Sunset Strip: from the Tome of Bill Series

by Rick Gualtieri

  At a temporary loss for words, I gave the best answer possible.

  “Why not?”

  Chapter 12

  I am nothing if not resourceful. As the shock of the unanticipated non-human company wore off, my gears began spinning again.

  Marlene had been in the game for about two-hundred and fifty years, having started out as a French courtesan. She’d never strayed far from her roots, but her power and influence on the West Coast were not to be denied. She’d established the Pandora Coven back in the nineteen-thirties and had kept it running strong ever since.

  Even with my connections to the Draculas, I was going to have to do some fast talking if anything happened to her by my hand. I was fairly sure I’d be able to keep my ass out of the fire, but would almost certainly gain some enemies in the process.

  But now...

  Good, bad, or just plain bored, if there were beings from beyond the void gathering in this city, it meant just one thing: chaos. Accidents were bound to happen in such a state. I could work with that.

  “Change in plans,” I said to Christy out of the corner of my mouth.

  “You never told me the original plan.”

  “Then it should be a piece of cake to modify.”

  “Okay, so we’re out of here?”

  “Fuck no. That part stays the same. Mama wants to drop some dimes at the tables. There’s just a few parts of the new plan you need to be aware of.”

  “What?”

  “Well, for starters, if I head back to the hotel, don’t follow. Trust me on this.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  There is one universal truth beyond the mainstays of death and taxes: a pretty girl throwing down hard cash at the craps table will never, ever have to buy her own drinks. It was the ideal place to be. A few wiggles of my hips, followed by the occasional girlish giggle when I won, and I was guaranteed to get some notice.

  My original plan had been to allow Marlene to approach us first. Knowing our history, she’d have been suspicious had we headed to her place straight off. For most vamps, feeling suspicious equals putting up their guard. These days, that was bound to translate into stake first, ask questions later.

  I had figured that if we minded our own business, eventually curiosity would overcome her caution and she would send in her people under the guise of hospitality. I’d seen her do it before, especially when the visiting vampires in question included a coven master.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “How’d you find this place, Uncle Colin?”

  “Oh, I know the owner from way back.”

  “Marlene?”

  “Is that what she’s going by these days? Oh well, it doesn’t really matter. Don’t you worry your sweet head about it. Have another drink. This is a celebration, after all.”

  “I should probably go. Marlene doesn’t like us to stay with one customer too long when it’s this busy.”

  “Fret not. I’ll have a word with her. You stay here and get to know Jeffrey a little better. I think he likes you.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  The young man had caught my eye several minutes earlier, but I continued to ignore him. It was your typical game of cat and mouse, only I’m sure he thought he was playing the part of the cat.

  From the way he moved, he was definitely human. That was good. As I was walking through the casino earlier, one of the beings present had turned and looked at me knowingly, obviously aware of what I was. On the outside, he looked human, but I caught a glimpse of jagged fangs, black as obsidian, when he threw a quick smile toward me. At this stage in my life, I didn’t think teeth would unnerve me. I was wrong. I didn’t know what the creatures mingling in this place were, but the chill up my spine warned me not to indulge my curiosity.

  The clean cut man who was now walking in my direction, apparently having made up his mind that this game had gone on for long enough, wasn’t some sort of ancient horror, but the way he moved told me he’d played this game before. Well built, good looking, and with sandy blonde hair, he reminded me a bit of Jeff.

  That might have been enough to seal his fate then and there. The memories of this place begged for violent release. The arrogant swagger he put into his walk as he carried two drinks over, one obviously for me, said volumes toward the fact that unless he was supremely lucky he wouldn’t be seeing the sun rise again.

  Speaking of lucky…

  “Seven!” the dealer called out. “The lady wins again.”

  I had to admit winning was far preferable to losing. When this was all over, I might have to splurge a bit with my not-so-ill-gotten gains. Perhaps a new snakeskin jacket. Maybe a...

