Ruthless Passion

by Noah Harris

  He drove away having no idea that I had helped him in a more profound way than any therapist could have in his lifetime. I hoped that he would realize that and not continually throw good money after bad with one therapist or another.

  This town was going to meet a denizen of the night. I had no idea why I was in the city of freaks and gamblers but had a feeling that I would fit in nicely. I checked my bag, and I had less than $1000 from my previous job of being on a construction site. I could’ve easily lifted those girders with one hand, but I had to put on a brave face in front of the others. I may have looked less than a threat, but I think that everybody that looked at me thought that I was a little unusual. I know that I would have if I had come up against somebody like me.

  I picked up my green army sack. I carried it over my shoulder with my black trench coat hanging through the straps. I looked up at the sun, and I was thankful that I wasn’t bursting into flames. They had sensationalized the legend of the vampire. The way that the media portrayed those of my kind was preposterous. Garlic did nothing to ward me off, and I really had no idea what would kill me. It was possible that cutting off my head would finish the job or even setting me on fire. I had never been in a situation like that to find out.

  Chapter three

  I could hear the sounds of the city penetrating my ears. The blinding light and the glitz and glamor were a little too ostentatious for my liking. I was a man that liked the simpler things in life. I would’ve been quite at home in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Why I was drawn here was a mystery that I needed to solve. For some reason, I knew that this was my final destination. Whatever had brought me here was waiting for me to find it.

  “I could use somebody to valet at the doors. In exchange, I’ll be able to give you room and board. I’ll even sweeten the pot by giving you the leftovers from the kitchen at the end of the night.” The idea of putting any of that vile food into my mouth made my stomach turn over on itself. There was nothing about food that even appealed to me, except for that rare steak that was still dripping blood. It was a pale comparison to the real thing in somebody’s veins, but it would suffice to keep that urge from getting out of control.

  “I appreciate the job, and I’m more than happy to take it.” The manager of this very swanky hotel had decided to throw me a bone. It wasn’t out of his good graces. I have to say that I compelled him to make me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I could’ve easily gotten the penthouse suite in the lap of luxury and wallowed in the opulence that surrounded me. I was not that type.

  “I don’t even know why I’m giving you a chance, but don’t make me regret it.” I found out that his name was Gino. That was perfect for what was considered a primarily mob related establishment. I’d heard back in the day that that was the mainstay of this place, but apparently things had changed. It was now not only a place to lose your fortune but also the destination hotspot for families. “I was going to hire my nephew, but you convinced me somehow to give you this opportunity. If this works out, then maybe you’ll be climbing the ranks.” I didn’t know how long I was going to stay.

  He escorted me to my room. It was no more than a closet, but I didn’t need much. The view was of the parking lot. It really did lack that magical setting that somebody was looking for in the city of sin. He gave me my uniform, and when he left the room, I looked at it with a distasteful eye. I was not much for wearing a suit, but when in Vegas.

  I stripped off my clothing. Those that had seen me in the buff had never understood the reason why I didn’t have any kind of blemish to speak of. There were no scars, even though I had been stabbed several times. There were no bullet wound marks, even though people had shot at me too many times to count. The last broken bone I had was when I was five years old, and I’d fallen during a game of hide and seek. I could feel pain, but nothing that even came close to that of a broken bone.

  I looked at myself in the mirror, and that was another thing that wasn’t true. I could see my reflection, but in the suit, I didn’t want to. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s just another job in a long line of jobs that you’ve had over the years. At least, this one won’t make you smell like manure.” Most of the jobs that I had found were on farms or in diners that were considered the greasy spoon variety. I liked a low profile, but here that was virtually impossible to do. I was going to have to try and keep my head down and not make any waves that would get me noticed.

  I was about to step into a world that I was not prepared for. Walking down the hallway, I saw this young man with a bottle of champagne in one hand and a gorgeous buxom blonde in the other. She was obviously there for his money, and he was more than happy to buy her any bauble that put a smile on her face. He only did it to get laid, but then every guy was pretty much the same way throughout history.

  “I didn’t think that it was possible, but you clean up well.” Gino decided to train me himself. I had a feeling that he wanted me to fall on my face. He only showed me once what to do, but I was able to grasp the concept without too much difficulty. I stood there at the door wearing this suit and smiling like an idiot to anybody that crossed my path. There were those that carried themselves with a certain something and those that were trying their best to be something that they weren’t.

  Several of the guys gave me the eye, and I had a feeling that I could have the choice of any of those hunky young things that walked into the hotel. There was one in particular that caught my eye. He was showing his wealth by showing up in a red sports car. It screamed that he wanted to be noticed. I could tell that those with him were considered his posse. He would find out in a hurry who his friends really were if he were to lose all of his money. These people were hanging on his every word and laughing at every one of his insane jokes.

