Seduced by the Night

by Robin T. Popp

  He had to stay alert to the possibility that more vampires lay in wait. It would be unusual for them to stick around, but nothing about what he’d witnessed over the last several nights had been “usual.” Hell, he’d already killed more in this one night than was normal. There had been the three he’d dispatched in the alley before he heard Beth’s scream and then the one who’d tried to kill her. Four in the last hour alone. If Harris and Patterson were behind this assault, they must be growing desperate.

  With Bethany right behind him, Dirk slowly worked his way through the entire apartment. In the bedroom, he found the window open and a bloodstained handprint on the curtain where it had been pushed aside. He didn’t know if this was how they’d gotten in, but it was definitely how the one had escaped.

  Dirk stepped out on the fire escape and looked around, but saw nothing. He contemplated going to the roof, but there was no point. The vampires wouldn’t be returning tonight.

  Climbing back inside, he sheathed his sword and turned to Beth, who still stared at him through haunted eyes. She was in shock.

  “They’re gone.” Going to her because he couldn’t seem to stay away, he slowly rubbed his hands up and down her arms in what he hoped was a reassuring caress. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, and then shook her head. “No, I’m not all right. I don’t understand what’s going on. It’s like something out of a bad Vincent Price movie.” Her voice rose with her excitement and she paused to catch her breath. “I know this sounds crazy, but they looked like vampires . . .” Her words trailed off into a desperate kind of laugh as she raised a hand to rub her head. “You probably think I’m losing it. I don’t know; maybe I am.”

  He knew he should tell her that it was her imagination playing tricks; that the killers were human. Yet, when he opened his mouth to spin the lie, he found himself telling her the truth instead. “They were vampires.”

  He waited for her reaction, but all she did was nod her head.

  “Okay. That’s what I thought.” Her voice sounded too matter of fact and Dirk again recognized the symptoms of shock. It was buffering her reactions—letting few emotions in and none out. Studying her face, he wondered when the dam would break, knowing it would be soon.

  “I need to make a couple of phone calls,” he said, hoping he had time.

  She nodded. “I should call Miles. He’ll want to know about Mr. Yarbro.”

  Dirk found her statement revealing, but didn’t point out that Miles’s first concern would most likely be for her safety. The mention of the man’s name, however, raised an issue that needed to be addressed. “Let’s not mention the vampires to Miles, all right? In fact, let’s not mention them to anyone.”

  A quizzical look penetrated through an otherwise glassy, distant gaze. Then she shrugged. “He probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.” Still sounding unnaturally calm, she walked over to the bedside table where a cordless phone sat next to a book.

  When she began to dial, Dirk pulled out his cell phone and punched in Mac’s phone number. As he listened to the rings, his eyes scanned the room, taking in details that helped paint a picture of the woman who lived here. The furniture was elegant but simple in design, consistent with the soothing neutral tones of the bedspread and curtains. Bookshelves lined the walls and except for one shelf dedicated to photos of what Dirk assumed to be family, they were filled past capacity with various paperback and hardback volumes. Scanning the titles, he saw everything from scientific reference books to popular fiction. He took all this in at a glance and it didn’t tell him much about Bethany Stavinoski except that she was neat and liked to read. Only the little cloth clown doll, perched on her dresser, seemed out of place.

  Its little purple velveteen outfit was stained, the ruffled collar had become detached at one side, and the once white color had faded to gray. The clown’s hat sat precariously on its head, above the once-golden strands of hair, and one eye was missing from the face. To anyone else, the doll might appear to be junk, but Dirk suspected it had been the object of a young girl’s love, so much so that the grown woman couldn’t bring herself to throw it away. A man would be lucky to earn the love of a woman like that.

  A click on the other end of the line caught his attention.

  “Mac here.”

  “I’m at Bethany’s apartment. There was another attempt. I’ve got three bodies in the back alley, one on the sidewalk out in front of the building, and a dead bodyguard inside.” He kept his words clipped and to the point.

  “And the woman?”

