Chapter Seven
Marcus felt his breath stop up in his chest when she appeared at last. Although she wasn't too late, he wasn't very good at waiting around. Even the extra ten minutes he had been waiting there had seemed like too long an amount of time.
However, the moment he saw her he could only tell himself that it had been worth it. Gone was the smooth, cool sophisticated woman and in her place was a casual beauty that looked like she was ready for a fun, easy evening. It had to be the braid, he told himself. It took years off her face and gave her a wholesome appearance rather than her usual urbane air.
He instantly liked this version of his queen. Hell, he more than liked it. Just the sight of her had him completely at attention as a male. Then again, she would have his attention if she were in sackcloth and covered in dirt…she was just that beautiful.
He watched with rapacious eyes as she gathered her purse and her keys. She looked up at him and saw him gazing at her intensely and smiled at him.
“Is something wrong? Have I got a smudge on my face?”
“You are well aware that you don’t. You know exactly how attractive you are,” he said directly.
She laughed at that. “I suppose I do. Let me appreciate my affect on you,” she said with a wink.
“Careful. Don’t push too hard. I might push back.”
She looked unafraid and that challenged him. She shrugged one elegant shoulder as she gathered up her coat. It was a rich, faux fur with alternating white and black strips of fur. It would completely ruin the wholesome effect of her mode of dress, but it was infinitely suited to her. It also promised to be warm and he was glad. It was cold outside and that night promised to be a long one. First dinner with her mark, then a hunt in the streets for his meal. Danton had promised to introduce him to three of his usual resources before he moved away, just to help with the transition, but he had not gotten around to it just yet. He was only going to be there in New York for a couple of days more, so Marcus wondered when he planned to get around to it. He would hate to rush into new relationships with Danton’s old friends.
He held out his hands for her coat and she handed it to him. He held it open for her and she slipped into it with a shrug. It had buttons up the front, large carved pieces of jet. He turned her around so she was facing him and buttoned her up warmly. He was wearing a sheepskin lined winter coat that hung open in the front, leaving him with better access to the weapons he carried. He was armed with a 9mm handgun that was holstered beneath his shoulder and a variety of knives. He didn’t expect trouble, but he always left the house prepared for it. That was especially important when it came to guarding the queen.
They left the penthouse and took the elevator down to the sky lobby in silence. The switched to the next elevator that took them the rest of the way down and emptied into the actual lobby. Waiting there was the team of authoritarians that would follow them as they hunted. They all took the elevator down one last time into the parking levels. Marcus guided her to the town car he would be driving for her and was surprised when she insisted on sitting up front with him rather than in the luxury of the back where she deserved to be.
“I refuse to talk to the back of your head for the entirety of our travels. You will find this to always be the case.”
“In that case I will hire you a driver and we can both sit in the back,” he said.
“No need. I’m perfectly content up here.”
“Regardless, you ought to have a driver. Additional coverage for safety if you should need it.”
“Don’t let the penthouse apartment and expensive clothes fool you. I’m not so posh as to want to be driven about like…like…”
“Like a queen?” he finished for her as he turned the key on the ignition.
She laughed at that. “I suppose I see your point. But I often prefer to keep my life as normal as possible.”
“But you’re not a normal woman. You are the leader of a great nation. You need to be treated as such. You also have to have a mind to your protection. We’ll get a good driver and we’ll sit in the back together,” he said.
“If you insist. I already have a driver. I use him on special occasions.”
“Now you will use him on all occasions,” Marcus said.
She frowned. “Not always.”
“Most times,” he pressed.
She sighed and relented. “Very well. My but you are a pushy man. But don’t think you’re going to change my life all over the place or that you are going to win all of our arguments.”
“Perish the thought,” he said with a chuckle.
She smiled warmly at him and he couldn’t escape the feelings that expression evoked. He felt invited. Tempted. It heated his skin and tightened every muscle in his body with anticipation. It was an effort to keep it all under control. It was just a smile for heaven’s sake! He really needed to get a grip.
They drove the distance to the restaurant in a silence that began to grow awkward. On his part it was because he was trying to lecture himself into behaving appropriately.
