by Megan Hawke
"Now that you know Philip and Gustav are vampires, can you think of any odd behavior on their part? Anything to indicate one of them is not quite stable?" I said.
"No. Listen, everyone at the club has his and her quirks. We're not normal people, you know?" she said. "We all have our little idiosyncrasies. I like to get tied up, spanked, and then fucked. Is that normal? Does that make me a killer? I don't think so.
"But, about our undead bondage boys. Gustav is obsessed with suspension and speed. He wants to tie you up and hang you faster than anyone else. While Philip is more concerned with precision, with how the rope is laid across your body, what the knot looks like. He's fast, but not as fast as Gustav."
"What about Roger?" Heidi said.
I shot a hot look at her.
"Roger? Roger is just weird, in a kinda cute way. He obsesses on everything. He is the ultimate perfectionist," she said. "He is faster than Gustav, and more perfect than Philip. He's a Rigger, a bondage artiste, with all the fragile emotional baggage that entails."
"He's faster and better, and he had a circle of loyal 'girlfriends' that the other two vampires didn't have," I said. "Sounds like a reason for jealousy."
"Yeah," Sabrina said, thinking. "Roger is everyone's first choice for top if they want to be tied up. Gustav and Philip are close seconds."
"What happened Sunday night?" I said, startling her. "You are Gustav's alibi when Penny was murdered. What do you remember?"
Sabrina turned bright red. She gnawed on her lip and looked all around. I felt confusion and fear and uncertainty in her. Those were not normal for Sabrina. She was a go-getter.
"I don't know," she said. "It is all so foggy. Sometimes I think I was drugged or something."
"He mesmerized you," I said. "He confessed as much to me."
Sabrina stared open-mouthed at me. Kale grunted and Heidi even stared at me.
"And he's still alive?" Heidi said.
"Oh, I so want to stake him," I said, grinding my teeth together. "Especially after he described what he did to my sister."
"He described it to you? What did he say?" Sabrina said. Her eyes were huge and she was trembling. "What did he do to me?"
"You really don't remember?"
"Kinda, sorta," she said. "I remember going to Sweet Hearts across the street. I think they have a dungeon upstairs. Well, if I am remembering right, Gustav tied me up at each and every play station there, and then let everyone have a go at me. It was brutal."
I couldn't move or breathe. He never said anything about gangbanging my sister. Passing her around like a cheap whore. I struggled to hold my rage at bay. I've always had a temper, but after being Changed it was it hotter and harder to control.
When I could speak, it was through clenched teeth. "And you didn't tell anyone!"
I think I scared her by my reaction. She watched me warily.
"It all seems like a dream. A nightmare," she said. "I just figured I was remembering a nightmare. Gustav has never done anything before to indicate he could do something like that."
"This is important, how long were you there with Gustav?"
"All night and most of the next day," she said.
"Did he leave for an hour or two at any time?"
"I don't know," she said. "Mostly I just remember him when he moved me between play stations."
"He is so dead," Heidi whispered.
"Oh yeah," I said. I looked at Kale, "She needs to stay here for a little while. Can she have that last bedroom?"
"For as long as she needs it," he said.
It was a four bedroom house. With Sabrina joining us, it was full. My room was of course the master bedroom, with Kale. It had two closets, and he gave me the larger of the two, and part of his. Yeah, I have some clothes.
"I'm a member of the team, right?" Sabrina said. "I won't stay here unless I'm included."
"I don't think that would be a good idea," I said. "Slaying vampires is dangerous work."
Our parents would be livid. They rightly believed I wouldn't be undead if I hadn't taken up vampire hunting.
"A vampire and a pack of werewolves are hunting me, so it's time I found my backbone and fought back," she said. "If that means becoming a slayer, so be it. I'm a slayer."
Sabrina gave me a stubborn, you-can't-stop-me look. If I didn't take her in as a slayer, she'd find some other slayer to take her in. All slayers leaned by apprenticeship, if they are smart. I was not so smart when I started, and almost got myself killed.
"Momma's going to kill me," I said.
