“No, private. My employer is looking to open up his residence to friends for indefinite stays.” Madison’s words flowed through the phone like olive oil. She’d learned to lie growing up like second-hand clothing being dragged from house to house; the finesse she was learning at the feet of the vampires.
“He plans,” she continued, “to open the home to his various artistic friends. You know, a quiet and private place where they can get away and write and paint and be brilliant without the stress of day-to-day life impeding their craft.”
“Oh, like a patron to the arts.” The woman’s voice brightened at the thought of the next Harper Lee or Van Gogh being nurtured in a home she’d found.
“Yes, exactly.” Madison paused as she thought of what else to add. “Oh, and he prefers classic European architecture. In fact, he has a slight thing for castles. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it will help.”
“There might be several properties on the market at this time that could meet your needs. I would be happy to do some research on their availability and get back to you.”
“That would be lovely. Thank you.” Madison twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “And even if something is not for sale, please let us know about the property. My employer can be quite persuasive when he finds something he wants.”
“What about a lease? Would he be interested in leasing if I found the right property?”
“I’m sure he’d be interested in anything you find that fits his need.”
“Wonderful,” the woman gushed. Madison gave the woman her cell number and hung up.
She yawned. Fighting the urge to stretch out on the bed, Madison continued her Internet search, this time for a King Leopold. The search brought up Leopold II of Belgium, a monarch who visited atrocities upon the people of the Congo and maimed thousands of its children, as well as information on Leopold I, the first king of Belgium. She also searched for vampire royalty or vampire kings and came up with nothing but references to fiction and TV shows.
With each new bit of information, her eyes grew heavier.
“Madison.”
Madison stirred but didn’t open her eyes. Dodie jiggled her shoulder again. “Madison, dear, wake up.”
Raising her head slowly from the desk, she squinted at Dodie. Her neck ached, and her face felt numb. “What time is it?”
“After six. Don’t you have an appointment with Colin tonight?”
Madison moved her chin in what passed as a weak nod. “Yeah, but I’d rather go back to bed.”
Dodie smiled down at her. “I don’t think napping with your head on your desk constitutes sleeping in a bed.”
Straightening up, Madison stretched. “Thanks for waking me up. I was doing some research on the computer and must have fallen asleep.”
Dodie picked up an article of clothing from a nearby chair and folded it. “Take your time getting ready. I’m sure Colin won’t mind if you’re a tiny bit late.”
Madison stood up and groaned, her body stiff from being hunched over the desk.
Once Madison’s head cleared, she caught on that Dodie was stalling. She’d picked up several pieces of clothing and folded them—some twice.
“Something wrong, Dodie? You’re folding my dirty laundry.”
Dodie looked at the shirt in her hand, shook her head, and put it down. She sat on the edge of the bed. “Has something happened between you and Mike? Something unpleasant?”
Madison shrugged and moved to her closet, pretending to pick out something to wear that night.
“Madison, what is it?”
“What makes you think we had a fight?”
“I never said fight—not specifically.”
Madison didn’t turn around. She knew Dodie had a special insight into people’s thoughts and feelings. It wasn’t of the same caliber as Samuel’s mental eavesdropping, but she was very accurate. “Okay, then. What makes you think something unpleasant happened?”
“I called him and asked if he wanted to come by tomorrow night for pot roast. He turned it down. First time in all the time we’ve known him he’s turned down my pot roast.”
“Maybe he was busy.”
Dodie got up and walked over and put a tender hand on Madison’s arm. “I respect the fact that you don’t want to tell me, dear. And I won’t pry. But if you need to talk, I’m always here.”
Finally, Madison looked at Dodie. “I know that.” She gave the older woman a small smile of affection. “Maybe I will. But first I need to sort it all out myself.”
“Like you, Mike has had a hard life, but I know he cares very deeply for you. Never forget that.”
Madison wasn’t so sure. Pushing aside her own thoughts and happy to change the subject, she studied Dodie’s outfit—chiffon evening pants with a silver sequin jacket. “You look lovely. You and Doug going out tonight?”
“Yes, we are. Samuel has invited us to dinner. There’s a new vampire restaurant over in Hollywood off of Melrose. It’s supposed to be very chic. Keleta will be joining us.”
“Keleta? You guys hoping a nice environment and a full tummy will loosen his tongue?”
“That and a little grandparently attention.” Dodie shot Madison a sly grin. “Hyun will stand guard while we’re gone.”
Whatever the motives behind taking Keleta to dinner, Samuel and the council generally did their skullduggery in style. If he wasn’t careful, by the end of the meal, Keleta would be pouring out his deepest secrets, including those he didn’t know he had.
“You guys have a nice time. I’ll be anxious to hear what Keleta tells you.”
Dodie walked over to the closet and pulled out one of the new pieces Madison had bought on her shopping spree with Colin. The tags were still on it. “Why don’t you wear this tonight.” She handed it to Madison. “It will look smashing with your new leggings.”
After planting a light kiss on Madison’s cheek and reminding her to eat some supper, Dodie left.
