Chapter 23-
by Michelle M Pillow & Mandy M Roth
Double Trouble
“Mandy!” Michelle rushed forward, a
worried frown on her face. The Raven was nearly packed. Armando had
been nice enough to let them use the club on a Friday night for their
joint ‘Double Trouble’ book release party. Actually, it had been
Mandy’s idea since they both had two books coming out that month.
“Where have you been? I need talk to you!”
“I’ve been planning this,” Mandy
said, a little defensively. She waved her hand around to the banners
and gathering crowd to a table that held their books on top.
Michelle grabbed Mandy’s arm and
began to drag her towards the back office. When they were alone, she
turned her desperate eyes to her friend.
“Is this about the engagement
party?” Mandy asked. “I heard what happened. Did you really kiss
Dmitri in front of everyone? Are you two back together?”
“No!” Michelle shot back, too
quickly. “I mean, yes, I did kiss him, but no we aren’t back
together. I haven’t even talked to him.”
“What? After that he didn’t call
you?” Mandy eyes widened in amazement.
“He called.” Michelle looked
guiltily to the floor. “I didn’t answer.”
“Oh,” Mandy sighed, nodding in
understanding. “Did something happen with Mike? Jaycee said you left
with him.”
“No,” Michelle answered. Then, as
the question sunk in, she grimaced, “No, of course not…just…well. Oh
My! Just look!” Michelle unbuttoned her pants and lifted her shirt.
“Uh, thanks.” Mandy laughed. “But,
I’m kinda with Armando now.”
“Could you be serious for one
second, please?” Michelle whispered, as if they could be overheard.
“Look!”
Mandy rolled her eyes before looking
to where Michelle’s hip was exposed. Her jaw dropped and her mouth
fell open. Slowly, Mandy knelt down. Reaching out a finger, she
touched the little full moon she found there and said, “You got a
tattoo. And it’s real. And it’s a full moon.”
“I know. I woke up after the
engagement party and my hip hurt. I don’t really remember doing
it…well, except of vaguely lying across some hotel room—”
“What!” Mandy demanded. “You didn’t
go to a professional shop! Shit, Michelle. Do you know the diseases
you could get from dirty needles—hepatitis C to name a biggie. Man, I
hope they used actual tattoo ink. That crap they buy out of the
Bargain Bin isn’t made for the skin and you could end up with blood
poisoning….”
Mandy kept shaking her head in
disappointment, probing the tattoo for infection. Her mouth opened to
continue her tirade when she glanced up. Michelle’s eyes were filled
with tears.
“Oh, no!” Michelle moaned, shaking
her head. “I didn’t even think of that. I was just relieved I
remembered enough about the tattoo artist to know I didn’t sleep with
him in the hotel room.”
“I’ll show you hotel room,” Mandy
grumbled. Seeing Michelle shake, she lightened up, “Does it hurt?”
“Thank you God! I’ve been dreaming
of this since I met the both of you. You gotta let me stay and
watch! I’ve died and gone to erotic girl heaven.”
Michelle gasped, turning to Mike in
the doorway. For a moment it didn’t register that her pants were
lowered and Mandy knelt before her.
“Holy Shit!” Mike exclaimed rushing
forward. He stared at where Mandy touched the tattoo on Michelle’s
hip. “You got a tattoo for Dmitri! Does he know?”
“It’s not for Dmitri!” Michelle
hissed. Suddenly, she realized Mike had a black eye.
Mike ignored her. “Has he…ah…howled
at the full moon yet?”
“Oooh! That’s great. I wonder if he
changed at the site of it,” Mandy added.
“Oh, he’ll change all right,” Mike
allowed with a knowing nod of his head.
“Would you two shut up!” Michelle
hissed.
“What happened to you?” Mandy asked
Mike, before Michelle could continue to scream at them.
“Oh, ah.” Mike shrugged. “Dmitri
just needed to blow off a little steam after the engagement party.”
“Dmitri did that to you?” Michelle
demanded.
“It’s nothing,” Mike answered, again
shrugging. “Your boyfriend was just a little mad that you ran off
with me. I told him nothing happened, but he still needed a sparring
partner and the other twenty lycans he beat up only left him ready for
more. You know, you shouldn’t work our kind up into a sexual frenzy
like that. It took him quite a long time to release the tension you
put into him. Next time, don’t start anything like that unless you’re
going to finish it. Dmitri is only lycan. We’re a passionate bunch
and can only deny our bodies so long before the beast comes out to
play. I bet he was pounding his sausage for hours—”
“Mike!” Michelle
turned bright red. Mandy giggled. “I…I… That’s not even a saying!”
