Tall, Dark, and Vampire ditc-1

by Sara Humphreys

  Pete shifted his feet and looked away. Olivia knew how uncomfortable he was discussing his demon bloodline. The poor guy had only found out a few days before he was turned into a vampire, but he had adapted surprisingly well. The fact that he was already mated to a shapeshifter likely helped him adjust faster than a human who had no knowledge of the supernatural creatures who lived in their midst. Most vamps had a hard time accepting their new life at first.

  “It turns out I don’t require sleep, at least not the way most vampires do, and when I do sleep, I don’t dream anymore. Is that normal?”

  “Yes,” she said abruptly. “Sorry, I forgot to warn you about that.”

  Had she forgotten? Or had she conveniently avoided the subject, since it made her incredibly uncomfortable that she was dreaming again? Until Doug Paxton showed up at her club tonight, she assumed it was a ghost visiting her, but now that she’d met the detective, she had no fucking idea what was going on. Damn it.

  Olivia’s eyes captured his briefly, and she cleared her throat. “What else?”

  “I tolerate sunlight to a point, silver stings but doesn’t burn me like most vamps, and I can manipulate heat, but that’s it as far as the demon stuff.” His serious eyes locked on hers, and his lips set in a tight line. “They hate it, you know. The czar and his senators—they really hate the fact that I can daywalk.”

  “I know,” Olivia sighed and rubbed her eyes. “The daywalking ability really galls them because they all want it, they desperately want it, and they’ll never have it. I still think that’s why the emperor appointed you to the position of sentry so quickly. Well, that, and the fact you’re a liaison to the Amoveo.” She smirked. “If you work for them then it’s easier for them to keep an eye on you.”

  “What about that bloodmate legend?”

  “Bloodmates?” Olivia stilled and leveled a serious look in his direction. She had never told Pete about it. Her voice dropped low. “Who told you about that?”

  “You probably shoulda,” he teased good-naturedly as he wagged a finger at her. “Marianna told me. If a vampire finds his or her bloodmate and bonds, then both become daywalkers. Right?”

  “Please.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes and put her Louboutin-clad feet on the desk, attempting to seem casual when she was actually freaking out. She wasn’t even sure what was happening with Doug, so she certainly did not want to drag Pete into it. They had enough on their plate with the dead guy.

  She kept her voice light and a smile in her eyes. “I didn’t tell you because it’s a silly, made-up story, and that’s all it will ever be. Vamps have been chasing after that one since God was a boy.”

  “Maybe. But rumors usually spawn from a grain of truth,” Pete murmured as he studied her intently, but Olivia remained resolute. “Something’s up with you.”

  “Yes.” Olivia dropped her feet to the floor and straightened the few items on her desk. “It looks like Maya made a big fat mess for me to clean up, and as if that’s not bad enough, Vincent is coming to town for a visit. The timing couldn’t be worse.”

  “Your maker?” Pete smirked. “I can’t wait to meet this guy,” he said sarcastically. “From what you’ve told me, he’s a barrel of laughs.”

  “I’m sure he’ll like you as much as you’ll like him.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Pete glanced at the clock on the desk. “When is this big coven pow-wow? I’ve got a pregnant woman at home who will be looking for pancakes and bacon when she wakes up.”

  “How’s she feeling?” A smile curved her lips. Marianna had gotten pregnant just before Pete was turned, and their twins were due soon.

  “They’re due in a few months. She’s hungry as hell, but I can’t figure out if it’s because she’s pregnant with twins, or because she’s a shifter. She’s in the Bear Clan, and believe me, she freaking eats like a bear, but if you tell her I said that, I’ll deny it,” he added quickly.

  “Your secret is safe with me.” Her smile faded as she picked up Doug’s business card. “What can you tell me about Doug Paxton?”

  “He was my partner, a great cop, and one of the best men I know—human or otherwise. He’s loyal and fiercely protective of the people he cares about, not that there are that many of them. It’s been hell keeping my distance from him.”

  “Why are you keeping your distance?” She cocked her head as curiosity got the better of her. “Do you think he suspects something?”

