Black Heart: Coeur de Sade (Black Heart Series) (31 page)

            "Mmmm," we groaned in unison.

            We kissed a couple minutes.  I don't know how long.  Not long enough, and too long.  But the siren call of her surging, hot blood was soon too much to resist.  I released her warm lips, and kissed my way along her jaw line.  Boots groaned wantonly, then laughed.  She so wanted to be bitten.

            Part of me was screaming
NO
.  All the rest of me was charging forward.  I didn't want to be a vampire that fed on people.  I wanted to be a good vampire, that only drank animal blood.  But Boots knew what she was about, and I was lost.  She couldn't even stop me now.

            I nuzzled her perfumed neck.  Cheap perfume, applied liberally.  She was a streetwalker, after all.  It was strong enough I couldn't ignore it, but the lure of her tasty blood kept me focused.  I licked and nibbled and nuzzled her slender neck from jaw to shoulder for a long minute, then picked my place and sank my fangs into her soft flesh.

            "Uuuggghhh, yes!" Boots cried, and climaxed.  Okay, part of my power was to make being fed upon a very pleasant experience.  At least half that climax was from me, but she was so ready and eager, she took it the rest of the way.  Some fang whores, like my Desiree, didn't need any vampiric powers to push them over the top when being bitten.  "Drink, Sable, drink all you want."

            Oh, I was.  Human blood was just too good.  As her hot blood flowed into my mouth, as I gulped it down hungrily, I felt that wonderful buzz start up.  Only human blood did that.  The buzz was the best.  I felt reborn and more than alive.

            Once my appetite was sated, I healed her twin wounds and pulled away.  Boots fell back over the gas tank and writhed, a big smile on her face.  I could see and feel her belly quivering from the climax, and it had my libido all fired up.

            "There's a motel up the road," Boots said.  "Take me there, and I'll give you as much pleasure as you just gave me.  All night long."

            "I really want to, but I can't," I said, remembering Roger.  "Another time.  I promise."

            "Oh, poo," she said, with the prettiest little pout.

            "Did Desiree teach you to do that?"

            "Maybe," she said, and laughed.  "Desiree was my first girl, and she taught me a lot.  A whole lot."

            "Hmm, she does have her talents," I said, missing Desiree.  It had only been a few days since I last saw her, but still.  I was used to her being there, and now she was in hiding across town.  "I have to go.  Can I give you a ride somewhere first?"

            "Drop me off at the motel," she said.

            A short time later she was sitting behind me on the bike and we were racing down the street.  I was feeling much better than before.  Thanks to Boots's blood.  When I dropped her off at the motel she hooked up with a john before I left the parking lot.  I was amazed.

            Continuing south down Harry Hines, I came to the strip mall with Crazy Girls titty bar.  Excuse me,
Gentlemen's
club.  Boney was leaning against his Mercedes, decked out in a dark gray Armani suit and talking to Vicki and Tessa.

            Vicki van de Veer was a twenty-three year old redheaded beauty with a strong dislike of me.  Actually, I think she was jealous of Boney's deep affection for me, and of all the time he spent with me in his coffin.  She was just as tall as myself, but just a bit curvier and heavier breasted.  She looked spectacular in her little black mini, with diamond earrings, choker, and bracelet.

            Tessa Gutierrez was five inches shorter at five foot five, but even curvier with really impressive natural breasts.  Her body looked like it was drawn by a horny comic book artist.  That spectacular, and without implants.  Her long hair was very dark brown, wavy and silky.  Her eyes were even darker than her hair, but not quite black.  She was twenty-six, but looked early thirties due to the harshness of her face.  Don't get me wrong, she was a beauty, but she had that hooker's hard edge.  Tessa was dressed for work, in a snug hot pink mini dress and matching pumps.

            Boney's face lit up when I rolled to a stop next to them.  Vicki looked stricken, while Tessa just looked me up and down.

            "Where did you get that outfit?" Tessa said.

            "Kinky Corner in Deep Ellum," I said.

            "Oh, I like that place."

            "It has its charms," I said.  I looked up at Boney.  "Hiya, lover.  Remember me?"

