Bound in Blood (10 page)

Carlos put his lips to Chris’ ear and whispered, “We won’t stay long. I have a need to be alone with you.”

Chris felt his cock harden as Carlos’ lips lingered on his ear after echoing his own thoughts. If it wouldn’t have appeared rude, he’d have jumped to his feet right there and then and dragged Carlos out of the restaurant without so much as an apology. But that
would
be rude.

He tried to concentrate on the conversation that surrounded him like waves of sound then Roger’s voice broke through the laughter. “Hey, Chris. You like horror movies? I got the DVD of
Van Helsing
—you know the one with Hugh Jackman? It’s worth it just to watch him.”

“Oh yeah, I liked that one.” Chris smiled at Roger. “You’re right. Hugh’s the man.”

“That’s for sure,” Micah agreed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that one again.”

“And again,” Roger said, grinning. “Okay, our place next week. What night’s good for you, Chris?”

BOUND IN BLOOD

J. P. Bowie

65

“Uh, well I should be back from Santa Barbara Sunday night, and my last night at the Xtasy is Tuesday, so…after that maybe?”

“Then let’s say Wednesday night. Micah can pick you up if you like.”

“That’s okay, I have wheels, and Carlos can give me directions.”

“Are we all to have this movie inflicted upon us?” Marcus asked pointedly. “Joseph isn’t keen on that type of entertainment.”

“And neither are you, I know.” Roger was still smiling at his lover. “You’re both such sticks-in-the-mud. Just because you’re older than God…” His voice trailed off, and he looked around the table with a guilty expression on his face.

Chris said nothing though he found Roger’s remark a little strange. Marcus and Joseph looked to be only in their late twenties, if that. He must have meant that they had old-fashioned tastes or something.

Carlos broke the awkward silence by standing and holding out his hand to Chris. “I think perhaps we should go. Christopher has an early start to his day tomorrow.”

“Right.” Chris got up and smiled at the others. “It was really nice meeting you all.”

“Don’t forget about next Wednesday.” Roger seemed to have regained his composure as he grinned up at Chris. “Around eight, okay? I’ll have some stuff to nibble on.”

“Look forward to it.” Chris let himself be led from the table, his hand in Carlos’ firm grasp.

Ron walked them to the door. “Nice meeting you both.” He put a hand on Chris’

shoulder. “Stop in any time you like. I won’t make the Hugh Jackman party, I’m afraid. I work nights.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Chris said. “Are you open for lunch?”

“Uh, yeah…” Ron and Carlos exchanged glances. “But, uh, dinner’s a better idea.”

“Okay, we’ll figure something out. Nice meeting you, Ron.”

Ron closed and locked the door behind them then walked slowly back to the table where he knew Roger was in the dog house.
Man, but he just can’t control his mouth sometimes
.

BOUND IN BLOOD

J. P. Bowie

66

As he thought, Roger was looking downcast and apologising to Marcus and Joseph. Joseph seemed okay with it, but Marcus was definitely over Roger’s big mouth.

“Before we left the house tonight, I asked you to be careful what you said in front of Christopher, and you immediately made a show of reading his mind and telling him what he was thinking! Roger, you cannot do this around mortals.” Marcus looked over at Ron as he took a seat at the table. “Except Ron, of course—and Tony. And besides, it’s rude to read other people’s minds unless there is a good reason for it.”

“I’m sorry,” Roger said, sighing. “I guess my sense of humour is not always appropriate.”

Micah laughed lightly. “I think Christopher is going to be puzzling over that remark you made about Marcus and Joseph being older than God.”

“Thanks for reminding me.” Roger sighed again, louder this time.

Marcus smiled and shook his head. “Your melodramatic sighing won’t get you off the hook that easily. Just make sure that the next time you meet Christopher you avoid throwing around any more clues as to what we are.”

“I was just kidding, you know,” Roger protested. “And besides, the last thing on Chris’

mind right now is that he might be going home with a vampire.”

Marcus chuckled and cuffed Roger lightly on the back of his head. “Nevertheless, I don’t want to see a look of abject terror on the young man’s face if he ever should work it out from your sometimes very pointed remarks. Letting him know you can read his mind for instance. A slip of the tongue is one thing, but deliberately coming out with some of those off-the-wall comments like you did tonight is not a good idea. Do you think you could control your teasing for a few hours next time Christopher is around?”

