Poopsie leaped at Juma, frantic with joy. Juma scooped her up and held her close. She was trembling so hard she could hardly stand.
Titania smiled. “I knew leaving the door unmanned would pay off.” She glanced at Grandma, who had gone whiter than dead, and her eyes widened. “No, you aren’t…”
“Yes.” Juma’s voice was shaking, too. She cradled Poopsie’s warm little body and tried not to burst into tears. “I’m Juma. Your daughter. And I’m not thirteen! Don’t you even remember when you had me?”
Titania’s voice was smooth and amused. “So you’re my little Juma.”
“I’m not your anything.” Juma rounded on Grandma. “Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me she was dead?”
Grandma’s voice shook a little, too, and her papery skin seemed thin and frail. “I was trying to protect you. What a waste of time. You’re a selfish, stubborn slut like her.” Was that a tear in her eye? Not likely.
“I need to be protected from you, Grandma! You own a really gross club! They torture people here! They sneak in underage virgins and force them to have sex!”
“You weren’t supposed to know about the club.” She pouted like a kid. “I’m making money for you, Juma. For your future.”
Poopsie licked Juma’s chin. She kissed the dog but pushed the sweet little face aside. “It’s…it’s like blood money, Grandma. It’s disgusting, and what does it have to do with me not going to college?”
“Listen to me.” A muscle beside her grandmother’s eye twitched. “Your whore of a mother started running around at goddamn fourteen.”
“Thirteen.” Titania was still smiling.
“Shut up! I paid a fortune to send her to an exclusive school in New Orleans to get her whipped into shape. I even let her call herself Titania, and what did she do?”
“Slept with the teachers,” Titania said. “I got all As.”
“I get all As without sleeping with anybody,” Juma shot back.
Something unpleasant flared in Titania’s eyes. Juma stuck out her chin, and suddenly Titania laughed. “Little bitch. You’re just like me.”
“I am not like you,” Juma said. “Or like Grandma. I’m a scholar, and I think sex and hairdressing are both majorly dumb.” This wasn’t strictly true; she didn’t mind doing hair.
“Shut your mouth!” Grandma whacked the table with her cane. “I sent your mother to Hellebore University. She picked up your idiotic father and got pregnant. You’re just like him, reading nonstop and spouting poetry, and what did his so-called education prepare him for? To take drugs and become an unemployable bum. I don’t deserve this. You have the worst of both your parents, and no matter how much I try to protect you, nothing works.”
“Locking me up doesn’t protect me.”
Titania blinked. “She locks you up?”
Juma rounded on the evil woman in purple. “All the time, and she took custody away from Dad, and she made me quit school, and she burns my books.” Juma took a breath. She couldn’t afford to cry, not now, not in front of this…this mother. “I don’t want to become a hairdresser, and I don’t want to own this stupid club. You can have it, for all I care. All I want is to go to school.”
“You heard the girl.” Titania flipped the file folder open. “She doesn’t even want it. Sign the club over to me.”
Grandma stood, one freckled hand on her cane and the other on the phone, craning forward like a scrawny pink vulture. “Never. I wash my hands of both of you. I’ll change my will tomorrow. Now get out of my club or I’m calling the cops.” Pause. “Mary Lou.”
This time Titania grabbed the phone and threw it across the room. She sashayed over to Juma and put an arm around her. Juma cringed and tried to squirm away. Titania’s claws dug into her shoulder. “Stay still.” Poopsie growled. “Put the dog down.”
“I don’t want to put her down!”
Titania grabbed Poopsie by the ears. A knife appeared in front of Juma’s nose. “Or else I’ll slit her throat.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Fangs down, Rose made for the room at the end of the hall, but before she got there, the door opened. A burly man with a crew cut came out, yawning. He smelled of blood. Her fangs went crazy. She fought them back into place.
He looked her up and down with cold appreciation. “Well, well. Who might you be, tall girl?”
Automatically, Rose said, “Depends on who you are.” Her heart plunged to her boots, but she knew better than to turn away. Avoidance wouldn’t work. This guy wasn’t dumb like Stevie, and not an ounce of principle shone out of those pale, merciless eyes. Hysterical sobs came from the room he had just left.
