Black Heart: Coeur de Sade (Black Heart Series)

by Gallier, TW

"I just need a safe place to lie down," I said. "It'll burn itself out of my skull if given time."

  CHAPTER 16

  Sleep was denied. Somehow I had avoided being shot in the head up until Heidi tried to off me. As much as blessed silver bullets burned, I was getting a little "whatever" about being shot with them. Getting shot was just part of doing business. I discovered getting shot in the head was a whole nother level of hurt.

  Boney told me on numerous occasions that silver bullets would burn their way out of a vampire's body. I always cut them out. Why suffer? But Kale was unable to hack my skull open and look for the burning bullet, so I laid on the cold tiles of his bathroom floor and waited for that bullet to burn its way out. The sanctified silver burned and burned for hours and hours. Then around five in the afternoon, I checked the back of my head and discovered it had burned completely though the bone and was pressing up against the skin.

  I cut that out with a knife.

  "Oh, I am so going to bite Heidi," I said, eyeing the offending bullet lying on the floor by the toilet.

  "You're going to kill her?" Kale said, the stench of fear filling the air.

  "Don't be ridiculous," I said, dismissing that with a haughty wave of the hand. "I just want to bite her. It'll put the fear of fangs in her, my fangs, and it is a way for me to establish a mental link, so I know where she is at all times. The bitch snuck up on me last night while I was distracted." I glanced at the offending bullet, all bloody in the corner. "Never again."

  With the bullet boiling my brain, I hadn't been in the mood to discuss the previous night with Kale. Once the bullet was out, my marvelous vampire body was back to normal within seconds, and I felt good. Still royally pissed at Heidi, but good. So I told Kale what happened the previous night. Well, not the part about my tryst with Roger. I hadn't had sex with Kale yet, and thought that would be cruel to mention.

  "So you know where he lives now," Kale said. "Shouldn't be too hard to stake the place out."

  "Never say 'stake' to a vampire," I said. His eyes went wide. "Joking. Ha! Gotcha."

  "Well, you're in a much better mood," he said.

  I shrugged sheepishly. I wasn't good company while that bullet burned inside me, and the sun beat down upon his roof unmercifully. Normally, sleep would spare me the torture of the sun's light trying to get to me, but the bullet hurt too much to sleep.

  "Hey, the sun's down and I'm still alive. I love it when I wake up and there isn't a stake through my heart. Life's good," I said. Well, it wasn't that good, but it sure beat being dead and in Hell. But I had calls to make and places to go. I pulled out my cell and was shocked to see it barely alive. The battery was almost dead. When was the last time I charged it? "Mind if I use your phone?"

  "As long as you don't call long distance," he said, grinning.

  "Thanks," I said. "Um, do you have any blood in the fridge?"

  "No, but I have plenty inside me," he said, turning his face to expose his neck.

  "No thanks," I said, though his blood called to me. I could almost smell it. I could hear and sense it surging through his body. I heard his heart beat, ramping up a bit at the prospect of me feeding off him. My mouth watered and throat tightened. "I'd rather buy some nice cow's blood."

  "With what?" he said. "I thought you said you're broke. Didn't the other vampire girl and witch clean out your accounts?"

  "Oh shit," I said. "I forgot. But my bank was trying to pull the funds back in. Let me call them."

  The phone was beside the bed. I avoided sitting on the bed, because in my condition it would be too easy for Kale to seduce me. I didn't have time for a tryst. Wet, wild, and wicked sex would've been great, and would've made me feel better, but Fritz's trail was growing cold. I had to get over there fast and get on it.

  I called my banker. Simon Roach answered. Perfect.

  "Simon, Sable Hart here," I said. "Any luck recovering my money?"

  "No," he said, sounding disgusted. "They are pros. The money went to an account, then was immediately transferred out to another account. Our rivals refuse to help us trace the money. It's gone."

  I just stood there in silence a long moment. It was official. I was flat broke. Dirt poor. Destitute. You can imagine how scary that was.

  "Do I have any options?"

  "Not really, though I would suggest closing these accounts and starting new ones," he said.

  "Can't I just change my passwords?"