  “You’ve got the touch,” my not-so-secret admirer said as he stepped up to the table.

  “Not really,” I replied, feigning an innocence I hadn’t known in years. “I’m just throwing the dice. Guess they like me.”

  “They’re not the only one.”

  Slick. Yeah, definitely a player.

  I reached down to collect my winnings, then stood and wiped a hand across my brow. “Woo, I’m feeling the pressure now.”

  “Well here then,” he said, handing me a drink as if he just noticed it in his hand. “A little something to take the edge off.”

  “I don’t know. I’m kind of a lightweight,” I giggled, accepting the glass and taking a tentative sip. Ooh, a Mai Tai...tasty.

  “I’m Tad.”

  “Lucinda,” I replied, the name spilling from my lips before I even realized it. Yeah, his resemblance to Jeff was a little too eerie for my tastes. I’d have to do something to fix that.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “Dancing sounds yummy!” I said, putting an extra helping of stupid into my tone.

  A few more drinks, some blows on the dice for luck, and a lot of banal conservation later found me acting nice and tipsy. It had been no effort at all for Tad the cad to lure me away from the tables, or so I let him believe. Standing outside his hotel room, we both knew that the only dancing he had in mind was between the sheets.

  “Mind if I change into something more comfortable first?”

  Really? He actually used that line? He was acting more like Jeff by the moment.

  “Sure thing,” I purred with a strategically placed slur.

  “Why don’t you come inside and wait.”

  I refrained from replying, “I thought you’d never ask.” Far too cliché. Instead, I obediently followed him in.

  Once inside, he shut the door and put his body between me and the exit as he stealthily tried to engage the privacy lock. Oh Tad, you bad boy, you.

  “Hurry up,” I said. “I can’t wait to go out and... mmmmrph.”

  He leaned down without preamble and planted his mouth against mine. I acted a bit surprised before melting into it. Truth be told, he wasn’t a bad kisser. Our tongues entwined and I tasted the alcohol on his breath as well as the lingering remnants of the toothpaste he’d obviously used before coming downstairs...Crest, if I wasn’t mistaken. Superior vampire senses can be a real trip sometimes.

  His heartbeat sped up and his scent turned musky. Tad was getting turned on, no doubt anticipating moving in for the kill. Pity - that was going to be my move.

  Does he really deserve it?

  The voice popped into my head unexpectedly and I paused in the middle of our game of tongue hockey. It was rare for my conscience to bother me, but it had been happening more frequently ever since Bill entered my life. Between his influence and the trip down memory lane I’d been experiencing ever since Christy walked into the office, I was having an actual crisis of vampiredom. What a concept.

  Fine, I said to myself. Let’s give him a chance. There were plenty of potential targets in this city, many of whom didn’t look disturbingly like the man who had been the death of me.

  I pulled back. “Hold on. What about dancing?”

  “Dancing can wait.” He pressed against me once more. His arms circled my waist and he steered me toward the queen-sized bed in the room. The bulge in his pants
said he probably wasn’t going to accept a friendly handshake before calling it a night.

  “No,” I stammered, trying to give him one last out. God, I must be going batty to be such a softy at my age. “Stop...”

  “I don’t think so,” he said, his grin turning predatory. His hands moved up to grab hold of my arms in a grip that would’ve been painful had I not possessed several times his strength.

  Oh well, never let it be said I didn’t give him a chance.

  He once more pressed against me, burying his mouth into mine. I put up a feeble attempt at a struggle, but he kept my arms pinned to my side. This was the part I loved best.

  There’s something about a predator reaching the apex of their supposed power that really puts an extra bit of spice into their blood. Mixed with the fear and confusion that followed, it was quite the intoxicating brew.

  My date for the evening gave me a shove and I fell back, landing on the overly soft mattress. They build them with a little extra bounce in places like these, knowing that only a small percentage of the people staying there would actually be using them to sleep.

