* * * *
“Well, Player, that was the longest ten minutes of my life.” The Rottie looked somberly at his mistress as they approached the fast food window. “A large Butterfinger shake, chili cheese fries, a double bacon cheeseburger and one triple burger, plain.” She stood, seeing herself in the security camera screen, and barked at the image, “Don’t judge me, I’ve have a bad day.”
Player danced around the heavy bag of food, sniffing for his reward. Anna found a table under a broad swath of park light and spread out her calories for the month. “Somebody probably should have mentioned the elephant in the room.” Player followed the fry she gestured with. “There’s something wrong with Rick and none of them would say it!” The Rottie snapped at the next fry she wagged.
Anna squirted the ketchup packet and dropped it angrily. “Matt spoke like I was…!” Anna sucked an inch of milkshake down, and then bit her burger. While she chewed she unwrapped Player’s dinner. The dog ignored her tirade as long as he had food. “…Insignificant! How can I be with his best friend and partner if Matt won’t speak to me?” The more Anna ate, the more scattered her thoughts became. “Forget I’m there with Rick, Matt didn’t even mention his wife.”
Matt Brenner drew a line between mortals and vampires. He was aloof and the mortal women loved him even more for it. Anna, the donor, had been banished and Anna, Rick’s girlfriend, took her place. If I’m with Rick, there will have to be a truce.
* * * *
Once Anna was gone Matt jumped Rick with what was really on his mind. He gestured to the I.V. pole. “What happened here?”
Rick rattled the pole and nodded, “I’ll give you the Cliff Notes. A mortal, a guy who saw himself as a vampire slayer, had property of mine. Cupcake and I set our sights on retrieving it. There was a skirmish, and when the bastard came in for the kill he missed the vest and got me.”
Matt grimaced in sympathy. “Silver poisoning?”
Rick nodded. “The funny part? Anna swung the home run.”
Matt looked around the room. “Does she generally carry a baseball bat?”
“A marble obelisk. Killed him. Saved my life.”
Matt leaned forward. “Did he know what you are?”
Rick expected Matt’s hyper concern. “The guy wouldn’t know a vampire if he was at Comic Con.”
“Who handled the cleanup?”
“The responders. They did disposal, cleanup and thralled Anna.”
Matt sprang to his feet, anxiously pacing the length of the sofa. “You’ve got too many loose ends, and that thralling thing, does it ever work?”
Rick tapped his foot and drew Matt back in front of him, “Let’s not borrow trouble. They’ve been doing this for hundreds of years. They’re professionals.”
Matt dug both hands deep in his jeans pockets, “Right, because that worked so well with Cat.”
Rick quieted. “The subject is closed.” He smiled briefly to soften the sting of the abrupt dismissal. “Look, Adam has been trying to get his news out since the jet landed.”
Adam sat straighter on his chair and took the floor. “The Council convicted Veronique on all charges.” That earned him Rick and Matt’s full attention.
* * * *
Adam continued. “However, they declined termination or jail time, and levied restitution.”
Rick groaned in disappointment.
“They know how money driven she is. They broke her financially.”
Matt shook his head in skepticism. “Did they believe this type of punishment would reform her?”
Rick joined in disapproval. “As long as she can make Humanité, that’s like printing money. She won’t be broke long.”
“No, they outlawed Humanité and made selling or using it punishable by immediate termination.”
“Nothing reforms a psychopath,” Rick observed bitterly.
Adam nodded agreement. “The ruling gave money to some of the survivors. Matt, you’re on the list for one point five million. They took billions. She’s supposedly destitute.”
“Less money means less resources to cause chaos, I guess.” Matt turned to Rick. “Don’t you own all her sire’s land in Haiti?”
“Yeah, well, I have the signed document but I’ve never executed it. If I did, I’d have to pay one hundred million for essentially worthless land, and she would know I was the one who killed Papa,” Rick considered. “I wouldn’t trust that Ronnie is ever destitute. If I know her, she’s got diamonds hidden in an anthill or something. Where did she go when she was released?”
Adam rubbed at his forehead. “That’s just it…she seems to have disappeared…”
“What the fuck?” Matt exploded. “I guess I can use the million and a half for enhanced security.”
