Pretty When They Collide: A Novella in the Pretty When She Dies Universe (Volume 4)

by Rhiannon Frater

  “Fuck me.” Frank stared up at the vent in awe. “Fuck me.” Leaping onto the wall, he clung to it and ripped the cover off the vent. Flinging it to the floor before dropping down, he grinned triumphantly. “We have a winner. Tyson, you don’t die tonight.”

  Ramon squatted and touched something on the cover. “That’s putty. But there is no way anyone could fit through that.”

  Frank looked absolutely gleeful which made Aimee even more nervous. “No, no. Someone can. My boneless brethren, the dhamphir, could easily fit through there.”

  “Dhamphir?” Ramon appeared mystified.

  “The vampire killers,” Tyson answered. “They’re offspring of vampires and humans.”

  “Extremely rare,” Frank said as he wrapped his arm around Ramon’s shoulders. “Very, very rare. And now I want one. This one. The one who stole from me. If you want to live, I suggest you figure out where our dear little bimbette dhamphir crawled out of the air ducts.”

  “Yes, sir.” Ramon headed toward the door, Tyson in his wake.

  “Ivan, call the cleaners,” Frank said to one of his personal guards. “We need this suite cleaned up immediately.”

  Aimee stared at the cover to the vent at her feet. She had felt something powerful and mystical when she had touched the mysterious woman. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Though the woman in the elevator had not fit the description of the bimbo that Tyson and Ramon had described, Aimee knew without a doubt that she was the one who had ended the vampire’s life and taken Frank’s relic. The thought made her smile.

  “I want a dhamphir of my own,” Frank said, startling her. He nuzzled her cheek. “My very own little dhamphir would endlessly amuse me.”

  “Wouldn’t she just try to end you?”

  “That’s what silver and your spells are for. Of course, I could just sell her to the highest bidder to make sure she didn’t do me in like stupid Leonard here.”

  Aimee tilted her chin upward to stare into his handsome, but cruel face. “You’re a sick bastard.”

  “Compliments will get you everywhere with me.” Frank stroked her jaw lightly, his dark eyes staring into hers. “My sweet little witch, so full of secrets.”

  Not answering, Aimee diverted her gaze.

  Whispering in her ear, he said, “Keep your secrets. I get to keep you.”

  The door to the suite reopened and Ramon hurried inside followed by Tyson. “There’s a storage room two doors up. It made the most sense she’d come out there. We found this.” A long length of blond hair hung from his fingers.

  “She cut off her hair?” Frank looked mystified.

  “No.” Aimee plucked the extension from Ramon’s grip. “It’s something women wear to make their hair look fuller, or longer.”

  “So it’s not her real hair?” Frank frowned.

  “No, but a bit of her real hair is caught in it,” Ramon pointed out.

  Aimee threw him an annoyed look. She had hoped to hide that. A few strands of chestnut brown hair clung to the clip. Now she was convinced that the woman entering the elevator was the mysterious dhamphir.

  “Looks like you get to do a tracking spell after all,” Frank said with a wide grin.

  “I don’t have the ingredients here,” Aimee answered, her stomach clenching.

  “I’m not in a rush. Capturing a dhamphir is going to take some cunning and a lot of planning. But first we need to find out where our little dhamphir likes to hang her duplicitous little hat.” With an extra spark in his step, Frank walked toward the door. “I may have lost one relic, but I have a feeling that I may just get it and a nice little added bonus in my hands very soon.”

  Aimee carefully stored the extension in her evening bag. She felt sickened at the thought of Frank capturing the woman with the mesmerizing eyes, yet she had a feeling that it would not be as easy as Frank was imagining.

  Chapter 5:

  Departure

  Cassandra made a quick stop to collect her overnight bag from the out of the way motel she had stayed at for just one night. Though she was certain no one had followed her cab from The Stratosphere, she still felt uneasy. Maybe it was because her hand was still tingling where the blond woman had touched her. As the taxi drove away, she hurried up the outside stairwell to the second floor, her heightened senses revealing nothing out of the ordinary.