  Tad was immediately atop me, forcing my legs apart as he settled his weight to pin me down. He reached one hand up, grasped the top of my dress, and yanked it down, exposing my right breast.

  I had to fight to suppress a giggle. I was half-tempted to let him finish what he was starting. I’d developed a bit of a taste for the rough stuff in the years since I’d been here. As frail as he was, Tad’s aggression was a bit of a turn on. Sick, ain’t it? But then, that’s what we vamps are all about.

  Unfortunately, he had to go and ruin it for both of us.

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

  Memories rushed in unbidden, and with that, Tad’s fate was sealed.

  Chapter 13

  1979

  I lay there with only the thin sheet to cover me. I kept trying to come up with some excuse for my actions: too much drink; seeing Uncle Colin caught me off guard; it was the cocaine Jeff had produced once we were alone. That last one seemed plausible. After all, it typically wasn’t my style.

  The reality was it was all bullshit, a way for me to justify having done what I’d done. I’d left the club with Jeff at the end of my shift for the simple reason that he was drop dead gorgeous. Words flowed from his mouth like a fine wine, each sip intoxicating me far more than the watered down drinks I had downed.

  Still, a part of me felt like a whore. I’d never before cheated on a boyfriend. Sure, I danced at the club, but that was purely financial...no emotional attachment required. There were a few disturbing holes in my memory, nights that I had no knowledge of, but I had managed to convince myself that there was nothing to worry about with those. I was young and on my own. Wasn’t it natural to sometimes boogie a little too hard?

  Yeah, I didn’t quite buy it either. Fine, I never willingly cheated on a boyfriend before. Either way you looked at it, Mark didn’t deserve that. Sure, he wasn’t much to look at, but then neither was I - no matter what the clients at the club might say. He was a sweet man, though. I wasn’t in love with him, I had no delusions about that, but he was good to me.

  At the same time, a voice in the back of my head reminded me, hadn’t it been quite the difference - Jeff’s hard body against mine? His chiseled form had been only half the thrill, though. He used it in ways that suggested he wasn’t exactly inexperienced. Once he’d pressed his lips against mine, I’d been putty in his hands - his to do with as he pleased.

  There were no two ways about it. It had been fun and, in the end, I’d had to bite down on Jeff’s muscular shoulder to keep from crying out, afraid Mark’s name would slip from my lips, even though he was far from my mind at the time. As I did, he let out a laugh as if something had been uproariously funny, but I was too far gone in the moment to protest.

  “I like you, Lucinda,” Jeff said, stepping out of the bathroom. Once more, I found my eyes drinking him in. He was one of those rare people who looked as good out of his clothes as in. “There’s something about you...” He paused, seeming thoughtful for a moment. “I think I’d like to keep you.” I giggled at the comment, thinking it was a joke. “You’ll like New York.”

  “New York?”

  “Yeah, the big city. Ever been there? It’s a happening place.”

  “Nope. Maybe one day...”

  “Not one day...now.” He leaned over onto the bed and locked eyes with me. There was something in them I didn’t like. I couldn’t quite place it, but it made me feel uncomfortable. I unconsciously pulled the sheet up further on my body.

  “It’s like Colin said. I just recently took over my organization and it’s growing again. I’m looking for people who’ll fit in. I think you’ll do nicely.”

  “I’m really not looking for another job.”

  “It’s not a job offer.” His eyes practically glittered. “Jobs are beneath us, as are the beetles that scurry under our feet performing them.”

  Goose bumps broke out on my skin. One moment, I was in post-coital bliss. The next, the temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees. There was something overly predatory about the way he looked at me. I didn’t like it one bit. It made me feel like a piece of meat.

  Trying to keep my tone steady, I bunched up the covers around me and slid off the bed. “Listen, this has been fun, but I have a boyfriend. I can’t just up and...”

