Chapter 2

Two

"Hey, dreamer," Lazarus called me from behind the checkout counter on the opposite side of the small convenience store. The nickname was one he had chosen for me after hearing about my dreams of leaving this place behind—dreams I knew I could never fulfill. We had worked together at the small business for some time, our friendship slowly spiraling out of control, morphing into what it was now. This was our place, the only place where we could be together alone, aside from our sinful, late night graveyard adventures.

My body was crouched as I adjusted colored bottles of cheap wine across the bottom row of the shelving. His voice threw me into the vivid memory of our night together, distracting my mind. As I removed my hand from the back bottle, the metallic wrapping of a cork sliced along my skin, slightly cutting the inside of my palm. Shit. Small beads of fresh blood began to protrude from beneath the cut. I raised my palm to my lips, licking the blood from my skin, the taste both metallic and bitter.

"Coming." My words stuttered, my open palm pressed against my mouth.

"Everything okay?" he called from across the store.

I wiped my hand across my faded, torn jeans as the ends of my fringe fell across my eyes, kissing my lashes. I tucked the short, grown out blonde and pastel strands of hair behind my pierced ears and casually strolled to him.

"Bitchin'." I smiled, my thoughts still lingering. "What's up?"

His eyes looked me up and down, his expression shifting from his usual warm self to something colder. His dark brown eyes moved, signaling me to look past the large exterior window of the store. Leaning forward, my hands gently rested atop the checkout counter as I looked outside, inches from him as I noted the cause of his mood. On the other side of the exterior was not something—but someone. Leaning against his pristine muscle car, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, was Cain… my boyfriend.

I turned to Lazarus, his jaw clenched, obviously bothered by Cain's unexpected presence. "I-I should go talk to him, see what he wants," I stuttered, pointing back to the door.

His voice followed me as I turned and began to walk away. "He might be your boyfriend," the heat of Lazarus' gaze weighed heavily on my spine as I reached for the door, looking over my shoulder back at him, "but this is my time with you, darling. And I don't like sharing." He winked, flashing me a flirtatious smirk that made my cheeks burn.

The bell of the small convenience store rang as I pushed the door open, the smell of smoke instantly filling my lungs. Alastair, who had been patiently waiting for me outside, rose from the concrete sidewalk of the store entrance. He greeted me as I brushed his large head, aiming for Cain. Animals may not have been allowed inside the store, but there was no rule against him hanging around out front. And so he did. Always.

Cain was smoking, casually leaning back against the vibrant electric blue hood of his car, his arms and legs crossed. His disheveled black hair lay tucked behind his pierced ears, wild strands laying freely across his apricot face. I couldn't see his eyes hidden behind thickly tinted sunglasses, but I could feel them watching me.

I stopped about a foot away from him, Alastair close to my side, his large body reaching just above my waist. A cool autumn breeze carried through the air, causing me to shiver despite the bright sunlight beaming down on us. I gripped my arms, instantly regretting my outfit choice of a simple cropped t-shirt and shredded jeans.

"What're you doing here, Cain? I'm not off work for another hour." It wasn't that I was unhappy to see him but, like Lazarus had mentioned, this was our time together. And despite knowing it was wrong, I didn't want to waste it.

Cain lifted the lit cigarette to his mouth, inhaling as the tip burned, the warm reflection glowing in his shades. He ignored Alastair's presence, as usual. "You look cold, Bambi." Unlike the name Lazarus used, I despised the pet name Cain had chosen for me. It sounded as if I was just some innocent doe, stumbling around, waiting to fall prey to some beast. I'd asked him to stop using it, but truthfully I think he preferred the nickname more knowing I didn't like it.

I rolled my eyes, scoffing as he pushed from the car, the cigarette firmly between his lips. He removed his leather jacket, exposing his sleeveless black shirt tucked around his muscular body. Multiple silver chain necklaces lay around his tattooed neck and hung along the collar of his shirt, which was tucked into his snug, washed out jeans. Alastair remained still, carefully watching Cain's every move, his distrust of him on full display.

Cain's partially tattooed arms flexed as he placed his leather jacket around me. The smell of him, mixed with cigarette smoke, soaked into my skin. It was a small but sweet, comforting gesture, and I couldn't help but smile in return. Cain removed the cigarette, blowing the smoke straight towards Alastair's face, smiling as the wolf bit the air between them. "Anything for my baby girl." Cain turned his head looking into the convenience store. "Let's go inside."

Before I could even speak, Cain placed his hand against my lower back, guiding me to the door, leering back at Alastair. The wolf's golden irises followed us as he remained outside watching through the large glass windows.

