by Leo Romero
Dom gave him a nod. "Thanks."
Rufus just gave him a small smile in return and didn't say a word.
Probably shy, Dom thought. I was like that at his age.
Rufus turned back to face the front.
"Come on," Green Eyes then said from outside. "We haven't got all night."
Dom sighed in exasperation. "She always like this?" he asked Rufus.
Rufus caught his stare in the rear view. He just gave him a shrug in return.
"A man of few words, huh?" Dom said to himself. "Maybe some other time, buddy." Dom threw his door open. The cool night air hit him as he stepped out, his shoes touching gravel. Green Eyes was already at the front door, waiting. Dom had a final look up at the mansion before he closed the car door and followed.
CHAPTER FIVE
They both entered the marbled lobby, the very one Dom had been in a week before. Green Eyes went over to the couch up against the right-hand wall, sat, and crossed her legs. Dom stood where he was, in the center of the room, his head still full of unanswered questions.
"Ah, Dominic," came a voice from the right. Dom snapped his head that way to see Beauchamp step into the lobby from one of the many doors surrounding them; he was dressed in a red robe and slippers, his hair slicked back from his brow. He was wiping the back of it with a small towel, indicating to Dom he'd just stepped out of the shower. Beauchamp threw it over his shoulder as he approached Dom. On reaching him, he put out his hand. Dom took it without even realizing he was doing so.
"Good to see you again, young man," Beauchamp said.
"Mr. Beauchamp!" Dom said in a half-stern, half-exasperated tone. 'Maybe you can tell me what's going on here."
Beauchamp released a heavy sigh. "Well. You were about to put yourself in extreme danger and so I had no choice but to intervene."
Dom shook his head. "I don't get it. You mean to say you knew about the vampires all along?"
Beauchamp interlocked his fingers together. "Yes," he said in an almost apologetic manner, rocking slightly on his heels.
Dom grabbed his forehead. "Man, this is the single most strangest night of my life."
Beauchamp chuckled. He placed a friendly arm around Dom's shoulder. "Young man, things are about to get even stranger."
"Who are you?" Dom asked, now totally exasperated.
"I'm Vincent. I, we, hunt vampires," he said in a matter-of-fact manner. "Just like you."
Dom frowned. "It was me who almost got hunted just now."
Vincent let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, which is exactly why I sent Trixie to save you."
"So that's her name," Dom said with an ironic nod.
Vincent gave him a look of surprise. "She didn't tell you?" Vincent turned and stared at her in disappointment. "Trixie..."
Trixie shrugged. "Sorry, I forgot."
Vincent let out a rueful sigh. "Well, I suppose formal introductions are in order." He cleared his throat. "Dominic Dempsey meet Trixie Beauchamp. Trixie Beauchamp. Dominic Dempsey."
"Hi," Trixie said without a lot of enthusiasm.
"Beauchamp?" Dom echoed, cocking a thumb over his shoulder toward Trixie.
Vincent inhaled deep. "Yes. My daughter."
Daughter? Dom gave him a sideways stare. "I thought you said your daughter was killed by a vampire."
Vincent shrugged in an innocent fashion, his lips pursed. "No, she's definitely alive and kicking, as you can see." He held his open palm out toward Trixie.
Dom crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh-huh, I can see that! But, you told me the last time I was here that she was dead and you wanted revenge on the vamp who killed her."
Vincent wiggled his fingers on the air. "A small... bending of the truth." He chuckled.
"Bending of the truth? I could've been killed by you bending the truth!"
Vincent's back straightened. He jabbed a finger at Dom's chest. "You wanted to hunt vampires, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"And I paid you well, didn't I?"
Dom rocked his head from side-to-side. "Hmm..."
Vincent's eyes lit up. "Ah! Come on now, answer. I paid you very well didn't I?" He bent down and glared up into Dom's eyes, who was reluctant to meet his stare.
Dom then glanced down; Vincent was grinning and pointing. "Okay, yeah," he agreed, finally caving in. "You got my uptight landlord off my back."