  Dirk cast a glance at her and, seeing her hang up the phone, he turned his back so she wouldn’t hear him. “She’s in shock, but otherwise okay.” Dirk paused. “I told her.”

  There was a moment of silence, but when Mac spoke, he didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Everything?”

  This time, Dirk felt embarrassed. “Only about the vampires. She saw them and I . . . didn’t want to lie.”

  “Okay. You were there so it was your call. I’m on my way. I can get the bodies outside, but what about the bodyguard?”

  “I think we’ll have to call John.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Thanks.” Dirk hung up the phone and turned to check on Bethany, only to find her walking past him to the living room. Worried, he followed after her as she walked over to the dead man’s body and stared down at it.

  “He died because of me.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I don’t understand.” She looked up at Dirk, her eyes pleading for him to explain it, and a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. He barely heard her next words, they were so softly spoken. “I’m scared.”

  Dirk sensed the dam break and pulled her into his arms, gathering her close. “You’re not responsible for these attacks, Bethany. It’s not your fault. And I won’t let them hurt you, I promise.” He heard her muffled sobs and vowed that he’d keep that promise, even if it killed him.

  In the protected safety of Dirk’s embrace, Bethany’s defenses fell. She burrowed closer, needing the feel of his solid, wide chest and the strength of his arms wrapped around her to block out the horrors of the night’s events. She knew she should have felt embarrassed, crying as she was in a stranger’s arms, but at that particular moment, he didn’t feel like a stranger.

  How long they stood there, Bethany had no idea, but when she finally stopped crying, she expected Dirk to release her. Surprisingly, he didn’t, nor did she make any effort to step away from him. It felt right and she never wanted the moment to end.

  “Bethany—are you all right?”

  She jumped at the sound of Miles’s voice and stepped away from Dirk quickly, as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. Giving Dirk a last, longing look, she went to Miles and let him hug her. If his arms felt small and spindly compared to Dirk’s, or his chest cadaverous compared to the firm, muscled tone of Dirk’s, she tried not to notice. After all, their relationship wasn’t about physical attraction, she reminded herself. His looks were not why she was marrying him.

  “What happened?” Miles asked. “Who did this?”

  Vampires! I came home and they were waiting for me. They killed Mr. Yarbro and almost killed me. Even in her mind, it sounded too far-fetched to be true. She eased herself out of his embrace. “I don’t know.”

  “Do you think you could give the police a description?”

  She knew she’d remember the glowing red eyes, the sharp, gleaming fangs, and the pale, translucent faces of the vampires for the rest of her life. “I’m sorry, Miles. It all happened so fast.” She rubbed her temple, knowing that Miles would believe her too frazzled to remember any details of her attackers.

  A commotion at the front door drew their attention and seconds later Mac walked into the room. His glance took in everything, touching briefly on her and Miles before coming to rest on Dirk.

  “Any problems?” Dirk asked.

  “Maybe.” Mac glanced over at the couple before turning back to Dirk. “John’s on his way.”<
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  Dirk nodded. Then Bethany saw him glance at the bodyguard’s body. “Let’s step into the other room,” he suggested.

  Momentarily confused until she saw his subtle nod toward Miles, she took Miles by the hand and led him into the bedroom.

  Dirk watched them go and as soon as they were out of hearing distance, he turned to Mac. “What?”

  “I found the three bodies in the back alley, but there was nothing across the street.”

  Dirk crossed the room and pulled back the curtain. He had been running on pure adrenaline and fear since he’d heard Beth’s screams from half a block away. He was in no mood to put up with crap like a missing corpse. Looking out the window, his improved night vision allowed him to pick out the darkened entryway across the street. “Son of a bitch.”

  Mac moved behind him and looked over his shoulder. “What?”

  “He’s not there.”

  “Like I said.”

  “I watched him die. How could he have simply disappeared?”

  “Maybe you missed the heart?”

  Dirk let the curtain fall back in place. “Shit.”

  “I guess you were distracted.” Scared shitless was more like it, Dirk thought, wondering what the price would be for his mistake.

