Page 41 of In His Veins

As I’m about to crumble up the ticket, I notice something is written on the back. I consider throwing it away anyways and live in ignorance, but ultimately decide to flip it over. My entire body freezes.

Ava-

Such a pretty name for a pretty girl with pretty eyes and pretty thighs. I look forward to seeing you again. I can’t wait to get to know you.

There’s no signature.

I shove the note into the pocket of my jeans and try to forget about it. Josh chats with me during the remainder of my shift, making me feel relieved that the tension has somewhat lifted. I’ve just delivered the food to my table and take a few minutes to look through my emails. There’s a new one from Amera Gallery and my heart hammers as I open it.

Good afternoon, Ms. Channing,

On behalf of the curators and myself, we would like to congratulate you on being selected as a featured artist in our gallery this fall. Your unique style and themes will make for a perfect contribution to our “Shades of Autumn” exhibit. Since your paintings contain darker elements, they will be featured in the “Halloween” section. We’d like them delivered as soon as possible.

We are already preparing a winter exhibit, and we would love to feature your art again. We would like 10-15 pieces that portray the darker elements of winter. The theme is very loose, so feel free to make whatever fits within that general concept.

Please let me know at your earliest convenience if you’d like to accept this

offer. I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

Denise Everton

Amera Gallery Owner

My pulse flutters in my throat as I quickly type my response. As I press send, hope flares in my heart. I love Lauren and The Sable House, but for the first time since I graduated college, I feel like I might have a chance at being a professional artist. The rest of my shift flashes by as I imagine ideas for a winter exhibit.

25

CALLUM

Chase is quiet as we walk downtown. He texted me, saying it was urgent and that he needed my help. Now that I’m here, he’s barely said a word.

“Are we following up on a lead?” I ask, cutting my eyes to his profile. He doesn’t look at me as he responds.

“Yeah. There was an incident last night.” His response is blunt, but I know he’ll tell me what’s wrong when he’s ready. We continue walking in silence through the empty streets. Most businesses on this street don’t open for several more hours. I recognize the names of a few of the clubs.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I know I probably shouldn’t push him, but I’m impatient. He stops in his tracks and turns to me. His eyes are ablaze, his jaw clenched.

“Are you sleeping with my sister?”

Of all the things I expected him to say, this didn’t even make the list. I don’t even consider lying. Chase and I have been through too much together for that.

“It’s not like that,” I say and hold my hands up, because he looks like he might start throwing punches any second.

“The fuck do you mean, Drake?” His voice is low and menacing. I take a step back. “You had one job. One goddamn job. Keep my little sister safe. Sleeping with her was not a part of the job description, you piece of shit.” He swings, and I quickly deflect, rotating my body. He spins around and charges again.

“Look, man, I know what you’re thinking. I swear it’s different,” I protest, but he isn’t listening. He swings again and this one connects in my stomach, just shy of my stab wound. It pulls at the stitches, making me suck in a breath through clenched teeth.

“You go around fucking women and can’t even be bothered to learn their names. Don’t deny it. I’ve known you too fucking long for that. You’re the biggest asshole around and I’ll be damned if you treat my sister that way.” I sidestep, nearly missing another jab to the stomach. He must have noticed my reaction to the strike there and has made the area his target.

“Yes, you’re right. I am an asshole and I’ve slept with more people than I care to admit. But I swear to you, I’m not just looking for a quick fu-” I’m cut off as he grabs me around the middle and throws me onto my back. I feel a stitch pop as we go down and the entire wound burns. He puts his weight on me in an attempt to restrain my movement.

“You’re dead, Drake. I trusted you. We all trusted you with this. Ava is everything to us and you knew that when you made your choice.” A fist flies at my face, and I catch it at the last minute.

“Jesus, Chase, could you shut your fat mouth and listen for one second?” I block another fist. I hook my ankle around the back of his leg and throw my hips to the side, using my momentum to toss him off of me. I stand quickly and put my hands up again. I don’t want to fight him, especially because I know I deserve this.

“I can’t believe you came to that family dinner after what you did. You probably thought we were the biggest fucking idiots as we sat there completely oblivious. But you’re not as slick as you think. I’ve known you too long and too fucking well. I’ve watched you break girl’s hearts right and left for the better part of a decade, and I swear to you right now that I will kill you if you do that to Ava.”

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