“Yeah. She’s out and about and we don’t know where.”
Rick’s exasperated, “Son of a bitch!” Broke their stunned moment of silence.
“All bets are off and that psycho bitch could be anywhere planning anything,” Matt said grimly. “Since she’s not the forgiving sort, I’m guessing she’s heading for us.” He glanced at Rick, sat back and crossed his arms across his chest. “How serious are you about this mortal?”
Rick’s face went stony, and his movements became precise. He removed the IV from his forearm and slid the pole aside. His hands fisted one inside the other as he leaned forward, forearms resting on his thighs. He felt aggression rising within him and struggled to dial himself back one degree to assertive. “Call her that again. See what happens.”
Matt drew a calming breath. “I’m not looking for a fight, she’s your business. I need to know where we all stand. If Veronique’s coming, we’ve got to have a plan.”
“You know the target’s on your back, Rick.” Adam nodded.
“And Veronique won’t come at you head on,” Matt deduced. “She’ll head for your soft spot.” Matt’s summation hit the mark he was aiming for, and weighed heavily on Rick.
“I watched the questioning, Matt, she still has you in her sights, too,” Adam parried. “In fact, I’m guessing Rick is her last target. She’s going to pick us off in order of vulnerability. She wants all the destruction laid at Rick’s feet. Then she’ll go in for the kill.”
Rick stared at his hand, folding down fingers as he spoke. “Anna will be the first, because she’s my weakness.” He nodded at Matt. “Then Cat. Then you, Adam, because you witnessed the massacre, then Matt. By the time she gets to me this is going to be up close and incredibly silent.” Rick stared at the bottom of his empty glass. “We have to protect the women.”
Matt reacquainted himself with the L.A. nightscape out the window, his back to the others. “How do we do it without scaring the shit out of them?”
Rick slid back against the sofa and nodded. There was a silent beat as they drained their glasses and passed the decanter for another. Adam declined a refill. The testosterone settled and became grim contemplation.
“I guess I shouldn’t have taken credit for getting you two together?” Adam made an obvious effort to break the tension. Matt and Rick chuckled wanly. The huge man rose. “I’m gonna go wrap up a few of the security details I’ve been handling while you were out of town, Matt. You couldn’t be back at a worse time, but I’m sure as hell glad you’re here.” Adam left them to deeper discussions.
Matt rested his glass on his thigh and pointed to Rick, “Cupcake? Fitz?”
“Cupcake, yes. What?” He smiled wryly. “She never struck you as a cupcake?”
Matt snorted. “Helen called her a bonbon. Yeah, so ah…” Matt started awkwardly and frowned.
“Look,” Rick interrupted, “anything that happened between the two of you before we met is history. We …don’t …speak…about it.”
Matt nodded silently and stared into the bottom of his glass.
“How are you going to break it to your wife that Veronique is afoot?”
Rick watched Matt’s unmoving silhouette at the window.
“Tonight, while we’re g
etting settled downstairs. Of course, I’ll have to include her when we have these discussions. She doesn’t like second hand news.”
“We need more cameras, more trip sensors, self-defense classes. When Brett was staked he couldn’t discern voices or the mortal’s scent,” Rick thought out loud.
Matt spun on his heel. “When did this happen?”
Rick stretched out on the sofa, his chest beginning to ache again. “About a week ago. The guy from Colombia staked Brett in an alley.”
Matt paced closer. “What’s happening to the Los Angeles vampires?”
Rick chuckled. “You go away and shit happens.” Rick read Matt’s alarm, “Calm down, it’s all been handled. We got lazy and we had a wake-up call. The threat has been contained. He worked alone and he’s been neutralized.” Rick knew he baited Matt’s curiosity with that concise comment.
“The threat has been neutralized? That’s a little sanitary for your vocabulary, buddy.”
Rick sat back up, crossed one ankle over his knee, and threw up his hands. “Once a cop, always a cop.”
“Wasn’t there a reason I handled these things?” Matt lifted the decanter and figured the contents were about one last serving, he poured it into his glass and drank it down.
