by Sarra Cannon
My thoughts raced. How indeed? “At the party Rurik gave me to a pretty powerful vampire as a present. Everyone witnessed it. I reminded him of that.” If I kept my lies close to the truth, I had a better chance of keeping them straight.
Red just stared at me, ridicule painted across his face. “That’s it? How’d he find ya?”
“I don’t know, Red. The subject didn’t come up, kinda had my hands full, staying alive and stuff, okay?” I could have sworn I felt my nose grow with each lie.
He opened his mouth then hesitated before shrugging. A huge duffel bag lay open on the floor. He picked it up. “Jump in.”
“Why?” I peered into it. “Is this punishment for screwing up?”
“If we wanted to punish you, we would have left you at the party.” He opened the bag wider, placed it back on the floor, and gestured to it. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve carried a body in it.” His face looked grim.
“I believe you, Red.” I mirrored his expression. “How else would you get a date to go home with you?”
His grin re-emerged.
“I’ve always liked ‘em small and quiet-like.”
“Good thing I have a big mouth.”
His laughter filled the room.
“Why couldn’t we meet here, Red? Why do all this subterfuge?”
“Things went bad tonight and on top of that, you were followed. It may be daytime but what if one their humans trailed you here? Maybe they made a connection between you and our attack last night. We can’t afford that.” He gestured to the bag again. “Getting in?”
I stepped into it, humiliated. I fit but stopped Red as he zipped it up.
“Not all the way. I need to feel like I can open it.” My voice sounded small, even to me.
“Okay, not all the way.” He left it open a smidge so I could see some light. Then heaved me over his shoulder and exaggerated a stagger. “Need to lay off those cookies.”
I elbowed him through the bag and he rewarded me with a grunt.
“Red,” I whispered quietly as he lugged me around like dirty laundry. “You’re not putting me in the trunk of the car, are you?”
“As tempting as that sounds, no. I’m tying you to the back of my motorcycle.”
“Red!” Suddenly I became weightless as he threw me onto the back seat of his car. Relief washed over me—I could be so gullible. The car’s motion rocked and lulled me into a much needed sleep.
Colby assisted me out of the bag when I was placed on the floor at last. We were in a makeshift office. No pictures or advertisements hung on the walls, just a room with a desk, chairs, and a filing cabinet. He stopped my progress to examine my split lip then my neck. His piercing green eyes never missed a detail. “No bites. Good. Any other injuries?”
“Just bumps and bruises.”
He released me and made his way to sit behind a battered wooden desk.
I pulled up a cold, metal chair to sit on and faced him. His dirty blond hair stuck out as if he’d been pulling at it. Thin strips of medical tape held a cut over his right eye together and a bruise along his jaw line was surfacing. “Was any of the team killed?” No matter how many times I explained this to myself, I still felt responsible when someone got hurt trying to protect me. Thank goodness it didn’t happen often.
“None. Three sustained injuries, enough to merit a hospital, but it appeared like most of the vamps held back from the fight.” He rubbed his bruised chin.
“From my angle at the top of the stairs, I could see some of the vamps fightin ‘ among themselves. Mother fuckin ‘ weird, if you askin ‘ me.” Red leaned against the wall by the door with the duffle bag at his feet.
“What happened at the club? Why did you let him lead you out a side door instead of the main one like planned? I figured he didn’t know you were planted since he didn’t kill you in the alley.” His soft commanding voice gave me a chill. It reminded me of Dragos’.
I leaned forward against the desk. “Things were going smoothly. He finally made a pass and offered me a drink. We flirted a little and I got him to agree to leave the club with me, but he slipped something in my drink. I had trouble focusing on what we were doing. He took me to the side door instead of the main entrance. A car waited for us when we got outside then he pulled a whammie on me.” I glanced at my clenched hands and relaxed them. “The drug affected my mental shield more than anything else. I had no power over them. They just ran through my control like sand. He took me.”
Red cleared his throat. He stood by the door, guarding it. “He ... uh ... do anything to you?” His crossed arms over his chest, which bulged with contained tension.
