“Hi,” she greeted. “Is everything okay?”
“We’re turning appointments away right now,” he informed her. “Frank said we should be good in an hour or so.”
She took a deep breath. After having been alive four centuries, Victoria thought she’d felt everything there was to feel. Sorrow, joy, remorse, guilt, love, despair. Life still found a way to surprise. She never thought she’d be tied in knots over an eighteen-year-old girl.
“Thanks, Eric. I’m going to see what’s up.”
He let her pass. She pushed on the double doors, and was shocked when she felt resistance. Someone was holding them shut. They creaked open slowly, and a pair of eyes moved back and forth, peering through the crack.
“Oh, thank God, it’s you,” Kate, Vermilion’s receptionist, said. She pulled open the doors. “Come in.”
Kate yanked her inside. She looked lovely, as always. Perhaps dressed more provocatively than when Victoria lasted visited. No doubt a suggestion from Frank.
Victoria expected the worst. She thought the walls would be covered in blood and gore. Human bodies strewn about. But the place looked as it always did, maybe even better. Frank had taken her advice and hired a decorator. The artwork adorning the lobby was beautiful. The lighting was perfect. The water cooler had been moved to the opposite wall, with a refrigerator containing free samples for the not-so-human clients.
She had to admit, it was a joy to simply get away from the sensory assault above.
“Where’s Zoey?” she asked.
Before Kate could answer, the second set of double doors leading to the heart of the Vermilion, the bedrooms, swung open. Frank poked his head out. His face melted with relief as he ran a hand through his thinning hair.
“Victoria. Finally.”
He gestured for her to follow. Victoria smelled blood, heard crying. She couldn’t tell if the sobbing belonged to a man or woman. Her pace picked up, and she nearly raced around Frank. He stopped her before they reached the first bedroom.
“Whoa, hold on.”
“Frank, I’m not in a good mood.”
“I know, I know. Just wait a sec.”
He grabbed her shoulder. A dangerous move, but Victoria allowed it. Barely. He spun her around and took a breath.
“I’m still trying to put it together,” he said. “We’ve got two stories. Zoey says he attacked her first. He says the complete opposite.”
“He?”
“His name’s Cole. He’s been here before, never had a problem with him. And Zoey gave the thumbs-up, so you can’t blame this on me.”
A voice called out from bedroom number four. She turned and saw Michael, standing guard.
“Hey, Frank,” the voice said. “That bitch is fucking crazy! If I see her again, I’ll kill her!”
Victoria clenched her fists. The moment she left town, everything went to hell.
“I told you someone needed to supervise,” she said. “I’m fine with her being here without me. But I told you to have someone watch her.”
Frank shrugged, and the nonchalant gesture almost made her rage.
“Victoria, come on. She asked us not to.”
“And you listened?”
“Yeah. Zoey’s eighteen. She’s a good kid. She’s a smart girl, got a good head on her shoulders.”
“Indeed. But when did you listen to her over me? We’re not talking about giving her space so she can learn to drive, Frank. This is a little bigger than that.”
“Okay. We all made some mistakes here. It won’t happen again.”
She took a deep breath, still trying to calm down. She was glad Zoey wasn’t hurt, but peace hadn’t found her yet.
“You need better security here. I’ve been telling you this. Did you get the ultra-violet lights set up?”
He frowned, and she knew the answer.
“Business is booming, but that’s a lot of money I’m not sure I can swing right now.”
“Have Jack pay for it.” She rolled her eyes at the thought of her brother-by-choice and his business ventures. Jack had been investing in the Vermilion. “He’ll cover it.”
“Look, don’t take offense. But … I’m not really sure how much I want to work with him. The dude scares the fucking shit out of me.”
“Then I’ll pay for it. But get it done.”
“It’s not just the money.”
“What, then?”
He took a breath.
“There’s a certain level of trust you expect when you walk in this place,” he said, gesturing around him. “If clients find out I’m installing UV lights, that might scare customers off.”
