Cherry Creek - Dani Matthews Page 0,71
feeding off Brad. And what about him? If he wakes up from the coma, will he still be insane? Is there any way to fix it?
Then, there's Roman.
He's so dead the next time I see him. My jaw clenches, and I swing my fist hard at the bag, relishing the thwack echoing throughout the gym. That asshole did something to me that night at the club. Well, to be more precise, it was Tatum who gave me the drink. I know now that they drugged me. It's the only thing that makes sense. I'd found anything male attractive that night. Even those sleazy jerks that had me cornered before Trace interfered. There's also the fact that Roman and Trace had been in Khristos's office the very next morning, and Roman had been in huge trouble. I'm certain that meeting had been about me. I remember Adelaide telling me that Roman had handled a delicate situation badly.
I draw my fist back again, only to have it suddenly caught up in a warm hand.
I start slightly, turning around to find Trace. He hasn't been to bed yet, because he's still wearing the jeans and fitted tee-shirt he'd been wearing earlier when he'd carried Nathan out of my room. Only now his dark hair is pulled back in a short ponytail instead of hanging near his shoulders. His eyes scan me from head to toe for a brief moment before his eyes drop to where he still has my fist encased in his hand. He gently releases my hand, only to inspect my raw knuckles. There are a few scrapes, but they aren't bleeding. “Let me see the other one,” he orders. I silently hold it out for his inspection. His eyes lift back to mine with a hint of reproach. “You should be wearing gloves.”
“I don't have any.”
“I'll get you some. C'mon,” he says as he turns and walks towards the gym doorway. My feet follow, and he leads me back to the main room and motions to one of the couches. “Sit.”
The second I sit down, I realize that I feel better. A lot of the anger I'd felt has given way to exhaustion. Pummeling the bag had worn me down.
I look up when Trace walks up to me and holds out two bags of ice. “Leave them on your hands for a bit. It'll help with the swelling.”
I settle the bags on my knuckles and watch as he sits down near me. “I thought you were getting me gloves.”
“We don't have women's gloves here. I'll buy you a pair.”
“You don't have to do that.”
“I think I'll have a better idea of what kind to buy than you would,” he says lightly as he focuses his attention on me. He sits casually, knees spread slightly in typical male fashion.
“You're probably right,” I agree.
“How are you feeling? I mean physically.”
I shrug. “Back to normal, I guess. I was pretty restless earlier, but now I'm feeling tired.”
Trace nods. “When a succubus takes too much, she'll be wired for a bit. Same with an incubus.”
My eyes drop, and I stare at the ice bag that rests on one of my fists. I'm part succubus. I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around it.
“Want to talk about it?” Trace asks almost gently.
I glance at him. I don't want to talk about myself, but I do have questions that have been rolling around in my head. “Are there more, uh, succubi and incubi in Cherry Creek?”
“A few. But most are located in the cities.”
“So, if demons exist, what else exists?” I ask cautiously.
“You sure you're ready for that answer?”
I stare at him. “What else is there?”
“I think this is a topic that should be revisited in a few days,” he suggests as he turns his attention on my hand that rests on the couch between us. He lifts the ice bag to inspect my red knuckles.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “You have to tell me now. Otherwise, I'll keep wondering until someone tells me. Just dump it on me all at once,” I say bravely. “This way I can deal with it instead of having more things dumped on me at a later date.”
His gray eyes shift back to my face. “Don't say I didn't warn you.”
“Okay,” I say simply as I wait.
He's silent for a moment. “What else are you wondering exists? You ask, and I'll tell you if it does.”
“Vampires?” I ask instantly. It's the first thing that enters my mind.
“Yes.”
My