by Nick James
Sia had phoned almost begging me to come and get her. They were worried that I was brainwashing her to split from the coven. All they seemed to care about was her link, although long since dead, to the Russian royal family.
I took a cab past the entrance and saw armed guards standing by the gate, and once again the bastard captain had followed me. There was no way to get inside and leave with Sia. At some point the coven would decide what they were going to do with me. The fact that I was in America and alone would make things easier for them. One plus point was the constant contact with Rose; a simple word from her cleared away all my worries.
Finally it was Wednesday, and once again I was waiting outside her work on the sidewalk. The door of her office building opened and there stood Rose sporting her radiant smile. She slammed her body into mind, smashing our lips together.
‘Miss me?’ she asked excitedly, looking deeply into my eyes.
I brushed her dark hair away from her face. ‘More than I can say, Rosie. Shall we go?’ I asked and took her overnight bag from her. I groaned at the weight. ‘How long are you staying?’
She pulled me along to the pub. ‘Just tonight, any more than that and I’ll need a ring and commitment,’ she said, winking back at me.
We parted the crowds easily enough, entered the pub and then saw a different barman, which I thanked God for, but my date had guessed.
‘Still not off the hook, buddy boy. Now, buy this treacle a drink and bring the menu,’ she instructed before taking off her coat to reveal her usual black business attire, but this time it was just a bit tighter. That said, Rose could wear a shapeless sack and still look amazing. ‘Oi, quit perving. Drinky, por favor,’ she demanded with a big grin on her perfect face as she sat down in the same booth as last time. And just like that I started a tab, carried over the drinks and ordered another Martini to follow in five minutes along with a menu.
‘There you go, Rose. The menu and your next one are on their way,’ I said, making her blush.
She fluttered her mascara-adorned eyelashes at me. ‘You know me so well.’ She smiled before downing her drink and waving her hand at the bar as the last drops of Martini hit her tongue. ‘But we will not be drinking all night, milord. Some of us have work in the morning.’
I moved my hand like I was controlling a puppet. ‘Blah, blah. Cry me a river, baby. You’re just jealous.’ I moved quickly to dodge the five-fingered slap of justice. ‘I’ll work again…one day.’
Her drink had been replaced and now she was perusing the menu intently. ‘You, sir, are a shit, and I don’t think a job would suit you. You need to be an owner,’ she said as she twirled a strand of her long hair. ‘As you told me, you’ve owned a store before. You’re a leader not a follower.’ Then she squeaked with excitement. ‘How about a bar? You can live above it and if I can still put up with you, I can do the books – once I do some classes, that is.’ She beamed a dazzling smile.
‘You in a bar? Isn’t that risky?’ I replied. This time, despite my vampire quickness, her hand connected with my head.
We were both silent while musing the idea, or maybe she was thinking about how to get her revenge on me, but time would tell on that one.
‘It’s an idea, Berty. You do look restless,’ she said in her loving tone.
I could see the concern in her eyes, even though we had only known each other for a short time, and I knew she was right. But to move forward I needed to tell her about my past, which for now was not something I wished to do.
‘Sounds like an idea. Not sure I’m rich enough to buy in Manhattan, though, but your idea does have some merit,’ I stated, after which her lips turned upwards slightly.
With our food orders taken and another round of drinks ordered, Rose told me about her week so far, which as you can imagine wasn’t that amazing as an office worker. Then she started to probe about my friend in trouble.
‘So, no contact at all from the Brit? And Anastasia is having family problems?’ she asked with a funny look on her face. ‘Not a lot of details, Berty. What’s really going on?’
I sighed. ‘I’m sorry, not my business to share, I promised.’
That seemed to placate her, for now. But if I knew anything about women it would go to seed in her mind and she would dwell on it. We chatted about the bar idea, and even dragged the barman into the conversation. He agreed about the prices in Manhattan, but the outlying boroughs were still manageable, it just depended on the crowd you wanted to attract.
We ate our meals, just a simple burger and fries. Jasper wasn’t at work today, so I didn’t have to play provider for the ex-soldier. I hefted her bag after paying the tab and led her to my home.
