“Vampires have rules. Even though we have a predatory nature, we’re not allowed to kill our victims. Only little drinks here and there are allowed, and, contrary to popular belief, that’s all we need to sustain us. Believe it or not, there are more than enough willing donors out there.
“My vampire may have left, but she did look out for me. She left me three willing donors. As I gazed at each one of them, I could feel my fangs, and my thirst for blood was like a fire raging inside of me. After drinking from each of them, I used a drop of my vampire blood to heal the fang wounds, and I used simple hypnosis to wipe out my blood drinking from their minds before letting them go.
In case you’re wondering, the reason no one has ever reported being attacked by a vampire is vampires have the ability to control the human mind with hypnosis, and we don’t allow our donors to remember it.
“As it all began to sink in, I came to the conclusion that I lived on blood now. I discovered that my body temperature was much lower, my eyesight was sharper, I was much stronger, and I could lift myself up and move at high speed.
“I came to the realization that I had gone through some horrible transformation, and I was now a vampire. I had to face the terrible truth that I wasn’t in human form anymore. It was like I died, but I didn’t really die. Physically, everything was different, but, mentally, I still felt the same.
“All I could think of was Lacey. My feelings for her hadn’t changed, and I needed to see her. I went to my house only to discover that she had taken Nadia and left me.
“I know the tabloids ran with the story about me running off with another woman, but none of that was true. I’m sure you know about the other woman sending Lacey pictures of us having sex. Lacey left the opened envelope containing the pictures on the dining room table. I saw them that night and realized that’s why she left. The problem was, I couldn’t remember having sex with this vampire or taking the pictures. It came out much later that the pictures were all part of a script, written and staged by my maker, to explain my disappearance to my wife and the world.
“Everything had changed. When I realized I could no longer walk in daylight, I knew I couldn’t go back to the mortal life I knew and loved. The last thing I wanted to do was leave the band, but there was no other way. You guys were my family, and being a part of the band meant everything to me.
“I didn’t want to end things with Lacey. I still wanted to be with her, but that didn’t seem to be an option anymore. I suppose I could have told her what happened to me and given her a chance to decide for herself if she wanted to be with me or not. If she had said no, I could have wiped her mind clean of the conversation, but, for my own sanity, I couldn’t take that chance. I was afraid she would say no, and I couldn’t face eternity with her rejection, so I chose not to tell her. For eighteen years I held on to a little piece of hope that someday she may say yes and that’s what kept me going. But I know for sure now, her answer would have been no.
“I would have preferred to tell her it was over face-to-face, but, when it came down to it, I couldn’t do it because I still loved her so much. She would have known there was no other woman, and everything I was saying was a lie. I didn’t have the option of telling the world I’m a vampire, so I turned everything over to my vampire attorney, both business and personal. That’s why Lacey found out our marriage was over and you found out I left the band from my attorney. Nobody ever heard from me again.
“I let Lacey believe I left her for another woman for her sake. I did it because I loved her, and I wanted her to go on with her life and find happiness again without me.
“Even though Quinn Forrester’s mortal life ended that night, in the eyes of the world, I was alive. I could still do business in this world just as I always had, so that’s what I decided to do. I had just signed the act of sale on the building on Bourbon Street. I had it completely renovated, and I opened Vampyr. My apartment was upstairs, and for the next eighteen years, I never left the premises.”
He pointed to Nadia and said, “I lived in isolation until the night this beautiful lady showed up in my bar and changed everything.” He looked at his friend and said, “Jeff, it wasn’t exactly foul play, but, I have to say, you were close to the truth all along.”
Jeff sighed, burying his face in his hands. “Truth is stranger than fiction,” he said wiping away a tear. “I’ve always known you didn’t just drop out and disappear. But vampires! That never crossed my mind. I would never have believed vampires existed until two weeks ago when we came to New Orleans.”
“Your story is heartbreaking, Quinn,” said Laurie wiping tears from her eyes. “It must have been a terrible time for you. I can’t help but wonder. You said this vampire had been following you for years. Why? What did she want with you?”
