My only real hope was that she saw how tough I could be and wouldn’t set me up with someone that was prone to violence for fear that I’d get violent back. Instinct would kick in. I don’t even know if I would be able to handle giving over control. Even with the men I’d slept with in the past, I’d always maintained control. The idea of losing it was frightening.
If there was any other way, I’d take it. I just couldn’t see another path. Something was after me. I needed to find allies, and the vampires were the strongest beings I knew. They were the only ones that seemed to terrify my father. His fear of them was one of the things that pushed me into their arms. They were the only ones I could think of that could help me, and after that massacre at the bar in Chinatown, the one where I still didn’t understand why I was left alive, I had no choice but to seek out help.
I zipped up the dress, pausing for a moment to look at the nasty bruise close to my ribs before sealing the revealing clothing. It was a fleeting thought, but I hoped the vampire I was going to meet tonight wasn’t turned off by all the bruises and injuries I was recovering from, or worse, he would see them and get ideas about what I was into.
“Are you ready?” Mistress Veronika entered the changing room.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I admitted, as I turned and sported a dazzling smile.
Veronika let her green eyes run the length of me, doing a painstaking examination. I tried my best not to fidget under her careful scrutiny. Something about the way she looked at me reminded me of my father, and how he always underestimated me, doubted my abilities to live in his world. I was always being dissected by him, judged. It made me uncomfortable when others did the same.
“You’ll do nicely. Just don’t fidget when Roderick gives you the once over.” She walked over to the intercom and called the car. “Time to go.”
I was led out of the club and herded into a black limousine. The chiffon fabric easily slid across the grey leather as I took my seat. The window divider came down. “Help yourself to some wine, Miss. Roderick likes to taste his girls with a dark red flavoring.”
The window slid up before I could respond. My throat was a little dry. Red wine wasn’t my favorite. Give me an imported beer any day, but the wine was all there was handy so I poured myself a drink as the vehicle hit the road.
I tried to take my mind off what would happen when we arrived at our destination by focusing on the busy streets that whizzed by as we made our way through town, up into the mountainous area, and into the upscale subdivision known as Hanging Ridge. It wasn’t the best name, but it was the place where most people strived to move. The driver gained entrance from the guard, and the iron gate was opened to let us inside. I’d never been inside the gates, but my father worked a case here once. He wasn’t about to let me join him and screw things up, so it was one of the many times he went solo. He did this so many times, I just wished he hadn’t the night he was killed. If he had more faith in me as a partner, he might still be alive today.
Or you might be dead, a knowing voice echoed in my mind. “Or I might be dead,” I whispered as I raised the glass to a toast in his honor.
“What was that, Miss?” The driver had opened the door and was standing there with his hand stretched out to help me out of the vehicle.
“Oh nothing, just remembering someone.” I offered a shaky smile as I got out of the car. The smile tumbled into a frown as I looked at the house, correction, mansion I was standing in front of. “Holy cow.”
“Are you okay, Miss?”
“Please call me Piper.” I looked at the chauffeur in front of me. He was a handsome man, dark hair cut short to frame his face. He was dressed in formal wear from head to toe. I guessed the vampire I was going to meet here was big on formalities.
He chuckled. “No cows here, Piper.” He waved his hand to the front door. “Master Roderick is waiting for you inside.”
I took a wobbly step. “Is he nice?”
“I suppose.” The chauffeur was already heading back to the front seat of the limo.
“Thank you,” I whispered loudly as I took a deep breath, and watched the driver nod and slip back behind the wheel.
“You can do this, Piper. You have to do this.” I counted to ten, closed my eyes, and ascended the stone stairs that led to the mahogany and iron-adorned door. The door creaked open slowly, and reminded me of one of those old horror films where you know, you just know to run and hide, not to go inside. I swallowed hard past the dry lump in my throat, and did what I don’t normally do, ignored the inner voice. Remember when you ignored me last time? The voice nagged as I crossed the threshold. Yeah, I remember. There was a massacre and I was left for dead. I highly doubted that was going to happen here.
A tall, lanky man with a hump, dressed in black suit and tie stepped out of the shadows. “May I take your coat?”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. This guy, Roderick, was definitely into formalities and stereotypes of the classic film variety. I slipped my sparkly silver shawl off my shoulders and handed it to him. “Thank you.”
He nodded, and led me into a room off the main entry. There was a fire blazing in the hearth. It seemed like hundreds of antique photos adorned the mantle, walls, and table tops of the sitting room. The carpet was firm with very little give, and made it easy to walk on in my heels as I inspected some of the faces that were framed.
My eyes settled on a pretty woman’s face first. She seemed to light up every photo. Her blonde curls looked like a golden ray of sunlight, no matter the style she wore. Fifties pompadour, sixties bouffants and beehives, seventies Farrah Fawcett locks, eighties punk rock with a splash of deep purple crimped throughout, and today’s modern styles. A second face grabbed my attention. I knew him from somewhere. He looked so familiar, yet I couldn’t quite put a name to the face. I just knew I didn’t like him. He had an air of superiority that rang through, even in the photos. There were tons of other faces framed throughout the room.
