by Tina Folsom
She recognized one other person now: Eddie, the man who’d analyzed Hannah’s computer was strolling in, a blond guy walking next to him. When they both went to the other side of the room, Lilo noticed the other man’s hand resting on Eddie’s lower back.
A moment later, she felt Blake’s breath near her ear. “You want me to tell you who everybody is?”
She nodded automatically.
“The blond man with Eddie is Thomas, his blood-bonded mate.”
“Two guys?”
“They were human once; their turning didn’t change their sexual orientation.” Then he pointed to the dark-haired man who she’d seen talking to Wesley when they’d entered the room. “That’s Samson, the founder of Scanguards.”
Lilo perused him. He was tall and handsome. And he oozed authority. So that was what an over two-hundred-year-old vampire looked like.
Blake directed her gaze to a man who looked like a younger edition of Samson. “That’s his son, Grayson. A hothead. Thinks he’s invincible.” He pointed to the young woman sitting next to him. “His older sister, Isabelle. One of them will run the company one day. My money’s on Isabelle.”
“Okay, settle down,” Wesley said, tapping the microphone. “I called this meeting because we have a serious problem on our hands.”
Silence fell over the room, everyone’s eyes on Wesley.
“First of all, before you all die of curiosity, Blake has asked me to make a quick introduction. The human woman sitting next to him is Lilo Schroeder. Why she’s here will become evident shortly. Just let me say this: you may speak freely in her presence. Blake has told her who we are and what we do.” He nodded toward Blake, then continued, “Now, let me start with this.”
He shifted the mouse and opened a file for all to see on the oversized screen on the wall. It showed a map of San Francisco. Dozens of red dots were spread all over it.
“John, who’s been working with the SFPD on this case, will start.”
From one of the seats in the front, a tall man rose and marched to the lectern. Wes stepped to the side, making space for him.
“Thanks, Wes,” he said. Lilo detected a slight Southern accent. “So, here’s the gist: over the last few months the crime rate in San Francisco has spiked. Home invasions and robberies, both commercial and residential, have increased over 200%. That’s astronomical. The odd thing, however, is that the spike occurred during daytime, suggesting that the crimes aren’t vampire-related. However, Donnelly, our liaison at the SFPD, begged us to look at it. I’m glad he did.”
He exchanged a look with Wesley. “At the beginning I couldn’t make heads nor tails of it, but then the police caught one suspect in a recent liquor store robbery. He was completely zonked out. We figured he had to be under the control of a vampire to be so out of it.”
Lilo shot Blake a questioning look. He leaned in and whispered to her, “Mind control.”
But before she could ask more, John continued.
“We were right, in a way. But I’ll let Wes explain those details to you.” He stepped aside and returned to his seat.
Wesley clicked on something on the screen, and a picture of an herb appeared. “When I examined the suspect of the liquor store robbery, I found traces of Höllenkraut in his blood. What you’re seeing on the screen is the herb in question.”
“Höllen-what?” one man asked.
“It’s German, it means herb from hell.”
Lilo leaned closer to Blake, getting just as impatient as some of the assembled vampires. “What does all this have to do with Hannah?”
“Patience,” Blake urged.
“I did a little research,” Wesley continued. “In one of my old books I found some interesting information. Turns out that Höllenkraut when combined with a few other herbs turns into a quite potent drug that will render the user highly susceptible to suggestion. In other words: mind control. Now this wouldn’t be anything new, since any vampire already has this power. However, with this drug, the vampire can control the human without being anywhere near his victim. This is how we think a group of vampires has been executing these crimes: by using humans who don’t even know what they’re doing as minions. When they come out of their drug-induced state, they have no idea what they’ve done. Or who made them do it.”
Several men cursed.