“No, at least not what you are implying.” I shifted self-consciously on my seat. “He helped me into a car and told me he wanted to introduce me to an important magistrate. I have to point out here that Rurik’s powerful. He’s not fresh-outta-the-grave, he’s old and strong. Some of the vampires at that party were even stronger.”
“We noticed.” Colby ran a finger along his injured jaw.
“Rurik offered me as a ‘gift ‘ to a real bad ass vampire he referred to as Master Dragos.” Colby and Red exchanged a quick look.
“Describe him.”
“Tall, bald, pointed ears, skin so pale it looked transparent. He had an intricate black tattoo on his scalp that extended down his neck. I can’t express how much he frightened me. Power just oozed from him. He was—” I searched my vocabulary to find the right word “—compelling.”
Colby sat back in his chair, fingers steepled under his chin. “Did he like you?”
“What?” The question threw me. “I mean, he accepted me, and made me dance with him.” Heat crept up my cheeks. Red would use this to tease me. I could hear the wheels turning in his head from here.
My boss ‘ green-eyed gaze stayed clear and direct. He never looked tired and he never looked happy. “Dragos.” He ran his fingers through his messy hair once more. His eyes never left me. “Can you work him if I find him?”
“Colby!” Red’s voice snapped across the room and made me twist in my chair.
They glared at each other as if having silent communion. “Never mind, Connie.” Colby pulled at his hair again. “We decided earlier you’re in too much danger. These aren’t the kind of vampires you’re used to working with. Red will get you on a flight home.”
Red picked up the duffel bag and approached me.
“Now wait a moment there, big boy.” I waggled my finger at him. “I’m not done reporting. This has been a tough night for everyone.” Turning back to Colby I met his steely stare. Hints of strain showed around his eyes. He didn’t tell me everything. He never did. “Rurik told me about a vampire government. It sounded like something more global than territorial. I think Dragos is part of that.”
He opened his mouth.
“Wait, don’t interrupt me yet.” I held up my index finger. “He also told me they have a ‘no-killing-people ‘ policy. It attracts too much attention to their kind and they want to remain obscure. If this is so, why have we been hunting so many killers?”
“He sure told you a lot for a first date.”
“I know. It struck me as odd. Is he lying to me?”
“He’s just playin ‘ with your head,” Red commented from his post by the door. “He has his own agenda and he’s usin ‘ you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time. He makes my head spin.” I rubbed my hands across my face and tried to stay awake.
“Don’t discount all this yet.” Colby’s comment did a better job at waking me. “Something has stirred the vampire community this past year. It’s true, Connie, the killings have been increasing. We’ve never been so busy. I just assumed it was because we’re in America, where control is still being fought over. Things settled in Europe centuries ago so the vampire communities have been stable. Until now.” Colby spoke quietly to himself. “I wonder what is stirring them up. We’re missing something.” He rubbed his temples. “None of this makes sense.”
“Ma
ybe if you told me more, I would know what to listen and look for.”
He raised an eyebrow at me and leaned forward. “Then you’re interested in going back?”
Red muttered under his breath behind me.
I shifted in my seat under Colby’s scrutiny. “Maybe. Depends on what you’re about to tell me.” This would be a milestone in our working relationship. We had a need-to-know agreement and Colby didn’t think I needed to know much.
“I hate it that Rurik got past your mental shield. Do you know how deep he went?”
“N-no. How could I tell? Each time felt different.”
“Each? How many times did he touch your mind?” His shout made me jump and my cheeks got warmer.
“Three.” I looked at the edges on the worn, wooden desk. The varnish peeled in places but the areas were smooth with age.
“I wonder if he had time to glean any information from you.” He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his flat stomach. “Or enthrall you. Your behavior will be suspect from now on.” His stare traveled to Red. “Maybe we should send you home.”
