Tall, Dark, and Vampire (Dead in the City)

by Sara Humphreys

  “What you talking about, silly girl?” Jerry giggled nervously and began to wring his hands. “What rogue coven?”

  The ding of the microwave went off, and the phrase saved by the bell went through Doug’s mind. Jerry may have a direct line into the vampire world, but he was a shitty liar. It was blatantly obvious that this guy knew a lot more about the rogue coven than he would have them believe.

  Doug shot Olivia a look when Jerry had his back turned and shook his head. She held up her hand. I know. Her mind touched his delicately and sent a seductive wave of warmth though him. Doug simply nodded because he was rendered speechless—telepathic or otherwise.

  Olivia went over to Jerry, who was puttering nervously and getting them large glasses. She watched as he poured the steaming red liquid, and Doug’s mouth watered. His fangs unsheathed, but he closed his eyes for second, willing them away, and by some fucking miracle, they retreated.

  “Jerry,” she said gently, with her hand on his narrow shoulder. “You don’t have to be scared. I won’t tell anyone that you gave us information. As far as the czar and senators are concerned, you gave us some blood and sent us on our way.” She turned him, making him face her. “Now. What do you know about the rogues?”

  His weary brown eyes looked at her with pure terror, and he shook his head. “You don’t understand,” he whispered. “The Maker can do what he pleases. I hear yesterday you kill many of his coven, but he will make more.”

  “I know,” she said firmly. “The Maker? Is that what they’re calling him?”

  “That’s what he call himself.” Jerry handed a cup to Olivia and then to Doug before waving his hands at them and shaking his head. He went over and sat at his vanity and began to admire himself in the mirror. “That all I know. Now take this big gorilla, and get out my apartment.”

  Doug chugged the blood and noted that unlike Olivia’s blood, it provided sustenance for his body, but didn’t do a thing for his soul. He placed the empty glass on the counter and glanced at Olivia. Everything paled in comparison to her. He studied her as she drank and sensed the frustration she was feeling. This guy was stonewalling her.

  “I think you should start talking.” Doug’s voice, low and insistent, filled the room. “From what Olivia’s told me, you’ve been helpful before, but she needs your help now more than ever.”

  Jerry avoided his gaze as he grabbed a tissue from the box and wiped his hands. “I not telling you anything.”

  Doug let out a loud sigh. “I don’t have the patience or the inclination to dick around with you, Jerry.”

  “Is that so, big man?” Jerry slammed his hand onto the table and glared at Doug in the mirror. “I’m hundred and fifty years old, youngling. Not only that, but Emperor Zhao is part of my family. If I want to, I could crush you like bug. I could—”

  Quicker than a snake, Doug grabbed Jerry with one hand, yanked him out of the chair by his neck, and held him in midair. Jerry’s eyes bugged out of his head in shock as he clutched at Doug’s hand and flailed his small feet helplessly.

  He hissed and bared his fangs, but it did little good to loosen Doug’s grip or weaken his resolve. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Olivia gaping, but he kept all of his focus on Jerry.

  “I don’t give a crap who you’re related to, and based on your current position, I’d say the bug in our little situation is you.” He increased the pressure on Jerry’s neck ever so slightly. “Now, I may be a new vampire, but I’m an old cop. I know bullshit when I smell it.”

  Doug tossed Jerry across the room onto the bed.

  “I don’t know what you’re afraid of, but I can promise you one thing,” he said, drawing his gun and pointing it at Jerry’s head. “You should be more afraid of me and of what I’m going to do if you don’t share what you know.”

  Jerry scrambled back on the bed into the pile of pillows and looked to Olivia for help.

  “Eyes on me, little man.” He flipped the safety on the gun, and Jerry looked back to him. “That’s better. Now. What do you know about the rogues and this guy, The Maker?”