“That’s a long story, Laurie,” said Quinn wiping his brow. “I’ll tell you all about it sometime, but let me just say, she turned out to be my friend in the end, and it all turned out to be for the greater good.”
Laurie was curious about his daughter. They seemed to be so close now, but Quinn was absent from her life for many years. Her eyes turned to Nadia. “When and how did you and your father reunite?”
Nadia smiled and said, “When I was nineteen. I was singing with a hard rock band, and we had a gig at Vampyr one night. He was the one I had to see to get us paid. He asked my name so he could make a check out to me. The last name he expected to hear was Nadia Forrester. The look on his face was priceless.
“He told me who he was and explained to me why he did what he did. I didn’t believe in vampires at that time, but after he scared me half to death to convince me, I believed him. He opened up to me and told me everything. We talked until morning. The next night, I went back to see him.
“My mom was married to this jerk named Tyler at the time; husband number four in a line of assholes.” She realized what she had said and slapped her hand over her mouth. She looked at Quinn and said, “Oops, sorry. Not you, Daddy. I was talking about the other three.”
Quinn laughed and said, “I’m glad you clarified that.”
Jeff, Laurie, and Riley laughed.
“Anyway, she was spending a lot of time in New York then, so I went to live with my dad. We wanted to get to know each other, and it seemed like the best way to do it.
“My father had given up his music completely, and he was living life as a recluse. He never left Vampyr, and he buried himself in his work. He felt like everything in this world had ended for him.
“When I first met him, I thought he was an arrogant bastard, but I soon discovered his arrogance was only a mask for being lonely and miserable. It was me who convinced him that he could still enjoy his music as much now as he did with his band. That was the beginning of After Dark.”
Moved by her words, Jeff’s eyes focused on Nadia. Remembering her lashing out at the tour guide as if she was insulted by his story, her cold hand, and her grand entrance through the balcony doors, he came to the conclusion that she’s a vampire too, but what’s her story? “Nadia, how did you become a vampire?”
Nadia’s eyes narrowed on Jeff. She smiled raising her hands and asked, “How do you know I’m a vampire?”
Jeff shrugged and said, “When I touched your hand the other night, it felt like ice. You said it was because you had been holding a cold can, but I didn’t see you drinking anything. I have to admit; it did make me a little suspicious. A little while ago, when you came in through the balcony doors, I think it was confirmed.”
Nadia laughed. “Yeah, I guess the balcony thing would prove it. I was in a horrible accident shortly after I went to live with my father. I was severely injured and near death. Fortunately, he got to me in time and turned me. The next night, I woke up all healed with fangs, see.” She gave him a big smile.
Jeff looked at her up close. “I don’t notice the fangs on either one of you.”
“They’re barely noticeable, but if we bite you, you’ll bleed. Wanna see?” asked Nadia.
> “Ah, no thanks. I’ll take your word for it,” said Jeff.
Quinn chuckled at his extroverted daughter’s antics. “Forgive my daughter. She likes to bite.”
Not ready to dance with the vampires just yet, Jeff laughed and held up his hand. “I’ve had enough adventure for one night. I’ll pass tonight.”
“Another time then,” suggested Nadia grinning.
“We’ll see about that,” said Jeff.
Nadia laughed and said, “Just kidding, Jeff. We don’t bite people we know.”
Jeff smiled and said, “Whew! What a relief.”
“This is all so fascinating,” said Laurie. “Quinn, physically you still look the same, but you seem so much wiser, more mature, and confident than the Quinn I remember. Obviously, you’re a real leader. I’m glad we found you here and that you’re happy now. It’s good to see you’re happily married, but I can’t help but wonder about Lacey. Assuming she knows, when did she find out you’re a vampire?”
“She knows,” said Quinn. “But she didn’t find out until after Nadia became one of us. Nadia wanted her mother to know the truth, so we told her. She has no desire to join us, but she vowed to keep our secret.”
