A Vamp About Town

by MICHELLE KELLY,

  Good one, Carter. You’ve been letting your girlfriend starve so that you can keep your male pride intact his inner voice chided. He stepped toward her but Ruby half turned away from him, a subtle movement that nevertheless spoke volumes. She was angry at him too, and there was a poise about her, a feline stillness that he knew was enhanced by her recent feeding. Right now, she was all vamp.

  ‘Did you enquire about the vamp we killed?’

  Nick blinked at her, then mentally caught up, remembering their conversation the night before.

  ‘Right, yeah, I checked it out as soon as I got up. Definitely dead. Incinerated and ashes scattered. There’s no way he could have come back to life, Rube, no matter how old and powerful he might have been.’

  Ruby nodded. ‘I thought as much, I just couldn’t think of any other vamp who would have a grudge against me. I wasn’t lying, Nick, I’ve racked my brains and I really can’t think of anything.’

  Nick opened his mouth to reply, unsure exactly what he was going to say, then never found out as Lina breezed into the office unannounced and answered Ruby for him.

  ‘Well you’ll be needing to rack your brains again, because I’ll need to take details from you concerning every other vampire you’ve ever had more than a passing acquaintance with.’

  Nick and Ruby spoke at the same time.

  ‘There’s been another murder.’

  Lina nodded. Although she put on a good show of bravado and I’m-a-cop-don’t-fuck-with-me attitude, Nick could feel the alarm coming off her without having to invade her mind. This was her first vamp killing, and she was scared sick at the thought of a rogue supernatural preying on young women. He couldn’t blame her for being prickly. Nevertheless, he felt he should defend his girlfriend.

  ‘I’m sure Ruby will only be too happy to answer your questions, if you ask her nicely.’

  Ruby looked surprised but pleased at his defence of her as Lina scowled but modified her tone of voice. Whatever she may think of Ruby she had respect for Nick, or at least, for the reputation he had with NYPD.

  ‘I need you to come to the station and answer a few questions, Miss O’Shea,’ she said with excessive politeness. Nick shook his head.

  ‘She can answer them here.’

  Lina narrowed her eyes at him. Respect or not, he had ruffled her feathers now.

  ‘It would be easier …’ she began.

  ‘No.’ Nick’s voice brooked no argument. There was no way Ruby was going down to the police precinct. As a vampire she didn’t officially exist; she was dead, and he had little enough faith in his former superiors to believe they would deal with her fairly. The way preternaturals were treated by the few groups who knew of their existence was one of the reasons Nick had decided to go private.

  ‘I agree,’ Ruby said, an imperious tone to her voice Nick hadn’t heard for a while, ‘let’s go and talk in the back room, shall we?’ When the crabby Lina obediently followed Ruby into the back room Nick glared at her, but she wouldn’t catch his eye. It was obvious she had influenced the other young woman, and although he knew he was being hypocritical – in how many investigations had he seen fit to utilise his powers? – he couldn’t approve of her doing that to a cop who was simply trying to do her job.

  Ruby sat down and crossed her legs demurely, smiling innocently at Lina who sat opposite her, looking faintly confused. Nick sighed, went into the office, changed the sign of the door to “closed”, and returned to sit next to Ruby. Lina had photographs in her hand and, knowing instinctively what they would be, he placed a hand on Ruby’s knee. His anger at her actions last night could wait.

  Lina spread the photographs over the table between them. Nick saw Ruby close her eyes for a fraction of a second, felt her steel herself, then she picked them up carefully. Nick saw her knuckles tense and whiten almost imperceptibly as she viewed the photos.

  Again, the victim was a young girl with long red hair and a petite, slim figure. Again, the resemblance to Ruby was obvious. Nick balled his fists at the idea that some bastard was out there, doing this to taunt her. Had even been following her as she went to that stupid club on her own. From now on until the killer was found, Nick vowed to himself she wouldn’t get out of his sight. Ruby had been a predator so long she had lost the natural safety instincts most young women alone in a big city would have. Vampires were the hunters; not the hunted.

  ‘Was there a message?’ Ruby’s voice was quiet and flat, but her eyes were so bright Lina blinked, a sure sign she was upset.

