Cort waved to Nigel. “Hallelujah. Thanks, man.”
“You bet. Go get your lady.”
Cort planned on it.
* * *
“SO IF YOU don’t like The Impalers, why did you go to Johnny’s wake?” Katie asked.
Raven didn’t answer for a moment. “I never said I didn’t like The Impalers. In fact, I really admire them. Just somehow since the moment I came to Bourbon and started with my band at Famous Door, we’ve had this rivalry.”
Katie pondered that, knowing that a few of the bands had rivalries, but for the most part they were friendly rivalries.
“Yet, last night you were hanging out with all of them, bonding, having a great time,” Katie pointed out. “I mean I saw a picture of you and Cort giving each other bunny ears for heaven’s sake. If that isn’t bonding, I don’t know what is.”
Raven nodded, but his expression grew sober, even almost disappointed. “The problem is, none of the guys remember that.”
Katie stared at him, realizing that all of Raven’s persona—his angst and arrogance and Goth look—was just that, a persona. A front. He wanted to be accepted just as much as anyone.
Wow. Suddenly Katie felt rather sorry for him. He just wanted to be liked, just like everyone else.
She found herself reaching out to rub his back, wanting to offer him comfort.
“They did forget last night,” she agreed. “I did, too, but I think if you tried a little harder to show the guys your softer, gentler side, they’d react well to it. They really are nice.”
The woman at the other bar snorted, although Katie decided it couldn’t be a reaction to what she’d said.
Raven sighed and took a drink. “Well, I was pretty rude to Cort earlier, trying to get his goat. But like I said, it is pretty damned irritating that The Impalers get all the good girls.”
“I’m not a good girl,” Katie said, again annoyed that everyone saw her as sweet. And as a girl.
“Oh yes, you are. You are a good girl and that’s what makes you so appealing. You’re sweet, kind, and beautiful. You have no idea how special that makes you. Cort is a very lucky man. And I’ll tell you right now, that dude is crazy about you.”
Tears welled in Katie’s eyes, but she hid them by taking a sip of her drink.
It was funny, it took a night she couldn’t remember to finally see the truth. And to see what others saw. It also took starting a new life to see that her past life had been exactly what it should have been. She was the person she was supposed to be. The person she would be for an eternity. And that was a good thing.
But most importantly, she was going to be with the man she was supposed to be with. And she was going to make sure that was for an eternity, too.
“Thank you, Raven,” she said, leaning forward to hug the man who she would have never considered hugging even fifteen minutes ago.
He shifted on his barstool and hugged her back.
“Thank you for the talk, and for the advice. I’m going to take you up on it.”
Katie smiled at him, pleased with their talk, too.
But the moment was interrupted by a shout.
“You f**kin’ asshole! Get your hands off her.”
Katie moved away from Raven instantly, shocked to see Cort come barging into the back room. Before Katie even realized what he intended to do, he grabbed the back of Raven’s black coat and was lifting the man to his feet.
From the other side of the bar she vaguely heard Peter mutter, “Jesus Christ, what the hell is going on with everyone tonight?”
Raven jerked away and spun toward Cort, the movement blindingly fast, but Cort was just as fast, popping Raven in the face before the other man could even get his hands fisted. Raven’s head jerked to the side, the sound of Cort’s fist against his jaw, loud and sickening. And Cort was ready to hit again, drawing back.
But Raven didn’t allow the second punch to make contact, landing a brutal hit himself. Cort’s head snapped back, blood instantly gushing from his nose.
Katie screamed, finally snapping out of her shock to stand, to speak.
“Stop,” she cried. “Stop it!”
But Cort wasn’t listening. He grabbed Raven’s lapels and shoved the man hard into the tables. Raven nearly fell, but caught himself, glaring at Cort.
At that point, Katie stepped between them. She faced Cort, trying to get his attention focused on her.
“Cort, Raven wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
Cort didn’t respond to her. In fact, he seemed to stare right through her.
“Listen to your woman, man. We were just talking,” Raven said.
“I didn’t see any talking. I saw your hands on her. And that’s not going to happen again.”
“Cort.” Katie moved closer to him, rising up on her tiptoes to block his view of Raven. When he still didn’t meet her gaze, she grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look at her. “Cort. Raven and I were talking, nothing more.”
Cort’s eyes calmed slightly, some of the flashing anger fading. His gaze searched her face. “Why was he touching you?”
“I gave him a hug because he said kind and supportive things to me. Things that made me realize I need to believe in myself and go after what I want. Which is you.”
Cort frowned, clearly not expecting to hear that.
“Yeah, man, I was telling her that you were damned lucky to have her.” Raven rubbed his swollen jaw. “But I was acknowledging that you do have her.”
Cort’s expression grew even more perplexed, then a little suspicious.
Raven lifted his hands. “Listen, I’m telling you the truth. You are wasting your time attacking me, you already won the girl.”
Cort stared at him a moment longer, then looked back to Katie.
“You have already won me—if you want me.”
Cort didn’t hesitate. His mouth captured hers, his kiss hungry, possessive, filled with pure desire.
She groaned, her chest swelling with joy, longing, and love.
“This is all fabulously romantic,” a voice said from beside them, and they parted to see Peter standing next to them. “But I’ve already had a shitty night, and you two guys need to leave.”
Chapter Twenty-one
VAMPIRES DON’T DIE
(Duh)
STELLA held hands with Wyatt as they approached his apartment, feeling giddy and girly and achy with anticipation. She had said, out loud no less, that she loved Wyatt. And she had meant it. It was amazing. More than a hundred years without ever experiencing love and here it had been, right in front of her face for years. But maybe that’s why she loved Wyatt. She wasn’t the impulsive type, really. She needed to let her emotions simmer and rise to a boil. Over four decades, apparently. Thank God she had eternity, because she was no quick decision maker.