  Rubbing her hand against her jeans, she worried that maybe the woman had cast a spell on her. Yet, the sensation didn’t feel malevolent, but pleasant. Plus, her mind kept lingering on the sparkle in the woman’s eyes, the shimmer of her hair, and her slightly parted pink lips.

  “She was just a girl. Shake it off, Cass,” Cassandra muttered to herself, unlocking her room. She had been avoiding the dating pool since her break up with her ex, but if she was this flustered over a brief meeting with a beautiful blond then maybe it was time to dive back in.

  The cellphone in her jacket buzzed. She slid it out, checked the message, and was glad she was running on time. Her broker had just arrived and was waiting for her. Snagging her already packed overnight case and the messenger bag she used as a purse, she scanned the hotel room one last time to make sure she was leaving nothing behind. Though she had meticulously planned every step of her job, she still felt a bit thrown off by her brief interaction with the vampire and his companion.

  Satisfied, she hurried outside, down the stairs, and slipped into the backseat of a boring green sedan with tinted windows. The car and the man in the back seat waiting for her were inconspicuous, which was exactly what Scott wanted. In his late fifties, Scott was a regular-looking guy with faded blond hair, a nice but not remarkable face, bland brown eyes, and a soft-spoken demeanor.

  “Good to see you,” Scott said as she opened the door and tossed her overnight case and messenger bag onto the floor and climbed in.

  “Thanks for the lift,” she said, just in case anyone was listening. She pulled on her seatbelt and slouched on the leather seat, trying to get comfortable.

  In the front seat was Scott’s usual guard duo, George and Tracy. George, in his thirties, burly and blonde, posed as his son. The redheaded Tracy in her late twenties pretended to be married to George. It was a good cover for when the three of them traveled. Or at least that is what Cassandra assumed. Maybe they really were all related to one another. She could never be sure. In the past she had seen George take down a vampire without barely breaking a sweat and Tracy was a sharpshooter according to Scott.

  In reality, she didn’t know Scott very well. He had discovered her talents by accident when she had been modeling in Paris. Angered by a businessman’s attempt to force himself on a modeling friend, Cassandra had broken into his hotel room and beat him soundly. Scott had spotted her exiting the room and followed her. After a few weeks of observing her, Scott had approached her about working for him. Her beauty, preternatural strength, and dhamphir abilities were assets she could utilize if she worked for him. Cassandra still wasn’t certain how Scott had determined she was a dhamphir. He always smiled mysteriously whenever she asked and never gave a direct answer.

  Plopping the bag with her disguise, the glamour spell, and relic onto the seat between them, Cassandra gave him a brief smile. “Ta da.”

  Carefully opening the bag while George drove out of the parking lot, Scott drew out the cloth bag containing the relic and took a peek. “Excellent. Well done. Perfect as always.”

  With a grin, Cassandra inclined her head. “Thank you, Scott.”

  Scott tucked the relic into the bag and handed it to Tracy in the front seat. The guard tucked it under her legs and returned to surveying the darkened back streets of Las Vegas.

  “Any trouble?” Scott asked. He lounged comfortably, arm propped on the back of the seat, and gazed at her.

  Cassandra shook her head, then hesitated. “Well, not exactly.”

  “You killed Leonard, right?”

  “Yeah. Totally. He got what he deserved. That’s not the problem. I think his client arrived just as
I was leaving. I had already dropped the glamour and was at the elevators when this vampire arrived on the floor with this really...” she widened her eyes, struggling for a description. “Well, the woman with him was something I’ve never encountered before.”

  “You have me intrigued. Go on,” Scott urged.

  “Well, she was drop dead gorgeous for one thing,” Cassandra said rakishly.

  Scott refrained from rolling his eyes. “Remind me on your performance evaluation to say that you are easily distracted by pretty young things.”

  “She was so my type, but that’s not the point. We ended up bumping into each other and I briefly touched her. When I did, I felt like a current of energy on my skin. Actually, I think I still feel it.” She held up her hand, waving her fingers.

