GSW?” What the hell was that?

“Gunshot wounds.” He explained.

“You died?” My voiced raised to opera mode. I was trying to make sense of this.

“Yeah, but I can’t ‘member that part. I ‘member standing out in front of my fam’s crib on 63 rd, and Aberdeen. Someone driving up in a silver sedan, like a Kia. I see the car one minute out my peripheral. Next minute they lighting up the spot. I jetted through the gangway. Multiple shots was ringing out, like pla-cow, pla-cow, pla-cow, blam, blam, blam. These G.D.’s unloaded the clip on us. It was like it was happening in slow motion. I ‘member seeing all the blood. I ‘member knowing I was hit and feeling all this fire go through my body. I ‘member hearing screams and voices I didn’t recognize above me.”

He took a moment to think. “When I woke up, I was looking at Zand. He explained my transformation. Fam told me what happened to me. He said this was my second chance at life. I was like, man, get the fuck outta here. Ya know, like cause, I couldn’t believe what this White man was telling me. I thought maybe I was in heaven cause like, for real, for real, I wasn’t that bad. On God, I was a good dude doing bad shit. I hadn’t ever killed anybody, that I know of. Maybe I had made it to heaven, and I wasn’t in hell. It wasn’t hot. Ya’ know what I mean?”

Not really. There was too much slang in his sentences, and I had to pick the words out I understood. I didn’t know anyone in a gang if you didn’t count Lonzo. I guess I had to count him. I just didn’t want to. My curiosity was piqued in other ways. “Were you scared of being a vampire?”

“Nah, not really. Being scared wasn’t a thing where I come from. I lived a violent life. I was banging since I was ten. And I never had a father and then this random White man shows up and says I’m your father. I didn’t even put up a fight cause, I was so tired of ducking and dodging bullets. I always wanted a different life, but I was stuck in that hood shit, and I couldn’t get out of it. Dying was the best thing that happened to me. Being reborn a vampire was the greatest gift I ever got.” Donté shrugged.

“You think it’s a gift?” I was asking a serious question because it didn’t seem that way to me.

“Hell yeah. I miss my mama and my grandma, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Being a vampire is what’s up.”

I couldn’t imagine it— being a vampire. I wasn’t Bella in Twilight. I didn’t want to be a vampire. I liked the person I was. No more catfish. I liked food and wine and most of the things that came with being human. I didn’t want to experience life as a vampire. Even though it held a certain allure, it just wasn’t something I aspired to.

I was a pediatric nurse because I loved caring for kids. I had the best mother, and I always assumed I would one day be a mother. One thing about the movies was true. Even Zand confirmed it. Vampires can’t make new life. They can’t make babies and that was reason enough for me to remain human. Regardless of my bad track record with men, I hadn’t given up on being a wife and mother.

I didn’t even know how I felt about Zand taking this inner-city Black teen and making him into a vampire. He could’ve picked anyone in the whole Chicagoland area. Why Donté? What was he thinking? Did Zand own Donté or something? Or was he really just going to mentor this troubled young man like a father figure? What could it hurt? Donté only mentioned his mother and grandmother. Did he even have a dad?

This wasn’t my Black business. This was vampire business and had nothing to do with me. I wasn’t even sure Donté considered himself Black now that he was a part of this vampire coven. Did they call it a coven? There was so much I didn’t know.

“So straight up, you’re really okay with all of this?” I rolled my neck and hit him with a full Black girl attitude.

“Yeah.” He shook his head up and down. “I’m cool as fuck. I’m in my muthafuckin’ bag with this superhero shit. Sorry, Zand told me to cut back on the cussin’. I mean profanity.”

This young man had gang ties. He probably had already killed someone, even though he told me he hadn’t. I didn’t know why it bothered me so much that he was a vampire. For the umpteenth time, I had to remind myself that this was vampire business.

Zand came back to the table looking like something was bothering him. After a night of greeting his guests and being a good and dutiful club owner, he left with me earlier than expected. I was okay with him staying and handling business. I was the one that had to get up in the morning for work. I was going to be so tired tomorrow, but it was a small price to pay being included in this new world. I wanted to learn so much. I wanted to know everything. I had more questions, and I was going to make sure I got all the answers. For now, I had to sleep and prepare for Morgan’s arrival.