A Taste of Love and Evil

by Barbara Monajem

  Titania snorted. “Of course not. There’s no one like me.”

  “Too true. I tried to stay away, but in the end…I just couldn’t.” His voice conveyed utter resignation.

  It couldn’t get any worse. Evil wasn’t supposed to triumph over love.

  So Rose wouldn’t let it. She stopped fighting the anger and the allure. She held them close but let them build. Somehow she would handle the situation with or without Jack’s help. She scowled at Titania, letting herself look as pissed off as she felt.

  Titania laughed again, tilting her chin disdainfully toward Jack. “This is what he’s like when he’s really turned on. He’s completely in my power. All he can think about is doing it with me.”

  “He’s a disgusting, two-timing lump of horse excrement,” Rose said.

  Titania giggled. “Are your feelings hurt? I suppose you think that weird dress makes you look good, too, but you’re just as much of a nothing as always.”

  “Your opinion means less than nothing to me,” Rose said, but her eyes ticked unhappily to Jack and away again.

  The indifference of Jack’s return glance told her one thing: he was using his camouflage after all. But to hide his true intentions from Titania, or his shame from Rose?

  For God’s sake, what did his stupid feelings matter? Juma was white with terror, straining to stay still. Any moment she might lose it. Titania might lose it. A standoff could only last so long.

  “Stop looking at her!” Titania smacked Jack with more allure, dragging his eyes to hers once again.

  “You’re the one who mentioned the dress,” he said mildly. “There’s no need to dis poor Rose. You’re already holding all the cards here.”

  Titania grinned. “I always do. We’re going to have some fun tonight. Just like we used to.”

  His bland expression morphed into a grimace. “I’m not into performing before an audience. Can we send all these uninteresting people away?”

  Titania pouted. “I’m enjoying myself. You’re supposed to make my evening, not spoil it.”

  “Oh, I will make it.” He slithered toward her, the miserable snake. “I’ll give you exactly what you need.”

  Rose couldn’t bear it. “Please, Jack.” Her voice caught. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

  “Don’t you get it?” Titania said. “I’m the one who’s doing it. He’s helpless. My love slave.”

  “It’s just sex,” Rose pleaded.

  The corners of Jack’s mouth curled up. His dimples peeked out, and suddenly she knew. They were still a team.

  He said, “I like sex a lot,” and prowled closer to Titania. “The mind-blowing kind where nothing else matters at all.”

  Not. True. Rose counted on that, gathering her allure, looping it into a ball of rage. Waiting for her opportunity. Hoping Jack was lying.

  The old lady crawled past the pink tote and grasped a cane, which must have fallen to the floor. “It’s my damn club,” she muttered. “And my damn money. Not one red cent, Mary Lou.”

  Titania’s fangs popped down. “My fucking name is Titania.” She smiled at Jack, licking her lips. “I would love to get rid of every last one of them, but my mother has to sign the club over to me first. Maybe you can convince her, Iachimo.”

  Jack shrugged again. “Why not just forge her signature?”

  “That’s an idea,” Titania said, and the point of her dagger dropped an inch. Juma twitched backward. Not enough.

  Jack waited, cool and relaxed. How could he be so nonchalant? God, he had better be acting. Come on, come on!

  Titania pouted again. “No. I have to force her. I have to win.”

  Rose hissed, and the dog peeked out from behind Juma. It bent a fierce little gaze on Rose and growled low in its throat. Rose’s fists clenched; her bosom heaved and her jaw twitched with the effort to hold back. Juma whimpered, and the dog trotted forward, its growl reaching a crescendo.

  “Ooh, Poopsie doesn’t like you, either. Bitch fight!” Titania jerked Juma’s head. “Sic your dog on her. That might be fun to watch.”

  Rose backed away, flicking her eyes from side to side, from the old lady to Juma and Titania, hard at Jack, and again to the dog.

  Titania shrieked with laughter, but the dagger was still too close to Juma’s throat. The dog went ballistic and sprang at Rose. She shrieked and let go of the allure. It ripped down the room, and the window burst outward with an earsplitting crash.

