One hour later, Kevin had made his rounds around the club, expressing his thanks and appreciation to everyone that had come to the club. He was standing near the bar, watching the two girls closely, when Alex found him.
Without pausing, Alex signaled Jimmy to him. “Wine.”
“Did you take care of your business, Alex?” Kevin asked as he took a sip from his wineglass.
“Yes, I did,” he answered as Jimmy placed the wine in front of him then walked off. “Are the girls still here?” he asked.
“Take a look out at the dance floor and see for yourself,” Kevin smiled as his friend turned and saw the two girls dancing together to the heavy dance rhythms of Disturbed, ‘Down with the Sickness’.
He could tell that Alex was attracted to Angel. He himself was very drawn to Sammie, but he still couldn’t figure out why. “They are perfectly safe here, Alexander. But they will have to be kept safe after they leave here. Are your friends willing?”
“And able,” Alex assured the man. “Now, I want to go claim a few of those dances!” he smiled and walked off to the dance floor as the music slowed down.
Alex walked up behind Angel and put his arms around her waist as the first measures of ‘Still’ by Brian McKnight came over the speakers. “Mind if I claim one of those dances, my beauty?” he said quietly into her ear. She looked over her shoulder, startled, but smiled when she saw Alex.
At that same time, Kevin walked up to Sammie and took her hand. She turned to him and without any hesitation, moved into his arms.
In the middle of the song, Kevin kissed her. Once his lips touched hers, he knew the reason he was drawn to her. After 1400 years, he realized he had found his Kimberly again.
For some reason, Sammie wasn’t surprised that Kevin kissed her; it felt like she had been expecting it and eagerly returned his kiss.
Just before the song ended, he broke the kiss and whispered against her lips, “Until forever.”
Now she was surprised. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered the last time she heard those words; she herself had spoken those words before she collapsed beside her husband’s casket in the funeral home almost six years earlier.
Kevin saw the tears in her eyes and gently wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. “I’m sorry, Sammie.”
“It’s ok,” she said as she walked off the dance floor. She walked towards the bar, feeling the need for another drink. She wiped her eyes carefully and ordered a glass of wine.
When she had picked up her wineglass, Kevin took her hand. “Come with me, Sammie; I need some information.”
She didn’t hesitate to follow him, curious about what information he wanted. But she was also very curious why he had said what he had on the dance floor.
He led her upstairs to a small, but comfortable office. He walked over to the one-way mirror overlooking the entire club. He looked out the window and took a deep breath before asking his first question.
“What is your full name?”
“Samantha Kimberly O’Mally.”
“How old are you?”
“24. And before you ask me anymore questions, let me ask you one of my own. Why did you say what you did on the dance floor?”
He heard her voice crack as she asked the question. He closed his eyes and took another deep, cleansing breath before turning to face her. “I apologize again, Sammie. I honestly didn’t mean to say that, it just slipped out. It was something my wife and I used to say to each other before she died. Hell, I don’t even know why I kissed you,” he laughed without humor. He ran a hand through his hair as he turned back to the window.
“The reason I asked, Kevin, was because my husband used to tell me the same thing; it was what I said at his funeral almost six years ago. It just kinda freaked me out. I haven’t heard or even said that phrase since then.”
“Did you love each other?”
“Yes, we did; we knew each other since we were little children. We married two weeks after we graduated high school, our son Logan was born 9 months to the day of our marriage. Mitch was killed accidentally in an armed robbery two days after Logan’s first birthday.”
“You have raised your son alone, then?” Kevin asked.
“Yes, well, I’ve had Angel’s help.”
“Then why do I sense that you’ve had a recent tragedy?” Kevin asked, turning to face her.
She didn’t know why she was even talking about these things; this was none of his business. But she somehow felt comfortable enough to tell him the truth. “Six months ago, my boyfriend found out I was going to break up with him and take my son and move out of state. He tried to kill me, but turned the gun on himself instead. The only problem was that he was speeding down a road just outside of town. The car flipped into the swamp, but I was able to get out of the car and make it to the surface before running out of air.”
“What is your son’s name?”
“Logan Mitchell. He’ll be 7 in February,” she told him.
Kevin saw the tears in her eyes again and walked over to the couch where she was sitting. He knelt down in front of her and reached up to brush away the falling tears. “I hate to see a woman cry, especially when I know I’m partly to blame.” He leaned towards her and gently brushed his lips against hers.
Her hand came up to touch his cheek and then ran into his shaggy black hair as the kiss deepened. He wrapped one arm around her waist as he pushed her gently onto her back on the couch.
She moaned softly beneath him and the sound only encouraged him. He moved from her lips to her jaw, then began to nibble his way down her neck and behind her ear. She arched her neck and moaned louder when he found and kissed the sensitive spot below and just behind her ear.
Through the haze of passion, he sensed a slight change. He turned his head slightly in the direction of the door.
“Kevin, what is it? Why did you stop?” she asked breathlessly.
“Come here,” he said standing pulling Sammie behind him as he drew his sword. Just then Sammie heard the sound of running feet and Alex yelling for them before he rushed into the room, pulling a frightened Angel after him. “Kevin! We have to get outta here, NOW!”
Angel ran to Sammie and both girls held each other for a few seconds as Alex locked the door.
The two men spoke quickly to each other in an odd-sounding language. Sammie heard what was said and asked, “Why am I in danger, Kevin?”
Kevin and Alex looked at her in disbelief. Kevin turned to her and grabbed her upper arms, “You mean you can understand me?”
“Of course; my mother was Irish and fluent in the ancient Celtic tongue. It’s second nature to me,” she answered in Gaelic.
“Oh, by the Goddess, I was right,” Kevin mumbled. He then took her hand and turned to Alex. “We’ll go out the back way. You drive,” he told Alex, tossing him the keys.