  “He knew something was different when I saw him a couple of months ago but couldn’t put his finger on it.” Pete folded his arms over his chest. “I’ve been avoiding him ever since. The man is like a dog with a bone. He won’t let go until he figures it out, but that’s what makes him such a great cop.”

  “I see.” She glanced at his business card. “You said he doesn’t have many people in his life. So, no wife or girlfriend?”

  She tried to make the question sound casual but failed miserably.

  “No.” Pete crossed to the desk and leaned over with both hands on it as he studied her closely.

  Damn it. Olivia kept her expression neutral and flicked her confident gaze back to Pete, hoping she could bluff him.

  “Why are you interested in Doug’s personal life? Wanting to know about him as a cop, that I get. But questions about his dating life? Now that is interesting.”

  Olivia rose slowly from her chair and kept her eyes fixed firmly on Pete. “My only concern is protecting my coven and my business. Detective Paxton is investigating the murder of a guy whose last living moments were at my club with my bartender, so I want to know who I’m dealing with, and one of my progeny is his main suspect.” Her voice dropped low. “And that’s it. Got it?”

  Van Helsing whined and shifted to a sitting position.

  “Whatever you say.” A wide grin cracked Pete’s face as he pushed himself off her desk and opened the door for her. “After you, boss lady.”

  Olivia wanted to tell him to shove it, but she grinned in spite of herself. “You’re just lucky that I like you and you married my friend,” she said as she brushed past him with Van at her heels. “Otherwise, I’d kick your butt for being such a wise-ass.”

  Olivia strode through the empty club with Pete and Van just a few steps behind her. Sadie, Trixie, Maya, and Damien were seated at the bar waiting for Olivia, and whatever conversation they’d been having abruptly stopped.

  “Where’s Suzie?” Olivia asked as she stepped behind the bar.

  “She split a few minutes ago,” Damien responded.

  All eyes were on Olivia, except for Maya’s. Her weepy gaze was transfixed on her hands, which were folded neatly in her lap as tears rolled down her cheeks. Olivia studied her carefully, looking for any sign that this was more of her manipulative behavior but found none, and in spite of how irritated Olivia was, she actually felt sorry for Maya. Apparently, she was genuinely upset.

  “So, Maya,” Olivia began quietly. “Are you crying because the young man is dead, or is it because you actually realize what a fucking shit-show you’ve brought down on your coven? Or both?”

  Maya shrugged and wiped the tears away but said nothing. Olivia knew she was being hard on the girl, but she had to impress upon Maya and the rest the serious nature of their situation.

  “How could you be so careless?” Olivia asked. “First you bring him back here and toy with him all day long. Here. In our home.”

  She inched closer to the bar but kept her hands behind her back, knowing that it would be far too easy to grab her and attempt to shake some sense into her. While lecturing Maya on self-control, it would completely undermine her to the coven if Olivia lost hers.

  “Then, as if that’s not bad enough, you show even less restraint by draining him dry and tossing him in a dumpster for any human to find.” Her voice rose higher with every word as anger and fear got the better of her. “Everyone in the club saw you flirt your fangs off with him all night long, and who fucking knows how many people saw you leave here with him after closing? H
ow could you do this? Do you realize what kind of risk you’ve put all of us in?”

  Silence hung in the air, and all eyes were on Maya.

  “I—I didn’t kill him, Olivia.” She turned her large, teary blue eyes to Olivia. “I swear to you, as my maker, I didn’t do it.” She stuck her arm out to Olivia. “Here. If you don’t believe me, check my blood memories.”

  Everyone looked at Olivia, and the room fell silent.

  As the leader of the coven, this was a defining moment. She expected her progeny to trust her at her word, and in exchange, she should do the same for them. If Olivia took Maya up on her offer, it would demean all of them. No. She had to trust Maya if she wanted them to continue to trust her. Her coven was her family, not a police state.

  “Not necessary.” Olivia glanced at Maya’s arm and shook her head curtly. “If you’re telling us that you didn’t do it, then we, as your family, will take you at your word.”

