Jeanne Stein - Haunted

“Ramon told Culebra we’d talk tonight, after Maria and Gabriella go to bed.”

“Gabriella blames her father for Antonio’s death. She’s pretty antagonistic toward him.”

“She’s a teenager,” Max says. “She’s supposed to be antagonistic. It’s her job.”

“Maybe. But it seemed more than teenage angst. She said something about Ramon wanting Antonio to avenge himself against the bullies and when he wouldn’t, Ramon called him a disgrace, a weakling. And took matters into his own hands.”

Max takes a break from eating to look at me. “You think Ramon’s killing Rójan was premeditated?”

“I don’t know. But Gabriella seems to think so. She didn’t know anything about a suicide note, either. I’m not sure she knew he had been raped. In her mind, Antonio killed himself because he couldn’t live up to his father’s ‘standards.’”

Max lifts his shoulder and takes another bite. “You should probably let Culebra know. He seems to take everything Ramon says at face value.”

His words remind me of my conversation with Culebra the first night. “Maybe not.” I fill him in on the fact that Ramon does not know I’m vampire nor does he know Culebra is a shape-shifter. And that Culebra thought it best not to divulge our natures to Ramon.

Max has the same reaction I had. “Then what are we doing? Why did Culebra drag us into this thing if he doesn’t trust Ramon?”

My turn to shrug. “Culebra owes Ramon some kind of blood debt. One he feels obligated to repay. Besides, this is your big chance to get intel on Santiago, right? I’d think it wouldn’t matter to you how.”

“True.” He drags a tortilla across the plate, scooping up bits of meat and beans and with a look of pure contentment, slips the food into his mouth. When he sees me watching him, he smacks his lips appreciatively and grins.

Show-off. “I think you missed a bean. Maybe licking the plate would be more efficient?”

Max sniffs, still grinning. “Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.” He lays the plate on the table and looks out the door at the early evening sun blazing its lazy path across the winter sky. “We’ve got a lot of time to kill.”

I stand and hand him the laptop. “I’m going downstairs to take a nap. May as well rest while I can. I’ll bring the plate back to Maria and tell her how wonderful lunch was. You can stand guard.”

Max rubs his stomach. “Shit. I ate too much. Maybe I should go down for that nap.”

“Nope. I called it first.” I reach under the rim of the table and activate the lever. “You can jog around the cabin—work off a few of those calories. Those jeans look a little tight on you. Wouldn’t want you splitting any seams.”

He raises an eyebrow. “It’s not me,” he says. “Ramon doesn’t have my manly physique.”

“Yeah. Right.”

Max steps closer, too close.

“I can think of another way to work off a few calories.”

“Are you nuts?” I push him away with both hands. “You’d better lay off the mescal. We’re not a couple. Haven’t been for a long time. I have a boyfriend, Stephen, remember?”

“Maybe you do and maybe you don’t.”

His obvious glee at the thought that my days with Stephen are numbered makes me angry enough to tell him exactly what I’m thinking. “Stephen is not like you. He doesn’t judge me. He knows I didn’t choose to become a vampire. He loves me in spite of it.”

Max sniffs. “Does he? Is that why you didn’t tell him where you were going or who you were with? You saved his ass because you’re a vampire. He’s grateful. Now. Just wait until he has to live with it.”

“I saved your ass, too.” The words come out in a growl. “And you weren’t very grateful, were you? Thanks for reminding me, Max. You’re a real prick.”

I’m down the stairs quicker than Max can come up with a response. At the bottom, I work the combination and when the door opens, I’m facing three pairs of startled eyes.

Shit. I forgot. I should have knocked. Now they know I know the combination.

Too late. And right now, I’m too aggravated with Max to care what they know. I hand Maria the plate. “Thank you. The food was delicious.” I take a quick glance around. “Where’s Gabriella?”

Maria takes the plate. “She went to her room. Is Max keeping watch?”

“Yes. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to lie down for a while. We didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Ramon looks ready to ask me how I got the door open, but Culebra comes to my rescue. “Taking a nap is a good idea. We’ll be up late tonight. You get some rest. Ramon, Maria and I still have much to catch up on.” He smiles at them and for the moment, at least, they are caught up in his good humor.

Culebra can feel that I’m angry with Max, but he doesn’t intrude on my thoughts to ask why. I nod and make my escape, leaving them sitting around the table.

Just a warm, happy, cozy little family reunion.

What a fucking joke.

THIS TIME, MARIA LEFT ME A PAIR OF JEANS AND A white long-sleeved blouse with a scoop neck and embroidery around the cuffs and hem. The clothes are laid out neatly on the bed. The dress or nightgown or whatever the hell that was is gone. I move Maria’s latest offering to the chest at the foot of the bed, intending to shower again after I take a nap. Now I strip out of my well-worn clothes and toss all except my belt into the trash basket in the bathroom. I won’t be packing anything to take with me. Then I crawl naked under the blankets.

It’s cool and dark in the room.

I close my eyes.

Max’s face is imprinted on the back of my eyelids. He’s laughing. He’s gotten to me and he knows it.

But he’s wrong about Stephen. Stephen won’t leave me because I’m vampire. The way Max did. If Stephen leaves me it’s because I came on this stupid campaign without telling him where I was going or what I was doing.

Why did I do that? Stephen could have handled the truth. Probably would have applauded my loyalty. Instead I kept it from him.

I press my fingertips against my eyes until sharp pinpoints of light explode behind my eyelids, obliterating Max’s sneering face and replacing it with shards of white light that spin like a mirrored pinwheel.

Fuck you, Max. I’m not going to think about losing Stephen anymore. He’ll either be waiting for me when I get back . . .

Or he won’t.

I’M AWAKENED BY A TAPPING ON THE BEDROOM DOOR.

I glance at my watch.

It’s late—after eleven. I’ve been asleep for almost six hours?

“Yes?” I call through the door.

“We’re waiting for you. Are you all right?”

It’s Max. “I’m fine.” Shithead. “Give me ten minutes.”

I hear him move away down the hall. It’s a good thing he didn’t let himself into the room. I would have had his head.

I roll out of bed, mind numb from sleep. Too long. I slept too long. I should have had Culebra wake me after an hour or so.

A scalding hot shower with a brisk icy follow-up clears my head, snaps me back. Gabriella’s clothes fit. I feel refreshed, rested for the first time in two days.

When I walk into the living area, Culebra, Ramon and Max are gathered at the bar; Ramon and Culebra are behind it, Max on the other side. He indicates I should join him. Reluctantly, I do. It would be too obvious if I ignored him. Even as hard as I’m trying to keep a lid on my aggravation, Culebra feels it. He raises curious eyebrows but doesn’t push with a question.

Ramon runs his eyes over my clothes. “Are you more comfortable now?”

I nod. “Thank Gabriella for me.” There is a map laid out on the bar. I point to it. “Is that a map of Santiago’s village?”