Bloodthirsty Bastard: A Hero Club Novel

by T. L. Christianson

  “We came back in to offer you twenty-five dollars for the coin,” she told him, in her lawyer voice.

  “Well,” the man scratched at his chin. “That coin’s worth at least two hundred.”

  Aubrey shrugged, “We can buy a similar one for a lot less elsewhere. It’s up to you.”

  He eyed my friend. “One hundred.”

  “Sorry that won’t work for us. Thank you for your time.” Then turning to me, she said, “Let’s go, Caro.”

  I hesitated, gazing at the coin through the glass then back at Aubrey.

  She whispered into my ear, “Part of being a good negotiator is the ability to walk away. Come on.”

  I allowed her to drag me halfway through the shop before the old man called out again. “Young lady, I can see that you really want it. I’ll give it to you for seventy-five.”

  I turned, but Aubrey cut me off, “Thirty.”

  “Seventy.”

  My friend turned. “forty.”

  He grunted, “I’ll give it to you for fifty-five, but that’s my last offer.”

  She smiled. “It’s a deal.”

  My new glasses made life a lot easier as I examined the coin back at work the following week. On it was written ‘L’UNION FAIT LA FORCE,’ which was French for ‘unity is strength.’ I needed to read up on my Belgium history, but for now, just holding the coin made me feel connected to something larger than myself.

  When Mel sauntered up to my desk, I nearly dropped the thing before catching it and sliding it into my pocket. She looked at me with her usual irritated expression. Maybe she was just one of those people who had resting bitch face.

  “Hey Mel, I can’t help but notice that you’re hovering. What’s up?” I lifted my glasses to rub the bridge of my nose.

  She let out a long sigh. “Soooo, what do you have going on next week?”

  I shrugged, “Work, I guess, why?”

  She tapped her pen on my desk, “Ethan has a meeting in Brașov, and as his assistant, you need to go.”

  “Uh…traveling? With Ethan? Do you really think that’s a good idea?” I made a cringe face.

  Mel rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. “Oh, for heaven’s sake! You’re both adults, just grow up and move on.”

  I shook my head in irritation and sucked in a breath. “You don't need to get nasty. Of course, I’ll go. Just email me the information.”

  “I’ve already sent it. Chronos Corp in New York is sending a private plane to pick you and Ethan up. You’ll fly back to New York, pick up their CFO, Frederick Aldridge, then fly to Brașov. You’ll have a car waiting to drive you out to the Balaur. You know? The company you’ve been working with.” Leaning over me, she drew a line through three weeks on my calendar.

  “Tomorrow?” I sighed, “Of course tomorrow. All right, when and where do I need to go?”

  “Be ready at 7 am sharp. A car will pick you up from your home and take you to the plane.” With that, Mel turned on her heel and marched away.

  Turning to my computer, I typed in Brașov and began reading.

  Brașov is a city in the Transylvania region of Romania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains.

  “I’m going to Transylvania?” I whispered, a furrow lining my brow.

  11

  My driver pulled straight onto the tarmac, parking near a sleek jet.

  Hesitantly, I stepped out of the car and strode up the steps into the plane. Off in the distance, the sun made colorful streaks across the sky as it began peeking over the horizon.

  I was greeted by a steward who took my coat and welcomed me aboard.

  My mouth curved up into a smile when I caught sight of my vampire. Ethan sat, pen in mouth, hair mussed, with a laptop full of code.

  “Morning,” I told him cheerfully.

  “Hey, come have a seat.” He motioned for me to sit across from him at the table where he worked.

  “Doesn’t it bother you sitting backward?” I asked, taking the forward-facing seat across from him.

  “No.”

  “Is it just us?” I asked, looking around the large and well-appointed cabin.

  “For now, it’s just you and I. We’re stopping in New York to pick up Freddie before continuing on to Romania.” His eyes went back to his computer. What did all this code mean? What did it do? I wondered.

  “Who’s Freddie?” I set my bag down and made myself comfortable.

