Surrender

by Cassandre Dayne

  “Look, I don’t know anything really, okay? I called Brent when I got to Florida and he said he had found a short time gig that paid really well. Told me he had been doing it for a couple of weeks.”

  “What kind of a gig?”

  “You know, I asked him that after he went all cagey on me and he just brushed it off as some modeling job. Hell, I used to tell him all the time he should model but he thought it was a girly thing to do. Man the guy hated being around anything non masculine, you know?” Tim’s eyes darted back and forth across the landscaping.

  Jax nodded. Modeling job, huh? Cocking his head, he glanced toward the open front door. “Thank you very much Tim, you’ve been most helpful. Here’s my card. If you can think of anything else that might be helpful, let me know.”

  Tim nodded. “You know, he really was a likable guy. People just didn’t know him very well.”

  Which clearly meant he had enemies. “I understand.” He could tell by the look on Tim’s face that the two were probably closer than just roommates and the status of their relationship would die with both of them. He strode back into the house and into the kitchen and rifled through the mail, pitching almost everything onto the floor until he found the brochure he noticed before. “See the erotic and sensuous flavors of Aleksandr Vasiliev. Very interesting.” Staring at the brochure, it took him several minutes to understand what he was seeing.

  “Find something there, buddy?” Mike stood in the doorway, his face wearing every moment of the investigation.

  Jax glanced from his face back to the brochure and slipped it in his pocket. “Maybe. Something I’m going to check out.”

  Chapter Four

  Aleksandr stood quietly in the back of the bar sipping scotch and watching the comings and goings of the crowd. He was bored, hungry and craved something to play with. He could possibly even enjoy the taste of a woman tonight, as it had been a significant amount of time since he’d the pleasure of tasting the fairer. With the show only two nights away, he needed to be making final preparations. Unfortunately he’d grown far too antsy to continue his work. Still, frequenting the club as often as he could was very good for business and he enjoyed playing with the eclectic crowd. He relished in playing the part of artist and enjoyed being pampered by the co-owner every once in awhile. She was an exotic flavor and one he’d enjoyed on more than once occasion. Chuckling, he thought about their sordid past together and shook his head. Lies and secrets kept them together. How delicious.

  Unfortunately the crowd of gothic revelers certainly didn’t meet his expectations. The partygoers all seemed to be strung out on drugs and alcohol and he wanted no part of a desperate human.

  “Hi ya sugar. Wanna dance? You’re hot.”

  Aleks sliced his eyes down to stare at the female. The heavy eyeliner and vixen red lipstick somehow looked sad on her pasty white skin, yet her scent was ripe and invigorated his senses. Glancing back at the crowd watching her intently, he sighed. Undoubtedly she would be a bit too complicated for the evening. “Perhaps later, luv. I would like to finish my drink first.”

  “Scrumptious accent.” She smiled and slid her fingers down the side of his cheek to rest her palm over his heart. “But one so sexy as the likes of you shouldn’t be alone.”

  Aleks took her hand in his and raised it slowly to his lips. The delicious fragrance of her feminine hunger was almost too much for him to resist. Pressing her long fingers to his mouth, the urge to devour the woman was strong, yet his placed gentle kisses against her tingling skin and released her hand. There was no doubt he could take her and drive his already hardening cock deep inside her pussy and the vivid imagery left him thirsty. His eyes flashed to the gentle pulsing in her neck and he could almost taste the silky copper of her life’s blood easing away his raw need. “You’re quite lovely.”

  “Oh my.” She swallowed and placed the kissed hand over her mouth. “I…” Her laugh sensuous, the lilt sparkled above the intensity of the haunting music. “Thank you.”

  “I will come and find you later, luv.”

  She nodded and blinked in rapid succession from the intensity of his gaze.

  Aleks noticed the hardened looks of the boys in her group and resisted the urge to kiss her. Even toying with the enticing raven-haired girl wasn’t enough for him that night.

