by Lexi Blake
Ruby-red fingernails drummed along the solid oak table. “That’s a problem. Well, please inform Mr. Sharpe that I need him to wait until such time as the Councilman can join us.”
The young man looked ill at the thought of having to relay the message to the vampire.
It seemed that Marcus’s meeting was going to give me an enormous amount of freedom. I likely should have been wary, but a confidence I’d never known had been flowing through my veins for hours. I was ready to take on anything. “I take it Alexander Sharpe is waiting to speak with me and Marcus is sadly preoccupied with business?”
“That would be the way of it,” Stacy agreed. “And Alexander won’t like waiting. If we take too long, he’ll feed and disappear and you’ll have to come back tomorrow night.”
“As it happens, I have plans for tomorrow night.” I didn’t have firm plans, but they involved being with Gray. If I had to work tomorrow night, I wanted it to be on something he could be by my side at. I also seriously doubted he would be patient enough to let me get all dressed up and spend a second night with Marcus. “So, I guess I’ll have to tackle Mr. Sharpe on my own.”
“Seriously?” Stacy stared at me like I’d grown two heads.
“Is he going to attack me right here? Are you putting me alone in a room with him?”
She shook her head. “No, he’s waiting in the lounge. There are at least twenty people in there, but it really is best if you have Marcus with you. You’re…”
“Going to be a hit with the vampire crowd?”
“Oh, yeah, you’re lovely and there’s something about you that will attract them like flies to honey,” she said simply. “I’ve been around them long enough to know. I can already see what Marcus sees in you. You know it’s been forever since he took a woman as his mistress. He’s absolutely the pickiest vampire I’ve ever met. Most vamps will do anything to keep a female with them, but Marcus prefers to be alone if he’s not truly engaged.”
“And what does Marcus like?” Though I was committed to Gray, I was still curious about my Italian escort.
She thought about it for a moment before answering. “He likes complicated women. He wants them lovely, of course, but mere beauty isn’t enough for him. I wouldn’t say he has a physical type, just lovely and complex. If you throw in a side of danger, Marcus will come panting.”
I stood up. “Well, I’m certainly complex. I’m also not particularly good at following orders. Please take me to Mr. Sharpe. I want to get this interview out of the way.”
“Are you sure? Marcus is likely to be mad.”
“I can handle him.” I knew something she didn’t. Marcus didn’t care about me the way she thought he did. He would probably be thrilled we could leave and he could get along with his evening. Now that it was clear I was happy with Gray, I was certain the vampire would lose any interest he had in me, if it had been there in the first place.
Perfect red lips tugged up in a smile, and Stacy Sears elegantly rose from her chair. “Then I suppose I can handle the fallout, as well. I like you, Kelsey. You aren’t at all what I thought you would be. Can I give you a small piece of advice about the Councilman?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
“What I said to the girls goes for mistresses, too. He won’t ever marry you. A vampire always wants a companion. They’ll play around with humans, take good care of you and make you think they love you, but in the end, when a companion comes along, they’ll leave you.”
I felt for her. There was no way that bitterness hadn’t come from experience. I could put her mind at ease about one thing. “Then it’s a damn good thing I don’t love him.”
Stacy reached out and took my hand. “Make sure you keep it that way. Keep hold of my hand. The club is trapped. There are all sorts of strange magic in this place. If you’re not with a vampire, you need someone who lives here to guide you through or you’ll find yourself trapped. Once some dumbass vamp brought a human in and left her alone and it took us two days to find her.”
She led me down an elegant hallway. I could hear the sound of music playing. It was getting louder and I decided the lounge area must be hopping.
A vampire smiled as he strode out of the lounge ahead of us. He stopped in his tracks.
“Stacy, is this a new girl?” he asked as he looked me over assessingly. “Because if she is then I’ll take her. She’s so different. She’s….”
“Marcus’s new mistress,” Stacy finished for him.
