by R. S. Black
He heaved a huge sigh and shook his head. The smile was back, but it lacked the warmth of earlier. “I know. Take it easy, and look me up if you ever need to sleep again.”
I hugged him. I’m not usually one for shows of emotion, but I felt he needed it. He looked surprised, then pleased, and hugged me back.
“Take it easy, pest,” he said, and then he returned to his empty booth, plunked himself down on the chair, and closed his eyes.
~*~
My heels echoed sharply on the streets of downtown. I’d made a quick pit stop at a local library to find out if I could MapQuest Sanguinary. It’d been closed, but I could see inside the building so I’d been able to port myself in and turn on enough juice to operate a computer. I might not like modern-day technology, but I do know how to use it should the need arise. I really didn’t expect to have any luck, figuring that surely they’d hide the address of their club so that only those in the know could find it. But I’d been wrong.
I ground my jaw, trying to count away the burn of anger churning in my belly. I needed a calm head tonight. I wasn’t here to kill, I kept reminding myself.
Walking down the district was surreal, almost like stepping into a clichéd Hollywood slasher flick. If the streetlamps weren’t burnt out, they were flickering a sickly yellow color. It’d been raining off and on for days now, so the streets were dank, potholes full of brackish water. Several of the buildings I passed were rundown and empty, the windows broken out by vandals or children with too much time on their hands. Even the billboard signs were in a desperate state of disrepair.
The stores that were open were your typical trashy dives. Strip clubs, X-rated theater, questionable bookstores and erotica shops, lights low and wares obvious. This street made me think of Vegas. Definitely could have held its own in Sin City. Lust purred, completely in her element.
You’d think on such a cold day it wouldn’t be busy. But it was. This street hummed with life, most headed in the same direction as myself. Humans mostly, though an occasional vamp or two among the lot. Those I recognized by the telltale pulse. The unfortunate women draped on their arms were dressed to the nines in short black dresses, long hair down, and garish “screw me”–red lipstick standing out brighter than a neon sign.
I patted my dress, knowing I’d chosen right. Thick smog slithered through the street like a python on the prowl, wrapping foggy tendrils around my legs. I did tell you the vamps were theatrical, didn’t I? I wouldn’t put it past them to have hidden fog machines placed at spaced intervals along the way. I rolled my eyes, but pressed on.
I kept to the shadows, waiting for the perfect prey. The men who passed me were all into big, buxom, and blond, and the disguise I wanted was something forgettable yet attractive enough to get me inside.
I heard the club before I ever saw it. The music blared loud enough that the vibrations traveled up the soles of my heels. The haunting, eerily lyrical strain of Type O Negative filled the alleyway like a siren’s wail. How the cops weren’t here already, as this had to be a serious sound violation, was beyond me.
I scanned the tops of the buildings. I didn’t feel the presence of eyes watching me. How sick is it that in the past few days I’d grown, if not comforted by it, at least accepting of it? It almost felt a little strange not to feel that hot gaze boring down on me.
Finally I saw the club. Well, the line that rolled into the club, at least. I still hadn’t found the right disguise. I couldn’t afford to draw any attention to myself, so I settled against a store front and waited. I wanted to get inside, but I could screw everything up if I jumped the gun. This time patience was the better part of valor, much as I hated to admit it.
Several minutes passed as I studied the people, looking like some mindless ant colony the way they all trailed toward the club. I continued siphoning information, but none of it worked. These were mostly frat boys out for a good time and all with the same taste. Skinny, cute, tall, willowy, attractive... you see the trend here.
Then it changed. Tall, athletic, gorgeous, male. Gay.
I watched the group of men, laughing, joking around, and all projecting lusty thoughts that had nothing to do with women and everything to do with their own sex. They were coifed, good-looking, each in their own way. Might have been fun if I’d had more time. I don’t often change myself into a man, but I can. It’s an erotic ride, let me tell you. But again what they wanted was too good-looking. So I ignored them and continued my search.