‘Rose, I have a question?’ I said and saw her raise a quizzical eyebrow.
‘Okay, lay it on me, Berty?’ Her face straightened wondering where this was leading.
We crossed the street and headed towards my building. ‘Do you actually earn money at your job, or do they pay you in shiny objects?’ I asked, and then let slip a small chuckle.
‘Mr Funny Man, they pay well enough, thank you. And when you act your age you might see some of it. But the way you’re going, I’ll be able to buy a car with all the money I’m saving.’ She punched me on the arm so hard I thought it had also bruised my other one.
We linked arms and headed into the building where we received a brief nod from the doorman, Gerald I think his name was, who strangely didn’t need to be fed by me, which made a nice change.
As soon as we stepped into the lift, Rose kissed me while running her fingers through my hair. Within minutes of the lift doors reopening, we were in my apartment with fire in our eyes and passion pouring from us.
She placed a hand on my chest. ‘Give me ten minutes, lover.’ With a chuckle she ran to the bedroom kicking off her shoes as she did.
If my heart worked it would have been going 100 miles an hour. There were some things about vampire physiology that had always intrigued me, such as not needing to take a breath, but we did to fit in, it was really just muscle memory. But as our hearts didn’t work to push blood around the body, how did Mr Happy join the party?
‘ARE YOU LISTENING? I’M READY!’ Rose shouted out, clearly wanting to keep my neighbours up to date.
I walked towards my bedroom door, but I had to stop to tidy her shoes, the messy cow. I entered my room and saw a vision of beauty, which was my Rose, sat on the bed wearing a knee-length black silk nightie which matched her hair, both glistened in the room’s sidelight.
‘Wow, you look stunning,’ I muttered and walked over to the bed, joining Rose in more ways than one.
It had been many years since I had felt whole. Of course, all the time before being bitten by that cursed monster, and when Annabel and I were together, the brief period with Veronica and little Suzie, and now with Rose.
We made love into the night until our bodies called it quits way before our passion abated, but it was such a glorious coupling that it would have made the gods who judged us jealous.
We sat at the breakfast table drinking coffee and eating croissants. Our eyes were locked on each other with playful smiles on our faces. Questions had been asked throughout the night about my stamina and the quietness of my heart as she lay her head on my chest. All I said was that it had always been like that. Not a good answer, but it stopped the conversation, thankfully.
We embraced by the front door as goodbyes were said along with kisses and touches. ‘Thank you for last night. It was…amazing.’ She cupped my cheek. ‘Will call you later, okay.’
‘Perfect. I’ll miss you,’ I said, hoping I wasn’t being too soppy. I knew she wasn’t that type of girl, which was one of the reasons I liked her so much.
She slapped me on the chest. ‘Prat, but I’ll miss you, too.’ She kissed me again. ‘See you Friday.’ After a wink, she waved from the lift as the doors closed.
I closed my own door and leaned my head against the wood smiling to myself as I tried to hold onto the feeling of
being happy. I still had her smell on me from the shower we had shared; it was bliss in its purist form.
For the next two weeks nothing changed as Tracey was still missing. Whereas Anastasia had managed to get a call out to me on her hidden mobile. She was still on lockdown because she wouldn’t bow down to the coven. They wanted the Duchess Romanov, and that’s what they received. She simply told them that a Romanov did not bend on knee to anyone, especially the likes of them.
After that phone call it had gone quiet, but I received a text from the butler, Graves, telling me to watch my back. The coven were concerned about the hold I had over Anastasia, and they were discussing how to sever the ties between us, which I didn’t like, at all. Also, she had been moved into the dungeons, or ‘the cellar’ as they called it, and they had found the spare phone, so the captain had been called.
The relationship between Rose and I grew and grew. She stayed over midweek and Friday nights, which were the days I yearned for. This weekend, though, things had changed. Things were out of my control and once again my life would start to unravel.
