“Nah, just had the size and coloring.” She rubbed at her cheek. “I could see the other one lying on the ground. Could smell the blood.” A visible shudder went through her. “I know that well enough.”
“I’m sure you do.” He shifted slightly on the balls of his feet. His calves were starting to feel the strain, yet he was afraid to move for fear of spooking his witness. “How exactly did this guy leave? You pointed to the roof?”
Now, the woman’s lips thinned. “Maybe I didn’t see anything.”
“Please.”
“I told you that sometimes I imagine things, see things that aren’t there. Flashbacks, a doctor once called them.” She spat off to one side—in commentary, perhaps. “I’m not crazy.”
“Please tell me what you saw. I promise I don’t think you’re crazy or seeing things that aren’t there.”
Bending one knee, she laid her hand on top of it. “He jumped, then he crawled.”
Trey blinked a few times. “Crawled?”
“All the way to the top of the building.” She made a motion with her hand from the ground to the roof, five stories high.
* * * *
“I need your help moving my blood supply to Emil’s secure storage off the kitchen.”
From his seat across Alex’s desk, Val pursed his lips. “Keeping a supply of blood in the refrigerator then microwaving it is a dumb way to feed.”
“I do not have the time or energy to negotiate my way into a fresh source on a routine basis. Buying it on the black market has gotten easier, thanks to the Internet, and having it in the ice box in my own kitchen has always been handy.”
“Refrigerator.”
“Hmm?”
“You have trouble keeping abreast of the changes in human vocabulary. Stop talking like you’re from the early twentieth century.”
Alex huffed. “This constant evolution of language is tedious. Humans are so restless in everything, even speech. Before long, we’ll be holding entire conversations using emojis.”
“I think the young ones already are, if Mackie is anything to go by. Anyway, I’ll handle moving your supply. No worries. I take it your fridge isn’t safe anymore? I wonder why?” He shot Alex a feral grin. “You’re finally allowing a human into your personal space, I gather. Blood bags aside, is that wise?”
“You think I’m making a mistake.” He stated it as fact and spoke again before his friend and confidant could reply. “I’m afraid I am, too.” He sat back and stared at the ceiling. “You know it’s been a very long time since I dared become close to a human, and I’ve never become involved with a subordinate before.”
“Employee. We’re not military anymore, not on this planet or our own.”
“Same concept.” He shook his head and choked out a laugh. “There’s something about him that I can’t resist. I mean, not even for two days.”
“Well, he is pretty irresistible.” The growl passed Alex’s lips before he could hold it back. With a chuckle, Val held his hands out in surrender. “I’m just making an observation. You know I don’t stray from Mackie.”
Alex got himself under control. “Yes, of course. Do forgive me. As I was saying and you’ve just experienced, I don’t seem to show my usual restraint where this boy is concerned.”
“How far have you gone?”
Alex sighed and tipped back his head. “Too far and yet not far enough. I haven’t fucked him, but that’s only a matter of time. Perhaps a matter of hours, the way things are progressing. I haven’t bitten him, but I have tasted his blood.” He closed his eyes briefly at the memories. “Once was when he skinned his palm. One second I was helping him, and the next, I was lapping that delicious sweetness.” The mere retelling of it had his cock hardening. “Thank God, he hadn’t seen that he was bleeding before I sealed the skin.”
When he paused, Val jumped in with the obvious. “Once implies there was at least one other time.”
“Hmm, yes, one other. Last night.” He straightened and gripped the arms of his chair. “I sucked him off and, at the point of climax, I couldn’t resist the urge to mix the fluids, shall was say.”
Val grinned. “Dick blood? Very nice.”
“It was incandescent. No one has ever tasted better nor given me such a feeling of joy and power, even.” He gave his friend a hard look. “If that’s how I react to a drop or two, what would drinking a more substantial amount do to me?”
“I have no idea, boss, but I know you’re going to find out—and soon. If you’ve already progressed to the cocksucking stage, then bloodsucking can’t be that far away.”
Alex sighed. “I’m afraid you’re correct about that. It would be hard enough to accept falling for another human, but with Adrian prowling around, it’s that much more…terrifying, I must confess.”
Before Val could even make an attempt at reassurance, Alex’s phone rang. He answered with impatience then modified his emotions when he saw that Kitty was calling from the bar. She wouldn’t disturb him if it weren’t important.
“Yes?”
“The police have returned and they want to talk to you and Val again.”
Shit, just what I need. “Tell them we’ll be right out.”
Ending the call, he narrowed his gaze. “The homicide investigators request the pleasure of our company.”
“Christ.” Val stood with a huff of frustration.
Alex joined him, echoing the sentiment. “Amen.”
They had long ago adopted human expressions and mannerisms to blend in better, but he had to admit that their colorful swear words added a certain satisfying punctuation to his feelings. There was something soothing, as well, in the religious rituals they’d been forced to participate in for assimilation purposes.
They found the cops at the bar drinking mugs of coffee. Hospitality, both offering and accepting it, was both a human custom and one from their own culture. As much as the presence of the two men grated, he was glad that Kitty had stepped in and represented the family properly.
