Netherworld: Drop Dead Sexy

by Tracy St. John

I blanched to hear that tidbit. No wonder Dan and Tristan had kept me from looking at my body.

  Neuhaus rubbed the back of his neck. “Damn. If he’s changing his MO we don’t have a clue as to what he’ll do next.”

  A heavy tread coming into the room got our attention, and we all turned to see Sheriff Grayson walk in. He nodded to the agents, hitching up his pants. “I got some interesting information for you boys.”

  I could see their focus narrow like laser points. Heany said, “We’re all ears, Sheriff.”

  “Tristan Keith has put in a claim for Brandilynn’s body.”

  The moment of silence that followed his announcement was thunderous. Even I was left with my mouth hanging open.

  Heany recovered and spoke first. “That is interesting. What ties does the most important vampire in town have to an escort who wasn’t a donor?”

  “None that I know of.” Grayson looked like a shark that smelled blood.

  Neuhaus checked his watch. “Looks like we’ll have to speak with the commissioner come sundown. What about her family?”

  “They don’t want her.”

  No surprise there.

  Grayson continued. “They’re richer than God and high on the social ladder here. The media attention from their estranged daughter being murdered has been a big embarrassment to them. They’ve done little to cooperate with the investigation, insisting Brandilynn was disowned long ago and has no bearing on their lives.”

  Heany glanced up at my portrait and shook his head. “Social standing over family. Poor girl.”

  I had a sudden rush of like for the agent. I drifted close to him, seeing real sympathy on his face as he looked at my pretty picture.

  Grayson hitched his pants again. The man needed suspenders in the worst way. “The coroner’s got no reason to not release the body to Keith, otherwise she’s the county’s financial burden.”

  Heany sighed. “For such a pretty girl, Brandilynn, you sure are making things complicated.”

  I smiled at him. “Yeah, sorry about that.” I kissed him on the cheek.

  Heany’s expression turned startled, and he lifted a hand to touch his face. Oops, I must have gathered so much energy that he’d felt me there.

  Tristan had to be warned the FBI was going to have some questions for him. I wanted him to answer a few myself. Fixing the library in my mind, I left the police station.

  Chapter Eleven

  This time I got it right and popped right into the library. I didn’t see Dan anywhere, and I feared he had gone back to the Union Street neighborhood to find me. Crap. I so didn’t want to return there myself, but I wasn’t about to let him put himself in danger for me. But just to be sure…

  “Dan? Are you here?”

  A heavy voice sounded from behind a bookcase. “Hi, pretty girl.” One of Erica’s thugs stepped out.

  I screamed in surprise, and yes, a little fear. As the other goon rose up from behind the librarian’s checkout desk, I readied to pop back over to the police station. Not that Neuhaus and Heany could protect me, but it seemed like a good idea.

  The goons were still far enough away that I postponed my escape to deliver some righteous anger. “What are you doing here? This isn’t your turf.”

  Okay, so I didn’t know that for sure. But I wanted a safe territory for myself, so I drew a line in the sand.

  Goon Number One stalked slow and easy away from the shelves, not in any hurry at all. “We came to find you. Give us a taste, pretty girl.”

  That statement could be taken more than one way, but Goon Number Two’s comment narrowed the options. “We’re not supposed to feed off her. She belongs to him.”

  I wondered who they talked about, Dan or Tristan? It didn’t matter. The answer to either was the same. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

  The goons closed in on me, and I decided to take my leave. I visualized the police station’s homicide office and went for it. The library blurred slightly and solidified again. Goons One and Two laughed when I remained in place.

  Oh crap. I tried again and got the same result. The men kept coming at me, and I slowly backed away until they trapped me in a corner. Books filling the shelves poked my back, and I looked frantically for a big, heavy coffee table tome to bash the malicious beasts with who now stood over me. All I saw were slim books. What I wouldn’t have given for a Webster’s unabridged dictionary right then.

  Goon Two sneered at me. “You’re not going anywhere, girlie.”

  At the sound of footsteps, they glanced over their shoulders then returned their attention to me. “About time you showed up, Erica.”

  The witch’s too pale face peered over their shoulders. “I can’t just pop in and out, you know.” She smiled sweetly, a blatant lie of kindness in the soft light. “Why don’t you come along quietly, Brandilynn? It won’t hurt as much.”

  My fists clenched. I might go down. Heck, who was I kidding? I would go down with the strength of the Goons pitted against me. They’d get a fight though. If I suffered, I’d give them their share as well, plus extra. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  Erica seemed amused at my show of ferocity. “Yes you are.” She tossed another handful of green mist at me in a light overhand throw.

  With nowhere for me to go, it hit me. I didn’t feel the substance pelt against my skin like I expected. It seemed to pass right through my body. Yet in the next instant, I felt a tug in my belly, like I’d been hooked and some sadistic angler reeled me in. It grew painful fast.

  Over my startled gasp, Erica said, “Let’s go before her boyfriend shows up.”

