Page 29 of The Second Sight (Wanderlust Emporium Presents, Season One)

Dad’s posture shifted slightly, his shoulders lowering from their tense position near his ears. Brooklyn had always been his favorite of my friends. She was responsible, straight-talking, and protective of me. If she vouched for someone, it carried weight.

“And you’ve been to this house?” He asked, his tone less accusatory.

“No, I haven’t, but I’m nosy.” Brooklyn said. “I got all this information from his sister when we had was at a kickback, I mean hanging out with them one night. His sister Lily is younger than he is. She’s twenty-one. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got that my kin folks used to own slaves money.”

I struggled to keep from laughing. Brooklyn must’ve asked Lily some questions that night at the Fountain of Youth when we were sitting in the VIP section. I was so panicked sitting there next to Seven that they probably had a whole conversation without me hearing anything.

“And what does this Seven do besides live off family money?” Dad asked, but the edge had left his voice.

Brooklyn glanced at me before answering. “I think he just manages their family investments. He’s pretty private about it. I mean, I can’t blame him. If you tell people too much of your financials, they might try to rob you.”

I watched my father processing this information, his natural skepticism battling with his trust in Brooklyn. Slowly, the tension in his face eased.

“Next time,” he said, turning back to me, “you call. I don’t care if you have to borrow a stranger’s phone or knock on a neighbor’s door. You call me.”

“I will,” I promised, meaning it. “I’m really sorry, Dad.”

“If your cell phone was dead, why couldn’t you use this Seven’s phone?”

“When I woke up, he was gone.”

“He left you in the house?”

“Yeah, he left me a note. He had a business meeting.”

“At night?”

“Daddy, you can have a meeting at any time. He said he would be back, but I had to leave in a hurry because you told me to get back home.”

“That’s why you drive your own car so no man can ever leave you stranded.”

“I kind of took an Uber, but I called Brooklyn to come get me.”

“A good dude would’ve never left you without transportation.”

“His car was in the garage. But it’s a stick shift.” I lied a bit. I didn’t know whether his car was in the garage. I wasn’t going to roam around that huge house at night by myself.

“A stick-shift. I saw y’all walking down the street. He was too good to park his stick-shift car in my driveway.”

“He parked his Porsche on the street.”

He sighed, the sound heavy with lingering worry. “A Porsche, did you have on your seatbelt?”

“Yes, I always do. Seven doesn’t speed.”

“Well, why does he have a sports car?”

“I don’t know.”

“Daddy, it’s late. Did you eat dinner yet?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.

Dad blinked at the abrupt shift. “No. I was too worried about you.”

Brooklyn and I exchanged glances, a silent communication developed over years of friendship. She gave me a subtle nod.

“Why don’t Brooklyn and I go pick up some food from Dorothy’s Sweet Soul?” I suggested, referring to the soul food restaurant about fifteen minutes away. “I’m hungry. I can get you some of those short ribs you love?”

Dad’s stomach growled on cue, betraying his hunger. A small smile, the first since I’d walked through the door, formed on his lips. “That sounds good. Get some of those collards and sweet potatoes too.”

“You got it,” I said, relieved at the momentary truce. “You want the banana pudding or the peach cobbler.”

“Peach cobbler.”

“They will be closing soon. We got to hurry up.” Brooklyn stood and looked up from her Apple Watch.

“We’ll be right back.” I said.

Dad nodded, suddenly looking exhausted. “I’m gonna go change. Been in these clothes all day.” He stood, hesitated, then pulled me into a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe, baby girl,” he whispered before releasing me and heading upstairs.

As soon as we heard his bedroom door close, Brooklyn grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the front door.

“We need to talk,” she hissed. “Like, now.”

I followed her out to her car. As we slid into the seats, Brooklyn turned to me.

“So,” she said, her voice low despite the fact that we were alone. “Vampires, huh?”

I leaned my head back against the headrest, the enormity of everything crushing down on me again. “Yeah,” I sighed. “Vampires.”

The conversation we were about to have would change everything between us, but as Brooklyn started the car and pulled away from the curb, I felt an unexpected surge of relief. Maybe I didn’t have to carry all these secrets alone.

“Okay, I need all the details.”

“Seven is a vampire. He’s been alive for four centuries. His house is like a museum. Lily is one, too.”

“Damn, for real. She looks like one and acts like one. Where’s the proof?”

“I don’t have a video or anything.”

“Tell me some vampire shit.”

“Remember when I had to use the bathroom at the Fountain of Youth.”

“Yeah, you ghosted me.”

“I did not. I went to pee, and I saw him drink blood from this lady in the bathroom stall. That’s why I disappeared for so long and you couldn’t find me.”

“Lowkey, you was tweaking after you popped back up.”

“Yeah, ‘cause he saw me, see his ass, drinking blood from some lady. He took me out to the alley in back of the club and threatened me. I told him I wouldn’t tell anyone, and he let me come back inside, but he was watching me.”

“Damn, that makes sense. He was attached to you like he was trying other jump inside your body.”

“I’m not even sure I should tell you this. I don’t know the rules. He has a coven of vampires, and he never told me what the rules are.”

“A coven?”

“It’s a fuck-ton of vampires in Chicago.”

“No fuckin’ way.”

“Yes, fuckin’ way. Seven showed up at my house, and then I handed my virginity right over to him after he ate the cat. I even let him bite me with fangs.”

“Oh, my God. Was you scared? Did it hurt?”

“I wasn’t scared. Seven would never hurt me. At first, I felt a little sting, like getting a shot at the doctor’s office. But he bit me when he had his dick in me at the same time, so I was distracted. The mark is on my neck, but it’s flat and you can barely see it.”

“Point to it.”

I did as she asked. Brooklyn slowed down and looked at my neck. She reached up and turned on the overhead interior light.

“Is it still there?” I asked.

“I can see two little, teeny-tiny dots.”

“There’s so much more.” I said and tried to figure out where to start this story.

“This tea is sweet, but you need to call Dorothy’s and place our order for pickup. We need to bring your dad his comfort food because you had him about to crash out.”

“Right.”

I removed my cell phone from my purse. I plunged it into the car charger in Brooklyn’s car.

There was no way I was going to return home to my hangry dad without his meal.

I made a mental note to add some catfish to his order while I was searching in my contacts for the soul food restaurant’s number.