  "Yes," Simon said cautiously. "But I would strongly urge you close and open new accounts. Just to be absolutely safe."

  "I'm busted. Broke," I said. "They even got my cash reserve at home. I don't have the money to start an account anymore." My heart was racing, and my mind spinning. It was too much to grasp so early. "I'll let you know. Thanks for all you've done."

  Licking my lips, I stared at Kale's throat a long moment. He noticed and walked over to me, smiling knowingly. I thought he said before he wasn't so much into giving blood, as into sex with beautiful, wicked vampires. But by giving blood, he probably hoped to seal the deal. Feeding off him meant I would be back, and give him what he wanted.

  I put my hands on his chest, and leaned into his neck. Nuzzling his hot skin, I breathed deeply of his heady scent, of his needs and desires. Breathed in his overwhelming lust. I gave his neck a lick over the jugular, the carotid was paired with it, a bit deeper in the neck.

  The carotid artery gave the best blood. The jugular was marginally safer and easier to reach. But, the carotid carried the nutrient and oxygen rich blood straight to the brain. It tasted much better, and provided more nutrition to vampires. More nutrition per ounce meant we needed to drink less blood.

  "Are you sure?" I said, glancing up to lock eyes with him.

  "I'm sure," he said.

  Pressing my fangs firmly upon his skin, the surge of his blood so close and alluring, I paused to give him another chance to stop me. He didn't. Instead, he sucked in a sharp breath and waited. So I bit, sinking my fangs deep into his neck, past the jugular and straight into the carotid. I wasn't planning to take much, so needed the most bang for the buck.

  I groaned as that delicious, invigorating blood gushed into my mouth. It spurted with the beat of his heart. Drinking it down as fast as it came to me, I sated my dark thirst and immediately healed the twin punctures. I planned to only take about a pint, but probably swallowed closer to two. I was full, and buzzing with the glory of living human blood.

  "Jesus, that's good," I whispered, and sat on the bed. "Human blood is the best. Wow."

  "Yes," he groaned, plopping down beside me with a look of bliss on his face. "I'd almost forgotten how good that feels. I could get used to that again."

  "Me, too," I said. Standing up, I stretched. "I have to go. Thanks for everything."

  "Will you be back?"

  "Oh yeah," I said, grinning mischievously. "And you better be ready for a wild and wicked ride, baby."

  "Tonight?"

  Oh, he looked eager. He was ready to go right then, and so was I. But, there was still the Coeur de Sade problem, so I had to find Fritz. Fast.

  "Maybe," I said. I shrugged. "It all depends where I am come morning." I shuddered. "It's really quite scary sometimes. I've barely made it to safety a couple of times."

  That confused him. He frowned at me a moment.

  "Why? No matter where you are, you can just bury yourself," he said. "My former vampire lover did it all the time. In fact, she preferred the cool embrace of the earth to a coffin."

  I was dumbfounded. I knew that. I knew it from my research as a vampire hunter. Until Kale mentioned it I had forgotten all about it. No one else, not even Boney, ever mentioned it.

  Knowing it can be done and the actual doing of it was two different things. I needed another vampire to teach me transforming into a bat and wolf. Heck, I need to be taught how to bite and feed off a mortal, and then how to heal them.

  "I've never tried it," I said. "Mind if I try it out in your backyard?"

  "No pro
blem. I'll check to make sure the sun is all the way down," Kale said, and hurried out of the room.

  It was. Barely. I could feel it. It was still light outside. Going outside now wouldn't be fatal, but it would be uncomfortable and extremely bright to my eyes. But with sunglasses I could function in twilight just fine.

  While waiting for Kale, I sifted through my purse. Gun, bullets, makeup, three small bags of M&Ms, wallet, but no money. Not a penny. So I tossed half a handful of M&Ms into my mouth and stuffed the purse back into the small backpack.

  I know, it is weird to carry a purse in a backpack. If you have one, you don't need the other. But the pack held things the purse didn't, and couldn't. And I hated being without my purse. I can be a bit anal at times about my purse.

  "It's safe," Kale said.

  I slanted a roguish smile at him. That roused him. Yeah, that's the reaction I wanted. I can't help being a flirt sometimes. It's the vampire curse, I think. So, to keep his interest up I stood in the most sensuous manner possible and paused so he could soak in the sight of my leather and latex sheathed body.