            "Sable!" he said, full of joy.

            He took a step towards me, arms wide to engulf me in a fierce hug.  I held my hand up, forestalling that.  Then I glanced at Tessa, then Vicki.

            "Some privacy please?"

            "We're on a date," Vicki said petulantly.  Her brilliant green eyes narrowed and she curled her lip.

            "I won't keep him," I said.  When she didn't budge, "Beat it, or I'll bite you in a place you won't enjoy."

            Tessa barked a laugh, and sauntered off toward the strip club.  There were a bunch of men filing out.  Horny men.  Boney asked Vicki to give us a little time, then he would make it up to her.  She took her purse from the car and headed for the strip club, too, only claiming she had to fix her face.

            Boney made to hug me again, but I slipped off the other side of the Ninja and eyed him narrowly.  His arms and face dropped miserably.

            "It wasn't my fault!"

            "You betrayed me," I said.

            "You know the power Antoinette has over me," he pleaded.  "Yuri had the same power over you."

            I cringed.  Yuri ordered me to kill my boyfriend, and I actually tried to do it.  But Dane was too good and escaped.  Praise the Lord.

            "Do you know what Antoinette did to me?"

            "I was there."

            "Of course, a full participant in my use, abuse, and utter humiliation," I snarled.  "God, I can't even think about what Angelique did to me, and how she forced me to submit to her.  She is worse than Dominique."

            It was beyond humiliating.  But I expected nothing less from that old French whore.  What Boney did was worse.

            "You were the one person I could always count on," I said, eyes burning and throat tight.  I felt the tears rolling.  "I trusted you!"

            "I didn't want to do it," he said.  He was crying, too.  The absurdity of two vampires crying struck me as funny.  Some Masters of the Night we were.  "She wants that damned talisman."

            "She can't have it," I said.

            "You have it?"

            "What?  No, don't be ridiculous.  But council wants it, and I won't give it to her," I said.  I brushed at the tears, strangely embarrassed for losing control and crying.  I wasn't there to accuse him of high crimes and misdemeanors.  "I don't trust her with it."

            "I don't trust any of them with it," Boney said.

            "I can't trust anyone now," I said.  Okay, I dropped my guard and he was there, arms around me, holding me tight.  It felt good.  Too good.  I didn't want to be mad at him.  I wanted to trust him.  I
needed
someone to trust without thought.  "My life is falling apart."

            "If it is any consolation, you kind of freaked Antoinette out," Boney said.  "Did you really kill Alfred?"

            "Who?  I don't know any Alfred."

            "Bat Man," he said.  "Alfred Sanger.  Did you kill him?  He was crazy, but a fierce fighter."

            "I didn't kill him," I said.  "I shot him a few times, but I didn't kill him."

            "He didn't come back."

            I shrugged.  "Not my problem.  He creeped me out."

            "Me, too," Boney said.  "Odd."  He held me out at arms length and looked me over critically.  "Are you all right?  You look fine, but you don't seem right."

            "Don't seem right?  The council shanghaied my life to search for this damned Coeur de Sade, the Giorgi Girls robbed me blind, I have crazy werewolves coming out of my yah-zoo and trying to kill me, and to top it all off my best friend in the whole undead world works for the queen of bitches."

            "Actually, Tara is a much bigger bitch than Antoinette," he said, and grinned.

            I smiled.  I could see that.  But it was nice to hear a joke.  Those crazy people were squashing my own sense of humor.

            "Noted," I said.  "You aren't off the hook yet, buster."

            Boney looked shame-faced.

            It could be an act.  He'd played me before.  Boney was a pimp, and thus a master manipulator.  I know he could work me.  But I kinda liked it.  I know, sick.

            "Can you help me?" I said.  "I mean, without Antoinette knowing?"

            "I can help you, but if she asks I can't deny her," he said.  "So don't tell me anything you don't want her knowing."

            I looked him deep in the eyes.  We remained like that a long moment, while I decided if I could and wanted to trust him.  In the end, I had no choice.  I
did
trust him, and there was nothing I could do to change that.

            "I'm in a bad way, Boney.  In part due to you," I said.

