by Amie Gibbons
The door opened and I turned mid-swig.
And nearly spat out the gulp.
It wasn’t Len.
“I never got an answer to my question.” Quil shut the door behind him. “Why did you try to bite me?”
I pushed my lips together and put the water bottle down.
Oh boy, could he smile. His lips were thick and sexy, and those dimples... I wanted to lick those dimples.
“I have a rule about sex when I’m on a case. Women are a distraction I can ill afford, but if the seduction has the added benefit of getting your cooperation, I’m willing to break it.”
Have you ever jumped out of a plane and felt that rush of adrenaline?
Well, it was shootin’ through my body fast enough to get a speeding ticket on the autobahn.
“Gahhhhh,” I said, licking my lips.
When did it get so hot in here?
Grant and Dan busted in, makin’ me jump.
I honestly don’t know what would’ve happened if they didn’t.
“Anything you want to say to my agent can be said in our presence,” Grant said.
“We were discussing your cooperation on our case,” Quil said.
I stared at the ground, praying my face wasn’t as red as it felt.
“We’ve listened to you for half an hour,” Grant said. “So far all I’ve heard is bologna on how you want to collaborate, but you have not given us anything useful. Start talking.”
“We have a hard time trusting humans,” Quil said.
“We have a hard time trusting you.”
“Throughout history, whenever things go amiss supernaturally, humans always blame vampires, and then the hunting starts.”
Movement caught my eye and I focused on it. It was Dan. His fingers played over the handle of his gun like it was a security blanket.
“Always?” I asked. “Is there a lightbulb over my head?”
“You have a thought?” Quil asked.
I turned to Grant. “It’s someone who wants us to go after these vamps. Not just playin’ copycat to give us a red herring. It’s someone who wants these vamps taken out. It’s someone who knows they’re here, knows we exist, and knows we’re pretty much ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ types when it comes to perps. Someone’s literally siccing us on this nest.”
“They’ve taken two of our humans already,” Quil said.
“Your humans?” Dan asked, hand still on the gun at his hip.
“Yes. They both had connections to the nest, and both knew we were vampires. Most humans here don’t. Only ones dating vampires, or ones who are too observant for their own good, know what they’re working for.”
“He’ll kill again,” Grant said with an edge of finality. “He could be looking for another girl. Does your nest have any other places they like to gather?”
Quil shook his head. “No designated places, just their businesses, or other clubs, or their human’s houses. This club is vampires only, except for the workers and significant others.”
“So he’s most likely here, General?” Dan asked.
“He won’t grab anyone with feds breathing down his neck,” I said.
“Hey, feds, we know when a human’s in our midst,” Len said. “The only humans here tonight are our workers and y’all.”
“Not human then,” Quil and I said as one.
He scowled.
“Or it’s one of the workers,” I said.
“Or it could be a vamp who didn’t want to become one,” Dan said.
Guess he wanted to have ideas too.
“No,” Quil and I said together again.
“You two have a mind meld?” Grant’s asked.
“Vamps are snobs,” I said. “I’ve had a few visions tonight and there seems to be a theme with them. They think they’re the best thing to walk the planet since Jesus and all humans want to be them. They don’t change people unless the people are basically beggin’ for it.”
“So there’s a traitor in my club?” Len asked, voice high and tight.
“We could try tracking his scent,” Quil said.
“You’re going to let us do our job, and that means questioning and fingerprinting all of you,” Grant said.
“No,” Quil said.
Grant’s hand twitched to the gun on his belt.
“Try it, human.”
“Put those things away,” I said with a force that surprised me. “These are really expensive boots.” I pointed at my shoes. “And if this pissing contest goes on any longer, they’ll get ruined.”
Len chuckled.
“Thanks, I think I’m funny.” I turned to Grant. “This is no different than any other argument over jurisdictional turf, General. We do a joint investigation and use each other’s resources.”
“She wouldn’t approve,” Len said to Quil.
Who was she?
“She doesn’t need to know,” Quil said after a moment.
What did we just miss?
“We work together,” he said to Grant.
“You follow our lead and if I say get out of the way, then move,” Grant said.
“And if I say hide, be quiet, or run, you do that.”
The two men nodded and I sighed.
“As for the questioning, I think they would be more receptive to chatting with a nice young lady than with a cop,” Quil said. “Then she can get visions.”
“Federal agents, technically,” I said, then waved it off. “You’re right, same diff.”
“Are you up to it?” Grant asked.
“I can do it, sir.”
I had no clue if I could do it.
“We’ll be in the van; Jet’s already there.” Grant squeezed my shoulder. “And, Ariana, write everything down.”
“Yes, General,” I said with a half-hearted salute.
He gave a ghost of a smile and they left.
Jet came in a moment later with another earbud. I put it in with a pointed look at Quil. It was stayin’ and he’d just have to deal.
###
After my set, Len took me around to meet everyone so I could get Impressions off them.
