"I'm trying to use words you'll understand."
"Well, stop. Stop trying to connect with me, to relate. You're not my mother. I thought we were friends, but I guess I was wrong there, too."
"We are friends. But my friends don't know all my secrets."
"It wasn't really your secret, not all of it. Kevin just does whatever you say? Do you think you're his master? Do you think you're my master? Why don't you give me a command, then?"
"You want a command? Get Olivia, and take her to the hospital. Take any car but the Porsche. Don't sign in or answer any questions, just drop her off. I don't think that's too much to ask, considering I've taken you in, fed you, tried to make you as comfortable as possible."
Zoey's expression turned from angry to hurt. Her mouth opened as her eyes teared over. She turned and left without another word.
Victoria wanted to call out and apologize before Zoey was even ten feet away, but she couldn't manage the words.
"Shit," she said, finishing off her blood.
She felt terrible. Four centuries old, and she let a teenager push her to the point of losing her temper. What was the definition of immature for such an old being?
Grabbing another bottle of blood, she slipped on a shirt and went back outside to check the condition of her car. She was surprised to see Jack sitting on the front step, in the middle of a Skype video call on his phone. Peering over his shoulder, she saw Tiffany with her eyes half open. Her hair was a mess.
"I miss you," she said. "When are you coming home?"
"I'll be there soon. Are you getting along with the babysitter?"
"She's not a babysitter, because I'm not a baby. But everything's okay. I like Naomi. How much money did you have to spend to make her stay overnight?"
"Don't worry about that."
"Is that Aunt Victoria behind you? Hi, Aunt Victoria!"
"Hey, sweetie," Victoria said, waving and sitting next to Jack.
"When can I come down and see Aunt Victoria?"
"We'll talk about that later. You'd better get back to bed. You have school soon. You should be asleep."
"Jack, I was asleep. You called and woke me up."
"Oh, that's right, I did. Well, sleep is overrated. Actually, no it isn't. Forget I said that."
Tiffany giggled and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to hang up now."
"Okay. Good night, Tiff. Love you."
"Love you, too."
"I thought you'd be gone," Victoria said as he shoved his phone away.
"Not before checking on you. You alright? Did you kick that stray brat right in her private parts?"
"No, no. We're just having a disagreement. She thinks I should have told her about magic."
"You should have."
She looked at him, surprised. "What?"
"Well, why didn't you?"
"Because she isn't ready. She hasn't learned to respect yet what she is. If I have Kevin take away her biggest weakness, and she goes out and murders someone in broad daylight, then that's on me. I'm responsible for her."
"Actually, she's responsible for her own actions. That would be like me blaming Glinda for every nightmare I've had since he gave me that magical watch. And, believe me, I've had a few. Mostly about Frozen."
"You're way off base, Jack."
"Am I? I don't remember Glinda asking permission to use magic on you, or me, for that matter. But you want him to clear everything with you first regarding Stray? That sounds like a control thing to me. And if that's the relationship you have with Stray, hey, fine by me."
"That's not our relationship."
"Lesbian, vampire sex then? You know, we could really make some money—"
"Shut up," she said, but laughed. "Look, there's a lot of things I didn't tell Zoey. I didn't tell her the vampire politics that are out there, or demons. But I was, just not after a few weeks."
"Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than me."
"Stop it with that psychoanalyzing bullshit. I'm going to prepare Zoey for the world in any way I have to. She hates me right now, I'm sure. But we'll get through it."
The garage door opened, and a Jeep Wrangler slowly pulled out. Zoey was behind the wheel, with Olivia in the passenger's seat. Olivia wore one of Victoria's old sweaters. She was leaning back with her eyes closed, fast asleep. Zoey gave a small wave as she dabbed at her eyes. Victoria felt her heart breaking as she waved back. She didn't mean to make Zoey cry.
But the truth was Victoria didn't have to explain herself. She knew what she was doing. She didn't have to justify her actions to Zoey. Not even to Jack, despite the bond between them.
