Dark Whispers Sheridan and Cain 2009

by Unknown

  * * * * *

  “Holy shit,” Dai muttered as he slipped through the crowd behind Wei and took in the club. Did the bastards who ran this place have the entire Vice Squad in their pocket?

  “You got the balls to hang, ge-ge?” Wei teased as he followed his brother’s line of sight to the big wooden X set upon a high balcony where the church’s monstrous pipe organ once resided. A woman was being strapped to the Andrew’s Cross by her wrists and ankles, her breasts and shaved pubic mound accented and jutting between the PVC strips that wound round her body.

  A burly, bare-chested man with a leather hood and tight leather pants approached the cross and waved the bullwhip in his hand to the crowd below, who began to chant.

  “Will! Will! Will!”

  “Make the bitch bleed!”

  “She wants it!”

  “I want it, too!”

  Crack!

  Dai jerked his head around and saw one of the PVC strips fall away, leaving

  behind a thin red welt.

  Crack! Crack!

  Two more strips fell, this time from the woman’s breasts.

  Crack!

  This time her arm was cut and blood trickled down her flesh. She craned her

  neck in an effort to lick at the wound, smiling when she managed to catch a droplet upon her pink tongue.

  “Holy fuck.” Dai stared with his mouth hanging open. The woman kept struggling to reach another taste of her own blood, her face contorting with pleasure as she savored the drops she was able to catch. Dai found himself licking his own lips, trying to imagine what the blood tasted like . . . if it was as good as it looked . . . .

  Where the hell did that thought come from? Dai clamped his mouth shut and looked away as he broke out in a sweat. “I need a fucking drink, Wei. Now.” He looked around for the bar, his tongue feeling dry, thick and swollen with thirst.

  “This way.” Wei laughed and tugged on the sleeve of Dai’s shirt. “That little show is turning you on, ehge-ge?”

  Wei nodded toward the cross where the man was now stroking at the woman’s exposed sex with the edge of his whip while she kept trying to lap at the cut on her arm in between her moans.

  Honestly, itwas arousing . . . the way the woman appreciated the pain, seemed to even crave it as precursor to pleasure. So was the utter redness of the blood against her pale skin . . . .

  Dai shook his head before his thoughts could get even more fucked up.

  “Yeah, whatever,” he mumbled in response to Wei’s amused smile. All around them, people danced or took in one of the many different “shows” that were being played out on various small stages set up throughout the club’s dance floor. Or, if they weren’t watching, they were putting on shows of their own in the darkened booths lining the walls of the main floor.

  “I didn’t know you were into this scene, Wei.” Dai looked at his brother, wondering how in the hell Wei’s ties to the mob got him involved in one of the hardest bondage clubs he’d ever even seen, let alone heard of.

  Leaning back against the bar, Dai made a conscious effort not to look at the woman or flinch when he heard the crack of the whip on her skin, even as he briefly wondered what it might feel like.

  “I’m not really into it,” Wei said, drawing his attention, “but the people I’ve been hanging with are. They’re into all kinds of crazy shit like you would not believe. You remember what that crazy fuck Watts used to say about ‘The truth of the streets being stranger than fiction’ He was fucking right,ge-ge. He was so fucking right.”

  At his brother’s flippant tone when he spoke of Watts, Dai’s hand tensed around his beer bottle, but he let it slide. He took a drink of the beer. “Enlighten me.”

  “No-can-do just yet. I have to get permission, and Madame Viktoria isn’t around.”

  Dai nearly choked on his beer.

  “Madame Viktoria? What the fuck? You some bitch’s sex toy?” he asked, gesturing to the couple on the small platform stage along the left wall, where a woman in a tight skirt, corset, and spike-heeled boots was having said boots licked by a guy wearing nothing but a red thong and a horse’s tail sticking out of his ass. The ass she spanked repeatedly with a riding crop.

  Wei glanced over his shoulder at the scene and choked on some of his beer.

  “Fuck no,” he said, laughing. “That chick’s riding her boy pretty damn hard.” He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted at them. “Make him beg, baby!”

  Dai shifted uncomfortably at Wei’s mocking attitude.