  “Washington Square Hotel.” Jerry ran a hand over his bald head. “I hear they go there yesterday.” He flashed a furious look to Doug. “That all I tell you. Now get out before I tell Emperor Zhao how bad you treat his favorite cousin.”

  “Washington Square Hotel?” Doug put the safety back on and holstered his weapon. “It’s right by where both of the victims were found.” He turned to Olivia, who now stood beside him. “It’s a central location. Not only that, Moriarty stays there with his crew from time to time.”

  Olivia nodded. “Holing up at a ritzy hotel during the day would be a lot better than an abandoned subway station.” She smirked and lifted one shoulder playfully. “Not that I minded.”

  Doug winked and then shifted his attention back to Jerry. “If you hear anything else, you go to the Presidium and fill them in. Right now, our only advantage is that we’ve got the element of surprise. They don’t know we’ve figured out where they’re holing up, but let me promise you something, Jerry.” He leaned both hands on the footboard of the bed and leveled a deadly glare at the diminutive man. “If they get wind of the fact that we’re onto them, and if one single hair on Olivia’s head is harmed, I’m taking it out on your ass.”

  He and Olivia let themselves out and hit the city streets once again, heading toward the park. As they walked in silence, Doug took a mental count of the ammunition he had left, and it wasn’t a good number.

  “We’re low on ammo.”

  “Got it covered, detective.” Olivia gestured to the dark alley on the left. “Let’s duck in here for a second.”

  Memories of their kiss in the alley came roaring back, and his cock stirred to life as he walked beside her. There wasn’t time for fooling around—but later, all bets were off.

  Olivia stopped in the cover of darkness and grinned, her white fangs flashing brightly.

  “Let’s fly, lover.”

  She shot into the sky like a bullet, and he could hear the beautiful sound of her laughter as she zipped through the night. Wasting no time, he flew up into the night to join his lover as she sped through the city sky. Doug didn’t know who this Maker guy was, and he had no idea what kind of shit-show they were getting into, but there were a few things he was sure of.

  He’d been reincarnated. He was a vampire. He was in love with Olivia. And even though there was a solid chance he was going to die, he was having the time of his life… of any life.

  * * *

  Chapter 15

  Olivia and Doug landed silently in a dark corner of Washington Square Park. It was close to midnight, and this part of the park was deserted, so there was little danger of humans seeing them. They made their way swiftly down the steps of the West Fourth Street subway station, and not surprisingly, found it empty.

  They hopped the turnstile and walked to the end of the platform. Olivia took a quick look around, and satisfied there were no humans in the vicinity, she pushed the black tiles in the wall that read W Fourth Street. Moments later, a large section of the wall swung inward.

  “Unbelievable,” Doug murmured as he followed Olivia into the emergency armory storage facility.

  The lights flickered on as the door sealed shut behind them, and Doug swore under his breath as he looked at the arsenal that surrounded them. Olivia smiled and took a brief moment to enjoy his wonder and awe at this latest discovery.

  “I love seeing our world through your eyes. I’ve been doing this for so long, I forget what a shock certain things will be for you.”

  “Are there armories like this in other places?”

  “Yes.” Olivia snagged a new gun and a few rounds of ammunition and handed them to Doug. “We have several for the sentries, and they are the only ones who know where they are. I have my own weapons closet at my apartment, but I didn’t want to risk taking t
he fight there. I figure the rogues are looking for us too.”

  “You heard from the girls?” he asked tentatively. “Or is your telepathy still limited to me?”

  She adjusted the gun at her hip and checked the safety. “When we flew over here I tried to contact Trixie. She’s my rebel, you know, so I thought maybe… but nothing.”

  “When did you turn her?”

  Olivia stilled for a moment before looking up at him. She was worried she might see contempt or scorn, yet all she saw was curiosity.

  “In 1980. I found her dying of a heroin overdose in the subway tunnels. She was heavily involved in the punk-music and drug scene here in the city, but her dreams of making it in the Big Apple didn’t quite pan out.”