Finally I found him. He walked with a mixed group of both men and women, but a little outside of them. His head was bent, hands shoved deep into his sports jacket. He was tall, dark, and possibly Hispanic by the tone of his skin. Attractive, but not knock-out hot. He wore glasses, but it gave him a sexy Clark Kent vibe. I licked my lips and tagged him as mine. Maybe if I had time later, I’d even feed the beast. Not that I needed to—she was well fed—but he looked like he might be fun.
I became what he wanted, his shameful, dirty little secret. Thankfully I’d worn a dress that could stretch, because I needed the room.
My hips flared out, my breasts grew obscenely large and yet nicely proportioned to my figure. My thighs expanded, tight and firm, but much bigger. My waist grew fuller, curvier. I wasn’t fat, but I wasn’t slim. I’d become Rubenesque, a voluptuous size-sixteen beauty.
I stepped away from the shadow and pushed my glamour at him hard. He looked up almost immediately. The brown of his eyes flamed with sexual arousal. I purred and beckoned him toward me.
“Hey, uh, guys,” I heard him say. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Aww, Adrian.” A fawnish-looking girl, petite brunette, cute, grabbed a hold of his arm. “You’re not leaving, are you? You promised me you’d dance.”
He licked his lips, Adrian looked my way again. I rested my leg on the wall behind me and pretended to study my nails, secure in the knowledge that I owned him already. I smiled.
He extricated himself from her. “I will. I just... ugh... forgot something in the car.”
I’ve never understood why it is that people can’t be proud of what they like. Who cares what society says is and isn’t acceptable? So what if I was a little larger than your average girl? I was still hot. I wasn’t gonna hold it against Adrian, but I did pity him.
The girl pouted prettily. “I’ll wait for you.”
He gave a weak smile. “Yeah, sure. See you inside.” He waved the group off. Once he was sure they were far enough away, he approached me.
I looked up, giving him my best come-hither smile.
The pulse point in his neck kicked into overdrive. I trailed my finger along the curve of his jaw. “Hi.”
He fidgeted nervously with his hair. “You umm...” He was so unsure of himself; it was cute in a pathetic sort of way.
I stepped into him, smelling the woodsy musk of his aftershave. I licked my bottom lip. “Yes?” I asked, hoping to prompt him to speed things up.
His mouth parted and his throat worked hard, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t get it out.
I kissed him. Gentle, a press of lips, then a flick of my tongue. He moaned, mouth opening slightly wider so I could slip inside. He tasted of mint and candy. I writhed on him, which only heightened his desire. His biceps bunched as he squeezed my arms tighter. The rough brick bit in my back. His hands enveloped my breasts. I reached between our bodies and rubbed along the seam of his pants. The thick bulge made me sigh.
And though it was nice, and even Lust could appreciate the effort, it lacked the heat I felt with Luc—or Billy. I growled, angry I still couldn’t stop thinking about him, and pulled away sharply.
Adrian’s sighs filled the space between us. His eyes were liquid pools of need. He chuckled. He’d clearly liked what I’d done, and yet he kept darting glances around the street at the passing couples and groups looking our way. Their thoughts visibly scrawled across their faces. What was such a hot piece of man meat doing with a fat something like me?
A
nger coiled like a hot sling through my gut. There was no way I could break years’ worth of indoctrination overnight. I didn’t have that kind of time. And I needed to get inside the club. At our present rate, I doubted Adrian would ever offer to take me inside the club. He was a creeper, a man who indulged in his fantasies in the safety of shadow but would never want to be seen with me in public.
Well, too freaking bad. I was about to blow his cover big time.
I wrapped my arm around his neck, forcing him to look me in the eye, and slammed him with my will. “Take me to the club,” I whispered, leaning in close and then nipping at his ear.
He trembled, looking terrified, but excited. “But I can’t...”
I bit a little harder. He jerked, then moaned. “Take me to the club,” I said again.
“Yes,” he said in the distinct monotone of one under a thrall. I hated doing this. But honestly, what a bastard. I wondered how many poor girls’ hearts he’d broken before. Payback was a cruel mistress, and Pandora was her name.