  Titania turned, gaping; the grasp on both her knife and Juma’s hair slackened. Jack made his move and knocked the blade away. Rose launched herself forward and tore the girl free. Titania thrashed in Jack’s grip, her fangs slotting down as comprehension dawned. Rage welled up in her eyes.

  “She’s a vampire! Iachimo, I’ll kill you.”

  “Get them out of here,” Jack grunted. Titania was strong, like every vampire, but Jack handled her.

  Rose scooped up the snarling dog and hurriedly passed it to Juma. “Wait by the door. I’ll get your grandma.” The old lady had risen to her feet. She moved slowly forward, leaning heavily on the cane.

  “Grandma doesn’t matter,” Juma said. “There’s a dead man in the closet.” Her eyes were on her mother and Jack. They dilated with horror.

  “Miles is in there?” Rose cried. “He’s dead?”

  “He might only be almost dead.” Juma spoke as if in a dream. “My mother’s a vampire.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being a vampire.” Rose’s voice shook. “It’s what you do with what you’ve got that counts.” She pushed Juma through the door. The crazy grandmother kept walking, tapping her cane on the floor.

  Titania let loose a spate of curses and a devastating blast of allure more powerful than anything Rose had ever felt. Jack stumbled under its force, and Titania wrenched free, scrambling for her knife. Rose whirled in the doorway, let out a banshee howl, and went after her, mouth agape, fangs full down.

  Jack dove between them, kicked the knife away, and wrenched Titania hard out of Rose’s path. “Rose! Stay back!”

  “Monster!” Grandma swung her cane hard at Titania’s head. It connected with a vicious crack, and Jack ducked. Titania toppled backward onto him, dazed. They thudded together to the floor. The old lady twisted her cane in two. In one hand she now held a dagger, in the other a wooden stake. “Devil’s spawn! I told you to stay away!”

  “Jack! Look out!” Rose sprang forward. Jack shot out from under Titania just as Juma’s grandma rammed the dagger into the evil vampire’s heart.

  “This time, you really will be dead,” the pink-haired old lady said. “And I’ll make damn good and sure of it.” She wrenched the dagger free and plunged the wooden stake into its place.

  Everyone gaped, frozen.

  After a moment, the old woman stood, still clutching the bloody dagger and glaring around the room. “Don’t blame me. It’s not my fault I bore a monster. I did my best by her, but this was the only way.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ten seconds later, Constantine walked through the door. Everyone was still frozen in place, staring at each other and at the limp form of Titania. “Did I miss my chance?” He half grinned at Jack, glanced down at Titania, and shook his head. “I guess I did.”

  The group paralysis broke.

  Rose plunged into the closet, seeking Miles. He lay unconscious and deathly still, but Jabez arrived promptly in a private ambulance. While he hooked Rose’s old boss up to an IV, Jack and Constantine stowed Titania’s body in a compartment under the ambulance floor. Jabez loaded Miles into the ambulance and drove away. Constantine, looking quite cheerful, promised to suitably dispose of Titania’s remains later that night.

  “I’ll hand Gino over to the cops,” he said. “Looks like he may be a serial killer they’ve been looking for in New Orleans. They’ll be relieved to know he’s gone.”

  He next directed Jack and Juma’s grandma to the police station to withdraw the charges against Gil. Grandma seemed oddly willing to obey. Maybe it
was because of Constantine’s glare, maybe because they’d all witnessed her killing her daughter. “They didn’t even need me,” Constantine told them. “Gil talked Vi down. Totally unheard of.”

  “He’s got a voice,” Jack said on his way out the door.

  Rose watched him leave. They had exchanged only a few words.

  “You okay?” she’d asked him.

  “Yeah. You?”

  “Uh-huh.” It was hard to tell whether there was much more to say.

  Leaving the club, Rose took the girl and the toy poodle down the alley to Violet’s house. It seemed the best place to go. “You’ll like Violet’s daughter, Zelda,” she said. “Unless you can’t handle being friends with a vampire.”

  “I apologize,” Juma said. She’d been casting sidelong glances at Rose. “I’ve always thought vampires would be cool, but I was really, really surprised to see your fangs, and my mother was so horrible. I guess I should be glad I didn’t know her.” The dog growled in Juma’s arms. “What’s gotten into Poopsie?”

