Blood Battles (Fallen Angels Book 2)

by Judith Post

  "Hey, stranger, I got your message," Danny said. "I looked up the two license plates you gave me. The Buick's an address out of New York to a Donato Casale, the other's a rental car for a Gino Rienzi. What's up?"

  Enoch explained about going to Kandice's nightclub with Voronika and watching the two men at the table. "They didn't look like business men. They looked like mobsters, but that's a judgment call. All they did was drink and talk. A third man left the club and drove home with Donato. Kandice left with Gino."

  Danny cussed under his breath. "So there are three of them?"

  "Yes."

  "Can I tell Tony?"

  "There's not much to tell, but something doesn't smell right. If I were that girl's father, I'd tell her to quit her job and stay away from the club and Gino."

  There was a long sigh before Danny said, "You've never been a parent, have you?"

  "No, thank God."

  "She's over eighteen. She can do what she wants."

  "But if Tony…"

  "It's a lost cause, buddy. He's tried." There was a pause, then Danny changed tactics. "There were three of them? Do you think they know about you and your safe house?"

  "No, but it's time."

  "Sounds like we could use a group huddle," Danny said. "Care to buy a poor detective a beer?"

  "It's too early for beer. How about lunch?"

  "It has to be quick. I don't have much time. What if we meet at Deli 620?""A good compromise—not too far for either of us to drive." Enoch had been there once before, and the food was outstanding. "When?"

  "High noon?"

  "I'm no Gary Cooper."

  "Neither am I, but we can pretend."

  "See you then." Enoch had a few hours before he had to leave the house, so he went to his computer and started to work. For the first time in a long time, his fingers started tapping out fiction instead of an article. In his last few lives, he'd become famous for his plays and novels, but he'd discovered that notoriety wasn't always a comfortable fit. He'd been too public. People recognized him, asked questions. For this life, he was determined to stay as anonymous as possible. Still, a story called to him, and he felt compelled to write it, even if he put it in a drawer when it was finished.

  By eleven, he had the first chapter finished and felt freer than he had in a long time. There was something liberating about creating a world of his own and peopling it with his own characters. He hurried to get ready, made sure to lock the metal grid and door behind him, and drove to meet Danny. The deli sat across from the city/county building downtown, and he had to circle the block a few times to find a place to park. When he finally pushed through the door of the restaurant, there was a line. Workers on their lunch hour waited for their favorite take-out. Danny waved from one of the few tables on the side wall and Enoch went to join him.

  "Hope you don't mind, but I ordered for you," Danny said.

  "What did you get me?"

  "Minestrone and a chicken salad sandwich."

  "Good. Now we can get down to business."

  "I have a few things to run by you." Danny took a sip of his lemonade. "Three Rivers has been attracting some interesting tourists lately, and I'm not talking about your hunters."

  "From overseas?" Enoch knew Three Rivers was acquiring a huge Burmese population as refugees fled their country. In fact, he'd read in the paper that there were over twenty-six foreign languages in the school system now, and educators were overwhelmed, trying to cope.

  Danny gave him a look. "Hardly. These guys are coming to town on Greyhound busses."

  "I don't understand."

  "Drug dealers from Detroit are trying to run out our small, local guys," Danny told him. "We've never had any big, drug lords in town, so these guys come in and offer top stuff at cheaper prices."

  "Why?"

  "They're looking for a new market, and they're organized. Our local boys aren't."

  "But why Three Rivers? Why not a bigger city like Chicago?"

  "Chicago already has its territories marked and protected. If a new dealer tries to muscle in there, he's going against pros."

  "So we're close enough to bother with and big enough to be profitable."

  "Now you're getting it. But even more interesting, some of the street guys we know have just disappeared." Their number was called at the counter and Danny stopped talking to get their food. When he came back with a tray laden with soups and sandwiches, he distributed them and then picked up where he left off. "It's as if they vanished into thin air."

