Maybe he silently headed the gang of bikers. Like a kingpin to the cartel, Vlad Tepes appeared to call the shots. And if he wasn’t wholly human … what about these men who seemed to follow his request without question?
Blood.
Sons of Sangue.
Sangue was the Italian word for blood.
Sons of Blood.
Vlad visiting her in the middle of the night, razor-sharp fangs sinking into her throat, floated back into her mind. A vision? Maybe not a dream after all.
Vampire.
Blood vials hanging around the necks of several of the Blood ’n’ Raves barmaids and patrons?
Jesus! What the ever-loving-fuck had she just stumbled across?
Chapter 8
Vlad stood in the large meeting room behind the seats reserved for the president and vice president of the MC. Members of the Sons of Sangue filed in, each taking their respective chairs circling the oversized table. The vampiric death skull, the same one decorating the back of their motorcycle vests, had been carved into the center. A thick piece of glass protected the design.
Some of the members of the Washington chapter, along with those who hadn’t earned their patches, stood along the walls, filling the room to overcapacity. Even the large oak doors couldn’t be shut without the place becoming claustrophobic.
It warmed Vlad’s heart to see his grandsons’ circle grow. These men and their mates were nearly as much a part of his clan as Kane and Kaleb. Should they ever need his help, he’d be there for them at the bat of the eye. He hoped the commitment was mutual. With his brother creating a small legion, he’d need every man at hand to stop the son of a bitch.
Not all of those present were vampires. Some of them were prospects and hangarounds. Though Vlad wouldn’t allow them to put themselves at risk against his kind, they might prove useful as lookouts.
Kane picked up the wooden mallet and struck the plate, the din of conversation instantly dying. From the earlier whispers, Vlad gathered most had no clue why the emergency meeting had been called. His grandsons had likely waited for him to take the lead.
While numbers were a good thing, before they delved into the thick of things, the humans would need to leave the room. This was a matter the vampires needed to handle. Humans would only get themselves killed going up against Mircea’s personal army.
Christ, Mircea’s carelessness alone made Vlad want to end the son of a bitch’s life. His temerity was going to expose what Vlad had spent years keeping hidden. Living side-by-side with humans would never work. There would always be a militia of want-to-be heroes aiming to take their heads.
Kane stood by his seat at the head of the table, everyone giving him their attention. Curious gazes briefly strayed to Vlad, no doubt wondering about his appearance when he normally stayed away from club business.
“First, I need all of those not patched to fall out into the main room of the clubhouse. This part of the business is to be conducted by members only.” Kane motioned some of those by the exit to take their leave, waiting for the large doors to close behind them before continuing. “Vlad has news we need to hear. This isn’t good, so listen up.”
Vlad stood behind Kane as he took his seat next to Kaleb. Resting a hand on the shoulder of each of his grandsons, he glanced around the room at the men gathered. Everyone gave him their undivided attention, including those there from the Washington chapter. Besides him, there were three other primordial vampires present: Kane, Kaleb, and Ryder. If need be, Kane had said they could enlist the help of Draven Smith and Brea Gotti, who also carried primordial blood.
Those newly made vampires Mircea was creating all had his brother’s blood, making them primordials as well. This little party of vampires sharing the same vengeance could become a shitfest real quick. Vlad needed to contain the problem and shut his brother and his plan down.
“You all know my brother is out there gunning for Kane and Kaleb, and indirectly, all of you. He wants to take me down and will try to do so through my grandsons. Other than his ultimate goal of killing my kin, I’m betting he’s also trying to get the authorities to focus on the club for these murders. Get you scrambling so you can’t hone in on catching the cagey bastard.”
Heads nodded and murmurs of agreement filtered through the room.
“I don’t think you need to be told this threat shouldn’t be taken lightly.” Vlad rubbed a hand down his short-cut beard. “Mircea has been a nuisance for some time and I take the blame for allowing his transgressions. No more. My brother is to be stopped at all costs.”
“Agreed,” some of the men murmured.