“Yes,” Joseph said, trying to look affronted. “Like saying Marcus and I were older than God!”

“You guys are no fun,” Roger pouted.

Micah chuckled at Roger’s gloomy expression. “But you have to admit they make up for it in lots of other ways.”

BOUND IN BLOOD

J. P. Bowie

67

Frank stared at his friend Billy Richards like he was sporting five heads. “Are you totally out of your freakin’ mind? A fuckin’ vampire? There’s no such thing, Billy. Look at me. Listen to me.
There’s no such fuckin’ thing
!”

“I’m telling you what I saw,” Billy snapped. “That guy had fangs as big as a tiger’s—

and not only that, his face was like,
contorted
, somehow. Not human.”

“You’re nuts,” Frank sneered. “What the hell were you on, for Chrissakes?”

“Listen, Frank.” Billy raised a warning hand near Frank’s face. “Don’t go tellin’ me I’m nuts. I know what I saw. And what about when Whitey shot him? That bullet hit him right in the middle of his chest. It hardly fazed him. Made him stagger some is all. Then he was all over us again. I’m telling you, the guy’s not human—not real.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Frank turned away from his friend in disgust. “Horseshit, Billy, just plain horseshit. Whitey missed the son-of-a-bitch, that’s all.”

“Okay, fine, you don’t believe me.”

“Of course, I don’t believe you. I was there and so were Fred and Whitey and those other two morons you brought along. We didn’t see no vampire, Billy. All’s I saw was some dude beating the shit outta you and your pals.”

“Vampires can make you forget things.”

“What now?”

Billy locked eyes with Frank. “I read about it,” he said quietly. “About
them.
They have the power to get into your mind and fuck with your brain.”

“What brain?” Frank sniggered. “You go around talkin’ like this, you’ll end up in the looney-bin with all those other freaks. I mean, I can’t believe you told the cops that story. It’s amazing they didn’t cart you off to a freakin’ asylum.”

“Very funny, Frank.” Billy eyed his friend coldly. “Well, let me tell you this, just so you won’t be able to say I didn’t want to cut you in on the deal.”

“What deal?”

“The deal about finding the vampire and exposing him for what he is.”

BOUND IN BLOOD

J. P. Bowie

68

Frank’s cackle caused Billy to grind his teeth in anger.

“For what he is, Billy?” Frank sniggered. “He’s a man, that’s all. A homo who’s got the kind of smart moves you and your moron friends couldn’t compete with. Look, I’m gonna get the son-of-a-bitch, and if you want to put a stake through his heart to satisfy some freaky fetish you’ve got going, that’s fine—but you’ll have to wait ‘til after I put a bullet in his brain.”

“Just make sure it’s a silver bullet.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Billy.” Frank ran a hand through his rufus-red hair. “You are really getting on my nerves with this crap.”

Billy shrugged. “D’you realise how much money we could make if we could bring in a live vampire? We’d be famous Frank. We’d be on every talk show in the US. Even Oprah!”

Frank stared at his friend for a long moment then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“A live vampire? Vampires are supposed to be dead people walking, Billy. They’re not
alive
.

They come out of graves.”

“No, that’s not true. See, I read about this—”

“You,
read
? When did that happen?”

“Cut it out, Frank.” Billy was anxious to share what he’d read. “There’s this breed of vampire that lives just like we do, ‘cept they can’t be out in daylight, and of course, they have to drink blood. But they don’t sleep in coffins like in the movies, and you wouldn’t really know what they are just by lookin’ at them.”

Frank tapped his fingers irritably on the arm of his chair. “Billy, even you have to see this is bullshit. Some stupid, new-age baloney you’ve been readin’. Some asshole out there is tryin’ to make a fast buck by writin’ this crap, and stupid jerks like you lap it up. Shit, I could write something that stupid.”

Billy decided to let that one pass. “Frank, just hear me out. These vampires can be captured. They can be tied up with silver chains. It weakens them, and they can’t snap the chains.”

“And where d’you suppose you’ll find a silver chain? I don’t think they’re talkin’ the kind that goes round you girlfriend’s neck like that cheap-ass necklace you bought her. They probably mean heavy links.” Frank giggled. “And then what happens? You go near him, and he’ll take a chunk outta your neck.”