“Not the good ones.”
“I don’t know—”
“We’ll talk about this later. Where’s Zoey?”
“Room two.”
She left Frank behind and gave the door a gentle knock. Pushing it open slowly, she flashed Zoey a gentle smile as she entered the room.
Victoria’s teenage roommate sat on the end of the queen-sized bed. She hugged her bare knees to her chest, giving the illusion of Zoey having much more leg than she had. Her complexion seemed paler than was typical. The shoulders of her shirt had a few tears, but Victoria knew that was a fashion choice. She looked up at Victoria’s entrance, revealing streaky mascara. She’d been crying. Zoey rarely wore much makeup, a fact Victoria filed away. She knew it was only a matter of time, but she hoped Zoey wasn’t trying to mix seduction or sex into feeding. She wasn’t quite ready for that.
“Hi,” Victoria said gently.
Zoey said nothing. She offered the best smile she could, a weak one, and waved. Victoria shut the door behind them.
“Can I sit here?” she said, patting the spot next to her.
“Sure.”
Victoria joined her, and the obvious reared its head. She would have laughed, if the situation were different.
She was completely out of her element.
Mentoring a vampire wasn’t new to her. She’d done it many times, with many people. Even Alex Teague owed his beginnings into the supernatural world at large to her. But she’d never mentored someone so young. Zoey wasn’t even out of high school yet. In fact, instead of being at the Vermilion, she should have been at the mansion, sipping a cold bottle of blood, studying. But that was a conversation for another time.
Victoria felt sympathy for Zoey, for what she was going through. Hollywood had glamorized vampires ever since movies first came to be. But nothing could be further from the truth. Hiding from the sun, living in the shadows. To become the complete opposite of human. It was a tough change for anyone, much less a teenager.
At least a werewolf could eat steak. A vampire gave up so much.
“Are you okay?” Victoria asked. That was the most important question.
Zoey laughed, a good sign.
“Oh, yeah.” Her eyes turned dark as she peered at the wall separating Cole and her. “There’s nothing that bastard could do to me.”
“What happened?”
“Everything was going okay. But he wanted to … take it further.” She looked up at Victoria. “I’ve only had sex a few times. It was awkward enough without having fangs. I told him I wasn’t ready for that, and he wasn’t happy. He, uh, got a little forceful.”
Victoria could feel her lip twitch.
“I kicked him off me, and he flew into the wall.”
She pointed, and Victoria looked up. She hadn’t noticed when she walked in. There was a huge dent in the wall next to the door. Chunks of drywall littered the carpet.
“He ran out, started shouting. Acted like I was the one who attacked him.”
The two sat in silence a moment. Victoria tried to calm down. No one was hurt, only a wall. Things could have been much worse.
“You believe me, right?” Zoey asked.
Victoria did. Zoey had lost control before, almost killed a young man. Victoria saw the effect that had on her. Zoey vowed to be a better vampire, even turning down Kevin’s offer of magical daylight imm
unity. Frank was right. Zoey was a good young woman. Life wouldn’t be easy. She’d have challenges, even setbacks along the way. But after so much progress, she didn’t believe Zoey had lost control.
Victoria trusted her.
“Yes. Of course.”
“I know there’s supposed to be someone in here,” Zoey said. “I’m sorry about that. But I just, I don’t know. It’s kind of creepy drinking from someone with a babysitter watching over you.”
She nodded in agreement. It was creepy, but necessary.
“Let’s compromise. How about this? When I’m not here, use one of the rooms with the hidden cameras.”
Zoey laughed awkwardly, frowning.
“Uh, that might be just as creepy.”
“Here’s another idea. I can ask Jack to watch over you.”
“Okay, okay. I get it. No problem. Secret recordings, it is.”
They laughed together, and Victoria squeezed her shoulders.
“Let’s go home. You know we have blood at home, right?”