She broke the silence when they were a few blocks from their destination.
“I think you’ll like Cyril. He’s intelligent and gregarious. Thoughtful and insightful.”
“For a human?” he tacked on, the addendum common amongst their people. She had not spoken it, but it always seemed to be there for any vampire.
“Yes. You know, I don’t look on them like they are lesser beings. I appreciate them as being more than just food. Especially humans like Cyril.”
She already knew he was conservative as a vampire and preferred they kept the races separate, but she seemed to want a debate.
“I may believe we need to keep ourselves separate from humans, but that doesn’t mean I am a snob.”
“Doesn’t it though? If you don’t want our species to combine it stands to reason it’s because of prejudice.”
“Perhaps there is some prejudice, but it becomes mostly a matter of security for me than anything else. For a member of our nation to procreate with a human, it would be necessary to tell that human what we are.” he said, mindful of the law that kept them from using the word “vampire” outside of the confines of their protected spaces, in case someone was listening. Obviously that wasn't going to happen while they were in a car, but caution was always necessary. Which supported his argument. “There’s a reason why we don’t speak about ourselves in the human world. It is too risky to do so. As is mating with a human.”
“I don’t disagree with that,” she relented. “We must be careful. But then I see matches like Halo and Felice and Rafe and Renee and I can’t help but think we are cutting off our noses to spite our faces. Humans are so rich and diverse. We neglect ourselves by not holding them closer to our hearts.”
“We can make as many friends as we like,” he said firmly, “but friends is all it should be. And those friends can never know what we are. What if Rafe and Renee break up? Then what happens? There becomes this wildcard of a human out there with knowledge of who we are and who might develop feelings of enmity toward the race of her ex.”
“That's why they go up before that committee. It is your job to make sure she is mature enough to handle our secret…no matter what happens to the relationship. She must pass muster in spite of the strong emotions she feels for her lover.” He paused. “I am historically against revealing ourselves to the human world. I have a track record of denying them entrance into our world. I hope you realize that. Renee would probably never have passed my approval.”
“Then how fortunate we are that Danton felt differently. She is a credit to her race and a benefit to ours. As a police officer she can help us manage our exposure to the human world. She has proven herself more than helpful and more than worthy of our trust.”
“For now. Who knows what the future will bring?”
She didn’t have time to respond as they reached the restaurant and Marcus parked the car. He hopped out and came around the front to get to her door. He held it open for her and extended a courtly hand to her. She took his hand and alighted from the car. He led her to the restaurant’s front door and she immediately began to search out her human friend. She found him immediately and greeted him across the room with an enthusiastic wave.
Dinner was a bright, animated affair. It was clear that the queen thoroughly enjoyed the company of her human friend. However, Marcus never lost sight of the fact that he was a target. A meal. As they dined on human food he was curious as to how she planned to get him to a place where the real meal would take place. Of course he had no opportunity to ask her, so he merely sat back and watched and let her take him on this ride.
“Shall we end this with drinks at my place?” Cyril asked, and Marcus could immediately tell that this was a part of their ritual when they got together. Cyril had accepted her introduction of Marcus in Danton’s stead in stride and had done everything possible to include him in the night’s conversation and camaraderie.
“Is Natasha there?” she asked, mentioning the name of the new love in Cyril’s life that he had been talking about for most of the evening. Simone cast a sideways glance at Marcus. He saw where she was going with this. Natasha might be an appropriate food source for him and their hunt could be easily ended at Cyril’s house. It would be a neat, tidy package.
“Not at the moment,” he said with a smile in reply.
“You should invite her over. I’d love to meet her,” Simone pressed.
“I would like nothing more. However, she is out of town. Perhaps you can come for dinner sometime next week?”
“Perhaps. I’m rather busy these next few weeks.”
“You always say that. I'm lucky if I see you once a month,” Cyril said with a frown. “Our standing reservation here is really the only time I can depend on seeing you.”
“I’m sorry I can’t seem to get away more than once a month,” she said softly. “But I wouldn’t trade our monthly plans for anything on the world. And we can end the night with drinks at your place as usual.”
“Just once I would like to go to your place,” Cyril said.