  “Maybe a protection spell?” Scott took her hand, leaned over it and examined it thoughtfully.

  Cassandra wasn’t certain Scott was human. He seemed to see or sense things that even she couldn’t. “I don’t know. I kind of felt like it was her. Like she was something...other.”

  “No spell. A slight energy burn though.” Scott scowled. “Intriguing.”

  “Any idea what she might have been?”

  Scott stroked his chin thoughtfully with his long fingers, then shook his head. “None whatsoever. Fascinating though.”

  Cassandra had the distinct feeling that Scott was keeping something from her. There wasn’t much she could do about it though. Scott was her broker and didn’t have to divulge anything if it wasn’t going to interfere with the job she performed for him.

  “Care to tell me why it’s fascinating?” Cassandra asked, folding her arms over her chest and slumping in the backseat. The blood she had ingested had been used up when she had compressed her body to pass through the air duct. Now she was tired and ready for the plane ride home.

  “Well, I’ve heard rumors of some unusual creatures being spotted in Vegas tonight.” Scott lifted his smartphone. “All sorts of unusual chatter among my regulars.”

  “Not me. I was totally careful,” Cassandra said quickly and a bit defensively.

  “Cassandra, I am well aware of your abilities and you performed admirably tonight.” Scott gave her an approving smile. “You’re one of my best. You have always delivered everything I’ve requested and on time. Which reminds me. I must transfer your payment to your account.”

  “Awesome. I got bills to pay.” Cassandra pulled out her phone and pulled up her bank account.

  The light from the screen illuminated Scott’s glasses and hid his eyes as he made the transfer. Cassandra felt as though something was off, yet she couldn’t discern why. The whole night was feeling really odd. When the money hit her account, she smiled with satisfaction, logged out, and shoved her phone in her pocket.

  “What do you do with all the money I pay you?” Scott wondered aloud.

  “Whores and booze,” Cassandra joked.

  With the exasperated shake of his head, Scott said, “You are something else.”

  “I get the job done,” Cassandra reminded him.

  “And that is all that matters,” Scott added. “I like loyalty and efficiency.”

  Again, Cassandra sensed something was off. “Okay, Scott, what is it? What’s freaking you out?”

  Folding his hands together in his lap, Scott stared out at the cars sliding past them on the way to the strip from the airport. “I’m just wondering about the vampire you saw. It bothers me that you could’ve been caught. We’ve been working a long time together and this is the closest you have ever come to detection.”

  “But I wasn’t,” Cassandra pointed out. “That vampire breezed right past me.”

  “The woman touched you and left an energy burn on you. It could have turned out differently if she was a black witch.” Scott sighed. “It’s a little worrisome.”

  “Hey, Scott, I’m fine. They didn’t catch me. You have the relic. Everything is fine.” Cassandra didn’t like him expressing her exact same worries. She wanted to just shove them aside and forget about her possible close call.

  “You’re the best at what you do. You’re irreplaceable. What would I do without you?” Scott finally returned his attention to her, his expression sorrowful.

  “Well, don’t start crying over me yet. I’m here. All is good.”

  “We’re coming up on the passenger drop off,” George called out from the front seat.

  McCarren International Airport loomed straight ahead. Cassandra draped her messenger bag over her shoulder and gripped the handle of the overnight case. She wasn’t fond of security checks, or long waits at airports, but she was ready to put Las Vegas behind her.

  All the lanes were crammed with vehicles dropping off passengers. People hurried along the crosswalks, dragging kids and luggage behind them. Even at this late hour the airport was a hive of activity.

  Cassandra glanced over at her broker and wondered if he saw her as just an asset to his illicit business selling stolen occult relics, or if he was sincerely worried about her. Scott gave her a slight smile, but she had no idea how to read it. Everything about him, his car, and his guards was designed to be unremarkable and forgettable. Yet, she suspected she had seen a spark of real concern in his eyes. It was strangely comforting.

  “I’ll be in touch,” Scott said, holding out his hand.

  Jostling her bags, she shook it awkwardly. “I’ll be waiting.”