  “Shut the fuck up,” Dai snapped before taking a swig from his bottle. Wei didn’t really understand what was going on here, the play on power and suggestion . . . . God, Dai himself didn’t understand it yet, he just felt it. He wanted it.

  “What the hell’s bugging you, Dai?” Wei turned back around, a serious look on his boyish face for once. He frowned so his full lips formed a little pout, his smooth forehead creasing just between his brows. “Something’s up and you’re not telling me. I know it.”

  “Fuck off, Wei. You’re not Dr. Phil.”

  “What the fuck ever,” Wei grumbled as he downed his scotch.

  “Why’d you bring me here?” Dai asked, setting his half empty bottle on the bar. He flinched when a final crack of the whip brought a loud groan that was more pleasure than pain form the woman on the balcony.

  “I wanted you to check the place out.”

  Dai tensed. Fuck, this is exactly what that prick Fed wanted. Letting all thoughts of kinky activities slip away, Dai let his gaze skim the room like the trained cop he was. “You sure you didn’t want anyone in the place to check me out? You maybe trying to let them get a good look at the law they might have to deal with?”

  “What?”

  “Captain fucking Jack at three o’clock.”

  “Shit.”

  Dai cast his brother a curious glance then turned his attention back to the halfChinese guy crossing the club floor. He walked with a slow, practiced swagger, his long legs clad in brown jeans and high brown boots. He wore a burgundy shirt with full sleeves and an open brown suede vest. And he looked very much like fucking Jack Sparrow with his long hair and mustache.

  Dark Whispers Sheridan and Cain 2009

  Chapter Five

  “Oh, please,” Sakurai said, shifting his weight to his left leg and crossing his arms in front of himself in a thoroughly bored stance as the pathetically young vampires made a great show of snarling and baring their fangs. A bold pair of females slithered out to get at the blood of the mortal fool breathing his last behind the shattered door in the other room. “Yes, children, do have your bedtime snack then toddle off to your crypts.”

  A much stronger presence made itself known from a glass partitioned area at the rear and Sakurai shifted his gaze. This vampire was older. Older thanthese pathetic wraiths, in any event. He couldn’t have been more than a century old. Sakurai turned his head to look and smirked at the plump, balding beast packed into some type of red rubbery outfit like an over-stuffed sausage.

  “If you’re the creature striking fear into the heart of Jung Kai and his people then that fool deserves to die for his stupidity alone.”

  “Appearances are deceptive my friend, as I’m sure you know.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself by pretending to be a friend of mine.”

  Ignoring the insult, the rotund vampire grinned. “You should have been here yesterday; you could have entertained the Mistress.”

  “Such a pity to have missed it. I suppose this ‘Mistress’ is the famed leader of the Shan ching?”

  “The same.”

  Sakurai threw back his head and laughed. “I really need to go kill Jung Kai for this foolishness.” He raised one hand. “Don’t bother showing me out. I’ll find my own way.”

  The group of pathetic vampires parted in his wake as Sakurai made his way to a bolted door. The closer he got, the stronger the scent of mortal flesh and blood upstairs became. He licked his lips. Perhaps the evening would
n’t be a total loss.

  Why didn’t you kill him, Master Kwong?

  Why didn’t you let us do it?

  Silence! The Mistress forbade it. She knew he would come and she wanted me to gauge his power. It is immense.

  Sakurai paused on the dark, narrow staircase leading upstairs and bowed. “Why thank you for the compliment.”

  He tossed his head and laughed again as he ascended the rest of the way.

  Another pathetic human bodyguard stood beyond the door leading to the mortal section of the building and it took but a mere tap of a finger for him to unlock the door for Sakurai.

  With a laugh, Sakurai gave him a pat on the head then moved along the wall, masking his presence from the mortals and the one vampire present.

  There you are, Daisuke, my pet. Whatever are you getting yourself into?Sakurai wondered as a foppishly dressed vampire approached Daisuke and another young man. Sakurai sniffed the air. Yes, they shared blood, but not fully. Half-brothers, one of them full Japanese, the other half Japanese, half Chinese, so like himself and his dear Kiyoshi. How interesting.

