“Thanks,” I say back. “Hopefully it’s good. I don’t cook too often.” Though truth be told, I didn’t make any of this. All I did was heat it up, and if this house had a microwave, I would have used that instead.
The timer goes off to take the garlic bread from the oven, and when I bend over to get it, Thomas purposely rubs against my ass. It’s playful, makes me laugh, and for some strange reason, makes this whole thing seem almost normal, like I’m a regular chick cooking dinner for her boyfriend.
Only there are four of them.
And we’re nowhere near regular.
“What’s the plan for tonight?” Gilbert asks, helping me carry the food to the table. He sits across from me and next to his brother. They look so much alike, but when they’re side by side like this, I can see just how different they are. Thomas’s hair is a little darker and Gilbert’s has more of a wave to it. They have the same sky-blue eyes and full, pink lips.
“I’m not sure,” I admit, hesitating before I start to serve myself. Hasan is at my side, wings folded tightly behind him so he fits on the chair. Jacques hasn’t joined us yet, and when I think about it, my heart hurts. It’s not my pain I’m feeling but his. He’s close by on the porch, pacing back and forth. “I dug deeper into this whole thing and it’s bigger than I thought.”
My chest tightens at the thought of it, and instead of reaching for the serving spoon, I go for my wine instead. “I thought the bar was the headquarters for it all, but there are cases of people going missing or being found dead from blood loss way before the club was even open.”
“Of course there would be.” Gilbert raises an eyebrow, not sure why I’m surprised. “Vampires have been around since our time.”
His words, simple as they are, hit me. “I know. But thinking about them being well established in the area makes everything harder. Are they organized, like the mafia? Is it even possible to put an end to this? I find and kill the vampire who made those baby vamps. And then what? Another will just do the same. Or maybe they’re in the system and have paid people off. They could be so assimilated into society and no one will believe me when I try to blow the cover off the vampire gangs.” The panic inside me rises, forcing my words out faster and faster. I bring my wine to my lips again, and no one speaks.
Then the floor creaks again and we all look up to see Jacques entering the dining room.
“When you catch a bad guy, you’re not ending crime in the city,” he says, eyes spearing into mine. “And yet you feel like you did the right thing by ridding the streets of one more sinner.” He takes a seat at the head of the table. “Vampires are pests. You will not rid the world of them. We couldn’t back then, and we won’t now. But if you stop just one, you’re doing the right thing and making the world a little safer.”
I set the wine down and nod. I know Jacques is right. I just wish I could get on board with it.
“Gilbert is right.” Jacques reaches for a slice of garlic bread. “Vampires have been around for centuries. They’ve probably killed hundreds in your village, and those innocent lives lost will never see justice. It’s not right or fair, but it’s something you have to accept. Yes, more vampires can move in on the territory, but I imagine it’s the same with the crime you fight in today’s times.”
I nod and put spaghetti noodles on my plate. “That is true.”
“You said the attacks have been going on for a while,” Hasan starts, and digs into his food as well. “Have there been others with bone missing?”
I shake my head. “No, but there are a handful of unsolved cases where the victims were found drained of blood. Some had puncture wounds—like from fangs—and the others were drained with IVs. It’s been assumed the blood was sold on the black market, which is an illegal venue, so to speak, to sell things like bodies, babies, and weapons.”
Thomas raises his eyebrows. “Some things never change. Humanity at its finest, even after a thousand years.”
“Money can get you pretty much anything,” I say. “Even more so now. But does that mean something to you?” I look at Hasan.
“Times have changed, but I’m sure vampires still like to stay hidden. New vampires—baby vamps, as you call them—are always a risk.”
“Risk?” I ask, and take a bite of food.
“Newly turned vampires are insatiable,” Jacques explains. “Controlling the hunger is something they learn with age, and going through the transformation requires a certain level of energy.”
I chew my food, considering his words. “So, you think there’s a new vamp in town, trying to stake out a claim.”
Jacques smiles. “Yes.”
Leaning back in my chair, I take another sip of wine. “The new alpha is turning people, and the new vampires are the ones responsible for the murders I’m trying to solve.” I shake my head. “Saying it out loud gives me a headache. But to get to the root of this, I need to find the sire and kill him. Then things will go relatively back to normal.”
“Precisely.” Jacques picks up the glass of wine in front of his plate and takes a small sip, pulling the same face Hasan did. I turn away to keep from laughing. “Like you said, vampires have been here for years, and I’m sure other monsters have been, as well. But the savage killings are new, from the new threat. Kill him, and I know without a doubt, Ace, you’ll be doing a great thing.”
19
With the sun shining all day, the house had heated up on its own. With the heater running all day, plus five bodies in the house, it’s become uncomfortably warm. I turn down the thermostat and unzip my hooded sweatshirt. Thomas and Gilbert are supposedly cleaning the kitchen, Jacques is outside keeping watch, and Hasan is somewhere in the house.
Yawning, I go to the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room and look into the dark yard. The back porch lights don’t illuminate much around the house, limiting what I can see.
“Ace?” Hasan’s voice rings out from the balcony upstairs.
“I’m down here.” I catch his reflection in the window. Instead of going down the stairs, he jumps over the balcony, spreading his wings and gracefully gliding down.
“Show-off,” I say with a smile.
He smiles back. “Being cursed…” He trails off and shakes his head. “Having the ability to fly almost makes up for it.”
“Almost.”
“Yes. Almost.”
“I’ll try to break it.”
“I know.” He stops behind me and brushes my hair over my shoulder. His hands go to my hips, and I step back until I’m up against him. I rest my head on his firm chest and my eyes fall shut.
“You’re staying in tonight, aren’t you?”
“Probably. I’m kind of out of plans right now.”
“That’s for the best tonight.”
I spin in his arms. “How is it for the best?”
“You’re exhausted, Ace. You can’t go after vampires on a whim again. You have no stakes and no holy water. Your head injury is one blow away from becoming serious and I can tell you’re sore when you walk.”
“But the new moon—”
“Isn’t happening tonight.” He picks me up and I know there’s no point to protesting. Hasan is double my size, if not more. With a smirk, he crouches down, holds me tight, and jumps, taking flight. In just seconds, we land on the upstairs balcony.
“Whoa.” My arms are still fastened around his neck. “That was incredible.”
“Like I said, it almost makes up for the curse.” He sets me down and takes my hand, leading me into the bedroom. “You need to rest, Ace. I’m serious.”
“Yeah,” I agree, knowing that going into the bedroom with Hasan isn’t going to be restful. And I’m okay with that.