"Ha! Exactly. My bending of the truth set you on your way. I even sent Trixie out to save you when you got into trouble."
Dom went to speak, but then stopped short.
"Ah, didn't think I knew, did you? In-out job, eh? Pah. Now who's the one bending the truth?"
Dom went to respond, but didn't know how to. He let out a hot breath. "All right, all right. This is just all so weird." He grabbed his forehead. "It's all too much to handle right now. I feel like I'm in some kind of dream. I've got too many questions." Like, ain't you a little old to be her father? But, let's just not go there.
"Of course you have, young man," agreed Vincent. "We'll have plenty of time tomorrow to get up to speed on things before your training starts."
Dom froze. "Training?"
Vincent gave him a vehement nod. "Of course. You'll need to be trained to look after yourself while performing your new job. By Jove you need it. Get some meat on these bones so you can tear those vamps a new one!"
"Wait, I... Job? What job?"
"The one you applied for when you answered my classified. You passed the interview with flying colors once you killed that vampire and brought me his corpse."
Dom stepped back. He stared at Vincent through squinted eyes. "And who says I want this job?"
Vincent chuckled. "No one. If you don't want to take the job, then that's fine, no hard feelings. The front door is there." He pointed at the door Dom just walked through and straightened his back.
Dom glanced at it; he then locked eyes with Trixie, who diverted her stare up and away from him.
Dom's shoulders drooped. "I suppose I better sleep on it."
Vincent gave him a pat on the back. "That a boy! You'll have a clearer mind in the morning to make a better judgment on your future. You'll also get a chance to ask any burning questions you may have. Now, Trixie will show you to your room." Both Vincent and Dom glanced over at Trixie.
She groaned in irritation. "Must I?"
"Yes, Patricia," Vincent retorted. "Dominic is our guest. Please show him some respect."
Trixie mumbled something under her breath as she reluctantly got to her feet. She turned and stretched, giving Dom a real chance to view her svelte body in full, which was accentuated by that tight, leather superhero suit she liked to wear. Dom's mouth became a small O. Man, she's hot, no doubt about that.
Shame about the attitude.
She strode over to where they both stood, her heels clacking across the marble. "Follow me to your room, sir," she said with a slight bow, before striding away toward the stairs.
Dom looked from her pert derriere to Vincent, who put on a toothy grin. "Don't worry, Dominic, you're safe with us now. What happened tonight is a mere triviality."
"A mere triviality that almost got my ass handed to me."
"Well, you did decide to venture into the heart of Order territory, didn't you?"
"What the hell is this Order anyway?"
Vincent placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll discuss all that tomorrow. Right now, I think you should get some sleep. I'll have Rufus bring you up some refreshments."
A puzzled look came over Dom's face. "That's the underage driver guy right?"
"Yes. And by that response, I take it you weren't introduced to him either."
Dom shook his head. "Not exactly."
That look of disappointment appeared on Vincent's features once more. "Really, the manners around here are appalling. Especially from people who should know better." He gave Trixie an acidic stare.
Trixie merely shrugged her shoulders. "Are you coming or not?" she asked Dom.
"I'm coming, I'm
coming," Dom said. He turned back to face Vincent. "What about my stuff?"
"We'll send someone to collect any belongings you require in due course. My goodness, you really are a worry wart aren't you?"
"Vincent, I'm a broke worry wart. The few things I own are all I've got in this world."
"Well, that will all change once you start work with us."
Dom gave him an ironic nod. "If you say so." Right then, all he wanted to do was lay his head down and get some rest, then work out what the hell was going on in the morning. "I wanna lie down," he declared.
"Of course you do," said Vincent. "Trixie."
Dom turned to face her; she spun away and continued up the steps. Vincent gave him a final pat on the back. Dom held up his palm in return and then headed for the stairs, his limbs starting to ache now the adrenaline burn had subsided. He went up the stairs one at a time, weariness taking its toll. Trixie was already at the summit, hands on hips. She was rolling her head around in its socket as if she had a neck ache.