  Sakurai leaned back against the wall, folded his arms in front of his chest and observed.

  * * * * *

  “Wei Qing, what isthis?”

  “This is a paying customer, dumbfuck,” Dai said, tossing a twenty on the bar and motioning for another beer.

  “Ge ge . . . .”

  The Captain Jack wannabe chuckled. “So this must be the fabled brother you keep talking about.”

  Fuck if he didn’t give that piece of shit mustache of his a twirl. Dai laughed and shook his head then sipped his fresh beer.

  He almost choked on it when Jack’s hand seized his throat. The scrawny little fuck had one hell of a grip.

  People nearby backed away and a hush fell over the immediate area.

  “Didn’t that Japanese whore of a mother of yours teach you any manners, Dai?”

  “No,” Dai growled out. “But Sergeant Nelson at the Academy taught me to shoot damn straight.” He pressed his off-duty weapon into the wannabe’s dick. “If you value your balls you’ll get your hand off menow.”

  The fucker actually sneered. “You’re trying to be cute, boy.”

  “Call me ‘boy’ again--please,” Dai growled, shoving the muzzle of his Glock harder still against the front of the man’s pants. “Think I’m bluffing?”

  “Obviously not.” The fucker’s smile dissolved pretty damn fast and he narrowed his eyes at Dai.

  “So get the hell out of my face. Now.”

  “Hey, c’monge-ge,” Wei put his hand over Dai’s and pushed himself in between them. “This is Yun. We’re all friends here.”

  The fucker backed off first and shot Wei an angry, hateful glare that the young man was too distracted to notice. Dai caught it, though, and he didn’t like it one fucking bit.

  “‘Friends’ is a pretty strong word, Wei.” Daisuke didn’t put his gun back in its holster right away and he kept his eyes on Yun. “Make sure it applies.”

  “I assure you I can be very friendly,” Yun said with a shit-eating grin Dai did not find amusing.

  “I don’t have time for friends.”

  Dai heard someone behind the bar say, “Call the police.”

  With his free hand, Dai pulled out the case with his detective shield.

  “Iam the fucking police,” he said, his gaze never leaving Yun’s. Yun held his hands in a submissive gesture and Dai carefully slid his gun back into his belt holster.

  * * * * *

  What game have we here? Sakurai watched the vampire play the part of the supplicated mortal. His smirk turned to a sneer when he caught the other vampire’s thoughts. Think again about ‘having a taste’. That one ismine.

  “I better get going, Wei. I got some shit to take care of at the apartment.” Daisuke shoved away from his brother and turned to leave. He froze when he caught sight of Sakurai all the way at the other end of the bar.

  Interesting , Sakurai mused. So there was some connection between them . . . the man could see past Sakurai’s veil for mortal eyes. It serves you right for being too fine to resist, dai-dai. He projected the thought between them before making sure his psychic guard was stronger and fading from mortal view again.

  Sakurai moved to the end of the smaller bar on the opposite side of the floor and leaned against the bar top to watch Daisuke frantically scan the club floor.

  * * * * *

  “Dai, wait.” Wei tugged at Daisuke’s sleeve, not so much a Mafioso tough man as a needy, whiny little brother.

  “Did you see that man?” Dai pointed at the spot where he’d seen the other man —the other man. The one from the DVD. “Right there—I swear to fuck, I saw him.”

  Yun laughed and took a glass from the bartender. “Wei Qing, your brother needs some fresh air to think clearly.”

  “Fuck you,” Dai snarled at Yun and shrugged out of Wei’s grip. “I can see myself to the door.”

  Pushing his way outside, Dai strode quickly to where he’d parked his car. He cut the alarm, unlocked the door then leaned on the roof to take a deep breath.

  Christ he was losing it, thinking he saw that guy from the DVD there. Worse yet, thinking he heard the guy talk to him. It serves you right for being too fine to resist, dai-dai.

  Blood rushed to his cock as the words echoed in his thoughts and the last part of the video replayed itself in his mind and Dai unconsciously touched his fingertips to his lips where the guy had kissed him.

  Sleep well my pet. We’ll play another night.