            "What did I do?"

            "You cleaned out Desiree's house too fast," I said.  "All my stuff is in storage.  All I have is the clothes on my back.  You even took away the battery charger for the phone council gave me."

            "Is that why you haven't called Jeff or Tara?"

            "In part," I said, pulled the pack off and pulled out the smashed cell phone.  "It got broke.  I don't have another, or their phone numbers."  I cocked my head, studying him, and dread starting to grow for my next question.  "Is my family safe?"

            He looked shaken.  "No."

            "Fuck me!  Fuck me!" I cried.  "What do those bastards want?  I'm trying my best!"

            "They don't care about now hard you try, only in your results," he said.  He looked sickened and licked his lips.  "If you don't get the talisman within the next day or so, they are going to let Antoinette have Sabrina."

            I went all cold.  My mind almost shut down.  Not my little sister.  I might've dropped to my knees if Boney hadn't held me up.

            "Tell Antoinette...tell the council, that if any one of them touches any member of my family, they better
pray
I never get hold of that talisman," I said, each word more vicious than that last.  I was seething.  "I will use it to catch and stake every last member of council, and their godforsaken undead families."

            "Sable, I can't tell them — " he said.

            "Tell them!" I demanded, eyes flashing.  "Touch my family, and die."

CHAPTER 19

            Bone Daddy was full of information.  Some of it actually useful.  And he was helpful in other ways, too.

            Boney bought me a new cell phone, and loaded it up with minutes.  I was good for ninety days.  He gave me two hundred dollars to buy clothes, which I didn't have any issues accepting from him.  I figured he owed me.  Big time.

            He couldn't do anything about my clothes and other stuff locked in storage.  Desiree had the key, and he had no idea if my stuff was up front or in back.  He figured it was best to either stay with him, which is what he wanted, or shack up with Desiree and her friend, Brandon.

            Boney said Brandon Wesley was a bigger fang whore than Desiree, and I was just the kind of "vampire babe" he loved best.  He swore Brandon would shower me with diamonds and designer clothes, and lots and lots of money.  He would do anything to keep me.  If I wanted that.  I didn't.

            Besides, I could "feel" Desiree over at Brandon's at that very moment.  They were more than friends.  Friends with benefits, and they were sharing a lot of benefits at that moment.  Hot and heavy benefits.  Desiree was hyper horny, and having a grand ole time.  It was a bit disconcerting, but I was getting much better at blocking my links thanks to her and Dane each having lovers.

            Dane and Gabe were relatively subdued in comparison.  Gabe was agitated, but that was his usual state since being shot and confined to bed.  Dane was stressed, but in a different way.  I couldn't quite place it, either.  I suspected Heidi was the cause, since that girl stressed everyone out.  For different reasons.

            "I have a question about werewolves," I said.

            "I'll try, but I don't know that much about them."

            "First, am I correct in assuming anyone whose aura is a filled in circle is a werewolf?"

            "Filled in circle?  You mean filled in halo," he said.  I nodded.  "Yes.  That person is an alpha werewolf."

            "Good.  I just wanted to be sure someone other than a werewolf would possess such an aura.  I don't want to make a mistake and shoot a mortal," I said.  That was good to know, but I had bigger issues to face.  "What can you tell me about the Giorgi sisters?"

            "They're bitches," Vicki said from the back seat.  I think I ruined her date night with Boney.  We'd just returned to the Crazy Girls parking lot, after picking up my new phone.  "Like you."

            I slanted a look over my shoulder, then glanced at Boney.  "May I?"

            "If you must."

            "Vicki?" I said, half turning to face her.  You'd think a fang whore would know better.  She looked me dead in the eyes, and I mesmerized her.  "Go to sleep.  Ignore anything and everything you hear."

            Vicki slumped over and was sound asleep.

            "She is going to be so pissed," Boney said, grim-faced.

            "Afraid of your own fang whores?"

            "Of course.  She's a woman," he said, and laughed.

            "Smart man," I said.  "Now, back to who Vicki so eloquently and accurately referred to as 'bitches,' the Giorgi Girls.  What can you tell me about them, and I hope you know their whereabouts."