Kill Me (21 page)

“Have you seen Bette today? When I got up she was gone. No one seems to know where she is… I’m worried. I mean, is it normal for her to disappear. Maybe it is. How would I know?”

Okay, so I gush when I’m anxious.

“I have not seen her.” Domino grunted. “But I am worried also.”

Fear crept up my spine. If Domino was worried then something was definitely wrong.

“When was the last time you spoke to her? What did she say?” I asked.

“Bette called early this morning. I assume she had just left you at the hotel,” Domino said. “She said she had something to take care of and asked me to bring Morgan to see you.”

“What was so important that she had to rush off and leave me sleeping?” I said.

Domino shrugged and remained stoic. Right—a good employee doesn’t question, they just follow orders.

“She also had me take care of this.” He pulled a sheath of folded papers from his inner suit pocket and thrust them in my direction with a sneer.

“What is this?” I asked, opening the bundle. It was mostly a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo, but buried in between the last two pages was a cashier’s check for an obscenely large amount of money. And it was made out to me.

My stomach rolled.

I should be happy. I should be doing cartwheels, flipping over-the-moon with joy. But instead it just felt wrong. One of the last things Bette had seen to was making sure I received my inheritance. Had she thought there was a chance she wouldn’t be around to do it herself? I hoped that wasn’t the case.

“But...” I glanced to the little piece of paper that changed my life and then to the man who’d handed it to me. “Not that I’m not grateful, but I’d rather find Bette. I need her.”

“I know. But I can’t feel sorry for you right now. It all comes back to you.” Domino wouldn’t look at me, but his voice softened just a little.

I wanted to protest, but I knew he was probably right.

The guilt knotted in my stomach. He walked away from me and retrieved Morgan from the photographer’s clutches. The poor guy looked so sad to see her go. I didn’t blame him. Morgan was a looker, all right.

“Domino!” I called out to him. “I’ll find her, it will all be okay. I promise.”

He studied me for several long seconds, took Morgan by the arm and said, “You better” before walking away, leaving me standing there with no answers and a fat check in my hand.

“What do you have there, Clara?” purred a voice right behind my ear.

I jumped and shoved the check and papers into my bag. “Jesus, Clive! Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s not nice to sneak up on people?”

I stumbled backwards, trying to put a little distance between us.

“I am vampire, Clara. It’s what we do.” Clive snickered, shaking his head. “You new ones are too soft, with your empathy and morals and manners.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry Clive. If you’d prefer, I could just tear your throat out right here?”

Eww. Just saying that creeped me out. I prayed that I’d never be like him. But if I really wanted to, I bet I could kick his slimy tail all over the dark side.

Clive’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “I’d love for you to try.”

I glared at him, trying to pluck a snappy insult from my brain. I came up with a big, fat nothing. No doubt a dozen zingers would come to me later. It was always that way.

“There you are Claire.” Gregor ducked through the curtained doorway holding a deeply burnished violin gingerly in his hands. “Brother,” he acknowledged Clive before turning back to me.

“It’s perfect!” I beamed, “Now if I can just find someone to play it.”

I looked hopefully at Gregor, but he shook his head.

“I don’t play. But Bette said you make beautiful music.”

“I’m pretty sure that was the haunted violin, not me,” I argued, still ignoring Clive. I hoped he would just disappear into a puff of smoke and ash. If only a girl could be so lucky.

“Show us.” Clive gestured to the violin.

I laughed in his face. My, my…I was getting brave.

Gregor stepped closer to me and lowered his voice. “Just do as he says. You may surprise yourself.”

I considered my options. My favorite one—crack the violin over my knee and plunge the wooden neck into Clive’s chest cavity. Or I could skulk back into the booth and try to play the damn thing. I chose practicality over pleasure. I did have to find someone to play it since Bette was AWOL.

“Fine, give it here.” I held out my hand and took the antique violin. “In the booth, now.”

I pointed to the door, and both men seemed momentarily stunned that I was ordering them around. I’d gotten cocky, not to mention faster and stronger since my first solo-feed. I wonder if that was just a coincidence.

“What are you waiting for? Go on.” I shooed them inside.