  "Like vampires grabbed them," Enoch said. "Vamps who are working with humans."

  "It's worth thinking about. So here's the big question." Danny leaned closer and lowered his voice, not that they could be heard over the din of the restaurant. "If a vamp grabs someone in Three Rivers and flies them somewhere to drink them, does Caleb's promise kick in? Or can the vamps do take-out and that's okay?"

  Enoch shook his head. "If the person's from here, he's protected."

  "So what's the deal?" Danny asked. "Where have these guys gone?"

  Enoch stopped to think. "Maybe no one's drinking them. Maybe they just get dropped somewhere far away and warned not to come back. If a vamp grabbed me and let me know that if he saw me again, I'd be lunch, I'd stay away."

  Danny rubbed his forehead in frustration. "You know, that promise sounded really good on paper, but it has its limitations, doesn't it?"

  "Now you're learning."

  "Can't you immortals think of something better? Something with no loopholes?"

  "If mortals wouldn't follow rules in the Garden of Eden, why do you think angels can do any better with vamps?"

  Danny grimaced. "If you put it that way…"

  "You're a cop. You know as well as I do that if somebody tries hard enough, they can mess up anything."

  "You're such an optimist. You've ruined my mood." Danny glanced at his watch. "I have time for dessert."

  Over cups of coffee and carrot cake, Enoch filled Danny in about Keb and what he'd told them. "Keb looks a lot like the poor guy that got staked in his office. He was watching Gino and his friends at the nightclub, too."

  "So he thinks they're hunters? I'll talk to Tony, but Kandice is only twenty-one. Her brain hasn't kicked in yet. My dad used to tell me that kids don't really grow up until they're at least twenty-five. Until then, they know they're smarter than any grown-up in the world and they think they'll survive anything and live forever."

  "A bad combination." Enoch threw a twenty dollar tip on the table.

  "This is self serve. Doesn't that change your usual routine?"

  "What for? As far as I can see, these women are the cooks and bottle washers. They're a two girl show. They probably deserve more."

  Danny grinned. "I like your style."

  "You like free food."

  "Don't look so damned smug. It doesn't suit you." As they walked to their cars, Danny tried to lighten things up. "How's Voronika?"

  "Fine. Maggie?"

  Danny shook his head. "Weddings make women crazy. I'm glad it'll all be over soon, because when your woman's crazy, so are you."

  Enoch laughed. "I'll try to remember that."

  "It won't matter. When it comes to getting married, any smart man does whatever his girlfriend wants."

  Enoch thought about that on his drive home. He was already doing whatever Vononika wanted. He'd do whatever it took to make her happy for as long as he could.

  Chapter 18

  Enoch stepped into the house and blinked. It was a warm, June day outside, bathed in sunny skies. Light spilled into the foyer and the dining room and kitchen, but the living room's pocket doors were pulled nearly shut and it was a cavern of darkness. He stepped through the narrow opening of the doors and glanced at the windows. Blankets were draped over the metal grids. Curious, he stepped further into the room. He could barely see.

  Something stirred, and an arm rose over the sofa's back. A finger beckoned him closer. Enoch knew the creamy luster of that skin, the
smooth sweetness of that arm. He circled the sofa and smiled down at Voronika. She lay there, naked. A silk shawl was draped strategically over her torso and she pushed it off. It fell to the floor in a seductive heap.

  "I've missed you." Her yellow eyes glowed in the dim light.

  His breath caught in his throat. Her skin looked like rich cream. Her lean body with its firm breasts beckoned him. He knelt beside her. "You should be asleep. You must be tired."

  Voronika sat up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Her cool hands slid over his chest and shoulders as she stripped it off. It fell to the floor. Her hands dipped past his muscled abdomen to unzip his pants. The skim of her fingertips set his nerves on edge. Fire sparked through his veins. She pulled his face to hers. "I'm too tense. I can't sleep. You can hum me a lullaby while you make love to me."

