Four Centuries (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (6 page)

She pointed out the scar tissue on Emma's neck.
 

"Our saliva heals the puncture wounds.
 
We shouldn't leave any evidence behind we were even there.
 
But that scarring…someone's feeding from her too much.
 
And she's craving it."
 

She didn't want to jump to conclusions and assume a vampire was taking advantage of Emma.
 
Mortals and vampires both sometimes took things too far.

"I don't have time to hunt anyone down right now, Tony," she said.
 
"But I can make some calls, get Emma the help she needs.
 
You treat it just like any other addiction…."

She trailed off as she watched Tony's face.
 
The concern was still there, his jaw tense.
 
But there was one element that seemed to be lacking.

Surprise.

"Tony?
 
What aren't you telling me?"

He sighed.
 
"Let's put it this way.
 
There's not really any hunting involved."

She said nothing while he paced, gathering his thoughts.

"You know the dance club down the street?
 
Right after the 7-11?"

She nodded, but frowned.
 
"Do I really need to be involved in this?"

"Trust me, you're going to want to see this."

"Damn."
 
She could tolerate a night club.
 
She often went out with her friends, even met Alex in one.
 
But they weren't her favorite.
 
"Those places kill my ears."

"Wear some earmuffs," he said, smiling.
 
"Go to the back of the place, near the stairs.
 
Tell them you're there to see the Vermilion.
 
And do
not
tell them you got all of this from me."

Victoria wasn't sure she wanted to get dragged into whatever was happening, but another look at Emma convinced her otherwise.
 
She'd always felt responsible for the supernatural underworld of Baltimore, and at least wanted to be aware of what was going on, even if she wasn't involved.

She turned to leave, but stopped when Tony called her name.

"And Victoria, look, no more bi-annual visits.
 
Stop by more often."

She nodded.
 
"You got it."
 
She remembered one more thing before opening the door.
 
"Ah, Tony.
 
You might want to have a talk with Claire."

"Claire?" he said, confused.
 
"How the hell do you know Claire?
 
She's only been here a week."

"I only heard her name about fifty times, in booth two.
 
Let's just say she has a funny way of dancing on someone's lap."

His cheeks flared in anger.

"Goddamnit.
 
This is a gentlemen's club.
 
Not a brothel."

"Yeah, well, you'd better tell her that."

"Believe me, I will.
 
Thanks, Victoria.
 
And remember.
 
More visits.
 
Not all of us live forever."

She laughed and winked at Tony before leaving the office.

*****

Victoria didn't bother driving the Porsche.
 
The nightclub in question was a five-minute walk down the street.
 
The nightlife was still going strong.
 
Groups of men and women littered the sidewalk, laughing and having a good time.
 
The street was also packed with cars.
 
Her nose and ears picked up a couple making out deep in the bowels of one alley, while a man vomited in another.
 
In the next alley a homeless man was searching through a dumpster.

Her spirits sank as she approached the nightclub.
 
Her ears started to hurt even as she waited in line outside.
 
She passed the time talking with a group of twenty-somethings ahead of her.
 
They invited her to join them for a night of fun, which she politely declined.
 
One of the couples in the group continued to drop hints about getting together, how gorgeous she was, if she had a boyfriend.
 
The hints of a threesome-in-waiting were there.
 
She continued to dodge the subject, all the way up until it was time to pay and get a ridiculous-looking stamp on her hand.

She closed her eyes as she stepped inside, trying to adjust to the sensations.
 
The entire building felt like it was shaking.
 
The music was so loud mortals had to shout to talk to each other.
 
Those shouts found their way to Victoria's ears, along with the music.
 
Conversations about the music, how hot the DJ was, why did Angelique break up with Brian, was Mindy ever going to get over Chuck, all those words assaulted her.
 
Then there were the drum beats, the electric guitars, the singers she could barely understand.

Victoria breathed slowly, focusing on each breath.
 
It had taken a long time to learn how to control her senses.
 
After nearly a minute, the sounds started fading.
 
They didn't go away completely, but she managed to move them to the back of her head.

A tap on the shoulder brought her back to the club.
 
She opened her eyes to see the couple from the line.
 
They had one more pass at a threesome in them.
 
Before the girlfriend could say anything Victoria leaned in and kissed the boyfriend quickly on the lips.
 
She gently caressed the girlfriend's hair, offering a sad smile.

"I'm really sorry," Victoria said.
 
"But you both couldn't handle me."

She left them behind to retrieve their jaws from the floor.
 
Nimbly and gracefully, she moved and even danced her way through the crowd.
 