My phone rang. It was Dane, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I answered.
"Tell me you are all right," I said.
"I'm fine. Those evasive driving classes I took three years ago finally paid off," he said. "It was actually kind of fun being chased by them."
"And here I was worried about you," I said. I was worried, but my link with him never indicated he felt endangered. "Are you coming over?"
"No. Just in case, I don't won't to lead them to you," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow. Love ya, bye."
"Love you, too, baby!" I said, thrilled he'd finally said those words. "See you tomorrow."
I regarded Sabrina as I put my cell away. She looked so determined, and I remembered how determined I had been after being attacked by vampires. I forced Dane and Gabe to accept me as a slayer, mostly by just going out on my own. Sabrina wouldn't be deterred.
"Welcome to team," I said, and knew I was going to regret it.
Chapter 12
Thanksgiving Day was just me, Dane, and Heidi. I called Gabe to see if he was coming over, but he had "family obligations." He didn't sound happy. I never did get over there the previous night, so he had another reason to be unhappy.
Desiree picked up the two turkey dinners before she went home for the holiday. She was from Fort Worth, so had a little bit of a drive ahead of her. Kale left shortly thereafter, but heading up to Denton and his family's gathering.
Dane arrived around 10 AM. Sabrina stayed long enough to let him in, and then she headed to Plano for our family's holiday festivities. While Heidi and I lay in daylight-induced slumber, separate bedrooms, he made himself useful around the kitchen. By the time we dragged our enervated butts out of bed he had everything in or on dishes, covered and in the fridge. The turkeys were in the oven on warm.
"You're up already?" he said. He glanced at the kitchen clock. "It's not even four."
"I'm okay as long as you don't open a door or window," I said, and rubbed sleepily at my face. "Did the Cowboys win?"
"Barely! The refs were terrible," he said.
Dane always thought the referees were "anti-Cowboy." His expression. He was Cowboy crazy. My whole family was obsessed with that team. I was glad they won, so my father and brother would be reasonably happy the rest of the day. The women of the family weren't as enamored of them as the men.
"What was the score?" Heidi said from her bedroom door. She was naked as the day she was born. I frowned at her. At least I put a robe on before coming out. "Cowboys won, right?"
"They won by one," Dane said.
"Yes!" she said, pumping her fist. "How 'bout them Cowboys!"
Heidi beamed like a lighthouse as she bounced back into her room. Thank God they won. She was impossible to deal with when the Cowboys lost.
"You just made her day," I said.
"I know," he said. "It made my day, too. Cowboys!"
Rolling my eyes, I walked over to the fridge and pulled out a pair of pint-sized pouches of blood. They had a silvery-gray packet, with no real indication there was blood inside. Each had one of those little straws taped to the side. The brand name was "Ruby Red." I put both in the microwave and punched in the cook time.
Dane ignored what I was doing. Only thralls got excited or felt any pleasure when they saw vampires feed. When time was up, I took them and headed back to the bedrooms. After tossing one onto Heidi's bed, I headed back to the master bedroom.
It was a holiday, so I got a
ll dolled up. Not that I really needed a reason to get into full hair and makeup. But it was better when there was a reason to do so. I curled my hair so that it would flow over my shoulders and down my back in shimmering waves. Dane was a hair man. Loved it. The more the merrier. I had that advantage over my chief rival, Heidi.
Since the holiday did have some religious overtones, I dressed conservatively. I picked out a burgundy silk blouse, with high collar and long sleeves, black wool skirt that fell just past my knees and a wide black belt. I toyed with the idea of very dark pantyhose, then with lacy garter belt and black hose, but ended up leaving my legs bare and putting on a pair of burgundy patent leather pumps. I was pleased to see I got to wear them before Desiree 'soiled' them by wearing them to work.
Heidi was already out and talking up Dane when I emerged. She didn't do conservative. Did she ever? The blonde strumpet was wearing one of those shiny, silver tops that was low cut, came to a point over her belly button and left her back bare. I would consider that dance wear, but there she was. Dane was having a hard time not staring at her boobs, all jiggly and big, and barely contained. She wore white spandex pants stuffed into silver thigh boots.