Chapter 23

I was not amused. I’d tried to play the violin and judging by the looks on Gregor and Clive’s faces, I had failed miserably. Not that I needed them to tell me that. My own ears were bleeding, for heaven’s sake.

“I won’t say I told you so, but...” I smirked.

Gregor paced, “Okay, so we know you can’t play the violin; not even the special one.”

Clive grunted, “So what is different this time?”

“Nothing, really. I was sitting here. Bette was beside me, close enough that our legs were touching. And...”

Gregor smiled and threw up his hands. “That’s it! Bette is a Maestro. You borrowed her talent.”

It made sense. I did seem to be borrowing a lot of things from others lately. Emotional hijacking may be the typical Empath accomplishment, but using someone’s talent was too sweet for words. Imagine all the things I could do with that. Painting like O’Keefe. Juggling like a circus clown. Crazy gymnastics like Mary Lou.

Clive brought me out of my thoughts. “So you just need someone with a talent for violin.”

Something about his smirk made my stomach recoil. I shook my head. “No. I’ll find someone else.”

“There isn’t time Clara, the show starts in twenty minutes,” he countered.

“Clive is right, Claire. You are out of options so I suggest that you go get ready, do the show and get it over with.” Gregor took the violin from my hands and placed it back on the shelf.

He was right and I hated that. I didn’t want to share the same oxygen with Clive, let alone have to touch him for the length of the song, while in front of hundreds of people. But I’d promised the gang at SheRawks! I would help. I didn’t need the money from my job anymore, but I’d been raised better than to let the people that depended on me down.

“Fine. I’m going to freshen up in the ladies room. Meet me beside the stage in fifteen minutes.” I addressed Gregor and ignored Clive.

“Bring the violin and a stool.” I figured the easiest way to pull the whole thing off was to sit on the stool and have Clive stand behind me touching my back. I damn sure didn’t want any skin-to-skin contact with that lizard.

I left the boys gawking as I swept out of the room with an air of indifference. Five minutes later, after preening in the mirror to psych myself up, I made my way to the big event. I found the men waiting for me stage left. I could see Joni running frantically between the wires and gear already set up behind the closed curtain. Any minute now, she’d spot me. My stomach rolled at the thought.

Stage-fright or Clive-fright? I wasn’t sure.

I decided to distract myself. I addressed Clive and Gregor simultaneously. “What’s up with Morgan? I think she’d do any damn thing I asked.”

Clive sneered. “You bound her to you.”

I shook my head violently. “No I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did. When you drank too much, we had to give her your blood. You were still high, so I’m not surprised that you don’t remember.”

My eyes widened. “She’s a vampire? Oh, God.”

I couldn’t have a vampire taking care of my child- that was absurd! Wait, I was a vampire. Shit.

“No, wench.” Clive lowered his voice. “It takes a large blood exchange to turn someone. You just gave her a little of your essence to keep her living while her body replenished its blood supply.”

“Oh.” I let the wench comment go. It probably wasn’t smart to piss Clive off further right before I had to lead him onstage. “So... will she always be like that? Like a puppy eager to please?”

“Sadly, no.” Clive’s eyes twinkled, probably thinking about what he would do to an ever-complacent stripper.

Gregor cut him off. “The effect will fade over time, so long as you don’t feed it again.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him, not sure what he meant.

“Literally, feed it.” He flashed his fangs at me so quickly I didn’t worry about anyone else catching the peep show. I was actually kind of impressed.

“Okay, got it—no snacking on the nanny.” I looked forward to the day where I didn’t feel like a complete imbecile at least thirty times per day. This Vamp stuff was complicated.

“Claire! There you are!” Vera huffed and puffed as she headed our way. “Everything is set. We’ve rigged the lights with colored filters, so everyone on stage will look like they’ve just stepped out of an old black and white movie. The Siren is being played by an up-and-coming Stunner out of Portland—Lana something. Where’s your violinist?”

I didn’t miss the way Vera’s mouth twisted at the near-mention of Bette. Jealousy did not become her at all.

“Bette can’t be here...” I smiled and shot her my best
I’m sorry
look.

Vera looked on the verge of a stroke. Sweat beaded up on her ruddy temples. “What do you mean...?”