  The men stepped apart, and Erica walked away. The power that snagged my guts yanked at me until I felt ripped in half. I found myself pulled after the witch. I screamed and jerked back. The pain got worse by about a million times, letting up only when I staggered a few steps after Erica. I made myself halt and the feeling of being torn apart increased. I shrieked again.

  “What have you done to me?”

  Erica paused, turning to face me with a happy smile. She’d landed her fish and was extremely pleased with herself. “I’ve got you on a leash, so to speak. Come on, Brandilynn. It’s almost dark and your master is expecting you.” She turned towards the main doors again.

  I didn’t want her to hurt me more than she had. I sure didn’t want to go with her even more. Stalling for time despite being bent almost double in agony, I gasped, “What master?”

  Erica stopped again, turning that smile on me again. I so didn’t like seeing her happy at this point. I would have loved to punch that little girl’s grin off her too-white face. And when I heard her answer, I wanted to really pound on her.

  “The one who killed you, you silly slut. The one who is going to make sure you keep your pretty mouth shut for all eternity.”

  Goons One and Two howled behind me, and not in laughter. I heard torment in those cries. I caught a glimpse of Erica’s smile falling off her face, replaced by cartoonish shock as I turned to see what was happening. Dan stood behind the Goons, his hands on their shoulders. As I stared, the two men faded before my eyes, becoming insubstantial wisps of gauzy forms. They screamed, horrible hellish wails filled with pain. Dan drew on their essence, making them wraith before my dismayed eyes.

  Dan let them go and rushed at me. The next thing I knew, he tossed me over his shoulder. I bounced in his grip as he ran for the door. The pull of Erica’s ‘leash’ eased considerably as he carried me past her then grew again as he put distance between us.

  “No!” she screamed, and I screamed too while the pain doubled, quadrupled, million-dupled as we hit the door. The agony became so intense I felt sure bloody insides would burst from my gut.

  Dan vaulted down the library steps, and at the foot of them through my tears, I saw wards scratched into the sidewalk. The moment Dan carried me over them, the terrible pain vanished.

  The darkness of the buried city blurred and froze, and I clung to Dan as he transported us away from Erica and her pet
goons.

  We landed in the King George’s lobby amid the well-dressed dead. No one seemed to pay us much mind when we materialized beneath the grand chandelier. The unseen band played ‘In the Mood’.

  Dan set me on my feet, and I clutched at my stomach and its memory of pain. “Dan, oh my gosh. That really hurt.”

  He held onto my arm, as if afraid I’d crumple to the floor. “It’s going to be all right.”

  I straightened, wincing in anticipation of the agony returning. Not even a twinge remained. I really was okay. Dan slipped his arm around my waist nonetheless, helping me to the clerk at the front desk. I’d forgotten the gentleman’s name, but that was the least of my concerns right now.

  The clerk, his smile pleasant but brow pinched with obvious worry, handed Dan a key without being asked. “Shall I send a message to Mr. Keith when he arrives?”

  Dan nodded. “The serial killer sent a witch after Brandilynn. We’ll need a practitioner to clear the wards around the library.”

  The desk clerk – Charles, his name was Charles – lost his smile but not his professionalism. “Very good, Mr. Saling. I hope the rest of your evening passes more pleasantly, Miss.” He gave me a little bow.

  “Thank you, Charles,” I replied, glad I remembered such a polite man’s name.

  Dan tugged me towards the grand staircase. “Come on, Brandilynn. Let’s pull ourselves back together.”

  I couldn’t help but look towards the entrance to the hotel. Somehow I expected Erica and Goons One and Two to come charging in after us at any moment. “Will we be safe here?”

  Dan’s smile was tight. “Tristan has his own small army of witches that keep the hotel secure. Erica couldn’t break in here even with the blood of an innocent.”

  The blood of an innocent? Oh boy. I didn’t want to know I’d made that ruthless of an enemy.

  I still reeled when Dan ushered me into the hotel room. It looked the same as the room we’d used before, though maybe all the rooms were identical. I hadn’t paid much attention as we’d climbed the staircase to see what floor we’d ended up on, nor the room number on the door. My poor shocked brain was too chock full of thoughts and worries to notice much right now.

  Dan gently pushed me towards the bed. “Sit down, baby girl. You’ve had a bad shock, but it’s going to be all right.”

  I glared at him, needing someone to take my upset out on. He might not have deserved it, but he was nicely handy for the job. “How can it be all right? The killer wants to catch me!”

  Dan sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. He pulled me close, and despite my frame of mind, I inhaled his scent. Musky, with a hint of freshness like he’d just emerged from a shower. So very masculine. My worrying inched down a notch, and I burrowed into the hollow of his shoulder.

  His voice rumbled comfortingly. “I know you’re scared, but you’re safe here.”

  “Are you sure? Are you absolutely positive?” Protect me, my big, rugged man.

  Sue me for going damsel in distress. Some guys just exude the hero type, and Dan fit the bill. I usually don’t have a problem standing up for myself, but at this moment any excuse to fold into him worked for me.

  “I’ll stay right with you. As long as you don’t separate yourself if we have to transport again,” he amended.