Rick parked his hand over his heart. The pains were coming around again.
“Have you found evidence—”
“Stifle it, Matthew.”
Matt threw his hands on his hips and shook his head, “Have you lost your mind?”
“Unless you plan on departing tomorrow evening for an extension of the love boat, may we table discussion for now? Detective Brenner, did you notice my entrance with the I.V. pole? It wasn’t my dance partner. This evening we need not fear vampire slayers—the Cupcake took him down.” Rick swelled at the satisfaction of repeating that news.
Matt cast a sideways look, “Tomorrow night, we talk. We talk in depth over the myriad of questions I’ll have by then.”
“Because you will,” Rick mumbled as he struck his chest over his heart, “I’ll stake a c-note on that. How about a change of subject? It’s been months since we’ve had a heart to heart.”
Matt ran his tongue over his bottom lip and his eyebrow arched. He walked over behind the sofa and leaned into Rick’s ear. “Awhile back I told you, Anna’s a nice girl.” Matt straightened, hands on hips. “So, I’m asking you again, how serious are you?”
Rick enflamed at the question. “Don’t throw that wedge between us!” Rick rose to face his friend over the sofa, “Don’t I deserve nice? She’s more than a nice girl.” Rick circled the sofa to meet Matt toe to toe. “She came here to warn you about the vampire slayer. She accepted you were gone and she wanted to make sure we knew about a threat to the Family. When it all came down, she took care of us, all of us.” The tension rekindled.
“I…just…want to know how serious you are… Is this ‘now serious’ or ‘forever serious’?”
“Well, you tell me! It happened to you and Cat. How did you know? One night with the girl and you were cashing in your chips and heading out of town. I prefer to stay here and figure it out with her.”
“Are you ready to turn her?”
“If she wants it…” Rick’s hand sliced the air in frustration. “When is anybody ever ‘ready’ to turn? You weren’t, I wasn’t.” Rick’s boyish smile erupted, “It’s like buying an R.V. or getting a spray tan—it happens when it happens.”
No amount of bad humor stopped Matt’s grilling. Truth be told, Matt was the only one who could strip bare Rick’s emotions. “You love her,” Matt declared.
Rick frowned. Love is a long-lost word. “Yes, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.”
Matt nodded. “I’ve still got renovations going on at my…er…our loft…”
Rick smiled at his friend. “It’s different when you have to remember ‘we’ and not ‘I’, isn’t it?” He laughed wryly. “I’m stumbling myself.” He walked to the desk drawer and pulled out two key cards. “You can stay in your playroom, but I think you’ll be more comfortable in the unit below. It’s clean and the linens are fresh. Make yourselves at home.”
Matt accepted the cards. “I agree. I’ll have to talk it over with Cat.”
“You two can’t stay at the Biltmore, what’s the discussion?”
Matt laughed and pocketed the cards. “There’s always a discussion, Buddy.” The two men walked toward the elevator. “Would tomorrow night be a good time to introduce the ladies?”
“The sooner the better. Anna knows you’re married to a vampire, but she doesn’t know any details. By the way, she’s living here with me.”
Matt raised a brow and disappeared into the silent elevator.
* * * *
Rick stripped off his travel clothes and showered. He welcomed the peace inside these four marble walls. Toweling off, he decided it was time to feed fresh. Under his regular close inspection in the mirror he saw his color returning. Rick threw on virgin wool trousers and a cashmere sweater. Checking his watch, he stepped into his loafers, sans socks, and headed downstairs. Shortly he’d feel a hundred percent.
* * * *
Anna led the dog into the fashionable lobby. “Now that I’ve eaten enough for the week we’ll go upstairs and get you settled. I’ll bet Fitz has two hundred channels of cable to watch.” She nodded at the cherubic guard, he touched his cap’s visor and the private elevator door opened.
She saw the empty decanter next to the three Baccarat old fashion glasses. The men were gone. When did normal become picking up after two vampires and a shape shifter? “Fitz, are you here?” Her call echoed back. No, he isn’t.
