“He hated himself for giving you up, Zoey. He did what he thought was best to keep you safe. Make no mistake, I don’t blame you for feeling the way you do. I thought I could forgive him for the ways he’d wronged me. Then you killed him, and I found out that he was the wolf that killed my family, the same one that attacked me. He’d been in love with my mother-,” I choked on a sob and had to stop. I couldn’t face that again.
Zoey studied me, taking in my sudden brokenness. Her next words were icy cold.
“He was worse than I thought. He deserved to die. You’re right, Alexa. We do have much in common.”
She seemed to show no remorse, to feel no guilt or regret even though she’d murdered her own father. I had to know, had to ask.
“You don’t regret it? Killing him? At all?”
“How can I regret it? He left me and moved on to hurt others. Like I said, he deserved it.”
Looking at Zoey, I saw a young, weary woman with a determined set to her jaw and a ruthless glint in her eyes. There was more to her than that though. I could sense the way her energy wavered. It was pained. She may never admit it to me, but her lack of closure with her father hurt her deeply. Probably more than she would even admit to herself. We were both alone in the pain Raoul had caused us, and yet, here we were. There was strength in that.
I decided to change the subject. Rehashing the pain of the past wasn’t going to help either of us right now. “He left you money. It doesn’t change anything, but it’s more than enough to provide you with some security.”
“Thanks. I guess I’ll be needing that, much as I hate to take it.”
“Well, let me know if you need anything else. I’ll do my best to help you. I know that Kylarai is more than happy to let you stay as long as you like.” I raised my mug and downed a giant swallow of coffee. Not all the caffeine in the world would be enough during a conversation like this.
Zoey smiled then, and it transformed her face entirely. She was actually quite beautiful. If only the smile reached her eyes. I imagine that Zoey hadn’t felt genuinely happy in a very long time, if ever.
“Kylarai is a total sweetheart,” Zoey said, appearing to relax a little. “She’s done so much to make me feel at home here. Even after our little tangle months ago, she’s forgiven and forgotten completely. She’s an inspiration for sure. It’s too bad that she’d rather date men, and an ass**le at that.”
Ah. I hadn’t realized that Zoey was playing for the other team. Of course, I hadn’t had a chance to find that out until now. It wasn’t really all that important, but it did bring Jez to mind. She was always looking for that right woman. Her steady human flings were little more than a way to pass time. She could relate to a woman like Zoey.
“Yeah,” I nodded in agreement. “Julian is a real pig. I can’t stand him. I know it really isn’t my place, and I’m not trying to play match-maker but-,”
“The leopard, right? Jez?” Zoey smiled knowingly. “Kylarai told me about her. I vaguely remember her being at my father’s the night I killed him. It’s all a blur really.
I’m not looking for anything right now, but I wouldn’t mind meeting her sometime, on better terms than last time of course.”
I got up and went to the sink to rinse out my empty cup. Before I could respond, there was a sound at the front door. Kylarai came in accompanied by Julian who must have arrived while she was outside. Great. I dreaded how hard it would be to keep my face from revealing the truth about the scumbag.
I shared a look with Zoey, each of us less than enthusiastic about his unwelcome presence. It was funny how that one little thing gave me a sense of camaraderie with her.
Maybe we would get along just fine after all. I’d feared the drama with Raoul would have us at odds, but he was gone, and perhaps that would be enough to allow us to move forward in peace.
“How’s it going, Alexa?” Julian greeted me as he sauntered into the kitchen. He winked at Zoey, and she mustered a half-assed smile in response.
“Can’t complain.” I kept my answer short, going through the motions for Kylarai’s sake. I glared hard at him, and he ignored it entirely. “And you?”
“Game on TV tonight and beer in the fridge. It’ll be a good night.”
I figured this was as good a time as any to make my escape. I said goodbye to Zoey, promising that we’d speak again soon. Kylarai followed me to the door, a frown creasing her brow. She wanted to say something.
“Be careful ok, Lex? This whole thing with you and Kale taking over The Wicked Kiss, it doesn’t sit well with me. That place is dangerous, regardless of whether or not its former owner is dead.”
“We’ll be ok, Ky. Kale can take care of things. And, I’ll watch my back. Promise.”
“I guess that’s all I can ask.” She pulled me close for a quick hug before making me repeat my promise.
I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that I was safe at the Kiss; nobody was safe there. I wouldn’t be there alone. With two vampires and a werewolf accompanying me, I’d be as safe as I could possibly get.