  “He’s the CFO of Chronos Pharmaceuticals. We’re working on integrating a new feature into their system. But, this project is too big for Dumont Tech alone, so I’m farming out some of the coding. That’s where Balaur, the Romanian company, comes in.” Ethan must have sensed the flight attendant, because he reached out to take his drink from the man.

  “Miss, can I get you anything?” The steward asked.

  “Coffee? Cream, no sugar.” I yawned. This was too early for me.

  As the main cabin door was closed, I heard the captain begin his checks.

  My eyes kept returning to Ethan. The way he unconsciously ran his long fingers through his dark wavy hair and his crystal blue eyes as they scanned the screen.

  The attendant returned before take-off and handed me the coffee and a napkin. Hiding behind my cup, I watched my boss as he bit the pen in between scribbling down notes. As usual, the words were not in English or French. So, they had to be in Flemish. I could barely read it, let alone guess at the words.

  Ethan only wrote in English if needed.

  I pulled the coin from my pocket and held it between my thumb and forefinger as the plane turned onto the runway. After only a brief pause, the engines roared, and we were flung up into the sky.

  I bobbled my coffee, and a significant drop shot out of the mug and landed on my silk blouse. Biting my lip, I dabbed at the fabric with my napkin.

  When I was done adjusting my shirt to hide the stain, I found Ethan’s eyes on me—the corner of his mouth curved up and one eyebrow lifted.

  “You all right there?” He asked.

  “Apparently, I need a sippy cup. I’m unable to handle a cup of coffee,” I laughed.

  His mouth twisted in some emotion I couldn’t identify. “I am glad you came with me.”

  “Me too. I’ve never been to Romania before,” I said, holding his gaze.

  “You taught in Ireland?” He asked. “How did you find it?”

  I tried to pull off his euro shrug but just felt foolish. “Yeah, it was cool, but when my program came to an end, I had to come back to the US.”

  I pulled out my latest romance book and set it on the table. A shirtless pirate clutched at a woman in a long gown.

  Ethan’s eyes traveled to the paperback, then back up at me. “You’ve missed me…and I’ve missed you.”

  I licked my lips, unsure where this conversation was headed.

  Yes, it was true—I missed him, but he didn’t need to act so confident. As if he was the only thing I thought of day and night—no matter how true it was.

  I hid the coin inside my palm.

  When I gazed back up at my vampire, those pale blue eyes pierced me, making me suck in a shaky breath.

  Finally, I conceded, “Yes, fine. But that doesn’t change anything.”

  “Your mind thinks differently—like mine does. It’s not every day I meet someone I can connect with,” he said, closing his computer and setting it aside.

  “How have you been, really?” I asked warily. “I see you still have your blood donors come daily.”

  His smile faded. “Yeah, a necessary evil, I suppose.”

  I flipped my romance book over so that he’d stop eyeing it.

  “Has Ashley had her baby? I haven’t heard anything,” I asked.

  “Yeah, a few weeks ago. Mel and I visited her in the hospital.” He cleared his throat. “I saw that Aubrey Bloom is pregnant; I saw her just last week.”

  “Yeah, I put it on your schedule.” I bit my lip. “She’s about eight months now. I need to start looking for an apartment so that they’ll hav
e room.”

  “Oh? Why don’t you live on the company grounds? There are four townhomes and three houses. One townhome is open for Ashley and her family—but they won’t need it for another few months. You could stay there until you find something more permanent.”

  “Oh?” I narrowed my eyes and looked into my empty mug. “I don’t know if I can afford it.”

  He shook his head, “Oh, it’s prorated based on what you make. Ask Mel for access.”

  “Oh? Okay. Wow, that would be awesome. Safe, secure, and probably really nice. That’s really cool. You said four townhomes and three houses for employees? Was that your idea?” I tapped my book on the table.

  He nodded, “I believe in equality. My house is equal to that of my employees. I might have a few added perks, but the base is the same. Equality. You work, you deserve a place to live.”

  I laughed, “You’re an idealist. What you’re talking about is basically socialism.”

