“Danial will need donors, and I know for a fact that Angelica will please him,” Devlin assured. “He will also be respectful of her, until she reaches the age of consent to turn. He also does not have that power, so he’ll have to come to me when that future day comes.”
“Good, Angelica needs a little kindness,” Tony said, relieved.
“Tony has a soft spot for the girl,” Thane said coldly. “I just want things to go smoothly, Devlin. Will Danial be a team player or not?”
“I’ll see that he does,” Devlin stated. “If you supply him with donors, he’ll stay out of your way. And he’ll also do a little side work for you as part of the deal, provided you make sure anyone you want him to eliminate is evil to the core. He has an overdeveloped sense of decency, I’m afraid.”
“That can be arranged,” Tony said with a nod.
“No one asked me about Danny Boy,” Lash hissed, baring one snake fang. “I think he’s an asshole and I hate his guts. But sure, have him come on back to the north, Dev. Just don’t be surprised if he and I get into it.”
“But you think he can do the job?” Tony asked Lash.
“He can do the job,” Lash assented. “But he’s a prick to women. Be warned. Don’t be surprised if he breaks your sweet little Angelica’s heart.”
Devlin shot Lash a look to kill. “Danial will not be romantic with Angelica, Lash. He never is with donors. But when she is of age, if she chooses to pursue a relationship with him beyond the donor relationship...that’s his business and hers.”
“But it’s then also your business, right?” Tony said darkly, staring at Devlin. “I heard that you tend to kill those women Danial loves.”
“Seduce them,” Devlin corrected. He held up one finger, the nail grown to an inch long talon. “I have never killed any of Danial’s loves. But Angelica must follow the rules, especially if she turns. If that happens, she’ll be provided with a copy of the handbook, and she must adhere to it. I make no assurance for her safety if she does not. That must be clear utterly, Tony. Once someone becomes a vampire, they answer to me for all their actions. Angelica will not get special treatment if she betrays my rules as a vampire...or even as a donor.”
Tony let out a long breath. “Agreed. Angelica’s a good girl, Devlin. She’s always done good for me. She’ll do good for you, too.”
“Then let us hope she does the same for Danial,” Devlin said, standing. “Can you arrange for her to be sent to my house in a few weeks’ time? I’ll want her to meet Danial and also have him meet her, so we can see if it’s going to work.”
“Of course,” Tony said, holding out his hand.
Devlin shook it. “Good seeing you, Tony.”
Thane also offered his hand. “I’ll look into additional donors for Danial, Devlin.”
“Thank you,” Devlin said, shaking his hand. “It’s a pleasure to work with you both.”
Lash and Devlin walked out. Angelica was not at her desk.
“Think she ran off because of me?” Lash asked with evil hilarity as they headed out the door. He snickered.
“We’re ready for pickup, Titus,” Devlin said into his cell phone. He hung up and looked over at Lash. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she did, Lash. But Danial can finesse her.”
“You really think that this is going to work?” Lash said sarcastically. “Bringing Danial back here? You’ll be at each other’s throats. And why would he go along with any of this?”
“He has his reasons,” Devlin said cryptically. “This is just business to all of us. And let’s hope it does work out. Or you’ll have more work than you know what to do with.”
Lash shook his head, then smiled. “Fair enough.”
Partners
(This is an extended version of the tale previously published in Midnight Thirsts 2)
A tall, dark-haired man crouched in the cab of a parked crane. The light of the full moon illuminated the many stacks of plywood and two-by-fours that surrounded the machine, casting long steady shadows. Far to the left, a mansion-in-progress stood, its bare wood bones already bleached slightly by the hot summer sun. Close by, to the right, a rough building stood dark, with a port-a-john next to it. No sound stirred the unnatural quiet of the deserted construction site.
