by AE Jones
Talia turned off the strip with a screech of tires.
“Damn, T,” Will sputtered. “Slow down. I almost lost my breakfast.”
“Haven’t you finished yet?”
“Hold on a sec,” Will said with his mouth full. After a few more moments, he snapped the plastic container shut.
“Who is the victim?” Jean Luc asked.
“Human by the name of Melanie Thomas,” Will replied.
“How did she die?”
“Didn’t Nicholas already fill you in on all this?” Talia interrupted.
“No. As I have attempted to explain to you, I know nothing about the case.”
Talia glared at him in the rearview mirror and then looked back to the road.
“She had fang marks on her neck,” Will volunteered.
Mon Dieu. Jean Luc hadn’t seen this type of killing in years. It was more like the indiscriminate drainings he and others of similar conviction had fought to eliminate centuries ago.
“Did Marty tell you anything?” Talia asked Will.
“Nope. You know how he is. Likes to have a captive audience when he does his thing.” Will looked back at Jean Luc. “Marty is a Traman demon.”
Jean Luc nodded. Tramans could be extremely egotistical. “He is a Medical Examiner?”
“He does the ME stuff for us on the side. He’s actually an amazing surgeon. But don’t tell him I said that.” Will grinned. “He worked on both Griffin and Jason’s injuries last week.”
“I did not have an opportunity to meet him then. I must thank him for his assistance.”
Will groaned. “Don’t go overboard. He can barely fit his head through the door as it is.”
Talia pulled down a side street and parked in front of what appeared to be an abandoned car wash. The three of them climbed out of the van, and Talia unlocked the back door, opening it onto an empty bay with giant scrub brushes mounted on poles. Will pushed back hanging plastic strips, exposing another door. He entered numbers into a keypad, and the door swished open.
Jean Luc followed Will and Talia into a lab much like Doc’s lab in Cleveland, complete with an autopsy table and equipment scattered around the room on various tables.
“Yo, Marty!” Will hollered.
A tall male with reddish-blond hair entered the room. “Must you yell, William?”
Will smirked. “Yes, I must, Marty.”
Talia rolled her eyes. “Save the pleasantries for later, boys. What have you found out so far?”
Marty shot Jean Luc a pointed look. “First, I believe introductions are in order.”
When Talia stood mute, Will chimed in. “Jean Luc Delacroix this is Doctor Martin Stanford the Third. But you can just call him Marty.”
Marty frowned at Will for a moment before turning to Jean Luc. “I prefer Martin. You’re from the Cleveland team. We didn’t get to meet last week.”
“I was occupied with the cleanup while you helped Jason and Griffin. Thank you.”
“Luckily neither of them was hurt badly. Both surgeries were quite routine.”
Will coughed and then mumbled something that sounded like “conceited.”
Talia interrupted. “What can you tell us about Melanie Thomas?”
Marty picked up a tablet from the table. He touched the screen a couple times and then came back over to the group. “She was killed by a vampire.”
Will laughed. “Shit, Marty, I could have told you that.”
Marty ignored him and continued. “It isn’t that simple. This isn’t a case of a vampire accidentally taking too much. She was almost completely drained of blood. They knew exactly what they were doing.”
“They?” Jean Luc asked.
“Two different vampires drained her. In addition to the bite on her neck, she also had a bite on her inner thigh.”
“Was she raped?” Talia asked, her voice tight.
“There was no evidence of it.”
“And you’re sure it was two vampires?” Will pushed.
“Yes, the bite wounds are different. They definitely came from two different vamps, but I don’t know if they both meant to kill her.”
Jean Luc frowned. “Explain, please.”
“The bite wound on her thigh was done first. It had already begun to heal.”
Talia nodded. “The vampire sealed it after he was done.”
“Right. The bite on her neck was still fresh, and since she died, the wounds wouldn’t have had time to heal.”
“So we don’t know if the vamps were working together or not?”
“No. But I did discover something interesting. There was oil on her.”
“It’s Vegas,” Will interjected. “If you don’t wear some kind of lotion, you won’t last long in the sun.”
“I don’t mean suntan lotion. You can’t buy this oil at the corner store. It is cedar oil, which is actually made from juniper, and has been in use for thousands of years. It was first used as preparation for embalming by the Egyptians.”
The hair on the back of Jean Luc’s neck stood on end. “Are there any founding vampires living here?”
Talia shook her head. “No. Most of the vampires in Vegas are relatively young. The oldest one we have registered here is two hundred and ten.”
“But the supernatural visitors check in with you, correct?” Jean Luc asked.
“They should, yes,” Talia replied. “Is there something you’d like to share with us?”
How much should he say?
She stared at him pointedly. “Jean Luc?”
He let out the breath he had been holding. “Centuries ago, vampires used ancient oils as a part of rituals.”
“What types of rituals?”
“Christening a new founding vampire…and turnings.”
Talia’s eyes flared, and she visibly tensed. “Do you think this was an attempted turning?”
“I did not say that. But whoever did this used the oil for a very specific reason. We just need to learn the reason.”
