Baited Blood

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

  Notchey looked around. It was shaping up to be a very gray day with possible rain. The overcast sky matched his foul mood. There were fewer cars in the parking lot than usual, the threatening weather keeping many of the morning runners home warm in their beds. He wished he’d done the same.

  “Why can’t you just leave it alone, Madison,” he said to her over the top of the car. “I won’t kiss you again. Fuck, I won’t touch you again if it’s going to lead to this shit.”

  In spite of herself, Madison started to cry. Steeling her shoulders, she sniffed back the tears and strode around the car to Notchey. “One minute you want me, the next you act like you’re disgusted by me. Are you still hung up on why I was arrested in Boise? I told you that was a long time ago, and I never once turned a trick.”

  “I said forget it.” He turned to climb into the car, but she stopped him.

  “No, Mike, I won’t forget it.” She grabbed his sweaty tee shirt and hung on, keeping him from getting into the car. “What is going on?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  He broke free of her grip and spun around, his face distorted in anger. “You may not have done tricks then, but what about now?”

  Madison staggered back from the naked ferocity in his voice. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

  “Now, Madison. I’m talking about now. Your new clothes. A new car. Fancy nights at Samuel’s.”

  “I paid for those new clothes with my own money.” Her protest fell on deaf ears.

  “You just fucking Samuel, or is Colin getting his share, too?”

  Madison couldn’t believe her ears. She took a step toward Notchey, her face hot with indignation. “There is nothing going on between me and Samuel—or Colin. I work for them, and we’re friends. That’s it.”

  Notchey shook his head. “I’ve seen the way those two look at you, Madison. I’ve seen vampires look at women like that before. They’ve had you, and they want more. You’ll belong to them until they’ve had their fill. Then they’ll toss you aside like garbage.”

  “You’re insane!”

  “Am I?”

  “Yes, you are. You’re certifiable. If you don’t believe me, ask the Dedhams.”

  “Vampires will lie for other vampires. They will always protect their own against us.”

  Madison leaned against the car, limp with emotional exhaustion. Looking over at Notchey, his revulsion tattooed on his face, she knew she would never be able to change his mind. It was as set as dried concrete.

  “I thought you were different, Mike. I thought you liked me. Valentine’s Day. The running. The dinners. You even gave me a Christmas present.” She looked at him, her eyes puffy and blinking against the cold. “Was that all an act? Were you just playing me to find out information about the council?”

  Notchey moved to stand in front of her, his eyes hard, stabbing into her like an awl. “It’s not an act. I do like you—more than I should. More than I want to.” He lifted his hand up to her face but held himself back, as if the feel of her skin would burn him. “Don’t be fooled, Madison. Blood and sex, that’s all vampires are about. Blood, sex, and power.” He withdrew his hand. “And I’ll be damned if I’ll take leftovers from the likes of them.”

  Notchey moved to get into the car. “Now get in,” he ordered. “So I can take you home.”

  “No.” Madison stood straight and backed away from the car. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  Notchey was halfway in the car, one foot still on the pavement. “Get in the car, Madison.”

  “Get the hell out of here, Notchey.” She spit the words at him. “I’ll find my own way home.”

  “Come on, now. It’s gotta be at least two miles, and you’re tired from our run and your late night.”

  “Two miles,” she repeated with scorn. “Enough time for me to infect you with vampire lust and suck your dick dry, just like I do the vamps.”

  Notchey blew out a gust of breath as he tried to rein in his own emotions to reason with her. “I’m sorry, Madison, but it’s how I feel about the matter. I thought I could ignore it, but I can’t.”

  As his words slapped her, she recoiled and took a few more steps backward. “I said, I’ll find my own way home, cop.”

  Notchey finished climbing into his car and started the engine. He backed it out of its parking space and pointed it in the direction of the road. Rolling down his window, he called to her, “Last chance.”

  In response, Madison raised a middle finger.