Rose stayed Friday and also Saturday night as a treat. We had a meal out and a trip to the cinema on the Saturday just like other couples. I was happy. We said our goodbyes at midday on the Sunday still with childish smirks on our faces like we had been caught doing something wrong.
As the sun finally decided to do a disappearing act, I relaxed into my chair and gazed out over my balcony through the vast window holding a chilled glass of blood with a dash of Scottish single malt whisky. Then there was a knock on the door, which was strange. Either it was the doorman or a neighbour.
‘Please be the doorman,’ I muttered as I made my way to the door. I stopped dead as I realised that it wasn’t a human on the other side. I closed my eyes, reached out with my senses and threw open the door. ‘TRACEY!’ I exclaimed, and then felt her slender figure glide into mine. ‘Where have you been?’ I whispered into her ear as I moved her into my apartment. I released her and picked up her suitcase.
‘Blood and booze. I like it,’ the stunning redhead said, licking her lips. She stood in front of me draining my glass wearing a red dress with matching coat and heels. Never scruffy this one. She passed me her coat and kicked off her shoes before making sure they were neat and together.
I walked over to the sofa where she had made herself comfortable and poured her another half-and-half mix, which I’d prepared after Rose had left. ‘So, is there a story here, Tracey, or did you just fancy a visit?’ I asked, pouring myself a drink before sitting down alongside and turning to face her. ‘Never known a room to be quiet with you in it,’ I commented, which did bring a smile to her face.
She took another sip. ‘Nice place you have here, Albert. And I like your new girlfriend, really pretty,’ Tracey said, making me sit up straighter. But before I could ask, she grabbed my hand. ‘It was that fucking coven. They showed me pictures of you both. I suppose they were trying to make me jealous, and they thought I would be so thankful that I would turn my back on you, my only true friend, and join them in thanks.’
‘Fuckers,’ I said, frowning. ‘I tried to contact you for weeks. What happened?’
She downed her drink, which I refilled. Tracey nodded her thanks. ‘Well, you know what I’m like, plan for the worst and hope for the best,’ she said, and chuckled as I nodded. ‘It started two days before the meeting.’ Then she started to tell me what had happened…
Chelsea, London, United Kingdom
Tracey strode through the streets of the city of London on a mission. She was wearing what she called her ‘arse-kicking gear’ in all black, which was a big change for her: leather jacket and tank top, black Lycra leggings and knee-length leather boots with block heels – no spikey fun ones tonight.
She was angry because she had been given an A4 brown envelope by a bicycle courier who rode off as soon as her fingers made the envelope crackle. Her first thought was a possible spouse trying to drag her into another messy divorce saying how she was the other woman. That sort of thing never bothered her; the men were used then thrown away, and obviously Tracey never made it to the court hearings. She would’ve gone just for the laugh as she explained all their perverse sexual kinks for the wife and court to hear, but they always held the hearings during daylight hours.
She tore open the envelope. Her smile faded seeing the glossy photos of her friend Albert arm in arm with a beautiful brunette. He was looking happier than she had ever seen him. ‘Good on you, Berty,’ she said, knowing that this name was used by one of his true loves. She sadly thought that he hadn’t set himself up to be hurt but falling in love with humans would only end in tragedy. Yet she had vowed to always be there for him, either as a friend or occasional lover.
Looking again at the envelope and its contents, she knew instantly who had sent it to her. The coven was trying to provoke her by using her friend, and that’s why she was storming through the streets. Tracey had just torn apart a mugger who thought he would try his luck and steal her phone – that wasn’t a problem. But when she snapped his wrist, the idiot dropped the phone and it had broken. In a second her eyes went black and her demon stretched its legs. Picking up the man by his throat, she drove him into the shadows of a nearby alley before ripping him asunder. In the end you couldn’t even call what was left a human, but the demon and her hunger were now sated.
Tracey ended up at a three-story house in Mulberry Walk, Chelsea. She banged on the door until a large man, at least six foot six with skin dark as midnight, although his eyes were like stars, answered.
She hugged him. ‘Freddie, long time no see. Is Tony in?’