  “Dogs don’t like me,” Rose admitted. “Either they’re afraid or they attack me. Do you want to talk about your mother?”

  “No,” Juma said with loathing. “Not for at least a year or two. Are dogs scared of all vampires?”

  “No, apparently that’s just me. And no, the wooden stake wasn’t necessary, either. Knives and regular bullets kill us, just as they do anyone else…if you’re wondering. Do you want to talk about your grandmother?”

  “No,” Juma repeated. “Don’t you dare give me a lecture about how she meant it all for the best.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it. I won’t even try to convince you she thought she meant well.”

  At Violet’s front walk, Rose and Juma stood in silence. Rose wiped a solitary tear from the girl’s cheek. She said, “I’d give you a hug, but Poopsie would freak out.” Still, she put an arm around her and squeezed. “I’m here for you, sweetie. For always.”

  “Thanks.” Juma didn’t sound like she believed it, but given time, perhaps she would. She clasped the dog close. “This is so weird. How does somebody become a vampire?”

  “It’s genetic,” Rose said. “And yes, that means you may carry the gene. It’s rare, though, and vamps try not to let a lot of people know. There’s just too much prejudice and misunderstanding.”

  “Especially when they go wacko, like my mom,” Juma said. “It’s going to take some getting used to, but at least I get to go back to school.”

  Jack walked Juma’s grandmother through the chilly night to the police station. “The murder of your daughter will be covered up by the underworld on one condition: Juma gets to live where and with whom she chooses—with her father, with a friend, or with Rose—and you’ll foot the bill for her schooling right through her PhD.”

  “You can’t hold me to that,” Grandma growled. She seemed to have regained a bit of the feistiness she’d lost in the presence of Constantine. “You and the goddamned underworld are already guilty as accessories. You won’t turn me in.”

  “No, but the underworld can and will shut down your club. In fact, if there are any more rule infractions, they’ll shut it down anyway. They intend to keep Bayou Gavotte safe.”

  “I’m not responsible for the rule breaking,” Grandma quavered.

  Jack made a rude noise.

  “Oh, all right.” Grandma sounded neither grateful nor contrite. “You can tell your precious underworld that I’ll take care of Stevie. He and Mary Lou were all set to ruin everything. He’s going to wish he was dead, too.” She clacked her teeth together ruminatively. “At least Juma isn’t a vampire. I still don’t know how that happened. I’m not, and Mary Lou’s father wasn’t.”

  “Maybe it’s a recessive gene,” Jack said.

  Not that he knew or cared as long as he had his very own vamp at home. Would she be waiting?

  Rose left Juma at Violet’s, retrieved the minivan, and drove to the hospital to see Miles, who was still unconscious.

  “He’s lost a lot of blood, but he should be okay,” said the doctor, a tired-looking old guy. He didn’t question how Miles had lost that blood. “Come visit him in the morning.”

  He seemed unsurprised when she enquired after Biff. “He’ll live to be a fool another day.” Rose’s expression must have shown her chagrin, for the doctor patted her kindly on the shoulder and said, “This sort of stuff doesn’t happen often. I’ve been around a long, long time—and most vampires are okay.”

  Juma and Zelda had taken to one another immediately, which left Rose free to go wherever she wished, she supposed. Her suitcases were at Jack’s, so she didn’t have much choice. Not that she didn’t want to see him—she did—but declarations of love under stress weren’t to be counted on. Maybe not even in other situations.

  At the door, she hesitated at the sounds of both the TV and Jack’s voice.

  “Disappeared, huh? I can’t say I blame him.” Pause. “No, not yet, but her stuff is still here, so maybe I’ll get a chance to persuade her to stay.”

  Ah. It seemed he still wanted her for sex, though that might not be enough for her anymore. She knocked on the door.

  “All right, man. Tomorrow.” Jack opened the door, flipping his phone shut as he did. Seeing her, he said, “Stevie, the last loose end, is nowhere to be found. Running from Grandma’s wrath, I guess.”

  Rose didn’t care what happened to Stevie.

  Jack had folded the futon up into a couch. A beer can sat on the coffee table. He’d been watching football recaps on ESPN.