“There’s more,” Wes continued. “We have a lead. Or rather two. This is where Miss Schroeder was instrumental.” He opened an image file, and suddenly Hannah’s face was right there on the screen. “Some of you may know Hannah Bergdorf, one of our Vüber drivers. She went missing several days ago. Both Blake and Miss Schroeder have been looking for her. Thanks to their efforts, we know the following.” He opened another image file: Ronny now grinned at them from the wall. “This is Ronny Clifford, Hannah’s boyfriend. He’s a vampire, one of her Vüber clients. We raided Ronny’s home and on his computer we found evidence that he’s been researching or working with Höllenkraut, the same substance that renders a human pliable. Considering how rare Höllenkraut is, and how dangerous, we believe that these two cases are related.”
He clicked on the play button of a video file. Lilo’s eyes widened. It was the same video that she’d shown to Donnelly. She turned to Blake, and he leaned closer.
“Donnelly sent a copy to our IT guys the moment you left the station,” Blake explained, anticipating her question.
Surprised to see how attuned he was to her, she just stared at him, but Wesley was already continuing with his explanations.
“Miss Schroeder found this video hidden among Hannah’s personal items. It appears that it was taken in secret in Hannah’s flat. And for some reason that we’re not quite sure of yet, Hannah hid it. The man on the right is Ronny, her boyfriend. The other man we’ve identified as Steven Norwood. He’s in our database. And listen to this.” He switched to another application. A man’s face appeared on the screen. “Luther, you’re on.”
“Hey guys,” the rugged-looking man on the screen said. He was wearing black riot gear, as if he worked for the military or a bomb squad.
Greetings echoed through the room.
“Steven Norwood was released from the Grass Valley vampire prison eight months ago,” Luther continued. “According to his file, he was no trouble. Served his time in peace and quiet.”
Was she hearing correctly? There was a vampire prison?
“I’ve sent his file to Thomas. There’s an old address in San Francisco, but I doubt Norwood returned there. I would lend you one of our trackers, but we’ve got our hands full here right now and can’t spare any.”
Samson rose and took the microphone from Wes. “No worries, Luther, thanks. Anything else you can tell us about the guy?”
Luther leafed through the file. “Nothing really. He’s got ordinary written all over him.” He motioned to somebody off camera. “Sorry, guys, gotta go. We’ve got a situation here.”
“Thanks, Luther,” Samson replied and turned back to the assembly, while behind him the screen went dark. “Let’s talk about how we’re gonna find these guys and put a stop to their operation. Tactical teams, get together your best and brightest. I want suggestions presented to me in two hours.”
“What about finding Hannah?” Lilo murmured to herself.
She felt Blake’s hand on her shoulder. “That’s my first priority. I promise you.”
26
The moment the assembled Scanguards employees dispersed, Samson made a beeline for him. Blake had expected as much.
“My office, now. Both of you.” Though Samson’s voice carried no menace, his tone was firm.
Blake noticed Lilo shiver and immediately gripped her elbow. She shot him an apprehensive look, but allowed him to guide her out of the conference room. He wanted to reassure her that nothing bad would happen to her, but he was within Samson’s earshot and knew better than to say anything before he found out what his boss wanted. So he remained silent and instead stroked his thumb along Lilo’s arm where he was holdi
ng her and hoped she would find comfort in his touch.
Samson entered his office, a large windowless room, and Blake followed him with Lilo. When the door fell shut behind them, Samson turned and ran an assessing gaze over Lilo.
“Miss Schroeder, as you may or may not be aware, Blake bringing you here was against our rules.”
Blake opened his mouth to explain, but Samson silenced him by lifting his hand.
“I understand why Blake did this. Obviously he cares about you. That being said, I want to make sure that you understand the rules we live by.”
Lilo nodded wordlessly.
“We’ve operated in this city for many decades without exposure. Our secret has been kept by not only our own species, but also by members of yours. The humans who work for us and know our secret are loyal to us. They’ve sworn an oath to protect our secret. However, there have been circumstances, where we’ve been forced to accept that not every human can keep a secret. When that happens, we take action.”
Blake felt Lilo stiffen next to him and reached for her hand, clasping it. It was icy.
“So you kill them. I understand,” she murmured, her voice shaky.
“Kill?” Samson furrowed his brow and shifted his gaze to Blake. “What the hell have you been telling her about us?”