“I stopped by the coroner’s office a few days ago. I hypnotically entranced the medical examiner into believing the lethal wounds were not caused by bite wounds, hoping to deflect law enforcement from the real cause.”
“Let’s hope that works,” Kane said. “Last thing we need is locals snooping around. I’ll have Cara keep an ear open at the Sheriff’s Office.”
“Good idea, Kane.” Vlad glanced around the table. “If any of you come across him, do not try to take him out on your own. Make sure you have one of the four of us, me, Kane, Kaleb, or Ryder present before you attempt to cross him. He’s strong and growing stronger every day.”
“How so?” Anton asked.
“He’s consuming a lot of blood, which will aid in his power. All his senses will be heightened. He’ll know you’re coming long before he spots you.”
“How the hell will we get the upper hand if he knows we’re there?” Alexander chimed in.
Vlad took in a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh. He wished he had an answer. “Somehow we need to mask our scent. Any of us can scent a vampire in the vicinity. We need something stronger so Mircea can’t detect us, or we’ll never catch the son of a bitch. I’m open to ideas.”
“GQ has some cologne you’ll smell a mile away.” Grayson chuckled.
“Fuck you, Gypsy.” Alexander wadded up a piece of paper from the table and threw it at him, striking him in the forehead, which only made him laugh harder. “India likes it just fine.”
“On the serious side.” Grigore, home from the first leg of his touring with his pop star mate, Caitlyn, all but growled. “Years ago, when I hunted, I used something called skunk spray. It covers a human scent so they can’t be detected by animals. I’m pretty sure that shit will even deaden a primordial’s sense of smell.”
“What does it smell like, Wolf?” Grayson asked.
“Shit smells just like skunk.”
Alexander’s lips turned down. “And you want us to spray ourselves with it?”
Grigore shook his head as a grin blossomed on his face. “You can if you want. But good luck getting that shit off you, Xander. You spray the ground, your boots, anything near you. I doubt even a primordial will scent a vampire over that stench.”
“It’s certainly worth a try,” Vlad said. “Where do you get it?”
“Any hunting store carries it.” Grigore shrugged. “I can pick some up if you want to give it a try.”
“Pick us up a bottle. If it works, we’ll order a whole damn case.” Vlad looked around the room. “Any of you want to be the guinea pig?”
“Why not Viper or Hawk?” Bobbie suggested.
Kaleb’s gaze widened, and he used his thumb to indicate his brother. “I volunteer Viper.”
“You would volunteer me, Hawk. Coward.” Kane laughed. “I’ll do it. Wolf, get us a bottle of that shit. If it works, as Vlad said, we’ll want a case. Let’s just hope it does. But remember, we spray around us. I don’t want to wind up being the stinkiest sons of bitches on motorcycles.”
Grayson shook his head and laughed. “I won’t be riding downwind from you, Viper.”
“If this shit works, Mircea certainly won’t know what hit him,” Vlad said. They’d only get one chance. “Because once he figures out what we’re doing, he’ll know damn well we’re coming because of the stench.”
“We could always go back to GQ’s cologne idea.”
Grayson laughed, earning a smack on the back of his head by Alexander.
Laughter and chatter filled the room until Kane used the mallet again to gain their attention. “We’ll use the prospects and hangarounds to look out for anything unusual.”
“They know about us, Kane?” Vlad asked.
He nodded. “The prospects do. The hangarounds haven’t proven themselves. I’m not sure they’ve earned our trust yet, but this could be a way of testing that. If they fail in any way, we’ll hypnotize them into forgetting and cut them loose.”
“Sounds like a viable plan, Viper.” Hawk glanced around the room. “We use the prospects to keep an eye on them. They travel in pairs and groups. No man on his own. If they see something, they are to call us. If a prospect feels a hangaround isn’t holding up his end, then we’ll be informed.”
Grigore shook his head. “Not sure they should be trusted with our secret just yet.”
“Why’s that, Wolf?” Kane asked.
“I still live by the old Benjamin Franklin adage, ‘three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ Anyone outside this room, I don’t trust. Including prospects. I know we need them, and thus far they have been loyal. After we catch Mircea, I say we patch them over. But the hangarounds? I say they take a hike until this problem is dealt with.”
