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“Are we going somewhere?” I asked, changing the subject. The intensity of his words was making me feel things I didn’t want to.
“Yeah, we gotta go to a party tonight, and you need something to wear. We finna go get you some shit.”
“From the city we passed?” I couldn’t remember the name Kenji had told me.
“Yeah, from Idyll.”
“So you can go out in the daytime?”
“I can, yes, but our city is in a valley. There’s always an overcast blocking out the sun, so all the vampires can go out at all times of the day.”
“Oooh, okay. I’ll get dressed,” I said, standing up. Kenji grabbed me, stopping me from walking past him.
His eyes were glowing. I wondered what he was feeling. “Give me a kiss,” he demanded, and I didn’t hesitate to do what he said.
As we passionately kissed, one thought ran through my mind: Did I love Kenji? The longer we kissed, the more I felt like the answer was yes.
Chapter 16
Kenji Touré
My soulmate liked to shop. Once she realized I wasn’t hurting for money, Quinny started grabbing everything she laid her eyes on. I didn’t mind, though. She needed to get clothes and shoes to fill her side of the closet. Quinny was in heaven when she saw we had a full-blown mall with most of her favorite stores. I guess Quinny thought vampires meant old farmers market type of stuff, but nah, not us. In the Fifth Region, we evolved with the times to help us stay blended in more. Through all the decades and years our region lasted, my favorite time had to be our current times. Vampires moved more freely and had more of an influence on the world than ever before. There were so many famous celebrities that were vampires, from fashion designers and directors to singers, actors, and everything in between. Vampires were everywhere, and I loved that for our kind.
“Your stepmom—”
“Regina,” I corrected Quinny. Regina might have been my dad’s soulmate and Tahji’s mama, but she wasn’t a stepmama to me or Benji. She just did what she had to do to get by.
Quinny cut her eyes at me. “Whatever you wanna call her. How do you think she’s going to react to me?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Probably won’t like you, but who gives a fuck? The only reason we are going to her party is because my dad wants to meet you.”
I honestly didn’t give a fuck about it being Regina’s birthday or what she thought of Quinny. Knowing Regina, she’d find something wrong with Quinny solely because she was with me. Regina didn’t even like Koa, and she was the one who’d arranged for them to be together.
“Well, damn, rip the Band-Aid off.” Quinny turned her lips up at me.
“I’m just being honest. Don’t expect much from her. Shit, don’t even bother speaking to her.” One thing Quinny had to know about me: I’d always be honest with her when she asked me a question.
“Let me get this straight. You want me to walk into her party and not speak to her? That’s rude as hell.”
“I’m tryna save you the headache, but you’ll learn.” I sighed, looking out the car window as our car came to a stop in front of the Fifth Region banquet hall.
I wasn’t surprised by the red carpet or overexaggerated Hollywood-themed decorations, or the giant picture of Regina lining the walkway of the red carpet. I could only imagine how over the top her grand entrance was. The chauffeur got out of the car, walked to my door, and opened it. Getting out first, I stuck my hand in the car to help Quinny out. I smiled, seeing her standing before me. Quinny looked like a work of art standing in front of me. I told her we weren’t going to dress too fancy since I didn’t plan on being here that long. I just wanted to show our faces, then leave.
Quinny wore a fitted chocolate-brown strapless tube top with a high-waisted brown and cream plaid skirt. The skirt hugged her waist and hips before framing her body loosely, with a thigh-high front slit that exposed her meaty thighs. She wore brown strappy lace-up stiletto sandals that wrapped up her thighs. I hated to admit I loved seeing her walk in those heels, the way her ass would jiggle with each step. Quinny pulled her locs on top of her head into a neat bun, and she stole the show with her outfit. Needless to say, I had to match Quinny’s fly with a chocolate-brown Burberry shirt, dark denim fitted Levi jeans, and Chocolate Jordan 12 Retros. If I could, I would have taken a picture because Quinny and I looked good as fuck together. Hand in hand, we walked down the red carpet that led to the entrance of the party, following the blaring music. At least she was playing good music. I laughed once we made it into the hall. More oversized pictures of Regina lined the walls. Her cake was a life-size replica of her. Fountains of blood were all over the place. My dad really went all out for her party. I easily spotted my dad and Regina. They had raised throne chairs in the center of the room. Regina loved being the center of attention. It didn’t surprise me that she made sure her face was all over her party.
I led us in the direction of my dad and Regina. Quinny’s hand was still securely in mine. I spoke to a few familiar faces, but the majority of these vampires and other crew were Regina’s friends. I had never seen any of them a day in my life.
“Why is the music so low?” Quinny asked me as we made our way through the sea of bodies.
I snickered, forgetting her ears weren’t as sensitive as ours yet. What sounded like loud, blaring music to us seemed low to Quinny. “Vampires have some of the best hearing. We can’t listen to music extra loud like y’all do. This is loud to us.”
“That’s crazy. It sounds like soft background music you can just make out.”
“Kenji, you made it.” My dad was the first to notice us walking up. He stood from his chair, stepping down the stairs. He pulled me into a hug. My dad had to be drunk; he was being extra friendly.
“What’s up, Dad? This is my soulmate, Quinny. Quinny, this is my dad.” Quinny went to stick her hand out for him to shake, but he pulled her in for a hug, shocking both of us.
My dad wasn’t mean, but he also wasn’t the friendliest vampire in the world. He’d be cordial at most with strangers. I expected a handshake, but a hug to Quinny was unheard of.