  "You know what you need?" Kale said with a breathtakingly mischievous grin. He should grin at me like that more often.

  "Um, spurs?" I said, remembering Gabe's suggestion.

  That response took him aback. "What? Oh. Yes, spurs would be hot on those boots," he said. "But I was thinking about a belly ring. Sparkling diamonds in you belly button would be cool."

  Mention of navel rings made me think of the Giorgi sisters again. They wore diamond navel rings. I needed to find them, too.

  "Desiree wants me to get one, too," I said. "I'm considering it."

  He knew all about Desiree. During the long day, while he skipped work to sit with me, we shared our life histories. I knew everything he was willing to share about his life, and he knew what I was willing to share about mine.

  "While you're at it, you might think about a tongue stud," he said, getting a truly lecherous look on his face. "My ex-wife had one, and man how it improves giving head."

  "I don't think so," I said, shaking my head. "You get one. I can't imagine having a chunk of steel, or is it silver, forever in my mouth, through my tongue. Yuck."

  I shouldered my small pack and stepped around him. Going to the backyard, I dropped the pack on the covered patio and looked around.

  "What a gorgeous backyard, Kale," I said.

  It was the most beautiful backyard I ever saw. He had three large oaks, tons of shade and thick green grass. No weeds I could see, and flower beds all around the fence and around the trees. He had a rocky water feature in one corner.

  "Thanks."

  "You did all this? Without a wife to make you do it? I'm impressed."

  "You're a funny girl," he said, grinning. "But no, I didn't landscape it. It was like this when I bought the house. I just maintained it."

  "Good boy," I said. "It really is beautiful."

  Praise over with, I felt the press of time again. So moved a few feet out into the grass and laid down. The grassed was soft and cool, and rich with that lovely earthy smell. I wasn't sure what to do, but so much of being a vampire was just instinct and willing it so. So I willed myself down into the ground, visualized myself sinking down into Mother Earth.

  "Wait," Kale said.

  Too late. I felt a bit of disorientation, and it was if the earth opened up and swallowed me. Fast. Something long, thin and hard resisted a second, but snapped. I thought of those big, beautiful oaks and hoped I didn't harm one of them by breaking a major root.

  I dropped down about six feet. Go figure. The earth pressed against me. I couldn't breathe, but that wasn't necessary anyway. But I really didn't like not breathing. It was distressing.

  Kale above me seemed stressed. Strange, it was his suggestion. But my experiment was over, so I willed myself back up. And up I went. In a flash I found myself laying on the cool, damp grass. Actually, I found myself in a puddle of water.

  "Where did all the water come from?" I said, sitting up. I had a ton of dirt in my hair and I was coated with it. Yuck. The water turned it all to mud, of course. "Eww, I'm filthy now."

  "You sank into the ground over one of my sprinkler system pipes," he said. "I tried to warn you, but..."

  "Oh Jesus," I groaned. "I am so sorry. I'm such an idiot sometimes."

  "Not your fault," he insisted. "You had no way of knowing, and I wasn't completely sure myself. Until you went down, and the water came up." He grinned weakly. "You're a muddy mess. I can help you shower."

  "I bet you can," I said. I morphed into a bat, flew out of my clothes, and changed back into human form. Took all of three seconds. "Not necessary. I'm done."

  "Damn! That's incredible," he said. "I've never seen anyone do that."

  "I have my talents," I said, picking my wet latex clothes and thigh boots out of the water. "I need to clean these up. You have an old washcloth and dish tower I could use? Nothing new. The mud might stain."

  Quicker than Kale liked, I cleaned my clothes and was back in them. I think he rather enjoyed watching me struggle and wiggle into my tight latex pants. The thigh boots and halter top went on relatively easy in comparison, though no less snug.

  I shouldered my pack and headed for the front door. Kale followed on my heels, looking uncomfortable and worried. Then he thrust something at me. Without thought, I held out my hand and he put a wad of cash into it.

  "What is this for?"

  "Gas money," he said. "Sorry, all I have is that thirty-two dollars. I'll go to an ATM before you get back and get more."