"Let's talk about something else," she said. "Did you see the wounds on Olivia?"
"No. She was naked, and that was all my male brain could handle."
"Jack—"
"I'm joking. Of course I saw them. Puncture wounds on the neck. Ten evenly-spaced lacerations starting from the shoulders, running down her back and stretching to her waist. Obviously a vampire got her, or a very good impersonator. You should have asked her some questions, if you're so interested."
"I don't have to," she said, sighing. "I know where to go. I want to look into this. Care to tag along?"
"Ah," he said. "That depends. How much money are you getting paid?"
"Zero."
"So, then, this Olivia woman. You're close with her? You want to find out what happened because you care so much about her?"
"Never met her before tonight." She smiled. "How many times have we had this exact conversation?"
"I've lost count. And I'll keep kicking you in the ovaries until you see my point."
"You can do the right thing even when there's nothing to gain."
"I guess you're right. But, you kind of proved my point. I want to gain something."
"Something doesn't feel right about this."
"They were attacked by at least one vampire. Not much right about that."
"They weren't attacked. They were willing partners."
"Wow. It's been a long time since I've spied on you enjoying the sex thing, but that's not how I remember vampires doing it."
"Aren't you at least curious?"
"No," he said, rising to his feet. "But you're going to need me to pull you out of whatever trouble you'll get in to. Tiffany has school, so let's make it fast."
"Don't worry. It'll be just like old times."
CHAPTER 11
"I can never get enough of strip clubs," Jack said. "You should have let me know we were coming back here. I would have stopped at the ATM."
"Just relax, and behave."
Victoria scanned the club quickly. The hour was getting late, but there was still a crowd going strong. Bree remained behind the bar, serving drinks. There was no sign of Tony or Heather. The mortals gathering for fun and a show had no idea that not long ago a woman nearly died in the back office.
"I won't be long," she said. "Stay out here and enjoy the sights. I just need to talk to Tony."
Jack drifted toward the bar while Victoria headed straight for the office. As she drew closer she heard quiet whispers, along with a woman crying. She knocked on the door gently.
"Tony, it's me."
He opened the door as quickly as he could to let her in. Locking it behind him, he gave her an appreciative smile as he turned his attention back to Heather.
Heather sat in Tony's chair, crying, while the mystery woman still sat on the floor in the corner, her gaze far away. There was a mop and bucket, and Victoria could see the scene in her head. Tony drifted from checking on the mystery woman, to Heather, to mopping the floor. He suddenly looked far older than he actually was. He gave Heather a quick hug around the shoulders as she cried, before grabbing the mop once again.
"Olivia?" he said, his voice strained.
Victoria nodded. "She's going to be okay."
"Oh, thank God," he said, leaning against the wall.
"I'm sorry I threw an attitude earlier."
He shook his
head. "No, I'm sorry. I just didn't know who else to call."
Victoria looked at Heather with concern.
"Heather? You okay?"
She let out an uneasy laugh. Her hands trembled as she gripped the desk. She wasn't wearing much in the way of clothing. Heather had wanted to perform, like she was scheduled to, but simply wasn't up to it.
"I'm okay. I'll be fine."
Victoria gestured toward the mystery woman.
"Still nothing? Has she said anything?"
"Not a word."
"Is she a friend of Olivia's?"
"I'm not sure. I've never seen them together."
She knelt down to inspect the mystery woman. The woman still wore only a bra, but Tony had wrapped his jacket around her. Her eyes met Victoria's, still in a state of shock. What did she see?
Victoria spent twenty minutes looking over the woman for injuries, and reviewing the story with Tony and Heather. She didn't learn anything knew, but didn't expect to. At least not at Tony's club.
The woman was fine, except for whatever memories she would carry with her forever. The small droplets of blood on her weren't her own.
Victoria saved her final question for last. It was simple, but she had the feeling it would get results. She gently cupped the woman's chin and tilted her head, so they could look into each other's eyes.
