Texas Hold 'Em

by PATRICK KAMPMAN

  The wolf overtook the unfortunate piggybacking duo a few hundred yards down the street, and leaped. Lit by the distant glow of a streetlight, the three of them went down face first. My brother cushioned the blow for the other two, both of whom rolled several yards before coming to a stop. Then they were on each other.

  A snarling fight ensued that I could hear even from where I stood. The vampire was newly created, but made up for it by fighting with a crazed frenzy. The wolf was a small one herself, at least for a were, weighing not much more than one hundred pounds.

  Mike came up behind me still carrying Lacey, unsure what to do with her. I made a split-second decision. I ran up to him, fished the keys out of Lacey’s pocket, and said, “Wait here.”

  Then I made a beeline for the van. I tugged open the door, jammed the keys in the ignition, and sent the front tires peeling out as I sped down the road toward my brother.

  One last surprise waited. The big guy—the little vampire’s partner— scaled the wall out of the construction site and was heading straight for the fight. I floored the accelerator, knowing that if he got there first, it would be over quickly for both my brother and his would-be rescuer.

  The big guy turned at the sound of the van’s whining engine. The headlights lit up the unreasoning fury in his face as he hunkered down. The guy was actually going to take on the van.

  I often shake my head at the superhero movies where someone stops the speeding car or train by digging in his heels and putting his hands out in front of him. No matter how strong you are, unless you’re cemented to the ground, you’re going to be carried along for the ride like a stubborn bug holding onto a windshield.

  And hold on the vampire did. Plastered to the front of the van, he grabbed onto the hood with one hand and brought back the other to punch me right through the windscreen. To say he was a tad upset about the events of the past couple of days would be an understatement.

  Assuming we lived through this, Jacob was going to kill me for what I was about to do to his van, but this bug needed squishing. Regardless, I knew I needed to change course to keep from running anyone over. I turned the wheel sharply, and saw out the side window that I had only narrowly missed my brother and the two snarling women. I accelerated for maximum impact.

  The van smacked front-first into the back of the parked SUV at about forty miles per hour, right as the vampire’s fist came through the glass and connected with my chest. The blow from the bruiser’s knuckles caused me to gasp, then came the face full of airbag.

  The impact sent whatever vampire bits didn’t splatter against the SUV into the van, though the airbag kept most of them off of me.

  Even though I had prepared for it, the crash stunned me. It took a moment before I was able to shift the van into reverse. Rending metal shrieked and scraped as the two cars separated. Vampire remains fell between the vehicles.

  I stumbled out of the van to see that the two combatants were still going at each other with intensity. I willed myself toward them, trying to come up with a way of helping the embattled wolf, but I didn’t have to.

  The crash must have finally registered with the vampire. She pulled back to stare at me, then the van, as she processed what must have happened. Bryan dove in, ending the fight prematurely as he landed a single powerful blow into her back. The stake went straight through her heart. She dropped to the street, entering into an immediate state of inactivity.

  I turned my body a full three-hundred-sixty, but saw no more signs of vampires. Toni and several of her pack members were headed our way and, blessedly, most of them were dressed. A few were even on their bikes, the imported engines whining exhaust through aftermarket pipes.

  Still naked, Mike trotted up with Lacey. I realized then that all he had was a bike, which wasn’t particularly helpful in transporting an unconscious person.

  “Shit, dude. That was hella fucked up,” Bryan said, testing the back of his neck to make sure it was in one piece while he stared at the staked vampire. With his other hand, he unconsciously stroked the ruddy brown werewolf at his side.

  He was still patting her as she turned back into Bethany, a comely brunette with a sassy attitude whom I had met back in California. Bethany cleared her throat, but my brother continued his caresses. She tapped him on the shoulder.

  “What’s up, pooch?” He turned to look at her, jerking his hand back reflexively as he realized what had happened. Of course, he immediately put it right back as he broke into a grin, admiring Bethany in all her naked glory.