Talia took a deep breath, appearing to collect herself. “Will, would you call the office and have Susannah find out if any older vamps have reported in lately?”
He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll go call her now.”
She turned to Marty. “Did you find a large amount of oil on her, like they had purposely rubbed it on her, or just a little bit, like it had come off one of the vamps?”
“It wasn’t residual. They had rubbed it all over her.”
Talia blew out a breath. “So where did Melanie meet two vampires?”
“I found other scars on her. She’s been bitten before.”
“Maybe her sugar daddy has fangs?”
Jean Luc frowned. “I am not following you, Talia.”
“A sugar daddy is a rich man who pays for a woman’s home and amenities…clothing, furnishings, basically everything she needs to live.”
He held up his hand. “I know what the term means. Why do you think she had one?”
“Melanie Thomas was in her early thirties, single, and lived in a huge house. She told our witness she was retired. Unless she has family money, I don’t know how she could have lived that way without financial support. Did we get a background check back on her yet?”
Marty nodded and tapped on his tablet again. “Susannah sent it over. According to this, she didn’t come from money. Both her parents are deceased, and she was an only child.”
Will walked back into the room. “A group of vamps has been staying at the Cosmo for a few days now.” He turned to Jean Luc. “The Cosmopolitan is a new hotel catering to vamps. But Susannah said none of the group is more than five hundred years old. She texted me their names.”
“How many vampires?” Jean Luc asked.
Will checked his phone. “Ten.”
Jean Luc frowned. “Which probably means it is a contingent for a founding vampire.”
“How do you know?” Will asked.
“Unlike shifters, who are pack-oriented, vampires do not normal
ly travel in large groups. More than likely, a founding vampire is staying there as well. They also do not normally announce their presence. If they have any enemies—and most do—they are not very forthcoming regarding their whereabouts.”
Will shook his head. “Wow, you guys are too complex. Glad T isn’t mixed up in all this crap.”
Talia grimaced. “I’m a vampire, which means I’m mixed up in it whether I want to be or not. I think we need to pay a visit to the Cosmo.”
Jean Luc shook his head. “We know nothing about these vampires. And more than likely, none of them would be up this early. Will, would you text me the names as well so I can share them with Misha? He should be able to ferret out more information about them. Once we know who they are, we can decide how to approach them.”
“I had forgotten how cautious you can be,” Talia replied.
“And I had forgotten how impetuous you can be. You remind me of Kyle.”
Talia’s eyes flashed gold before she quickly tamped down whatever emotion had caused them to flare. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but Will interrupted him.
“Got to love Kyle. She’s something, all right.”
Jean Luc stared at Talia. “Yes, she is, but her enthusiasm can lead to trouble.”
“Fine. We’ll wait to hear back from Misha. But not too long. These killers need to be stopped.”
“It should only take him a couple hours to gather the pertinent information. In the meantime, we should learn all we can about Melanie Thomas.”
“We can’t interrogate anyone about her,” Talia argued. “No one knows she’s dead.”
“True. But as Misha has taught me, computers can provide what we need if we know where to look. Credit cards are a fount of information.”
Will rubbed his hands together. “Follow the money. I can help with that.”
Marty said, “I’m on duty at the hospital. Call if you need anything. Will can use the computer in my office. But don’t move anything around on my desk.”
“Yes, sir.”
Marty and Will left, and Jean Luc turned back to Talia.
They were finally alone.
Chapter 4
Talia stood in the center of the room, rooted to the spot. Why had she not thought of tracking Melanie’s finances? She was acting like a novice. She’d been working on the supe squad for thirty years and had been a bounty hunter before that. She knew better. Why did Jean Luc rattle her so?
“While we wait for Misha’s info, why don’t I drive you back to your car so you can check into a hotel?” she asked.
He frowned. “We need to talk, Talia.”
“Will and I can handle the case. Nicholas didn’t have to order you to stay.”
“Nicholas is not the reason I am here.”
“If he didn’t tell you to stay, then why did you come back?”
“Because I have to know. Why did you leave me, Talia?”
Her breathing sped up at his words. “I told you back then. I had to make it on my own.”
His eyes locked on her. “And you have done quite well on your own for twenty-five years. You have proven yourself.”
If he only knew how much his praise meant to her. “Thank you.”
He cleared his throat. “But I hope proving your independence does not mean that you plan to remain alone for the rest of your life.”
God, she had no comeback for that. She didn’t want to be alone anymore. He was right. She had felt the need to prove herself. To be sure she could stand on her own two feet and not have to rely on anyone. But maybe now she was ready to rely on someone. Would Jean Luc be willing to try again?
But it wasn’t that simple. She had never told him the truth about her turning. That she had known her sire before he turned her, had been involved with him. She hadn’t dared tell him when they first met, and now the lie had morphed into a chasm. But maybe a chasm was too dramatic a word. Could she repair this by simply telling him the truth?
The thought rocked her back on her heels. Being with him again…was it what she truly wanted?
“Talia. Did you hear what I said? I do not want you to be alone…You could come back to Cleveland and join the team.”