“Now that you mention it we’ve never gone to my place have we? But it’s because your place is right around the corner from here and mine is a trek back into the city.”
“True. But one day I will see your place,” Cyril predicted.
Of course, that wasn't the case. Humans weren't allowed at vampire central unless they were already brought into the fold. There were very rare exceptions to every rule of course, and a human would have to be strictly escorted so that if they overheard anything out of the ordinary their minds could be erased via telepathic methods, but for the most part rule of thumb was to keep humans out. That made things a bit one sided in relationships with humans since almost every vampire lived in vampire central. However, it was for the best for all involved. And anyway, most vampires didn’t want to advance personal relationships with their targets any more than they had to.
“Definitely,” Simone lied with a smile. “Shall we go?”
As a group they got up from the table and headed toward Cyril’s. He only lived a block away and rather than find new parking they all decided to walk in the cold night air. It was a short trip and they were soon entering Cyril’s brownstone. Once they were in the living room Simone slipped off her fur and laid it across the back of a chair. Marcus did likewise at her gesture of encouragement, draping his coat over the arm of the same chair. Cyril disappeared into the back of the apartment for a moment then came back out no longer wearing his coat or suit jacket. Cyril was a decent looking middle-aged man with a bit of a spare tire around his middle. His salt and pepper hairline was creeping backward. Otherwise he had reasonably good looks…for a human.
Cyril had a dry bar in his living room and he immediately poured himself a scotch and mixed a martini for Simone. Clearly this was a ritual and he knew her very well. Marcus declined to drink. Alcohol and most vampires didn’t mix. It was a toxin, just like any other toxin. At least it was to Marcus’s constitution. He was an incredible lightweight when it came to liquor, as most vampires were. He noted that Simone took very delicate sips of her drink…barely taking any in at all. When Cyril turned his back on her she dumped most of it into an obliging potted plant nearby.
Marcus began to grow impatient. There was no need for all this pretense of friendship once they got the target behind closed doors. She could simply feed from him and erase his memory of the encounter within minutes. She must have known he was losing interest in this part of the evening because she caught his hand in hers and stopped his pacing about. He hadn’t even realized he'd been prowling about the room.
He squeezed her hand in encouragement to get the deed done and she sighed in acquiescence. She got up and crossed the room to Cyril and smiled at him. She caught his eyes with hers and he immediately fell into a hypnotic trance. She stepped into his embrace and he held her close, his hands sliding up over her back. Marcus watched carefully…and with not a little bit of envy. He found himself wondering what it would feel like to hold her lithe body against his own. What it would feel like to have her feed from him and share his energy.
There were several instances where a vampire would feed off of another vampire. One, if the vampire was too sick to hunt on their own. Two, the vampire was a child. Three…for sexual pleasure. There was a great deal of stimulation in the act of a feed…as was readily apparent as she pulled his head down to her breasts, exposing the back of his neck to her. Marcus felt his envy increase to outright jealous craving. He imagined his own face touching her breastbone, the scent of her filling his nostrils, the warmth of her radiating against him. The desire only increased when she flash a pair of pretty, delicate fangs and sank them deep into place at the base of Cyril’s neck.
Cyril let out a gasping moan and his hands on her back slid down to cup her backside and tried to draw her closer. But because she needed access to the back of his neck, that wasn't possible in a standing position.
As Marcus watched he could see the energy crackling between them. Another person, a human, would not be able to see the electric exchange, but a vampire could. He felt himself swept up in the images of her taking from him or him taking from her…all of that lovely energy sparking between them instead of between her and this human. The very thought of it made him hard for her. And as if she were aware of his reaction, she cast her sensually pleasured eyes in his direction. She held his gaze as she continued to drink from Cyril, until finally neither of them could take any more and she disengaged from Cyril’s neck. She licked her lips as Cyril sagged against her. Marcus immediately stepped forward and caught the man's weight, even though Simone was more than strong enough. She broke from staring intently in his eyes to engage Cyril in a healthy dose of hypno.