Laurie thought back to the evening when they first ran into each other at the art gallery and said, “Now I understand why she was so vague about everything when I questioned her about you, Quinn.”
Thinking it would be a good time to break it to her parents that there are other vampires and that she is becoming romantically involved with one of them, Riley said, “Ah, Mom. Dad. Quinn and Nadia aren’t the only vampires you know.”
Laurie looked at her daughter and said, “Really! Who else?”
“His wife, Randi, for one,” said Nadia.
“Randi?” said Laurie surprised. “She’s such a sweetheart.”
“Yes, she is,” said Quinn with a smile. “Some vampires, such as my wife, avoid drinking from mortals. There are alternative methods, and that’s what she prefers.”
“My dad and I like little drinks from mortals, and, trust me, there are a lot of willing donors out there. Daddy and I don’t take blood from anyone who isn’t a willing donor.”
“What about vampires like Andre?” asked Jeff.
“Vampires aren’t much different from mortals,” said Quinn. “Vampire code prohibits vampires from killing other vampires and mortals. The most important rule is not to attract attention to ourselves. Most are good and play by the rules, but, like mortals, there are always a few bad apples. When we catch them, we deal with them.”
Jeff and Laurie focused on their daughter. Clearly, she was aware of everything Quinn revealed. “Riley, I assume you knew all of this since that tattoo wasn’t so fake, you knew how to handle that vampire, and you had Quinn’s number in your phone,” said Jeff.
Riley slumped her shoulders crossing her arms. She looked at her parents and said, “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I haven’t been honest with you. I’ve known Quinn since we’ve been in town. You know now, the marks you saw on my neck were not a tattoo; they were real. I felt so guilty about keeping the secret, but I couldn’t say anything without betraying my friends.”
“I understand,” said Jeff. “You were loyal to your friends, and I’m proud of you for that.”
She smiled and said, “Thank you, Dad.”
Quinn looked at Riley and said, “There’s one more vampire you should know about, but I’ll let Riley explain.”
Riley could feel her stomach churning and her palms sweating. Oh God, just spill it, Riley. Just get it over with. “Tristan is a vampire too.”
Jeff’s jaw dropped at the news the man his daughter is dating is a vampire. Thoughts of him abusing his daughter crossed his mind. “Oh my God. Did Tristan put those bite marks on you? Has Tristan been biting you?”
“Relax, it’s okay, Dad. Bite marks are not a bad thing. They’re for the safety of the mortal. If a mortal belongs to a vampire, the marks let other vampires know to stay away. That’s why Andre backed away when I showed them to him. Tristan didn’t put them on me, Quinn did.”
Jeff began to get confused. He scratched his head and covered his mouth with his hand while his mind tried to make sense of things. She’s claiming to love Tristan, but she’s saying she belongs to Quinn only Quinn is supposed to be happily married. “What? Quinn? Why did you tell Andre Quinn was your vampire? Is there something going on between you and Quinn?”
She looked into his eyes and said, “No, Dad. There’s nothing romantic between Quinn and me. I can explain. When we arrived in town, I went to Vampyr looking for Tristan for a reason. I never told you this because everything turned out all right and I know how you worry about me, but, you see, the last time I was in New Orleans, I was attacked and left to die. If Tristan hadn’t come along, you would have been notified to come to New Orleans to identify your daughter’s body in the morgue.”
Laurie gasped. “Oh my God. You were attacked and almost died! But how? How could Tristan help you?”
Riley looked at her mother and said, “A vampire’s blood has the power to save lives, and when Tristan saw me almost dead, he chose to use his power to save me. Morning was breaking, and he disappeared before I could thank him. After we arrived in New Orleans, I decided to go to Vampyr in hopes of finding Tristan to thank him and tell him how grateful I am for my life.
“I met Quinn and his wife that night, but I didn’t know they had a connection to you. The night we went to After Dark’s show, when I was supposed to be in the restroom, I went to see Quinn in his office. I told him all about Tristan, and I asked him to help me find him. He knew I was going to go to the hardcore vampire bar that Tristan manages, so he put the marks on me to protect me from undead assholes like Andre.