"That's what you're wearing for Thanksgiving Dinner?" I asked.
"What's wrong with it?"
Little Sable was not a happy camper. I wanted to tell her she looked like a hooker. Dane wouldn't have approved, and I definitely did not want to tick him off. I was pleased to see he rolled his eyes when she didn't seem to understand the inappropriateness of her attire.
"Nothing. It's who you are," I said.
Heidi looked me over. "My mother wore that same outfit last night."
"Meow," I said, clawing the air at her.
"Sorry," she said, casting a furtive glance at Dane.
I grabbed her and gave Heidi a big hug. I was feeling too good to be mad at anyone just then. Almost everyone I invited to Thanksgiving was coming.
We kicked Dane out of the kitchen. He'd done more than any man had in the history of the holiday, I suspect. The Great Council of Man would probably call him on the carpet for setting a dangerous precedent and endangering "male rights" to sit on their butts, watch sports, and make the womenfolk do all the work.
I made my "dish." The one I made for all holidays, and everyone raved over — Fresh green bean casserole. I gathered eight to ten green beans to a bundle, wrapped in bacon and pinned with a wooden toothpick. I drizzled it with a sauce of butter and brown sugar I made, salted and peppered, then put in the oven. The dish had to bake at three hundred seventy-five for about forty-five minutes. Then I had to uncover, and bake another five minutes before sprinkling with almond slivers.
Heidi didn't cook. But she made a mean salad, with all kinds of yummy things like cucumber, broccoli, carrots, and spinach, along with green lettuce and Romaine lettuce.
Right after dark Desiree arrived with Boney. Boney was impeccable dressed in a gray Armani suite and burgundy silk tie. Burgundy was my favorite color, and I think the tie was for me. Desiree was decked out in a forest gold suit and skirt, just above the knee. It was one of the few times I saw her dressed so well.
Brandon Wesley arrived shortly afterward. He was six feet even, and very slim. His short, dark hair was spiked. Though my age, at twenty-five, he looked closer to twenty.
Kale and Sabrina showed up half an hour later. Kale was in new jeans, cowboy boots, western shirt, and sports jacket, while Sabrina wore brown slacks, gold silk blouse, and brown stiletto pumps. It was all borrowed from me, since her clothes were still in her apartment.
"What happened to you?" I said. She was a mess. All scratched up and disheveled. The left sleeve was half torn off the shoulder. "Who attacked you?"
"Yvette," she said, grinning wide. "We had a knockdown, drag out fight in the middle of the living room."
I was horrified. Everyone else was laughing and making comments on what Yvette must look like if Sabrina looked like that.
"Why would you fight her?" I said. She had four deep nail gouges on her left cheek. I trickle of blood had dried in her left nostril and she had some bruising on her face. "She started it."
"Uh huh," I said. Yvette attacked verbally, but never physically. Sabrina was another story. "Why were y'all fighting? You know Daddy doesn't like us to argue during the holidays."
"She told us what she did," Sabrina said.
I reached up and cupped her left cheek with my hand. A second later power flowed into her, and all her wounds healed over. The blood remained, but the scratches and bruises were healed.
"And what did she do that rated a fight?" I asked.
"Brad asked me if you'd be over after dark," Sabrina said. "Yvette, very proudly I might add, spoke up, saying she solved that 'problem.' She said she called you and told you that you were not welcome for Thanksgiving." She looked at me with big blue eyes. "Did she?"
"Yes," I said.
Her eyes filled with tears and she snarled.
"I kicked her ass right there," she said.
"You really shouldn't have done that," I said.
"She deserved it," Dane said. He was pissed. It seemed everyone else was just as angry.
"It can suck being a vampire," I said. I looked at Bone Daddy. "Right Boney?"
"Yeah. I haven't seen my wife or children since being Changed," Boney said. He sighed. "I heard last week that I'm a grandfather. I'll probably never see my grandchildren, either. I didn't even know any of my children were married."
"He's a vampire?" Sabrina said.