Madison looked down at the garment in her hand. It was a slate-gray cashmere tunic with a wide ruffle circling the low and daring neckline and going down the front to the hem. It felt sensuous and delicious against her skin. She’d loved it in the store. So had Colin.
It was about time she starting wearing her new clothing—clothing she’d paid for herself. Retrieving a small pair of cuticle scissors from the bathroom, she snipped off the tags as if applying the guillotine to Mike Notchey’s neck.
TWELVE
Colin Reddy’s two-bedroom condominium was on one of the top floors of an elegant high rise on Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. It had a killer view of the ocean. Looking out the wall of windows at night gave one the feeling of floating in space. Madison stood before the windows and lost herself in the black void.
“You seem a million miles away.” Colin came up from behind and handed her a heavy mug of hot, aromatic tea. It was a special blend he obtained from a tea shop located in a mall in Century City. He couldn’t drink it himself but loved brewing it to fill his home with its spicy bite. “Have you eaten? I can order something in for you.”
“Thank you, but I had supper at home.” She smiled to herself. “Dodie reminded me.” Madison often forgot that when she spent time with vampires, she might go a long while before she had an opportunity to eat. Samuel always kept food in his home for his human friends and guests, but Colin never did.
Colin leaned against the wall, his eyes resting on Madison. Born to an English nobleman and his Indian mistress, Colin had thick, black, wavy hair, penetrating dark eyes, and expressive eyebrows. His face was ruggedly handsome, made even more so by his closely cropped beard. Tonight he was dressed in his usual black jeans, along with a black silk shirt worn loose and half unbuttoned. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up, showing off his sinewy forearms. His feet were bare. He was tall and lean, with wide shoulders and a sullen bad-boy attitude that only added to his looks.
“And what did you have?” he asked.
Madison took a sip of tea an
d looked at him over the rim. “You want to know what I had to eat before I came here?”
“Yes, I do.” He flashed his eyes at her but didn’t offer a smile. “Humor me. It’s as close to real food as I’m allowed.”
“Okay, if you insist. But I warn you, it was pretty boring.”
She moved from the window to the large black leather sofa and sat down. Beneath her, the leather felt like soft cotton. Colin’s condo was gorgeous but stark, like a set for an interior design studio. Even the large, expensive oil paintings on the wall were void of much emotion. The furniture was either black leather or black lacquer, the area rugs were textured muted tones over a glistening slate floor, and the counters in the kitchen area were granite. On one large wall hung a huge flat-screen TV that beckoned for action like a junior movie screen. Beneath that, a cabinet held top of the line video and audio equipment and an eclectic selection of music from around the world. Classical jazz currently floated from it as soft background music. On the coffee table and the counter were tasteful bowls filled with citrus fruits, some pierced with whole cloves. Colin, sensitive to smells, kept them as a reminder of his past human life, similar to the spicy tea. It was an immaculate masculine haven, cold and beautiful, like Colin.
“I had a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.”
“What kind of cheese?”
“Sharp cheddar.”
“Thank god. For a moment, I was afraid you were going to say that American rubbish.”
“Have you ever tasted that American rubbish?”
“Of course not.”
She pointed an index finger at him. “Then don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. I grew up on the stuff.”
“I rest my case.”
She laughed and placed the mug on the heavy glass top of the stone coffee table in front of the sofa. “This new?” She indicated the coffee table.
“Yes.” He walked over to the table. “You like it?”
She studied it closer. “It looks like a real headstone.”
“Actually, it’s made of several. I heard about an old graveyard being dug up for development and called about buying some of the stones. Unfortunately for its residents, the cemetery wasn’t old enough to be considered historical, but it was old enough that it had fallen into neglect. I took the stones to a chap in Venice. He made the table for me.” Colin crouched down and ran a hand over the faded engraving on one of the outside stones.
“It’s fascinating,” she admitted, “in a disturbing sort of way.”
“Rather like me?” He granted her a crooked smile. Colin Reddy didn’t smile much, but when he did, he could charm the undies off a nun.
“Get a grip, Reddy.” Madison, keenly aware she was far from being a nun, crossed her legs and moved to the purpose of their meeting. “I was talking to Samuel about Keleta, and he thought I should bring it up to you.”
Colin moved to the sofa. Sitting on the end cushion, he lounged back against the arm and faced her, one long leg stretched out on the floor, with the other bent up on the cushions. “I’m all ears.”
Picking up her mug, Madison focused on her tea rather than facing him while she explained her idea about Keleta. Holding the mug helped steady her shaking hands. She was physically attracted to Colin, and the delicate topic wasn’t keeping her internal temperature at bay. Usually when they were together, it was out in public or with the other vampires.
“So basically,” Colin said when she was finished, “you want me to get Keleta laid.” It was the same phrase she’d used with Samuel, and hearing it now from Colin, it seemed so primal and nasty, but not necessarily in a bad way.
She turned to him in frustration. “What I want is for Keleta to see that his life isn’t over—that as a vampire he can live a full and satisfying one. I want you to show him a good time.”
“Same sort of thing, isn’t it?” Colin sat up slightly and eyed Madison’s chest. “By the way, that sweater looks smashing on you. I was afraid I’d never see it outside the boutique.”