"Man, that's a lotta steps," Dom stated once he finally reached the top, feeling like he'd just conquered Yellowstone.
"You'll get used to it," Trixie retorted before heading along the corridor. Dom followed. He was led past more doors as well as a multitude of art: expensive paintings, statuettes sitting atop small stone plinths. All of a sudden, he was transported back to creeping around the derelict house in the slum, hunting Drake. This was like a more upscale version of that place, only without vamps. He shivered as he walked past a depiction of the last supper, a stone carving of the Virgin Mary sitting on a plinth beneath it. Further up was a famous surrealist painting; the one of the melting clocks. Vincent was obviously a man of many and varied tastes. Dom's eyes then fell on another work of art. Trixie. Her tight body was on show just for him, and he found he couldn't take his eyes off her.
She came to a sudden stop. She first glanced upward and then turned around to face him.
Those green eyes glowered at him. "Maybe you should take a picture," she advised him. "Then you can stare to your heart's content."
A half-smile spread up Dom's cheek. "Sounds like a good idea."
"I'm full of 'em."
"I can believe it."
"Ugh!" She shook her head. She then turned to the side, reached for a door handle, and threw the door open. "There's your room," she said, jabbing a finger at the open doorway. "If you need anything pick up the phone and dial one nine nine. Someone will answer."
Dom took a step toward her, making sure his eyes never left hers. "And what's your number?"
"My number's: oh-eight-hundred-none-of-your-business. Now get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow." She turned and began striding along the corridor away from him.
Dom glanced through the open doorway into his new room. There was a bed, a desk with a phone, and not much else. He turned his attention back to Trixie. "Hey!"
She stopped, placed her hands on her hips and turned her face up to the ceiling.
"I forgot to say thanks for saving me. Twice."
"Think nothing of it. I hate those bastards as much as you." She then began walking again.
"Nighty night, Trixie," Dom said after her, a big grin on his face.
Trixie held a limp hand in the air, not breaking stride. She reached the end of the corridor and disappeared around the corner.
Dom watched her vanish, then sighed. She was a tough cookie, but kinda fun to tease.
He smiled to himself as he stepped into his new room. He flicked on the light and closed the door behind him. "Welcome home, buddy," he said to the empty room. "Again." He went to the window and looked outside. A full moon greeted him, illuminating a mass swathe of land that stretched for acres. Could have a great garden party out there. Maybe set up a marquee, bouncy castle.
He closed the curtains and went over to the mirror on the wall. His tired reflection greeted him. His hair was a mess. Tonight had been a crazy one. It was all so hard to believe. Vincent Beauchamp turning out to be a vampire hunter. Man, that was unexpected. And that Drake job had been some kind of test. What did it mean? Vincent wanted an apprentice of some kind? Where did Trixie fit into all of it? Did he actually let his daughter run around town hunting vamps? Christ, no wonder he was outsourcing help.
He rubbed his head and stepped back away from the mirror. What did the future hold? What about his family? How would he go about finding them now? What did Eddie get himself into with those 'Order' vamps?
Too many questions. His brain was numb. He just wanted to shut down. To sleep. He turned and faced his bed.
He collapsed down onto it. Within moments, he was fast asleep.
CHAPTER SIX
Dom woke up the next day with a slight headache. Maybe it was from the smoke grenade Trixie used in the club, or maybe it was just from the general weirdness of the whole night. He couldn't say for sure. At first, he was disorientated from waking up in a strange bed, in a strange room, in a strange house, but once his memory kicked in, things slotted back into place, albeit a bizarre place. He checked his watch: 10:44 am. He'd slept long, slept hard. For the first time since waking up in that basement. Before that? Who knew? The venom had definitely put him into a dream state, sent him to sleep for who knew how long. That was what he needed to find out. He glanced down to see he was still dressed in his clubbing clothes; a smart shirt, trousers. Even his shoes were still on his feet.
Man, I must've been wrecked.