“I’m Gino.” His eyes left her to roam the array of weapons on the wall. Good thing, because Rose’s heart, and her courage with it, dropped right through the floor. Biff was right: this dude was bad, bad news.
“What’s your name, tall girl?”
“Temperance.” She mustered some bravado—there was nothing else to muster—and gave him the once-over. “I suppose you’re another of Titania’s minions.”
Gino took a carving knife from its bracket and ran his thumb along the blade. He gave her a slow, menacing stare. “I’m nobody’s minion.”
Rose smiled at him and let her fangs show. “Prove it.” She should probably loop him with allure, but he was too vile.
Gino’s lips curled in a terrifying smile. “Well, well,” he said again. “Another vamp.”
“Biff didn’t have the guts,” Rose said. It was all she could do to ignore that desperate weeping. “He was scared of what Titania would do if she caught him with another vamp.”
Gino chuckled, returning his attention to the weapons. He took down a stiletto and caressed it lovingly. “Titania doesn’t own me.”
“Help!” shrieked Gino’s victim, who had stopped sobbing long enough to hear them talking. “He’s going to kill me!”
Gino laughed again, a low, evil rumble. “Sounds like somebody needs me to finish her off.” He sharpened one blade against the other with a sinister hiss. He gave Rose a long, challenging look, as if daring her to protest.
Haughtily, she raised her eyebrows and stared right back.
“Give me five minutes,” he said finally, “and we’ll have some fun.”
Rose couldn’t stand by while he murdered the woman. Surely this couldn’t be normal, even for this club. Jack wouldn’t risk bringing battered women to such a town. Cold down to her toes, she sauntered away from him down the hall, trailing a pathetic strand of allure, thinking and thinking hard. “Five whole minutes? Forget it.”
He was right behind her, still holding the stiletto. He slid the flat of the blade across her cheek. “Where are you going, vamp?”
She sidestepped, pointing ahead, high on the wall. “To get that humongous ax.”
He lowered the dagger, sounding surprised. “What for?”
She shot a glare over her shoulder. “Maybe I’ll do the finishing off. Thirty seconds max. And then maybe I’ll finish Titania off, too.”
He grinned, shaking his head, and gave a growl that sounded horrifyingly pleased. “I gotta see this.”
Rose reached for the poleax and snarled. “Fuck. It’s too high up.”
Gino snickered. “And I thought Titania was bloodthirsty. I like you, tall girl. There are too many goody-goody vamps around these days.”
“I want what I want when I want it.” She grabbed a sword and prodded the end of the ax. Come on, come on, come on…
With a snicker, Gino took the sword away, replaced it on the wall and removed a much wider one in a flat-ended scabbard. “Women. All cunt, no brains.” He turned to the wall, and Rose dove into her purse for her gun.
She’d done this before: shot a guy in the arm. But that wouldn’t stop Gino. She took careful aim at his thigh.
Too careful; Gino must have sensed her purpose, for he whirled, swinging the poleax. Rose ducked, stumbling back as she pulled the trigger. The poleax swung past her head and smashed into
the wall. Gino staggered, eyes wide, and then he toppled forward, knocking the gun from her hand. He landed with a thud that shook the floor. Rose sagged against the wall. She’d seen violent death during her years with Lou, but had never had to kill a man herself.
Thank God this one thoroughly deserved it.
“Help!” the victim screamed.
Rose blew out a breath, grabbed a knife from the wall, and went into the back room. The woman, a heartbreakingly young brunette, was tied spread-eagled on a bed, her dress soaked with bloodstains where Gino had cut stripes into her back and butt. Aghast, Rose went for the girl’s bonds.
“Thank you, thank you! I can’t believe I thought he was a nice guy!”
“What the hell is going on out here?”
Titania. Oh, shit. She must have heard the gunshot and Gino’s fall.
“He’s dead, but you’re not out of danger yet,” Rose told the brunette as she slashed the last of the ropes. “That’s his girlfriend. Fortunately, she wants to kill me, so maybe she’ll ignore you. I’ll keep her busy, but take this knife just in case. Walk straight down the hallway and get the hell out of the club.” She led the woman into the hall.