Mike gave her a
wolfish grin and looked again at her hip, as Michelle pushed Mandy’s
hands away and righted her clothing. “Though, I’m sure if you show
him what you did for him, he’ll be—”
“It’s not for him! And he’s not my
boyfriend!” Michelle yelled. “And it’s not a full moon. It’s a
circle. It was going to be a sun but I chickened out, OK!”
Mandy smirked. Mike’s grin widened.
“Methinks the lady doth protest too
much,” Mike muttered. Mandy started laughing full out, nearly falling
over herself.
“Michelle, the tattoo’s finished. No
one is going to believe that it’s the wrong design. I don’t believe
it.” Mandy patted her lightly on the shoulder. Michelle jerked
away.
Glaring at both of them, she
demanded, “You’re to tell no one about this. It’s not for him and I’m
going to have it removed.”
“I hear that hurts worse than
getting them,” Mandy offered. Michelle paled. “Why don’t you just
keep it? I think it’s cute.”
“Mandy, Michelle!” Jaycee called
from the front door. Mike smiled, but she ignored him. “Better get
out here. The press is starting to arrive.”
“Where’s my date?” Mandy asked.
“Armando’s in the kitchen attending
to the wait staff he hired for tonight,” Jaycee answered.
“Yeah, I need to go find mine,”
Michelle said under her breath. They all looked at her.
“Dmitri’s not here yet,” said
Jaycee.
“What do I care?” Michelle
snapped. As she stormed out of the office, she growled, “And HE ISN’T
MY BOYFRIEND!”
~*****~
“Mandy M Roth, award winning author
of IMMORTAL OPS, DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS and VAMPYRE PRODUCTIONS:
VALKYRIE brings us another two hit releases this month with PEACE
OFFERINGS and VAMPYRE PRODUCTIONS: VALHALLA.” The speaker stopped and
waited for the crowds cheering to let up.
Mandy stood proudly by Armando as she
stepped into the crowd. She gave a wave of her hand as the spotlight
hit her. A wide grin spread over her face.
“Our other author
tonight, Michelle M Pillow, who most of you know for her phenomenal
debut novel, THE MISTS OF MIDNIGHT and the fictionwise number one
best-selling futuristic romance DRAGON LORDS: THE BARBARIAN PRINCE.”
This time when the
spotlight shone, Michelle stepped forward and gave a small smile.
Next to her side a tall, slender man waited in a tux. When she
stepped back, she picked up his arm and tried to fade back into the
shadows.
“In PEACE OFFERINGS, Mandy Roth
brings us to the world of the fairies. For over a hundred years the
Blessed and Unblessed Courts have been at war. A year ago, that all
changed. Peace came suddenly and left the Courts struggling to
maintain it….”
Michelle listened quietly, before
leaning to look at her escort. “Thanks for coming with me tonight,
Brian. I didn’t want to be here alone.”
“…Queen Moya of the Blessed Court
promised her daughter’s hand to Prince Elwyn of the Unblessed Court in
hopes that this would seal the deal. Mackenzie, the Queen’s daughter
is furious about this decision. Even by faerie standards this is
archaic…”
“Hey, no problem,”
Brian answered. “I’m only too happy to be here. I’m proud of you.”
“…Mackenzie wants to
marry for love and passion and at the very least a man she’s met. She
has never even seen what the Prince looks like, and has heard only
horror stories about how barbaric he is…”
“Hey,” Mandy hissed,
leaning over. She winked at Michelle’s escort. “What am I chopped
liver?”
Michelle rolled her
eyes. Armando glanced down at Mandy and chuckled before nodding at
Michelle.
