by R. J. Blain
“In you?” Emerick asked.
“Yes, in me. She’s even considering a waiver of her fee under a few conditions.”
“Do tell.”
“A little spying on you for information about your bride, what it would take to lure her away, and more information on her turning.”
“Well, I’ve no reason to hide such things from you, and I will view it as a favor owed, which I’ll enjoy holding over your head for as long as possible. You will owe Pepper as well, although payment to her will be more simplistic.”
“How so?” Kennwick stared at me, and he frowned. “I’ve been led to believe there is nothing simple about your wife, old friend.”
“Oh, very little about her is simple, but she’s an attorney. You have an unfortunate infestation of attorneys. She will enjoy being able to discuss work with them, and they can help her settle into life as a nocturnal preternatural. Some of your women are also attorneys, and they may make good companions for her.”
“We work in family law, Emerick.”
I straightened at that. “Really?”
“It seems my initial impression once again proves inaccurate. Are you interested in family law, Mistress Lowrance?”
“Pepper, please. I studied corporate law because it was the only viable path for me.”
Emerick sighed. “Which leads to tomorrow night’s unpleasant business. Her mother is at high risk of death from her father, and I will not sit idle and permit the woman to be killed for being too old to bear children. Mr. Francis needs a new heir, as he will not be claiming his daughter from me. With Pepper’s help, we will have a meeting with Mr. Francis while my maker recovers Mrs. Francis and takes her overseas. We will arrange for her to have a new identity, establish her in a new life, and allow Mr. Francis to continue his plans seeking a new heir for his empire while establishing that the New York broods will not be deterred by his operations.”
Kennwick rose from his seat and went to the electric kettle on the counter, flipping it on. The water glowed blue. “Hot chocolate, Pepper?”
“Please. Also, Emerick?”
“Yes?”
“I want a kettle like that. It glows.”
Emerick chuckled. “It’s the simple pleasures in life, isn’t it?”
“If the simple pleasures in life involve devices that glow while making me hot chocolate that won’t try to kill me, yes.”
“You should be grateful, Emerick. As far as requests go, this one won’t tax your wallet much. I bought it online for thirty dollars.”
“Expensive doesn’t mean better,” I replied. “Rather like Emerick’s car.”
“I should go get that, actually. It won’t take long, but I’d liked to avoid making her walk several blocks. She might find a mud puddle to splash in.” After rising to his feet, Emerick picked up one of my more potent stakes and slipped it into his pocket. “Just in case.”
“If anyone looks at you wrong, stab them through the eye with it.”
“I aim for the heart. It’s a larger target.”
As I couldn’t argue with that, I nodded. “Still, be careful.”
“I don’t expect any trouble. This area of Long Island is predominantly preternatural, and no one local is foolish enough to cross Master Kennwick. I’ll return shortly.” Without any hesitation, Emerick let himself out through the back door, which intrigued me.
“Why didn’t he go through the front door?”
“He’s a lazy creature, and he’d have to unlock it. It’s likely a shorter walk to his car out the back. Which vehicle did he drive tonight?”
“A Honda Civic, apparently.”
“Ah, yes. The silver one. That’s his favorite. Once, someone keyed it because they were rather displeased with your husband. Your husband spent months concocting a suitable revenge for that vampire’s poor choice.”
Uh oh. “Which vampire?”
“Ben.”
I tossed my head back and cackled. “That is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. Ben keyed Emerick’s car?”
“Emerick did deserve it.”
“What did Emerick do?”
“He may have accidentally backed his Civic into Ben’s car, scratching it somewhat unpleasantly. Emerick repaired the vehicle, of course, but it began a rather childish war between the two. It was a delight to watch. It’s Ben’s turn for retaliation, and he’s been sitting on it long enough his efforts should be spectacular.”
I hadn’t taken Ben or Emerick to be the kind of men to engage in such behaviors. “How long has this been going on?”
“Some two or three years now, I suppose. Perhaps a little longer than that. Last month, Ben managed to remove Emerick’s access to most of the brood’s buildings, including his own penthouse, resulting in an unexpected guest here for a few days. Emerick then acquired a child’s motorized car and towed Ben’s car to a mutual friend’s property, leaving a bow on the new acquisition. Ben’s meltdown over that stunt was spectacular, as Emerick refused to say where he’d taken the car, resulting in Ben having to borrow the Civic to find his vehicle, and once it was found, he had to ask for help getting both cars back to the brood’s garage.”
“That sounds entirely improbable for both of those men, Kennwick. I’m going to need photographic evidence of this.”
The vampire pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen, and showed me a picture of a horrified Ben staring down at a cherry red miniature car, which would fit a child or two comfortably but had no hope of containing an adult. I covered my mouth with my hands. “All of this because of an accident?”
“Ben thought to teach Emerick a lesson about being more careful with other people’s property. Instead, it began a good-natured war between the two vampires. If you want to have a good time getting to know the brood, ask Ben how you can help him with a stunt. Both have taken to involving the brood. Emerick prefers having his brood interact with each other often, and harmless pranks are a good way to involve a lot of people.”
“Along with movie night to watch romantic comedies,” I muttered.
