“Okay.” Doug nodded slowly and ran a hand over the top of his head as he looked at her sideways. “That actually sounds pretty good. Why did you think I’d be upset? It’s not like you pick bloodmates, right? I mean, it sounds like destiny or fate.”
“The only bloodmate couple I ever heard of were targeted for termination by a sentry on orders from the Presidium. It makes sense, I guess. Vampires that can daywalk would threaten the Presidium’s power. But…”
Olivia lowered her gaze and tugged her gloves on tighter. Doug took her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eye. Her lower lip quivered, but she clenched her jaw, refusing to cry like some silly girl.
“I was afraid you would think I turned you so that I could bond with you and be a daywalker, not to mention that if anyone finds out, we would likely have a death sentence on our heads.”
Now Doug was the one who started laughing as he pulled her into a loving embrace. He squeezed her tightly before pulling back to look her in the eye.
“Haven’t you heard anything that I’ve said? I love you, Olivia, and from the looks of things, I always have. Human. Vampire. Daywalker or not. I love you, and as far as this whole bloodmate legend goes, it sounds pretty good.” A lopsided grin cracked his handsome face. “I guess this means you’re stuck with me and my over protective, chauvinistic ass.”
He kissed her passionately and smacked her derriere as he released her.
“I’m still not sure about this, you know. I mean the daywalking part,” Olivia said plainly. “Like I said, I thought it was a fairy tale for vampires. I never thought it was real. So don’t plan any tropical vacations any time soon, okay?”
“Daywalking would be a bonus.” He tugged on a springy curl and released it. “Getting you is the best part, and I’ll take you any way I can get you.”
“Good,” she said firmly. “Let’s get going. We only have until the next sunrise before Augustus kills my coven off.” Olivia’s voice dropped to just above a whisper. “Then again, if we finish our job, this won’t end well for you, will it?”
They hadn’t spoken about his self-imposed death sentence since they left the Presidium’s offices, and she wondered if he had forgotten his offer. The resolute look in his eye told her he knew exactly what he had done.
“I’m not going to watch you die again,” she said tightly. Olivia brushed past Doug and pushed the button, opening the heavy steel door. Before she could leave, he curled his hand around her arm and turned her toward him.
“It’s going to be okay.” His lips brushed her temple, and his voice surrounded her like a blanket as he hugged her. “Maya will be fine, and so will I. We’ll figure it out together, but you have to trust me.”
Olivia pulled back and gave him a sidelong glance as she stepped through the door. “It’s time to hunt.”
Chapter 14
When the sun went down, Doug’s blood hummed and vibrated with the power of the night. He felt an ungodly strength when he was first turned, but something had changed after he and Olivia made love. The power surging through him now was nothing short of extraordinary. It was as though they were bolstering each other’s strength.
When they finally reached the street, the sights and sounds of the city almost overwhelmed his senses, and it took a moment to acclimate to the onslaught. They walked side by side up Bleecker Street, and he marveled at Olivia’s focus. She may have been looking straight ahead, but he could tell she was taking in several blocks with the sonar senses of a vampire. She was a far cry from the frightened young girl he saw in the dreamscape the previous night, and it was no wonder. She’d spent a good portion of the past three hundred years fighting, and from what he saw yesterday, she was damn good at it.
Lethal and beautiful were the two words that came to mind every time he looked at her. She could put a vamp down in a matter of seconds with her sharpshooting skills and her aim with the ninja stars, but she didn’t need that to slay him. All she had to do was look at him, and he was a goner. Gone, baby, gone.
He hated to interrupt her concentration, but hunger gnawed at him, and when they passed a traditional NYC hot dog cart, his stomach growled loudly.
“Holy shit, that smells great.” He lingered for a minute by the hot dog cart before Olivia took his arm and pulled him away. She was giggling and shaking her head. “What are you laughing at, Liv?”
“It’s not the hot dogs that you smell,” she said evenly.
“Yes, it was, I—” Doug glanced back at the man working the cart and then back to Olivia’s smiling green eyes. “It was the guy, wasn’t it?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She smothered another laugh. “I’m sorry, but the look on your face is priceless.”
“Well, whatever. I’m hungry. So whether it’s hot dogs or the hot dog man, I gotta eat, Liv.”
“I like that.” Olivia smiled and elbowed him playfully as they continued along the busy sidewalk. “Liv,” she said when she saw his look of confusion. “I like it when you call me, Liv.”
“Good, because it suits you.” Doug wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him as they continued on their way through the Village. “So what’s for dinner, Liv?”
She turned down a quiet side street with several apartment buildings and only a few storefronts. “There’s a massage parlor up here that’s run by a friend of mine, and he’ll have something. I don’t advise live feeds, and Jerry has a fridge with emergency supplies for friends like me. We have to feed again before we hunt.”
“Not that I’m looking to feed on people,” he said quietly. “I’m not, but why don’t you want me doing live feeds?”
“Blood memories,” Olivia said as they stepped up to the small storefront with the blue neon lettering that read: Jerry’s Massage Shack. “Anyway, Jerry will not only have food for us but, hopefully some information as well. He’s my version of an informant. He’s hooked into everything in this city and hears about all the shady shit that goes on in the vamp world. If anyone has gotten wind of who’s turning these rogues, it’s him. I tried to touch base with him the other night, but he wasn’t around. Hopefully he’s here tonight. Anyway—” She sighed wearily. “No live feeds, no blood memories.”