“Mandy’s second
release this month is,” the speaker continued, “VAMPYRE PRODUCTIONS:
VALHALLA. Now, I’m sure many of you are familiar with the first
installment VALKYRIE.” The speaker paused and a murmur of agreement
went over the crowd. He chuckled, before saying, “Valhalla, the
heavenly oasis that the Valkyrie’s call home is scrambling to prepare
for the Apocalypse. Evil has stopped playing by the rules and started
recruiting from a supernatural gene pool. The Elder Valkyries are
left no alternative but to send their strongest warrior in search of
brave male souls that possess supernatural powers. Linnea isn't happy
with the Elders decision, but she's always done what was expected of
her, and this is no expectation. Leaping through the waterfalls and
into legendary battles has never scared her before, but now she's in a
race against time to gather the men before the vampires get to them…”
“Chopped onions maybe,” Michelle
whispered under her breath. “I know your books make me cry.”
“At least my characters have sex,”
Mandy teased back.
“Yeah, with everyone,” Michelle
giggled. It was their way. They hated these events and teasing each
other mercilessly was a game they started to get through the dreaded
speeches. They both hated the spotlighted attention, Michelle more so
than the bolder Mandy.
“…Can she find the brave warriors
Valhalla needs in time? Is love inevitable? Will it last? Follow
Linnea on the journey that led her to become Valerie and find out the
truth of her life before Guytano.”
“Shut up, Mildly sensual,” Mandy
shot.
“Whore,” Michelle answered. Her
escort chuckled. Armando did the same.
“Wench.” Mandy’s grin widened.
“Can I leave yet?” Michelle asked,
through the side of her mouth. “Is it over?”
“Nope,” Mandy giggled.
“Michelle Pillow’s first release this
month is book one of her new dark romance series, TRIBES OF THE
VAMPIRE: REDEEMER OF SHADOWS and has already gotten five star
reviews…”
“I’m going to be sick,” Michelle
whined.
“…Hathor Vinceti does not feel as if
she completely belongs in the world around her, yet she never imagines
that more could be waiting for her. She decides to move to London to
help Georgia run her seasonal upscale bed-and-breakfast home. But in
London, Hathor finds more than just an exotic city that captures the
mind—she finds a thriving underworld seething with wickedly bored
vampires. And what could be worse than immortal beings with nothing to
do and forever to do it…?”
“Hold on, it’s almost over,” Mandy
assured her. “Just smile and nod, smile and nod. Beauty Queen it
baby.”
Michelle bobbed her head like a
bobble doll causing the other three to laugh and draw the attention of
the nearby crowd.
“At least I didn’t make us stand up
front during this,” Mandy said. “Pretty ingenious to hire a speaker
to do it for us, if I do say so myself.”
“…Surviving on blood
and living in agony, Lord Servaes the Marquis de Normant has given up
on trying to discover a mortal end to his vampire life. He never asked
for immortality and he does not understand those who have. He never
asked to use his gifts—his accursed blood—to save the mortal who dares
too close to danger. Servaes is drawn to the strong willed mortal who
would deny him so easily—who by all rights should not be immune to his
vampiric powers—and for once he thinks of drinking of something
sweeter than the dregs of society.”
They all ignored the speaker.
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re
a…” Michelle’s face fell. Her rounded eyes looked over the crowd.
Mandy glanced at her, seeing her pale face.
“Michelle’s second release coming
this month is part of the ULTIMATE WARRIORS anthology, entitled SILK,”
the speaker continued. “In order to keep his secret formula from the
enemy, the dying Dr. William St. James made the impossible choice. He
injected the only sample of it into his daughter, killing her chance
at a normal life so that an elite superhero may be born. Now, ten
years later and utterly alone, Quinlan St. James is still torn between
the woman she could have been and the superhero, Silk, she has
become…”
“You wrote about a superhero?” Mandy
asked. Then, seeing Michelle’s pale face, she demanded seriously,
“What is it?”
“Michelle?” Brain was
concerned.
“…Nikandros is an immortal Protector,
sworn to an eternity in the service of good. His is a lonely
existence, one chosen long ago…”
Mandy followed her eyes across the
hall. A small smile lit her features as she saw Dmitri in the crowd,
his eyes trained on Michelle.
Michelle felt the fire of his gaze
from across the room. Her heart leapt into her throat. She couldn’t
breathe. She felt him as if he was pressed against her and her brain
chose the moment to remind her how good his body felt, how wonderful
his lips moved, how great he tasted, how rich his voice was when he
said her name—when he said anything. How did things get this messed
up?
