Vulture’s Kiss

by E. M. Whittaker

  She raised her eyebrow. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Louie is good at keeping up appearances.” He patted her cheek. “He spent all night hunting for the perfect woman. It figures… you’d be a perfect match. I spent a long time—”

  “I know. Thanks for the compliment.” A shy smile came to her lips. “And you’re right. I’ve had fun so far.”

  “I should have gotten you.”

  “You’re not my type.”

  “Let me go get Louie.”

  “No.” Evelyn slid the phone in her purse. “I’ll go back out with you. I’ll clobber Simon if he comes near me again, though.”

  “Leave him to me.”

  She crossed her arms. “I can handle my own battles.”

  “I’m firing him for sexual harassment when he arrives at the office on Monday. You’re not the first woman he’s stalked, you know.”

  A dark laugh erupted from her. Well, there went his money to file a restraining order against her. It wouldn’t stop him from coming after her, but she appreciated the small victories. It would distract him until she got the money together to file another one against him. She’d go file the paperwork on Friday at the courthouse.

  This time, she would include Alexia in the order.

  “Come on.” Hector motioned her toward him. “Let’s get back before Louie wonders where we went.”

  Her laughter died. “Simon—he’ll come after me again.”

  “Then deck him. He’s been harassing women all night.”

  Her breathing quickened.

  Anger suffocated her. Fear rooted her in place. All the therapy techniques she learned went out the window. They wouldn’t help her deal with Alexia’s betrayal or Simon’s threats. She couldn’t fight a vampire with brute strength alone and he had beaten her multiple times during their weird relationship. Her bruised arm proved that much.

  Her insecurity festered.

  Damn it, she wanted to move forward with life, not backward.

  “Evelyn. What did Simon do to you?”

  “I’d rather not discuss it.” The words came out shaky. “He’s a vile creep who needs a stake to the heart. I should’ve used the stake buried inside my purse, goddammit.”

  “Not all bloodsuckers are like him.”

  “Then name me one good bloodsucker.” She shoved a hand into her purse. “Because he’s the epitome of every bad B-rated villain.”

  Hector sighed. “I guess you’re getting two freebies, then. Louis isn’t exactly the bloodsucking kind.”

  The stake fell from her nerveless fingers. “What?”

  “He’s—”

  “I heard what you said.” She ground her teeth together. “I don’t think you should have told me, though.”

  “Well, you had to learn his secret, eventually.”

  Talk about a bombshell.

  Bloodsuckers left a sour taste in her mouth. She detested vampires, zombies, and most undead creatures. When she read fantasy novels, she preferred human characters over the magical ones. The undead creatures always turned out cheap and corny. If vampires could live forever, then why did they drink human blood to survive or pick fragile females for mates?

  Then again, Louis warned her about bleeding around him.

  Suddenly, everything made sense.

  He had plenty of opportunities to bite her in the last twenty-four hours. In the parking lot. At her apartment. Hell, inside his car would have been the ideal spot. He could have fed, dumped her body, and then headed off to his gathering without her. No one would have known anything except her.

  The way he kissed her neck at Vixens raised a red flag, though.

  Again, he never bit her, but he showed his true feelings inside the car. He seemed sincere enough. Did he lie about those to soften her up?

  No.

  Hector—that lecherous cretin—wouldn’t defend his buddy otherwise.

  “I didn’t realize Simon stalked you.” He rubbed his neck and shuffled his feet. “Honest. He said he had issues with a few girlfriends but wouldn’t mention anything else.”

  Evelyn sputtered. “Well, he did.”

  “I guess he tried biting you, too.”

  “Once.”

  “Give Louie a chance. He’s smitten about you.”

  Well, Hector didn’t lie there.

  How did an undead creature kiss with such passion? And how could a cold man—well, semi-cold man—still have blood flowing through certain parts of his body? A heartbeat? He didn’t fake being attracted to her. She’d know better.

