Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty-Six
Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty-Six
Ryder
Kev’s hand shot out toward her hair, and we all felt the rush of energy tingle across our skin, making us shiver minutely. A matching shade of pink highlighted Catalym’s hair, thin strands threaded throughout.
And Kev was friendly.
Either his magic wasn’t strong enough, or he didn’t need revenge to go all the way with a full-fledged vampire barely into her prime.
“Ah ha!” Kev smiled gleefully when she finally allowed him to clothe himself in work apparel that matched hers, but he kept the pink hair and disposed of the wig. “Make you a deal. You keep it for a night, and so will I.”
“You are going to work all night with pink hair?” she asked with surprise, smiling sweetly at him but very disbelievingly.
“Honey, I didn’t get where I am today by caring what anyone else thought. ‘Till the end of the night, when the bar closes, deal?”
“For sure, deal.” She nodded. Kelly jumped out of her chair, dragging Sara with her.
I didn’t need the gift of foresight to know that Catalym had an evil influence on these women. Kelly’s blue undertones in her hair changed and then faded to match the pink as it swayed back and forth while she walked forward.
She saw an opportunity to make herself feel welcome and took it, and I loved Kelly all the more for it.
“We can start a trend!” she squealed happily, dancing about the kitchen to display her new style. Her apparent childish exuberance was amusing and contagious to watch.
“Do I have to? It’s pink. I’m Goth girl, which means black and red, which is not pink,” Sara grumbled as Kelly tweaked her friend’s hair and ignored her complaints.
When she turned to Marcus, he reeled back, defiantly holding his hands up.
“I didn’t change her pajamas!” he complained. His snow-white, gelled hair ended up with pink tips that matched the rest of them, a concession no less. “Ah, man. Kev, why do you always have to get me into these messes.”
“Hey dude, you wanted a wife, and now you gotta deal.” Holly laughed. The women turned on him, and he snorted. “Yes, yes, I know. Do your worst; don’t make it permanent this time.”
“Why do you just let them go away with their evils?” Marcus sneered distastefully.
“I‘m too old to care, and even if I did fight them, they would do it anyway the second I turned around. At least now I know why people will be looking at me oddly this time,” he said. His eyes slapped them with playful fire, but they were unrepentant.
That left me as if I didn’t see this coming a mile away. Like Holly, I also knew better than to oppose the will of the feminine half of our crew.
“Too late, baby. You already have a look.” Catalym laughed at my thoughts.
I groaned the moment the words left Catalym’s mouth, not even wanting to see what they had done to me. She kissed my cheek, and I held her close, trying not to think about what Brody would say when he saw me, let alone anyone else.
“Thanks, I was feeling left out,” I responded tonelessly.
But if it made the girls happy, I couldn’t care. Pink hair would be one of the more mundane aspects of the evening. I was pretty sure of that.
But like Kev said, there was always payback.
“Solidarity!” Kelly cried.
Sara cheered, and they toasted their grape sodas.
“Until the clock strikes closing, the hair stays. If anyone, and I do mean anyone,” Kelly stared pointedly at Marcus, “messes with their hair, punishment will commence instantly. Trust me, guys, when I’m mad enough, I make the Council look like fuzzy bunnies.”
“Don’t you think you should elaborate on the punishment? We are talking about a bunch of fetish enthusiasts here who share a wide variety of interesting needs,” Catalym piped up, walking to the girls and leaving my arms.
I watched her ass sway erotically, back and forth. It was damned near hypnotizing. Why did she have to be so hot?
“I’ve got it!” Sara shrieked so loudly that Kelly had to cover her ears, glaring menacingly. “Whoever breaks the deal has to clean the bar’s bathrooms and the gum from under the tables for a month! I hate doing that. Corrine makes us do it the other way.”
We groaned as a collective unit at the predicament that put us in. I would’ve preferred what they’d have inflicted. I may like pain, but I knew a pissed-off Sara could render the best of us unable to walk for weeks when she was angry enough.
Which was often.
I would have to think about how to stop her pursuit of martial arts lessons with me. It would significantly lower the injuries I had to endure, at least when sparring with her.
“Okay, folks, we’re already running late. We have to set up, and I believe more stock will be coming in within the hour,” I instructed while herding my early shift crew out the door, taking care to leave a powerful barrier spell with Holly’s aid to copy the movements of anyone coming into contact with the property.
It would leave a detailed report of energy and physical activities, and it was subtle enough that even the wariest wouldn’t notice it.
We piled into my SUV until it was filled to the brim. Kev and Holly had to sit in the very back. Sara ended up on Gene’s lap, but we made it.
We could’ve taken two vehicles, but until I knew the positions of our enemies. I wanted us to stay together as much as possible when we were not in the safety of the bar or my home, which would serve as our control center for the time being.
We all knew they’d strive hard to regain what they considered a burden. Why? If they had no use for her, why not let her escape during one of the many attempts she’d made rather than drag her back again only to have them drag her back?
Nothing made sense like many other things with Catalym, although that wasn’t her fault. It didn’t make any more sense to her.
“Kel and Sara can wait at the tables today. Cat, your Aunt wants you and me
at the main bar tonight.”