“Ah. Heard about that, did you?”
“I didn’t get to go to the last one.”
“You would have just been entering Emerick’s care, and he’s very protective over his youngest. Add in his concerns of trauma, and he’d want you settled before taking you to the theater. My brood does the same, but we go see action flicks, as we’re not nearly secure enough in our masculinity to be caught going to romantic comedies.”
“Obviously, this is because Emerick got to the best single men first.”
“I see you’re supportive of romantic comedies.”
Men. Why couldn’t they just admit when they liked feminine things without shame? “They’re funny, and I see no reason for men to be embarrassed by wholesome relationships with women. Well, somewhat wholesome. There are some pretty bad romantic comedies out there.”
“That there are. They don’t always watch romantic comedies, by the way. Sometimes, multiple broods will get together, and then we watch action flicks more often than not. The ladies will go pamper themselves while us men act all masculine and posture.”
“I think it’s worth mentioning that I enjoy action flicks, too.”
“We’ve noticed a lot of women enjoy action flicks, especially if it involves explosions, natural disasters, and wholesome violence. And may someone have mercy on anyone who hurts the dog. The ladies are known to become brutally vicious when it comes to the dog.”
“There’s an entire website dedicated to finding out if the dog dies.” I sometimes checked it, too, as there was nothing as bad as becoming upset during a movie because the dog, cat, or kid died on screen. I expected to use it frequently in the future, as I had a hard enough time dealing with life without adding the death of a pet during a movie.
“So, I’ve heard.”
“I’m surprised Emerick went off on his own to fetch his car.”
“Emerick is testing me. He knows you’re armed with enough stakes to
take on an entire brood, and I’m not stupid enough to push my luck, especially when you’re carrying stakes like yours. While you were showering, we discussed your hunting methods. He’s testing me to see if I’ll attempt to violate his territory. Don’t worry about that. We’ve been doing that to each other for over a hundred years. I’m assuming you’ve bitten him enough times he’s comfortable with detecting anyone meddling with you.”
“No comment.”
Kennwick grinned. “He told me he’s your primary food source, and there’s no shame in that. It’s important we know that you need vampiric blood, and as we can manipulate other vampires with enough skill and practice, it’s important you only take a little from each donor if you’re not able to rely on Emerick. I’m assuming he’ll teach you how to estimate how much you can draw safely from another vampire without losing control.”
“Indeed,” Emerick replied, opening the kitchen door. “That’s on my to-do list shortly after we’ve fixed this mess with Pepper’s mother.”
Kennwick turned in his seat to face Emerick. “All right. I’m expecting tomorrow night’s activities will be more significant than I initially believed, although I should know better, considering you wanted my help with the venture. How were you planning on making use of me, and how can you make better use of me now that I’m aware of the circumstances? Like you, I won’t see a woman murdered because she can’t bear children for some disreputable asshole.”
“Security. I don’t want Francis somehow getting the jump on us and getting too close to Pepper. That’s why I contacted you, in particular. My maker will be busy retrieving Pepper’s mother, and while my brood will have representatives present, I want your brood to also have a visible presence.”
“I’m in. I’ll bring three good men with me, and I’ll bring one of my more unusual preternatural.”
Emerick grimaced, and he headed for his seat, but before he reached it, the kettle beeped, and he changed directions to make my hot chocolate. “Please tell me you’re not thinking about bringing Vanessa.”
“I’m not thinking about it. I’m going to do it.”
“Vanessa?” I asked.
Kennwick smirked. “Vanessa is a wereviper, specifically a copperhead. As far as vipers go, copperheads aren’t as bad as some, but she can have a temper, and she likes to bite people who annoy her. Her venom is low-grade, but she can make just about anyone have a bad day. Four or five bites might kill you unless you have a preexisting condition, in which case it very probably will. Vampires can take three of her bites before having a serious issue. A human is generally disabled after two.”
Great. Because werecobras weren’t bad enough, there were werevipers? “This sounds potentially bad for my health.”
“You’ll be fine. Vanessa only bites enemies, and you’ll be properly introduced before we make a move. How about Godfrey?”
Once again, Emerick grimaced. “Must you?”
“Godfrey excels at security, and he’s an attorney even Mr. Francis is familiar with.”
I could think of a few men named Godfrey who happened to be highly esteemed and annoyed my father. “Pernot?”
Kennwick smirked. “An excellent guess, Pepper.”
Tomorrow night would be marvelous, as Godfrey Pernot lived to bring large corporations down. I’d never tangoed with him, as my father viewed me a liability in such cases, but I also hadn’t wanted to tango with the man, either. “He’s a vampire?”
“No, he’s not. He’s part of my brood because his wife is a vampire. He’ll be turned a little later in his life and is already undergoing preparations for his making ceremony. As I am very fond of Elizabetta, I’m taking great care with Godfrey.”
“We may not be giving our men sufficient blood during the turning, considering what I’ve learned from Pepper.”
“I was already planning three pints more than normal, and there are many in the brood willing to donate. We may make it a brood-wide event. I wonder if that might work with the women, too.”
“That is something to consider. My brood has numerous women who wish to be turned into vampires, but they have reservations about the brides broods.”