  He wouldn’t fake his feelings, right?

  Evelyn scoffed. How ironic.

  She tugged on people’s heartstrings for a living.

  “I’ll—I’ll think about it.” She wet her dry mouth. “You’ve given me a lot to consider.”

  “Shit.” Hector’s voice turned dejected. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you about this. But you talked about Simon and I—”

  The shrubbery rustled.

  Her hand slipped back into her purse. That bastard wouldn’t grab her a second time. She’d stake him through the heart first. Screw the restraining order.

  She paused in mid-motion, backing up when Louis emerged from the shrubbery.

  He hit the side of his thigh, giving her an apologetic look. Then he grabbed Hector, holding him a few inches off the ground.

  His eyes glowed a brilliant blood red.

  “Hector, you fucking dunderhead.” His voice took on a vicious tone. “I swear, if you ruined this for me, I’ll—”

  “Louis, wait.” Evelyn held both hands to her chest, gripping her cross till her hands hurt. “What are you?”

  “A dhampir.”

  She took a step toward him. “What?”

  “Half human, half vampire.” The words bordered on a growl. “I was going to tell you later tonight. I swear.”

  Jesus Christ on a cracker.

  Catholic school didn’t prepare her for vampires—or dhampirs—trying to court her. Somehow, they missed teaching courses on how to turn them down without killing them. Or on studying their pickup lines. Those would have been nice.

  She could use a crash course right now.

  If she said yes to his proposal—which her heart pushed for—then she’d have to tell Jemina the entire story. While her cousin would gush at the sappy story, she’d have to explain why she smelled like a vampire to her wonderful boyfriend.

  Then Joe would go hunting.

  If she told him the truth, he’d lecture her for dating a vampire. Or a half-vampire. Whatever. He didn’t differentiate the two. Werewolves never did.

  They became overprotective when it came to their families.

  Evelyn sighed. No matter what she decided, someone wouldn’t agree with her decision. She didn’t live with her cousin and her alcoholic boyfriend anymore. As long as Louis didn’t bite her, they wouldn’t have an issue.

  Once those teeth came out, she’d leave.

  Pronto.

  “Louis, calm down and let Hector go.” She took one tentative step toward him, keeping her body slanted while she walked. “Everyone will see your true form and run.”

  Those vampiric eyes locked on her.

  Nothing could prepare her for what happened next.

  The inferno blazing inside her dissipated and an eerie calmness filled her. Her worries about Simon—Alexia—none of it mattered. In fact, nothing mattered except for the brilliant relaxing hue taking up her vision.

  The movies nailed this part right about vampires.

  They carried some form of hypnotic powers and charmed their unwilling victims. It worked on damsels. Foolish women. People like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Well, the lame Hollywood movie version. Strong-willed women didn’t get hypnotized.

  No one would—could—hypnotize her.

  “Put. Him. Down.” The words came out thicker the longer she stared at his shining eyes. “Now.”

  He didn’t move.

  “We… we need to talk.” Each word came to her i
n fragmented pieces. “Eyes. Close them. Now.”

  Louis dropped Hector and lowered his head.

  The brain fog lifted.

  Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. He had the vampiric eyes down to a bloody science. They sucked her in effortlessly. Lovingly. She fought hard against it, but still had side effects.

  The fading thoughts took forever to reform.

  Despite the struggle, she didn’t fear his powers. Her anger returned at how he manipulated her feelings. She had the right to be pissed at Simon. Every right.

  Somehow, desire overrode her underlying fear.

  Goosebumps trailed along her skin. Her heartbeat fluttered with excitement. She had a fantastic story to tell Jemina.

  She stared down a vampire’s gaze and won.

  Of course, Evelyn felt other sensations, too. She floated—similar to the afterglow from fantastic sex. Once the effect faded, the negative feelings ripped through her.

  Confusion.

  Pain.

  Heartache.