I touched her arm and she calmed— enough that it was clear to me at once. Gregor noticed it too, which was just peachy.

“If it’s okay, I’ll play the violin instead?” I said to Vera, squeezing her hand.

Vera perked. “You play?”

I nodded and tried to do it convincingly.

“If you can handle it like you did the guitar earlier, then we can still put on a great show.” She clapped her hands and bounced just a bit. “Now, please tell me you can wing this song.”

She thrust a crumpled set of sheet music in my direction and I took it slowly, pretending to study it so that Clive would have a chance to get a decent look at it. I had no idea what I was looking at. It might as well have been Phoenician. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clive nod. That was all I needed.

“Sure, no problem. Just tell us where to go,” I said to Vera.

“Us?” she stopped me.

Crap, I hadn’t thought of an explanation for Clive. I scrambled for a reason and once it finally came to me I cringed at having to say it out loud. “Well, given the Hollywood-esque context, I thought it would be fun to tease my friend Clive here a little while I play.”

I almost choked while referring to Clive as a friend.
And after practically seducing him on stage, I’ll probably wish that I had.

“Oh, sure then. Right this way.” I could sense the disappointment in her voice as she led us to the stage. Perhaps she thought we were an item?

Over my undead-dead body.

We followed Vera up to the stage, which was currently cloaked with a heavy curtain around the expansive rectangular platform. At the other end of the stage, a lone spotlight illuminated a single mic stand and I assumed that’s where the guitarist with the Siren was going to stand. On the opposite end of the platform I found our spot. And I was none too happy about it.

Sitting there under the hot lights was an ornate damask chaise. The kind that I’d envision Bette reclined on when I pitched the campaign to the ladies.

“Oh, so we are standing over there?” I said with a flicker of hope in my voice.
Please say yes, please say yes.

Vera shook her head. “We did have it set up that way, but your friend,” she nodded to Clive, “suggested that the guitarist stand and the violinist recline, since we’re unveiling the Siren. You know, so she has the room to kick it up a notch.”

I tossed my best threatening stare in Clive’s direction. He returned the look with a smug smile before lowering himself onto the settee. He reclined back on the one arm with his feet dangling off the end. Clive patted the fabric and gave me a wicked grin.

I shook my head. I was not cozying up to him on a couch. I leaned against the arm of the settee, resting my butt on it. I pulled one of Clive’s arms up and rested his hand on my lower back, shivering involuntarily.

Vera scuttled off to brief the guitarist who walked up on the stage, a waif-thin dark haired girl in a long flowing white dress. Her hair was pinned up in a controlled mess of auburn curls, framing her porcelain face. She cradled the Siren like a baby and the light gleamed from the polished ebony and chrome finish.

While we waited, I felt Clive’s hand descend down my back, grazing the top of my backside. My canine’s dropped at the perceived threat. I turned to him, growling, and got up in his face.

“You are here for only one reason. So I can borrow your talent. After that, you are useless to me. Expendable. Think about that while we’re up here, because if you cross the line even the tiniest bit, I will claw your heart out as soon as we are off the stage.”

Clive showed no emotion during my speech, so it was hard to tell if I scared him at all. Probably not, but I was beginning to scare myself. I’d turned into a badass overnight.

I turned back to the curtained crowd, muttering for good measure. “Don’t think for a moment that I won’t enjoy the hell out of licking your blood off my fingers either.”

I heard his distinct laugh behind me. Bastard thought I was joking.

Vera headed our way. “Ready?”

I nodded and gulped. Mostly to buy some time while my teeth went back to the human-acceptable position.

“Don’t worry girl, you’ll do fine.” Vera squeezed my shoulder, a move meant to be comforting, but her hand lingered a little longer than necessary, taking the moment well into awkward territory.

I did my best to give Vera a carefree smile while my teeth retracted. “Thanks.”

Vera gave my shoulder another little squeeze and exited the stage.

Chapter 24

The lights dimmed and for the briefest second I found myself alone, in the dark, with Clive behind me and out of my sight line. I had the irrational (or maybe not so irrational) fear that he would take the chance while my back was turned, literally. I turned to reassure myself that he was not preparing to eat me.