  In a blur, Maya flew over the bar and wrapped Olivia in the tightest hug of her life. “Thank you, Olivia.” Sobbing, Maya laid her head on her shoulder, like a child seeking forgiveness from a parent. “Thank you so much. I’m so sorry. I won’t ever feed on boys in the club again. I promise.”

  Unaccustomed to public displays of affection, Olivia stood with her arms out at her side and Maya clinging to her like a baby chimpanzee. Sadie shot her a look and nodded. Jeez, Olivia. Hug the poor girl back before she soaks that expensive suit with all her bawling.

  “You’re welcome.” Olivia patted Maya on the back and gave her a reassuring hug. After a moment, she took her by the shoulders and pulled back, forcing Maya to look her in the eyes. “I know that you’re sorry, and I appreciate the apology, but we still have a problem.”

  “I know, and I really am sorry for breaking the rules. I shouldn’t have fed on him in the club.” Maya sniffled and wiped her tears away. “What can I do to fix things and make it right?”

  “For starters, you are forbidden from live feeds until further notice, and you aren’t to leave the confines of our building for any reason.”

  Maya opened her mouth to protest but snapped it shut almost as quickly.

  “Is that clear?” Olivia asked.

  Maya nodded. “So basically, I’m grounded?”

  “Grounded?” Trixie laughed loudly and pounded the bar with a ring-studded fist. “That’s freaking brilliant. I feel like I’m living in an episode of the Vampire Brady Bunch.”

  Maya shot her a look and flounced back to her seat at the bar. “Oh, shut up.”

  “Enough,” Olivia said wearily. “Let’s not turn into the Bickersons on top of everything else. Maya is still a youngling, and we all make mistakes. Right, Trixie?”

  The smile ran from Trixie’s face the second Olivia mentioned mistakes. She’d made her fair share as a new vampire too, and it was unlikely she’d want to revisit them now.

  “Yeah,” Sadie chimed in with a wink. “If memory serves, someone tried to fly at sunrise and see if she really was going to get burned.” She tapped her chin and pursed her lips. “Who was that again?”

  “Okay, okay.” Trixie giggled and punched Sadie on the arm. “Point taken. And how can we forget the story about the time you made out with that human guy before you realized he had a sterling silver tongue ring. From what Olivia says, you cried like a baby, and that was only like twenty years ago.”

  “Tasted like battery acid.” Sadie grimaced and shivered. “I only grazed the damn thing with my tongue, and it hurt like a bitch. Silver sucks.”

  “See? It’s all good, Maya.” Trixie tugged Maya’s long hair playfully. “Olivia’s right. Everyone makes mistakes.”

  Olivia winked at Trixie. Thanks. She self-consciously twirled one of her pink spikes of hair and lifted one shoulder as a sheepish grin cracked her face.

  “What about you, Pete?” Maya said as she swiped at her tearstained eyes. “What dumb things have you done?”

  “Too many to mention, kid.”

  “Like I was saying,” Olivia continued. “We still have a problem. Maya was the last person seen with this guy before he died, which makes her the prime suspect. The humans will be easy enough to deal with—we can glamour them if we need to—but the Presidium is another problem entirely. I’ve got to get down to the city morgue, so I can have a look at the body and take a DNA sample from the wounds. Czar Augustus will eventually hear about this, and I want to stay a step ahead of the investigation. I’ll check the sample against the records at the Presidium, and if it was a vamp killing, it will be easy enough to prove that you didn’t do it.”

  She looked at Maya and softened her tone. Olivia knew she’d been hard on Maya, maybe too hard on her, but she had to learn somehow. Her behavior put the entire coven at risk.

  “If you didn’t kill him, then we shouldn’t find your DNA in the wounds, and you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Boss lady,” Pete interrupted. “Why don’t you let me take care of that stuff?”

  “No. I appreciate the offer, but you’ve got a personal life outside of this shit, and the last thing you need is an angry, pregnant wife, especially one that can turn into a bear,” she added with a wry grin.

  “At least let me give Millicent a heads-up,” he added. “She’ll have your back.”

  Millicent was the records keeper for the New York branch of the Presidium and almost as old as the czar. As a former sentry herself, she had a soft spot for Olivia and would do the DNA test without making a stink.

