Page 42 of The Second Deal

Thosethoughts come crashing down the longerIsit in traffic on the way back home as lightning streaks across the sky and rain beats down on the roof of my car.

Theonly reason whyIwent to the gig is becauseZakasked me, and the only reason whyIgot up on stage tonight is becauseZakdidn’t show.Adrianall but forced me out there with his brother’s guitar in hand, acting none the wiser about his twin’s whereabouts when they’ve arrived to a show separatelymaybetwice in ten years of playing gigs.

Turningon the road closer to home, a low, deep growl consumes the cab.

Theyfucking set me up.

Theyplannedall this.Theyconcocted this desperate scheme to make me get up on that stage, play, and ask to rejoin the band, to make it seem like it was all my idea.

Andfor what, just forZakto fucking shoot the idea down at the end?

Angerfumes and boils over asIapproachLosoyaBridge.

Afamiliar figure forms in the rain, stumbling on the side of the road.

Thedevil himself stops to face me asIswing the car door wide open after veering off the road to park.

“Whatthefuckare you doing out here?”Iscream over the downpour asIstalk towards him on the other side of the road.

Zakblinks a few times, eyes glittering from lightning flashing across the sky, before focusing on me.He’ssoaked from head to toe.

Hisbrows furrow, and confusion crosses his face. “Babe?”

Istare at him, mouth agape and catching droplets. “Wouldyou fucking stop calling me that?”

“I’m…I’msorry…”

Zakstumbles forward, andIcatch his heavy ass before he takes a serious tumble.

Lightningflashes, and my eyes widen.

Bloodflows down his neck and camouflages his tattoos.Followingthe crimson trail, two puncture wounds prick the flesh of his neck.

“Oh, myGod!”Ishriek, pulling him towards the car to lean him against it.Myhands tremble asItry to examine the wound.Rainmixes with blood. “Z, what happened?”

Heshakes his head. “Getoutta here, babe.”

Igrab his shoulders. “I’mtaking you to the hospital—”

Zakshoves my hands off and stumbles away. “No.Yougotta get outta here.Rightnow.”

Ifollow him, hands on his waist as he starts heading back toward the approach. “Zak, what the fuck is going on?”

Hespins around suddenly and topples forward.Icatch him, setting him straight, but he slaps my hands away. “Youcan’t be here!” he yells with eyes that nearly glow in the darkness.

“Hon, you’re hurt.Youneed to get checked out.”

“Soyou can call me ‘hon,’ butIcan’t call you ‘babe’?”

“Areyou fucking kidding me?That’swhat you wanna argue about right now?”Eyeingthe wound on his neck,Ican’t tell if the bleeding has stopped or if it’s rain dripping down his neck. “Didyou get bit by a fucking vampire?”

Helooks over his shoulder. “Babe, leave.”

“I’mnot leaving you—”

Ablood-curdling screech sounds from behindZakin the dark.Idrop to my knees, covering my head with my arms.

Wingsflap right over me.

---