  He shrugged. “It’s fair. Just because someone cleans the floors doesn’t make them less of a person.”

  “Stop, you’re putting me on.” I swallowed more coffee.

  “No, I’m serious. If humanity acted more like moroi, there wouldn’t be poverty or homelessness. We take care of our own; we make sure everyone has a way to contribute, and everyone is responsible.” He tapped his signet ring on the table.

  “How? Why? Because you’re all so rich?” I let out a silent laugh.

  “Because we have decades if not centuries with each other. A desperate person is a problem for everyone, not just humans, not just the local clan.”

  “So, everyone who works for you is moroi, other than me?” Our gazes met, and that fluttering feeling swept through me, pooling in my belly.

  “No, most everyone at Dumont Tech is human.” He reached out and took my hand in his. “Want to know how to tell if someone is moroi?”

  I nodded, hypnotized as he stroked the back of my hand.

  “Their pulse. It’s slower than humans.” He laid my fingers across his wrist so that I could feel the slight rhythm of his heart.

  “I can’t tell. I don’t even know what a human’s heart rate is supposed to be.”

  I let him manipulate my hand, then he flinched.

  “You’re wearing silver,” he held his thumb to his mouth.

  I looked down at my grandmother’s ring. “The ring? Oh! I’ve always worn it.”

  He laughed, “Yeah, it just burned me.” He showed me the red line across his thumb.

  “It burned you?” I asked, sliding it off and setting it aside.

  “Yeah, but it’ll heal—special properties of a moroi.” Holding his hand out, I watched as the mark slowly faded.

  I ran my finger across his palm. “When you saved me from the mountain lion, why did you wait until we were back at your house to give me your blood? Why didn’t you just do it right away?”

  “Because if I gave you my blood before I set your arm, it would’ve healed wrong. I also wanted to clean the wounds first as well.” He interlaced his fingers with mine, sliding them in a movement that gave me chills.

  I wanted to close my eyes and revel in his touch. Instead, I pulled my hand away and laughed awkwardly.

  “You know, I didn’t need my glasses for over a month.”

  “I know, but I kind of missed them.” He touched the edge of my new frames. “I like these, though. You look like a sexy librarian, especially with the messy bun.”

  I widened my eyes, “Ethan Dumont, you are flirting with me.”

  “I’d be pretty bad at it if you didn’t notice.” He smiled his crooked smile, the one that gave me shivers.

  “Why? I told you it was over,” I almost whispered, half afraid to hear the answer.

  “I’m a very patient man, and sooner or later, I get what I want, and I have made it perfectly clear that I want you.” The timber in his voice, the way he said it, and the expression on his face could easily supply me with memories to last me a lifetime.

  I slipped my ring back on and pressed my cold hands to my cheeks. My heated face meant a bright red blush had spread across my cheeks and down my neck.

  He playfully tugged at the silk ruffle of my blouse. “I’d like to see how far that blush goes down.”

  Rolling my eyes, I said in a breathless voice, “Why do you say things like that to me?”

  “Because I mean them. Why don’t more men say things like that to you?” He pulled one of my hands from my face and held it between his own.

  I widened my eyes. “No other man could say half the things you say.”

  He smiled, his teeth skimming his full bottom lip. “I say these things because they’re true, and I’ll admit it—I love to watch you squirm.”

  I slapped his arm, trying to wipe the smirk off my own face. “Hmmm.”

  Getting up, I moved to another chair and buckled myself in. I had my book and some water.

  However, I struggled to concentrate while Ethan faced my direction. My body was so on edge, and I struggled to read even one sentence. Every time his eyes would flick toward me, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill run through me.

  Finally, it was he who gave up and moved to face the other direction. I wasn’t offended, he had work to get done.

  I did finally get to that book. I was a bookaholic. The guys in a book never broke my heart and always said the right thing.

  Gazing up at Ethan’s back, I thought of how he made me feel. Sure he would never say the right thing, but what about all the wonder and warmth I also felt? Was the bad worth the good?

