by Laura Lee
He pondered that for a moment. It sounded like he was trying not to laugh. “Okay…well what’s this guy’s last name? Do you know where he works or lives? What about any establishments that he might frequent?”
“His last name is O’Brien. He moved recently, but I don’t know where exactly. He doesn’t work because he doesn’t need to. He’s a trust fund baby. I’ve heard rumors that he likes to spend a lot of time at that new club over on Tropicana. I think it’s called Voyeur-Gasm or something sleazy like that.”
“Yeah, I know the place. Actually, your new boss owns it. I spoke with him last night and he agreed to meet me there this evening. His office is located in the back of the club. Look Karli, I think it might be a good idea if you came with me.”
“What? Why?” I asked.
“Because I’m hoping to kill two birds with one stone. I need to talk with Leo about the investigation but I might as well take a look around for Chad while I’m there.”
“Why can’t you just go to his house?”
“I will if I can’t find him there. Friday nights are the most crowded at this place, so if he goes there as often as you think, odds are, he won’t disappoint.”
“I still don’t understand why I need to come.”
He sighed, “Because if he’s as dishonest as you say, I’ll need your help. I can conjure a truth spell beforehand, but I’ll need to focus on maintaining it while we’re in there. I can’t ask the questions and keep it going at the same time. You’ll need to be the one to talk to him.”
“Why can’t you bring someone from the police force to ask questions?”
“First of all, you know what he looks like. I can pull his DMV records but it would be really hard to find him in a place like that using a photo. Secondly, Leo has already made it very clear that I cannot go in there looking like a cop without a warrant. You’d be a lot less conspicuous.” He paused. “You know Karli, if I didn’t know better, I’d think your refusal to help was personal. Is there a reason why you wouldn’t want to go somewhere with me?”
“You mean, besides the fact that you confuse the hell out of me?”
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Nothing.” I lied. “I have no reason not to go somewhere with you.”
“Well?” He asked. “Then what’s the problem?”
Shit, how am I going to get out of this? “I have to work.”
“Not anymore, you don’t.” He said. “The bar will be closed until further notice. Someone from Markos should be calling the staff this afternoon to notify them. Leo said I can show up any time after ten so I’ll pick you up right around then. Sound good?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Fuck!
“Great. Well, I have to get going now so I can get back to the station. I’ll see you then. Oh, and Karli…make sure you dress the part tonight. This club is very appropriately named. We need to blend in as much as possible.”
“What do you mean, dress---” Click. Dammit! What the hell am I getting myself into?
Chapter 5
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My phone rang as soon as I ended my call with Vance. I checked the caller ID before answering.
“Hey Erica, whatsup?”
“Omigod, I heard what happened last night K. How awful! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. It was pretty bad though. There was so much blood! It looked like something tried to eat her alive.” I shuddered at the memory. “I’m guessing someone from work called you?”
“Yeah, just a few minutes ago.” She said. “I spoke with the new boss, Leo. He said the bar might be closed through the weekend but he doesn’t know for sure yet. He offered to let me work at another place for the tips but I declined. I have an audition to get ready for anyway.”
“Hey do you think you could take me back to the hotel first to pick up my car? The detective on the case, Vance, had to give me a ride home last night because I was such a mess.”
“Vance, huh?” Her voice instantly perked up. “Was he hot?”
“Um, yeah you could say that.” More like an inferno.
“Why do you sound so strange? Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine Eri. Really. It’s just that something kinda happened when we got back to my place.”
“What do you mean something happened? What kind of something?”
“Well, we came back here, and I really didn’t want to be alone so I invited him in for a drink. We started talking about what happened and I got really upset. He was trying to console me, then one thing led to another and---”
“Omigod, you banged the detective?” She screamed. “Was it good? It’s about damn time K. Good for you honey!”
“No, I didn’t bang him!” I said. “I probably would have though, if he didn’t stop it. God knows I wanted to.”
“What do you mean he stopped it? Guys don’t stop it. What happened?”
“I don’t really know. I’m completely baffled. We were getting all hot and heavy and he just jumped off of me. He told me that we shouldn’t do this because he didn’t want to take advantage of me. Who knows? I probably scared him off or something. I started getting really aggressive towards the end. I can’t explain it Eri, but I wanted him like ten times more than any other man I have ever met. I know it’s been a long time since I’ve had sex, but that wasn’t it. He turned me on to a degree that I’ve never experienced before. I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“Wow! Even better than Chad?” She asked.
“Not even close. This was in a whole other ballpark.”
“He sounds like my kind of guy! Are you going to see him again?”