“I know. It’s just, warm blood from a vein … ”
Zoey couldn’t finish her thought, but she didn’t need to. The sensation was indescribable. Victoria nodded and rose to her feet.
Zoey sighed and stood up, gesturing to the wall.
“How pissed off is Frank?”
“Don’t worry about him. Drywall is easy to fix. Human casualties aren’t. You did good, Zoey. None of this is easy, I know. I’m proud of you.”
The teen beamed. If her cheeks could turn red, they would have. Zoey gathered her sandals from the side of the bed and slipped them on. There was a conversation in progress as they left the room. Frank and Cole stood just outside room number four.
“—place are you running here?”
“Relax. I already told you. You’ll get your money back.”
“I want that bitch on the end of a piece of wood.”
Cole stopped talking when he saw the two vampires. His face took on a look of pure hate. Victoria had seen him before, in the club above. A large young man, much larger than Zoey. Muscular build, shaved head. His body tensed at the sight of Zoey.
“You,” he said.
“Cole, don’t,” Frank warned.
Frank reached out to grab Cole’s shoulder, but Cole was already moving. He marched down the short hall, balling his fists. Zoey took a step back, ready to defend herself. Victoria never doubted Zoey’s story, but it was clear as he approached who the aggressor was. However, she questioned Cole’s sanity. He was surrounded by vampires. Michael was near the end of the hall and moved to intercept. Frank also was right behind him.
None of them were fast enough.
“You fucking whore,” Cole hissed.
He pulled back his fist, seemingly unaware of Victoria’s existence.
Victoria reached out and caught his arm. Zoey jumped behind her. It dawned on Victoria that Zoey had never seen her ugly side before.
“Let go of me!”
She twisted his forearm, and down he went. He had no choice. He tried to put up a fight, tried to act tough, but it was useless.
“Follow me, please,” she said, her temper barely under control. It was only knowing Zoey watched that kept her rage at bay. The thought of Cole trying to force himself on her, whether or not she was a supernatural being, nearly sent her over the edge.
“Fuck you.”
“Manners.”
She dragged him down the hall. Frank did nothing but shake his head. Michael reached out, as if to intervene, but a mere glare from Victoria backed him down.
“Victoria?” Zoey said.
“It’s okay. Just give us a minute.”
She turned into room four. Cole tried to get away, but she grabbed him by the back of his shirt and slung him inside. She closed the door behind her.
“Who the fuck are—?”
Cole never finished his question. Victoria was on him. She wrapped both hands around his throat and squeezed. He gasped and cough, his face turning red. He grabbed her wrists to loosen her grip. She squeezed tighter and threw him against the wall.
“No words,” she said. “I’ll do all the talking. If you say one word, I’ll kill you with my bare hands. Understand? Nod, if you do.”
He barely managed the gesture. She released him, and he fell to one knee, gasping for breath. She dropped to look him in the eye.
“You’ll never come here again. Not to the Vermilion, not to the club above. Okay? No words,” she reminded. “Just shake your head up and down.”
He did so.
“Now, I hope this goes without saying, but you will never get near Zoey again.”
He opened his mouth. She hastened to cover it, for his own safety. If she heard his voice again, she wasn’t sure what she’d do.
“No, no. Just nod. Nod your tiny head.”
Another nod.
“Good. I’m glad we understand each other. Leave. Quickly.”
Cole nearly ran. He didn’t bother shutting the door behind him. He pushed past Frank, and Victoria heard the double doors open and shut. Frank poked his head into the room.
“Victoria?” he said.
She took a deep breath. She wanted nothing more than to pour a glass of blood and run a bubble bath. After giving Frank a gentle pat on the shoulder, she smiled at Zoey, who stood outside room two. A range of emotions went through Zoey’s eyes. Apprehension, fear, but also a touch of admiration, even gratefulness.
“Now, let’s go home.”
