Roomate from Hell: chapter two by Julie Steimle (good book recommendations .TXT) 📖

lifting up his chin to look me in the eye, examining me with a very hard stare.

“You aren’t a victim,” he said.

I thought about it for a second and then shrugged. “No. Not exactly.”

He sniffed the air and then took a step towards me again. “You’re a witch?”

With that I groaned, feeling sick. “Heck no! And don’t you accuse me of that either!”

“Hey, Eve…” Star staggered over from the dance floor, patting the man as she cut between us, and dropped into the seat opposite Dawn. “You still sober? Party pooper.”

I made a face at her. “Someone’s gotta be the designated driver.”

She dropped against the table, leaning on one arm, then peered up at the man with a hazy gaze. A stupid smile spread across her lips. “Hey, you’re hot. You wanna go find another club with us?”

With a roll of my eyes I set a hand to my head. The man smirked. But then he swaggered towards my roommate.

I jumped between them. “Oh, no! You are not touching her!”

The man stepped back from me. “What’s your problem? If she’s interested—”

I kicked him in the shins. “She doesn’t want what you have to offer!”

“Hold it,” Star said with a thick slur. “Maybe I wanna….”

“No you don’t!” I snapped at her then grabbed the man by the arm and dragged him away from the table towards the doorway, shoving him against the bar. “And as for you, if I see you getting near any of those girls I will make sure you suffer for it!”

He straightened his shirt, shaking my hold off, though I really wasn’t holding that tight. I just wanted to get him away from them.

With a smug look of superiority he glared down on me as he said, “You’re trying to threaten me? You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

His eyes started to glow red, and I heard a slight gurgling growl in the back of his throat.

But I was not impressed. Grasping his shirtfront in my fingers, I fixed my own glare on his face, and bared my teeth at him as I growled back, my own eyes glowing a red tinge under the brown contacts I wore. “No. You don’t know what you are dealing with.”

I let my fingernails extend into claws, hidden in the folds of his shirt though he felt them pierce towards his skin. Underneath my touch I could feel him tremble.

“You’re the vimp,” he murmured, staring at the long fangs that I usually hid.

I nodded. “And those people are under my protection.”

“How is that possible?” He stared at me as his eyes grew wider with horror. “Vimps kill and eat humans. They are more hunger driven than vampires.”

I let him go, taking a step back. I could hear my roommate’s imps shouting for them to stick straws up Dawn’s nose as she slept, forgetting me entirely.
Taking another step back from the vampire that had originally intended to seduce me, I said, “You haven’t back to the Order lately have you? If you had you would have known who I was and when they tried to recruit me.”

He straightened up his shirt again glancing at the tears in it, perhaps counting himself lucky I had not punctured his skin. I had already retracted my claws, glad I had not yet stained them with his blood. I hated what the smell of blood stirred up in me.

The vampire peered at me with a disgusted snort, pretending not to be afraid though from the pounding of his heart I knew he was terrified. “A ‘clubbing man’ has to cut himself off from the Order to survive. The Order would not approve of our alternative lifestyle.”

I blinked at him. “Alternative li—”

“Eve, what are you doing?” Lisa laid her arm over my shoulder suddenly standing at my side and leaning on me like a prop. “Just kiss him already.”

I cast Lisa a tired look, only to face her reeking breath and the sagging gaze of her alcohol stewed eyes. Emitting a whimper with a groan I looked back at the vampire. “You, don’t go anywhere. I’m not through talking to you.

“And you,” I shoved Lisa to stand up, “What are you doing? I’m not a crutch.”

Lisa burst into a loud laugh in my ear. “Oh, come on! We brought you here to have fun! And what are you doing? Go make out with him! What’s with all this talking stuff?”

“You don’t make out with vampires,” I muttered, setting Lisa into the other chair where she immediately flopped back.

Dawn popped up her head. “Vampires? Where?”

Star and Lisa broke into laughter, cackling stupidly. They even pounded on the table. However, I pointed over to the guy who was starting towards the door.

Dawn pulled back with a shriek. “Gah!”

“My sentiments exactly,” I said. Seeing him go, I chased after him before he got outside. “You, I said don’t go anywhere!”

Dawn hopped to her feet, practically scrambling around the bar for protection. The vampire watched her, his eyes flickering with surprise that she believed what I had said.

When I got a hold of his arm, I practically dragged him the rest of the way outside.

“You go girl!” Lisa shouted after me. Star’s laughs accompanied like some strange duet. “Take him down!”

I hardly gave her a look when I at last rounded the corner with him, getting out of everyone’s sight so I could speak frankly. I shoved him against the outer wall. “Look—”

“And you think I’m out of touch?” The vampire laughed with that ethereal sounding voice of his. “Lady, you are in the city, and not just any city, but this city. City vampires are different than those in the Order of Blood that hide in the mountains and caves. And you have no idea the history of this city. Let me go.”

I almost did. However, I set my teeth and looked him in the eye. “Fine. But before I do, what did you mean by the history of the city? How are vampires that much different here? You all still crave blood, don’t you?”

He chuckled, lifting up his chin again. I guess it was clear I wasn’t going to kill him. He said, “Sure. The craving is still there, as you ought to be aware. But city vampires seek companionship, one night stands so-to-speak. We get our blood through different circles. As long as we don’t attack anyone the SRA leave us alone.”

I let go of his arm, blinking as I took in that news.

“Ah, so at least you know about the SRA.” He smiled broader. “The police work with them, you know. And if they find out you are in this city they’re going hunt you down.”

To that, I laughed, turning from him.

“You don’t believe me?” He sounded annoyed.

I shook my head. “No. I believe you. I’m just surprised they let vampires roam free in the city.”

“I wouldn’t call it free,” the vampire muttered. He then glared at me from the side of his eye. “Have they hunted you yet?”

I tilted my head then shook it. “Not technically. But then I’m not worried about it.”

His laugh erupted before he could stop himself. “What? You think you can take the entire SRA on? They always send more hunters for the more difficult demons.”

“I know.” I nodded. But then I shrugged, looking back to the doorway to see if the other girls had followed us. I had thought I had heard their imps suggest to spy on us. That would have been problematic. “But I’m sorta already registered with them. They won’t hunt me down unless I give them reason to, and I have yet to do that.”

His face nearly dropped. “I don’t believe you.”

Shrugging again, I said, “Then don’t.”

Immediately I walked back toward the club. The man at the door peered at the stamp on my wrist to let me back in.

The vampire followed me just a few paces. “Wait a minute. Are you saying the SRA will let a vimp live?”

I hardly looked back to him. “What choice do they have? My destiny is to kill the Holy Seven, and they spared me. No one else has the power to take me down.”

The sound of his heart stopping caught my attention, but when I turned around he had practically run back into the street. I was sure he had flown off to get as far away from me as possible. It was just as well. I wanted him freaked out. If he were, he would definitely leave my sister and my roommates alone forever.

“Ah….” Star looked at me, clearly disappointed I had not come back in with that guy. “He got away.”

Dawn crept out from where she was hiding, watching my face. I nodded to her, hardly giving Lisa or Star a look.

“Don’t worry. He won’t be bugging any of us after this.” I smiled.

My sister leaned on me with relief. “Thank heaven. Let’s go home. I feel sick.”

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Publication Date: 09-30-2010

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