“I’m afraid Lilo only found out about vampires a few hours ago. I’ve not been able to fully convince her yet that we don’t kill people.”
“Ahh.” Samson pulled in a breath, his nostrils flaring now, his gaze meeting Blake’s. “Very well. I see you have your work cut out for yourself.” With a smile, he addressed Lilo, “What I want to say is: we don’t kill. Not innocents anyway. But if a human can’t keep our secrets, we have to wipe his or her memory. It’s a painless process, and it will make life easier for all involved. I want you to know that this option is open to you.”
“No!” Blake protested, drawing both Samson’s and Lilo’s stunned looks onto him. “I mean, I’m sure that won’t be necessary.” He didn’t want Lilo’s memory erased. It would mean she wouldn’t remember him. And he wanted her to remember him. Hell, he wanted her to know everything about him, to trust him.
“You know the rules, Blake. Every human who accidentally learns of our secret is given a choice, should the circumstances warrant it. I think in this case, Miss Schroeder should be given a choice. If she wants her old life back once all this is over and we’ve found her friend and dealt with the guilty party, you’ll have to let her decide.”
“Thank you for telling me.” Lilo’s voice was firm and determined. “I know so much now. I don’t know whether I can go back to being ignorant. To not seeing what’s right in front of me. But no matter what I decide eventually, I’m no danger to you or your secrets.”
“I hope you’re right, Miss Schroeder,” Samson said.
“Is there anything else, Samson?” Blake asked.
“Not for now. I’ll see you both when we reconvene in two hours.” He walked to his desk and sat down.
Blake turned around and ushered Lilo to the door.
“Oh, and Blake,” Samson added. “Get your girlfriend a visitor badge so she won’t be harassed.”
“She’s not my g—”
“I’m not—”
“Course not.” Samson silenced them with his sardonic comment. “My mistake.”
Blake maneuvered Lilo out of the office and pulled the door shut behind them. “I’m sorry, Lilo. I know it must be embarrassing for you to constantly be reminded of what happened between us.”
She sighed. “It’s fine. But I guess since your colleagues don’t seem to believe that I’m not your girlfriend, maybe we should just save our breath and let them think what they want.”
He felt his lips curve upward into a smile. “I don’t have a problem with that. They’ll come to their own conclusions anyway.” Conclusions that, when it came down to it, were probably closer to the truth than his and Lilo’s protests that they weren’t dating.
“Hey, Blake!”
Blake turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw Yvette, the dark-haired beauty who was blood-bonded to Haven, Wesley’s vampire brother, coming toward him. She was dressed in tight-fitting leather pants and a pink top that accentuated her perfect boobs. Haven was one lucky son of a bitch.
“Yvette, what’s going on?”
Yvette nodded at Lilo, then addressed him, “Haven wanted me to tell you that the human we have in custody has come out of his drug-addled state. I’m going down there now if you want to interrogate him.”
“Absolutely.” He motioned to Lilo. “Lilo, this is Yvette, Wesley’s sister-in-law. She’s one of our best bodyguards. She’s been with Scanguards for decades.”
Yvette cast him a sideways glance. “You make me sound old.” She smiled at Lilo. “Nice to meet you, Lilo. I know your friend. She’s driven me a few times. I pray she’s alright.”
“Thank you.” Lilo sighed and looked at him again. “Where’s that interrogation taking place?”
Yvette and Blake exchanged a quick look, then Blake shook his head. “I’m sorry, but for security reasons I can’t allow you inside the interrogation room. Why don’t you wait in my office for me?”
A disappointed look spread on her face. “But I—”
Her protest was cut off by Yvette. “The V lounge might be a better idea. Nina and Delilah are down there right now. I’m sure they’ll be happy to entertain Lilo while we take care of this.” She arched an eyebrow at him.
“Excellent idea.” He smiled. Since both Nina and Delilah were human and blood-bonded to vampires, they were the ideal conversational partners for Lilo. They could answer whatever questions she might have and give her a different perspective. That of a human who loved a vampire. “I’ll walk you down there.” He nodded at Yvette. “I’ll meet you in the interrogation room in five minutes.”
