Charleston Past Midnight by Christine Edwards Read Free Book Online

rare Saturday night off together, I was hesitant, fearful of running into those two hicks again. But we both agreed that there is no way they would ever go to a place like this. Besides, we vowed to stick together all night.
    Afrojack’s “Take Over Control” is thumping hard from several enormous speakers set up on either side of the elevated DJ station. The glistening bodies sway and grind against one another in reckless abandon as the beat pumps through the June air.
    “Here you go, Calla.” Kiana struggles to shimmy sideways through the dense crowd impatiently trying to place their drink orders. She hands over one of two frosty lavendertinis, my absolute favorite drink.
    I grin at her, leaning in to shout over the throbbing bass, “Thanks. Next round is on me. I just spied a place for us over by the railing. Let’s head on over.”
    It’s a feat of balance to cut our way through the chaos without spilling our cocktails yet somehow we manage. Our hips sway with the sexy rhythm as we sip on our martinis and observe the eye candy that abounds tonight.
    Kiana’s eyes gleam as she leans into me and says, “Wonder when they’ll start falling into the pool tonight.”
    I barely stifle a laugh as I glance over for a glimpse of the long, zero edge pool that’s now almost blocked out by hundreds of legs. It’s inevitable. Someone always gets completely blitzed and falls in. The doorman usually has to wade in and haul their drunken asses out before escorting them to the exit. Normally it happens several times as the liquor begins to flow. I think the idea of jumping into a cool pool of illuminated water is just too irresistible for some intoxicated brains to resist.
    “Oh, from the looks of it, any minute.”
    My attention shifts as several partiers make space for a group of massive men. There are five of them, all dressed in very fashionable dark clothing. Without trying, they radiate dangerous sex appeal, and even well on their way to being drunk, people are giving them ample space.
    Intrigued, I scan the men, who all look like hired killers. The tallest one’s arctic eyes ensnare mine, nearly stopping my heart cold. In an instant and without warning, the vision takes over me and I see myself being held high in the air. His strong hand is locked around my throat, my legs dangling and kicking desperately below me as my terrified screams ring through the night. He smiles at me and squeezes harder, silencing my cries as malice burns in his spine-chilling eyes. Vampire.
    My glass drops to the ground, shattering the vision in an instant as my eyes focus once again on the light haired Russian looking vampire who is now staring at me with a completely different expression on his face. It’s one of total surprise swiftly replaced by calculated intensity, so powerful that I begin to tremble. Oh God, he knows!
    “Jesus, Calla! What the hell. Are you all right?” Kiana is jostling my shoulder in concern but my eyes never deviate from his petrifying gaze.
    It’s crystal clear to me that he knows the vision I just had because he read my mind. Severin said that he couldn’t but this one can and did . My visions are rare but unfailingly predict what is coming. I watch in horror as he quickly says something to the vampire to his right and they begin heading straight toward us. Oh fuck, fuck!
    “Kiana, we gotta get outta here, now!”
    “Are you feeling sick or something? Hey, let’s go to the bathroom for a second.”
    I scan wildly for the most direct path back to that elevator, knowing that it will take a miracle to get past these guys. I’ve already witnessed their inhuman speed. A Jamaican Sprinter wouldn’t stand a chance dodging them.
    “No, Kiana, there’s about to be trouble—”
    Before I can finish my sentence, a long arm falls across my shoulders and begins moving me swiftly through the crowd. As we wind through the sea of bodies, I look up into Severin’s eyes, which are narrowed and laser-focused.
    I hear