  Those feelings ached deep within his tortured soul.

  “Louis.” Her confidence returned. “Can we talk? Alone?”

  He gave her a dull nod.

  “I understand why you’d be upset, but you didn’t hear the beginning of the conversation.”

  Louis turned away. “I heard enough. You—”

  “Enough.” She cupped his face, risking meeting those hypnotic eyes again. “I didn’t say I would leave. I said I’d think about it. We need to talk. Away from people, preferably.”

  “Are you afraid?”

  “I should say yes.” The world fell away around her. “In fact, I should go home. However, you haven’t eaten me, so I guess—”

  Louis pulled her behind him, heading back toward his mansion. “Let’s go before you change your mind.”

  She stopped at his curt tone. “Don’t get snippy with me, mister. You’re the one who lost control of himself just now. I’ll talk with you under one condition.”

  “What?”

  “Never use those eyes on me again.”

  “I didn’t—”

  Evelyn clenched his arm, digging her fingers into his muscles. “Promise me.”

  He winced. “You’re being demanding.”

  “Humans—normal humans—would run after something like this.” Her thumb jammed into the pit of his elbow. “I’m an exception. Now, if you meant what you said earlier, promise me you won’t use them. If you don’t, we’re done here.”

  “Fine. I’ll try.”

  She released his arm. “Good.”

  “Normal humans would go home.” He opened the front door. “They’d run after seeing someone like me.”

  She moved her hair off her shoulders and headed into the mansion.

  For once, she wished she acted like a normal human.

  * * *

  A simple walk turned into being bombarded by two bratty children when Evelyn made her way inside the mansion.

  The boys—Nathan and Jerry—wanted to watch a different movie since Wonder Woman bored them to tears. They picked a bad time to fight, but she welcomed the distraction.

  She hurried off before Louis stopped her.

  Then she went into “mom mode”.

  The boys had turned the living room into a war zone, so she made them clean up their spilled popcorn and puddles of water on the floor. They whined, but she kept them on task. Children needed to stay focused. If their attention wandered, they would destroy everything or harm themselves. Her younger brother Emilio was the prime example of that one.

  God, his ADHD drove her nuts as a teenager.

  Once they cleaned up, she helped them pick out another movie. She stayed in the free movie section, guiding them toward action movies. They settled for Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. After they stopped wiggling around and watched the movie, she headed back to the main hallway.

  Louis waited for her.

  She sighed, then followed him upstairs.

  Evelyn stayed silent through the mini-tour of his mansion, hugging herself while following her emotional host. The detailed interior passed by in a blur. She’d forget everything within the hour. She’d go back to her semi-comfortable apartment, put on a Lifetime movie, and try enjoying her day off tomorrow. Maybe she’d order a pizza, too.

  At least she controlled what happened at home.

  To his credit, he didn’t make excuses, but his pleasant demeanor faded. He stayed tense, keeping his head lowered while he walked.

  He didn’t say a word to her.

  By the time they reached the second floor, she shivered. Would he keep his promise or try sucking her blood inside his bedroom? Did he have a harem of women chained to the foot of his lavish bed like in those 1980s B-rate movies and anime?

  Would he apologize for what he did?

  They stopped at a doorway and he unlocked it. Once the door opened, he held his hand out toward her. “Step inside.”

  Evelyn wrapped a hand around her cross, then peered at the floor below her. Some guests made their way toward the front door, then stopped, chatting with Morgan. They stayed oblivious to their host becoming unglued above them.

  Those lucky pampered shits.

  “I’m sorry for what happened outside.” Louis spoke in a sincere, apologetic tone. “I didn’t mean to entrance you. I told Hector not to tell anyone, but he told you anyway.”

  His last sentence ended in a resentful tone.