~ ~ ~
After introducing her to two women in a lounge that looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel, Blake left.
Delilah, a very pretty dark-haired woman with curves, patted the sofa cushion next to her. “Why don’t you take a seat? It’s gonna be a while before the men are done with their work.”
“Thank you.”
Lilo sat down and glanced at the other woman, who sat opposite. So this was Nina, Amaury’s mate? The woman who had her man wrapped around her little finger. She had short blond hair and an athletic figure.
“You must be exhausted,” Delilah said and waved to one of the waitresses circulating. “What would you like to drink?”
The waitress approached. “Ma’am?”
“A glass of red wine maybe?” Lilo asked hesitantly, glancing at the glasses in front of Delilah and Nina.
“From Samson’s private collection,” Delilah instructed the waitress.
The woman nodded and left.
“Your husband drinks wine?” For some reason she’d assumed that vampires didn’t consume human food or drink.
Delilah chuckled. “No, he doesn’t, of course.” She winked at Nina. “Though Amaury, I’m sure wouldn’t mind an occasional glass.”
Nina grinned. “Amaury would like a lot of things.” She winked at Lilo. “Most of which he gets anyway. He’s really got nothing to complain about. But no, our men don’t eat human food or drink anything but blood.”
Instinctively, Lilo’s gaze drifted to Nina’s neck. “How often do they… you know, feed?”
“Daily,” Delilah said, next to her.
Lilo swallowed. “Blake mentioned… I mean is it true…?”
“Is what true, Lilo?” Delilah asked.
“You don’t have to be coy with us,” Nina added. “I’m sure your questions aren’t any different from the ones I had when I found out Amaury was a vampire.”
“Ahem,” Lilo said, shifting on the couch. “I don’t want to pry or anything.”
Suddenly she felt Delilah’s warm hand on hers. “Dear, I’ve been with Samson for about twenty-three years, and there’s nothing I
don’t know about vampires. Same goes for Nina. We’ve been there. I bet you we’ve had the same doubts and worries.”
Was that why Blake had brought her here? So these two women could alleviate her worries about vampires? About having been intimate with one?
“What is it like? The bite?” she finally choked out.
Delilah and Nina exchanged soft chuckles.
“Do you want to, or shall I?” Delilah asked Nina.
Nina motioned to her friend, a sparkle in her eyes. “You go ahead. I really don’t know how to describe it.”
A warm smile playing around her lips, Delilah turned halfway toward her, angling one leg and resting it on the sofa to be more comfortable.
“There’s nothing comparable in the human world. To say that it’s like an orgasm isn’t doing it justice. It’s more than that. Not just physical pleasure, but bliss that touches your soul, that fills your heart and warms it. It’s a connection on a deep level.” She sighed. “Of course, it’s more intense when it happens between a blood-bonded couple, like in our cases.” She pointed to Nina and herself. “But even a casual bite is something out of this world. And during sex…” She left the sentence unfinished.
Blake had said as much, but hearing it from a woman, a human, who’d experienced the bite, the words had so much more weight.
“And your husband, he bites you every day?”
“Yes, he needs to. See, he can only drink my blood, no other human’s. It would make him sick.”
“Mmm,” Lilo murmured, contemplating her words. “But if he can only drink your blood because you’re blood-bonded, how does that work when two vampires are blood-bonded? Can’t they drink human blood anymore? How do they survive? By drinking from each other?”
Delilah laughed quietly. “That’s a lot of questions, but let me see if I can explain all that without boring you.”
Boring her? This was fascinating.
“So, when two vampires are blood-bonded, like Yvette and Haven, or like Eddie and Thomas, they will of course need to drink human blood to survive. The change that happens in a vampire when bonding with a human, doesn’t happen when two vampires bond. Don’t get me wrong, their bond is just as strong, their devotion just as deep, but they are physically able to drink blood that doesn’t come from their mate. Which of course doesn’t stop them from biting each other.” Delilah winked. “Mostly during sex…”