  “Please, you do that. I’ll be here for a while anyway.”

  He smiled and eased his eyes toward the front door as he took a long sip, allowing the slight burn to soothe his thirst. It was at that precise moment that he sensed the presence. There was no mistaking the scent of ravaging hunger that sliced through the crowd like a beacon from the dead. Aleks froze and scanned the patrons, the hackles rising on his neck. He fought the shivers that he hadn’t experienced in so long. Why now and why here?

  He filtered through the crowd, pushing through the people and tuning out every noise, every scattered whisper of the mindless humans searching for something they could never understand. The strumming beacon remained at bay, shadowed. Only Aleks could sense his presence, his need, his preparation to take and feed and yet, the monster was invisible to everyone. But Aleks could sense he was well aware he was close. There was no possible way to hide their bonding or their past. All the years he’d kept away and now the man was coming to lay claim once again. If the ancient books were correct Aleks would have little choice but to comply or risk an entire race. Hissing, Aleks fought the rage as it thrashed though his system, threatening to release his beast. This was not good, not good at all. In truth, there was no more dangerous situation and mostly for the humans.

  He pressed forward, finding himself almost to the door and turned as another jolt of electric current pulse through his system. Aleks knew the feeling well. He caught a single glimpse of the creature as his head turned, giving Aleksandr a destructive glance before he headed out the door, the boy following like a lapping dog. Aleks rushed to follow, slamming directly into a hard body.

  “Shit, I’m sorry man.”

  The sensuous midnight blue eyes caught Aleks’ attention first. The man’s stunning looks were second. As a trickle of something burrowed deep into his senses Aleks shivered. Straining to read the man’s mind, he only caught fleeting glimpses as if waves were being sent to block his abilities. Studying the man for an instant, his dick twitched and he realized he was shaking. His reaction was far too coincidental. “My apologizes. I wasn’t paying attention where I was going.” For some reason he was mesmerized by the man, the mortal and allowed himself to gaze down the length of his body as every part of his body sizzled with need. His cock throbbed, hitting against the tight linen of his suit pants.

  “No problem.” He stared at Aleks, his head cocked and the glance held a shimmer of interest.

  Aleks smiled and for some reason knew that their paths would cross again. As he walked out into the night air, he raised his head to catch his scent but the man that had carved out his heart and taken his very soul almost one hundred years before was gone. “Durac.” He closed his eyes and lifted his hand staring at the ring that would forever be a part of his being, his life and hissed. If Durac Chantal was in town, the body counts would begin to rise and while that wretched thought brought another round of rage racing through his system, the single thought that terrorized him the most was knowing the reason that Durac had come to town. He sensed the human was smack in the middle of a war and one he had no idea existed.

  And this time Aleksandr feared he would not survive the attack.

  ***

  Jax stared after the blond stranger until the remaining tingles slicing down his spine finally went away. His mouth cotton dry, he licked his lips and realized his hand was shaking. What the hell what this about? For a several seconds the electric sounds of the club remained like tinny echoes and yet he could hear his heart slamming against his chest. He found himself stumbling inside and held onto the sidewall to catch his breath. He’d never had this level of reaction to a man and for a second he believed he was losing h
is mind.

  “This is ridiculous.” Jax willed his behavior away and eyed the perimeter of the club noticing that the crowd was indeed comprised of mostly college age or slightly older partygoers looking for a good time in a club that allowed almost anything to happen. Granted, he had checked on the Dark Towers before he came and knew they had never had a single citation, yet they remained on the Mayor’s hit list as a nuisance. There was a notation that some members of the task force established not long after the club had opened suspected a private and very exclusive club located in the bowels of the building, but to date, no one had been able to gain any favored acceptance.

  On this night, he was simply curious as to why Dark Towers was a sponsor of the erotic art show scheduled for Friday night and was the last place that anyone had seen Greg Barnes alive. Being the single connection between the two murder victims, his gut told him the murderer frequented the bar or perhaps had selected his victims in the very sensuous darkened environment.