  ‘Not this time. But as the method of killing is the same, we’re assuming it’s the same guy; and the appearance of the victim would suggest that if the last murder was some kind of message for you, then so is this. Either that or we have a typical serial killer on our hands – other than the fact that he’s not human.’

  ‘Typical serial killer?’

  Nick cut in. ‘Lina means he has a certain type of victim; in this case, girls who for whatever reason, look like you. Either this is a calculated attempt to get your attention – for whatever twisted reason – in the most vicious of ways, or the first murder gave him a taste for more, and the killing becomes an end in itself.’

  ‘It’s possible,’ Lina added quietly, ‘that you are the ultimate intended victim. Either the killer thinks you’re too powerful as a vampire to target, or they have some fixation with you in your human form, or they’re working their way up.’

  ‘Working their way up?’

  ‘To killing you.’

  Ruby half laughed, half gasped, as if the idea was both ludicrous and terrifying at the same time. Which, Nick supposed, it kind of was. Ruby was hardly your typical damsel in distress. From his point of view however, Lina's suggestion definitely leant itself more towards the terrifying. A rogue vamp, out to slay his girlfriend? Over his dead body. He didn’t want to speculate right now on how likely that was; Nick preferred action.

  ‘Ruby sensed another vampire last night near Crimson Shade,’ he told Lina who looked with renewed interest at Ruby. This time it was Nick’s turn to avoid her glare.

  ‘What time was this?’

  ‘Around two. I couldn’t tell if it was male or female, or how old, but there was something strange, I just can’t put my finger on what. But it was definitely hostile.’

  ‘In general, or to you?’ Lina certainly didn’t mince her words. In spite of his earlier rebuke when she had been rude to Ruby, Nick found he liked the young police detective. She reminded him a lot of himself when he had first started out with Preternatural Branch, and going by his reading of her yesterday she knew all too well the complications of dating those you were normally paid to investigate. One day, he would have to ask her out for a beer.

  ‘To me, I think.’

  ‘Then I have to ask you again, Miss O’Shea, is there anyone you know who may have reason to do this?’

  Lina met Nick’s eyes over the top of Ruby’s head as the vampire bent to look at the pictures again, and Lina’s thought was so clear Nick heard it without even trying. She thought Ruby was covering up for someone; perhaps an ex-lover. Nick shook his head, then when Lina’s eyes widened in surprise and disgust as she realised he was answering her unspoken thought, he immediately pulled up his mental shields. He was so used to being around Ruby now, who he couldn’t read, that he forgot to keep them intact when another person was present. Still, Lina would be aware of Nick’s ability and should be shielding herself, as all Preternatural Officers received training in basic psychic defence. Not that it would be effective against Ruby herself, who hadn’t yet even discovered the depths of her own abilities.

  Ruby spoke, her voice firm.

  ‘I’ve already told you, Detective, the answer is no.’

  Lina eyeballed her.

  ‘How old are you exactly, Miss O’Shea?’

  Ruby blinked, surprised at the turn in Lina’s questioning.

  ‘I was turned – died, if you like – at 20. Altogether, I’m 240 years old.’

  ‘Wow.�
�� There was no sarcasm in her voice; her tone was genuine. Even Nick, used by now to the fact of Ruby’s near immortality, felt the impact of the knowledge anew. His partner was old enough to be his great-great-great-great-great-grandmother. That’s so fucked-up.

  Lina recovered. And leaning towards Ruby with no sign of apprehension, she carefully made her point.

  ‘Are you trying to tell me that in all those 240 years you have never met anyone who would have reason to hate you? I find that hard to believe. Even the nicest of us manage to pick up one or two enemies in our human life span.’

  Ruby shrugged one shoulder gracefully. Another thing Nick noticed about her when she had recently fed; her every movement was more fluid, more elegant. Even though he was angry at her and worried about the murders he felt the surge of familiar desire in his groin.

  ‘Yes, Detective; but anyone I can think of is dead, and has been for a long time.’

  Nick wondered if Lina would take that as an implied threat, but if so she gave no indication of it.