She gazed into his face. As usual, his emotions were well hidden. But for a second she saw a flash of something in his eyes—pity?—and her stomach dropped.
Had she been reading too much into his words? He was talking about her joining the team not asking her to be with him again. Did he pity her? She could handle many things from Jean Luc, but not pity.
“I’m not alone,” she blurted.
His eyes flared red. “Of course. It was presumptuous of me to assume you are not involved with someone.”
Oh, shit. She closed her eyes. That’s not what she’d meant. Now what? Before she could decide what to say, Jean Luc spoke again.
“Take me back to my car, Talia. I will see about finding a room. Once we have solved the case, I will return to Cleveland.”
She nodded. A flood of emotions caused a drought of words. She would tell him the truth about her past as soon as she figured out what to say.
* * *
Jean Luc stood in the middle of his hotel room clenching his fists and taking deep, measured breaths. He had made an absolute mess of things. Of course, she had moved on to someone else. Unlike him, she would not cling to a relationship that had ended more than two decades ago. She was young. Twenty-five years was still a long time for her. For some time before he had met her, twenty-five years had not seemed very long. Now? In some ways it was an eternity.
He had tried. Kyle had not been correct in her belief that Talia still wanted him, but he had needed to find out whether there might be chance for them. Now what he needed was to solve this case so he could get as far away from Talia Walker as possible, as soon as possible.
His phone rang. He glanced at the screen and answered it. “What have you found out, Misha?”
“And a good day to you, too, my friend. You have gotten thrown into another case already, I see.”
“Yes. Have you collected the background information?”
“I’m forwarding it to you now. You can open it on your phone, but it would be easier to do it on a computer.”
“I will go back to the lab and review the data.”
“How is Talia doing?”
“She is fine.”
“Fine? Have you been able to spend some time with her?”
“Of course. We are working the case together.”
Misha swore in Russian. “Jean Luc—”
“Tell me about the vampires, Misha. We need to figure out who the killers are.”
“This group is from Europe. From Spain and Portugal, to be specific.”
Jean Luc interrupted. “I am aware of three founding vampires in that region.”
“Yes.” The sounds of a clicking keyboard came through the phone. “Diego Castillo, Claudio Chavez, and Renato Henriques.”
The third name sucked the air from Jean Luc’s lungs. He had hoped never to hear it again. An unrealistic expectation, he knew, but most of the older European vampires avoided the US. “So more than likely one of these three are here. But the question is why?”
“Maybe he just wanted to check out Vegas?”
It was never that simple. “Can you find out if there have been reports in Europe of humans being drained?”
“I’m already on it. I’ve linked into La Société’s database.”
“La Société doesn’t normally like to work with us. Did they give you any trouble?”
Misha chuckled. “What our European counterparts don’t know won’t hurt them.”
“Be careful, Misha. We do not need them contacting Nicholas.”
“No worries, my friend. Now tell me what you’re going to do about Talia.”
“I have to go. I must update Talia about this information. Keep me apprised of what else you find out.”
Misha growled, “Fine for now. But we will talk about her later.”
* * *
Jean Luc drove to the lab and parked his rental car in an empty lot. Had Talia and Will gone to the Cosmopolitan without him? He sat silent for a moment and concentrated. Light tingling ran up his spine. Talia was still inside. He walked through the building to the lab entrance and punched in the numbers he had watched Will input earlier. The door swished open. Two steps into the empty room, and a voice called to him.
“I’m in the back. Come down the hall.”
So she still sensed him keenly as well. He grinned at her unnecessary directions. He would have found her regardless. She sat at a computer behind a large desk piled high with folders and papers covering every inch.
“This is Marty’s office?”
She chuckled. “Yes. Believe it or not. He’s a brilliant doctor, but his filing skills leave much to be desired.”
“And he was worried about Will moving something? How would he know if he did?”
“Oh, he would know, trust me.”
“Where is Will?”
“He went down the street to a drive-through to grab lunch. He has a big appetite. Not as big as Misha’s, but his shifter metabolism pretty much means he can eat anything.”
“I have heard from Misha. He sent us a file of information regarding the vampires.”
She pushed back from the desk. “Have a seat so you can bring it up.”
He opened up the computer file. Talia stood behind him to review the screen. As he read the names and notes that Misha had made, she leaned over his shoulder. He inhaled her lavender fragrance. Mon Dieu, he had missed that scent. He could not keep himself from looking up into her face. After a few seconds, she turned to him, her eyes widening when she noticed their close proximity.
Before he could say anything, she took a quick step back just as Will bustled into the room, and crumpled a takeout bag in his hands. He lobbed the bag over his head like a basketball. It landed in the garbage can across the room.
“Three points!” He grinned at Talia. “Did I miss anything?”
Talia shook her head. “We were just looking at the vampire data Misha sent us. They’re from Europe.” She turned back to Jean Luc. “Do you know any of them?”
He stared at her for a moment before responding. “Not personally, no. But I recognize a couple names. They have played some minor roles in the vampire council over the centuries.”