“Gentlemen,” he said in way of greeting, trying to keep his irritation out of his tone. Ingrained politeness and a need to stay off their radar as possible perpetrators drove his effort.
The senior man, Duncan, sat closest to them. He swiveled in his seat and finished his sip of coffee before putting his mug down. He slid off the stool. “Mr. Stelalux, thanks for taking the time. I’m sorry to barge in on you unannounced.”
“I appreciate the apology, but I’m not convinced it’s heartfelt, sergeant.”
Duncan grinned. “You may be right about that, sir. Then again, investigating a brutal murder makes me a little rude.”
“I can well imagine.” He stopped a couple of feet away, gratified that even this tall human had to tilt his head back a little to keep their gazes locked. “Any luck?”
“Maybe. We talked to a witness who might have seen the killer.”
“Indeed?” Alex worked hard to keep his expression mild and his sudden tenseness invisible to the humans. Beside him, Val stiffened a small amount. If what Duncan said was true, it presented an unwanted complication. “Can you say who?”
Duncan gave him a fake pained look. “No, sorry. But I can say that the description was surprising.”
“In what way?” Apparently, the cop wanted to play a boring and irritating game where Alex was forced to drag information out of him.
“The description given sounded a lot like you, your uncle and your cousins.” The cop glanced at Val. “Very unique.”
Alex stiffened in an obvious way. “I trust you are not suggesting that any of us are the killers. I believe we’ve been more than cooperative in answering all your questions.”
Duncan scratched at his chin. “Yes, sir, you have, and we appreciate it. The witness was actually quite clear that it wasn’t any of you, because this witness is familiar with the club and its inhabitants.”
“Then what is it you hope to gain from coming here?” Unable to keep his blasé demeanor, he stepped aside and leaned
against the bar. “Would you be so kind as to pour me a cup of coffee, Kitty?”
She gave him a knowing smile. “Sure thing, Boss.”
He turned his attention back to Duncan, giving him a deliberately patient look.
“I’m hoping, sir, that with this new information, you might be able to add to what you’ve already told us. We might be searching for a man who is very tall with pale skin and long, black hair.”
“Thanks,” Alex shot at Kitty before taking the mug she offered. He deliberately took a long swallow while staring at the cop from over the rim. The scalding temperature didn’t bother him in the least.
Lowering the mug, he said, “Are you suggesting that anyone who shares my appearance is someone I know? As if we must be from the same ethnic group and therefore familiar with each other? Isn’t that rather racist? That’s like my asking you if you knew Paul Robeson simply because you’re both African-American.”
“I identify as mixed-race, actually, sir, and Robeson died quite a few years before I was born. I’m a bit surprised you’re familiar with him, given that you aren’t much older than I am.”
Oh, if you only knew how long I’ve actually been alive. “His magnificent bass voice transcends time and generations.”
Duncan offered him a tight smile. “I guess my tastes run more to grunge bands. But, I take you point, sir. My apologies if I’ve offended you.”
Taking another gulp of his coffee, he put the mug on the bar counter and sighed. “You haven’t, not really. I simply find this vicious murder right outside my door quite disturbing. Nothing would please me more than to help you find the perpetrator.” The lie tripped off his tongue. “I wish I could help. Other than my family members here, I don’t know anyone in the Boston area that is related to us or even has similar coloring and features.” He shrugged and picked up the mug again, if only to give his restless hands something to do. “Our ancestry is a bit murky, and we really don’t fit in with modern-day Romanians in any event. We were as much an oddity there as we are here.” He took another long swallow of his coffee. “Standing out in a crowd gets wearing after a while.”
“I think I can relate,” the cop replied, and that simple show of some wit did make him more endearing. Absent the murder, Duncan was someone Alex would have liked socializing with. “In any event, it was worth a try.”
The cop glanced at his partner over his shoulder. “Let’s go, Karl.” Nodding at Kitty, he added, “Thanks for the coffee, ma’am.” Then he trained his intelligent eyes on Alex once more. “To be frank, sir, the witness was a bit unreliable. They actually said the possible killer climbed the side of the building, like a big bug or a bat, maybe. Or, you know, a vampire,” he added with a chuckle. “Ridiculous, right? It really puts into question the entire story.”
Alex kept a pleasant expression plastered on his face. “Yes, that does sound ludicrous.”
“Anyway, thanks again for your time.” With a nod at Val as he passed, the cop left with a confident stride, his partner at his heels.
When the sound of the front door closing reached their ears, Val let his breath out with a whoosh and a curse. “This is starting to heat up fast. Who was the witness, do you suppose?”
“You’ve fixed the security cameras outside, I gather?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s go take a look at it then and see if we can spot this mysterious witness the cops talked to.”
Val fell into step when Alex headed for the control room where Val kept all his electronics. “We don’t know that they interviewed the witness here.”
“No, but it’s the only place we have to start.”
He texted Harry to join them. The older man often had a keen eye and a cooler head. Certainly, when it came to humans, he understood the species better than any of them. Not only was the man a doctor, he had a long-time mate with whom he’d fathered a mixed-race child, as Duncan would likely refer to Demi.