  From the other room, Bethany strained to hear what Mac and Dirk were saying, but couldn’t make out their words. Then Detective Boehler arrived and she and Miles went out to join the others in the foyer.

  “Mr. Van Horne. Ms. Stavinoski. I’m sorry to see you again under these circumstances,” the detective said, coming over to them. “Neither of you was injured?”

  “No,” Miles replied. “However, Mr. Yarbro, the bodyguard I hired, wasn’t as lucky.”

  Detective Boehler nodded. “I’d like to look at the body.”

  “This way, John,” Dirk said.

  The detective started to follow him into the living room, but then stopped to look at Bethany. “I’m afraid you’ll need to move out of the apartment for a few days.”

  She nodded. “I don’t want to stay here anyway.”

  As the detective, Dirk, and Mac continued on to the living room, Bethany and Miles returned to her bedroom. He stood off to the side as she pulled a suitcase from her closet and set it on the bed. Sifting through her clothes, she had no trouble deciding what to take with her. The sooner she was out of this apartment, the better. She only wished she could take everything now and never have to return.

  Focusing on packing, she almost forgot Miles was there until he spoke.

  “I’m so sorry, Bethany. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

  “Well, of course not.” She stopped packing long enough to go to him and lay her hand comfortingly on his arm. “You hired the best bodyguard you could find. It’s just these . . . people . . . are more dangerous than we realized. Luckily, Dirk was around.”

  The minute she said it, she knew it was a mistake. Instantly, his eyes narrowed. “And how, exactly, did Mr. Adams come to be here at this particular time, anyway? Awfully convenient if you ask me.”

  “No one asked you,” Dirk answered abruptly, walking into the room.

  “You just happened to be in the neighborhood?”

  “No, I made it a point to be in the neighborhood. You see, I had some concerns about what you thought would be adequate security.”

  Miles’s chin rose in indignation. “I’ll have you know that I hired the finest agency in town.”

  “Then you should get your money back. And don’t bother hiring someone else. From now on, I’ll protect Beth.”

  Beth? It sounded like a pet name and Bethany didn’t know if Dirk had used it without thinking—or if he’d done it on purpose to annoy Miles. Either way, Miles was irritated.

  “I will see to Bethany’s protection, thank you.”

  “How? They’ve broken into both your lab and her home. The bodyguard you hired couldn’t fight them off. So tell me, exactly, how do you plan to protect her?”

  “I will hire an army of bodyguards to be with her around the clock and I’ll increase the security at the lab. When she’s not at work, she’ll stay with me. I live in a well-guarded penthouse suite and my place is close to the lab, so she won’t have far to commute.”

  The announcement caught Bethany off guard and she stared at Miles in surprise. She was not ready to move in with him and was wondering how to break the news to him when Dirk beat her to it.

  “First of all, Beth should stay as far from the lab as she can until this is over. Second, these terrorists are highly skilled and dangerous. Your high security penthouse suite will be nothing more than a minor obstacle to them.”

  “Really?” Miles asked sardonically.

  “We’ve already seen the quality of protection you hire,” Dirk continued. “Hiring new guards will only get more people killed—possibly even Beth. I won’t allow that.”

  “When it comes to Bethany, you have no say in anything that concerns her.”

  “I do now. She’s coming with me to Admiral Winslow’s estate. We have plenty of room and it’s the last place anyone will look for her.”

  Miles gasped. “Are you suggesting that my fiancée move in with you? I refuse.”

  A dark gleam came into Dirk’s eyes as he moved closer to Miles, causing the older man to instinctively step back. “You misunderstand—I’m not asking permission. I’m telling you how it’s going to be. She’s coming with me because I can protect her. You had your chance and fucked it up.”

  Chapter 5

  Bethany watched Miles’s face grow so red with anger that she worried he might have a stroke. The two men were standing toe to toe and Bethany wanted to bash their heads together. As they continued to glare at each other, she took advantage of their silence.