She ran out of reasons to stay upstairs. It was way too early and she was conflicted. Anna wound her hair into a messy bun and turned on Animal Planet for Player. Her linear logic told her Rick would naturally gravitate to vamps. As she left the penthouse she called, “If you find a shoe, have at it…Unless it’s mine!”
* * * *
Nervously, she flipped the key card. Will it work throughout the building? Mortals were food and Rick had to feed. He left the penthouse for fast food, too. She had to see what dazzling dishes were on the menu. With trepidation, she slid the key card into the reader and pressed “G”, for Gaoler, not for Ground. The forty-some floor drop began.
Anna hovered near Rick’s dungeon. She slid off the hoodie and tied it around her neck, pocketed the key card and let down her messy bun. A bare neck was an invitation she didn’t extend. His dungeon was dark, he had to be elsewhere. She felt invisible. Couples passed her deep in conversation and groping.
Thinking he might be meeting with Helen, Anna headed to the office, past the demonstration area. Couples gathered to watch the demo in the subtly lit room. The usual erotic paraphernalia was gone, leaving the feeder centered onstage, back to the audience, on a simple wooden chair.
The donor entered from the side of the stage. The feeder laid back into the slight angle of the chair, his knees spread offering a wider seat for the woman in the diaphanous jumpsuit. She was statuesque, perhaps because of the piles of dark curls stacked on her head, leaving her neck deliciously available.
Anna had never watched a couple feed. The demos, performed in near darkness, were to titillate the undead. She squinted to see the feeder’s hand beckon the donor. Her lips moved, but there was no sound. Anna saw the crowd multiply. A woman sidestepped into her personal space, they brushed shoulders briefly.
“Please excuse me, did I step on your foot?” The blonde beside her was flawless. Her open smile and clear blue eyes drew a smile to Anna’s face.
“Oh, no. It’s okay,” Anna replied, not taking her eyes from the arena.
The blonde whispered, “I want to see this. Sometimes I feel clumsy when I’m feeding.”
Anna felt she was hearing confession. That got her attention, “Feeding? You’re…” Anna couldn’t tell, the girl looked so west coast.
“Just a few months.” The confession continued.
/> “I’m a donor.” Shut up, she can tell from my cheeseburger body spray. Anna sneaked a sniff of her clothing.
The donor strolled to the feeder’s shoulder and their heads tilted together for a second, and then she presented her wrist.
Anna leaned her head toward the woman. “Is it attraction that makes it hotter?” The feeder drew the donor across his lap, supporting her back with one arm. His head bent reverently, scenting the length of her arm.
The vamp shook her head, “If there was attraction, it could be problematic to a vamp’s personal relationship. For him?” She nodded at the vamp on stage, “I think it’s his natural elegance.” Anna guessed that wasn’t learned within a few months’ time.
Abruptly, the feeder rose, embracing the donor as if she were air. Her arms wrapped around the feeder’s neck, as he caught her behind the knee and swung her legs around his waist. It was executed as sharply as a ballet’s pas de deux. The donor’s head fell back relaxed, her lithe, pale neck exposed.
The crowd gasped. The feeder lowered them both to the chair where her high-heeled feet rested on pegs on the chair’s back legs. Anna’s breath caught as the donor’s knees tightened around the feeder’s hips and she ground her perfectly shaped ass into the feeder’s lap. “I’d imagine it’s a little different for you, hum?” Anna whispered as she became further mesmerized by the dance.
“Hmm, yeah. Roles reversed aren’t quite so…Come this way, this is his third feeding tonight. I want to see his face.” She caught Anna’s hand moving to get a better view of the vampire’s face.
As the feeder and donor were in full profile, Anna froze. Rick was the feeder. Anna didn’t know the donor, but she was the most zaftig donor she’d ever seen. Now, watching from the side, it was too close, too personal. Rick’s fangs dropped as he studied the donor’s décolletage. When he caught the woman’s neck in one hand, Anna’s stomach churned. His lips parted to reveal hungry fangs and her heart jumped. He nuzzled at the donor’s neck, chose the vein and struck. Vampire and mortal melted together as the donor swooned to orgasmic completion. This is damned near pornographic!
Blood Emerald Page 17