  ‘What about other vampires? I need names and dates.’ She sounded impatient now. ‘Sometimes people can take against us and we’re not even aware of it. Vampires have a long time to nurture slights, intended or otherwise.’

  Ruby glanced at Nick and she realised she was wondering about his reaction as she said carefully. ‘I’ve been close to two other vampires over the years. Both male.’

  ‘Lovers?’ Lina asked, whipping a notepad and pen out. Nick tensed at Ruby’s nod and tried to tell himself not to be stupid. They both had exes.

  ‘Yes. David, from 1865 to 1878, and more recently Piotr, when I was in Russia during the war.’

  ‘Second World War?’ Lina was scribbling furiously, while Nick fought with himself to keep his mouth closed. This wasn’t the time for a jealous spat but … 13 years? That was hardly a “fling” as Ruby had described her previous lovers last night.

  ‘No, First.’

  ‘Do you know if they are still alive? Or if they have any reason, however small, for carrying resentment towards you?’

  Ruby looked as though she was thinking hard, then shook her head, clearly frustrated.

  ‘No. I’ve never heard of David since, and as far as I’m aware, we parted amicably. We just tired of each other – it’s rare for vampires to hang out together that much. Even in the years we were together, we wouldn’t see each other for months at a time. I last heard Piotr was in the Ukraine, about 20 years ago. But that really was just a passing dalliance. There’s been no one else. I’ve come across other vampires, of course, but never had anything more than a brief conversation.’

  ‘No fights over territory, anything like that?’

  Ruby shook her head. Lina snapped her notebook shut and stood up.

  ‘OK, well, I’ll investigate those names, see if there’s anything in the database. And I’ll get your Pack liaison to have a nose around Crimson Shade, see if he can track this bastard. I’ll be in touch later.’

  ‘Aren’t you going to tell me not to leave town? Or that you’ll be keeping an eye on me?’ Ruby teased.

  ‘Goes without saying. Detective Carter,’ Lina nodded at Nick and made her way out, not bothering to say goodbye to Ruby, who called after her, ‘Give my love to Bane, won’t you?’

  Lina stopped, and Nick saw her tense, but then she squared her shoulders and walked out as if Ruby hadn’t spoken. Nick frowned at her.

  ‘What is it with you two?’

  ‘Probably the same reasons you and Bane don’t get on,’ Ruby shrugged, ‘now, are we going to talk about last night?’

  For once, Nick was momentarily lost for words

  ‘Do you want to?’

  ‘No. I want to pretend it didn’t happen. But I can’t, Nick, any more than I can pretend I don’t need to drink blood to survive. If I can’t feed from you, I have to feed from someone else.’

  Nick looked at her. She was standing now, perfectly poised, her skin and eyes shining, looking beautiful but otherworldly. Almost untouchable.

  ‘You’re right,’ he said, ‘I keep treating you like you’re human, and you’re not. But neither am I one of your donors,’ he nearly spat the word and Ruby visibly recoiled.

  ‘You say it like it’s something sordid, like I’m cheating on you.’

  ‘Aren’t you?’ he challenged, ‘because sneaking out at night to go to some club and get cosy with some other guy sounds a lot like cheating to me.’

  ‘First of all, I did not sneak out, I left. And I did not get “cosy” – whatever that is supposed to insinuate. I took blood from a regular club donor, and I went home.’

  Nick snorted, ‘You make it sound like drive-thru.’

  ‘I suppose it was,’ Ruby said flippantly then sighed, running a hand through her hair, so vibrant after her feeding it looked alive. ‘Blood is food, Nick.’

  ‘Well I don’t want to be food. You said yesterday feeding was like sex.’

  Ruby looked exasperated.

  ‘What do you want me to say? It can be either, or both, OK?’

  ‘So last night …’

  ‘Just food.’

  Nick nodded. He believed her in one sense, but on the other hand thought his lover and partner was deliberately being obtuse.

  ‘And for the donor? Was it sexual for him?’