  “You can put this to bed and maybe you can put me to bed along with it.” He slapped my ass. He really did think that he was all that. “I would love to have you bring me breakfast in bed without anything on. You look like you would be a lot of fun, and I doubt that you have any hang-ups. Just from looking at you, I would take you for someone that believed nothing was off limits.” He tucked his room key into my pocket. He was being presumptuous, but I could see myself twisting in the sheets and giving him something to remember me by. I didn’t have to kill him, and sex was, as enjoyable for me as anybody else. Actually, it was more so, because my entire body was over sensitive to any kind of stimuli.

  He actually thought that I was going to jump at the chance to sleep with him. Being presumptuous was one thing, but being arrogant was an entirely different story altogether. I didn’t like his flamboyant attitude or the way that he thought that he deserved a man of my obvious character. He hadn’t heard me speak or gotten to know me in any way. He had taken everything from the way that I looked. He was judging the book by its cover. He had no idea what the pages inside would reveal about the man that I was.

  I went about my business thinking about writing my biography and having it published under a pseudonym. The idea of writing something like ‘Interview with a Vampire’ by Anne Rice was appealing, but also dangerous to put my head in the noose. Most people wouldn’t take it seriously anyway, but maybe I could relieve them of their preconceived notions of what a vampire really was.

  I did like to drink from the source and killing was not something that I did lightly. Those that I took from lived afterward, but they would be a little woozy from the lack of blood for a few hours.

  “I’ll make sure that your car is in good hands.” I curled the keys around on my finger, and the other guy that worked with me smiled like he knew exactly what I was thinking. The kid didn’t even acknowledge what I said. He was now playing like he was a king and that everybody should bow down in his presence. I’d known types like that before, and sex with them was one sided. They were all about their own pleasure. Wouldn’t it be quite a surprise for him to have to submit to my needs? Wiping that smug look off his face was tempting.

  “If I were you, I wou
ld make sure that you don’t leave any marks. Besides that, then I say have a little bit of fun.” I’d never been behind the wheel of a car of that caliber of luxury and power. It had that new car smell, and the brown leather interior was softer than a baby’s behind. “Make sure that whatever you do is away from the hotel. If I were you, I would take it for a test drive, but don’t be gone longer than 20 minutes. After that, Gino will get suspicious and wonder what you’ve been up to. I learned the hard way how to time these things just right.” The guy’s name was Sven. He had come over here from Switzerland to be with his girlfriend with promises of a ring and a future with children.

  I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. The only thing that made sense was to gun the engine. I could feel that power running through my extremities. I heard the rev of the motor. It gave me this giddy little thrill that was almost better than sex.

  I drove away cautiously from the front of the hotel, but then I started to take it to its limits. On the highway, it was like an extension of my body. I couldn’t get enough, but I knew that I would never be able to afford something like this in all of my lifetimes put together. It was probably better that way. I could become accustomed to having the world in the palm of my hand. I could dominate and become a power broker in my own mind.

  I came back to the hotel 20 minutes later. I went to park the car when my headlights came upon a man on his hands and knees with five thugs holding him hostage.

  Chapter four

  “This doesn’t have to be hard. By making me bleed my own blood, you have made it necessary for me to make an example out of you. I can’t have my people thinking that I’m weak.” The man with the black suit and very expensive white shirt was now laying boots on this man that was trying to get back up.

  “I told you that… I’m not going to give you what you want.” His attitude was admirable but didn’t exactly endear him to his attackers. “Keep pushing me and you’ll find out that things are not exactly what they seem.” He got another kick for his troubles. They couldn’t see it, but I could. He was actually smiling like the pain was something that he coveted.

  “I was just going to take it, but now I think your death will serve to send a message.” They went to grab his jacket. He turned around and scrambled back until he was against a very expensive Porsche. “You’re making this harder than it has to be.”

  I really should have known better than to step into something like this. I was only asking for more attention than was necessary. I could see that they were trying to use kid gloves. They were packing, but they had yet to find a need to use that kind of force. The man was pushing them to their limit, and it was only a matter of time before they would think that this was not worth the effort. They would eliminate the threat, take what they came for and leave under the cover of darkness.

  He smiled with blood on his chin. I could swear that he was enjoying playing the victim. “You have no idea who I am.” The leader reeled back with his foot to do more harm, and I stepped in between him and this man.

  “I called security, and you really shouldn’t be here when they get here. Take your friends and go.” I motioned with my eyes towards a camera overhead. They all looked at the same time. Looking him in his eye, I decided to play with his mind. There was something about him. I tried to compel him, but it wasn’t working. He was Japanese, but that wasn’t what bothered me.

  “I’m leaving, but this isn’t over. You really should be better informed. He’s not worth your protection. Stay out of this or else.” They walked away, but I had this funny feeling that it wasn’t the last I would see of them.

  I felt something on my pant leg, and I looked down to see that this man was crawling up my body with his face near my crotch. When his hand made contact, my flesh became as hard as the rock of Gibraltar. He remained in that position for a little bit too long. He squeezed my member, and it flexed against his hand like it knew something that I didn't. I wasn’t sure what it was about him, but I felt like I had no control over my body. It didn’t seem possible, but this guy had literally made me speechless. I stared at his hand, and I could feel his hot breath against my pants. With every fiber of my being, I wanted to whip it out and make him feed on it.

