The Real You Read online

  “You were in our room,” one of them said accusingly. His gaze narrowed, but the whole effect was thrown off by his blue-black hair falling in soft curls around his face, making him look like a heavenly angel.

  Mitch fingers itched to reach out and ease the frown line forming on the vision’s forehead, but he held himself in check and managed a nod. The other man stood a little to the side, wearing an identical scowl, and for some strange reason, it made Mitch smile more. He held his hand out in greeting. “Hi, my name is Mitch, Mitch Evans.”

  “Claudius,” the speaker said.

  Mitch grinned again then turned his attention to the other man. “Then you must be Isiah. Eric has told me so much about you both.”

  “Eric?” They spoke in unison and turned their scowls on Eric. “Explain.”

  “Mitch needs a room, and since you have a spare room”—he shrugged—“two birds, one stone. So I brought him here to meet you two.”

  “He’s human,” they stated together.

  It fascinated Mitch how they kept speaking in perfect unison.

  “And you’re vampires,” Mitch retorted with another smirk instead of waiting for Eric to answer a bit more diplomatically. Claudius and Isiah ignored him and moved to the counter to pour themselves some blood.

  “Has it occurred to you that Gabriel is still trying to kill us? The human will only get in the way,” Isiah said harshly, pointing in Mitch’s direction.

  Mitch took in a deep, calming breath and said, “Look, Isiah, if you really don’t want me here then don’t stress. I’ll find somewhere else to…” He suddenly realized all the men in the room were intently focused on him. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

  “You called me Isiah,” Isiah said in amazement.

  Confused Mitch asked, “Well, it’s your name, isn’t it? I suppose I could call you Mr. Gillis, but it seems a bit formal.” He shrugged and continued, “Anyway, if it’s too much of a hassle, Mr. Gillis, then don’t worry about it. I have other options.” Mitch kicked Eric under the table for bringing this down on him, and at the exact same time, Eric chuckled. I knew today was going to bite me on the ass.

  Isiah was still staring at him. “I mean, you got my name right. No one ever gets our names right.”

  He waited while Isiah walked across the room and stopped to stand directly in front of him. Mitch didn’t know what was happening. He suddenly found himself being pulled to his feet. It didn’t take long for Claudius to join them. He hesitated shyly when both men reached out to gently touch him. Small touches to his arms, shoulders, face and hair.

  Off to the side of the room, Daven chuckled softly. He almost seemed to be waiting until they were done touching. He didn’t want to break into their moment. Without so much as an explanation, he dragged Isiah and Claude into the other room. They weren’t gone long. He and Eric were still staring at the empty doorway when the three vampires joined them again. Mitch sniggered when he realized they’d switched clothes. He wondered what was going on. Maybe they were hazing the new kid. He had distant relatives who were, in fact, identical twins and did the same thing to new people they met. Mitch nudged Eric and pointed in their direction.

  “What?” Eric asked, sounding somewhat confused.

  “Do they do this for everyone, or am I just privileged?” Mitch asked with a soft laugh. “Am I supposed to pretend that I don’t know?”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Evans?” Eric demanded.

  Mitch rolled his eyes at his friend. “They switched clothes.”

  Even though Eric studied Claude and Isiah for a moment, he shook his head. “Are you sure? You’re on your own there. I told you I can’t tell them apart.”

  Mitch stared at him in amazement. “Well, should I let them know that I know?”

  “Sure, why not, but I bet you’re wrong,” Eric answered teasingly.

  One of the men came and refreshed his mug of coffee. Mitch winked at him. “Thank you, Claude.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, flashing a grin that held only a hint of fang. In a strange way, it melted Mitch’s heart. Claude then turned to Isiah and said, “I like him, Isiah. Can we keep him?”

  “How can you possibly know he’s Claude?” Daven demanded.

  “I know, because he…isn’t Isiah. Even if they have changed clothes,” Mitch answered slowly. “Daven, do you have a problem with me using their names?” Mitch asked in confusion. “Because it’s going to get a tad formal if I have to call them Mr. Gillis and Mr. Reynar all the time.”