“…Believing that Quinlan might be
selling her father’s formula to the highest bidder, the Protectors
send him to seduce the reclusive billionaire. However, instead of a
coldhearted conspirator, he discovers a lonely woman with a heart of
gold—and a secret identity. Now it’s up to him to prove her innocence
without blowing his cover.”
Michelle didn’t hear the speaker of
the applauding crowd. Feeling someone pulling on her arm, she glanced
at Brian.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“You’re pale.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she answered
reaching back to pat his arm. She looked up at him and smiled.
“Ok, but you just say the word and
I’ll get you out of here.” He looked to where she’d been staring at
Dmitri and she felt him tense under her hand.
“Is that…?” he began.
Suddenly, the spot light shone on
them and a loud applause erupted over the crowd. The speaker was
finished. Michelle lifted her hand, trying to see Dmitri. The light
was too bright.
“Come on,” Mandy hooked her arm in
Michelle’s and pulled her forward. “Time to bow.”
~*****~
“There you are, Kitten.” Armando
purred as he stepped out into the back alley. “Why are you out here,
all alone?” He stressed the all alone part and Mandy knew he was
pissed. He didn’t trust the elements that frequented his own
establishment and she found that incredibly sad.
“I needed some air.”
He wrapped his arms around her and
pulled her close to him. “I think that your Double Trouble Premiere
went over well, don’t you?”
“Oh, yeah if you call Michelle
turning three shades of green when we went up to the podium right
before she yelled at Dmitri for punching Mike then yeah, it went
great.”
“I cannot believe that she got a
tattoo of a full moon for him, yet she distances herself so.”
“I know, but ask her and she’ll deny
it.” Mandy let out a tiny laughed and rubbed her cheek against his
cool chest. A shiver went through her as a small breeze blew past.
Armando rubbed her arms, but did little in the way of warming her up.
She felt him stiffen beneath her touch and looked up to find his face
blank. “What’s wrong?”
“It is moments like this that I am
reminded of what I am.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed
his jaw. “I love you just the way you are.”
“But it would be better if I were
human or if you were a….”
Mandy jerked away from him, not
bothering to hide her surprise. “If I were a what, Armando? What?
You’d rather I was a vampire? If you’re in the market for one of
those, you’ll need to call Eliza-bitch back to town. Sorry, I’m
just an ordinary hum…”
He seized hold of her and brought his
mouth down on hers. The kiss was chaste at first but the moment his
tongue moved into her mouth Mandy’s body ignited with the need to feel
him in her. His hand went to her waist, slowly working her dress up
her thighs.
She let out a sultry laugh as he
fumbled with her panty hose. “Baby, not out here. It’s cold.”
“Do my ears deceive me, or did I just
hear you turn down sex and refer to me in a tender manner?” Armando
kissed her neck, continuing to work on her panty hose. “Really, what
is the point of these?”
“Oh, you didn’t complain when I tied
you to the bed with some of these the other night and…”
He tossed his head back and let out a
low moan. “You tell me that I cannot take you out here yet you remind
of all the pleasures you have to offer. You are an evil woman,
Kitten.”
“Awe, I love you too.” She said,
pulling back from him slowly. “I need to get home. It’s late and I
still need to get packed for tomorrow.”
“Why, what happens tomorrow?”
Mandy bit the corner of her lip. “I
told you about taking the job in Chicago.”
Armando looked like he’d been
slapped. His eyes widened as he shook his head. “Non, you
cannot be seriously thinking of going to work in Chicago still.”
“Yeah, seriously enough to be heading
up there to apartment hunt for a few days. I need to find a place to
live before I just show up for my first day. Living in a hotel does
not sound the least bit appealing.”
“Did you listen to yourself?”
Armando asked, narrowing his gaze. “I, I, I…never once did you
mention we. I can see that the fact that there is a we
now is lost on you, Mandy.”
“What? I’m supposed to give up the
opportunity of a lifetime to stay here and…”
“And what? Be my wife? That is what
you agreed to do when you put that ring on your finger, or did you not
understand the terms?”
“Oh, I understood the terms just
fine. I just didn’t the message about all the strings attached.”
Armando took a step towards her and
she backed up quickly. “Oh, my dear those are not strings you are so
worried about, I believe it is commitment in general. You are so
selfish and self-centered that you can only see what is important to
you…for you…you do not bother with what others may need or feel.”