“Cyril you are going to get undressed and get into bed. All you will remember from tonight is a lovely dinner with a friend and some nice conversation and drinks afterward. If you or anyone should notice the marks on the back of your neck you will dismiss them as bug bites. You will stay in and rest tomorrow to regain your strength and energy. Take care of yourself, Cyril my friend.”
She let go of him and he bent to kiss her cheek in what seemed to be a rather fond gesture. Simone smiled up at him before patting his shoulder and sending him off in the direction of his bedroom.
“Let’s lock up,” she said, her soft voice a husky rasp. She was literally vibrating with the energy she had taken in. It would last her for days, but she also would not be able to relax and sleep for a good many hours. She would be too wound up.
Marcus envied her that for the moment. His body was hungry…in more ways than one, he realized. He craved the sensuality of a feed. He craved the fullness that came with it when he was glutted. He also craved Simone, he realized. There was no use pretending otherwise or trying to ignore it. His queen was a dynamic, gorgeous woman. He would have to be dead not to crave her.
That didn’t mean he intended to have her. No. He must keep his distance. At all costs. His job depended on it. His peace of mind was another matter. And just because he wanted her did not mean she wanted him in return. He had no doubt this royal beauty was able to keep work and pleasures very separate. She was the consummate professional. Her history as a queen showed that.
He moved to fetch their coats and they put them on, locked the door and left Cyril to sleep and recoup his energy. Now it was Marcus's turn to hunt. But this would be a true hunt. They would have to stalk the streets or an establishment in order to find a target for him.
“Where shall we go?” Simone asked, shivering a little from the cold and keyed up energy.
“Where’s the nearest organic market or restaurant?”
“We just left a restaurant. And a market would likely be closed at this hour,” she said doubtfully.
“I thought this was a twenty-four hour city.”
“Brooklyn is not the city. It’s close, but not quite. It’s possible there’s a twenty-four hour market. Let’s go to a club. I think I’d like to dance.”
“All right. Maybe I can find a designated driver…someone who isn’t drinking. Or someone who isn’t drinking too much,” he amended.
Like most toxins, drunk targets didn’t agree with vampires. They tended to get tipsy when they fed off of a human who had drunk too much. But clubs were full of people and not all of them drank or drank too much. Besides, if he got a little drunk maybe he could forget about the stunning creature he was meant to protect.
Speaking of protection, as they hit the street he was aware of the two other authoritarians shadowing them. They had stood out in the cold at a discreet distance and now walked behind them as they made their way back to their car. As they went Simone accessed her phone and searched for a club in the area.
“Here’s one that looks like fun,” she said with a laugh. “It’s a gay club.”
“Mm, maybe another night. I prefer a heterosexual encounter this evening,” he said with a grin.
“Are you one of those vampires who are only comfortable feeding from the opposite sex?”
“Guilty,” he confessed. “I will feed from a man if I must, but I prefer the delicacy of a woman. The energy we receive is so sexually charged.”
“Mm. Tell me about it,” she said huskily.
She was stroking the luxurious feel of her coat absently…sensuously, almost as if she would prefer to be touching her skin instead. He had no doubt that was the case.
They got into the car and Marcus followed her directions to the club a short distance away and closer to the city. He knew their backup was following them. Still, he took nothing for granted. As they went into the club he was hyper-aware of his surroundings. He stayed close to her back as they waded into a dense crowd of people and found the VIP section of the club which was roped off from the rest of the place. They approached the man guarding the ropes.
“We’d like a table,” Marcus said, pulling out his wallet and flashing a great deal of money. He peeled a hundred dollars out of his billfold and handed it to the man.
“Right this way,” he said with a grin. He unclipped the rope from the stanchion and let them pass.
There were four table in this section, two of which were occupied. A waitress immediately came up to them.
“There’s a two hundred dollar minimum drink order to sit here,” she said.
“A bottle of champagne should do it. Something old and expensive,” Marcus said.
The waitress grinned. “How expensive? Our bottle service can be pretty high.”
“Let’s keep it in the two hundred dollar range,” he said.
“You got it,” she said, moving away from them to fill their order.