  He pulled off the rest of his clothes and lowered his lips to her breasts. A soft moan escaped her, and blood pounded in his ears.

  Never patient, she lay down and pulled him on top of her. It was clumsy making love on the couch. Enoch's legs dangled over the arms and his knees slipped on the leather cushions. When Voronika wrapped her legs around his waist, he had to plant his hands firmly to keep from crushing her beneath him. Not that she was fragile, but he had no desire to ruin their momentum. When their passion exploded and she went limp with satisfaction, he still supported himself on his elbows to enjoy the feel of her body beneath his.

  "I'm okay now," she said.

  He sprinkled kisses over her face as he slid out of her. He pulled on his pants and scooped her into his arms to carry her upstairs. He tucked her into bed and gave her a slow, gentle kiss. "Happy dreams."

  "I don't need dreams. I have you. You've given me peace of mind."

  Happiness fluttered in his stomach. "See you tonight." Closing her bedroom door behind him, he turned to go downstairs. Amado was standing on the steps to the attic, watching him.

  "Did you warm her up for me?" he asked. "Is she ready for real satisfaction now?"

  Enoch fought down his aggravation. Here he was, caught after the act, standing in his own hallway with only a pair of trousers on, no underwear or tee shirt, half naked, being mocked by a pain in the ass vampire. He bit back what he wanted to say and raised an eyebrow. "You know, for someone so young, you have a very high opinion of yourself."

  Amado looked as if he'd been slapped. "Young? I'm not young."

  "You are to me." Enoch turned on his heel to go downstairs. "I have no beginning and no end. I'm infinite. That makes you a puppy."

  "A puppy!!!" Amado's voice rose. "You're an angel, right? You didn't know anything about love and romance until you came here."

  Enoch turned and faced him. "I came here before you were born. And you're wrong. I know everything about love, and I've learned a lot about sex. You're a beginner. Most human teenagers have deeper emotions than you do."

  Amado's eyes went wide in surprise. "You dare insult me?"

  "Obviously, no one's ever expected much from you. That's not your fault. But it's time all your years gave you a little maturity."

  "You sound like my father, always criticizing me."

  A door opened and Eva stepped into the hall, wearing only a sleeveless tee and panties. Her wild, gypsy hair spilled over her shoulders.

  "You?" Amado sneered. "I thought you were off with Keb."

  "He has a hiding place to sleep. Humans can't get there without waking him. I came back when it was dawn. We'll meet again at dusk." She rubbed her eyes. "Is everything all right?"

  "This….angel…. presumes to lecture me!"

  Eva looked from one man to the other. "Good, you'll learn a lot from him. There's plenty you need to know."

  "You side with him?" Amado asked.

  She shook her head, her wild, dark curls bouncing. "You're beautiful and sexy, but you're still a colt when you could be a stallion."

  Amado's jaw dropped. He turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs to the attic.

  Enoch tried to hide a smile.

  Eva's face softened as she studied him. "Angel, do you ever just have fun?"

  "Voronika and I …"

  She interrupted. "I mean, do you ever do something silly, laugh out loud?"

  "Is that mandatory?"

  "It should be." She sighed. "Lighten up, angel. You have big, strong shoulders, but you're not Atlas. Learn to laugh more."

  She was trying to be nice, so he nodded obligingly. "I'll try."

  She gave a crooked grin. "That's the problem, big fellow. You try too hard." And she turned to go back into her room.

  As Enoch went down to the living room, he argued with himself. How could you try less? Wouldn't that make you a slacker? After all, a person's soul wasn't judged only by what he did, but also by what he didn't do. How could he walk away from his responsibilities and have any self worth at all? He went to his computer and turned it on. He had a few hours to write before the others woke and his evening vigil began.

  Chapter 19

  Gino Rienzi handed Kandice three, one-hundred dollar bills. "Have a good time, babe. Find something pretty to wear when we go out tomorrow night."