  When the plane landed at JFK, I peered out the window as we taxied to a private hangar and waited. Ethan gazed out the windows as well, so I unfastened my seatbelt and slid in across from him.

  “So, what’s this Freddie guy like?” I asked.

  “Freddie?” He swallowed. “Freddie is an old, well connected, moroi. All moroi…”

  I cut him off, whispering, “he’s a vampire?”

  “Yes. Fred belongs to the New York clan, which is larger than my own.” His gaze went to a black SUV that pulled up outside our window. A beautiful, tall, brunette woman wearing an expensive suit spoke to a young guy who clumsily held a laptop and some other equipment.

  Pointing at the brunette, I asked, “She looks important. Who’s that?”

  “That is Hazel Richards. She’s one of the corporate attorneys for Chronos Corp.” He shifted positions uneasily.

  “And that boy? That is Freddie?” I asked, gazing at what looked to be a teenager with reddish-blonde hair, and long gangly limbs. “Him? He’s a powerful vampire?”

  Ethan’s eyes pierced my own, his face sober. “Yes. Be careful.”

  “Hazel’s really pretty. Is she very old?” She wore her hair in a style reminiscent of victory rolls and the 1940s. Her red lips and winged eyes were modern but with a classic twist.

  “Hazel? I think she’s a younger moroi. Probably early to mid-century.”

  “Crazy!” I whispered.

  “You can lay down during this next flight.” Ethan motioned to the rear of the plane. “After we eat, you can go back there to rest. Close the door, and no one will bother you.”

  “Are you worried about Freddie?” I asked.

  He hesitated. “Hmmm... Fred and I will be working. We won’t sleep. You, on the other hand, need to.”

  “Do you sleep at all?” I asked, twisting my ring.

  He smoothed my hair from my face. “Yes, I’m still alive, remember. Just different.”

  Freddie alone joined us on the plane, and Hazel got back in the SUV.

  Ethan made introductions, which ended in an awkward handshake between the newcomer and me.

  After the guy’s weird glances and strange mannerisms, I decided to escape to the back room earlier than I’d planned. Closing the door, I noticed that the steward had left two pillows and a blanket. On a low table, there was also a packet of earplugs, an eye mask, a bottle of water, and a box with some gourmet food items. I sift
ed through the offerings and opened a bag of chocolate-covered almonds.

  Closing all the blinds, I stretched out on the couch, holding my spare pillow. I had downloaded several rom com’s and planned to watch a few before getting some sleep. Midway through LaLa Land, the female flight attendant popped in to check on me.

  Finally, halfway through my second movie, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

  12

  I awoke to Ethan’s whisper, “Caroline? We’re eating before the final descent, would you like to come join us?”

  My eyes fluttered open to find Ethan crouched beside me. His head tilted as he watched me groan and stretch.

  Slowly, I pulled myself up to a sitting position.

  “What time is it?” I asked groggily.

  The vampire lifted a corner of the blinds, and sunlight streamed in through the windows.

  “It’s late afternoon in Brașov.”

  “We’ve been flying for over twenty-four hours?”

  He turned to go, but glanced at his watch. “With all the stops to refuel, yes. He gazed around the plane. “This is a fast jet. A smaller craft would’ve taken a lot longer. Would you like to eat dinner with us?”

  I rubbed my eyes, still bleary. “Let me freshen up, and I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Making my way to the bathroom with my bag, I blinked at the bright lights above the sink. After I’d changed, brushed both hair and teeth, applied new mascara and deodorant, I was ready to meet the day—or night—or whatever.

  When I strode into the main cabin, the two men were chatting and laughing. The winter sun had started to dip low on the horizon, throwing long orange rays across the space.

  The stewardess smiled and laid out a place setting next to Ethan. “Can I get you something, ma’am?”

  “Coffee, thank you.”

  Freddie examined me again, making me squirm in my seat.

  I stared back at the stranger. “How was your flight?”

  The red-haired man’s eyes darted back to his laptop without answering.