  Ruby didn’t answer, which of course answered the question perfectly. Nick stood still, fists balled by his sides, fighting to get a grip. This was his own fault; he had been holding back from her, letting her go hungry, all because he couldn’t cope with her dietary requirements. Still, anger surged through him. He stared at Ruby, who looked good enough to eat herself, and stepped towards her, closing the gap between them. Ruby went very, very still, as if she expected him to attack her, then gasped in surprise when Nick grabbed her and crushed her mouth to his.

  There was nothing romantic about his kiss; Nick claimed her mouth like he was conquering it, determined to leave his mark. As if he could kiss away the memory of feeding from the other guy from her very skin. He grabbed her butt with one hand, pulling her up and into his groin, his cock now straining to get through the layers of clothing that separated them. His other hand fisted her hair at the nape of her neck, pulling hard enough that it was just on the edge of pain. He bit at her lower lip as he pulled away, drawing a bead of blood. Ruby licked at it, her eyes wide with a mixture of wariness and arousal that Nick found only served to turn him on, turning his rage and worries about the case into lust. He tugged at her hair where it was still fisted in his hand and she let out a low moan, her eyes darkening in a way that he knew meant she was just as aroused as he was.

  ‘I want you to feed from me,’ he said in a tone that implied an order as much as a request. Ruby blinked, surprised.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yeah, but this time, it will be on my terms.’ He kissed her again with as much hunger as before, sucking on her lower lip until he tasted blood, then pushed her back none too gently onto the couch, leaning over her and moving his lips from her mouth down to her neck, his hands now on her breasts. Her nipples were pebbles underneath the thin material of her blouse and he swallowed a low moan at the thought of taking them in his mouth, an action that he knew she loved. But that would wait. Right now, he needed to be in charge. He stood up and looked down at her, noting the flush on her cheeks with satisfaction. It took a certain level of desire for a newly fed vampire to colour up like she was right now, and knowing he still had that effect on her gave him a typically male ego boost.

  ‘Take off your clothes, Ruby. I want you naked.’

  She pulled her blouse off, giving him an eyeful of those pert breasts, and stood up to wriggle enticingly out of her jeans and a pair of panties that were little more than a scrap of lace. She stood in front of him proudly, waiting for his next move. He ran the palm of his hand lightly over her nipples, then reached for her hand and placed it on his cock through the rough denim of his jeans. He kept his face impassive and his breath controlled as she r
ubbed him, cupping his balls through the material and then unzipping his pants so that his cock sprang free; loving how her own breath was coming short and fast, and he had barely even touched her yet.

  She closed a hand around the shaft of his cock and squeezed, stepping forward to kiss him, but Nick stepped back.

  ‘Take me in your mouth.’

  Another order. For a split second, he felt like a pig, but when he saw the lust in Ruby’s eyes as she went down on her knees and did exactly as he had commanded he felt a fresh surge of lust. Her tongue licked around the head of his cock, then as he placed a hand around the back of her head and guided his cock into her mouth she wrapped her lips around his shaft and took the length of him, looking up at him with a wicked smile in her eyes that shredded his self-control. Groaning, he tipped his head back and let himself thrust in and out of her mouth as she sucked greedily at him, his hand again fisted in the hair at the nape of her neck.

  ‘That feels so fuckin’ good,’ he ground out, before pulling away and helping her to her feet. As much as he loved the sight of her, his woman, on her knees for him, if he had let her carry on like that, it would have been all over. So much for exercising his power over her. He was putty in this woman’s hands and judging by the satisfying smirk she wore on her face, she knew it. He pulled her to him than spun around and sat on the couch, pulling her on top of him, straddling his thighs, in one swift movement. Reaching between her legs to find her already soaking he gripped her hips and eased her onto his cock, sliding into her, feeling her grip him as she started to move.

  Her breasts swayed temptingly in front of him as she rode him and he palmed them, eliciting a moan from her, then pushed them together so he could flick his tongue over both nipples in turn. He sucked one into his mouth, hard, at the same time as he began to rub the pad of a thumb over her clit. Ruby rewarded him with moan that was nearly a scream and an increasing of pace as she rode him, bucking her hips and tipping her head back in abandon. Nick allowed himself a small smile. He loved seeing her like this.