Someone or something was causing that stillness, Danial thought to himself, shifting slightly to check his left view from his vantage point. Construction workers rarely were the neatest employees, especially in midsummer. At the very least, the resident rodents should’ve been fighting over the remnants of discarded sandwich ends or the lone left-behind Cheeto.
From beside the port-a-john came the sudden rustle of cloth. A moment later, one of the garbage can lids was lifted.
That was no hungry rat. That was what he’d been hired for. Danial slipped out on the opposite side of the cab, balancing his weight on the crane’s large treads.
The noises stopped. Danial froze, waiting.
There was a stealthy footstep toward him, then another. Danial tensed, his hand going to his semiautomatic at his waist as he prepared show himself.
Here we go...
A loud ring shattered the quiet.
A metallic bang rang out, then a trashcan flew through the air towards him. Danial ducked, the can sailing over his head to smash into the building’s side, showering the smelly contents all over him. Cursing, he stood and fired blindly toward the sound of rapidly retreating footsteps. After squeezing off two rounds, he threw down his gun in disgust.
“Goddamn it!”
His cell phone continued to ring, the signature tone telling him exactly who’d ruined his well-planned trap.
Danial wiped the garbage off his face as best he could with his handkerchief, and then wiped his hands, grimacing at remaining smears of rotten meat. Gingerly, he plucked his phone from his cell pocket and answered it.
“This better be good, Dev.”
“It’s not Dev,” a hissing, self-satisfied voice said. “And it’s not good either, Vampire.”
Danial grated his teeth together, trying to control his fangs from growing in his anger. “What do you want, Lash?”
“It’s not what I want. It’s what your brother wants, Danny—”
Danial hung up, then picked up his gun from the ground. Wiping it off, he holstered it, and strode back to his car, thinking.
There was one thief involved so far: amateur level, to have run without a fight. The throw could have been a diversion by a startled male; the industrial metal was much too heavy to be thrown at that velocity and height by a female, even a non-human one. There had been an odd scent around, possibly some type of werecreature. After four hundred years, he trusted his nose more than his eyes.
He might as well get to his campsite. Dawn was only a few hours away.
* * * *
Blearily, Danial awakened. Daylight could be seen as a dim glow through the dense fabric of the tent.
The damn phone was ringing again. Worse, it was the same tone.
He pushed dark hair out of his eyes, wincing at the still present smell of stale nachos, and answered it.
“What?”
“Danial,” a smooth masculine voice purred. “Are you enjoying your little excursion in the great outdoors?”
“I was until you called. What is it you want, Dev?”
“I’ve got a problem that could use your expertise.”
“Then why have Lash call? You know I hate him.”
“Then you should’ve bought your own camping equipment and not borrowed his. He only lent that to you as a favor to me. The least you could do is be civil to him—”
If only there was some other scent that covered the smell of vampire better than weresnake and was just as off-putting to nonhumans. Alas, that five star protection came at a high price. “I’m always polite to him, when it doesn’t mean risking my life. Now get to the point.”
Dev sighed dramatically. “It’s the usual problem with young adults. There was a girl dating one of the newly turned
; you know, one of the groupies who think it’s all everlasting love and romance. She knew what he was and wanted that for herself. He knew I’d kill him if he gave her what she wanted, so he broke it off like a good little vampire.”
“So what’s the trouble? Your minion was towing the line.”
“The girl,” Dev retorted, exasperated. “She was upset and went looking for another vampire, hoping to make him jealous.” He paused. “She found Jonas.”
Someone was rapidly approaching the tent’s location. Danial transferred the phone to his other ear as he hurriedly pulled on his shoes and socks. “So what’s the problem? Didn’t he dispose of her? He was never squeamish about who he drank from.”
“No, Idiot,” Dev griped. “I said she found him, not that he found her. She sprained her finger and went to the ER that afternoon—”
The footsteps were almost inside the clearing where Danial’s tent was. Danial finished tying his shoes, shrugged on a hooded sweatshirt, then pulled on gloves. There was nothing more to be done to cover up, damn it; he hadn’t brought a ski mask. “Will you get to the point?”
