Page 40 of Scorned
The purple-haired vampire gave me a kind smile, then squeezed my shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”
Since my other friends were busy with what I didn’t know, Drag roped Lynx and Demi into this mission. Since I was only going to meet my mom, I figured I would be fine going alone, but apparently it wasn’t safe—or so Marcus said. But since I made him worry enough lately, I gave in and let him arm me with two wolven and a vampire.
Drag turned up the radio when the song, “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell came on. I wasn’t big into country music, but listening to the words had my eyes filling with tears. I turned my head back toward the window, continuing to think about Luka.
The drive seemed to last forever, even if it was only an hour and a half long. Not far off the highway in the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico, Drag whipped the truck into a gravel parking lot.
“This is the place.”
I looked up to read the sign. “The Branded Steer? That’s a weird name for a restaurant. Aren’t all steers branded?”
Drag put the truck in park and turned off the engine. “It’s because they only serve meat from animals raised on their farms.”
My gaze drifted from the neon sign to Drag. “How do you know?”
“The owner is a good friend.” He gave me a smile, which made me suspicious of his words before he quickly changed the subject. “You know the plan. If anything happens, push the button on your necklace.”
Trying to build up the courage to go inside, I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. A hand landed on my shoulder again and I glanced into the backseat.
“You got this.” Lynx’s demeanor was sweet, but it didn’t do much to calm my nerves.
“Thanks.”
Mustering as much strength as I could, I exited the truck and made my way toward the restaurant door, my heart racing. The smell of greasy food hit me when I pushed it open. Looking for any signs of threat, my eyes darted across maroon booths filled with people.
“Sit wherever you want,” a waitress said, hurrying past me, her hands filled with plates of food.
It had been such a long time since I heard the sounds of clinking silverware and chatter, it seemed foreign to me.
A glass shattered in the distance, making me jump. A part of me wanted to run, but I had stopped running from my problems. Saving Luka was crucial and this was our sole chance for a breakthrough.
With a deep breath—and a small reminder I was a badass—I moseyed through the crowd of people, making my way to the back. I had nearly given up hope when a waitress moved to the left, revealing my mom sitting at a table alone. The air caught in my throat as I’d forgotten how gorgeous she was.
The child in me wanted to run and jump in her arms, let her caress my back and tell me everything would be alright, like she used to.
Forcing myself to walk at a slow pace, I fought back tears and cautiously made my way over to her. I stopped five feet from her table and my heart filled with a love I thought I’d never feel again as I watched her nervously fold a napkin into a perfect crease.
When she saw me, her hand went over her mouth for a split second before she cleared her throat and righted her face.
“I missed you,” she whispered when I slid into the booth across from her, her eyes glistening. Her hand went to the middle of the table and I clasped it in mine.
“I missed you too.”
We let go of each other and my mom wiped the tears from her cheeks before handing me a menu.
“What’s good here?” I asked, peeping at the variety of steaks and burgers, before doing an eye sweep of the room. My body being on high alert made it challenging to focus.
“I have no idea, Sa . . . umm, Marie, but our waitress is the sweetest person I have ever met. I already ordered you a sweet tea.” She glanced past me. “There she is now.”
“I see your guest has arrived.” The voice was familiar—too familiar. My eyes widened as I looked up into Vivi’s brightly smiling face.
“We haven’t had time to look at the menu yet, Carol. Can you give me and my, umm, niece a minute?”
Carol?
Glancing at Vivi’s name tag, it indeed said Carol.
“Sure thing.” Vivi’s smile stayed as she set our drinks down and walked away.