I wouldn’t argue with him. He was right. It wasn’t just my behavior I worried about but my judgment too. I wanted to go home, but then the team would have to go to vampire territory to complete their contract. Not have their quarry brought to a battleground of their choice. Could I live with my cowardice if say, Red were killed because I ran away with my tail between my legs?
My decision to withhold the information of Rurik following me was suspicious. Did he do something to my mind? I didn’t sense anything different, except I think I liked him. Yet, I still held my tongue. If I couldn’t trust my own thoughts I’d go mad second guessing myself. I am who I am.
“If you send me home, you’ll be endangering yourselves. I can lure whomever you want to you safely. Have I ever failed you?”
“It’s against my better judgment, but I want Rurik bad, and I wouldn’t mind a meeting with his Master.” He watched his own hands and avoided me. “I saw the way he looked at you at the club. Rurik would follow you again.” Colby continued to think aloud. “Would Master Dragos?”
“No, I get the impression he’d eat me on the spot if I ever encountered him again.”
“Hmm, figures. I think he might be a Nosferatu vampire. They’re much more volatile.”
“We don’t know for sure what he is, Colby.” Red stepped away from his post, bag forgotten in his hand. “He could be just a freakin’, big, bald vamp.”
“You saw him before he escaped the building. He had the markings on his head. We both did. Connie’s description fits.”
“There hasn’t been a sightin ‘ of a Nosferatu in centuries. They’re a myth, like the Loch Ness monster.” Red almost never argued with Colby. He was his right hand man, his enforcer.
“Red, most people think vampires are a myth and look what we do for a living.”
I felt left out. “Nosferatu? As in the movie?”
Colby gazed at me. “We don’t know much. There are some drawings and vague descriptions in our oldest records. They’re a species of vampire, probably the source of their kind. To sum it up, they’re hairless, powerful, vampire warriors. Uber-vamps.”
“Uber-vamps, sounds like Dragos.” I remembered the power and confidence that oozed off him. I also remembered the fear in the eyes of Rurik’s people as Dragos approached them.
“I wonder why you’re still alive.” The softness in Colby’s voice didn’t match the hard look in his eyes.
“I really thought I was riding on an express elevator to the afterlife until you showed up.”
Red stepped up to the desk. “Is it possible Dragos enthralled Connie? Used his power to track her here?”
“I thought you didn’t believe in them?” I couldn’t help myself. Red was so fun to tease.
“Wise ass.”
I curled my lip at him playfully. “We shouldn’t go down Paranoia Lane just yet. If we were followed, we’d be waist deep in trouble by now.”
Colby still leaned back in his chair, thinking about my information dump. “I live on Paranoia Lane, but you have a point. We don’t know enough to make any decision presently. Something big is happening. I can sense it.” He leaned forward, drawing our attention. “I’ve changed my mind. Connie, you stay.”
Red took a step forward, his mouth open, but Colby held his hand up. “No, Red.”
Colby pointed at me. “She’s doing well. She’s kept her head and collected more Intel in one night than we have all year.” He looked to me. “We’ll take you back to your hotel. Pack and move to another one. Red, get her a new identity. We don’t want to make it easy for them to find her. Connie, I want a detailed list of who you met and descriptions. Anything you can remember, even if it seems insignificant. If anymore vamps contact you, call my cell before taking action.” He stood and walked to the door. “I’ll get in touch when I need you.”
Red held the bag open for me. “All aboard.”
Chapter 7
Red transported me back to the church in his stinking duffle bag then released me to climb in their cab with a set of orders and a new identity snug in my pocket. It took a while for me to get the instructions straight. I read and re-read them. Not because they were complicated, I was just too tired to absorb anything.
First—move to the Rudas hotel. Second—don’t attract attention, then wait for Colby’s phone call. They would find out the vampire communities ‘ reaction to last night’s fiasco before making further plans.
It didn’t take me long to get my stuff together and switch hotels. Working for Colby taught me how to get my ass in gear. When he wanted you to ‘mobilize’, you worked fast and carried your own stuff, or you lost it.