Chapter 16
Once inside, and simply out of spite, I made Adrian introduce me to his friends as the best orgasm he’d ever had. They looked on in horror, especially the little one with the crush. I winked at her and said a few cheeseburgers and fries and he’d be her man. Then I grabbed Adrian, drilled him with another mind-bending kiss, and dragged him to the floor.
The club was packed, all three floors of it. Every single molecule of space seemed to be taken up. Dancers bumped into us. I stepped on something sticky. I’m not sure what it was and really didn’t want to look, hoping it was liquor and not bodily fluid. But with the way everyone was bumping and grinding, I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised.
I slapped at Adrian’s hand attempting to snake down the front of my dress. He frowned, still deep in the throes of thrall.
“Get a room,” someone called.
I plastered on a tight smile, aggravation riding me hard, and turned toward Adrian. “Now, now, play nice. You don’t want to make Mama mad, trust me.” I tweaked his nose. The man was entirely too touchy-feely. I’d liked him earlier, until he’d pissed me off. Now he was a nuisance I was trying my best to ignore while I studied the room.
There were many vamps, all of varying ages and power. Some recently turned, others long in the tooth. The urge to pounce on one and rip its heart out scraped my nerves raw.
Adrian dug his fingers into my waist and rode my bootylicious backside with his crotch. “Oh, baby, I want to lather you up with baby oil and tap this juicy thing all night long.”
Eww. Seriously? Juicy? There are so many adjectives I could use to describe booty, juicy wasn’t one of them. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” I gave my best air-headed, I’m-such-a-lucky-girl giggle.
“But now I really mean it,” he said, leaning his head on my shoulder and nuzzling my neck.
It probably wasn’t nice of me to leave him thralled so long, but I never pretended to be a Girl Scout. He was going to hate himself come morning. Was it wrong that I was seriously enjoying this?
I turned and draped my arms over his shoulder. “Mmm, really. And maybe if you’re a good boy, I’ll let you tie me up and spank me.”
His pupils dilated. You can always peg the S&M junkies. Takes one to know one, I suppose.
“Can I shove a gag ball in your mouth?” His words came out in a heated rush. His skin grew flush.
“Sure, doll, whatever you want,” I said dryly. Now that I was turned, I could keep this form up on my own for a few hours. I needed to scout out the place without leech boy groping me every point five seconds.
“Hey, baby, I’m so thirsty. Would you mind going to the bar and getting me a drink?”
“Sure,” he agreed quickly, only wanting to please me. “What would you like?”
“Sex on the beach,” I said, delighting in his quick intake of breath, and just to be doubly mean, I pulled him in for a rough, searing kiss. The kind that said you’re-so-gonna-nail-me-tonight, except poor Adrian was gonna have a serious case of blue balls. This was one girl he wouldn’t be bangin’. Oh boohoo, what a shame. I giggled nastily, watching him wind his way through the throng of people toward the bar.
Once he was gone, I shook my head and made off in the opposite direction.
I walked up the flight of steps that led to the second landing of the club. It was the same as the first. Dance floor, disco ball, pulsing black light and bodies dancing and gyrating. And yes, some were even screwing right there out in the open without an ounce of shame. To the side, deep in the back, was a table with several heads bent down, either giving blow jobs or snorting coke. I couldn’t be certain which.
Sanguinary looked to be little more than a modern day Club 54.
I frowned. This couldn’t be it. The vamps wouldn’t have tempted fate simply because they wanted a hot venue to shake their buns in. It made no sense. I turned and walked up the third flight of stairs, but when I got there it was the same thing.
Vamps walking about, selecting prey from the throng, and taking them into private booths for a game of blood play. Aside from that, they were the consummate hosts. Drinking a little blood, fondling and cooing, then sending the prey along their merry way, none the wiser that they’d donated a Baggie of blood to the First National Bank of Parasite.
What the hell? I had to be missing something.