  After she watched Notchey’s car disappear, Madison sat down on a nearby bench. She was in shock. Notchey believed she was sleeping with the vampires, at least with Samuel and possibly Colin. She’d always found both of them sexy and attractive, especially Colin. She’d even been kissed by Colin, and it had been hot, no doubt about it, but she couldn’t get beyond knowing that same mouth sucked blood out of people. She was attracted to Mike, too. She found him solid and smart, even funny in his own odd way. She wanted someone like him. Someone alive and with a heartbeat. She wasn’t drawn in to the glamour, power, and wealth of the undead. She wanted someone like herself—screwed up, maybe, but at least if Notchey bit her it wouldn’t be as a food source.

  Madison hugged herself. She was chilled in spite of her jacket, and her face stung from her tears. The dew on the bench was beginning to work its way through her leggings. She had to get home. Getting up from the bench, she started walking toward the road when a black SUV drove up and lowered its window. Inside was one of the young women she often saw running in the morning. She had strawberry blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked to be in her late twenties. Madison recalled she usually ran with a man. Today she was alone.

  “Do you need a lift?” the woman asked.

  “Thanks, but I’m fine.”

  The woman jerked her chin in the direction of the road. “I saw the fight you just had with your boyfriend. Looked like a beaut.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. Just a … a friend.” Madison wondered if she even wanted him as that anymore.

  “Uh-huh. You can see I’m alone today. We fought this morning, too. Must be something in the air or the stars, or some shit like that.”

  Madison smiled at the remark.

  “Come on,” the woman said, seeing Madison’s cheerier look. “Get in. I’ll drive you home. Think of it as a girls-bonding-over-assholes thing.”

  This time, Madison laughed softly and put both of her hands on the edge of the woman’s window. “Thanks anyway, but I don’t live very far. Maybe the run will burn off my anger before I get home.”

  “Sure?”

  The invitation was tempting, but Madison was a bundle of nerves. The run would do her good, even if she had finished a strenuous workout just minutes before. She also wasn’t in the habit of taking rides from strangers, male or female.

  “I’m sure, but thanks for being so nice.”

  “Anytime.” The woman started to leave, then braked after moving forward a foot. “Hey,” she said, hanging her head out the window. “Maybe we could run together sometime. I’ll look for you.”

  “That would be great,” Madison told her, already feeling better. “Thanks.”

  “My name’s Julianne—Julianne Jaz.”

  Madison pointed at herself. “Madison Rose.”

  After waving goodbye to Julianne, Madison started again for the road. Once there, she broke into a steady jog. She could do two miles standing on her head, and she’d made a new friend. Mike Notchey could just piss off.

  ELEVEN

  By the time she ran home from the trail, it was drizzling. Madison was tired, both inside and out, with the cold penetrating through to her core. Before going up to take a hot shower, she checked the pool from the kitchen window. No body. There hadn’t been one when she’d left for her run either, but she was getting skittish about vampires floating in the pool. The last thing she wanted was to go three for three.

  She nodded
through the patio doors to Hyun, who was guarding the place. He’d arrived shortly before she’d gotten up for her run to take over the watch from the Dedhams. Madison would be on duty with Pauline until she went to school.

  “Miss Madison,” Hyun called to her.

  Opening the patio door, she stuck her head out, her teeth chattering. “I’ll be back as soon as I shower.”

  Hyun was seated at the patio table, a mug of steaming coffee in front of him, along with a folded newspaper. Also in front of him was a gun, ready to be grabbed should the need arise. He wore black trousers, a black turtleneck, and a dark gray tweed jacket. On his wrist was a protective bracelet similar to her own. His glossy black hair was short and spiky. If the damp chill of the drizzly morning bothered Hyun, he didn’t show it.

  “There’s been a change of plans.” Hyun spoke with a slight accent and the clipped cadence of a man saturated with military discipline.