I took one last look at the beautiful river view from the balcony. My curiosity got the better of me and I couldn’t resist examining the building above. Maybe Rurik jumped up and climbed the building when he vanished last night. I could see there were handholds someone ridiculously strong and nimble might use. Since it was so dark last night, my eyes probably tricked me.
The riverfront entrance of the Rudas hotel divulged a drab, late 19th century industrial building, but these architectural impressions proved to be misleading. Hidden inside this retro-modern hotel lived a well-preserved ancient bathhouse built in 1578. At least, that’s what the brochure stated.
I set it back on my new desk. This place oozed with luxury. Red would have to stuff me back into that duffel bag if he wanted to send me home. I crawled onto the down filled bedding and basked in the puff of heaven.
There were so many unanswered questions swirling around my busy head. The foremost being—why did Rurik save me? If he hadn’t drugged me, I may have allowed my attraction to grow. The visit from Dragos masked something bigger brewing in Budapest. He and Rurik obviously didn’t like each other. Maybe Dragos knew of Lizzy’s attraction to Rurik. Could they be having an affair? When out of earshot, Rurik expressed his dislike for her. I decided Rurik had his fingers in too many cooking pots and was going to get burned.
I cracked my jaw yawning and rolled over to allow the sunlight to warm my face. It offered me security. No big bald Nosferatu would crawl from under my bed to suck my blood in the daylight. I smiled and watched the geometric shapes dance behind my eyelids.
I’m not sure what woke me first, the aches in my body or the urgency to use the toilet. Both were equally uncomfortable. Injuries always hurt worse the day after. My back groaned with stiffness as I made an attempt to roll out of bed. It was to be excepted when you’ve been thrown against a stone wall like a rag doll. My legs tried to cramp while I shuffled to the bathroom. I caught a glance of myself in the mirror and grimaced at what looked back at me. People with naturally curly hair shouldn’t fall asleep when it’s damp. My ponytail resembled a huge, fuzzy pom-pom on the back of my head. Rurik would appreciate my rabbit tail. My grimace transformed into a grin at the poof. When had thoughts of Rurik start making me smile?
His ten
derness last night caught me off guard. It made me aware of how affection-starved I’d been. He started the evening so cold and malicious then grew into someone charming. Would the real Rurik please stand up?
The odd incident with the disappearing alley vampire bothered me. Rurik did some interesting physical feats—like getting into and leaving my hotel room, seven floors up from the ground. He could have defeated my attacker while I got the wind knocked out of me, then followed me back to the hotel.
Now Colby wanted to use me as bait for Rurik again. We both knew he’d respond, except I didn’t want to hurt him. I never dealt with an internal struggle like this. Each contract I helped Colby complete, the vampire always tried to hurt to me. None of them charmed me, attracted me, or wiped tears from my face. Seeds of doubt bloomed. How could I find out the truth?
My gut told me Rurik was different. I sighed and fluffed my pom-pom tail. Maybe I confused my libido with my gut. I wish I’d been given the chance to peel him out of his suit last night.
A growl came from my neglected stomach. I’d slept through the day and most of the evening. After I flipped through the menu and ordered room service, I picked up the hotel brochure depicting the other amenities once more. A hot, steaming bath with a massage at a genuine Hungarian bathhouse sounded right up my alley.
— —
The entrance to the ancient section of the Rudas came through a portal arch pinched at the top like the toe of a genie’s shoe. The wooden door to the bathhouse lay at the end of this narrow corridor.
I looked forward to a long hot soak and a well-deserved night off. When I pushed at the door to enter, it remained immobile. A little sign beside it showed the hours of operation.
They were closed.
I leaned against the rough, solid, wooden door and banged my forehead on it. I shouldn’t have paused to eat. Sometimes I forgot not everyone lived on a vampire’s time clock. Now, I had to be satisfied with a stupid hot shower.
The door swung open and for a second, I became weightless before falling forward to sprawl onto the floor. I jarred my already sore body hard enough to rattle my teeth and groaned at the sharp pain.