Harry met with them outside the control room door. He stood beside Alex while Val took a seat in front of the massive computer console and started clicking at the keys. An image materialized on the main screen showing the alley where Adrian had done his dirty work. A familiar lump lay by the dumpster. Duncan and his partner wandered farther and stopped in front of it.
“It was Logan,” Val observed, as the lump stirred and came to life. “No real surprise there.”
Alex folded his arms in front of his chest and watched the conversation play out. “Of course. Emil feeds her, doesn’t he? That would be reason enough for her to come to the alley at all hours.”
Val huffed. “She was a warrior for her people, yet they do nothing to care for her.”
Alex grimaced at the sight of the disheveled female. “It’s abhorrent that she was put into war at all.”
Harry shook his head. “Really, Alex, such outmoded thinking. Have you never heard of gender equality?”
Not liking that his subordinates thought he didn’t move with the times as easily as they did, he stiffened. “It’s absurd that humans have ever thought females inferior to males. Our species never did, but we also didn’t put females into harm’s way. They are far too precious.”
Harry sighed with his version of being extra patient. “Only to us because of our hive-based society. Humans reproduce in an equal balance of genders. You know that. They can lose a lot of females without triggering the need for gender transformation, although I, for one, am certainly grateful the process has proven successful with humans.”
Yes, Alex did know all this. Harry was very happy with his small and unusual family. There were times when Alex envied his friend’s good fortune. To find someone to love in this alien world and to produce an offspring with him, no less, was an astounding blessing. It remained a bright point in the midst of their never-ending quest for survival.
That thought led his mind to visions of Quinn. The boy had proven so beautifully responsive to his attention. His pretty face had taken on a look of exquisite ecstasy in the moment of his release. What would it be like to retire at the end of each night with such a creature in his bed? He could easily picture spending the rest of his life with such perfection, except that wouldn’t happen. Humans were not only fragile but short-lived. Even with their modern medicine, Quinn would never live as long as he would, not unless he changed him. Although they’d yet to learn how long they could extend a human life, they knew so far from those that had been turned that it lasted at least several centuries.
Would Quinn even want such a thing? Learning Alex’s secret might send him screaming. It had happened before. In the modern era, when humans were willing to accept the concept of alien life-forms, it was riskier now than ever before to reveal the truth. One had to be certain that the human being let in on the secret could be trusted to keep it. As much as he wanted Quinn, he knew next to nothing about the boy. He might be the kind to go right to some tabloid and sell the story. Even as the thought occurred to him, his heart dismissed the notion. Quinn was a good kid, not a user.
“There.” Val’s voice broke Alex out of his reverie. He froze the image on the screen. “See where Logan is pointing? That’s the way Adrian made his escape.” He craned his neck to look at Alex. “She did see him.”
“Hmm, I don’t think I was ever really in doubt about that. The only thing we have going in our favor is the fantastic nature of the account itself and, regrettably, the poor woman’s history of mental health issues.”
“That’s a horrible thing for us to be pleased about,” Harry remarked.
Alex sighed and dropped his arms. “Agreed, but I must put the interests and security of our people first. I’d hate to exploit her weakness, except I don’t think it matters. Duncan is taking her account seriously, at least to a certain extent.”
Val turned around to face him. “You don’t think the cop believes we’re vampires?”
“Probably not. He’s no fool, though. That much is clear. He knows something strange is happening and he’s not going to
stop digging until he solves the murder.”
“Which only means we need to find Adrian first and make sure no one else can ever find him again.”
Alex tamped down his growing frustration. “Yes, leaving where we’ve been all day—spinning our wheels and waiting for him to make his next move so we can hopefully track him better.”
Harry shook his head. “I have to say this. I find myself hoping he’ll strike again soon. I want this finished quickly, except that means some poor soul has to die.”
“Unfortunately, yes. It will be tonight, I’m guessing. Dracul is not a patient man. Now that he’s rekindled the war, he’s going to escalate quickly. We just have to be ready for it.”
Chapter Seven
“They’re too big and hang off your ass.”
Quinn twisted to get a look at his butt in the long mirror. Plucking at the modicum of fabric hanging there, he said, “I don’t think so.” He stared at Mackie’s reflection behind him. “Unlike you, I don’t want to paint my jeans on. Besides, I’m going to gain back the weight I lost recently, so I need my pants to have some give.”
Mackie lounged against the entryway to the dressing room area, phone in hand. He tossed his head. “You’re never going to attract Alex’s attention with that attitude.”
“That’s fine, because I don’t intend to try.” It was a lie, of course, but while Alex hadn’t forbidden him to discuss what had occurred between them, he still felt as if he shouldn’t speak of it—not yet, maybe not ever. It could still end up being a one-night event, even though he and Alex had already agreed to meet again after his shift.
Quinn stood in front of the mirror and gave himself a critical review. Going shopping had been Mackie’s idea. Although it was hard to spend even one dollar of his new income, he had to admit that he needed to stop dressing like a street kid. The artfully distressed jeans and simple green button-down shirt were attractive without putting too much of a dent in his wallet.
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