  “Considering the circumstances,” she said, “I think we managed that rescue pretty well. Juma’s fine, and Miles is recovering.”

  Jack nodded, his harsh eyes anxious and softer than usual. He seemed awkward, as if he were trying to camouflage his feelings but couldn’t. “When did you know?”

  “When did I know what?”

  He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. “That I wasn’t so distracted by…That I was going to try to save Juma.” His pride was hurt, she figured. He felt bad that he’d been affected by Titania at all.

  She tried to sound absolutely certain. “I always knew. Saving people is your life.”

  His eyes bored into her, and for once she found it difficult to meet them.

  Oh, all right. “I just wasn’t sure whether you would succeed.” Enough said. “Is Constantine all right? He looked pretty cheerful, but I hear he tried to kill himself.”

  “Nah,” Jack said. “He might have a death wish, but I don’t think he’s ever going to do it to himself. He was just being an asshole, messing with the media. And you’re right, I think that scene with Titania perked him up.” His eyebrows drew together. “You didn’t think I would succeed.”

  She shrugged. “She had powerful allure.” And Rose didn’t want to discuss it. She wanted to forget it. “You decided not to try complete camouflage. You just walked right in.”

  “The situation was urgent. She could have blown at any moment.”

  He had been in control all along; that brought a surge of relief along with a joy rivaling anything Rose had ever felt. “You used just enough camouflage to conceal your intentions. Smart. I hoped you were in control, but it wasn’t until I saw your dimples that I was sure.”

  “My dimples?” He grinned, and her heart melted into a puddle of besotted love.

  “I adore your dimples,” she said, running her finger across the left one. “When they show, it’s the real you. No camouflage at all.”

  “Oh, Rose, I—” His smile faded. “Sit down.” She did, and he lowered himself beside her on the couch, not touching her. “You deserve the whole truth. You’re right, I couldn’t let her allure stop me from trying to save Juma, but nevertheless, it did affect me.”

  “Duh,” Rose said. “That was obvious. I wanted to kill her for it.”

  “Her, but not me?”

  She rolled her eyes. Did he not understand? “I was pissed off, but I love you, remember? She’s the one w
ho wanted to kill you. She wanted to kill everyone. I was so furious I thought I would explode, thinking that you and she…But I controlled my anger. I found a way to use that allure.” Pause. “It was a risk, but it felt like the right one.”

  “Yeah,” Jack said. Silently, they both contemplated the catastrophe that might have been.

  “So, we did work together in the end,” she ventured.

  Jack nodded unenthusiastically. She leaned across and kissed him, and he responded hungrily. It went on and on. A good sign, right?

  Maybe not. She pulled away, biting her lip, wondering what was eating him. Maybe he wasn’t as sure about things as he wanted to be. As sure as she wanted him to be. As she needed him to be. Had their declarations of love just been induced by the moment? His expression told her nothing.

  She didn’t intend to push it. She’d done enough pushing today.

  He leaned back against the couch, picked up the remote, and started flipping channels. It felt very homey. Rose could get used to that part. She pulled off her boots and put her feet up on the coffee table, crossing her ankles. Jack was a very controlled man. In many ways, that was a good thing.

  “It’s an amazing dress,” he said. “And as a bonus, it shows off your gorgeous legs.”

  “I like my legs,” she replied. “They’re good, long, girly legs, with or without my allure. They have nothing to do with my being a vamp.”

  “You’re just good all over.” Jack turned off the TV and tossed down the remote. He looked her in the eyes. “I’m not going to beat myself up over this, I swear, but I need to say it: I handled my so-called vamp-sex addiction ass-backward. After I dropped Titania, I decided the best way to make sure nothing like that happened again was to build up my self-control. She kept inviting me to parties, and I went camouflaged to the larger ones, where she wouldn’t be likely to pick up one extra person’s breathing or scent. I needed to see if I could maintain my camo even when she was flinging her allure around.” He shrugged. “I managed okay, and at the same time I ended up seeing the worst side of her. I rescued a few people from her clutches, too, so I can’t say it was useless, but…when it came right down to it, all my learned self-control did in the end was hurt your feelings.” A long, drawn-out sigh, followed by a longer hesitation. “I completely screwed up.”