  Bethany’s eyes narrowed and I thought I detected a low growl. I thought we were about to have another fight when Bryan noticed who Mike was carrying. All thoughts of the girl he was stroking disappeared as my brother leapt to his feet and rushed to Lacey.

  Bryan had gone ashen. He stopped in front of Mike to stare down at the bloody body.

  “What happened to her?”

  “Christian.”

  “Is she dead? She can’t be dead.” He looked at me, and I saw real fear on my brother’s face.

  “No, but she will be if we don’t get her help.”

  Chapter 27

  Toni was not pleased. She emphasized the point by ripping the bumper off the delivery van, ostensibly so it wouldn’t be dragging underneath the vehicle when I guided the wreckage toward Styx.

  I was going to say something to her, but thought better of it after she threw the bumper through the windscreen of some poor unsuspecting Malibu parked nearby, quietly minding its own business.

  Flaking on our date had been bad; hunting vampires was worse. I think she would have forgiven the first transgression if I had presented a different excuse, and she should have forgiven the second one, given that up until a couple of weeks ago, hunting vampires was more or less what I did. But not only had I stood Toni up to go hunting vampires, I was now suggesting we turn to one for help. That was probably what had pushed her over the edge.

  I knew insisting on going to Styx alone would be futile, so I didn’t even waste breath suggesting it. Instead, I climbed into what was left of the van and rolled the smoldering heap shakily off in the direction of the club.

  Most of the pack had gone back to their hotel to nurse their wounds. Fortunately, none had died, but a few had been seriously injured and would be holed up here in Austin for a couple of days, making them miss even more work.

  I knew they had come because Toni was a pack alpha and she had requested volunteers. Almost half of the pack came, and even though I suspected most did it for the extended cross-country motorcycle run with a chance for a vampire butt-kicking climax, I knew I owed them.

  The amount of debts I had been collecting was mounting, and the weight was going to quickly flatten me. I was having buyer’s remorse akin to a person who had maxed out all of their credit cards and realized it would take most of their lifetime to repay.

  There wasn’t much left to do except to finish this, and try to do it without putting anyone else in danger. I sighed at the futility of that, as I pulled what was left of Jacob’s van next to his Caddy, which, thankfully, was still parked behind Styx where Katy had left it.

  I didn’t want to waste any more time, but I needed to get my stuff out of the trunk, and to at least try and wipe my prints off it before the cops found it, or Marie had it moved.

  I started to do just that, but Toni said a couple of the pack members could handle it and keep an eye on Lacey at the same time. I tossed one of them the keys to the Caddy and then went around to the front entrance of Styx surrounded by handful of werewolves.

  “Their nest is in a goth club? How original,” observed Bethany, giving the red neon sign a sour face as we rounded the corner.

  The troll bouncer perched on his stool like an oversized buzzard. He nodded at me as we started to walk past, not bothering to check my ID.

  That was a relief; I didn’t want any complications. Hopefully we had beat Martin here, and Christian hadn’t called him and told him not to come. If he wasn’t in the club alread
y, I planned on getting Lacey help, then coming right back out. We could stake out the club and maybe waylay Martin before he knew what hit him.

  A massive arm halted my ruminations. The bouncer had stopped me, a frown intruding upon his usually stoic features. I wasn’t sure how he knew what my companions were, but he knew.

  “Not them.” He nodded to the werewolves.

  “Wait out here and keep an eye out for a cowboy leading a middle-aged woman, a black kid, and Megan. I’ll make sure they’re not already in here and get someone to help Lacey. I’ll be right back out,” I said to Toni.

  “Oh, hell, no. I didn’t come all this way to let you go into this blood-sucking dive alone,” Toni said, shouldering past me so she could more directly confront the bouncer. She stared him down. “Move it or lose it, buddy.”

  It didn’t take a genius to realize that this encounter was on a collision course with ugly. I wedged myself between the werewolf and the troll, a hand out toward the chest of each. My brass action bought a few moments as their attention turned to me. They wore the same confused expressions at the interruption.

  I should have used those precious few seconds figuring out how to defuse the situation. But my brain decided it would rather squander that time cataloging all the different ways being stuck between a werewolf and a troll about to come to blows could end for me.