  “First of all, both of you can stop acting like I’m not here. I don’t appreciate it. Second, nobody tells me what I will and will not do, understood?” She raised her chin defiantly as two sets of eyes, one blue and one brown, turned to her.

  “Miles, you’re right. I need to keep working on the project and I fully intend to do so. And your place is closer to the lab.” She ignored the look of triumph that spread across his face and put a hand up to stop Dirk when he opened his mouth to protest. “But it’s not safe, so I’m going to move into the admiral’s place until this is over.”

  “Bethany, there’s no need for this,” Miles hurriedly protested. “I’ll hire a dozen bodyguards. Hell, I’ll hire two dozen, but you will not live with this man, do you understand me?”

  She shook her head. “No, Miles. I don’t need two dozen bodyguards—I only need Dirk.” Her cheeks began to burn the second she realized what she’d said. Hurrying on, she tried to explain to Miles what she meant. “You may not realize it, but Dirk has been acting as my bodyguard for the last several days. Haven’t you?” She pinned him with a look. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but there have been other attempts. Last night in the parking garage, for instance. And how many others?”

  Dirk clenched his jaw shut and refused to answer.

  “That’s okay. I know there were other attempts.” She turned back to Miles. “In trying to respect your wishes, he only stepped in when Mr. Yarbro failed to do his job, which was happening a lot.” She took a step closer to Miles and laid her hand on his chest. “I know you only want what’s best for me and if that means living at the admiral’s, then that’s what I should do.”

  She counted on Miles’s intelligence to see past his jealousy to the bigger picture. She wasn’t wrong. “Very well, Bethany. If that’s what you want.” His petulant tone let her know how much he didn’t like the idea.

  “It’s not about what I want, Miles. It’s about doing the smart thing.” She smiled up at him and placed a kiss on his cheek, which seemed to make him feel better. When she glanced at Dirk and saw his scowl, she couldn’t help but wonder what, exactly, she was getting herself into.

  “Pack enough to stay for several days,” he told her. “If you need something from
the other room, I’ll get it for you.”

  Hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake, she packed the clothes she’d laid out and turned back to the dresser. Practical in every other aspect of her life, Bethany had a penchant for lacy, barely there matching bras and panties. Stuck wearing a unisex lab coat all day, they were the only things that allowed her to feel feminine.

  Having a set for almost every outfit, she riffled through her collection of undergarments to find the ones that went with the outfits she was taking and tossed them on the bed. Down to selecting the final set, she pulled her brand-new deep purple see-through demi-bra and panties from the drawer. With them dangling from her hand, she turned to the suitcase and stopped. Heat suffused her cheeks when she saw both Miles and Dirk staring at her.

  Miles looked outraged that she would dare display her undergarments so publicly, especially with another man in the room. The intensity of his gaze, however, was nothing compared to that of Dirk’s. Sheer raw, animal hunger burned there, sending a thrill of excitement racing through her, leaving her feeling terribly confused because she wasn’t the kind of woman to feel strong passions; it was a flaw in her genetic makeup.

  Frowning at both men, she shoved the clothing into her suitcase and closed it. Grabbing a second, smaller case, she packed her toiletries.

  “Ms. Stavinoski,” Detective Boehler said, walking into the room with Mac. “Where can I reach you?”

  “She’ll be staying with us,” Dirk answered.

  If the detective seemed surprised, he didn’t show it. “Fine. I’ll contact you there if I have any questions.”

  “Is that it?” Dirk asked, nodding to the two suitcases as he took a step toward them.

  She looked around the room, giving it a final inspection. When her gaze fell on her little clown sitting on the bookcase, she grabbed it. The doll had been a gift from her grandmother many years ago and was a memento of happier times. She wasn’t about to leave it behind. Refusing to meet either man’s gaze, she placed the doll in her purse. “That’s everything,” she said, finally risking a glance at Dirk. Instead of the amusement she expected to see at her show of sentimentality, there was an unexpected flash of warmth and understanding. Then, gesturing with his head that she should precede him from the room, he picked up both of her suitcases and followed.