BOUND IN BLOOD

J. P. Bowie

69

“I’m telling you, the silver weakens them so they can’t hurt you, and they can’t fly away.”

Frank laughed so hard he thought he might bust a gut. “
Fly away
? Oh, Billy you surely are one stupid motherfucker. It’s just as well there’s no such thing as a vampire, or you would be one drained asshole by now!”

He was still laughing when Billy got up and slammed the door on his way out.

“Dumb shithead,” Frank muttered, glaring at the door Billy had almost taken off the hinges. “
Vampires.
Jesus, he’ll be seeing werewolves next. Stupid asshole.”

Chris pulled his Camaro into the parking lot of the 7-11 and grinned at Joey. “So, just some coffee?”

“Yeah, black, sweet and strong.” Joey yawned then sighed. “You got me up so darned early this morning I didn’t have time to get my morning caffeine injection.”

“Be right back.”

“That’s okay. I’ll come in with you. I can use the restroom while you order.”

They were on their way to Santa Barbara, and Chris was really glad he’d convinced his friend to join him for the weekend. Of course, he thought rather uncharitably, he would have preferred it if Carlos could have come with him, but he had another of those pressing business appointments—even on a Saturday. Still, it might be just a little early to be introducing him to his mom and dad. They weren’t going to be that crazy about him hooking up with a guy—especially one he’d met in LA. They were still getting used to the fact he was gay. Joey, they liked, but that was because they saw him as Chris’ best friend from junior high days. They’d known him since he was a kid, and sure didn’t know anything about the mad sex fiend he’d grown up to be.

Boy,
Chris thought
, if I’d have brought home just ten percent of the guys Joey’s dated to meet
my folks they’d have had a shit fit!

He carried their coffees outside and waited for Joey by the car. The warm sun felt good on his bare arms and legs. Warm days, cooler nights and now that they were approaching Halloween, longer nights.

BOUND IN BLOOD

J. P. Bowie

70

He smiled as Joey bounced out of the 7-11. With his tousled, chestnut curls framing a cute face, twinkling blue eyes and a perpetual sunny smile, Joey was a target for just about every gay man he met. Only recently had he started to get picky about whom he went out with. It was a sign of maturity he’d told Chris, giving them both a good laugh.

“Hope your mom is cooking breakfast when we get there,” he said, accepting his coffee from Chris. He glanced at his watch. “Nine o’clock. We should be there in another hour, right?”

“Right, but forget breakfast, they’ll have been up since six. She’ll make us a sandwich or somethin’.”

“So, you going to tell her you’re dating?” Joey asked as they got back on the road.

“No. Mom and Dad don’t really want to hear that just yet.”

“But they’re gonna have to get used to the idea one of these days. I mean, Chris, you’re twenty-four years old, not their little baby anymore.”

“Try telling my mother that.”

“I will.”

“No, you won’t. Joey, don’t even bring up the subject, please. I’ll tell them when I know what’s happening with Carlos and me. He’s offered me a job.”

“
Has
he now? So tell me, what’s he like?”

“Beautiful, Joey, just so amazingly hot. I couldn’t believe he was giving me the time of day.”

Joey chuckled. “Well, you’re not exactly a troll, Chris.”

“Gee, thanks for that.”

“No, I mean, you think I’d run around with some dweeb?” Joey grinned at him. “I have a reputation to maintain you know.”

“Hah, some reputation. The tramp of the class of ’02.”

“I could take exception to that remark—if it wasn’t true!” Joey laughed out loud. “Oh God, those were the days. We had fun, right?”

Chris grinned at his friend. “Yes, we did, though I think you had more than your fair share.”

“Tell me. Anyway, we got off the subject of Carlos. How hot is he? Describe him for me.”

BOUND IN BLOOD

J. P. Bowie

71

“Well, he’s tall, about six-four, I’d say.”

“Mmm…”

“Thick, black hair.”

“Oh, I like him already. Tall, dark and handsome.”

“Dark-brown eyes with flecks of gold.”

“I’m gettin’ hard—”

“Stop that, you.” Chris chuckled. “He’s built too, great body.”

“Big cock?”

“Joey!’

“Well, he can’t be all of the above and hung like a mouse.”

“I can assure you he’s not hung like a mouse.”

“Aha. No wonder you’re looking so damned self-satisfied.”