“The twit caught Jonas and a friend working over a newly dead car accident casualty.”
Not surprising. Jonas worked in the morgue more for the blood than the paycheck. “Why are you bothering me for this? Send her ex to bring her to you. You can convince her to keep quiet, or Lash can dispose of the body. It’s a simple solution either way.”
“Can’t. Jonas took too long covering up. By the time he had, she’d blabbed to her friends. They don’t believe her, of course, but that could change if she disappears—”
The footsteps went to the door of the tent, then suddenly veered off, moving past it.
Danial sagged in relief. Thank God. If he’d had to kill someone, it’d be hell getting their body out of here unnoticed, not to mention the shot might be overheard. Any shot outside hunting season would provoke interest, especially inside a public park.
“—Jonas is worried she’ll come back with the police—”
“More likely she’ll demand he turn her in return for her silence,” Danial mused. “That would be the easiest all around, Dev. You could always kill her if she doesn’t behave once she’s under your rule.”
“Much as that’s tempting, no,” Dev said firmly. “She’s only sixteen. The age laws are one of the few I strictly enforce.” His tone became sarcastic. “That’s where Solutions, Inc. comes in. Find me a solution.”
There wasn’t another easy one that came to mind. “If I find you a solution, what’s my payment? Money isn’t enough.”
“You wanted to be closer to a city,” Devlin said enticingly. “What about trading the rural West for the hustle and bustle of the East?”
Danial did a double take. Dev couldn’t mean it, not after what had happened last time. “You’re offering me my own state?”
“I’m offering you a shot at New York with my blessing,” Dev corrected. “Garrett is not even a fourth of your age. You can win easily if you fight him.”
Danial snorted. “That means he’s going to fight fang and talon to keep it. I’ve been there before, Dev. Not enough. Besides, I’ve grown accustomed to the freedom of not having a territory to rule—”
“Then what about some steady lucrative work?” Dev offered. “As you’re aware, I’m in a position of power and I have allies. You’ve always wanted to expand your business. Here’s your chance. Take the position and I’ll throw in the work as incentive.”
This was the perfect offer, which meant there was something dark and oily unseen underneath. “What do you get out of this?” Danial said suspiciously. “You want this much more than you’re telling. If Garrett’s young, he’s no threat to you.”
“I have my reasons,” Dev said cryptically. “But make your own choice. Let me know at your earliest convenience. In person.” Click.
Rain pattered lightly on the tent roof, then pounded as if buckets were being dumped on the fabric. A crack of thunder sounded.
Danial put down the phone, blinked at the display, then groaned. It was late afternoon. There was no way to fit more sleep in before he left for his stakeout tonight.
There was a frantic rubbing at the tent door fabric. “Excuse me? Can I come in?”
Shit. Danial leaned back out of daylight range of the door. “Who is it?”
A young woman unzipped the tent door and then stumbled inside, her muddy clothing soaked. “Cami. Thanks. It’s pouring and I can’t find the trail markers—”
“Sure, come in and dry off,” Danial offered with a sexy smile, moving backwards into the darkness as he pulled off his gloves. “Just please zip the door after you. I don’t want to get wet.”
* * * *
As soon as it was dusk, Danial packed up his tent and gear and left the campsite. By that time, Cami was awake and showing no ill effects of the half pint of blood she’d lost. He dropped her off near her car, pale and swooning goodbyes as if he’d saved her from marauding pirates instead of a little rainstorm.
He had overdone it a bit with the poetry, perhaps. Still, Cami had saved him a lot of time and discomfort, not to mention her fresh blood had been much more satisfying than the packaged blood he’d brought with him. A little romance was the least he could do in return.
* * * *
An hour later, Danial resumed his vigil at the construction site, this time from a new position behind a stack of fresh lumber. There was no sign of anyone yet. To keep his mind sharp, he began going over all he knew.