  “No, I don’t have a problem with you using their names. I’m trying to figure out how you do it. You knew I was going to get them to switch, didn’t you?”

  Isiah and Claude glared at Daven. It must have been a nice change for them having someone around who knew who they were, though if Daven got his way, it would probably only be for this one visit.

  Mitch put down his coffee cup and stood. “Look, this has been great, but it’s all getting a little too bizarre, even for me.” He looked at both Isiah and Claude who were now standing close together by the bench. “Think about renting me the spare room, or don’t. I work at the gas plant. Let me know what you decide, or tell Eric and he can fill me in.” Mitch gave Eric a quick hug. “I’ve got to go, sweetie. Lewis will be waiting for me.” Mitch nodded at the three vampires. “It was nice meeting everyone. I’ll let myself out. Enjoy your breakfast.”

  Claude wanted to stop Mitch from leaving, but knew the decision was only half his to make. Taking Isiah’s hand in his for comfort, he watched Mitch walk away.

  “I like him,” Claude announced to no one in particular.

  “You only like him because he got your name right,” Daven snorted.

  “There’s that,” Isiah agreed. “But mainly we like him because he’s awfully pretty. Yes, I definitely like him too. We should keep him.”

  “Who is Lewis?” Claude demanded of Eric. He felt the need to know everything about Mitch’s life, and what part this Lewis played in it. If he had his way, Lewis wouldn’t be in Mitch’s life for much longer.

  “Lewis Navarro is Mitch’s boyfriend,” Eric answered.

  Isiah wore the same frown he did.

  “We don’t like Lewis,” they said in unison.

  Claudius knew Isiah was feeling the same sense of possessiveness he was where it came to Mitch.

  “You don’t even know him,” Daven drawled. “He could be a really nice guy for all you know.”

  “We. Don’t. Like. Lewis!” he and Isiah both said menacingly while they scowled Daven.

  Claudius noted Eric only watched them all curiously and was apparently amused by their reaction to the fact Mitch had a boyfriend. Soon their friend would see things their way. He and Isiah were a much better choice for Mitch.

  Eric suddenly asked, “So what do you think about renting Mitch your spare room? At the moment, he lives in a real dive. His landlord has doubled the rent, which, of course, Mitch can’t afford. On the bright side of all of this, he keeps a really clean house. I know Mitch is also a fantastic cook, and I know for a fact he even likes doing the washing. And for what it’s worth, I’m with you—I think he could do better than Lewis for a boyfriend. The guy really is a self-righteous douche bag.”

  “We’ll think about it,” Claude said. Although he was hoping Isiah would be in total agreement with him about wanting Mitch to come and stay with them, they didn’t have much in the way of possessions and food to offer Mitch, and the thought of Gabriel trying to hurt Mitch in any way didn’t sit well with him either. But he also wanted to know more about the human male. Especially seeing as he was the first and only person who was able tell them apart.

  * * * *

  Mitch hadn’t been far from Claudius’ thoughts all night, but Claudius wasn’t ready to discuss his thoughts with Isiah until they were back in bed, waiting for the dawn to arrive. Claude was lying on his side facing Isiah when he finally found the courage to ask what had been playing over in his mind. “How do you t
hink he was able to tell us apart? I loved the way he could separate us. He seemed to like us both.”

  “I don’t know.” Isiah lay on his back, one arm behind his head, while he rested the other down the length of Claude’s spine. It felt good. “I thought he smelled nice. I wanted to taste him. I bet his blood would be sweeter than anything we’ve ever had.”

  “I wanted to taste him too, but mainly because I think Mitch is our True One,” Claude stated warily. “Do you think it’s possible he could love us both?”

  Isiah pulled him closer and Claudius went willingly. “If he truly were our True One, I think Mitch could love both of us. At the same time, we have to remember he’s human and therefore forbidden to us.”

  “I still want him,” Claude stated with a yawn. He snuggled closer into Isiah’s side. The steady pull of the dawn was dragging him under. “I really want him to come and live with us, Isiah.”

  “Me too,” Isiah whispered.

