Chapter Five

ROSE

Josh complained about not being able to drive Chris's car, and when I questioned whether or not he had a driver's licence he stated that after all the years he'd been on this earth that he'd never once crashed a car hence why he didn't need a piece of plastic.

"So what's your story, Rose? Chris tolerates interaction but chose isolation for a reason, you don't quite make sense."

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and scoff, none of this made sense. I shouldn't be able to tell when people are going to die and supernatural creatures shouldn't exist.

"The reason Chris invited Ville was because of me Josh, I have death sense and it's how Chris and I actually met. He thinks Ville will know a thing or two because of his age."

Josh throws his head back and laughs, "death sense in a human, not possible kid. You crack me up. I only gained my power after my death and well rebirth."

I swear Josh was bi-polar or something, one minute he was quiet and broody, next he wanted to attack me and now he was laughing. I turn the car into the nearest car park and come to a halt.

"I'm being serious Josh, I was running away but Chris said he could help me understand my power so I could eventually go back to living around humans."

Josh stops laughing once he takes note that I wasn't finding his response funny.

"Prove it then Rose."

Luckily we were parked just across from the gas station when I took in the sight in front of me. I close my eyes and let my mind show me the death and destruction to come.

"See the tanker filling up, the driver doesn't know but his tank has a slow leak which has been dripping fuel since before he arrived. Slowly the fuel starts to pool and spread towards other cars, but because of the recent rain shower drivers only see puddles of rainwater at their feet. A guy in a fancy convertible is going to pull in to fill up and ignore the sign stating you shouldn't smoke, he's going to light up and the whole place is going to go up in flames. The intensity of the heat and power of the explosion will kill everyone before the first emergency service arrives. But the smoker does survive and makes a run for it."

I open my eyes and turn to face Josh who was watching me with intense concentration. I tap my fingers on the car wheel and wait for him to give me a response.

"I can hear the heartbeats of twelve people including three children under the age of eight. So they just die, you can't step in."

I shake my head and feel tears prick my eyes. When children were involved it always made it harder to witness, especially knowing I couldn't intervene. Children were innocent when their parents bought them out tonight they could never have imagined that they'd be cruelly taken from this world.

"I don't want to tempt fate Josh, I quite like my life. But I guess we've found you a meal. I hope you like a smoker."

"That son of a bitch will pay for killing all those people and being a coward and running away."

Just as Josh finishes his rant the convertible in questions pulls into the station. We watch as the stupid guy blatantly blows off the warning signs and lights up a cigarette. Even though I know the explosion is coming I still jump as the station goes up in flames and a large plume of smoke billows into the sky. Next, to me, Josh curses as our car feels a slight vibration from the explosion.

"Now do you believe me, Josh?"

The vampire nods as the shock disappear. I turn the engine back on and put the car in reverse, we had an idiot to track down so Josh could feed.

"I'm going to enjoy this meal, Rose."

I'm able to follow the guy until he runs into a secluded alley that I knew was a dead end. I stop the car at the mouth of the alley and Josh smiles before all but jumping out and speeds down the alley. Unlike Chris I had the feeling, Josh wasn't so clean when he drank from someone.

I turn the radio on and find it tuned to my favourite rock station. At least Chris had good taste in music. I sang along to a couple of songs before Josh returned and got back into the car, I motion towards his lips which had a bit of blood staining them to which he responds with a smile and licks his lips clean.

"A very satisfying meal Rose, the smoking added a rich aged flavour."

I scrunch my nose in disgust at how Josh could talk about human blood as if it was fine wine.

"So now do you believe me that I have power even though I'm still human?"

"I sure do, now how about I show you mine now I've seen yours?" he wiggles his eyebrows or lack of suggestively while keeping his voice serious.

I shake my head and put the car in reverse wanting to be as far away from the dead body as possible.

"Or we could just go back to the house? If your power could kill me I kind of want company so someone stops you."

Josh snorts, "we might want to give Chris and Angelo some time alone. They haven't seen each other in over fifty years, that's a lot of pent up sexual frustration."

Okay now I was confused, Chris was married to a woman and had a daughter and Angelo was his apprentice. Josh's story sounded straight out of a Mills & Boon novel.

"Chris likes women; I mean he married one Josh."

"Chris likes women, but after becoming a vampire he started to figure out that he also liked guys. Now Angelo was his apprentice and was very much gay from the start and had a slight crush on Chris. Angelo was devastated when Chris 'died' but it took Chris ten years after becoming a vampire to realise his own crush on Angelo. Chris wouldn't turn Angelo and Ville got sick of it so attacked Angelo and left him for dead forcing Chris to turn Angelo into a vampire."

I was gobsmacked, that was a lot to take in.

"Now explain the sexual tension between them. Are they together or something Josh?"

Josh chuckles, "Angelo wasn't happy with Chris for around three years, but they bumped into each other in Europe and Angelo using his new found power confronted Chris and Ville but Ville escaped and Chris had to take Angelo's wrath. A great hate fuck or so I've heard."

So it sounded to me that Chris and Angelo had an on and off relationship based purely on sex. My face pales at the thought of going back to the house and catching them in the act, now I saw why Josh wanted to get out of there.

"They hook up every hundred years or so, but Angelo's crush is still there and Chris is too stubborn to admit that they'd be perfect together. I once walked into the tattoo shop I run with Angelo and I'll never get the image of those two fucking on the counter."

Maybe, this time would be different, maybe this time around they admit their feelings for each other. It looked like I was going to be playing matchmaker between two vampires. I turn the key and the engine roars to life, Josh looks at me from his seat and I can't help but feel intimidated by his blank stare, were his eyes permanently black?

"So you know what I can do, now tell me what you, Angelo and Chris can do."

Josh pulls down his hood and rolls up the sleeves of his shirt revealing a multitude of tattoos. They were impressive works of art, then again he said him and Angelo ran a tattoo shop together.

"Mines the most impressive Rose, each tattoo has a meaning. I can manipulate body art, either gaining their powers or manifest them physically. It scares the shit out of people and makes my job a bit more entertaining."

My eyes widen upon seeing Josh's tattoos start to move under his skin.

"Now I'm not so sure I want to get inked if you can do that."

Josh rolls his sleeves back down and puts the hood back up. He rubs his hands together and grins.

"I'll ink you, Rose, just don't tell Chris or he'll have my head. Now onto the fuck buddies."

I nod, maybe Josh wasn't as scary as I first thought.

"What can Chris and Angelo do? Does it top ours?"

Josh snorts, "they contradict each other. Sometimes when a power manifests it can have something to do with what the person is like, when he was human Angelo was easily scared but when he became a vampire he became fearless. He's unable to feel any sort of fear, terror or anxiety. Becoming a vampire made him stronger."

I couldn't imagine having any fear of anything, fear made us human. Though I'd kill to no longer fear spiders and clowns. I tap the steering wheel and make a motion with my hand for Josh to continue his little story.

"Chris, on the other hand, can sense and manipulate emotions, such as feelings, moods, and their effects in people and animals. He can amplify or decrease an emotion or manifest it in its physical form. So put someone who fears nothing and someone who can manipulate emotions together, and you're in for a pretty impressive firework show."

"Maybe we should get a coffee or something to pass the time Josh."

He nods in agreement and I make a quick U-turn taking us towards Starbucks instead of back to the house. Vampire sex wasn't something I wanted to walk in on anytime soon.