“Damn,” he cursed. “Don’t guess you have a sister?”
Stacy ignored him as she pulled me along. “Get used to that. When it happens, tell them who you are and they should back off. Use Marcus’s name like a blunt instrument. Trust me. No one here wants to cross him.”
The lounge was lit with low lights, giving the place a private, intimate feel. My eyes adjusted quickly to the dimness and I could see couples swaying on the dance floor to the strong, seductive beat of the music. I recognized one of the girls, a wolf, from the school Liv taught at. She had been in the graduating class the first year Liv had joined the high school group. Though I’d promised not to judge anyone, I wanted to walk over, snatch her out of that vampire’s arms, and escort her straight home. I understood the need and it didn’t bother me on an intellectual level but seeing someone I knew…
“There he is.” Stacy stopped and pointed to the man sitting in an elegant armchair watching the dancers with a blank expression on his face.
He seemed to be waiting, sitting utterly motionless, as though he could trick someone into thinking he was harmless, but I saw through him. He was a predator and a savage one at that. He was the first man I’d seen walk into the club the night I staked it out. I remembered that night well. It was the first time I’d laid eyes on Marcus and I’d thought he reminded me of a hawk. This man was something different. He was a spider, moving slowly, all his limbs a testament to delicate, graceful death. He would weave a gossamer web and then catch his prey and gleefully devour it. He would take his time, enjoying each bite. I swallowed as I watched Alexander Sharpe because I had no trouble seeing him as a serial killer.
“Mr. Sharpe,” Stacy greeted the vampire.
He didn’t get out of his chair, merely inclined his head and his dark eyes took us in. “Miss Sears. I take it this is Miss Atwood.” His accent was perfectly British. Upper crust, without a hint of cockney to tarnish it.
“I am. I have a few questions for you concerning a series of murders.”
His lips quirked up. “Doesn’t everyone, dear?” He held his hand out. It was long and graceful, like the hand of a surgeon. “Please join me. I’ve been properly threatened into answering your questions.”
I sank into the seat opposite him. The chairs were close. Our knees almost touched and I wished it wouldn’t be so terribly rude to shove the chair back because I didn’t want to accidentally have any contact with this man. I merely slid my knees to the side in a lady-like fashion.
“If you’re all right here, I’ll go see what’s holding up the Councilman,” Stacy said. “Remember what I said about the club. Stay here until I or Marcus returns for you.”
Stacy turned and strode out of the room. I was alone with the vampire.
“So, dear, Marcus Vorenus has finally set aside his unrequited love for the luscious Zoey,” the Brit drawled. His eyes slid across me as he appraised everything about me. I could feel it like a rabbit must sense a cougar. “Or has he? You’ll forgive me, but you don’t look like the mistress of one of the most powerful vampires in the world.”
“Really?” I asked, trying for jauntily unconcerned. “I suppose I should be more beautiful.”
His lips curled up and I feared I’d fallen into a trap. “I was referring to the fact that I happen to know the good councilman prefers to eat early in the evening rather than late and your neck is smooth. It’s quite lovely and perfectly untouched. He likes it from the neck. I believe he thinks it’s more romantic. You see, I make it a point to know the habits of
those around me.”
And there went our cover. “My relationship with the councilman is no concern of yours.”
“So it is a ruse,” he deduced with great satisfaction. “You’re law enforcement?”
Vampire politics seemed to be a veritable minefield, so I chose to leave Dev Quinn out of my explanation. Quinn seemed to have made a place for himself in this world, but he had also pissed a bunch of people off. It was easier to go with a simple explanation. “No. I’m a private investigator. I was hired to find Joanne Taylor by her mother.”
He sighed and there was pleasure in it. His hands caressed the plush velvet of the armchair as though he was touching a lover. “Yes, the lovely doe. Her eyes were wide and brown. It isn’t often that graceful creatures allow us such delightful access to their charms.”
I was a little nauseous at the thought of Joanne at this man’s mercy. “The werewolves don’t do it for you?”