One of those faces was of a man with dark hair, cut short in almost every picture, except the ones from, I’m guessing, the 80s and 90s. In those, his hair reached down towards his shoulders. Piercing, ice blue eyes held my attention, as did his chiseled face and body. He wasn’t the typical long and lean vampire. This man was built like a beast, and held himself with that familiar superiority the other guy had.
“Are you enjoying the photos?” A voice, rich and smooth like molasses, came from behind me.
I turned to get a glimpse of who was waiting for me, silently praying it wasn’t the guy that seemed familiar, and having my prayers answered when I saw it was the man with the piercing blue eyes built like a wrestler. “I was just--”
“You were checking out photos of my family and wondering which one of us would be your date for tonight,” he interrupted, and entered the room, closing the door behind him.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“I noticed you were particularly interested in my brother Sebastian and sister Chloe. They won’t be joining us tonight.”
“No. Actually, I was kind of hoping I’d get to meet you,” I told him in confidence.
He looked up from his task of pouring drinks, and a crinkle set in around his eyes as he smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.” He handed me a glass of wine and indicated the sofa. “I am Roderick.”
“I’m Piper, but you already know that.” I accepted the drink and sat down next to him.
He chuckled. “I suppose I do. There is no need to be nervous, Piper.”
“I’m …” I was going to deny it, but there was no use in lying. “I am… a little.”
“I know you’re new to the game. Veronika just likes to send her new girls my way to make sure you realize how eccentric we can be.”
“Oh, that is nice of her.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
He was polite enough to ignore my snippy retort. “We’re from an old family, one that has been around for centuries, and can be traditionalists sometimes. Most of the clients yo
u will be working with are far more modern.”
“I kind of like the old fashion idealism, at least, once I got past the ‘freak out’ factor.” I covered my mouth in surprise at the words that fell from my lips.
This time he laughed, the chuckle gone. “It isn’t you, my dear, I have a sort of truth serum effect on people. You can’t lie in my presence. You are quite a little minx, aren’t you?” His hand brushed my shoulder and pushed back my black waves. “You have a stunning neck too. Long, lean, built like a ballerina.”
“Oh, well…” I swallowed hard, took a drink of the wine, and went back to twisting the stem of the glass in my hands. “Thank you.”
“May I have a taste?”
I stared, unblinking at him. His words were registering, but the meaning was lost on my fumbling brain. A frown furrowed my forehead as I passed him my glass.
His teeth shown in the firelight, growing into pointy stakes. “No, a taste of you, love.”
“Oh. Oh, yes, of course. I guess.”
He moved toward my neck, and I jumped off the couch, spilling the wine in the process. “Oh no!” Embarrassment quickened my heartbeat. “I’m so sorry!” I jumped to clean it, but he was there stopping me in the blink of an eye.
“No need. I’ll have one of the maids take care of the mess.” He brought me back to standing, staring directly into his eyes as the heat from the fire warmed my backside. “Now, about that taste.”
He moved in for the neck and I maneuvered him into a choke hold. What the hell is wrong with me?
“I don’t think you’re grasping the concept of a Blood Courtesan, love,” he squeaked out from the hold I had around his neck.
I loosened my grip. Somehow I knew he was humoring me. There was no way I’d be able to overpower a vampire. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I did that.” I released him and stepped back.
He shrugged and dusted off his shoulders. “It was quite enticing, actually. Most courtesans are pliable, they’ll do whatever I like, but you, you are guarded, protective…provocative. Perhaps we should move our affair into a more comfortable room?”
This room was pretty comfortable, but I figured he meant the bedroom, so I slowly nodded. The sooner this was over the better.
He went to the bookcase on the opposite wall from the fireplace and pulled down a silver, gothic-looking candlestick holder. A secret door opened. “You really like your classic movies, don’t you?”
“I made a lot of them.” He smiled proudly. “Modern cinema doesn’t hold a candlestick to my genius back in the day.”
“No pun intended, I assume.” I quipped, unable to hold back the words I was thinking. This vampire’s power over the mind was strong. The candlestick in his hand reminded me of the game Clue. “Colonel Mustard was murdered in the library with a candlestick.”
“Pun, definitely intended, although I prefer to think Mr. Green did the dirty deed.” He swept his arms toward the opening in the wall. “After you.”
“Right, okay,” I took a deep breath. Maybe I was going to get lucky and Roderick would be my new friend, helping me get out of the mess I was in. I liked him. He seemed genuine and interesting. It would be nice to have a powerful ally. One that wasn’t terribly frightening.
I stepped into the darkened pathway on a precarious footing. He came in behind me, his front mashing up against my rear. I could feel his interest in me poking my back. He was hard and solid and well endowed. At least I knew he was attracted to me. That was good. Then again, with most men, the wind could blow wrong and they’d be ready to go. I figured vampires would have more self-restraint, living for centuries and all.
His hand snaked around my waist as the wall closed behind us. His breath was hot against my cheek, fingers cold against my skin as his other hand brushed my hair back revealing my neck. A shiver climbed up my back produced by hundreds of little imaginary spider legs crawling up my spine, vertebrae by vertebrae. Instinct screamed that I run. I pushed it down. He just wants a taste.