  Jax was surprised how large the erotic club truly was. Banked on both sides with long bars, the warm glow of sapphire blue neon rose from beneath the frosted glass bar tops adding to a rather erotic atmosphere. The effect was very sensual yet a hint of danger hung in the air, daring all who would partake in what the night might offer to those not faint of heart. Black and white pictures adorning the walls in poster board size were of very erotic couplings in a gothic tone. The exquisite photographs were obviously done by a professional photographer with models and only hinted of each rather kinky act.

  He watched the electric crowd as he moved toward the bar, keenly aware that he was very much out of place in a room full of leather and lace. While he had worn skin-tight black jeans and a filmy white silk shirt, his attire simply couldn’t match the haunting tones. Camping at the single spot at the end of the bar, he had a bird’s eye view of the comings and goings and the dance floor that gyrated from the shimmering lights flashing vibrant colors across the floor as smoke rose in sultry billows. Jax could certainly see why the place was a hit.

  “What’ll it be?”

  Jax turned to stare at the ripped bartender and wondered what the bouncers looked like. “Corona.”

  “You a cop?”

  He chuckled. “That obvious?”

  The bartender cocked his head as his eyes slanted toward the crowd.

  “Yeah, I get it.” Jax noticed his slight grin and sighed. From his vantage point, he could certainly see why Mike thought it was a gay bar as the heated bodies of men with men and women with women fondled and tasted their partners all throughout the room. And while Mike would certainly have been turned off, Jax was intrigued.

  “This about the kid?” The burly bartender set the bottle down with a thud and leaned over the bar.

  “You were here last night?”

  “Your partner?”

  Jax shook his head. “Yeah.”

  “I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. I hadn’t seen the kid you’re talking about before a couple of nights ago and I wouldn’t have paid any attention to him except for the fact that he had that deer in the headlights look when he asked where the bathroom was. Thought the kid was gonna pee his pants.”

  Something Mike hadn’t told him. “Did you see him with anyone?”

  “Nope. They pay me well not to pay attention if you get my drift.”

  “I do. Tell me about this.” Jax slipped the brochure from his back pocket. “You guys are sponsoring this?”

  The bartender glanced down at the gallery glossy and nodded back toward the photo hanging over his shoulder. “Yeah, the thing’s for the artist of all these snazzy little shots. The owner here has a little thing for the blond hottie too. Think he has something to do with the club behind closed doors if you know what I mean.”

  “Really?”

  “You ask me, I think they’ve been doing the nasty up there in her office.”

  Jax glanced to the second floor as a dazzling blond woman moved against the steel cables of the railing. Glancing down, she gazed from end to end of the room before she eased back and disappeared. “Stunning.”

  The bartender chuckled. “Yeah well don’t get too close. She’s been known to bite.”

  Jax glanced back up and sighed. The night was certainly getting much more interesting.

  ***

  He stared at the boy and smiled, contemplating his next delicious action. Sliding his finger across the blonde’s cheek, he could sense the boy’s terror. “Hmmmm…you’re quite the tempting creature and I’m very hungry tonight.”

  The boy struggled with the binding that held his arms locked above his head and whimpered. He opened and closed his mouth trying to scream but only soft bubbles pulsed past his swollen lips.

  “Don’t worry dear child, this will be over soon and then you’ll remain in bliss forever.” He couldn’t help but admire the boy’s diligent efforts. The moment he realized that the kid would probably never see the light of day again he’d fought valiantly and almost escaped. “Yes…just a little bit more play time and I’ll allow you to succumb to the joyous feeling of becoming immortal.” Somehow on this night, his needs were stronger, desperately hungry.