  “What about Sadie? You two seem closer than the others.” His inspecting gaze wandered over her. “She seems like more of an equal to you than the other girls.”

  “Sadie’s been with me since the night I split with Vincent and just before I became a sentry. Her family lived in a remote cabin in what was then considered the frontier, and they fell victim to an Indian attack. Vincent and I smelled the blood and went to check it out. Sadie was barely alive, but her parents and five siblings were dead.” Olivia’s mind filled with the memories of that night, and she grimaced. “She looked so innocent and alone. I couldn’t leave her there.”

  “It was a long time ago.” She shrugged and inspected her ammo. “I turned her, and Vincent was fucking furious. I guess he didn’t like the idea of the student becoming the teacher. He left us there, and I didn’t see him again for another fifty years.”

  Doug said nothing but watched her through serious eyes.

  “Maya was assaulted and dumped in the alley behind my club.” Her voice hardened as the memories of Maya’s rapist came roaring back in full color. “When I turned her, I got her blood memories.” Olivia’s body shook with rage, and her hands clenched and unclenched at her side. “Like I said, there are some memories you don’t want.”

  Olivia’s eyes filled with tears, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

  “I killed the man who hurt her. I let the monster out and took a human life, and you know what? I loved every minute.”

  Doug reached out to comfort her, but she held up her hand and stepped back.

  “There are no free rides, Doug. I got his blood memories. I felt the fear, pain, and degradation of the twenty other women he had brutalized. Monsters don’t go unpunished.”

  Olivia swiped at her eyes and turned her back on Doug, unable to look at him, fearing what he might think of her now that he knew the truth. She grabbed some ammo and a silencer off the shelf and held it out to him without looking.

  “Here.” She sniffled and bit back the tears, refusing to allow them to spill. “We’ll want to use the silencer because we may have to do this above ground. I’d like to keep the human involvement to a minimum. These aren’t UV rounds. They’re silver and wood, so make sure you hit them in the head or the heart.”

  “Got it.” Doug took them from her and restocked his supply in a casual manner. Silence hung heavily between them for what felt like forever before he finally broke the silence. “The only monster in that story you told me was the sack of shit you killed, and if you ask me, you did society a favor,” Doug said.

  Olivia turned slowly to face him but found him perusing the shelves, looking for more weapons to take. Relief washed over her. Doug wasn’t the least bit bothered by her dirty secret. Maybe everything would work out after all? So far, her fears of what might happen or what Doug might say were worse than reality.

  “So we stick to the plan.” Doug snagged some silver stars and stuck them in the inner pockets of his coat. “We stake out the tunnel entrances under the hotel and get ’em as they’re coming in before sunrise. Right?”

  “Actually, I think we should split up.” Olivia put the last clip of ammo in her belt and turned to face Doug. “If they come in early enough, then they won’t need to use the underground entrances, and they could waltz through the front door.”

  “No fucking way, Liv.” His eyes flashed. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

  “Doug.” Olivia tried not to be annoyed at his macho chauvinism, but it was no use. “I was a sentry for a hundred years. In case you’ve forgotten, I can handle myself.” Her voice rose as she spoke, and her body tensed. “I am not that scared, sniveling girl I was all those years ago.”

  Doug swore loudly, put his hands on his hips, and stared at the fluorescent lights in the ceiling. Just when Olivia was about to start screaming her fangs off, he ran one hand over his short blond hair, and a smile cracked his handsome face.

  “I sounded like a dick, didn’t I?” He glanced at her sideways.

  “Yes.” She folded her arms over her chest. “A big, macho dick.”

  “I’m sorry.” His expression softened as he placed both hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “I know you’re capable and could probably kick my ass if you wanted to, but there’s one thing you need to understand.”

  “What?” She braced herself for more male posturing and formulated her blistering response in her head.