His lips caressed my neck in a gentle kiss, and his tongue shot out, licking my goose bumped flesh. Desire pooled in my core just as I stomped down on his foot and knocked him backwards. I ran. It was like two warring opinions were going on in my mind. This man was sexy, he made me desire him. I wanted to make this happen. Needed to find allies. The other side of me was disgusted, repelled by the very demon that ignited passion in me. I looked for an escape. Blood rushed through my veins, sparking the fight or flight response. Knowing he was stronger than me, flight was the better option. I didn’t want to hurt him, but something told me I would if we continued down this path.
“All you are doing is enticing me more, sweet. The predator in me enjoys a good chase.” His voice echoed down the corridor. Excitement flavored his tone, setting the fear receptors into the on position in my body.
My feet led me to a creepy looking dungeon. I searched for a place to hide. In my sweep for refuge, my eyes fell to the chains bolted into the stone wall, then a wooden table with levers, and a wall covered in whips and nasty looking sex toys mixed with some things that could only be considered torture devices. In the middle of the room with no closets or escape was a bed with red satin sheets.
His footfalls got closer and I knew there was no escaping him. Terror took over as he entered the room, his hair disheveled, breath labored. He straightened his hair and clothes. The man wanted to look good while he ravished me. A laugh escaped his lips. He was enjoying my torment. “You have nowhere to run. Time for a little fun.”
His teeth elongated as he charged toward me. Dear god, the vampire was going to kill me. Everything went dark just as his fingers wrapped around my throat.
*****
Sebastian
It had been two days since I’d last seen Roderick. Knowing that he was testing out one of Veronika’s new girls, and suspecting that girl was the tempting Piper Mason didn’t sit well with me. I had a feeling I knew exactly where my brother was and I wasn’t looking forward to walking in on his sexual escapades. A part of me hoped the new girl he was sampling wasn’t the feisty Piper. How she had managed to get under my skin was a mystery in itself. Heck, she was a mystery. A far cry from the typical courtesans I’d met in the past. There was a strength to her that shone through her innocent demeanor. One that piqued my interest more than I was comfortable with.
Roderick was no doubt enjoying the girl in his chamber of horrors. The man liked his games, said it made sex interesting. After centuries of the same things, interesting was difficult for vampires to find. Two days was a good sign. The girl would gain high marks. Unfortunately, business required he rejoined the rest of the world. I needed his help to reach the Gargoyles. We needed to know if we had a rogue on our hands or if there was a sanctioned hit on the town. That meant I needed my diplomatic brother to cut through the bureaucratic tape.
I made my way down the hidden passageway, taking note of the strong stench of blood. I prepared myself to see the couple naked in the bed. What I saw froze the blood in my veins. The body was gone that produced the large amount of blood which coated the walls. I could only assume the crimson liquid was all that was left of my brother. His scent was heavy on the air. We weren’t the closest of siblings, but he was my brother and I loved him. I closed my eyes against the horrifying sight. No one deserved a fate as gruesome as the one that obviously played out in here. The soft sobs and sniffles drew me in. I turned and caught sight of a girl huddled up in a corner, rocking back and forth, mumbling incoherently.
“What the hell happened here?” My voice harsher than intended. It was clear this girl was a victim, scared to death.
She looked up, her eyes narrowed on mine.
“You.” Something clicked as recognition hit me like a wall of bricks. Piper Mason, the feisty courtesan, was also the girl from the massacre at the bar. The one I saw briefly from the psychometry vision earlier that week.
“Help me.” Her words were meek and childlike. Her eyes bore into my soul, what was left of
it.
Something slid into place inside me, like a key opening a lock. There was something about this woman that begged me to protect her. Blood coated her face and hands, my brother’s blood or hers? I should be angry. Demand answers. She stood up on wobbly legs and held out her hands. “She’s after me.” Tears streaked rivulets through the blood smeared on her cheeks.
Within seconds I had her limp body in my arms. I placed her unconscious form on the bed and began to inspect her injuries. There were bruises and cuts healing from the last altercation, the bar I assumed, and fresh wounds from whatever happened here.
As a general rule, I didn’t concern myself with affairs of the humans. They didn’t care much for us, hunted our kind for centuries, pushed us underground until we finally came up for air and revealed our existence to them recently. There were hunters that still pursued us, despite the agreement to co-exist. People were frightened of us. It was natural. We were a predatory race, and their fear was normal. It was why I chose not to associate with them unless necessary.
Looking at this helpless woman, I knew that resolve had changed. There was something about her that made me want to wrap her in my arms and shield her. There was a sweetness in her blood. I should be killing her for the way it mixed with my assumed dead brother’s blood. Every fiber of me wanted to do the opposite, to protect her. I hadn’t felt like this since… well, forever. The oddity of the moment wasn’t lost on my analytical brain. She needed medical attention. Whatever, whoever got in here and attacked them, however this happened, beat her up pretty badly. I’d investigate the crime scene later. First, she needed help. I picked her up and rushed her out of the dungeon. I laid her in my bed and called Joshua to summon the doctor.
Cursed: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Page 3