N. Walters - Damek's Redemption

She grabbed her large purse and slung the strap over her shoulder before taking his hand. He closed his fingers over hers and helped her from the limo. The sun hadn’t quite sunk all the way but it was hidden behind the surrounding buildings and would soon disappear. He could feel the prickle of the rays on the exposed skin of his face but it was manageable as long as he didn’t stay outside for too long.

Sonia glanced around the street and then at the building in front of them. “Where are we?”

“I thought you might enjoy the casual atmosphere of this place. It’s a favorite of mine. The music is exceptional. The food is nothing more than simple pub fare, but I’ve been told it’s good.”

The sign hanging over the door read Haven , and it appeared to be a club of some kind. Soft, sultry music with jazzy undertones drifted out as the door opened and closed as people entered, and she could hear voices from within. It was obviously a popular spot and it was filled with people, which set her at ease. “Looks great.”

Damek let her walk in front of him and the door opened as they reached it. A tall man with short blond hair and pale blue eyes stared at Damek as they walked inside. “Wasn’t expecting to see you.” The bouncer glanced from Damek to her and back to Damek again as he pulled the door shut behind them.

“I thought my friend would enjoy the ambiance of your little establishment.” There was some kind of underlying current that Sonia couldn’t decipher. She wouldn’t quite say it was hostile, but it wasn’t exactly welcoming. More of a grudging respect.

The bouncer straightened and squared his rather large shoulders, but before he could say anything else, a gorgeous blue-eyed woman came to greet them, a huge smile on her face. “Damek. It’s a pleasure to see you.”

Sonia fought off a wave of jealousy as the tall, dark-haired beauty held out her hands to him. The woman was wearing a sparkly dress, which wrapped around every curve she had, and she had plenty of them. The dress fell past her knees but was slit all the way to her thigh on one side. Sonia envied the confidence and ease with which she wore the dress and the killer heels that went with it.

“Meredith. A pleasure as always.” Damek took her hands briefly but quickly released them. “And where is your brooding mate tonight.”

“He’s right here.”

Sonia jumped as a giant of a man seemed to appear out of nowhere, the crowd parting to let him through. He had to be at least six and half feet tall with shaggy brown hair that fell to his shoulders. With his rugged features and muscular build, he was an intimidating sight. There was also something about him that made her frown. Something about him was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.

“Sonia, this is Meredith and Isaiah Striker. They own Haven.”

The large man slipped his arm around Meredith, loosening the knot in Sonia’s gut. Not that she had any claim on Damek or anything, but she didn’t want to picture him with this gorgeous woman either.

And she was being an idiot. She stuck out her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Sonia Agostino.”

Isaiah raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, nor did he offer his hand. He inclined his head and let his wife speak. Meredith reached out and took her hand and gave it a brief squeeze. “It’s a pleasure to have you visit our club. But it’s early for you, Damek.”

Sonia felt more undercurrents flowing, like they were all privy to a conversation she wasn’t and it was getting annoying. “Should we get a table?” The minute the words passed her lips, Sonia felt like a first-class bitch. Obviously these people were friends of Damek and were only trying to be friendly and make conversation. She rubbed her hand over her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

Meredith simply smiled and motioned for them to follow her. “I have a nice table in the back that will offer you some privacy.”

Sonia was very aware of Damek walking right behind her as she followed Meredith to an intimate corner with a table for two. Meredith gave some sort of signal and two more rather large men appeared and removed the tables close to theirs, leaving a greater space between them and the rest of the patrons.

“Thank you.” Damek inclined his head at Meredith as he pulled out a chair for Sonia.

“No problem. I’ll send Neema over in a few minutes to take your order. If you need anything just let me know.” Meredith sauntered off toward the bar where her rather large husband waited for her. The moment she reached him, Isaiah wrapped one massive arm around her, bent his head and kissed her.

The action was primitive and arousing and very intimate, and Sonia looked away. “This place is…interesting. Have you known the owners long?” Time to get the conversation back on track. This really wasn’t a date, as much as a fact-finding mission. If Damek wasn’t a vampire, what was he? Because she knew he was something other than human.

There was something different about Damek. Power clung to him with unmistakable strength and he moved with grace and ease, almost seeming to flow at times rather than walk. No, he was definitely some sort of paranormal creature. She only needed time to find out exactly what kind he was.

The fact that he’d brought her here made her wonder about the people who ran it. Were they like The Keepers, friends to paranormal creatures, or were they paranormal themselves?

“I’ve known Meredith for a short while. I’ve known Isaiah and his brother much longer.” Damek’s attention went behind her and she knew they weren’t alone any longer.

A young woman with skin the color of café au lait and kind brown eyes bustled up to their table. “Good evening and welcome to Haven. I’m Neema.” She put a menu in front of Sonia. “Would you like something to drink?”

Damek turned to her. “What would you like? If you prefer the champagne I opened in the limo I can have Jerome bring the bottle in.”

The waitress didn’t bat an eyelash at the suggestion that whatever the club had might not be up to her standards.

“Ah, no. That’s okay. I’ll have a glass of white wine. Whatever you have.”

“I’ll have a glass of red. The best you have.”

Neema smiled. “No problem. I’ll be back in a minute.” The waitress maneuvered her way through the crowd with grace and practiced ease.

Sonia picked up her menu and frowned. “She didn’t give you a menu. You can share mine.” She shifted the single laminated sheet to the middle of the table. The offerings were normal pub food like burgers and fish and chips, but there were steaks and seafood chowder as well.

“I’m not hungry.” Damek pushed the menu back to her. “I’ve already eaten.”

Sonia sat back and glared at him, suspicions rising once again. “Then why are we here?”

He leaned back in his seat, all masculine grace and power, and one corner of his mouth quirked up. “Because you are hungry and because I wanted to spend time with you.”

What was a woman supposed to say to something like that? On one hand, it was sweet, while on the other, it bordered on creepy.

As if he could read her thoughts, the other corner of his mouth rose. She was getting tired of amusing him. Thankfully, the waitress returned with their drinks before Sonia ended up saying something she might regret. Sonia grabbed the menu and scanned it quickly. “I’d like the BLT please. No fries.”

Neema smiled and wrote down the order. “It won’t be long.”

This whole night was already too long. The crowd in the club was getting larger, but they were tucked away from the hubbub. Sonia rubbed her forehead again.

“Does it hurt?” Damek touched her skin. His fingers were cool against her heated flesh.