  I was on ending number seven—being driven waist-deep into the pavement by a single pound from the troll’s fist—when my time ran out.

  Toni placed an arm on my shoulder and was pushing me out of the way, undoubtedly to do something that would make it incredibly difficult for me to ever show myself in Texas vampire circles again, when I was saved by, of all people, Nocturne.

  Once again decked out in something from the 1700s—this time a midnight-blue brocaded wool—Marie’s flunky was exiting the club surrounded by the usual pack of black-clad groupies. He stopped to take in the spectacle, minions dutifully clustered behind him. From the vibes I was getting, they were equal parts vampires and humans.

  “Might I ask what is going on here?” Nocturne used a tone reserved for royalty, or at least for bad actors doing impressions of royalty.

  “Marie’s human is trying to come in,” said the troll.

  “I can see that.” Nocturne sighed. “While I also fail to understand what she sees in him, it’s not our place to dictate with whom our Lady associates. Perhaps he has assets that he keeps extremely well hidden?” Nocturne quirked an eyebrow, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was staring off at someone over my shoulder.

  I didn’t exactly consider myself “Marie’s human,” but I kept my mouth shut, and the troll didn’t budge.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Samuel. Let them in! You’re causing a scene.” Nocturne made a gesture to encompass the alley. There were a couple of groups of goths taking smoke breaks, but no one seemed particularly interested in us.

  The troll pointed toward the pack members that had fanned out around us. “He’s trying to bring the others in with him.”

  “And your point is?” Nocturne crossed his arms, giving the bouncer a well-practiced impatient look.

  Samuel looked confused, but then shrugged and nodded his head to toward the entrance, signaling that it was okay for us to proceed. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  While we filed past, I heard the troll mutter under his breath, “Crazy vampires. First it’s the idiot brunette giving the orders, and then it’s the guy with the attitude. First they say no werewolves in the club, now they say werewolves are fine. Like I’m supposed to read their minds. I shoulda stayed working for my uncle running protection. Nice and simple. No drama.”

  Surprise was evident on Nocturne’s face, and he pivoted on a buckled shoe. Several of his entourage collided into him, causing a brief gothic pileup. Nocturne batted a hand back and forth to shoo them away until he had a clear view of us.

  “Wait! Stop. What’s this about werewolves?” He lowered his voice at the end, aware of the packs of humans smoking nearby.

  “I told you, this fellow’s friends here are werewolves,” said Samuel, confused again.

  “You most certainly did not tell me, and they most certainly cannot come in. You know the rules, Samuel!” The troll’s confusion turned to a frown and Samuel looked ready to bounce Nocturne.

  Nocturne walked right past me. “I am quite sorry, Bryan—you and your brother may come in, of course, but not your pets. We have a strict no-dogs-allowed policy.” He flashed a toothy smile at Toni.

  Oh, no! It made sense that he’d addressed Bryan. It was my brother that Marie had taken a fancy to. Unfortunately, Bryan was the last person you wanted leading your diplomatic efforts. The odd exception was when trying to pick up chicks, when apparently his crass lack of class and over- inflated ego were a supercharged mixture of Win.

  “Yo, dude, I need to see my woman,” said Bryan, shouldering his way past me as he happily realized that he was the lead on this.

  I could see Nocturne’s internal struggle as he processed the demand. He managed a tight, “Of course you do, Bryan. And please, you’re welcome to go right ahead and see her Ladyship. Alone.”

  “Nah, screw that noise, my friends are coming with,” Bryan said, crossing his arms.

  “No, your friends are most certainly not ‘coming with,’ and the only screwing around that is going to be done is by me, when I twist that insolent little head of yours until it pops off like a cork.”

  You would have thought Bryan had learned his lesson after the debacle earlier with him and the tiny new vampire. But no. Bryan moved to get in the less small and significantly less new vampire’s face, forcing the troll to hop off his stool with surprising agility. He inserted himself between my brother and the fop before Bryan did something truly dumb.