He wasn’t put off by the question at all. If anything, he leaned forward as though sharing an intimate secret with a friend. “The wolves are fine, but somewhat rough. It’s difficult to shock a wolf, if you know what I mean. I like to see the surprise in their eyes.”
Yep, he made my skin crawl. “You mean fear. You like to scare your lovers.”
One shoulder came up negligently. “You consider it fear. I think of it as an arousing game. I never hurt the girls…too much.”
“You met with Joanne.” I didn’t want to get into Alexander Sharpe’s predilections. “Her appointment book stated she had a date with you shortly before she disappeared.”
“Well, I wasn’t about to let something so sweet and docile get past me. Unfortunately, she was more interested in the whereabouts of some other girl than she was in partaking of what I had to offer.”
“She asked you about Britney Miles?”
“Only until I used enough persuasion to get what I wanted.” The vampire was casual, as though rape was on the same level as a white lie.
“You took her by force.” I was pleased that the question managed to come out somewhat civil. I wanted to shout. A low thrum of anger started in my belly. My skin began to heat.
The vampire’s laugh was brittle and boomed through the room. “Silly girl, you can’t force a prostitute. They know their place and if they don’t, they certainly do after I’m done with them.”
“These women are under the protection of the Council.” I promised myself I would have a long talk with Dev Quinn when I updated him.
He was completely unconcerned with my threat. “Then they should complain to the Council. I’m sure Quinn put in some form of a system for situations like this. That faery is careful. I’m afraid you won’t find a single working girl who’ll stand up and protest. They like what I give them. Trust me, no one knows how to make a whore scream the way I do.” He leaned forward and I forced myself to hold my ground. “Go on, Miss Atwood. Ask the question you really want to ask. Normally, I refuse to answer, but I’ll tell you the truth. You intrigue me.”
I should have avoided the trap, but I was far too curious. “Were you really Jack the Ripper?”
“Oh yes,” he breathed. “I was. I am. Does something like that ever really die? I terrorized London, but they never understood. I was an artist. I killed, well, one often forgets one’s first, fumbling attempts, but it was many more than the five they give me credit for. I was a doctor, you see, so I knew the disease those whores spread. I had to watch many a decent man suffer and die because he couldn’t resist their siren call. I was doing the city a favor. My fatal flaw was a savage need for credit. I should have worked quietly, but it all turned out for the best.”
“You were caught and killed, weren’t you?”
He stared straight at me. “Yes, I was and by a clever girl much like yourself. You remind me of her. Something about the eyes. She put the pieces together and came for me one night. A little thing she was, but ferocious. She was stronger than she looked. I always wondered how the Council missed her. They’re good at finding Hunters like her.”
“I thought hunters hunted supernaturals for the Council.” My grandfather had been one, but he didn’t have any power beyond his natural strength and long practice.
“Are you serious?” He sat back. “Are you joking with me?”
Joking was the absolute last thing I was thinking about. “What do you mean? Why would I joke? I’m here on serious business, Sharpe.”
A smile of pure pleasure broke over his face. It was a frightening thing to see. “I can see that. I can see that you’re quite serious. Such webs they weave. Who am I to tear them down? Anyway, like I said, this girl had no training and no idea what power she possessed. I didn’t know what she was at the time, either, which was why I underestimated her. It was my misfortune that she was an activist. You know the type. Wide-eyed idealist trying to save the world. Those instincts of hers took over when she found me and I was gutted before I could quite close my hands around her throat.”
Something about the way he said “instincts” caused me to get goose bumps. It made me think of the way I had fought the wolves in the alley. I was also thinking about the way he’d talked about webs being woven. I had to wonder who was the spider and who was the fly. “You think she was a supe who didn’t know it?”
He hesitated for a moment before continuing on. “Some humans are born with true killer instincts. I’m not talking about soldiers or even murderers. I’m talking about something else entirely. They remind one of wolves in the way they track their prey. The Council has always tried to find and train these humans, but this girl had gotten away.”