The club throbbed with music and all of the energy of the excited mass of people. If he could take energy in by osmosis he would already be glutted. The trick would be finding the right target, and then coaxing that target to go somewhere quiet and unseen with them. This was New York. People were not as trusting as one might find in other places. Still, a little bit of hypno could work around that. Provided the target wasn't drunk. Hypno didn’t work very well on drunk or high people. One would think that would make them more susceptible, but it simply didn’t work that way. There were exceptions, especially if the hunter was powerful and old…like the queen. She was one of the founders. One of the original two hundred. She was a creature of intoxicating power. Marcus was overwhelmed by her just standing close to her. His admiration and respect knew no bounds. Unfortunately that didn’t keep him from feeling the base and animal attraction for her that he felt so viscerally.
They sat down on the low cushioned seats that surrounded an equally low table. Everything was black. From the leather of the couch to the lacquer of the table, all of it was black. Even the carpet was black with dark purple paisley swirls.
“I want to dance. Come dance with me,” she offered as she wriggled out of her coat and left it and her purse on the couch. She tapped the shoulder of the fellow guarding the VIP stanchion and smiled at him as she sidled up against him. Her lithe and beautiful body stood out in contrast to him bouncer’s bulk.
“Be a darling and keep an eye on our stuff?” she coaxed, a fingertip sliding down the bridge of his nose. She had his full attention as her sexy and sensual air washed over him. She didn’t even need to use hypno on him. He was willing to do anything for her as it was. Of course, the hundred-dollar tip helped, but he figured even without it she would have been just as effective.
The bouncer smiled at her and nodded, reaching for her, putting his hand on her hip and drawing her close. He spoke in her ear and Marcus couldn’t hear what he said, but her laugh and admonishing slap on his chest told him all he needed to know. He stepped in, taking her arm and pulling her away and onto the dance floor, a sudden surliness washing through him. He didn’t examine the emotion, as it faded quickly. They were out on the floor and dancing and the feeling disappeared as fast as it had come.
“I miss a good old fashioned waltz,” he shouted to her over the din of the pounding music.
She laughed and slid in close to him, just as she had with the bouncer. She danced sensuously, her body curving to the beat of the music. There was a Latin throb to the song that was playing and she threw herself into it. It was a marvelous thing to watch. The elegant sophisticate snaked away and in her place was a creature of pure sexuality and fun.
However, they were not there to dance with each other. With great reluctance he tore his attention away from her and let her engage with a man and a woman who were dancing nearby. He searched the dance floor for a target. She had to be clean. Preferably not drunk or overly influenced by alcohol. Definitely no drugs. He let his normal sight fade and instead let his vampire's sight come to the forefront. It allowed him to see the energy surrounding each person. Once he could see the aura of energy around them he could see whether or not it was a clean source.
Most of the crowd was working at different levels of contamination, but he found a few of targets that were worthy of pursuit, two of which were female. He observed them both for long minutes, moving off of the dance floor to follow one that appealed to him. She hooked up with a couple of girls, obviously her friends, and they began to shout a conversation to each other.
“Hello,” he introduced himself. “I saw you dancing and was wondering if you ladies would like to join me in the VIP section?”
“You have a table?” one of her drunk friends asked. “My god I need to sit down! Yes! We’ll come!”
Her friends seemed more hesitant and he turned to look his mark right in the eye. “Come on. I don’t bite.”
She laughed nervously, then shrugged and clearly threw caution to the wind. “I wouldn’t mind getting off my feet,” she said.
He reached out and took her hand in his and guided her around the fringe of the dance floor. They came to the VIP section where it was a little easier to hear one another and he encouraged the women to sit around the low table.
“Have a drink on me,” he invited as he snagged the attention of the waitress who had clearly brought a bottle and two glasses while they had been away. “More glasses for my friends,” he said to her as he poured champagne into the two glasses and handed them to his target’s two friends.
His prey was a pretty little thing, barely five feet tall without the heels she was wearing if he was guessing correctly, blonde and green-eyed as far as he could make out in the altered lighting of the dark club. She had a round face and a pale complexion and she was positively vibrating with energy. She promised to be a very tasty treat indeed. The idea of it appealed to him very much. He could just imagine the sensuality with which she would respond to his bite. There was a significant difference in their heights, which would make it easier for him to access the back of her neck. He could practically taste her blood on his lips and her energy on his tongue.