Kane looked at Kaleb. “What do you think, Hawk?”
Kaleb shrugged. “Let’s put this shit to a vote.”
Vlad continued to watch as his grandsons conducted their business, happy with the vote outcome. The hangarounds were to be cut loose for the time being and out of club business. They could come back once Mircea was caught. Grigore was correct, Vlad didn’t need people who hadn’t yet proved their trustworthiness knowing their secret. With the prospects having something to gain, obtaining their patches for a job well done, they were more likely to keep their lips closed.
Kane looked to Ryder. “Any news from the Washington chapter, Ryder?”
“Gunner informed me they’re on standby should we need them.”
“Unless Mircea crosses the border, we got this shit handled,” Kane said.
“I agree.” Vlad patted Kane and Kaleb’s shoulders. “Looks like you have this end covered. If anyone sees my brother and Kane, Kaleb, or Ryder are present, then take the son of a bitch out. No need to wait for my permission. The same goes for the little legion he’s created. We need to stomp these minions out and quick.”
“You got it, Vlad.” Kane stood and addressed the group. “We’ll call in the prospects and hangarounds and finish this shit up. Wolf, you get us some of that skunk spray and I’ll give it a test.”
Grigore nodded. “You got it, P.”
Kane walked to the double doors and swung them open. Vlad said his goodbyes as the other young men filed in. He didn’t need to be present for the rest of this. He had a brother to hunt down. But first, he needed blood. Maybe he’d use the Blood ’n’ Rave and their donors for a little sustenance. And while he was at it, check out the other primordials, Draven Smith and his mate.
* * *
Janelle’s scent tickled his nose the minute he cleared the back door to the club. The question was, what was the bewitching special agent doing in a place that offered blood to vampires?
Music, if that’s what the awful noise could be called, blared through speakers. He’d prefer something softer and more soothing than the loud industrial stuff now pounding his eardrums.
How the hell did one converse?
Vlad walked through the small storage room that doubled as an office. He’d need to talk to Draven about getting a donor since he wasn’t used to feeding in this establishment. He had his own harem of blood hosts back on his island. Otherwise, he simply hypnotized those he fed from whenever the need arose. Vlad supposed using donors was a safer way of doing things, less chance of getting caught sipping from arteries out in the wild.
He doubted any of the donors inside would recognize him as a vampire since he didn’t wear Sons of Sangue colors.
Little did they know, they’d be feeding the eldest of his kind.
Draven Smith leaned against the bar, and the woman whom Vlad presumed to be his mate sat on the other side. The owner nodded in Vlad’s direction, not surprised to see him, conceivably having scented Vlad long before he walked through the office door.
Draven righted himself. “Vlad Tepes, to what do we owe the honor?”
“I need one of your donors.”
Vlad’s gaze went to the smaller woman, no doubt the one Kane called Brea Gotti, who could be no taller than five-foot-two when she stood. Her highlighted brown hair had been shaved short on one side, the tresses on the opposite side falling to just past her chin. She sported a tiny diamond in her left nostril. She might be small in stature, but Vlad could sense the power coming off her in waves. Brea Gotti wasn’t one to be fucked with, in part because she also happened to be the descendant of Vlad’s long-dead brother, Radu.
Vlad gripped Brea’s small hand, bringing it to his nose. “Amazing, my brother’s scent still lives in you and in the one they call Ryder. Take care of his heritage. As far as I know, you two are the end of his lineage when all these years I thought none were left.”
Brea smiled warmly, her blue eyes, much like those of his brother’s, twinkled in the bar lights. “It’s a pleasure to meet a great uncle … far down the line, of course.”
Vlad glanced over his great niece’s shoulder, spying Janelle Ferrari sitting not far away, next to another beautiful young woman. Though pretty, she had nothing on the special agent. His nostrils flared, scenting her rich blood. His fangs punched through his gums, tingling with his hunger. Christ, he needed to get a hold of himself. His blood ran hot just at the sight of her. Too bad she wasn’t on the menu.