  Images of Mitch filled Claudius’ mind as he lay there. Looking up at Isiah, he saw a smile identical to his on his lover’s face.

  Chapter Two

  Mitch sat through another of Lewis’ boring tirades. He was being yelled at all because he didn’t want to go to dinner with Lewis and his stuck-up friends. Weeks ago, Nell and Poppy had invited him to go dancing, and he’d been looking forward to it ever since. As much as Lewis ranted, Mitch was sticking to his guns and stated matter-of-factly that he was going out with the girls. For once, he wanted to do something fun instead of being forced to endure time with people who always looked down on him, or ignored him completely. Nasty people held absolutely no value to him, and Lewis’ friends rated among some of the worst as far as Mitch was concerned.

  “You’re supposed to be my boyfriend. You should be by my side. Strengthening my life. If you ever want me to get to the next level in my career you need to be there for me, not out with that bunch of losers you call friends. What good is there in shaking your ass for the world to see? I need you with me tonight, and I don’t want to hear another fucking complaint about it.”

  “Lewis, listen to yourself. You sound like some sort of a dictator. The world doesn’t revolve around you. I’m sorry, but I’m going out with Poppy and Nell like I planned. I’m going to be dancing. It’s not like I’m starting up a bordello with them, or something,” Mitch tried to soothe the man, but could see it wasn’t working. “Look, why don’t you have fun with your friends, and I’ll be with mine. It’s Nell’s birthday, and I promised them weeks ago I’d be there. If you ever bothered to look on the calendar, you would have seen it written there in plain sight. I can’t drop everything because you decided last minute that you needed to have dinner and schmooze with your colleagues.”

  “Mitch! I told you, you’re coming with me. End of discussion,” Lewis shouted at him, his face red with anger. If he didn’t calm down, he could give himself an aneurysm.

  The force in his partner’s voice got Mitch’s dander up. “No, Lewis,” Mitch said coldly. “I’m going dancing. If you want me to attend this dinner with your friends, then you need to postpone it for another night—any other night—just not this one, because I kinda get the feeling you did see the calendar and arranged this dinner party on purpose so I couldn’t be with my friends.” When Lewis averted his gaze, Mitch knew he’d hit the nail on the head. “You’re a complete and utter bastard, do you know that?”

  “Mitch!” Lewis tried to grab him to stop him from heading for the door, but Mitch easily evaded his grasp.

  “Go fuck yourself,” Mitch spat over his shoulder. He slammed the door on his way out of the house for emphasis.

  By the time Mitch had quickly walked the six blocks to the club, he’d calmed down somewhat. He took a deep breath and was ready to put a smile on his face. At least he wasn’t still fuming by the time he’d walked inside and greeted his friends. Mitch was surprised to find they weren’t alone. “Hey, Daven,” Mitch said while he bent and kissed Eric’s cheek. “Hey, babe, you’re exactly who I needed to see right now.”

  Eric burst out laughing. “That’s exactly what every guy wants to hear when he’s looking to score.” The blush that covered Eric’s face when he realized what he had said was priceless, and, strangely, it made Mitch all the happier that he had stuck to his guns with Lewis.

  With a sudden yank on his hand, Mitch pulled Eric to his feet then out onto the dance floor. They stood facing each other for a second, then Mitch stepped into his friend’s arms for a much-needed hug. The beat of the music soon began taking over Mitch’s body. He let Eric go and swayed, losing himself in the rhythm. This is exactly what I needed. Man, I love dancing.

  “What’s up, Mitch?” Eric coaxed. “You seem a little pissed off.”

  “Lewis is being a dick again.” He shrugged. “He didn’t want me to come out tonight. He practically ordered me to spend the evening with him and his stuck-up friends. He had the whole thing planned just so I couldn’t meet up with Nell and Poppy. He makes me so angry—I want to punch something repeatedly until I feel better.”

  Eric grinned. “Have I told you Claude and Isiah don’t like Lewis?”

  Mitch grinned. At the moment, he didn’t much like Lewis, either. Less than a week had passed since he had met Claude and Isiah, yet, strangely, he kind of missed them. He had no clue what it all meant, but he wouldn’t mind seeing them again. “How are they? Any closer to deciding if they want me for a roomie or not?”