Titania stood in the doorway to the office, wearing a truly awful skintight purple dress with a studded leather stomacher. She held a dagger between her teeth, and one of her red claws gripped Juma’s hair. The girl’s cheeks were streaked with tears, but she stood motionless. The brunette froze with a strangled whimper.
And at the opposite end of the hall, a flicker of a cream shirt told Rose that Jack was there.
Thank God for that.
Titania removed the dagger from her mouth and jabbed it in Rose’s direction, then rested it casually near Juma’s throat. “Come to beg forgiveness?”
Damn. Why hadn’t she retrieved her gun? Rose clamped down on the frantic bucking of her fangs and took a deep breath. What were this vamp’s buttons? If she could manage to push them, to direct her attention away from Juma until Jack came to help…
“In your dreams.” Rose took the cringing brunette by the arm, hauled her past Gino’s body, and shoved her none too gently toward the far end of the hall. “Go!” she ordered, and then faced Titania. “You may be able to scare helpless women and children, but not me.”
A spasm crossed Titania’s face, quickly suppressed. “We’ll see about that. What’s my Gino doing on the floor?”
Rose donned an amused expression. “Who?” She glanced past Titania into the office. An old lady with pink hair lay on the floor, and a toy poodle cowered behind Juma. Rose spied the Elizabethan gown on the dress dummy in an open closet, but no sign of Miles.
Titania giggled. “Gino doesn’t look too good. He looks…dead. I’ve seen a lot of dead people, so I know.”
Juma shuddered.
“Did you kill him?” Titania asked in a conversational tone. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Rose raised her eyebrows. “He swung that ax at me, so I had no choice. Is he yours? He didn’t act like it. He came on to me at first.”
Titania hooted. “You thought that was a come-on? That’s what he does to all his victims. He lures them, tortures them, and carves them up. Not very original, but he tastes best after a kill.” Another giggle. “He wouldn’t really come on to a nothing like you when he belongs to me.”
“That’s not what he said. He said, ‘Titania doesn’t own me.’”
Another spasm, not so quickly hidden, and the tips of Titania’s fangs appeared. The dagger dropped a little. But the way the woman waved it, the way she held Juma, exposing her throat, Rose wouldn’t risk making a grab. Brandish it at me, damn you. Then there might be a chance.
“He didn’t like being called your minion. Not one bit.”
Unfortunately, that didn’t bother Titania. “Just talk. They all play macho, but none of them can resist me.”
Behind her in the office, the pink-haired old lady grunted and clacked her teeth together, muttering under her breath. Titania’s eyes flickered to the side and back to Rose. “I promised him some fun before I finished you off, but now that he’s dead…I guess I’ll have all the fun myself.” She licked her dagger and smiled.
Rose rolled her eyes. The villainess act was getting old, even if Titania was as evil as anyone she’d ever known. “There are plenty of bigger weapons hanging in the hall, if you want to get into a pissing contest. Why not get down to business? You know why I’m here.”
“To grovel, as you will find out once I’m done with these two.” Titania backed into the office, yanking Juma with her. The girl stumbled, stepping on the dog. It yipped and skittered away. Instantly, the dagger was at Juma’s throat. “Shut the damn dog up, or I’ll do it for you!”
“If you’d only let go of me, I could hold her,” Juma began, but Titania snarled and yanked again. “Hush, Poopsie,” Juma whispered. “Hush.”
Fury swirled inside Rose, and allure simmered and hissed, but she crammed it down, desperately fighting her fangs. The secret that she was a vampire was the one advantage she still possessed. She followed Titania into the office. Where the hell was Jack? She couldn’t hear his footsteps, but the dance music might be muffling them. Or maybe he was getting Gino’s victim to a safe spot. Had he not noticed Titania’s knife and her grip on Juma?
Titania motioned with the dagger. “See your dress over there in the closet? Another of my ‘minions’ got it for me. I warned you not to side with Violet.” She scowled. “I want to kill her.”
“Violet feels much the same about you,” Rose replied.
Titania grinned. “One of these days I’ll get her on her own. Or that daughter of hers. For now…Oh, today’s been a good day for death. The Grim Reaper adores me.”