"And a pimp," Desiree said. "Scary, huh?"
"He looks like Jesus," Sabrina said.
Everyone broke up laughing. He did. A very Northern European, long blonde hair and beard, version of Jesus, too. I doubt Our Lord and Savior was six foot six.
Boney stepped over to her, extended his hand and they shook. He leaned over, and smiled warmly.
"Pleased to meet you, my child," he said solemnly.
"Stop it! That's sacrilege," I said, scandalized but laughing.
Everyone had to start tossing in their "Jesus jokes." We retired to the living room, and everyone got to know each other better. The women were in and out, tending food in the kitchen. I got Sabrina back in the master bedroom long enough to get her into another blouse.
Roger was the last to show up, looking mousy and timid at the door. He kept casting worried looks at Sabrina. There were a few good natured comments about delaying dinner, but he brought a couple nice bottles of wine. All was forgiven.
I was glad he could make it. There was some doubt as to whether he could get the night off from work. Helpdesk technicians didn't get holidays off like other people. His helpdesk supported a chain of twenty-four hour convenience stores. If the stores were open, the helpdesk was open.
Kale did the honors and carved up the turkey at the dining room table. When I grew up the women carved the turkey in the kitchen and set it out on the table with all the other food. Only the prayer bordered on ritual.
After the turkey was carved, and everyone had a plate piled high, Dane gave grace. With four vampires sitting at the table, I'm not sure how much notice his prayer of thanks garnered.
"Amen, dive in!" Kale said.
It was quite a feast. We had turkey and two kinds of dressing. Mash potatoes. Corn on the cob. My world famous and to die for green bean casserole. Sweet potato pie. Heidi's delicious salad. Fruit salad. And for desert, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and my favorite, lemon meringue pie. All washed down with sweet tea and, for some, wine. None of the vampires had wine.
Sabrina and Roger sat next to each other, so had plenty of time to work through their uncomfortable period. By the end of the meal they were chatting as if nothing had changed. The fact Sabrina had an undead sister she was still close to helped, I think.
Yeah, I was bursting with pride for my sister.
It wasn't your average Thanksgiving Day dinner, either. After we finished, the women did clean the table and wash the dishes. But there wasn't any f
ootball for the men to watch. They watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Uh-huh. And they loved it. Yep, that's what macho vampires and vampire slayers watch on Thanksgiving instead of sports. I bet they didn't brag to any of their friends about that.
Okay, Dane and Kale described the Cowboy game to the vampires. Heidi joined the men just to hear their play-by-play.
Once Sabrina, Desiree, and I finished in the kitchen the ten o'clock news was coming on. I couldn't believe the night was going so fast. The second story of the night was what they called, "The Red Rope Roundup." What we thought of as the Crimson Knot Killer.
"They are so damned callus!" Sabrina said
"Speaking of which," Dane said, fetching a manila envelope. "If you have a weak stomach, this would be a good time to move into another room. I hate to spoil a perfect holiday evening, but Sable and I have a killer to find, before it is too late."
"Too late?" Roger said. "He's already killed four times."
"One of the victims, Whitney Washam, was the minion of the Trudeau Family boss," Dane said. "If we don't find the killer before Monday, I'm afraid the Trudeau family will kill everyone who is a member of that club, mortal and undead alike."
"But that's insane?" Roger said.
Roger looked ill. He began to fidget and look around as if he heard assassins creeping up behind him. Roger was such a paranoid. I suspected we might not see him again after that night. Heck, I wasn't sure I'd see Gustav or Philip again.
Vampires like Roger, Gustav, and Philip were not the vicious, fearless vampires of legend and cinema. Boney called their type work-a-day vamps. Vampires who tried to lead relatively normal lives. With vampiric raging needs and desires it was always difficult to lead normal lives, since we were our own worst enemies.
When it came to flight or bite, I would choose bite while Roger would be halfway to Tulsa. I thought Gustav and Philip had more backbone than Roger, but they were all cut from the same bolt.
"Last warning," Dane said, holding up the manila envelope.
"What is it you have?" I said.