CHAPTER 4
VICTORIA WASN’T USED to driving the Jeep. It had been a while. Every bump, every pebble, made her feel like she was on a roller-coaster. Zoey was silent as they made their way through the streets of Baltimore. Plenty of traffic, plenty of people. Two men hanging from the windows of a limousine, enjoying a bachelor party, whistled and leered at Victoria and Zoey at a red light.
Victoria tried to gauge Zoey’s mood through body language. Fidgety, moving her legs around a lot. She seemed to be in her own world, staring out the window. Victoria wouldn’t interrupt. They were halfway home when the conversation started.
“So,” Zoey said. “How was Wyoming?”
She sighed, not wanting to relive the trip. She wasn’t successful in every case. Sometimes murderers did escape. The wicked men and women in the world weren’t always punished.
She stopped a vampire research lab, saved at least one life. Hopefully, she put a dent into whatever dark project humanity was working on next. But it didn’t feel like a victory.
That wasn’t something for Zoey to worry about.
“It was okay,” she said. “The hotel wasn’t much. The rental car even worse.”
Zoey laughed.
“That Porsche spoils you.”
“Yes, it does. Very much. My mid-life crisis car. How about here? How are things going?”
The response surprised her. Zoey leaned her head against the window.
“Lonely. Boring.”
Victoria turned to look at her. Those were two words she never expected to hear. Her mansion was well equipped with anything Zoey could possibly want.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’ve been gone … what? Two months, off and on? Then Kevin up and vanishes.”
“I thought you said he got back together with Leese.”
“He did, but I haven’t seen them. He just sent me a text. That’s why I went to the Vermilion tonight. I just needed to see some people.”
“You know, you’re not locked in, Zoey. You can do whatever you want.”
“I know. I’m not blaming you. But it’s just, since I moved here, I really haven’t made any friends.” She looked down. “I miss Kylie.”
Victoria laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. That was all she could do. A vampire had attacked Zoey and her best friend Kylie. It was only luck, or unluck, that Zoey could handle the change from human to vampire, and there was enough of her left.
Despite everything, Zoey finding the vampire, making peace
with Kylie with Alex’s help, Victoria knew she blamed herself.
“What about Leese? I thought you two were okay?”
“Yeah, we are. But I wouldn’t call us friends. She’s twenty-one, out clubbing with her own group. And then Kevin and she broke up, and he’s the reason I met her. It’s just weird talking after that.”
Victoria realized just how out of touch she was. She couldn’t wait to get home, relax, stay in for a few nights, see her own friends. Maybe she could help Zoey get out of the social rut she was in.
“Well, I’m home now. We’ll get everyone over the house, have a party. Watch some movies, drink some blood.”
Zoey managed a small smile.
“It’s good to have you back. I’ve missed you.”
“It’s good to be back.”
Victoria made the familiar trip up the long driveway. Zoey opened the gate with her own remote key-chain. The mansion was a welcome sight. She’d traveled all over the world, but there was nothing like returning to her own bed. Zoey fumbled for a moment before opening the garage. Victoria smiled as the door raised, and her Porsche sat waiting.
“Ah,” she said. “There it is.”
“You okay?” Zoey joked. “You want me to leave you two alone a minute?”
“I might need ten.”
She parked in the garage. As they left the Jeep, she trailed a finger along the Porsche’s exterior. The gesture brought out a laugh from Zoey. Her luggage was still in the back of the Jeep, but unpacking could wait until tomorrow.
Victoria opened the door leading inside, and that’s when the smell hit her.
A smile crossed her face.
“Hold on,” she said, blocking Zoey from entering.
“What?” Zoey asked.
“Do you smell that?”
Zoey lifted her nose and sniffed. Victoria watched her. She would never pass up a chance to teach Zoey, let her experience her senses. The nose for a vampire was just as powerful as the eyes and ears. It took a moment, but her eyes lit up with recognition.
“Is that … ?” She sniffed again. “Oh, wow. Let’s go say hi.”
Damned and Cursed | Book 10 | Fallen Skye Page 5