The big man barked a booming laugh and in a baritone voice he answered, ‘Trace, you’re a sight for sore eyes,’ and he held her tight. ‘Yeah, he’s in, but he might not want to see you. You know, after the episode with his now ex-wife.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘That was ages ago. And she took a swipe at me, the bitch.’
The big man laughed. ‘You were wearing her dress, Trace, and her shoes.’ Freddie chuckled. ‘Then you said she was too old and fat to wear it anyway.’
‘I tell the truth and I’m hated for it. It truly is a harsh world, Freddie.’ The redhead laughed. ‘Now go and ask Baldy if I can have a quick word.’
The man nodded and allowed her to squeeze past him.
‘You’re losing weight love,’ she commented while patting his stomach, which just made him laugh even louder.
The man pulled out his mobile and dialled and then had a whispered conversation with someone. He clicked off and silently nodded. ‘He’s in the office. Play nice…okay?’ he boomed.
Tracey winked. ‘Sure thing, Slim, you can trust me.’ She skipped up the carpeted stairs. It looked like something from the 1950s with all the flowery wallpaper; his mum had obviously decorated it. She knocked on the door and was beckoned in from a past lover of just two weeks ago. ‘Wotcha, Tony, how tricks?’
The thin man with a bald head and piercing grey eyes pointed to the chair. ‘What do want now?’ he asked wearily. ‘You’ve caused me enough shit, babe,’ he snapped and held up his hand. ‘I know I was cheating on her, but still, the things you said to her were bang out of order.’
She sagged. ‘Sorry, Tony. You know I’m a gobby bird with a potty mouth,’ Tracey answered in softer than normal tones. ‘But I need your help; I’m in the shit.’
The man laughed, showing off several gold teeth. ‘But you’re a vampire. Not much can kill you, Trace. What can shake you?’ Tony asked.
They locked eyes. He was the only person who knew she was tainted with the vampiric gene when he found her feeding on a hitman who had come for him in the night.
‘It’s a coven of the fuckers. They are threatening a friend of mine in the States, then they will come for me.’
‘What d’you want me to do? My boys won’t last against you let alone a whole load of your lot,’ he stated.
‘I wanna kill them, all of the old bastards that t
hreatened me and my friend,’ she sneered, letting her incisors lengthen.
Tony leaned back in his leather office chair and tapped his fingers one at a time repeatedly. ‘Okay, but put those fucking teeth away, they scare the shit out of me.’ He chuckled. ‘How can I help you?’
Tracey smiled, her lengthened incisors now gone. ‘I can’t believe that Tony the Hammer is scared of little old me,’ she said with a dark chuckle and giving her eyelashes a flutter. Then she started looking through her rucksack and pulled out a jet-black bottle with a wax-sealed top. ‘I need you to empty this and then refill it with a surprise, amongst other things.’
He frowned and looked at the bottle. ‘What is it? There’s no label on it?’ Tony asked, turning the bottle in his large, calloused hands. ‘Can I open it?’
She nodded and watched the man delve into his desk drawer and bring out a corkscrew.
Within seconds the cork was withdrawn with a pop; he sniffed at the mouth of the bottle. ‘Holy shit, that’s rum and it’s potent,’ he exclaimed, obviously impressed.
‘Indeed it is. When my friend packed up to leave these shores, he found this in a drawer with a letter from his friend’s granddaughter. She had found it in her grandma’s things after she passed away. She knew that the bottle had originated from him, so left it for him with a heartfelt note before she died,’ Tracey said, remembering the day Albert found it. If she hadn’t been there he would’ve taken a lethal walk in the sun.
‘Damn, poor bloke. This must be old?’ Tony asked, scanning the bottle.
Tracey nodded. ‘It’s from Admiral Nelson’s ship the Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.’
His eyes widened and he instantly grabbed two tumblers and poured out two fingers of the dark liquid. They savoured it together. She watched him pour the rest into a crystal decanter and place it back on the ornate silver tray where it belonged.
‘You have a deal,’ he announced. ‘What else do you need?’ he asked, making Tracey smile and pull out a list which she handed to him.