Did that mean Miles was dead? With a mighty struggle, Rose kept her cool, but not well enough.
“Wondering about Milesy-poo, are you?”
“Sure.” Rose realized she had clenched her fists. “If he’s dead, I will kill you.”
Titania snorted. “With what?”
True, Rose had left her gun under Gino, but in any case she couldn’t have used it while Titania held a dagger to Juma’s throat. Nor would Jack be able to use his. “You haven’t seen me when I’m pissed off.” Rose’s voice shook with the effort to hold back. She must have let slip some allure, for the dog peeked out from behind Juma, its dark eyes fixed on her. Damn. “Don’t you dare bite me,” she told it.
Titania gave a whoop of laughter. “You’re scared of a puny little dog? When I bite you, you’ll be dead.”
Behind them, the old lady began to crawl. Titania glanced to the side. “Get back on the floor, Mom, or else.” She yanked Juma’s hair. The girl’s eyes filled with tears.
“Fuck off, Mary Lou.” The old lady didn’t even turn her head.
“For God’s sake, Grandma,” Juma cried. “Why can’t you call my mother Titania? It suits her a lot better.”
Rose gaped from one to the other in astonishment. Titania was Juma’s mom?
“Hear the girl?” Titania didn’t loosen her grip. “She knows I’m destined to be Queen of Bayou Gavotte.”
“Over my dead body, Mary Lou.”
“Fine with me. I’ll be happy to bleed you dry once I’m done with the kid. I’ll even write a phony little obit, like you did for me.”
“Fuck off.” Grunt. “Mary Lou.”
Titania’s nostrils flared. “Last chance, Mom.” She put the dagger to Juma’s throat. Juma stood still as stone, tears frozen on pale cheeks, terror drowning her eyes.
Where the hell was Jack? Rose needed him now.
“Do your fucking worst. I’m calling the cops.” The old lady crawled toward a big pink tote.
Oh my God, oh my God. Rose braced herself to rip Titania to bits. Could she do it before Titania hurt Juma?
“My, my,” said a voice in the hall. “Where Titania goes, death follows close behind.” Jack appeared in the doorway, cool and casual in his cream linen shirt. “What happened? He wasn
’t looooong enough for you?”
“Well, hel-lo.” Titania smiled, and even Rose felt the force of that killer vampire smile.
Jack staggered a little, staring. “Took a while to find you.” He paused, his eyes slightly glazed. “It’s been almost a year, but you’re still…”
Titania laughed. “Irresistible?” Allure surged from her, a tidal wave of uncontrollable lust.
Jack lurched, hesitated, and took a step forward.
“Ah,” he breathed. “Titania.” He drifted into the room on a string of allure.
“Her name is Mary Lou,” said Grandma, doggedly crawling across the floor.
Titania flinched, and her fingers whitened around the dagger hovering at Juma’s throat. Rose’s heart twisted. How could Jack just stand there staring at the bitch? Why hadn’t he used his camouflage?
“She’ll always be Titania to me,” Jack said idiotically.
Titania shot out another blast of allure. “So, Iachimo, darling. You finally came.”
“Not yet,” Jack said. “Soon, I hope.” His fingers twitched as if he could hardly hold himself back. Rose fought revulsion. How could he even think about sex while Juma was in such peril? It was heartbreakingly obvious: Titania’s allure was just too strong—way stronger than her own, which he’d fought off without even a crisis to motivate him. Maybe he really did care for Titania, deep down. He must, if she deprived him of willpower and values in one fell swoop.
No. Rose refused to believe it. Jack was too good for that.
Titania chuckled, and he floated closer, flicking an unhappy glance Rose’s way. He damn well should look guilty, the bastard. Murderous rage welled up in Rose. Once Juma was safe, Titania was dead.
Titania’s eyes widened, going from Jack to Rose and back. “You’ve been fucking that little slut.”
He shrugged. “It didn’t help me forget you.”
Rose’s heart squeezed, but she couldn’t let the hurt distract her. She would deal with the pain later. Saving Juma was what mattered now.
Jack sighed. “Neither did any of the other women I slept with over the past year.”
A Taste of Love and Evil Page 30