“Quinn is the owner of the bar, and he carries the most weight, so he told me if any of the vampires threatened me to say I belonged to him. He did it to keep me safe. I planned to go to Vampyr later tonight and have Quinn heal them. What you saw was real, it just wasn’t what you thought.”
Laurie ran her hand over her face and asked, “So when did your obsession with vampires begin? Was it after Tristan saved you? Is that when you started painting vampires? Apparently, not only have you been painting them; you’ve been interacting with them.”
“Yes, Mom. After that, I knew vampires were real. One saved my life; so they couldn’t be all that bad. Besides, after being saved by Tristan’s blood, I now had vampire blood running through my veins, and I was curious. After I got home, I started hanging out in a vampire bar in LA. That explains my art. I like vampires. I mean, I … I have a thing for vampires. Mom. Dad. I’m sorry for the secrets.”
“Oh, honey,” said Laurie. “We’re just so happy you’re alive and still with us. I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if Tristan hadn’t come along. We’re thankful to him for saving you.”
“Yeah, I’m hoping things work out between us.” Riley smiled and said, “I believe I could have a future with Tristan.”
A future with a vampire thought Jeff. Let’s just take this one step at a time starting with the painting she unveiled. Just what was really going on? “So the painting you unveiled at the gallery, the one where everybody in it looked like you, Randi and Quinn. Was that real? Did that actually happen? Did you?” He ran his hands over his face and looked at his wife. “I don’t think we want to know.”
Riley thought quick and said, “Paintings can be abstract fantasies, Dad. Remember, life imitates art.”
“Is that what that painting is? An abstract fantasy? Life imitating art?” Jeff held up his palm. “No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
Riley’s eyes shifted to Quinn. “Quinn, can you get rid of these marks now? I don’t need them anymore. Tristan is starting to get jealous. He wants to do me the honors.”
Quinn smiled and said, “Of course.”
She stepped over to where he was sitting, and he got up from the chair. He pierced his finger with one of his fangs and al
lowed his blood to drip on the wound. Her parents watched the bite marks disappear instantaneously.
“Impressive,” said Laurie. “You said Lacey doesn’t want to be a vampire?”
Quinn laughed and said, “I’ve offered her the opportunity to stop her from bitching about aging, but she doesn’t want any part of it.”
“Might not be a bad idea,” said Laurie with a gleam in her eye. “I can’t say I’m looking forward to aging either.”
Quinn looked at her with a smile and said, “Be careful what you wish for, Laurie. You never know when just might get it.”
11
BLOOD IS THICKER THAN PLASMA
Nadia felt pleased when she saw Lance Brooks coming into Vampyr. She hoped he had decided to take her advice and talk to his daughter. She walked up to him and said, “Lance, I’m so glad you’re here. I have to assume you’re here to see Randi.”
He smiled at her and said, “I’m here because you’re a persuasive young woman.” His eyes roamed the venue. “You said I could find Randi in the bar. Is she here tonight?”
She nodded and said, “You’ll be happy to know she is. She’s in my father’s office; the perfect place to talk.” She pointed to the hallway in the back. “Follow me. I haven’t said anything to her about finding you because I didn’t know if you were going to come. I didn’t want to get her hopes up, so she has no idea you’re here.” She stopped at Quinn’s office door and turned to face him. She smiled and said, “Here we are. Are you ready to see your daughter?”
He nervously rubbed his hands together and smiled. He looked at her and said, “I’m a little nervous, but, thanks to you, yes I am.”
Nadia opened the door. Quinn and Randi were staring at the computer screen. They heard the door open and looked up at her. “Randi,” said Nadia with a big smile. “I have a surprise for you, and I think you’re gonna like it.”
Sex, Blood, Rock 'N' Roll, and Vampyr (The Bloodline Series Book 1) Page 14