"The Vermilion?"
The woman said nothing, but she didn't need to. Her reaction was enough. Her eyes shot open in fear as she pressed further into the corner.
"It's okay," Victoria said, stroking her hair to relax her. "You're safe here."
She turned to see Tony shaking his head at the mention of the latest business in town. A place where vampires and humans willingly shared themselves with each other.
"I knew that place was bad news," he said. "Emma got clean. She's doing a lot better, but I know she's shown others."
Victoria nodded and rose to her feet.
"I'm going to give them a visit. We took Olivia to the hospital. I'd do the same with her. They'll take care of her."
"Shit. What do I tell them?"
"Anything you want. Try the truth. A woman ran up to your club and she's been like this the whole time. Don't mention the Vermilion, please. We don't need police sniffing around my kind."
"Okay, will do. You be careful. I don't like that place."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." She smiled. "I have my brother with me."
He didn't ask any questions, just frowned in confusion. Victoria left the office, not expecting what she saw.
Jack was not at the bar, and Bree was not serving drinks. The pair were laughing and talking at a table off to the side. The sight was a strange one, as it typically took a long time for Jack to laugh around anyone, unless it was a young girl named Tiffany. The two were drinking what appeared to be chocolate milk. The more attention Jack gave Bree, the more angry looks they received from the dancers around them.
Victoria approached the duo, amused. Bree's smile vanished when she noticed the minority owner heading her way.
"I'd better get back to work," she said, and went to stand.
"No, no," Jack said, grabbing her hand. "You're on your break. Don't go standing and saluting just because the old redhead shows up."
"I see you've met Jack," Victoria said. "Are you ready to go?"
Jack downed the rest of his milk. "Sure thing, just one sec." He stood up, and Bree stood with him. He reached into his pocket and counted out money. "Bree, it is very rare that I say this, but it was a pleasure to meet you. We'll get together next time I'm in town. This should cover everything."
Bree's jaw dropped when Jack handed over a stack of cash.
"Jack…this is a thousand dollars!"
"Hooray, public school. You might want to put that away."
Instead, she tried to hand it back. "I can't take this."
"Sure, you can."
"I didn't do that to get paid."
"Just call it a tip, then."
Victoria watched with curiosity. What exactly did she miss the twenty minutes she was gone? Neither Jack or Bree were the type to enjoy a sexual experience in one of the back rooms. She certainly didn't smell sex on them.
Jack nodded at Victoria.
"Ready to—?"
He couldn't finish the sentence before Bree threw her arms around him. A pained scowl crossed his face as he reluctantly held her. They had the attention of nearly half the room, despite the other sights to see.
"Okay, you can let go now," he said. "Bree? Anytime."
"Thank you," she said, nearly crying. "Thank you so much."
"Anytime. You can really thank me by letting go."
"Oh, sorry."
She pulled away while Jack straightened his shirt. He gave her one last genuine smile before nodding toward the door. Victoria and Jack walked side by side out of the club. She could sense the eyes on them.
"What the hell was that about?" she asked as they passed her car.
"She asked me what I wanted to drink. I told her chocolate milk. She said she was getting ready to go on break, that she'd go to the store around the corner and get us some. Now that's service, right there."
Victoria waited for the story to continue, and laughed when it didn't.
"That's it?"
"Yeah. Well, that and the talk. You know, she's actually not an idiot. Who would have thought that? A very intelligent, funny young woman, that just happens to show off her bits in a strip club while pouring drinks down mortals' throats."
Victoria shook her head in disbelief.
"There are women in there working their asses off, some of them doing things they're not proud of, for dollar bills. You gave a bartender a grand for getting you chocolate milk."
"I might have gone to two for a candy bar. Where the hell are we walking?"
