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Black curly hair touched the pirate’s partially bare chest, and a black mustache curled above his smiling lips. A gold hoop earring dangled from his ear, while a red and white striped scarf covered his head, and an authentic-looking sword hung at his waist as he held out his hand to Caitlin. “Take a picture with me, me beauty?” He bowed low as if she were royalty.
Before she could accept, Levka pulled her toward their table. He motioned to Ruric. “If you need a picture taken with a pirate, Ruric is a descendent of the Viking explorer, Eric the Red.”
Ruric shook his head. “So you keep saying, though it is not true, at least as far as I know.”
Caitlin considered Ruric’s appearance. His wild red curly hair did look pirate like. But then again, Levka and the others with their long hair looked pretty wild at times, too, only none of them had even a hint of facial hair, no matter the time of day or night.
When they reached the table, Alicia gulped down a couple of headache pills, and Lynne grabbed her bottle and helped herself.
“I wish we hadn’t gone to the city,” Alicia whined, rubbing her temple. “We were in an awful traffic jam in a tunnel forever. No air conditioning on the bus. The windows were open and the gas fumes from all those vehicles nearly asphyxiated us. I have the most horrible headache.”
“Oh, oh, and armed guys in uniform all over the place in the shopping plaza. I just knew someone was going to snatch my purse and one of those guys was going to shoot him and hit me by accident.” Lynne gulped another drink of water.
“Guess I’m glad my trip got canceled,” Caitlin said, relieved, as they ordered their dinners. She glanced at Levka, wondering if he had been to Caracas before and that’s how he knew. Then she turned her attention to Vlad. “Did you go?”
“Without you to accompany? I think not,” Vlad said smoothly.
Alicia rolled her eyes, then she patted Lynne’s arm. “I’ve decided I don’t know what I ever saw in that idiot, Dylan. Bobby Drewery asked me if I wanted to see a movie tonight.”
Before she could stop herself, Caitlin shook her head. Bobby wasn’t any better than Dylan, another spoiled rich kid, both parents lawyers who had gotten him out of jail on minor shoplifting charges numerous times. Maybe a little tough love, in the form of a little jail time, would cure him of his sticky fingers?
The waiter returned with bread, soups, and salads.
Vlad tapped his fingers on the table, then leaned over closer to Caitlin. “Would you dance with me tonight?”
His black eyes willed her to say yes, but she had every intention of saying no. She buttered her bread. “I…”
Levka put his hand around Caitlin’s shoulder and gave her a slight embrace. “Her dance card is full.”
Alicia and Lynne stared at him.
Alicia turned to Lynne. “I think I’m going to get majorly sick. You finished with your meal?”
“Not interested. I’m feeling really nauseated, too. Sure it has something to do with the company.”
The two hurried out of their seats and left the dining room.
Leaning back in his chair, Vlad crossed his arms, his face dark. “She won’t be yours.”
Caitlin sipped her vegetable soup.
Levka’s lips and eyes smiled. “I don’t want Alicia.”
Caitlin nearly laughed and sat back in her chair when the waiter brought them their main dishes.
His mouth forming a hard line, Vlad said, “You have your friends to protect you for now, Levka, but what will you do when we reach Fort Lauderdale? You know you’ll be outnumbered. Your own league is furious with you, mad enough to send a tracker. There will be no one to watch your backs when you arrive. That isn’t your territory. You won’t be able to keep her.”
Carving up her roast duck, Caitlin said, “Why don’t you all eat? Your food will get cold.”
“Fort Lauderdale isn’t your territory either. But that is neither here nor there.” Levka began to work on his veal. “You have no claim to her.”
“Have you taken her blood yet?”
Levka glanced at Vlad.
“I see you have.”
“Then as you can see, you have no claim.”
