Hidden Paths: Vampire Revenge

Chapter Eight

"Hey, we decided to go dancing. You guys want to come?" Raven asked, stacking the dirty plates on top of each other. The others were cleaning up the table as well.

"Sure. Why not?" Tony replied.

Isabella debated. If she stayed behind it would give her the opportunity to snoop through Antonio's room. Of course, there was always tomorrow, she thought, thinking of dancing, the crowds of people.

Clubs were more her territory. Prime hunting ground. She could barely tolerate the bagged blood. Live , warm blood was what a vampire really needed. Craved. She didn't know how Tony survived drinking bagged blood all the time though he did say that he did often still drink live blood when he felt he needed to.

"That would be lovely," she said with a smile.

They finished cleaning up the dinner dishes and changed clothes and all met up at the garage.

Tony pulled out his large black SUV and they all climbed in. Isabella climbed in the front seat next to Tony. She pulled down at the short black dress she wore.

"You're trying too hard," Tony told her in Italian.

"What do you mean?" she asked him back in Italian.

"To be American. Not all American girls dress in skimpy outfits."

"I know," she said, tugging on the black leather jacket she brought along.

"Just be yourself."

"I am myself."

"You didn't wear clothes like that in Italy."

"George and Ray weren't in Italy," she told him with a smile. Tony laughed.

"I did wear clothes like this. Just not around you," Isabella told him.

"Hunting clothes?" Tony asked, growing serious.

Isabella nodded.

"Hey, no speaking in Italian up there! No fair to the rest of us," George called. He'd heard her say his name and he didn't like that Tony had laughed after it.

"Why don't you learn Italian and then you'll know what we're saying," Tony told him,  looking back at him in the rear view mirror.

He saw Emily and Jake cuddling up. That was still taking some time getting used to. He was over her, but the jealously was still there.

Emily had told him long ago about her visiting Jake all of her life via astral projection. Jake had seen her but his family hadn't. They thought she was just his imaginary friend.

Emily had always loved Jake and would love no one else the same. That hadn't prevented them from dating or loving each other during the time that Jake wasn't yet in California. But it wasn't the kind of love that either of them had wanted or had needed.

If he was honest, she'd just helped him find himself again. He'd been lost for so many years that he'd barely recognized himself. He was slowly getting back to some version of himself. He looked away from them.

He wasn't sure about Raven either. He had always been attracted to her. She was more like him than Emily. Raven had a wild side that complimented his. He hadn't gotten together with Raven because of his infatuation with Emily. She was like the bright sunshine. But he didn't get burned at her touch. Emily had filled him with love and compassion when he needed it the most. He was at a low point in his life when he met her and she along with Raven pulled him out of it.

Raven had given him every implication lately that she was interested back. But she kept telling him that she doesn't want a relationship now. He could deal with that. For now.