I walked to the railing and stared down at the first floor. Adrian was carrying a drink and calling out loudly, looking lost and confused. I really needed to break him from the thrall, but a little while longer wasn’t gonna kill him.
I closed my eyes and focused, not on the music but on the ‘feel’ of the place.
Waves of excitement emanated from the clubbers. I heard the pounding rhythm of feet and bodies, felt the electric slide of para press against my skin, and then... I strained harder... something else.
I struggled to feel it over the thrum of the cacophony. It was one of those sensations that could easily be overlooked if you weren’t aware it was there. It was like trying to hear a butterfly take off.
I licked my lips, stood on tiptoe, and leaned as far over the railing as I could, and as I focused sound spilled away from my consciousness. Out slipped the music, the noise of chatter, the beat of dancers. I could feel it, could sense it with every fiber of my being, and yet I couldn’t place it.
I gripped the rail, stomach burning with impotent rage. Dammit. Something was wrong. I couldn’t simply ‘feel’ it; I could taste it like bitter bile on the back of my tongue. Sanguinary was too perfect, too clean. Every gut instinct in me screamed this was illusion. A clever ruse meant to keep questing minds at bay.
I studied the club from top to bottom one last time and then shook my head. Whatever I was looking for, whatever the truth was, it wasn’t here. That I knew.
Grinding my jaw, I made my way down the winding stairs as fast as my four-inch heels would allow and headed toward the exit. It was well past two in the morning. My muscles ached and my eyes burned from the smoke. All I wanted now was the comfort of my bed and maybe the presence of a warm body in it.
Grace was gonna be pissed. I was as useless as one of her humans. I could sense the danger, but what good was that when you couldn’t see it in time to stop yourself from being ripped apart by it?
I headed out the front door of the club and paused. Adrian called my name. I’d forgotten to break him from the thrall. It wasn’t like keeping him thralled for so long was dangerous. I likened it to getting piss-poor, sloppy drunk. You’d wake up with a ferocious hangover the next morning and little to no memory of the night before. But I’d toyed with him long enough. I could be vindictive, but I wasn’t cruel.
I was getting ready to go back inside when something outside caught my eye and made me forget all about poor Adrian.
Walking down the nearly deserted sidewalk was a big-eyed, beautiful girl, no more than five or six. She was dressed all in pink, from her shiny patent leather shoes, to the bows in her glossy bla
ck hair.
She looked up with an adoring and trusting smile into the face of a handsome man walking by her side. He smiled back at her, patted the crown of her head, glanced around the street, then headed toward the rear of the club and disappeared.
I frowned. A creepy vibe of ick lurched through my stomach. It wasn’t what the guy had done, but it was the way he’d smiled that made me run. You know weird when you see it, and that went way beyond.
I bumped into several late-night stragglers, ignoring the outraged protests as I stealthily ran toward where I’d last seen them. There weren’t many people outside at this time of night, but what there was thinned out the farther I drew away from the main entrance. The club was a massive structure, and it took me a while to even get to the edge of the building. Running like this was wasting valuable time. I desperately wanted to port, but knew I couldn’t do it and keep up my disguise.
I gritted my teeth, heart hammering with the fear that I might lose them. Then I got to the edge, and I glanced around, looking for any signs of movement in the oppressive black veil. Finally, I saw them.
They were so deep in shadow that I couldn’t make out much more than a small figure walking alongside a larger one. The large shape kept looking around and behind his shoulder, then they stopped and the man knocked on the door, the sound loud and repetitious in my ears.
Tap. Tap. Taptaptap. Tap.
Heavily rusted hinges reverberated through the empty street. A large steel doorway cracked open. Misty blue fog escaped through the darkened slit. A mumble of words was exchanged. I closed my eyes and tried to make it out.
“... Mo... sac...”
I couldn’t hear anything here. I growled, crouched down on hands and knees, and crawled toward them, trying to hide my broader body the best I could and still keep silent. A dark head poked out the door and goose bumps rode my skin. I stopped, heart pounding violently in my chest, and willed the vamp not to look at me. I didn’t dare breathe when it turned my way.