Madison squirmed and softly tugged at the neckline, wishing it wasn’t quite so low. Her cleavage, round and perky, peeked through the folds of the ruffles.
She stood up. “I think you’ve got the right idea, so I’ll leave it up to you.”
“There’s a private party in Brentwood Saturday night. I’ll take him.”
“A vampire party?”
“For the most part. There will also be quite a few hot vampire-friendly beaters in attendance, both male and female.”
Vampire-friendly, Madison knew, was code for beaters who hung out with vampires and could be trusted to keep their secrets. Many got high on providing sex and blood to the undead.
“You should come, too. You can wear that sizzling ruby silk halter top and leather pants we picked up.”
Madison knew exactly which outfit Colin meant. When they’d gone shopping, he’d helped her pick out conservative but elegant clothing suitable for when she accompanied Samuel on council business. They’d also picked up better casual clothing like the tunic she was wearing tonight. Colin had also insisted she needed a couple of outfits for nightclubs. In the end, she’d given in.
“Will Miriam be there?”
“I hope so.” Colin flashed his slow, sexy half smile again. “She’d be perfect for showing Keleta a good time.”
Miriam was a former member of a vampirism cult. A few months ago, she hadn’t even known real vampires existed. She had a big crush on Colin, and once she discovered who and what he was, she left the cult to party with the real thing. Madison had seen her at some of the parties and clubs she’d gone to with Colin, and it was plain to see Miriam still had the hots for him. Though he never said anything, Madison suspected Colin saw Miriam from time to time.
“You mean you’d share her with Keleta?”
“Miriam is a free agent, and an adventurous one at that.” Colin put both feet on the floor and stood up, his chest nearly touching Madison’s. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.”
“Don’t be stupid. I am not jealous. I just want to make sure Keleta has some fun.”
Colin laughed. “Trust me, with Miriam, Keleta will have a bloody good time.” When Madison scowled, he took hold of her upper arm. “And you might be interested in knowing that Miriam is a university graduate and owns her own business.”
“Which is more than I have,” Madison jerked her arm away. “Right?”
“I didn’t say that. What I am saying is you’re either a snob or jealous.” He cocked a thick eyebrow at her. “I prefer the jealous theory myself.”
Madison stalked to the window and looked out. Why were the men in her life being so difficult today? Just leave, she told herself. You’ve discussed Keleta, there is no need to hang around. But she couldn’t make herself move for the door.
“So Ann Hayes is the one who turned you into a vampire.” Madison spoke to the night sky, keeping her back to Colin.
“You’re jealous of her now, too?”
Pivoting on one foot, Madison swung back around. “I am not jealous of anyone, Colin Reddy. Get that through that thick, undead head of yours. I just want to figure out who’s behind all this.”
Madison left the window and went back to the table to collect her tea. She took a big gulp of it before continuing. “She must have some idea who’s copying her brand.”
“If she does, she’s not saying.” Colin held out his hand for her mug. “Let me make you a fresh cup.”
Madison took another gulp and handed him the mug. He took it into the kitchen area on the other side of the granite counter. “I grilled her pretty well, but Ann is insisting she has no idea who is doing the branding or the killing.”
“Do you believe her?”
Colin put a kettle of water on the stove and retrieved a fresh mug and tea from the cupboard. “I believe she is not the one behind this. Whether I believe she has no suspicions of her own, I’m not so sure. But I have no doubt that Ann is doing her own investigation ev
en as we do ours. She’s too narcissistic to allow anyone to use that brand, even if she’s no longer using it herself.”
Comfortable talking about the situation involving Ann Hayes, Madison took her seat back on the sofa. “And you have no idea who the dead vampire is?”
“None. If I did, I would have told the council immediately.”
Colin brought Madison her fresh tea. The mug was warm and comforting in her hands. He sat back down on the sofa and leaned against the arm, as he had before, and watched her as she blew over the surface of the hot liquid.
“You want to ask me about Ann, don’t you?” he asked.
She put the mug down on the table and turned to him. “Yes, but not if you’re going to accuse me of being jealous.”
Colin ignored the remark. “I met Ann, though she was known as Annabelle then, while traveling in India. My mother died when I was around ten. I was raised and educated along with my father’s two legitimate sons until he died when I was about twenty-four. At that time, I was given a decent sum of money by my father’s wife and told to disappear or something unfortunate would happen to me. I took the money and left.”
“But why would she do that?”
“I was older than my two half brothers, and the Duchess was afraid I would try to lay claim to my father’s title and lands. And even if I didn’t, my future would always be in question and tainted by my bastard status. So I took the offered purse and set out to find my own fortune. I was well educated and highly trained as a soldier. It was easy to find work over the years, no matter where I went. Eventually, I made my way to India, where I tried to find my mother’s people.”
“Did you find them?”
“No, I never did. But in Bombay I did find Ann.” Colin half smiled to himself at the memory. “She was beautiful and exciting. An older woman with much to teach a young man so far from home.”
“Did you know she was a vampire?”
“Not at first, though I did suspect something was different about her. While we made love, we never slept together. She was never up during the day. When I asked about her, her maid simply said she was not seeing anyone.”
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