  “Agreed.” Olivia nodded and glanced at the clock. “Sunrise is in about an hour. Damn it.” She rubbed her eyes and let out an exhausted sigh. “Pete, let Millicent know I’m coming but give her as little information as possible. I don’t want to make her complicit in case this goes the wrong way. If the laws have been broken and a human was killed, the Presidium won’t take it lying down—especially Augustus,” she said under her breath. “He’s still got the mind-set of a Roman senator. Arrogant and absolute in his beliefs. If he thinks Maya made this mess, then he’ll report her to Emperor Zhao and have her executed.”

  Maya blanched and nibbled her lip but said nothing.

  “I got your back, kid,” Pete said with a wink to Maya. “They’re not that bad. Just a bunch of old windbags.”

  Olivia folded her arms across her chest and turned her attention back to the rest of the coven. She knew they would be unhappy with her next request and braced for their resistance. “In the meantime, I’d like the rest of you to refrain from live feeds as well, until this is resolved. Damien has another shipment of blood coming in, so there’ll be plenty for everyone.”

  “No problem,” Damien added in his smooth baritone.

  “Very funny,” Sadie said. “As the only human in the room, it’s certainly not a problem for you.”

  “Like I said”—he shrugged his massive shoulders—“no problem.”

  Sadie flipped him the bird.

  Olivia shook her head and laughed at the banter.

  “Damien, do some research online later today, and find out anything you can about Ronald Davis. Maybe his death has more to do with him than it does with us. As of right now, all we know is that he’s dead and that Maya didn’t do it.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  “Oh,” Olivia said through a weak laugh. “I should warn you all that Vincent is coming to town for a visit.” A collective groan rose from the group, but Olivia held one hand up, which silenced them. “I know he’s a stodgy pain in the ass, but he is my maker and an elder, so give a girl a break, and be nice. And I think it goes without saying that we don’t need to discuss this whole mess with him. Correct?”

  They all nodded in agreement.

  “One more thing,” Pete interjected. “If it’s alright with you, I think we should let Shane in on this.”

  “The other sentry?” Olivia put her hands on her hips and let out a long breath. She stared at the vaulted ceiling as she spoke. “I’d really rather keep this between us for now. Besides, I hav
en’t even met him yet.” She looked at Pete through narrowed eyes. “Do you trust him?”

  “Yes.” Pete raised his hands to prevent her from arguing. “Listen. The guy has been a sentry for four hundred years, and he is Mr. By-the-Book. I’m worried that if we don’t clue him in, and he gets wind of it some other way, it will only make matters worse.”

  “Fine.” She leaned back against the shelves of booze and looked at the faces of her diverse coven. “Keep it to a minimum. Let him know there was a suspected vamp killing near the club, and that you’re looking into it. Leave Maya’s name out of it until we get that DNA sample checked out.”

  “Not a problem.” Pete gave Maya a brotherly wink. “Don’t worry, kid. We’ll get it all straightened out.”

  “Are you sure?” Maya sniffled and looked at Olivia.

  “Absolutely.” Olivia mustered a weary smile. “Hey, we don’t even know for sure if it’s a vamp killing. Let’s take it one step at a time.”

  That was bullshit. She knew deep in her gut that it was a vamp killing. Olivia prayed Maya was telling the truth. If she wasn’t, if she did indeed kill Ronald Davis, then there would be no saving her from the Presidium’s justice.

  Chapter 3

  Doug leaned back in the chair at his desk, laced his fingers behind his head, and stared at the computer screen without really seeing it. They had questioned several witnesses, but none yielded solid leads. In true, late-night New York City fashion, no one saw anything, or if they did, they weren’t talking. The Hollingsworth woman provided an alibi for the bartender, so for the moment, the little blond was bumped from the top of his list.

  They reached a series of dead-end leads far too quickly for his liking.

  One thing bothered him more than anything else. He couldn’t get his mind off Olivia and the striking resemblance she bore to the woman from his dreams. How in the hell was he supposed to keep his mind on this case when he couldn’t keep it off her?

  “Shit, you got it bad, kid.” Tom’s gravelly laugh pulled him from his thoughts.