“Actually, now that you mention it….I am. Tonight in fact, but only in an official police capacity. Apparently this Markos guy owns that new club, Voyeur-Gasm. Vance spoke with him last night and made plans to meet with him about the case. His office is in the back of this club. I’ve heard that Chad goes there a lot so we’re going to take a look around while we’re there. He wants to find him and ask some questions. Omigod, I almost forgot to tell you! You’re never going to guess who our new boss is!”
“I know who he is. Guy named Leo. Remember? I spoke with him on the phone right before I called you.”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way.” I said. “I meant the face behind the name. Leo Markos is hot vampire from table twenty!”
“Whoa! Seriously? I knew his voice was familiar. Yum!” She paused for a moment. “So, let me get this straight. You’re telling me that your plans for this evening include going to a sex club with the hot detective that you manhandled last night…to a place that is owned by our new boss, the delicious vampire… to look for your stupid, yet also hot ex-boyfriend?”
“Um, yeah I guess that sums it up.” I replied.
“Oh, this is going to be fun!” She laughed. “I’ll be there in a half hour to pick up your car. I want to give you plenty of time to get ready for your date!”
“It’s not a---” Click. Why do people keep hanging up on me? Dammit!
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I’ve been debating what to wear since I got back from retrieving my car. Channeling my inner Pretty Woman in front of the mirror, I sprinkled fairy dust over my head. As the glittery substance abated, my new outfit appeared. I was pleased with my creation and couldn’t hold back a smile. I had on a strapless, red satin corset with a black leather mini skirt. To top it off, I added black patent leather thigh high boots with 4” stiletto heels. My hair was left down with several ringlets in place to enhance my natural waves. I went with smoky eyes, extra eyeliner, and added a frosty pink lip gloss.
I gave myself the final once over and said, “Ha! Eat your heart out Chad. You dumb bastard!” Okay, I’ll admit, maybe Chad wasn’t the only one I was trying to impress. I heard the door buzzer and looked at my clock. Nine fifty-five. That must be him.
“Hello. Who’s there?” I asked through the intercom.
�
��It’s Vance. Uh, Detective Alexander.”
I buzzed him in and ran to the bathroom for a quick mist of Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. He was knocking on my front door just as I came back out. I unlocked the dead bolt and swung it open.
“Hi.” I said nervously.
“Hi.” He replied. He looked me up and down… twice. He clearly liked what he saw because that was followed by an audible gulp. I smiled at his lack of subtlety. “You ready to go?”
“I will be in just a minute. Have a seat. I just need to find my little clutch purse.”
I shifted through my closet until I found the purse. Then I transferred a few items from the one I usually carry and headed back down the hall. I found Vance waiting for me perched on one of the barstools by my breakfast bar. He was wearing a black t-shirt with well worn jeans and shit kicker boots. He still had his five o’clock shadow, which was sexy as hell. It highlighted his angular face and strong nose. I may have blushed a little when I thought about how that stubble tickled my breasts last night.
Clearing his throat he said, “You look great. Really great. Are you ready to go?”
“Thanks.” I replied. “I am, but we don’t really match.”
“What do you mean?” He asked.
“Well, from what Erica’s told me, this place is pretty kinky. I had no idea what to wear so I asked her. She said there are a lot of people walking around half naked, if not fully naked. Or leather. Lots of leather. I think we need to put you into something a little more appropriate.”
He looked me up and down again and smiled. “What did you have in mind? Birthday suit or leather chaps and cowboy boots?”
“Neither, smartass!” I replied as I playfully smacked his arm. Wow! Are those his biceps? Oh my! I stepped back to assess my living canvas. “Let me think for a second. Hmmm, I know! This will look great!” I conjured up some fairy dust and sprinkled it over his head. His jeans and t-shirt were instantly transformed into a pair of black leather pants with a matching jacket. I kept his boots the same since they seemed to fit into my vision.
I decided to leave out a shirt which I was quite thankful for. His chest was completely hairless and bronzed all over. His muscles were large, but not overpowering. He had eight-pack abs that made me want to do laundry. The pants that I gave him hugged his lower body in all the right places, showing off his ass quite well. His body was so perfectly sculpted that I had to practically restrain myself from jumping him right then and there. I gave him one more leisurely appraisal, from the bottom up. When I got to his face, I realized what I had done. His eyes looked like they were about to bulge right out of their sockets and his mouth was hanging open. I’m guessing that was because I had just revealed that I was a fairy. Mother fucker!
Chapter 6
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“What the hell was that?” He shrieked.
“Nothing!” I replied. “I just gave you a little magical makeover. No big deal.”