We did the other humans first. Quil had questioned them all and was certain none knew anything about the murders, but I had to be sure.
None of them even noticed Jo leaving, let alone who she was with.
“How could someone take her out without a room full of people and vamps noticing?” I asked Len as I crashed in a chair in his office after meeting the last waitress.
Oh yeah, I could get vision tired all right.
I was pretty sure if anyone opened my head to look at my brain, there’d be a sign saying, “Out to lunch, back in fifteen,” imprinted on the grey matter.
“That’s what we need to find out,” Quil said from behind and I jumped and turned in the seat.
“Stop doin’ that!” I said.
“Onto us, I suppose.”
“Give me a second.”
I caught a flash of fang from Quil before he turned and walked away.
“He’s not usually so grrr, ya know?” Len said. “I think you got under his skin. What’d you do to the poor fellow?”
“Vision. I told him what I saw and it seemed to... um... ruffle him. Hey, he tried to drag me down those stairs in the back; what’s down there?”
“Oh, darling, it’s better you don’t know. Humans that go down there don’t come back up.”
I gasped and he grinned.
“Most of ‘em want to go when the time comes.”
“I didn’t.”
He looked me up and down. “You sure about that?”
My mouth worked. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Can I be blunt, darling?”
“Sure.”
“This is not meant as an insult, trust me. You are giving off a ‘bite me and bite me hard’ vibe.”
I blushed. “Is that supposed to be dirty? Cuz that sounded really dirty.”
“Sex and blood, it’s all tied up for us.
Every vamp worth his blood could tell the second you walked onto the stage that you’re in heat.”
My eyes flew wide.
“You… everything about you is screaming it’s been a while, and that you like it on bottom.”
“Gah!” I blushed, staring at the carpet. “I, ugh, this is not polite!”
He chuckled. “I’m telling you how it is. You like being dominated. Hey, so do I. But you’re going out in the dog ring with a steak tied around your neck, because you have big flashing red lights telling everyone you’re so hard up, you’re ready to fuck the first man who shows an interest.”
“Well, I never!”
I stormed out.
The guys could hear all that!
And Len never did answer my question about the door.
###
Turns out I could get more than vision tired.
I was at vision zombie after I touched about twenty vamps.
I glared at Len’s office door before hitting the bathroom instead.
I flopped on my butt and leaned against the cool tile wall.
The door opened and I sighed.
“Yes, Quil?”
He sat next to me. “How did you know it was me?”
“Your smell.”
“Sounds like something a vamp would say.”
I turned my head towards him, eyes flickering open and shut. “I’m too tired for politeness so forgive my rudeness. Am I givin’ off a ‘do me, bite me, baby’ vibe?”
He grinned. “Yes. You must know you project. Your face is expressive, your body language screams everything about you, you’re an open book. It’s not even magic that lets us know you want it, just predators who are apt at reading their prey.”
“You consider yourselves predators?”
“We are predators. It’s a fact. We eat other living things, including humans.”
I met his eyes. “Do you want to bite me?”
“There’s a lot of things I want to do to you. Most of them, you’re too young to hear.”
Heat flushed my body and I looked down.
Quil leaned over, breath light on my non-bugged ear. “I’ll tell you about them when your team isn’t eavesdropping.”
He left and I took a deep breath, turning to rest my face on the wall tile.
“Ryder,” Grant said, “do we need to get you out of there.”
“I’m so tired, I’m not even embarrassed, sir. Soooo maybe? I think I can do a few more, but I’m pretty sure I’m runnin’ a fever.”
The door opened again and I shut up. Quil squatted in front of me, holding out an appletini.
“Perceptive guy,” I said. “But that isn’t gonna help.”
“Actually, it will.” He pressed the drink into my hand. “I’ve met a few psychics in my time.” He sat next to me again. “Alcohol perked them up after a particularly trying day, and makes visions come easier. It will also lower the vision fever.”
“This has a name?”
“Yeah. You’re not the first psychic to walk this earth.”
I took a long drink.
Yummm, sugar and vodka.
He clinked his drink against mine, sayin’ something in another language, and we both drank.
“What’s that?” I pointed to it.
“This is a margarita. Dave’s special blend. We may turn him for his drink skills alone.”
“Can I try a sip?”
He shrugged and handed it over.
My hand grazed his.
Flash.
“She doesn’t smell right,” Quil said.
The vision opened to picture and I saw him and Len at the bar, me on stage.
“That’s called attraction, Quil,” Len said. “I’m sure she’s human.”
“Oh, she’s human, but she smells off. I’m going to question her.”
“Come on, Quil, she’s a nice girl.”
“And me sitting her down for a few minutes won’t hurt her.”
“It might scare her off.”
“I’ll hypnotize her, she won’t remember it.”
“Quil,” Len said.
“I have to question everyone, Len. And there’s something off about her. I can smell it.”
“That smell is human red bottom. Been at least a year for her. How about you two have a go instead of you questioning her?”
“Len.”
“Been a while for you, too.”