  Putting her shower on hold for a few minutes, Madison looked at the driver/bodyguard with curiosity and stepped outside. She hugged herself against the cold. “You might as well tell me now.”

  “Mr. La Croix wants me here all day. He doesn’t want to leave you and Mrs. Speakes on your own, especially Mrs. Speakes after you go to school.”

  “But vampires sleep during the day. It’s the nighttime that’s the real threat.”

  “He wants to be careful. There’s a gap on Thursdays from the time Mrs. Speakes leaves until you return from class, so he asked that I stay all day.”

  “Okay. Whatever Samuel thinks is best.” She started to go into the house, then stopped. “Have you had breakfast? When I come back downstairs, I can whip you up something.” She felt her insides clench as she made the offer. On running days, she’d gotten into the habit of making breakfast for Notchey, and she looked forward to it. It had morphed from a simple meal into a fun time over eggs before he went off to work and she got ready for school.

  “Thanks, but I’ve eaten.” Hyun looked at her without expression. It was his working face. Samuel’s last bodyguard had worn the same look. “I’d appreciate it if you’d just keep the coffee coming.”

  “Do you know where the bathroom is? With all that coffee, you’d better.”

  “Just inside the door, to the left.” There was no humor in his voice, just a robotic monotone delivering facts unencumbered by frills. She’d half expected Hyun to produce a portable urinal.

  With a nod, Madison left to go upstairs and shower.

  When she returned from school, Hyun wasn’t at the patio table but walking the perimeter of the Dedham property. When he saw her, he made his way to the patio.

  “Everything okay?” she asked him.

  “Fine.”

  Hyun looked just as fresh and alert as when she’d left him earlier in the day, except now he was wearing sunglasses. The drizzle had disappeared by late morning, leaving in its wake a glorious California day, even for February. Madison, on the other hand, felt like a dishrag that had been tossed under the sink and left to mildew. The day had taken its toll on her, from not enough sleep to the fight with Notchey to the long day in the classroom.

  “Would you like me to spell you?” she asked.

  “I’m good. I’ll be going shortly after the Dedhams get up.” Hyun looked directly into Madison’s face but revealed no emotion. “You look like you’re ready to drop.”

  “I am very tired.”

  “Why don’t you take a nap. I’ll be fine down here.”

  “You sure?”

  For the first time, Madison saw the barest hint of a smile on Hyun’s face. “It’s my job to protect you, not the other way around.”

  Madison thanked him and started to leave. A nap was exactly what she needed. She wanted to be alert tonight for her meeting with Colin. Before going back into the house, she turned around.

  “Hyun, did you work with other vampires before coming to work for Samuel?”

  If the bodyguard was surprised by the question, he didn’t show it. “Yes. I’ve worked for one other.”

  “Have you ever seen anything like this? I mean, vampires being murdered and dumped in swimming pools?”

  Hyun paused briefly before answering but never turned his face away from hers. “I’ve seen much worse, Miss Madison. Much worse.”

  “In general or regarding vampires?” Before he could answer, she added, “Oh, and please drop the Miss. It’s just Madison.”

  “Both. It’s fairly civil here. In some parts of the world, vampires hunt both humans and other vampires.” He hesitated slightly, but his face remained impassive. “Just for sport.”

  A cold hand clutched her heart at the thought of being hunted like an animal. “I was told it was like that here before Samuel came.”

  “Yes, although California was not near as barbaric as some other areas of the world. Mr. La Croix is quite famous throughout the entire vampire nation. I am honored he chose me to serve him.”

  “Do you mind my asking these questions?”

  “Not as long as you understand there are some things of which I cannot speak.”

  Madison nodded. She’d ridden in Samuel’s car enough to know the privacy partition wasn’t always in place. As Samuel’s driver, Hyun overheard a lot of juicy information. “I do understand.” She took a minute to phrase her next question. “Did you see the tattoo on Keleta’s back?”

  “No, but Mr. La Croix told me about it. He asked if I had ever seen anything like it before.”