  "No!" I said, pushing the money back at him. "I can't accept this."

  "Of course you can," he said, refusing to take it back. "You need gas money."

  "I don't need charity," I said. Well, maybe I did. But my family or older friends should provide it, not some guy I just met. "And I've taken advantage of your generosity far too much already."

  "Nonsense. I want to help," he said. "Tell you what. You take the money, and we'll call it a loan. You can pay me back, therefore it is not charity."

  "Oh," I said, suddenly unsure. I did need gas money. But I didn't really know if I would ever see him again. Fritz might get the drop on me, and bye-bye me. "Jeeze, okay, but I think you're just loaning me the money cause you know I'll make a special effort to get back to you to repay it."

  "Well, I haven't thought of that," he said. "But I like it. Devious, but with my heart in the right place. Wow, how special am I?"

  I couldn't help but grin. I loved a man with a sense of humor. Kale might even understand my warped sense of humor, too. We'll see.

  "I'm keeping my eyes on you, boy."

  "Good, because I can't help looking at you. But who could?"

  "Flattery will get you everywhere with me," I said, grinning. "Thanks. I mean it. This does help."

  "Hey now, don't go get all mushy on me," he said. "I might bite you."

  "Really? Promises, promises," I said, and headed for the door. "Just be careful, you might bite off more than you can chew with me."

  I hopped on the trusty ole Ninja. No wasting anymore time. Soon, I was skidding to a halt at the intersection where my first decision had to be made. One was important to me, the council and all of Dallas's vampires. The other was only of interest to me.

  Oh well, I turned right and headed for Dane and Heidi's apartment. It wasn’t that far, and it was important that Heidi understood she can shoot me in the head all day with sanctified bullets, but I wasn't going to stay away from Dane as long as he lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. A sick part of me thought of him as my ex and future boyfriend.

  I know, pathetic.

  Dane wasn't there. He was way over on the east side of Dallas, maybe even in Mesquite. But it was Heidi I wanted to speak with anyway. Girl talk, to get a few things straight.

  The gates were closed. I waited and waited, but no residents went in I could piggy back through behind. Okay, I waited maybe five minutes. But I was in a hurry. There wa
s only so much darkness in one night, you know. So I parked the bike outside the fence, hopped right over said wrought iron fence and headed for their apartment. Didn't take long to reach it.

  "Shit," I said. Carpet people were cleaning up after replacing the carpet. There was no furniture inside. Let me say, I upset a couple of people by just marching in and looking all through the apartment. Closets, pantry, fridge, were all cleaned out. "They moved." I reached out with my link to Dane. "Do they really think they can hide from me?"

  That meant I had more time for my friend Fritz Rotmensen. I remembered what Roger told me about his name meaning Rotten People or something. That was funny, and kinda appropriate from my perspective. He was certainly messing my life up.

  "He owes me. Big," I said, getting on the Ninja and racing off toward Farmers Branch.

  It was still early evening, so traffic was relatively heavy. There was no breaking any speed records that night. But the ride over gave me time alone to think how complicated my life was becoming. There was a rumor it might be on the verge of getting out of control.

  I was about to attempt things I have never tried or discussed if feasible with a vampire. My theory was wolves have an even better sense of smell than vampires, which would be quite impressive. Really, vampire noses are that good. But nonetheless, a wolf was low to the ground and uniquely qualified to be tracking prey by scent trail.

  Yep, I was going to try and follow Fritz's trail from his hasty retreat the night before. I figured he went somewhere safe. That's what I would do. A safe house. A bolt hole. He might've even gone to a friend's house.

  On top of that, I was going to try and keep all of my clothes. That is the biggest drawback to morphing into a bat or wolf. When you get to where you're going, you are buck ass naked. Kinda hard to intimate, scare, or impress a killer when your naked. So I had a plan.

  The lights were on at Fritz's house as I approached. The garage door was open and his jeep was full of stuff. Fritz was moving. He probably should've gotten it done before full dark. I grinned.

  I could feel him inside. He is agitated, but not overly concerned. Have to admit, I was hoping I was the cause of that bit of anxiety. But he was home, and I had a plan. Lots of plans.