  Turning the boy over onto his stomach, he feathered the boy’s creamy skin as he lowered his head and darted his tongue out to taste his utterly scintillating skin. Glistening from the heat slicing through the building, the boy’s skin reminded him of fresh rainwater trickling across a darkened leaf of the dense forest, pure and fresh. His cock tingled in anticipation. “You’re almost sinfully good boy. It’s been a pleasure working with you.”

  The boy squirmed and moaned, his struggles in vain and yet his body thumped.

  He moved over the boy and straddled his legs as he unfastened his pants and released the blond boy’s massive cock. “I’ve been highly anticipating this from the moment I realized what a stunning figure you have. You’re like a treat for the eyes and a taste for the soul.” Growling, he danced his fingers across the boy’s firm ass, kneading and caressing with almost a gentle touch and remembered days so long ago that he’d loved or had been able to love. “Yes, very nice.” He opened the boy’s ass, feathering light touches across his rosy bud and placed the tip of his cock over the tight entrance. “I think you’re going to love this my boy.” With one long hard thrust, he plunged into the boy’s ass as the strangled screams erupted from his captive’s mouth. The scattered cries floated across the room sending pulsing echoes into the rafters.

  He laughed and thrust again and again tipping his head back, his long hair showering down over his shoulders. Oh the incredible feeling of the boy’s tight ass muscles clenching over his cock was almost too euphoric. “Boy, this is excellent, simply excellent indeed.” In and out he plunged with almost frantic strokes until the boy finally became quiet, yet remained trembling, terrified of the monster that thrust into him.

  He stared down at the boy and licked his lips as his climax rattled his balls, swelling his cock. The hiss became a wild grunt and seconds before the white-hot heat of his cum erupted he jerked the boy’s head up by his hair, twisting it violently to the side. The breathtaking sounds of snapping bones filled his senses with the kind of ecstasy he craved and the moment his cock filled the mere child, he lowered his head and sliced his fangs into the boy’s neck.

  ***

  Friday morning dawned with perfect crisp blue skies and fluffy clouds that floated across the horizon from the pulsing winds. It was a perfect Virginia morning and one meant to be enjoyed on a large deck with a tall fresh glass of lemonade and a good book, nothing to do but hours of enjoyment. Unfortunately the Mayor had paid a visit to the department and his blazing trail of verbal assaults had left every cop feeling a bit rough around the edges. Jax was weary. They’d learned nothing new in the last twenty-four hours and the natives were getting restless. The press had been less than kind in handling the murder investigation and it seemed everywhere they went they were hounded for news.

  “Look at this freakin�
�� place,” Mike snorted.

  “Yeah I know. The homes are lovely.” Jax rubbed his eyes.

  “What the hell do her parents do?”

  “Stacy? I have no idea. Don’t rattle her Mike today, okay?” Jax thought about the little had read about the girlfriend. Stacy Wheeler was a fresh-faced girl of barely twenty-one. She lived with her parents in the upscale Wyndham neighborhood in the fashionable West End while she attended VCU. As Jax drove into the neighborhood he couldn’t help but notice how lush and uniformed the entire street looked. For some reason the beautifully coiffed yards and sidewalks were too perfect as if hiding deep dark secrets behind closed doors.

  “Me? Good as gold,” Mike chortled.

  “You know I’m kind of surprised Stacy’s parents readily agreed to a meeting. You didn’t strong arm them did you?”

  Crossing his fingers, Mike grinned. “Not me, buddy. That would be against policy, wouldn’t it?”

  “Uh-huh. Like I said, calm today.” As Jax pulled into the driveway, he glanced over. “Did you talk to the radio station?”

  “Oh yeah, forgot to mention that. Yeah, Brent got fired cause he punched out one of the guests that was on the morning talk show. Apparently he just ran in, grabbed the guy and punched him.

  “What the hell was the show about?”

  “Something about pictures being a form of art or not. I think the guy was a holy roller.”

  “Hmmm, that’s interesting. A rock and roll station having a religious show is a bit out of the ordinary. That doesn’t sound right to me.”