  That reminded me of what I’d learned at the police station. “Oh, I have news on where I ended up, but I’d rather wait until I can tell both you and Tristan.”

  Dan’s arm around me tightened, and I felt him shift to look down at me. I peered up to see a frown marring that handsome face. “Look Brandilynn, I know we’ve just met and all, but I’ve taken a liking to you. I need to know if you prefer Tristan over me.”

  I scowled and tried to push away. He wouldn’t let me, holding me in place next to his strong frame. The show of strength and domination melted a little puddle inside me, but I was so not having Dan stake a ‘happily-until-I-find-something-better’ claim.

  I gave up trying to put distance between us, settling for a glare to let him know I wasn’t playing around. “Please tell me you’re not going to start beating your chest over me. I’m not somebody’s possession.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at me. “I never intimated you were. But even though casual sex is a mainstay among the dead, I feel there could be more between us.”

  Oh jeez, there it was. I almost had to laugh at my own trepidations though. I trusted Dan, an admitted murderer, with my life … er, afterlife. But my heart? Uh-uh. No way.

  I should have lied to him then and there. He didn’t need to know I had visions of two of us riding into the sunset together forever. I don’t lie to those whom I respect however. It’s just wrong. So I sighed and admitted, “I feel that too, but I’m not comfortable with monogamy. I don’t know you well enough to swear fidelity to you. It takes a lot for me to get close to someone.”

  The disappointment in his eyes made me feel very small, almost bad enough to consider taking it back. “You were never lonely coming home to an empty house?” he asked.

  Boy, this conversation made me depressed. “I was. Knowing no one is really going to mourn my passing has hurt more than I can say. Still, you’ve got to admit you’re asking a lot of me on such short notice.”

  Dan considered for several seconds before speaking again. “I’d like to know who hurt you so bad that you’re afraid to love.”

  My jaw dropped. He’d seen right through the evasiveness to the heart of the matter. Jeez, was I really that transparent? With a concerted effort to smooth my expression into nonchalance, I asked, “What are you going to do, rattle chains in his attic?”

  “I was thinking of jumping out of his closet and yelling boo.” The corner of Dan’s mouth quirked up.

  Just like that the moodiness was done, and we shared a laugh. Dan hugged me tight, and then we shared more than a laugh. He kissed me deeply. Possessively. I lit up like fireworks. He took my mouth like he owned it with a devouring sweetness that left me dizzy and incredibly wet. I gave as good as I got, shoving my tongue in his mouth to sample him thoroughly. Dan tasted good, as a Marlboro Man should. Okay, I know the slogan belonged to another cigarette company. Screw the accuracy.

  When the kiss ended, I felt more than ready to play. Too bad he hadn’t kissed all the common sense away quite yet, because I had to make sure we understood each other before our embrace went any further.

  I asked him, “Can we leave things as they are for now? Even if it means sharing me with Tristan?”

  His eyes went tight at the corners for an instant, and I thought that would do it for fun time. Then Dan smiled. It was a wry, grimacing expression but still a smile.

  “I’ll let it go if ‘for now’ includes this—” he kissed me again, making my toes curl with the passion of it “—and this.” His hands found my breasts and massaged them roughly, making me writhe excitedly against him.

  “And this?” I added, my hand fondling his erection. The hard length of him assured me Dan had lost no interest in fun time.

  His clothes disappeared, and I had more than a handful of velvet-skinned iron, hot and eager. “A lot more of that, please,” he said, his voice low and raspy. “I want to feel your mouth wrapped around my cock. Now,” he added, apparently remembering how much I like being ordered around when it comes to sex.

  “Yes Sir,” I breathed, and slid to the floor to kneel between his legs.

  I trailed gentle kisses down his shaft. Cupping his balls in my palm, I licked them, enjoying the softness of the skin there. With my free hand, I stroked his penis up and down while giving his scrotum a very thorough tongue bath. Dan groaned, his hands in my hair, tightening and releasing in turns as I enjoyed tasting him.

  Then I moved up his erection, my tongue tracing the vein that ran the underside of his cock. I delighted to feel it thrum with a pulse, as if Dan still lived. It amazed me what memories our discorporate selves retained after death. Even involuntary functions could be recalled in the right
situation.

  I followed that throbbing trail right up to his darkened head, where I paused to lick all around where it joined to the shaft. Dan whispered my name, then “baby girl” as if muttering a prayer. A bead of sweetness appeared at the tip of his cock. I claimed it, rolling his salty goodness all over my tongue.

  Then I twirled my tongue over the smooth head, going slow to make him moan. Hearing his pleasure at my service made my nipples and lower parts tight. I love making a man feel good like this. Don’t ask me why it flips my switches; it just does. My thighs were already slick from eager juices as I delighted him.

  My lips closed over the head, and I slowly drew them away, sucking gently as I went, my tongue swirling until his cock left my mouth. Another moan, and I got a ticklish warmth in my belly. He loved my work. A girl likes to know her efforts are appreciated.