  Maybe tonight—please?

  “What the fuck!” Dai squeezed his eyes shut and tried to steady his breath. He didn’t even know who the hell he was fantasizing about, who’d even fucked him.

  His entire body starting to ache with longing, Dai moved his fingers away from his lips and rubbed at the sides of his neck, his shoulders. As he rubbed his shoulders, Dai noticed a dull throbbing pain just above his shoulder blades. But it was a pleasurable sensation as much as anything else and he found himself stroking the spot, practically masturbating it.

  Dai ripped off his blazer and shirt, not giving a shit about anyone who might be watching. He dropped into the driver’s seat and twisted the rear view mirror so he could get a look at the spot on his shoulder.

  “Holy shit . . . .” he gasped. There was a bruise about the size of a man’s mouth above his shoulder blade, with two pin pricks near the middle of the reddish spot.

  Needle tracks.

  That was it. The fucking Feds drugged him. He’d been royally set up. They’d staged a scene. They caught him jacking off on video and the “other guy” was a plant, he was addedafter the fact.

  Shit! Those fuckers really wanted Wei Wei’s new “friends,” didn’t they? But why? Was it really just the dope trade or was there more? Could it be the bondage club was the real mark? Maybe that was a cover, too. Maybe the bastards were trafficking in flesh, as well.

  Dai slipped his shirt back on and closed the car door. Fuck, that would be some nice looking bust on his own record if he could get in and take it all from under that fucker Brandt’s ass.

  * * * * *

  “And you must be the fabled Master Sakurai,” Yun said with a snakelike hiss as he shielded himself from the mortals and slithered up to the rear bar, a bottle of bloodwine in his grip.

  “Who I am is none of your concern,” Sakurai replied, placing his hand atop his wine glass. “I take it you fancy yourself to be somebody in our world.”

  Yun sneered, baring his fangs in that annoying cinematic way so many did.

  Sakurai tossed back his wine, a smile crossing his lips as he caught a flash from his new pet.It was no fabrication, Daisuke. Sakurai’s smile dissolved and he dropped the glass to the floor, crushing the pieces under his boot. “Tell whomever you work for that I’m neither impressed nor worried. Save your assassins for an easy target, why don’t you?”

  “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”
Yun sipped from his glass and studied Sakurai over the red-stained rim. “Assassins? No. That was a test.”

  Sakurai tilted his head down, letting the long dark strands of hair fall over his eyes and along the sides of his face as he stared at the other vampire. “‘My my’, said Goldilocks to the Big Bad Wolf, ‘what big balls you have’,” he whispered.

  Yun placed his half-full glass on the bar top and turned to Sakurai with an amused look. “Your pet thought the same thing. Next time he’ll use his mouth instead of poking me with that silly toy he calls a weapon.”

  The utter arrogance of this upstart vampire was nothing less than amusing to Sakurai. He took Yun’s glass from the bar and helped himself to the remainder of the blood-laced wine. “I imagine the bullets he puts in it are bigger than your cock.” Sakurai laughed.

  Yun didn’t look quite as amused after that, but he still managed to stick in a quip. “We’ll see if Daisuke remembers you at all after I’ve shown him what a real fuck feels like.”

  Before Yun could even fathom what happened he was lying face first on the floor and Sakurai’s fingernails were piercing Yun’s throat and gliding around, slicing through the flesh of his neck.

  A mortal screamed as Yun’s psychic shield failed and his body—and only his body—became suddenly visible. Sakurai knelt, his knee pressed into Yun’s back. He leaned forward, flicked his tongue across the gaping wound. “Next time, I take your fucking head off.”

  Sakurai pulled away and slipped through the crowd that had gathered around the scene.

  “Call an ambulance!” A man shouted to the bartender who scrambled to dial 911 on the cordless phone behind the counter.

  “Is he dead?”

  “What the fuck happened!”

  “His head was gone then it was there!”

  Sakurai watched with a smirk as Yun pulled himself up off the floor, clutching the wounds at his neck. The injured vampire threw a psychic block over himself and vanished before their mortal eyes. A number of them gasped in shock and confusion while Sakurai watched him slink off like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.