“I’ve been busy. And you are pushing it.”
“What are friends for?”
Quil gave me a funny look as my eyes refocused.
“Is that warmth and blank look a vision?” Quil asked.
“Yeah, nothing pertaining to the case.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Uh, no, ya won’t.”
He growled and I grinned.
“It bugs you, doesn’t it? That you can’t control what I see? That I could know so much about you just by a touch? Everything you’ve ever done, every embarrassing moment, and you can’t stop me from seein’ it.”
His face was in front of mine before I could blink.
“I could kill you,” he said, the words stirring the breath in my half open mouth.
“I thought you needed our help.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
Not the smartest idea to be tauntin’ him, probably; sometimes my tongue needs a freaking leash.
His eyes flashed and his hand flew up to my face.
I didn’t even have time to think he was gonna hit me before the hand gently cupped my chin.
“Why did you try biting me?” he asked, eyes wide as he ran his thumb across my bottom lip, leaving a burn across it like I’d just sucked a stick of honey.
Why wouldn’t he let this go?
“When I was in the vision, I was you. I saw through your eyes and I felt it. When you were bitin’ her back was when I came to, and for a second, I was in both places at once.”
He nodded once. “Your teeth are too sharp for a human’s.”
He swooped out of the bathroom before I could respond. I placed a hand on my lip.
What the quack did that mean?
“Ariana?” Grant’s asked in my ear.
“Yes, General?” I dropped my hand and bit my lip.
“Do. I. Need. To. Pull. You?”
“Of course not, sir,” I said. “I’ll be back on my feet in a moment and I’ll get the rest of the visions. So far it’s mostly been them gettin’ bit. Nothing about Jo, not even after I touched them a few times.”
“Did you try to bite anyone else?” Grant’s voice was inscrutable.
“No.”
“Ryder, if this is getting personal...”
“It’s not, General.”
Oops. It’s a bad idea to interrupt Grant.
“If this is getting personal,” he said again in a harsher tone, “I need to know. This is an op, you’re in danger, and we’re working with unknowns. If your judgment’s compromised, I need to know.”
“It’s not, sir. I can’t help what I see, but I can swear I’m keeping this professional.”
“We’re watching.”
###
I got back on the floor and had about fifteen more quick-snap visions of vamps dying, being reborn, whatever. Some vamps came and went from the club, but Len swore they were all vamps.
Didn’t mean one didn’t do it, but I didn’t think so. Why would a vamp waste the blood by suckin’ it out with a machine, right?
By four in the morning, when the crowds were thinned down to about five vamps hanging around, mostly talking about stocks of all things (I know!) I was dead on my feet.
No, not literally. That’s a pretty stupid saying when you’re in a vamp club, huh?
The guys got my spy cam and earbud and packed up the van while I slumped on a stool at the bar.
Quil sat next to me.
“Well, this was a waste of time,” I growled.
The two appletinis did perk me up, but the exhaustion mixed with the resultin’ headache did not
do good things to my attitude.
“You thought this would be easy?” Quil asked. “How long have you been a fed?”
“Actually, a year next week.”
The words were barely out of my mouth before the shooting started.
Chapter six
I screamed, short and shrill as the first bullet hit the bar behind me, followed by two more, sound suppressed by the roof but still shatterin’ my hearing.
The bullets came in practically straight down. Had to be comin’ from the roof.
Well, duh.
Quil shoved me behind the bar and I hit the floor hard on my knees.
Right, shooter.
Needed to do something.
I drew my gun as I looked around and up.
I shot and my ears exploded in pain. I’d forgotten how loud guns were without hearing protection. The world went fuzzy as I emptied my magazine into the roof.
The hail of bullets continued.
The other humans ran screaming for the back hall but the vampires were remarkably calm. About half ducked and half ran for the door. I guess ready to take out whoever had the audacity to shoot-up their club.
One blurrin’ in their super-speed way to the door stopped short, an arrow sticking out of his chest. His eyes went wide as he pulled the arrow out, dropping it with twitchin’ fingers.
On TV, they just turn into a puff of dust: clean and quick.
Not this guy.
He shriveled up like something was sucking moisture outta him with a wetvac.
His skin split, leaking blood and other fluids, peelin’ back like burning bits of paper. His jeans and tank top sagged in as the muscles on his face and arms separated into smaller and smaller ropes, vanishing as they shrank and popped off, revealing yellow-ish bone.
His eyes grew and grew and it took me a moment to realize it was cuz his eyelids were withering away. The eyes popped out, hangin’ by long, red strings of nerves.
With a shhhhhrulllllp, his body fell in on itself, leaving a pile of stained clothing and wet dust on the dance floor.
It took maybe ten seconds.
It felt like a lifetime.
If I wasn’t so shocked, I would’ve puked.
Actually, if I wasn’t so shocked, I would’ve run too, so hey, let’s hear it for shock.
The remainin’ vamps blurred away. I caught flashes of wide eyes and fangs and then they were gone.