He’d need to get this little dine-and-dash done before she spotted him, leaving him to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions. After all, the Blood ’n’ Rave wasn’t the type of establishment he normally frequented.
Vlad turned back to Draven. “You have someplace I can go while I await a donor? I prefer to do so quietly and away from all of this flashiness.”
Draven smiled. “Right. I wouldn’t think you’d come here to hang out. What does an old vampire like you do for entertainment?”
Vlad damn near rolled his eyes at the mention of his age. He could kick Draven’s ass on a bad day. “I entertain women.”
“I bet you do.” The barkeep chuckled. “Maybe you ought to try a mate one day.”
“You can’t be fucking serious.” Vlad’s eyes rounded. “Why in the hell would I want to tether myself to just one?”
His gaze traveled back to Janelle, who had yet to spot him. Of course, he’d never want a mate or the responsibility that came with a bond. The idea was ludicrous, even if the blood now burning through his veins called him a liar. Taking another female had lost its appeal since he met the special agent.
Christ, when the hell had I allowed that to happen?
He’d lost his first wife centuries ago, and still the anguish stayed with him. The idea he hadn’t protected her from the Turks and she had jumped to her death had damn near crippled him with guilt. Vlad couldn’t saddle himself with that type of responsibility … or heartache ever again.
It made him weak.
Draven laid a hand on top of his mate’s, squeezing it. “I may have thought the very same thing until Brea.”
“Keep it that way.” Vlad all but growled, restlessness settling in.
Nothing ruffled his feathers, ever … until Janelle. Not only was the woman devastatingly beautiful, but something about her was alluring like the call of a siren. Vlad needed to remember nothing good could come from their union. Any kind of relationship could only end badly.
“Room?”
“My, aren’t we in a hurry?” Draven pointed to a curtained doorway. “Take the stairs to the top. There’s a room with a door. If you want a sip of whiskey while you wait, the room is stocked with Gentleman Jack per your grandsons’ r
equests.”
“Thank you,” Vlad said, taking one last glance at Janelle.
Satisfied she still hadn’t spied him, he disappeared behind the curtain and took the stairs two at a time. The lights had already been turned on, offering a soft glow to a comfortable room, complete with wine-colored carpeting and matching draperies. Tasteful. A tan Italian leather sofa sat at the back, with oversized cushions. Vlad headed over, taking the bottle of whiskey from the cart with him. If he hung out in Oregon much longer, he might just develop a taste for the amber liquid. It certainly did a fine job of warming him from the inside, much the way sipping blood did.
Vlad sat, crossed one booted foot over his knee, unscrewed the cap to the whiskey and took a long pull from the bottle. His mind conjured up Janelle. Hell, it was bound to. Her scent still wafted up the stairs and roused his libido, hardening him, and he had yet to take a single sip of blood. Christ, what would drinking her blood do to him?
Too bad he was unable to hypnotize her.
He wouldn’t have minded finding out what she tasted like.
Hell, fucking her while he sipped from her neck?
The thought alone had his dick throbbing. He needed to finish what he came here to do, which had nothing to do with any horizontal action. Vlad needed sustenance, not a quick lay. Fucking tonight’s donor wasn’t going to happen, even if his vampire side ached for more. Unfortunately, his heart wasn’t tempted to feed his other hunger even if it were offered, which left him pissed off and horny.
Maybe Draven was right. Vlad needed to find a new form of entertainment, like hunting down Mircea. That or he needed to fuck Janelle and rid her from his system. Which, of course, couldn’t happen if he was unable to hypnotize her. There was no hiding the vampire in him when sexual desire took over.
Vlad scented a human and her red blood cells entering the stairwell before he heard the footfalls coming up the steps. A pleasingly plump blonde cleared the landing and walked into the room, padding softly across the carpeting. Her fair skin, ruby red lips, and heart-shaped face lent to her beauty. This blonde had womanly curves and a nice set of large tits, though she was petite in height. She normally fit his type, but unfortunately couldn’t hold a candle to the woman downstairs who seemed to have captured his attention.
Vlad (Sons of Sangue Book 8) Page 7