She stopped and sighed as the flashing lights caught her eye. The club that housed the Vermilion had four police cars parked in front. The club hadn't been shut down or evacuated, but there was a crowd of people gathering to watch the scene. She could still hear music and people inside. The police were talking with a well-dressed man. She couldn't yet hear the conversation, but saw money exchange hands. She recognized a cover-up in the making when she saw one.
"There," she said.
She led the way inside the club. Jack stayed one step back, absorbing the surroundings, like he always did. Most of the mortals dancing were unaware of the police outside, but a few made mention of seeing two bloody women running through a side door.
Victoria smiled as she approached the stairs to the Vermilion and saw a familiar man wearing a black shirt with Security across his chest. His wrist was in a cast.
"Well, well. We meet again," she said.
He didn't look happy to see her, but managed a small smile.
"It's Victoria, right?"
"It is. You know, I never did catch your name."
"It's Eric."
"Hi, Eric. I'm very sorry I broke your wrist last time. I'm sure Frank's talked to you by now. I'm here to see him."
She went to move past him, and was shocked when he grabbed her shoulder. Jack let out a short laugh behind her.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Frank did say you were welcome. But…not tonight."
His tone told her he was honest. She backed up a step and casually removed his hand.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?"
"I don't know. Really. Frank just said he was dealing with some problems. Not to let anyone down."
"I'm sure that doesn't include me."
"He said anyone."
"Eric, be reasonable. Please, just step aside, don't cause trouble. If I really want to walk past you, do you think you'll be able to stop me?"
He smiled slightly.
"It's a little more than just me this time."
Jack laughed and took a step forward.
"That's a joke. You are a joke. Are you talking about the man in the Ravens shirt on the second level, watching us?
Or the guy over there acting like he's playing pool, but is really private security? Or the asshole dancing badly out there with the gun strapped to his leg? Is that your more? One vampire, three mortals. We'd kill all of them. And you'd be first." He rubbed his hands together gleefully. "I knew I did the right thing stopping by."
"Jack, stop. No one's killing anyone," she said, flashing him a look. "Eric, listen to me. I know something happened. That's why I'm here, to see if I can help. We're going to go down now. Okay?"
She wanted to believe it was her calm, reasonable demeanor, but knew it was most likely Jack throwing the kill word around. Eric wasn't going to protect the Vermilion with his life. He nodded nervously and leaned his head to talk into a radio, telling his secret partners to stand down.
"You can't ever go a day without threatening to kill someone, can you?" Victoria asked as they descended the stairs.
"We're down here, aren't we? What is this place?"
Victoria said nothing, thinking it wise to let him piece it together for himself.
The lobby of the Vermilion had changed since Victoria last visited. Kate had moved her desk off to the side. There were beautiful paintings on the walls. The lighting still had the same soft, seductive touch. The water cooler had been replaced by a refrigerator, full of soft drinks and waters. She actually liked the look.
The lobby was empty. She heard bits and pieces of a conversation behind the main doors. The roar of a vacuum cleaner mixed with panicked, concerned voices.
Victoria opened the doors leading to the suites. Frank was in the middle of an animated talk with Michael, the vampire security guard, while another employee was vacuuming the new carpet Victoria had installed. She gave the hallway a cursory glance as she approached. The walls were clean, no blood. Everything seemed to be in order.
"No shit," Jack said behind her. "This is genius."
The vacuum went dead as the employee stopped his chore. The hallway turned silent, drawing the attention of the mortals. The employee drank in Victoria's loveliness as Frank and Michael marched forward with purpose.
"A whorehouse for vampires," Jack went on. "I love it. This reminds me of that cave we stumbled on down in Mexico. Remember that? In 1903, if I remember right."
"1904," she corrected, remembering quite well. Some vampires and mortals tried to set up a social feeding circle in a cave, away from prying eyes. Another group of vampires tried to claim the territory, and the mortals, for themselves. It didn't end well for them when Victoria and Jack got involved. "How many did we have to kill that night?"
Four Centuries (Damned and Cursed Book 7) Page 19