  “Had you?” Madison leaned forward, hoping it was territory Hyun would discuss.

  “Yes. On a couple of male vampires.”

  “Where?”

  “At my last employer’s.”

  “How about Ann Hayes? Had you ever come in contact with her before?”

  “Yes. She was a frequent guest of my last employer. The male vampires with the tattoo were part of her entourage.”

  Tired as she was, Madison tried to fit the information together like a cap to a bottle. “And Samuel knows this?”

  “Of course. I told him as soon as I recognized her.”

  Madison squinted at Hyun. “Did she recognize you?”

  “I do not believe she did. Ms. Hayes is not the type to pay attention to the hired help.”

  “Humph.” That sounded like Ann Hayes. “Hyun, who did you work for? Was it someone local?”

  Without moving his mouth, Hyun laughed, the sound coming from inside his throat like someone digging to get out. “No, Madison. I worked for His Majesty King Leopold.”

  He said the name as if she should automatically recognize it, but she didn’t. Too embarrassed by her lack of knowledge of vampire hierarchy, she thanked Hyun for his time and went into the house.

  Upstairs, Madison did not head straight to her nap. Instead, she turned on her laptop. Notchey had said he’d look into buildings that could be taken as castles, but she wasn’t about to wait around for him. Not after this morning.

  Starting with Google, Madison searched for castles in California. The most obvious—Hearst Castle—topped the list of results. There was a winery and a castle-sized hotel that was for sale. She also found references to the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland and the one in Glendora that Notchey had mentioned. One link led her to a site that featured all the castles in California. She had no idea there were so many. Most were open to the public for tours, one was available for a weekly rental, and some were closed. There even two that were still private residences, but those were located in Northern California.

  Keleta had said the castle was a large building that looked like a castle. Most of the ones listed online were either real castles or looked like castles, but Madison’s gut told her Lady would not choose to set up shop in a building so publicly known. Keleta’s castle was probably in Southern California in order for Lady to transport the bodies easily, and it was most likely in a rural area or someplace where the natural vegetation afforded a lot of privacy—like the part of Topanga where the Dedhams’ house was located, or somep
lace similar. Madison wasn’t familiar with all the local areas that fit that description. She’d ask Notchey. Notchey again; well, that convenient source wasn’t available any longer. She didn’t need him anyway. Whatever he knew, she could find out on her own. It would take her longer, but it wouldn’t be impossible.

  She leaned back in her chair and tried to think of how she could find out about large properties close to Los Angeles but still relatively private. Applying her fingers to the keyboard, she searched for a particular realtor’s information. She’d seen the company’s name on signs around the area where Samuel lived. If that realty agency did business in that high-end neighborhood, someone at that office might know of properties, available or not, of the size she was searching. Once she’d located the phone number, she made the call. A woman answered.

  “Hello, my name is Madison, and I’m calling about a very specific type of property.” Madison sat up straighter to give her voice more authority. “I was hoping you or your agency could help.”

  “Is this for yourself?”

  “No, it’s for my employer. Actually, it’s for a special project he has in mind.”

  “And your employer is?”

  “He wishes to remain anonymous at this time. I’m sure you understand.” Madison knew if the realty agency dealt with ultra-high-end properties, the woman wouldn’t be put off by an anonymous buyer in the least. In Los Angeles, with its celebrities and entertainment executives, such initial tactics were business as usual when feeling out a deal.

  “I certainly understand.” The woman’s emphasis told Madison the realtor was hooked and hungry for a Moby Dick–sized commission. “What is it your employer is looking for specifically?”

  “A very large property and house. Something close to Los Angeles and very private. The home should be able to comfortably accommodate …” Madison paused just long enough to make a guestimate of how many people Lady might have had living at the castle. “Oh, about twenty adults, including staff.”

  “Twenty adults.” The woman paused, but her composure never slipped. “Will this be a commercial endeavor? We do have a very capable commercial division.”