“I don’t drink,” she demurred and he was infinitely pleased. “I don’t need a glass.”
“Would you like a soda perhaps? Get whatever you like. It’s on me.”
She looked like she was debating whether or not to accept, but her friend, a semi-pretty brunette elbowed her in the ribs and made a stern face at her.
“I’ll take a Coke,” she relented, speaking to the waitress.
“More glasses and a Coke. Anything else?” the waitress asked.
“Another bottle of this champagne. We’re celebrating,” he said with a grin. The waitress lifted a brow, realizing that their bill had just gone up another two hundred dollars and clearly anticipating a hefty tip. To that end he took out his wallet and handed her his credit card.
She took it and left them.
“What are we celebrating?” his prey asked.
“My new job. I just got a promotion and just got into town. This is my first chance to get out and my friend and I are celebrating.”
“Where is your friend?” the third woman asked.
“On the floor. There. In the violet blouse and blue jeans.”
All three women craned their necks to see Simone and all three looked instantly crestfallen. He didn’t blame them in the least. Simone was a visually dynamic woman, gorgeous to look at and obviously intimidating to the average woman. At some point she had undone her braid and now her hair was floating about her head and shoulders in crimped waves. Gone was the casual beauty of early and here was a sexual beast. Another transformation, he marveled. Sophisticate to girl next door to red-haired vixen…all in the course of a day. Her changeability and her ability to blend in to wherever she was with whatever she was doing thoroughly impressed him.
As if she felt his attention on her she looked away from the man she was presently torturing with her gyrating hips and body and met his gaze unerringly. She went still for a moment, her lively body halting mid-dance, encouraging her partner of the moment to reach out and grab her hips between his hands and move them for her. She ran her eyes over him and assessed the situation he was in within moments. She turned and excused herself from her dance partner who let her go quite reluctantly. She made her way over to the group and sat down beside Marcus with a flounce and an exhalation of breath.
“Lord I need a drink!” she declared.
Marcus watched as jealous attention turned to tentative smiles. Simone’s easy attitude immediately relaxed their guard a little.
“We’ll get you one,” Marcus said. “What would you like?”
“Water on ice is good enough for the moment. Who are your new friends?” she asked, turning a sunny smile on the women strangers.
“Well…actually I don’t know yet. We hadn’t gotten to introductions yet.”
“Isn’t that just like you?” she said in exasperation. “I swear my friend has no manners. I’m Simone and this is Marcus.”
“I’m Candy and this is Rica,” the brunette said pointing to his blonde target. “That’s short for Erica.”
“And I‘m Elise,” the third woman said. “You’re British, right?” she asked of Marcus.
“Right,” he nodded.
“Just visiting or do you live here?”
“That’s what we’re celebrating,” Marcus said with a grin. “My new job here in New York.”
“Congratulations!” Candy said, smiling broadly. “I just love your accent.”
“Thank you. I was told you Americans like English accents.”
“We love them,” Candy said dreamily.
Marcus chuckled. “Well I’m happy to oblige. We can talk all night,” he said.
“Not all night,” Simone admonished. “We have work in the morning.”
“You work together?”
“You could say that. She’s my boss,” Marcus said with a conspiratorial wink and lowering of his voice.
“Oh! So…you’re not dating?” Erica asked, shyly speaking up at last. It was clear she was used to letting Candy, the more vivacious of them, do the talking and interacting.
“Not at all,” Marcus said, wondering why he almost choked on the words.
“Do you often go out and party with your boss?” Candy asked, amusement sparkling in her eyes. She downed the contents of her glass in several quick swallows. Marcus winced a little as she treated the two hundred dollar champagne like a beer.
“As I said, it’s a special occasion.”
“I invited him out,” Simone lied. “I figured I’d show him around a little since he's new to town.”
“That's very kind of you,” Rica said.
Marcus could tell he was going to have a task of it convincing this shy young woman to go anywhere with him in private. It promised to be a long night. The waitress returned and Marcus grabbed the bottle of champagne from her.
“Anyone for a refill?” he asked.