I rub my scruffy jaw and pat some water on the back of my neck, calming myself for what is about to happen. I am excited to be immortal again, to run with the wind through my hair, terrorizing the vampire community as Mr. Nice. And then…world domination!
My return will create shock waves through every society. Then I will begin gathering support to take down the Vanderhorst brothers. When news of their twin scheme spreads, vampires will demand justice. I will be there to deliver it.
Suddenly, I note a muffled whimper behind the blue shower curtain. I go over and pull it back, finding a petite female crouched in a ball.
She immediately sees me and sticks out her hands. “Please, please don’t hurt me.”
“Why would I hurt you?”
“You’re one of them.”
Not yet. “No,” I say.
Her warm brown eyes go wide with hope. “Help me. Please help me get out of here.”
“But we must all die, woman. It is part of life.” I myself plan to die for a second time in a few moments.
“She has no right to do this to me or anyone here. We have families. We have feelings.”
I seriously doubt these “guests” have families. Not anymore. Julia is quite keen on taking everyone from Granny to Tiny Tim when she fills up her inventory. She once nabbed an entire Amish community, horse buggies and all. But that was long ago when she used to cater this fantastic vampire festival in Romania. She’d make sure there was a wide selection of blood to choose from, brought in from all over the world.
The woman lunges for my hand. “Please don’t leave me here. Please, I’m begging you. I want to go to school and fall in love. I just want to see my mom and dad and little sister again.”
Mom and dad and little sister. The words send a spike of pain through my heart. Suddenly, I’m thinking of Miriam, Stella, and that despicable Vanderhorst. I see them sitting around the dinner table, trying to make me laugh so I’ll open my mouth and eat my strained peas. Stella would tickle me until I could not help but open up. I came to enjoy our little games.
I shake my head to dislodge the memory. “Family is overrated.”
“Why would you say that?” She looks at me with pity.
“Sorry. I cannot help you.” I puff out my wide chest. “You belong to Julia’s inventory now, and she decides your fate.”
I leave the bathroom and slam right into Julia.
“Who are you speaking to?” she asks.
“One of your meals is hiding in zi shower.”
Julie goes in and pulls the curtain back all the way. “There you are! Mr. Romanovich ordered you special and will be here any moment. Go get cleaned up and back to your pen.”
Romanovich. My entrails twist into a knot. Mr. Romanovich has been around for a very long time. Russian oligarch turned mobster turned vodka producer. They call him Nails mostly because he enjoys poking holes in his meals with a giant spike. Kind of like making a fountain.
You see, friends, here is the thing about vampires: There is Vanderhorst’s vampire world of laws and rules, where vampires are only permitted to eat bad humans on an approved list maintained by their society. That world is neat and clean and orderly. Then there is the other side: The dark hidden world of vampires, where rules mean nothing. They do what they want when they want. And they are good at not getting caught by the vampire authorities. Mostly because bad vampires protect one another, but also because vampires are adept at evading detection.
My point is that some vampires are too low and despicable even for my taste. Nails is one such vampire.
Julia grabs the young woman by her long dark hair and drags her from the bathroom. “Back to your pen!”
The woman cries, and suddenly I have a strange feeling in my chest. For some odd reason, I do not wish her to die. “How much?”
“Sorry?” Julia asks.
“How much for zi girl?”
“Sorry, she’s not for sale. Romanovich already paid for her, and I do not want to disappoint my best customer.”
“But you know what he’ll do to her,” I argue.
Julia shrugs. “What do you care?” She then smiles. “But don’t worry. I have another just like her. Maybe a little sweeter, but same age.” Julia drags the girl to a room across the hall and shoves her in, closing the door with a thud. “And don’t come out until I call you, or you know what will happen!”
I am unsure of what to do. Seems wrong to leave anyone in Nails’s hands.
“Come on now.” Julia waves me toward her bedroom. “I’ve got a lot of work to do if I’m going to get rid of all my inventory and move my business.” Julia disappears inside.
I hesitate.
“You coming?” she calls out.
“Yes.” I see the dark-haired woman peeking out from the other room. I can hear several people whispering inside.
If I wait until after I’m changed to help her, it’ll be too late. The transformation usually takes a few hours.
I look at the woman with the beautiful brown eyes and pouty lips. Then at Julia’s doorway. Woman. Doorway. Woman. Doorway. I walk over to Julia’s door and shut it. “Run! Hurry! I will hold the door!”
The woman from the shower dashes from the other room, followed by eight or nine more women. They bolt for the front door, yelling for help.
“Open this door, Nice! Open it right now!” Julia yells.
I know I cannot hold it long. I am strong for a human, but no match for her. The moment I let go, she will kill me.
The door handle turns, and I lose my grip. The door flies open.
I smile down at Julia, whose face is flaming red.
“Oops. I guess your humans got away.” I shrug. “So, you still wish to have that money and a house in New Orleans?”
Julia flashes her fangs and growls. “You’re a dead man, Nice.” She reaches for me so quickly I do not have time to process what is happening. The room goes dark.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Hey, wake up. Wake up. Are you all right?” a soft female voice whispers.
I open my eyes to find the pretty young woman from the shower crouched over me, tapping my cheek, her big eyes filled with worry.
“Where am I?” I grumble, noting wet grass underneath me and trees all around. It is still night—a full moon now—and I feel weak and dizzy.
“We’re in a park. A few blocks from that house.”
“What happened?” I ask.
“That crazy redhead grabbed you and started drinking from your neck. You must’ve tasted really good because she was making all these noises. Num, num, num.”
I sit up slowly and place my hand over my neck. The skin is wet and raw. I can tell the spot was gnawed on.
“Careful. Easy there.” The woman helps me stay upright.
“How do you know what was done to me?” I saw her leave the house screaming.
“The other women and I ran into the street right when a patrol car was passing. I flagged the officer down and told him there was a murder happening in the house. He went in and shot at that vampire woman because she wouldn’t let go of you. Then she fled.”
Wow. What luck. “But why are we here?”
“That Romanovich guy showed up, and the cop started shooting at him, too. After that, it was all a blur. I pulled you to your feet, and we ran. You passed out here.”