  “Oh, they’ve decided, but some people are making them take time to really think things through.”

  Mitch rolled his eyes. “In other words, Daven doesn’t want me moving in with them. Jeez, what does he think I’m going to do? Jump their bones the very second I get there or something?”

  “Or something,” Eric agreed.

  “Look, tell them to forget it. I’ll try and find accommodation somewhere else. Not that I want to, especially after what the ass did tonight, but if worse comes to worst, I can always move in with Lewis and his… Who knows what the hell Shelby is to him?”

  “That’ll happen over my dead body.” Eric pulled Mitch into a crazy hug. “I would never let that idiot get you completely under his thumb.”

  Mitch’s skin began to prickle with unease. He got the feeling they were being watched—frowned upon. Mitch casually gazed over the room and he relaxed slightly when he saw two identical scowls aimed at him and Eric.

  “Your wannabe boyfriends are here,” Eric announced dryly. “I didn’t think they’d really come. Neither of them like crowds.” Taking hold of his hand, Eric led Mitch back to the table where Claudius and Isiah where now waiting.

  “Hey, Poppy, Nell, these are friends of ours, Isiah and Claude.” Mitch touched each of their arms in turn and was rewarded with two angelic smiles. He bit back a laugh when they took a seat on either side of him. The girls seemed to be immediately infatuated by the close resemblance of Claudius and Isiah. Mitch realized most people probably were. He didn’t understand how anyone couldn’t see the minute differences that he did.

  Daven shook his head. “I take it you got their names correct again. I still can’t work out how you know who is who. It couldn’t be pure luck, but I get the feeling you can actually separate them. What makes you so special?” He seemed perplexed about something and, almost as an afterthought, he said under his breath, “Could you truly be the one?”

  The one what? Not having the faintest idea what Daven was talking about, Mitch shrugged it off and concentrated on the conversation he was having with Nell. Mitch also tried to fully ignore the way Claude and Isiah found it necessary to caress his arms. Even though he has beginning to realize he no longer wanted to be in a relationship with Lewis, he also knew he wasn’t ready to jump into a new relationship with either of these men, or anyone else for that matter. And if I did venture down that path, how could I possibly choose between them?

  The evening wore on, and Mitch found himself getting used to the small touches he received from both men. What surp
rised him even more was that he was no longer worried by their closeness. The thing which disturbed him the most was the way Daven kept staring at him. It was almost like he was trying to work Mitch out, but why?

  Mitch was more than a little shocked at himself when he agreed to dance not only with Claude, but with Isiah at the same time. A loose grip held his head in place against Isiah’s shoulder. Claude pressed up against Mitch’s back the whole time they swayed in rhythm to the music. Strangely, he felt safe like this. Not many humans he knew of would have felt safe sandwiched between two vampires—albeit two gorgeous vampires. Mitch sighed and thought it was probably lucky he wasn’t like a normal, everyday human. He wanted to ask them about the room, but didn’t. He also wanted to reassure them he wouldn’t be upset if they said no, yet something kept him from opening his mouth and letting the words flow free. Then there was this whole other part of him which thought maybe not sharing a house with Claude and Isiah might be a blessing in disguise—seeing as they were both quite happy to be closer to Mitch than he usually liked. He knew he’d have to lay down a set of boundaries if he did move in with them, or at least he’d try to.

  * * * *

  Later that night, Mitch was surprised by how much he didn’t want the evening to be over. However, as the saying went, all good things had to end. When he finally got up to leave, he promised Poppy and Nell they’d do it all again soon. He said goodbye to Daven and Eric, though found it hard to do the same for Claudius and Isiah, and the strange part was that he couldn’t exactly say why.

  The cool air outside hit Mitch when he started the walk home. With the intensity of the chill, his nose and hands felt frozen. It wasn’t long until he realized Claude and Isiah were trailing along behind him. “You know, if you intend on walking me home, wouldn’t it be polite to walk beside me instead of following me?” Mitch chuckled under his breath and waited for them to join him.