  “I love you, Liv.” His fingers gripped her shoulders tighter, and his throat worked as he swallowed. “I have been chasing you my entire life, and I kept every other woman at a distance because they couldn’t live up to you, or the idea of you. I never thought I was worthy of love or marriage or any of that shit. I thought I didn’t have what it takes to be a husband or a father.” He stopped, and his brow knit together. “Wait—can vampires even have children?”

  “No,” she said through a laugh. Hell, the man wanted to have children with her?

  “Really? Well, that’s too bad. I’d love to have a spirited little girl with your curly red hair and green eyes, not to mention your bad-ass fighting skills.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Since she’d be as gorgeous as you, she’d have to be able to fight off all those rotten boys.”

  “Doug,” she whispered in a shaky voice.

  “No.” He shook his head. “Let me finish. There’s still a part of me that thinks I’m not lucky enough to feel this way, and I am fucking terrified of losing you. So,” he sucked in a breath and continued, “you’ll have to forgive me for being an overprotective dickhead. That’s not going to change. I feel more alive with you as a vampire than I did as a human, so you’re stuck with me. We stick together. No one hunts alone—that’s non-negotiable.”

  He loved her. He said it and put his heart and everything else on the line. As her eyes searched his, she knew that no matter what happened, he would be there for her. Her eyes stung with tears, and a smile played at her lips. For the first time in centuries, she didn’t feel alone.

  “Okay.” She nodded and looked at him warmly. “We stick together. We’ll check the West Village again and then go to the hotel before sunrise. We can glamour the clerk and find out if Moriarty checked in and what room he’s staying in, then ambush them when they come back to sleep for the day.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  He leaned down and captured her lips with his as he cradled her head in his hands, kissing her desperately, as though he might never get another chance. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back as if it was indeed their last kiss.

  ***

  They walked the Village much of the night but didn’t catch the scent or any sign of the rogues. After hours of coming up empty-handed, and with sunrise only an hour away, they agreed that it was time to hit the hotel.

  They stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the luxury hotel, and the doorman smiled tightly as he looked them up and down. Doug buttoned his coat and gave the man a friendly smile as they approached. Olivia scanned the human and sensed his nervousness but wasn’t sure what they did to make him uneasy.

  As he opened the door for them, Doug leaned down and wh
ispered in her ear. “The two of us look like we stepped out of the Matrix. Most of the clientele at this place are decked out in high-end designer duds, not black leather.”

  “Right.” Olivia rolled her eyes.

  She was about to make another remark, but when she stepped into the plush lobby with red walls and art deco paintings, she was rendered speechless by the stink of rotting flesh and dirt. The scent of Rogue One filled the lobby and wafted over her in unpleasant waves.

  Doug stood still inside the entrance next to Olivia, but based on the tension in his body and the look on his face, he’d picked up the scent as well. She reached out with her sonar senses but didn’t pick up on any vampires in the immediate vicinity. However, the perfectly manicured man behind the counter was looking at them like they’d landed from Mars.

  “May I help you?” He looked them up and down with blatant disgust.

  “Actually,” Doug said almost inaudibly, “you can.”

  Olivia stepped up to the desk with him and placed both gloved hands on the gleaming black countertop. She leaned close and held the tall, slim man’s gaze as she glamoured him.

  “We need information about a guest,” she said evenly. The clerk nodded, slack-jawed and eyes vacant, but he remained silent. “Do you know who Michael Moriarty is?” He nodded again as drool dripped down his chin and his hands rested limply on the counter. “Good. Has he been staying here?”

  “Yes,” he said on a sigh.

  “Excellent.” Her voice remained soothing and clam. “What room is he in?”

  “Mr. Moriarty has all of the rooms on the ninth floor.”

  “Wonderful.” Olivia put her hand out. “I’d like a copy of the master keycard please.”

  She maintained her focus as the clerk handed her the keycard from a drawer.

  “When I walk away, you will remember none of this. Do you understand? It’s been quiet, and you saw no one come or go. Is that clear?”