  “Not anymore you don’t.” As quick as a snake, he was in front of me. I actually jumped back a step. It was almost like magic. I’d never seen anyone move that fast.

  “Did I scare you?”

  “No,” I lied, stepping past him. “Really, Jeff, that was cute and all, but...”

  He grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. I let out a yelp, but he appeared not to notice.

  “About that name...none of my close friends call me that. They call me Night Razor.”

  “Night...”

  “Yeah, and I think you and I are going to be really close from here on in.”

  His grip tightened. Tears sprang to my eyes as panic began to set in. How could I have missed it before? This guy was fucking crazy.

  “Please let me go,” I said in a small voice.

  He flung me back onto the bed as if I was a rag doll. He tore the sheet off me and climbed atop, pinning my arms above my head. I tried to fight, but his grip was too strong. I couldn’t even budge him.

  “You’re not going anywhere - ever again,” he whispered.

  I opened my mouth to scream, but it died in my throat as Jeff...Night Razor...changed. His eyes turned black as coal and his teeth elongated into cruel fangs, seemingly as sharp as daggers.

  My sanity began to slip as he lowered his mouth toward me. Once he’d thrown me on the bed, I was sure I was about to be raped. I now saw that what he intended to do was far worse.

  Chapter 14

  Present Day

  Playtime was over. The smile on Tad’s face turned to a look of confusion as I powered my way up and easily flipped us so that I was on top. I grabbed his wrists and pinned him. Confusion gave way to pain as I increased the pressure to the point where his bones cracked under my grasp.

  He cried out - music to my ears.

  “You took everything from me.” I was still caught up in the memory. Oh well, the faux pas wouldn’t matter in a moment.

  Vaguely remembering that there was a method to my madness, I let his screams carry on for a moment longer. I wanted to make sure someone on the floor heard him.

  I extended my fangs, threw Tad a wicked smile, and immediately buried my teeth into his neck before he could make another sound.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  I’d love to tell you that I took just enough to satisfy myself, that it wasn’t overkill, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. I drank my fill of Tad, and when I was done, continued tearing into him. Experienced vamps can control who they turn. I’ve been doing this for a while and had no intention of making a Tadpire. Even had I not, though, th
ere was no way he would’ve risen again once I was finished with him.

  His head was just barely still connected to the rest of him when the pounding started on the door. It was about fucking time. Either the creatures downstairs had already started whatever shenanigans they were up to, or the hotel staff was really slipping.

  “Open up - security!”

  “Just a minute,” I called back sweetly. I stood and straightened my dress. It was more out of habit than anything. The outfit was completely and utterly soaked through with blood. It was gonna take a lot more than a trip to the dry cleaners to make this one wearable again. Oh well, I could afford another.

  “Open this door immediately or we’ll...”

  I unlatched the lock, pulled it open, and stepped behind it. Two men rushed past into the room. One wore a suit, obviously management, and the other was a grunt. They stopped just inside, no doubt to admire my handiwork. While they gaped, I closed the door behind them.

  The guard never stood a chance. I shattered his spine with my fist before he even realized I was there. He dropped to his knees and keeled over. Eyes still blackened, I stepped forward.

  The manager backed up a step, then slipped in some of Tad and fell on his ass. It was almost funny. I made a note to remember to laugh when this was all over. He pulled a walkie-talkie out. “Code sixty-six! I repeat, code sixty-six!”

  Ah, that’s what I was waiting for. Only the true bigwigs in this town knew of our existence, but security was always trained to deal with oddities. Anything that fell somewhere on the scale between holy shit and what the fuck would get a call sign of sixty-six. Other ears, non-human ones, continually monitored the feeds for just such a code.

  Alas, that meant I still had some time left to kill. I stepped forward and knocked the radio from his hand, breaking his arm in the process.

  Dragging him to his feet by his tie, I roughly pushed his head to the side and indulged myself in another drink. When it’s fresh from the tap, might as well take all you can get - that’s my motto.