They stood for a moment on the sidewalk, and he took stock of the lighter pedestrian traffic on this side street. If he and Olivia were walking the streets like regular folk, then he presumed the rogues would do the same.
“What, dare I ask, are blood memories?”
Her features hardened, making her look older than she ever had. Her brilliant green eyes, rimmed with sadness, looked at him intently.
“When we feed on a living person, it’s a direct line into their memories. Their blood and their memories become a part of us—forever.” She frowned, and her voice quivered. “We can’t pick and choose what we get, and believe me, there are some memories you simply do not want.”
“Is that how you knew about my relationship with Miranda?” he asked.
“Yes.” She stuffed her hands in her coat pockets. “That and more. Your memories only confirmed my suspicions about you and what a good man you are.” She paused, and he could tell she was carefully choosing her words. “I saw how much you loved Tom. I felt your love for him, and I know he was like the father you never had. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t save him.”
Doug’s throat thickened with emotion.
“You’re right,” he said gruffly. “I did blame you at first, and I was furious you saved me but not Tom, and turned me into a monster.”
Olivia said nothing as she listened to him intently.
“Over the past twenty-four hours I’ve been reminded that being a monster is a choice, Liv. During my ten years working homicide, I saw humans make the choice to hurt, destroy, and kill every single day. They chose to be monsters and vampires are no different. Some of them, like you, Pete, and the girls at the club, rise above your basest instincts to embrace kindness, family, and friendship. Then there are guys like Augustus and whoever i
s making these rogues. Human or vampire, there will always be those who revel in destruction, choosing to be monsters.”
“Thank you.” Olivia’s mouth lifted, and her eyes crinkled at the corners briefly, but sadness still lingered. “We do have monsters inside of us, Doug. Make no mistake about that, but the best way to keep it at bay is to avoid live feeds. They’re like a drug—a high. The more you do it, the more you’ll want it, and the harder it is to stop. Believe me.”
She tugged open the door to the massage parlor, and he followed her inside. Her words haunted him. We do have monsters inside of us. He shuddered and lifted the collar of his coat, a human gesture he might have done if a cold wind blew against his neck. It wasn’t the wind he was trying to shield himself from, but the truth. What if he couldn’t keep the monster inside under control?
They sat in the rickety wood and wicker chairs of the gaudy waiting room, and Doug did his usual scan of his surroundings, trying to keep his mind off the nagging hunger. The walls were red velvet, and the rug was royal blue shag, reminiscent of the mid-seventies, but somehow it looked brand-new. Olivia spoke to the pretty girl at the desk, and Doug could tell by her scent that she was a vampire.
“So.” He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “How do you know this guy?”
“He ran a brothel in Vegas when I was a sentry there.” She shrugged. “He relocated here about thirty years ago, and he’s running the same game.”
A shriek interrupted the awkward quiet of the waiting room, and Doug looked up to see an older, diminutive Japanese gentleman wearing a black and gold kimono and a wide grin scurry out through the curtain of beads, which undoubtedly led to the massage rooms. This had to be Jerry.
“Olivia, my friend.” He swept over to them, his bald head glistening under the fluorescent lights, and when he opened his arms to hug Olivia, Doug noticed that his pinky nails were long and pointed.
“Hello, Jerry,” she said as he released her. “This is my friend, Doug. He’s training to be a sentry.”
Doug shot a confused look to Olivia, and although he tried to recover quickly, old Jerry didn’t miss a trick. She should have warned Doug what cover she was going to use. Jerry looked Doug up and down with an appraising eye, and his grin widened as he stuck his hand out.
“Nice to meet you.” Doug shook his hand briefly and shifted his position protectively near Olivia.
“Right this way.” He crooked a finger to them and held open the curtain of beads. “I have just what the two of you need.”
Doug followed them through the small dark hallway lined with white doors on either side. When they reached the end of the hall, Jerry opened the last door on the right, and though Doug didn’t quite know what to expect, this wasn’t it. He thought it would be a small massage room, like many in the city, but this was more like a studio apartment.
The walls were painted with silver sparkly paint and a mirror above the leopard-print-covered bed. There was a zebra-skin rug in front of the white leather sofa, and the kitchenette along the back wall had white cabinets with door handles that looked like puckering lips.
“You like Jerry’s apartment?” he asked in a singsong voice as he shut the door securely behind them. He floated, literally floated, to the kitchenette, and the fridge opened without him even touching it.
“It’s—very you,” Doug said as politely as possible.
“It sure is, handsome.” Jerry pulled two containers from the fridge and put them in the microwave. “So, how long you been a sentry? I only hear about Pete and Shane.” He pursed his lips, and Doug could hear him tapping his long fingernail on the counter. “I never hear about you.”
“He’s new and beginning his training. He’s not a sentry yet, but I see potential.” Olivia crossed her arms over her breasts and leveled a serious gaze at Jerry. “Now… what can you tell me about the rogue coven?”
“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.
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