  “You didn’t give me the chance to put the scare of God into them. Once they knew who I was, they would have walked away or faced the consequences. I’m not opposed to somebody coming to my rescue, but it wasn’t necessary. Once the named Derek Strange came from my lips, they would’ve begged for my forgiveness. They would’ve done anything to make it up to me, and I would’ve made them jump through hoops to do exactly that.” The name meant nothing to me, but apparently he was some kind of big deal around here.

  I saw the blood on his lips. I wanted to kiss him to taste that copper and feel his tongue driving into my mouth. He had this sophisticated air of someone that was more powerful than others gave him credit for. He had this salt and pepper hair. I could tell that he was more in control. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. He discarded the garment on the ground like it meant nothing.

  “I’m sorry. I’m new, and I really don’t know who you are.” I felt like a little child with what felt like cotton balls in my mouth. “Do you want me to call for someone?” I barely got the words out, before he was plastered against my lips. He had a firm hold. I could have broken free of his grasp, but I didn’t want to. It had been some time since I found someone that overpowered my good judgment. I didn’t know what it was about him, but he seemed to have this way of making me feel like I was doing this for the first time. My hands were clammy. My eyes were open for a moment, but then they closed with the pleasure that I was receiving. He moved his hand through my hair carefully, but this was a dangerous game that could easily be caught by the camera inside the hotel.

  His tongue was agile and seemed to have a mind of its own. I wanted more than anything to succumb at that moment, but I found the strength to pull away before it was too late. I turned my back on him, as I could feel the fangs of my other part coming to the forefront. I did my best to control my tendencies, but I could literally hear his heart beating like a drum inside my head.

  He put his two hands on my shoulders. Derek was massaging the muscles with a motion that had me practically swooning in his arms. “I’m sorry if you found that to be unpleasant, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m usually more selective and cautious, but with you, it was different. I can smell the heat on you.” That was a strange thing for him to say, but I wasn’t about to make anything out of it. “Do you suppose that we should slow things down and maybe get to know each other better? I have a suite upstairs overlooking the pool, and I would love for you to join me.” I had to get back to my job, or I was going to find myself on the unemployment nine.

  “I’ll be up to see you in a couple of hours.” I’d said the words, but they felt like they were pulled from my lips by an unseen source. “You are unlike any other man that I’ve ever been with. I’m not saying that I’m going to sleep with you, but I doubt that I’ll be able to say no. I don’t think that you’re the kind of guy that hears that word a lot. I don’t know what exactly happened here with all of this, but I can give you a few words of wisdom. The leader is not one that’s going to back down. He’ll want to come after you again, and I do hope that you have some kind of personal security.” I shouldn’t have cared, but I felt this need to make sure that his safety was being handled.

  “I don’t usually need personal security. I’m the type of guy that does his own dirty work. It’s the reason why most people fear me and avoid me like the plague. I’ve never had any need for casual acquaintances. I surround myself by professionals that know how to do their job. They should know how to do their job, especially with the money that I’m throwing in their direction. I have lawyers on retainer and accountants that make my books look pristine in the eyes of the IRS.” I had no idea why he was telling me any of this. It was none of my business, but he seemed to want to talk.

  “I hate to inte
rrupt, but I really do need to get back to my job. If you’re thinking that I’m not going to show up at the end of my shift, then you needn’t worry. I’m actually looking forward to seeing you again. Do try and take some precautions. He will be back. He’s from a country that is not used to failure without consequences. They take it very seriously.” I had been in that part of the country. I had been taught by some the best in the business how to wield a sword. There wasn’t that much call for that nowadays, but that skill was still something that I held dear. That man would’ve killed him, regardless if he gave him what he wanted.

  “I told you that you don’t have to worry about me. They caught me by surprise. If I’d seen it coming, then it would’ve been a different story.” Again, he was talking in riddles like I was supposed to know exactly what he was talking about. He was cocksure, and there was something about him that told me that he believed everything that he was telling me. This was not him trying to look like the big man. He didn’t have to try because that was exactly the way that he was carrying himself.

  Chapter five

  I pretty much went through the motions for the rest of my shift. I did my job like that of a robot, smiling like an idiot when it was necessary. I tried to get him out of my head, but it was an effort in futility. I had this instinct to crawl to him on my hands and knees. I wanted to give him my body. Let him play it like a musical instrument. I could only imagine what kind of music we could make between the sheets together. It would be a symphony of sexual sounds that would echo in the enclosed space of the bedroom.

  “You were lucky.” I had no reason to doubt that Sven would have had my back, but it wasn’t necessary. I had arrived back at the door, precisely 2 minutes before Gino showed up to make sure that everything was going well. “I don’t know what got into your head, but that was a little too close for comfort. You’ve only been on the job one day, and you’re already risking getting on Gino’s bad side. That is the one thing that you don’t want to do. He values loyalty, and as long as you perform to his specifications, then he will give you a fair shake.”