An unidentified person had been seen lurking after dark by several employees. Some building materials had been stolen, chiefly the easier ones to resell, like the portable power tools and the mobile generators. There were no cameras except those within the central trailer the foreman used as an office, so there was no witness to the theft. The tools had been stored in a locked portable building that showed no signs of breaking and entering. The foreman had questioned all employees and exonerated them, blaming the unidentified stranger for the theft.
It seemed a straight case of embezzlement done from inside in Danial’s estimation. Either way, he’d find out soon enough.
As had happened the previous night, there came the sound of a trashcan lid being lifted slowly, then some plastic began rustling. Danial left his hiding spot, this time ghosting along the far side of the building silently until he’d come up behind the searching figure, his pistol aimed and cocked.
“Don’t move or I’ll shoot—!”
The figure whirled, the lid slamming into Danial like an oversize Frisbee. He grunted, but didn’t drop the gun. His shot aimed for the figure’s torso instead hit its neck. With a yelp, it crumpled.
Danial moved closer to the gasping figure. The skinny blond man in his early twenties clutched his neck. Surprisingly there wasn’t much blood. “Who are you and what’s your business here?”
The figure coughed, spitting out blood. “My name’s Theo. I was just trying to scrounge a little food. Why the hell did you shoot me?”
“You moved. Now tell me where and to whom you’re reselling the tools.”
Theo sat cross-legged, rubbing his neck. “That’s not me, smartshit. The supervisor’s the one stealing. He’s got a helper, too, but I don’t know his name.”
Danial nodded. “I suspected as much. How do you fit into this?”
Theo sneered. “I don’t. Like I said, I just wanted food.” He got to his feet, then faced Danial. “And that gun isn’t going to be much use against me.”
Theo’s neck wound was healed, new skin showing through the drying blood.
Danial holstered his gun. “You’re a were of some kind. What?”
“Cougar,” Theo grated out. “Are we done?”
Sounds of feet approaching came suddenly.
“Hide,” Danial said, ducking down. Theo also crouched, the both of them watching the building.
Three men came into sight, all carrying drawn guns. “I heard a shot,” one said, gesturing with h
is gun. “Go find out who’s here and get rid of them. I’ll get the stuff.”
The leader headed into the building. The other two men spread out and began searching, heading directly toward Danial and Theo.
Danial turned to Theo. “Do you want to help or leave?”
Theo nodded. “I’ll help.”
“Wait for my signal.”
The men crept closer as Danial and Theo waited silently. As the first passed Danial, he shoved hard, knocking the man off his feet, the gun clattering into the shadows. Theo punched the other, who went flying ten feet.
Danial glared over at Theo as they tied up the men with some bungee cords from Danial’s pocket. “Why’d you hit him so hard? You not only broke his jaw, you also knocked him unconscious.”
“Their stealing made my life harder and it was already bad,” Theo growled.
“Watch these two,” Danial replied, exasperated. “I’ll be back with the last one.”
He ran off quickly, slipping into the building after the leader. Danial found him transferring power tools from metal shelving into several boxes. With a light push, Danial knocked him sprawling.
“Your boss is going to be surprised,” Danial said with a smile, handcuffing the disoriented man to the shelves. “He swore you could be trusted.” He got out his phone and began dialing.
“Let me go,” the man groaned, his eyes panicked. “I can’t go back to prison—”
“Sit tight,” Danial replied coolly, hanging up the phone and leaving. “You won’t be alone long.”
* * * *
An hour before dawn, Danial returned to the construction site. After a few minutes, Theo appeared.
“It went fine, in case you’re curious,” Danial said, irritated. “We could’ve used your statement, though. It was my word against theirs.”
“Then I’d have to explain what I was doing here,” Theo shot back. “Why were they stealing?”
“Just in it for the money,” Danial said, studying Theo. “What were you doing here?”
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