  My brother bent sideways so he could see Nocturne and said, “Look, fruitcake, either get out of our way or I’m shoving that stupid hat of yours right up this dude’s ass!” He poked a finger into Samuel’s chest.

  “You little shit! Out of the way, Samuel, I’m going to teach this—”

  “Wow, hostility. Totally a buzz-kill on my good mood.” A whimsical voice cut off Nocturne, and Marie drifted out of the club’s entrance. She had changed since we’d dropped her off earlier. She was now dressed in a long, flowing black lace gown. It was cut modestly in front, but as she passed in front of me to put her arm around my brother’s waist, I could see that it dipped into plumber territory in the back. I had no complaints.

  Nocturne’s tone was an inch short of a whine. “Marie, not only is this human of yours an insolent buffoon, he is trying to bring a pack of werewolves into our club.”

  “Well, technically, it’s still my club he’s trying to bring them into, not ours, at least for the next few hours. But I hate to get all materialistic, and Reginald has a point.” Marie managed to commend Nocturne for barring entry to the werewolves at the same time she scolded him for fighting with Bryan by using his real name in public. It was times like these that reminded me she wasn’t as dumb as she pretended to be.

  She further underlined that fact when she turned to me and said, “Werewolves, Chance? Now, why would you want to go do a thing like that?” I was pretty sure her single comment encompassed hanging out with them in general, doing one in particular, and trying to bring a bunch of them into her club.

  “Lacey’s been badly hurt and I need your help to heal her,” I said, giving up on witty banter and getting straight to the point, mostly because I would probably lose a witty banter fight.

  “And I’m the first person you thought of? Aw, how sweet.” Marie released Bryan so she could walk up and put her hand on my chest with only a slight flick of the eyes to Toni. Did women have to bait each other like that?

  Toni rose to the bait, growling at Marie. Her pack closed in around us.

  Marie ignored them, and stepped even closer. “How exactly was she hurt? It wasn’t these wolves, I suppose?” Her glance drifted sideways to Toni.


  “No, it was Christian.”

  “Pity. The wolves would have been more convenient. Where is Lacey now?”

  “Lying in the back of our van—it’s parked out back behind your club.” I nodded in the general direction.

  “And Christian?” Marie asked innocently, her hand sliding from my chest to grasp my shoulder.

  “He got away.”

  “What do you mean he got away?” Marie’s tone had developed an edge I hadn’t heard in her before, and her gentle touch was suddenly not so gentle. My shoulder screamed as it was caught in a vise.

  “Look, you undead toothpick—” Toni started toward her. The troll’s brow furrowed as he tried to decide between keeping Bryan away from Nocturne, or Toni from Marie.

  I raised my hand, stopping her. “The point is, Marie, if you can help Lacey, then we can find Christian and finish the job we came here to do.”

  Marie removed her hand and I resisted the urge to rub my shoulder. She couldn’t hide her disappointment.

  “Finish the job? Not to be a Debbie Downer, Chance, but you’ve had ample opportunity to ‘finish the job,’ as you put it. It’s still not done, and we are about out of time. I can only hope for Megan’s sake that you’re a bit better at finishing the job in other areas of your life.”

  I could sense Toni’s hackles rising, and hers weren’t the only ones. The rest of the werewolves were tense, feeding off their alpha’s emotions. I knew we were about a heartbeat away from a serious fiasco.

  “Marie, listen—Christian is alone now, on the run. We can take him. I just need Lacey to help find him for us.”

  “Alone? How do you know?”

  Toni answered for me. “Because the rest of his bloodsuckers are all dead.” At least she left off the “like you’re going to be” that I knew she wanted to tack onto the end.

  Marie sauntered back to my brother. Giving a gentle pull on the front of his shirt, she asked, “Is this true?” Perhaps she thought my brother was too dim to mislead her.

  “Yup! My bitch and I took care of the last of his vampires a couple of minutes ago.” Bryan snaked an arm out to reel in an alarmed Bethany while moving his other arm around the waist of Marie.