“That’s simple,” I announced, waving my hand to dismiss the entire problem. “Overturn the rule about brides being taken from their husbands. They do not need to be segregated or sold to anyone, and they will be happier and more comfortable with their husbands. If they require special tutoring, then they’ll be tutored with their spouse. And the men will be happier, as that heightens the chance of their wives surviving.”
Emerick scowled and stirred my hot chocolate while shaking his head. “It bothers me there may be such a simple solution to such a complex problem, and that we have been utterly blind to such a simple solution.”
“I’m not bothered by it. The extra blood isn’t something we are accustomed to needing, and we’ve turned plenty of women in the past on the lower quantities of blood. The threat of losing their husbands, however, is a serious one we shouldn’t have overlooked. We’ve just been too close to the culture of having brides broods that it never occurred to us modern women would find this practice abhorrent enough to sacrifice a long unlife to avoid.”
“Women from a hundred years ago or longer were trained and expected to obey the will of their men. This is common knowledge in history,” I pointed out. “Modern women have been fighting for equality, and the brides broods go against that effort.”
“Well, this is definitely sufficient repayment for my involvement in your plan. I’ll get a few of my best security folks in. When and where will be the meeting place?”
“We’re going to go to his headquarters.”
“You’re taking her right into the lion’s den?”
“The broods are making a stand. We’ll likely not go beyond the lobby, but we will make it clear that Pepper is no longer available for his schemes. She will have a chance to secure her freedom, and the broods will be a strong enough showing to deter his security.”
“I better bring more than three or four,” Kennwick muttered. “I’ll make sure my hardest hitters are with us, in and outside of the building. With your leave, I’ll contact Liam.”
“Do, and tell him I’ll share the same knowledge with him that I’ve shared with you. I don’t know if his brood has been invited to the ball.”
“He’s received an invite, but no bride offer, which doesn’t surprise me; his older vampires are wed, and his youngest haven’t earned the privilege yet.”
“It is worth mentioning to him that he would be unwise to attempt turning any women until we’ve had some time to look into the matter further.”
“I’ll make sure he’s aware. The last thing he wants is to have innocent blood on his hands. That’s not how he works.”
“It’s not how most of us work. That’s the domain of fugitives.”
“That it is. What time will we make our move?”
“The expected midnight. It will take that long to make sure Pepper is appropriately fed. It’ll be her first night of having multiple donors, as Ben will surely complain if I give her more than a few sips before we go into what might become a fight.”
“Are you expecting a fight?”
“I’m expecting a great deal of posturing.”
Kennwick huffed. “While boring, it is preferred over a fight with a bunch of fragile mortals who don’t know better.”
“My thoughts precisely. Tell me, Kennwick, does Vanessa have full control over her partial changes yet?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. She does. What form would you like her to take?”
“The one you feel will unsettle the humans the most. She’s an interesting card to play, and she appears far scarier than she often is.” Emerick brought me my hot chocolate, but before I could have a sip, he caught my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. “Tomorrow is part of my wedding gift to you, and I hope you will enjoy the evening. I have made arrangements for a lovely dress for you to wear, and I have informed everyone that you
will not be wearing any makeup for the event. It should be exciting.”
I could use some excitement, especially if it earned me freedom from my father’s clutches. “No makeup?”
“I am making a statement, Pepper. You are exactly as you should be, and I have zero interest in hiding you. You do not need makeup to be desirable. Teaching you that you don’t need such things will be my pleasure.”
While I was a blind fool at times, I had zero difficulties reading between the lines and guessing at what Emerick implied, that he meant to convince me in our soft, plush bed. Oh, well. There were worse places to take thorough and comprehensive self-esteem courses. “You have my attention.”
“Good behavior is also rewarded with dessert.”
“And hot chocolate,” I added, freeing my hand and going for the mug demanding my attention. “I need this hot chocolate, Emerick.”
I took a hesitant sip, and despite having been made with water, it was smooth, creamy, and sweet. The richness of the chocolate had an almost milky taste with a hint of hazelnut. I sighed, took another sip, and determined that I would have to invade Kennwick’s home should Emerick fail to keep a supply in the penthouse.
“That is the expression of a happy woman,” Kennwick said, his tone amused. “While she enjoys her hot chocolate, let’s finish our business. How many broods do you want me to call in?”
“How many broods do you think you can call in that’ll be loyal to the cause?”
“After I expose the rental changes, the dishonorable but fortuitous making of your wife, and your status as a married man, I expect you’ll have most in the area turn up with a wedding gift. I’ll handle it and make sure only those who mean well will come.”
“Then we’ll take our leave. I’ve a wife to feed and put to bed, and there are plans to be made. I’ll call you once I’m home.”
I eyed my hot chocolate, which was neither cold nor in my stomach. “Sit your ass down, Emerick. I am not going anywhere until I’m leisurely done with my drink.”
To my amusement, he obeyed. “I am mistaken. I’ve a wife to keep moderately entertained while she enjoys her hot chocolate, and then I’m to take her home, feed her, and put her to bed, which will curtail some of my planning efforts. I’ll still call you when we get home.”