  She turned to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Hope your business meeting goes great."

  That's about as deep as their conversations got, and they both liked it that way. Both of them knew that this was a quick and dirty affair—lots of fun with no substance. If she had an agenda of her own, and Gino suspected it was highly likely, so much the better. She'd be using him as much as he was using her. And she had come in helpful. She'd told Gino about the man getting staked in his office, that a homicide detective who was a long time family friend was working the case, and that Danny worked with a psychic of some type once in a while.

  "A psychic?" Gino laughed.

  "Don't write him off," Kandice told him. "This guy gets results. He solved a serial murder the last time he worked with Danny. The cops who know him like him."

  "Has he got a name?"

  "Probably, but I don't know it." She gave him a shrewd look. "Why? Do you have a problem that only a psychic can solve?"

  "I don't have any problems at all," he told her. "I was just curious."

  She stopped at the door and smiled at him. "Curiosity killed the cat."

  "I have more than nine lives." Gino watched her leave, then picked up his cell phone and dialed Donato's number. "She's gone. You ready?"

  "We're on our way."

  Gino went down to the hotel lobby to meet his friends. The rogue he worked with found traces of vampires early this morning, so the three of them were going to walk the streets to see what they could find. And they were going to stay together. In other cities, rogues led hunters to generals before the general even realized he was a target. This vampire knew. He'd be waiting for them, and he'd be dangerous. But what could one vampire do against three professional hit men? Gino almost felt sorry for him.

  Two hours and five drained rats later, Gino was feeling more confident than he had since the stake took out the wrong guy. "He's here," he told the others. "And he's getting hungry. Hungry enough that he's leaving his hidey-hole."

  "Maybe he's coming after us," Donato said.

  "What if he does?" Gino asked. "It's him against us, and we're not afraid of any big, flying bat. We have enough stakes to take out an army of them."

  Donato laughed and slapped Gino on the back. "I almost feel bad about getting paid double for these jobs, they've been so easy."

  "Never turn down cash," Gino said. "The rogue will see our mark soon and follow him back to his nest. Once we know where that is, we can stake him during the day and leave this one horse town. Then we can blow our money on whatever we want."

  "Hey, Carlo." Donato turned to the third hunter. "You're usually running your mouth off every minute. What's the deal? Why no noise?"

  Carlo stared at a stray cat that was drained so dry, it was nearly flat. "I don't like nothing about this. It ain't natural. Humans are the top dogs on the food ch
ain. We don't work with no freaks who only come out at night."

  "These freaks got rid of Luigi and Mario," Gino said.

  "Yeah, and who's to say they won't do more? Who's to say they won't turn on us?"

  Gino stared. "They couldn't be that stupid."

  "Why not?" Carlo insisted. "Dogs go rabid, and they're man's best friend. Who's to say what a vampire will do? No blood's gone to his undead brain for centuries maybe."

  Gino and Donato looked at each other and laughed.

  "Always a worrier," Donato said.

  "Give it a break," Gino told Carlo. "We finish off one undead, and we get on a plane to fly home with a big wad of money in our bank account. That sounds like a good enough reason to get chummy with a rogue to me."

  But Carlo wasn't convinced. He shook his head, his brows furrowed with worry. It was his nature. Always looking at the glass half empty. That was his friend's problem, Gino decided. He couldn't see the big picture.

  Chapter 20

  Enoch looked up from his work when Nula wandered into the living room. She propped her shepherd’s crook in the corner and ran a hand through her tousled, red hair.

  “Am I the first one up?” she asked.

  Enoch nodded and hit the save button on his keypad.

  "I thought it was bad being a vampire," she said, "but I think it's worse being an angel."

  "Why?"

  "We get to sleep. We might have our hours topsy turvy, but at least we don't have to function twenty-four hours a day."

  It was the second lecture of the day. Was this part of living with vampires? Enoch turned off his computer, satisfied with what he'd gotten done. "I relax when I meditate."