Page 20 of Scorned
Drag pointed out the window and my eyes followed. “We got them.”
Marcus, his brother Zeke, and Peach were in one of the vans Venom had left behind. Figuring they might come in handy, we had brought most of the vehicles back here after I removed all the tracking devices on them.
“Sweet!” I drummed on the back of Heston’s seat, making him let out a grunt of annoyance. Since he stole the front, I was gonna bother him the whole ride. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Chapter 5
Sage
Naomi. A name I never wanted to hear again in my life. She conspired with her brother Sorin and it resulted in Luka being taken. Now that she was my enemy, I was shocked Winnie would even consider me calling her.
There was nothing that bitch could say I wanted to hear. Luka was dead and she was now trying to get to me. Unsure if she wanted to take me back to my father or kill me, I wasn’t playing her games either way.
Once I heard Winnie leave, I came out of the bathroom and threw on the clothes I’d laid out. I didn’t have the energy to take a shower. Honestly, I usually took them before bed anyway, and I wasn’t ready for my daily cry yet.
When I came out of my cabin, the night air was crisp, the moon bright and full. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone, heading straight to my spot. I knew Winnie had gone into town with Drag and a few others, so most of the people who would bother me weren’t around.
As I took up my roost in the woods, I heard Vivi ask Kimber if there was a portable speaker she could use. Within minutes, music blasted into the darkness.
With a sigh, I glanced over my shoulder to see what the hell they were doing. Vivi and Jimmy were chatting as they passed a bottle of whiskey back and forth in front of the blazing bonfire. There were two other humans with beers in their hands.
My gaze swept over Nellie and the overly-processed bleached hair that came to her shoulders. She was short and medium built with bronzed skin you can only get by using fake tanner. Jimmy took a liking to her, but she was someone I couldn’t stand, even before the war. She was one of those people who liked to gossip about others and be everyone’s friend, and it made me want to punch her in her big ass nose. I refrained back when we were in Venom together because not only would I’ve gotten an infraction, but I would’ve also been yelled at by my dad. But if she pissed me off out here in the middle of nowhere, New Mexico, I wouldn’t hesitate to kick her ass.
My eyes bounced to Randi who was rail-thin and tall. Her complexion was fair and had a pink undertone to it. She’d rarely talk but I did once hear her say she’d prefer working the night shift because she burned super easy in the sun. She was modest in her appearance, mostly wearing long sleeve shirts and slacks, even on warm summer days, and her hair was a dull brown she’d always kept in a bun. We weren’t friends before we came here but she had always been nice to me.
When Vivi caught sight of my staring, I quickly turned away, avoiding eye contact.
“Sage! Come drink with us! It’ll make you feel better.”
“No, thank you,” I murmured softly, aware that she could hear me due to her impeccable vampire hearing.
How the hell can these people celebrate when we’ve lost so much?
“Come on. It’ll numb your feelings!”
As I stared into the woods, numb feelings didn’t sound like such a bad idea, especially if I didn’t have to socialize with anyone. In theory, I could take a few shots before returning to my spot.
Fuck it.
Vivi squealed in excitement as I strolled toward them. I kept my eyes on her, completely avoiding the others when I approached. She held the bottle out to me, and I took it, not even checking the brand before taking a swig. The alcohol made a fiery path, running down my throat and landing hard in my empty stomach. I took another big drink before handing it back, a small cough leaving me.
“That tastes like shit.”
Vivi tilted her head, eying me like I was a zoo animal on display. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” I lied effortlessly, like I’d been doing for months.
“Are you sure?”
The sincerity in her voice along with the sadness in her eyes made me avert my gaze to the bonfire. A pooling of emotions swirled in the pit of my stomach as I watched the flames flicker. Vivi was one of the few people who understood exactly what I was going through, yet I didn’t know what to say to her.
How can someone express the depths of emotion without looking like a lunatic?
What was I supposed to say?
That I’m exhausted.
Exhausted from the constant thoughts occupying my brain, each talking louder than the other as if they’re determined to win an imaginary race.