  The guards didn’t even look in her direction, so she slid out of the car without saying goodbye to them. They rarely spoke in her presence anyway.

  Hurrying into the airport, again Cassandra felt a shiver of unease sidle down her spine. Looking around nervously, she studied the many faces surrounding her. No one seemed to be paying any particular attention to her. A few men glanced in her direction, but in the appreciative way she was used to.

  Something was wrong. She felt it to the marrow of her bones, but she couldn’t put her finger on what was digging at her. Heading toward security, she tried to ignore the wild lights of the flashing slot machines and the endless noise.

  It wasn’t until she was on the plane a few hours later, high above the desert, that she finally relaxed. With Las Vegas falling swiftly behind her, she felt safe again. It had been an unsettling job, and she was anxious to return home and put the whole strange trip behind her.

  Tucking her earbuds into her ears, she closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. Her fingers lightly caressing her still tingling hand, she tried not to think of the woman with the mesmerizing blue eyes and long hair.

  Chapter 6:

  Witch Battle

  Aimee was amused at Frank’s utter disdain of the flip-flops she was wearing under the hem of her very expensive evening gown. The second they had climbed into the limousine she had shed the high heels he’d forced her to wear. He probably hated the big floppy silk daisy that decorated the strap, too. That thought, coupled with the relief the shoes brought to her aching feet, made her smile.

  The traffic to the airport was heavy despite the late hour, so Aimee spent the slow-paced trip admiring the sparkling strip. She had never been to Vegas before and it fascinated her. She was particularly enthralled by the Luxor’s pyramid and the sprawling beauty of The Venetian. Frank always had an agenda, so prowling around like tourists had been out of the question even though it would have been fun to explore the city at a more leisurely pace. She had considered cajoling Frank into an extended holiday, but the vampire’s paranoia about being in one location for too long made the plea a pointless endeavor. During the course of their extended travels, they had been attacked more than once by Frank’s enemies, so his fear really wasn’t without merit. Still, she would have loved to walk along the strip and watch the fake exploding volcano with a crowd of people instead of just catching a glimpse of it from afar.

  Yet, if she was honest with herself, she knew she wouldn’t enjoy spending time in Vegas with Frank. The time since she had admired him was long past. What she truly desired was her independence. T
o be on her own, away from Frank, away from his guards, and free to do as she pleased was the cry of her heart. Yet, she knew the chances of that happening were very slight. She was bonded by blood to Frank and he would never allow her to escape.

  Beside her, Frank texted furiously. Frown lines tugged at the flesh between his eyebrows and his dark eyes glowered behind his red-tinted glasses. She was rather glad she didn’t know what had him so upset, though if she had to guess, she suspected it had to do with the possible dhamphir that had robbed him.

  Aimee’s fingers traced over her evening bag. The clip-on extension was tucked inside. The few strands of chestnut brown hair clinging to the small clip had instantly made her think of the sultry-eyed woman she had seen at the elevator. The mere thought of the stranger created feelings within her she wasn’t even sure how to process. She was used to magic existing within her life, but what she had felt the instant she had touched the woman’s hand was entirely different from anything she had ever felt before.

  “Utterly ridiculous,” Frank muttered angrily next to her.

  Glancing toward him, she studied the strong lines of his profile. He was handsome and possessed the vampire allure, but she no longer felt the pull she once had long ago when she had been young, foolish, and desperate for a fairytale ending to her difficult life. At one point she had thought of Frank as the prince that was saving her from the evils of the world, but now she saw he was one of the evils of the world and that she had to save herself.

  “You’re staring at me, you know I don’t like that. Unless you intend to finally tell me what the fuck is your problem of late,” Frank said shortly.

  “I was thinking how handsome you are,” Aimee said, but did not divulge her other thoughts.

  Preening under her gaze, Frank obviously sensed the truthfulness of her words. The angry cast to his features dissipated as he said, “Well, yes, I am. And you’re lovely tonight.”

  “Thank you,” Aimee answered, before directing her attention outside.