“No big deal my ass! Was that fairy dust that you just sprinkled over my head?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” When all else fails, go straight to denial. Do not pass go. “Look, we’d better get going. I wouldn’t want to risk missing Chad.”
“Now just wait a minute Karli. I know what I saw. You just---”
“Look, I don’t know what you think you saw, but it doesn’t matter. Let’s go.” I grabbed his arm, pulling him through the doorway. I closed it, locked the deadbolt, and started walking towards the parking lot.
“Karli, wait---” He said, as he was running after me.
I whipped around to face him just outside my building. “No Vance, you wait.” I spread my hand out across his chest. “If you want me to come with you, we’re going now with no further discussion. If you continue to press the issue, I’m going back into my apartment alone. What’s it going to be?”
“That’s not fair! You just---”
“Vance, what’s it going to be?” I insisted. “You have three seconds before I go back inside. Three…two…”
“Let’s go.” He grumbled as he unlocked his car.
We rode in silence during the entire fifteen minute drive. Vance kept looking at me, making several attempts to raise the subject again. Every time I saw his lips begin to part, I gave him a warning glare. We pulled into the club parking lot and drove towards the back. I jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped and started making my way towards the front entrance. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“Hey jackass, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Karli, we are going to talk about this whether you like it or not.”
“Talk about what? There’s nothing to discuss.”
“Okay, let’s agree to disagree for the time being. Just remember, I’m not going to forget about this and the time for confessions will come very soon. Now get back here so we can formulate a game plan before we go in there.”
He popped the trunk open and began shuffling through the contents. There were quite a few items in there, all stored very neatly. He reached into a brown satchel and pulled out a small white crystal wrapped in a leather strap. When he placed it in his pocket I asked, “What’s that for?”
“It’s infused with a truth spell.” He replied. “If we find Chad, all I need to do is touch it and then focus on reading him. It will tell me whether or not he’s lying. Now, you need to prepare yourself for what you’re about to see in there. I’m not sure what kind of scene you’re into, but it can be pretty shocking to most people. I have a feeling you’re about to be thrown out of your comfort zone big time.”
Okay, I didn’t know if I should be flattered or offended by that last comment. “How do you know I haven’t been here before?” I asked.
“Because you admitted so earlier, by telling me that your friend had to advise you on what to wear.” He gave me the once over again. “If I forget, remind me to thank her later.”
“Um…..thanks, I think?”
He laughed. “Anyway, back to business. I spoke with Leo earlier today and he agreed to let me look around, but only if we go incognito. He wants us to go through the back door and stop by his office first.”
“What is that supposed to mean? ‘Go incognito’?”
“It means that as far as anyone else is concerned, you and I are here for entertainment purposes only. You need to trust that I will keep you safe in there. Whatever happens, you just need to go with it.”
“What do you mean, ‘whatever happens’? And what do I do if we run into Chad?”
“Just trust me Karli. You’ll be fine. If we run into Chad, you introduce me as your date. I will activate the crystal and start focusing on reading him. I just need you to ask as many questions as you can to find out how long he was with Leslie last night and where they went after you last saw them. Do you think you can do that?”
“I guess we’re about to find out.” I mumbled as I headed for the back door.
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The back entrance led us into a dark hallway, barely lit by a red bulb. There were several half naked couples scattered about engaging in some sort of foreplay. Thankfully, the office was just ahead to the right.
Vance pounded on the door and shouted, “Markos, it’s Vance Alexander. Open the door.”
“You may enter.” Someone called from inside. He opened the door and walked inside, towing me behind him.
“Ah, Vance. It has been far too long since I’ve had the displeasure of your company. Please, come in. Natasha was just leaving.” I looked for the source of the velvety voice and found the gorgeous vampire. He was sitting behind a desk with a topless woman on his lap. She kissed him as if her life depended on it and then pulled away reluctantly.
“We really must do this again sometime very soon.” She said.
“Yes, of course.” He replied. He was licking blood from his lips as she stood. This was way too intimate for my taste and neither one of them seemed to mind that they had an
audience. The curvy brunette turned toward us and started pulling up the top to her halter dress, with no shame whatsoever. Wow, so much for modesty, huh? Wait a minute, do Vance and Markos know each other?
“Later baby.” Natasha said as she glided out the door.
Markos stood, and started walking towards us. I instinctively retreated from his advance until my ass hit the doorknob. The closer he came, the more suffocated I felt. Why is it so damn hot in here?
“I see you have brought my lovely bartender with you.” He said, in a voice that was punctuated with a slight accent I couldn’t quite place. It sounded British, but with something much more exotic behind it.