Page 70 of Thirst

I chuckle as Majesty smiles at me before walking back out onto the floor. I still don't know what to do, but at least I feel a little better as I dab my chest a few more times to dry up the spilled Hennessy. Once I'm feeling ready, I get up and take a deep breath. I touch up my make-up before I go, then walk to the curtain and pause to look at all of the people in the club. I'm about to step out when I feel someone brush against my shoulder. I snap my head around and see that it’s Shay, in a money-green outfit and her hair in her signature braided ponytail. She cuts her eyes over to me before looking out to the floor.

“I think I may have heard somethin’ I shouldn't have,” she says without even looking at me.

“What?” I say, rolling my eyes. “What are you talking about, Shay?”

“You … takin’ money from customers outside the club,” she says, making my heart sink. “How’s Von gonna feel about that?”

I let out a long, annoyed sigh as Shay smirks and walks off before I can answer her rhetorical question. I watch her traipse over to Von, who’s sitting at the bar, and panic blooms in my chest when she places a hand on his shoulder. She looks at me and smiles again, before kissing Von on the cheek and walking back up to the Viper Rooms without even speaking to him.

She's messing with me, and I just gave her a guillotine to hold over my head every single day, because we both know Von will lose his mind if he finds out I've taken the amount of money I have without giving him a cut. Shay is going to be messing with me every day now, and seeing that dumb smile on her face is enough to send me back into the locker room.

The sense of conviction fueling me is like a fire at my backside. Something about seeing Shay approach Von only to turn and smirk at me was enough to force my hand. I'm so tired of the two of them, and I've been ready for a change for a very long time. I had my chance at it, and every day that goes by, I feel it slipping through my fingers. Now I'm faced with a simple decision. I either tighten my grip, or let it go forever and return to the monotony. So I grab my phone and pull up a text thread, feeling like my decision was just made for me.

Hey. Can I come by tonight?

Forty-Two

Shawn is waiting for me when I pull into the parking garage of Black Coins Casino. I see him standing there in his usual all-black suit and realize that my decision means I’ll probably have him in my life a lot more now. He's Amari’s assistant, and I could tell from the way he communicated with me in the past that he knows everything about Amari. There's no way he could be his assistant, taking his phone during the day, and not know that Amari has to stay in the dark when the sun is out.

As I park and get out, he smiles at me and nods his head as if everything is normal. “Good evening, Aaliyah. It’s nice to see you again.”

“It’s nice to see you, too,” I say, feeling warmth from our greeting.

He turns to the scanner and puts his eye in front of it, the elevator door opens and we step inside. As we go up, I think about whether I want to ask him what he knows. I wonder what he would tell me. But before I can, he beats me to the punch.

“So you know everything,” he says, smirking.

I nod. “I guess so. Still have a lot of questions.”

“Naturally, and I'm sure he’ll tell you more as time goes on. But just so you know, in the fifteen years I've known him, he has never told anyone his secret like this. He’s never let anyone this close. I don't know exactly what he has told you, but I know that you’re very special to him. It means a lot when I say I've never seen him like this before. Take that how you want, but just know that it’s real with him.”

A prideful smile pulls at my lips, even as I try to fight it away.

“Thanks,” I reply. “That means a lot. I'm still so unsure about all of this, but that at least gives me a little peace. It’s obvious you care about him.”

Shawn nods. “Very much. Like I told you, I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for him, and my life certainly wouldn't be what it has become since we met. I owe him everything.” As we reach the top, Shawn begins to chuckle to himself, making my brows knit together. “He wants me to stop being sentimental, so I guess I’ll shut up now. Enjoy your evening, Aaliyah. It’s good to finally have someone else to talk to about all of this. I look forward to our future conversations.”

The elevator doors open and he gestures for me to step into the penthouse. I do, but before the doors close, I spin around.

“Wait. You said he wants you to stop being sentimental. What’d you mean by that? I don't get it.”

Shawn nods in a silent agreement with himself. “Oh, so he hasn't told you all the little details yet. Don't worry. He will. Goodnight, Aaliyah. He’s waiting for you in the living room.”

The doors close and I'm standing in the hall by myself, wondering what the hell just happened in there. I’ll just add the interaction to my endless list of questions.

With my heart beating against my ribs, I turn toward the living room and start walking. The closer I get, the more my nerves stand on end. I'm terrified and excited at the same time, feeling that same disorienting sensation of being overwhelmed from a week ago. This isn't like all of our other nights together. Tonight, I'm knowingly coming face to face with a vampire, and accepting that he's not human. I couldn't tell anybody about this if I wanted to, because no one would believe me.

When I reach the end of the hall and it opens into the living room, I find Amari standing next to the bar wearing all-red. As much as the color reminds me of the fact that he drinks blood, I can't deny that he looks good. Everything about him is perfectly in place, like always, and I take notice of the gold bracelet dangling from the wrist he has placed on the bartop. I see it and remember the first time I asked him about wearing gold instead of silver. I think about the gold grill he wore before—the one that inspired my painting. So many signs that are obvious to me now.

“Hi,” he says as I come to a stop at the end of the hall, still hesitant to enter. “I'm glad you came. It’s so good to see you again.”

I sigh long and hard. “Yeah, it’s good to see you too, and I think I'm glad I came. I haven't fully decided yet.”

Amari nods, seeming to understand that I'm here with him, but I'm still uncertain. He keeps his face emotionless and moves behind the bar. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No,” I reply, forcing myself to go along with the plan I had in my head before I got here. “I don't want anything. At least, not yet. Not until you answer some more questions for me.”

He nods again as he grabs a small glass from the cabinet and pulls a single, massive ball of ice from the freezer. He drops it into the cup and fills it with brown liquor from a bottle covered in letters written in another language.