The bell jingled, Lazarus' gaze landing on Cain's arm now wrapped tightly around my waist. I could see his face tighten in reaction as he fought back anger.

Cain and I approached the counter. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" Lazarus crossed his arms, his inked skin flexing as he leaned against the counter. "Is there something I can get you, Cain?" My eyes widened in concern at the tone of his voice.

Cain tossed his cigarette onto the tile floor, the toe of his combat boot squishing the leaf blend of tobacco into the dirty tile, a small stream of smoke escaping the pulverized cig. He removed his sunglasses, tucking them across the collar of his shirt, revealing his cold gray eyes as they locked on Lazarus. "Why don't you fetch me a new pack of cigs for the road, babygirl," he smacked my ass, grinning at Lazarus while he spoke to me.

The hard impact of his hand burned against my backside as I scuttled to the opposite side of the checkout counter. The heaviness of Cain's attention tapped at my shoulders, keeping me on my toes as I reached for his usual brand, stacked high behind the counter. My fingertips brushed the red pack, my palm open and exposed, the fresh cut still bloody and visible. The smell of Lazarus filled my nostrils as he leaned against me, reaching for the same pack. He placed it in my palm, his fingers faintly touching mine as sparks ignited in my chest. His eyes observed my skin for a moment before they moved directly to my face.

"What happened to your hand?" His verbal concern in front of Cain made me uncomfortable. I quickly gripped the pack of cigarettes, pulling away from Lazarus, ignoring his question. He remained behind me, leaning against the shelves as I tossed the pack to Cain, his expression blank, causing an unsteady amount of fear and anxiety to churn in my stomach. I forced an uncomfortable smile, hoping to convince him that all was fine—normal.

Cain glanced down at the pack, breaking from my stare. The moment of reprieve gave me time to exhale, quietly observing Lazarus from the corner of my eye. He was still leaning against the shelves, arms crossed, as his dark brown hair fell across his face, shielding his expression from view. Cain lightly chuckled, stuffing the pack into the back pocket of his jeans as he pulled something from the other. He unfolded a grayscale colored paper, slapping it onto the sales counter.

"Check it out. This," he tapped at what appeared to be a torn newspaper article with his finger, his metal rings clanking against the counter, "is the location of our next investigation."

Confusion and curiosity took over as I leaned forward to see what he had displayed before us. Big, bold, printed letters were spread across the thin newspaper:; Thrill Seekers Missing After Visiting Infamously Haunted Cemetery. Ghosts, Witchcraft, or Something Worse?

What could be worse than witchcraft?I thought carelessly to myself. The sentence seemed ominous, the hairs on my neck standing as I studied the printed words.

"Is this what I think it is?" Lazarus' lightened tone surprised me as he leaned against the counter next to me, his hands rotating the article so he could read the fine print.

"It's exactly what you think it is." Cain smiled with confidence as he mirrored our positions, leaning against the opposite side of the checkout counter with crossed arms. "We want to investigate the New Bedeville Cemetery," he leaned closer, "this weekend. Can you imagine? Documenting proof of spirits in such an infamous location? It's never been done before. Every time someone tries to investigate, they go missing. Imagine being the first to bring back proof of ghosts or whatever is haunting that cemetery!" I swallowed, slightly fearful of venturing somewhere people were said to never return from.

"We?" I raised an eyebrow as he looked at me.

"Ruby, Jinx, and me." He shook his wild black hair from his cold eyes. "What do you say, Lazarus?" Cain's sights shifted from me. "You in?"

Lazarus rose, his inked hands still holding the torn piece of newspaper. His face remained turned from me as his warm eyes moved in my direction. "I do love cemeteries." He smirked, sliding the torn paper back to Cain. My eyes widened, knowing what he was referring to.

"Who doesn't?" Cain's gaze fell to me as I shied away, my cheeks obviously flushed. "Let's go babygirl." He moved his arm, motioning for me to join him. I gripped his jacket tight around my shoulders as I stepped around the checkout counter and into his grip. He grabbed my wrist, observing the small cut. "You should be more careful, Bambi." He pressed his lips against my opened palm, gently kissing my wound. "Bad things happen to people who don't pay attention." His gaze felt as though it was pushing me to the floor.

"Her shift isn't over yet." Lazarus' voice broke the tense moment.

"I won't tell if you don't." Cain dropped my wrist, winking at Lazarus as he pulled his sunglasses from the collar of his shirt, placing them on his face. "I mean, you can keep a secret, right?" He winked. Lazarus and I exchanged a look before Cain forced me away. "See you soon."