He rubbed his face. He then wondered where Trixie was at. What she was doing? Maybe she slept in too. A part of him reckoned that chick didn't know how to sleep in. He imagined her jumping out of bed at the crack of dawn and performing a thousand and one sit-ups before tackling a light breakfast of grapefruit juice; if she even needed breakfast.
A rueful smile played across his face as he climbed gingerly off his bed. He staggered over to the mirror. He looked like crap, which was exactly how he felt. He opened his mouth, stuck his tongue out and checked it out in the mirror. He didn't know what he was supposed to be looking for, but that's what they always did in the movies. He popped it back in, satisfied that everything was cool. His stomach then growled and he grabbed it.
"I need me some of that grapefruit juice," he realized. "If Trixie saved me any."
He brushed his hair with his hand, straightened his collar, then went and opened the door. He poked his head out into the corridor. Just as he did, Trixie came marching past like some kind of prison warden. "You're finally up," she noted, her voice laced with irony.
"Good morning to you too, cupcake," Dom said with a smile, neatening his hair.
"Come downstairs," Trixie ordered, not breaking stride nor responding to his quip. "We need to talk."
"Yes ma'am," Dom said, straightening his back and saluting her.
She merely continued with her ardent stride through the corridor, barely registering him.
Dom stepped into the corridor, closed his bedroom door behind him and neatened his cuffs. He hoped his hair wasn't too messy for Sergeant Trixie. He licked his hand and slicked it down just in case.
He cleared his throat and got into his groove. He injected an air of confidence into his stride as if it was he who owned the mansion and not the weird limey. Up ahead he watched Trixie reach the stairs and scuttle down them. He upped his pace to keep up, taking the steps two at a time. Soon, he was level with her. "Hey, er... what's the deal with your pop?" he asked her in a quiet voice.
"What do you mean?" Trixie asked back, not breaking stride.
He showed her his palms. "I don't mean to offend, it's just, I'd like to know what's up."
"What's up?"
"You know, why does he hunt vampires? How long's he been doing it? Did he manage to get this big house from slaying vamps? That kinda stuff."
Trixie sighed. She stepped up to the door to the conference room and opened it. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" she said, clearing the way.
"Ah, there you are, young man!" Vincent said with a b
ig grin once he saw Dom in the doorway.
Dom's head snapped around to face him. He was sitting at the table beneath a deer's head.
"Come in, come in," he ushered them, getting to his feet.
"He's got some questions for you," Trixie told her dad as she entered the room and stood at the head of the table.
"He, is called Dominic, Trixie. Manners please."
"Whatever," came her reply.
"Dom," Dom corrected. "And it's okay, Vincent, I'm getting used to the attitude." He glanced over at Trixie, who sneered and looked away.
Dom smiled.
"Of course, Dom," Vincent said with a warm chuckle. "I know you're positively brimming with questions. So, fire away!"
Dom sucked in a lungful of air and blew it out. He didn't know where to start. "I... It's... what..." he stammered. He then laughed.
"Come on, young man, what is it?"
Dom grabbed his tender forehead. "I don't know where to begin."
Vincent came over and put a friendly arm around his shoulder. "Maybe it's best if I get the ball rolling. Please take a seat." He pulled out a chair and Dom took it. "Trixie get Dom something to drink, please."
She let out an annoyed huff. "Sure." She turned to Dom. "What are you having?"
"Got any more of that grapefruit juice?"
She frowned. "Yeah, we got plenty."
Dom grinned. "That's my girl! Could you get me a glass?"
"Yes, your eminence!" Trixie said with a slight curtsey. She turned and left the room without saying another word.
They both watched her leave. When she was gone, Dom turned to Vincent and shrugged.
Vincent sighed. "Go easy on Trixie, Dom," he said. "She's been through a lot."
"It's all right, Vincent. Compared to some of the other ladies I've known, your daughter's an angel."
Vincent chuckled. "She is an angel. You'll see that once you get to know her and she accepts you."
"Well, here's hoping."
"Indeed." Vincent placed his palms on the surface of the table. "Now, I realize all of this must be a shock to you, but I must inform you of what is going on here. I'm getting old. As you can see."