  She stepped into the room. This was a far cry from her dinky one-bedroom apartment, but he lived comfortably, not in the lap of luxury. A black bear dream catcher hung above his bed and a small pink one with clear crystals entwined in the sinew hung on his doorknob. A king-sized bed adorned with a dark comforter rested in the center of the room. He had blackout curtains on the windows and eight pillows on the bed.

  Someone liked being comfortable while sleeping.

  Too bad he didn’t sleep inside a coffin.

  Her insecurities returned once she found a pair of handcuffs on the nightstand. What did he have planned for her? Were the walls soundproofed if she screamed for help? Did he always bring women to his room and handcuff them?

  What happened if they kissed again? Should she resist his advances?

  So far, her anger grounded her.

  Evelyn braced herself, holding her breath as the door closed behind her.

  “I understand why you’re angry.” He came up behind her. “I wish I would have told you everything sooner.”

  Nope. Not buying it. If he could warn her about bleeding around him, then the next sentence should have been about his vampirism or whatever he called his kind. Still, he hesitated when warning her about him. He pulled back before saying too much.

  Her lips scrunched together.

  No.

  She told him about her, goddammit.

  St. Mary help her.

  She contemplated living in glorious sin.

  “You don’t get a free pass here.” Evelyn sat on the bed, clutching the comforter. “I told you about me. If you can talk about blood, you should tell me why I shouldn’t bleed around you. I might have to test your theory.”

  He stayed in place, grabbing the side of his pants. “Evie, no. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Besides, I’m Catholic.” A hot flash came over her. “Being with you would be… well…”

  He licked his lips before letting out a deep throated laugh. “I think God will forgive you for your grievous sin.”

  “You’re missing the point.” She scooted further away from him, ignoring his suggestive gesture. “How would this work between us? We’re both workaholics. Besides, I work nights. A lot.”

  Louis gave her a deadpanned stare, then pointed at himself. “Creature of the Night, remember?”

  Evelyn blushed. “Right.”

  “I have a flexible schedule, but I work during the afternoon, too.” He sat next to her. “One of my many curses, I guess. But you own Vixens. You can schedule a day off.”

  No, she couldn�
��t.

  Vixens wouldn’t run without her.

  “Look, we’re from two different worlds.” Her lips trembled as reality came crashing down on her. “You’re—you. Rich and halfway in the grave. I’m part of the working poor, eating ramen out of a cup a week before payday. You’re probably drinking—”

  “I don’t care about my bloody social status.” His tone hinged between bitterness and regret. “Damn it, I want to date you because I like you, Evelyn.”

  “You’ve only known me for two days.”

  His eyes glowed. “Let me show you something really quick.”

  She scooted back. “No. You promised.”

  “I won’t hurt you.”

  Her chest tightened. “No.”

  “You’re lying to yourself and I’ll prove it.” His cool hand slipped into hers. “I want you to understand something. If you disagree, I’ll drop this discussion and we’ll never speak of this again. But I’ll be damned if you’re going to lie your way out of this.”

  Understand what? What she already knew? That deep down, they could never be together without someone sacrificing their humanity? Humans didn’t breed with undead creatures for a reason. They died.

  Well, humans did, anyway. Somehow, Louis still had a heartbeat.

  Her hesitation left her the moment his eyes connected with hers.

  The weird sensations from front yard returned. The lack of words. The overabundance of serenity filling her heart. A pleasant drowsiness filling her body before she fell back onto something hard and warm. And it wasn’t his dick, either.

  What the hell happened to her?

  “Well, the fact that you’re not mindless is reassuring.” His amused chuckle came from a million miles away. “I hate to do this, but you’re so tense. You’re over-thinking everything again.”

  If he said so.

  “There’s only one question you have to answer.” His finger trailed down her neck until he slipped her heavy hand away from her cross. “How do you feel about all this?”

  He made her calm, stealing her anger. How dare he manipulate her feelings. The bastard broke his word and wouldn’t apologize for it again. No. He’d grin, say something charming, and wait for her to make the next move. But how could she get him back?