“So she killed you and Jack the Ripper was relegated to the history books.”
“Except I didn’t die, not really. Unfortunately for her.” His eyes lit at the thought of what had happened next.
“You killed her?”
“Oh, yes,” the vampire said with relish. “After my training with the Council was done, I was allowed to settle in the United States, but not before I returned home one last time. I was the hunter then, and her screams still make me sigh. She had your eyes.” Sharpe crossed his legs and his body relaxed into the chair like he’d related a pleasant story instead of confessed to multiple murders. “Tell me, dear, have you found Joanne yet?”
“I did. In Whites Chapel Cemetery.” I watched him carefully.
“How very obvious! Please tell me you don’t suspect I would do something so transparent.” He looked horrified, as though he’d been accused of doing something socially awkward.
“No, but I wonder if you don’t know who did,” I said, concentrating on every nuance of his expression. “Have you met a man named Peter Hamilton?”
He seemed to pulse with some strange form of joy, as though we were playing a game and he’d discovered he’d finally found a worthy opponent. “Very good, Miss Atwood. Yes, I have indeed made the mad professor’s acquaintance. He accosted me one night outside this very club, though he’d left me a present the night before. It was the only reason I agreed to meet with the man. I found his gift…intriguing.”
I could only presume what his gift had been. “What did he want from you?”
“Immortality, of course. Turns out the good professor has a brain tumor. He only has six months to live. It’s made him quite mad. He believes I can cure him.”
“He believes you can turn him.”
“Yes. I didn’t have the heart to explain the truth to the bugger. Besides, we all like to have our admirers, don’t we? I think I could very much admire you, Miss Atwood. I find you endlessly fascinating.”
The room got cold around me as the vampire smiled at me. I knew that no matter how this case turned out, Alexander Sharpe wasn’t finished with me. I was on his radar and I couldn’t even use Marcus’s power to keep him away. He knew Marcus and I had nothing between us. He would enjoy toying with me.
Something behind me caught his attention. “Ah, it looks like he’s left me another one of his trinkets.”
O
ne of the doormen walked forward carrying a small wrapped box. Alexander Sharpe held out his hands and then motioned the servant to exit. “Would you like to do the honors, my dear?”
I didn’t want to. I had a suspicion, but I found myself untying the neatly placed crimson bow and lifting the lid off the box. Even in the dim light of the club I could plainly see the heart wrapped in tissue paper.
I shoved the box away and stood up with one thought in my head. He’d just delivered the package. He might be waiting to see if Sharpe would show up to acknowledge him. He might be standing outside, waiting eagerly to see if his god accepted the offering.
“Oh, I feel sorry for him,” the vampire murmured, but I was already racing to get out of the lounge.
Chapter Thirteen
I rushed past vampires in the lounge who tried to catch my attention, but I stopped when I made it into the hall. I physically couldn’t keep going. It was as though the walls themselves were threatening to close around me. They seemed almost alive and pulsating with menace. Whispers. I heard them coming from all sides, from the walls and the floors and the fixtures. Everywhere I turned something was beckoning, trying to lure me into the rooms. Traps. Stacy had mentioned something about traps. It looked like I was getting the full measure of one.
“Calm down and breathe through it.” Alexander Sharpe’s precise British accent cut through the panic I felt. He stood behind me, staring at me, curiosity in his cold blue eyes. He was long and lean, dressed in a conservative suit and tie.
What had she said? I needed a vampire to escort me or else the club would try to hold me. I felt it pulling at me. At first the whispers had been threatening, but they changed tactics. Now they soothed and tempted. They told me all the wonderful things that could happen if I opened the doors to certain rooms and stepped inside. When coaxing didn’t work, it went back to fear. I would die if I didn’t make it behind locked doors. It sent images of all the things that would come after me if I didn’t leave this hallway immediately.
