Redemption (Page 9)

The occupants within the room remained mute; most kept their gazes focused on the scarred table tops. Jack held Calvin’s gaze as he turned back to him and tilted his head to the side. A strand of golden hair fell past the corner of his right eye and down to his chin. "Stranger, was there a fight here?"

"Of course there wasn’t a fight, Calvin."

Jack turned as a woman emerged from the kitchen. He’d spotted her amongst the melee and was fairly certain she was the one who had dumped the pot of water on them all. He’d only caught sight of her briefly before, but now he found his eyes riveted to her as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen with her shoulders thrust back, and her round chin jutting out. Her hands were folded before her, but though she was trying to appear demure, there was fire in her jade green eyes.

"Ah Hannah," Calvin purred as he hurried toward her.

Jack bristled as something flickered across her face; he sensed her intense dislike of the man approaching her. He was astounded to find his upper lip curling into a snarl as Calvin grasped hold of her hands. The woman’s round face remained impassive but her full lips compressed into a flat line. The man lifted her hand and pressed a kiss against the back of it. The action caused unexpected anger to slither hotly through Jack’s gut.

She remained unmoving as Calvin lowered her hand. "You must let me know if these ruffians are causing you any trouble, I will take care of it at once."

"Thank you Calvin, but there hasn’t been any trouble that we couldn’t handle." It was the subtle tic in her cheek that alerted Jack to the fact that she was trying to pull her hand free. She finally succeeded in freeing herself and shoved both hands into the pockets of her apron as she briefly met Jack’s gaze. There was a hint of surprise in her eyes as they flickered swiftly over him before turning back to Calvin. "Uncle Abe and Lucas…"

"Abe is too feeble to be of any help and Lucas… Well we both know your cousin is vulnerable too."

She blinked as a muscle in her jaw jumped. "So am I Calvin."

"Now now, I meant nothing by it Hannah," Calvin said as he pat her hand. "So many are unique here." William shot him a questioning look but Jack had no idea what that statement had meant either. He had a feeling he would find out before their time in this town was over. "Come, let us sit and enjoy ourselves for a bit. It is our night together after all."

Jack watched as Hannah’s gaze darted over the tables, most of which were probably broken by now. She looked like she was going to bolt but she remained unmoving before Calvin. Jack was tempted to intervene but he was uncertain as to what was going on. She looked uncomfortable in her own skin and yet Calvin was talking as if it was their date night. The door opened again and three more vamps slid inside. Judging by the cloaks they wore, in the matching royal blue color of the one Calvin was wearing, they were Calvin’s men, or at least they were his associates. Most of the other men in the tavern hunched further forward at the introduction of these new vampires.

Calvin slid his arm through Hannah’s and moved her toward one of the tables. She walked beside him awkwardly but didn’t try to extricate herself from his grasp as he pulled a chair out for her. Those jade green eyes met and held Jack’s as she sat stiffly in the chair. Her chocolate colored hair tumbled to the middle of her back in subtle waves that accentuated her understated beauty and emphasized the startling color of her eye and the fairness of her skin.

Another vampire woman made her way over to them. Her wheat blond hair hung in a braid to her waist; her brown eyes were troubled as she twisted a flute within her fingers. Hannah finally broke eye contact with him to speak with the woman. "Why don’t you play some more Ellen, I’m sure everyone would like to hear another song," Hannah suggested.

Ellen nervously glanced around the tavern before nodding briskly and heading over to the small stage set up on the other side of the room by the stairs. An elderly, frail looking man hovered in the doorway of the kitchen before he turned and retreated into the kitchen. The young man that had been fighting with them earlier also disappeared into the kitchen right behind him.

Jack nodded to William to sit before grabbing the chair he had vacated and sliding into it. His bow and quiver had been shoved under the table with William’s, but they appeared otherwise untouched. He found his gaze drawn back to Hannah as Calvin took hold of her hand again and leaned toward her. Her spine was as straight as an arrow, her shoulders remained rigid. She had to keep tugging the collar up of the lightweight, faded green dress that was baggy on her slender frame.

"What is going on here?" William hissed in his ear.

Jack shook his head as he glanced around the tavern again. He’d been in hundreds of these kinds of establishments over the years, but he’d never been in one that remained as hushed as this one. He could hear the clatter of pots and dishes in the back, and if it hadn’t been for the flute, the only other sound from the patrons would have been the occasional shifting of someone in one of the wobbly chairs. Though Jack got the distinct impression that most of the occupants were fighting the impulse to flee, they all remained seated. His gaze was drawn back to Hannah and Calvin seated just three tables away and talking discreetly amongst themselves.

An hour slipped by but the easy camaraderie that had filled the tavern, even during the fight, never returned. No one else even entered the building. Only Calvin seemed pleased as he chatted happily and with florid hand gestures that Jack thought were far more exaggerated than they had to be.

After a few more minutes, Hannah said something and rose to her feet. Calvin stood beside her, took hold of her hand and bent over to place a kiss on the back of it again. She stared at him before nodding and hurrying away to the kitchen. Calvin retrieved his gloves and gestured for his men to follow him out of the building.