Mandy’s mouth dropped. “How the hell
can you say that to me? I sat in Chicago ALONE crying my damn eyes
out because I wasn’t pregnant with your child. And before you say
that was selfish, the reason I was so frickin’ upset was because I
knew how much it meant to you and I couldn’t give it to you. I
couldn’t bring that one little bit of life back to you—to lesson the
pain that I see in your eyes.” She let her gaze go hard. “I’ve
watched you for over a year. You keep to yourself, and aside from
Dmitri I don’t think you bother to make friends. I’ve seen you look
at groups of people at the club with a sense of loss in your eyes. I
couldn’t stand it, Armando. I wanted to fix it and I didn’t know
how. I didn’t even think you noticed me, let alone were willing to
let me close to you, and once you did I realized that I didn’t come
equipped with the skills needed to heal you. I am what I am and if
that’s a selfish bitch then so be it. Gawd, you have some nerve. You
can take this ring and shove it right up your sophisticated ass…”
“You watched me from afar before our
relationship began?” He sounded surprised.
Mandy rolled her eyes. “You can’t be
serious! How many times did you ever see me bring another man into
the club with me?”
Armando looked distant for a moment
before shaking his head. “Now that I think about it I cannot recall a
time that you did. I know that you dated other men. I could smell
them on you…after you…” His face went hard and Mandy knew that this
was subject that he didn’t like to talk about.
“I’m no saint, baby. I screwed other
men, sure, and you had other women, but I never drug my boyfriends in
to meet you.”
“Why?”
“What? Would you prefer that I did?”
Armando pulled her closer to him, his
grip firm. “You have other boyfriends?”
“Focus! I’m trying to tell you that
I’ve been into you for a very long time. I was concerned for your
feelings even before I was aware you had any towards me.”
“Ahh,” Armando said, sounding like
the realization of what she had said sunk in. “Why do you want to run
away to Chicago then?”
“I’m not running to Chicago.” Mandy
huffed.
“Really?”
“Don’t sound so smug.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Mandy couldn’t help but smile. “I
bet you will.” She twisted in his arms in an attempt to head back
into the club.
“Not so fast.” Armando let a razor
sharp nail extend from his fingertip and ran it across her panty hose
quickly.
She gasped at the
nerve he’d shown, and felt her body tighten with anticipation of what
else he might do. She didn’t have to wait long. Armando pushed her
back against the cold brick and lifted her dress high above her
waist. He undid the front of his own pants, kissing her lips hard,
and feverously.
Armando gave her no
more warning before he had her lifted up and thrust himself into her.
Mandy screamed out, into his mouth, a mix of pleasure and pain.
Unsure if she wanted him to stop or continue on, she clung to him as
he hammered away at her.
Mandy looked into his
dark eyes and watched as they swirled. Her head grew heavy and for a
moment, she was lost as to what she’d been thinking about—what they’d
been discussing. All that mattered was him, his happiness, their
happiness.
~*****~
Michelle listened as Brian went on
and on about what an ass Dmitri was. She couldn’t disagree with him
at the moment, but she did feel a bit defensive when it came to him.
“I can’t believe that you have
feelings for him. It’s bad enough that he’s part dog, but come on
Michelle, he’s hot-headed, arrogant, egotistical….”
“I know,” Michelle said dreamily.
“Would you like to repeat all of
that, this time to my face.” Dmitri growled out, appearing suddenly
behind them.
The tiny office seemed too small.
Michelle tried to wedge her body between Brian and Dmitri, but she was
too late. Brian rose to the challenge and stepped forward. “Yeah, as
a matter of fact I would like to repeat it to your face. How Michelle
ever managed to get herself messed up with the likes of you is beyond
me. I thought I knew her better than that.”
“Just how well do you know her?”
Dmitri asked, his face turning towards Michelle. She gulped and found
that she couldn’t respond. She’d never seen his rage directed at her
before and she didn’t care for it one bit.
“I know her pretty fucking well…I’m
her…” That was all Brian managed to get out before Dmitri hurdled him
through the air.
Instantly, Michelle snapped out of
her stupor and ran towards them. “Dmitri NO! Brian, oh God… Brian?”
She dropped down next to him and touched his head. He was out cold.
She turned to glare at Dmitri.
He smiled and shrugged. “Guess, you
should pick stronger fuck buddies.”
“WHAT? Are you sick? Brian is my
brother you idiot!”