She was headed for the rear of the place, not far from the bar, where a large man leaned against the wall next to a set of stairs leading down.

"Oh, wow," she said, approaching the guard.
 
She reached out and playfully squeezed his bicep.
 
"You are a big one.
 
I have to ask.
 
Is everything proportional?"

The flirtation had a simple purpose.
 
Throw the man off-guard.
 
Take his thoughts elsewhere, even if just for a moment.

There was no such luck, which impressed Victoria.
 
She wasn't lying when she called him big.
 
He easily rivaled Dave from Gentlemen's.

"Can I help with you something?" he asked curtly.
 
"Are you lost?"

"I'm here to see the Vermilion."

She suddenly felt foolish.
 
She didn't have a clue what the Vermilion was.
 
A person?
 
Place?
 
Name of a cocker spaniel?

He blinked and held up a finger.
 
"Just one second."

With curiosity, she watched as he turned and bent his head low, talking into a radio.
 
She tried to focus on his words, but could only hear his voice, muttering low.
 
He turned once, eying Victoria up and down, before giving her his back again and continuing his conversation.

Finally, he turned and offered an apologetic, although fake, smile.

"I'm very sorry," he said.
 
"But they're telling me there aren't any appointments scheduled for tonight.
 
You'll have to leave."

His tone took a rough, almost bully-like air near the end.
 
He crossed his arms, trying to show off his muscles.
 
She opened her purse and stared deeply at its contents, so he wouldn't see her laughing.

"I'd really like to see the Vermilion," she said, keeping her voice even and sweet.
 
She pulled out another of her stacks of money.
 
"Maybe a little extra allowance?"

She grabbed his hand gently and set the stack in his palm.
 
With a smile, she closed his fingers around the money and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
 
His eyes grew large for a few seconds, but he reached out and deposited the stack back into her purse.

"Sorry, but the Vermilion is closed this evening."
 
He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to force her to turn around.
 
"You're going to have to leave—"

He didn't even see Victoria move, but he certainly felt her.
 
She snatched his hand and twisted it violently.
 
Ligaments popped as his expression took on a look of pain.
 
Before he could scream Victoria's free hand covered his mouth.
 
She forced him to his knees, her eyes never leaving his.
 
The thirty-year-old illusion was gone.

"I'll be going downstairs now," she said.

Her manhandling of the security guard went unnoticed, with the dancing and drinking around them.
 
She gently applied more pressure to his wrist, sending him lower to the ground.
 
He nodded vigorously.
 
He would have agreed to anything she said.

Leaving the man to nurse his wrist, Victoria descended a flight of stairs.
 
At the bottom was a set of double-doors, with red lighting on both sides.
 
A professionally-made sign hung above the door.
 
The Vermilion, in fancy, cursive lettering.

She expected the doors to be locked, and was surprised when the handles turned without resistance.
 
She stepped into what reminded her of a doctor's office waiting area, although with much less light.

Chairs were lined up against the walls.
 
A water-cooler was in the corner.
 
The lighting was low, like that of a fancy restaurant.
 
She wasn't sure of the intended mood.
 
Relaxing?
 
Seductive?

A desk with a computer sat adjacent to another set of double-doors.
 
Leaning over the desk was a young Asian woman, wearing a short black dress.
 
She was tidying and cleaning as she hummed a tune.
 
Her jaw hung open when she saw Victoria.

"Uh, ma'am," she said.
 
"I don't think you're supposed to be here."

The doors shut behind Victoria, and silence replaced the chaos of the club upstairs.
 
Sound-proof doors and walls.
 
She was definitely curious, and her ears were thankful for the reprieve.

"What is this place?"

The woman stood upright and straightened her dress.
 
She tried to appear confident, stern.

"This is a private business," she said.
 
"I'm sure you paid for the club, upstairs.
 
Ma'am, really—" Her voice cracked a bit.
 
"This place is off-limits, without an appointment."

Victoria nodded, continuing to take in the waiting area.
 
There were empty picture frames hanging on the walls, serving as placeholders.
 
She wondered what art they had in mind.

"I've heard that twice now.
 
An appointment for what?
 
How do I make one?"
 
Her gaze fell on the second set of double-doors.
 
"What's back there?"

She walked past the desk and gripped the handle.
 
A delicate hand fell on her shoulder from the side.
 
Victoria could feel the young woman trembling.

"Ma'am—"

"Stop," Victoria said.
 
"First of all, please, stop calling me
ma'am
.
 
I'm old enough as it is without you adding years.
 
Now, what's your name?"

"K-Kate."

Victoria was tiring of people thinking they could touch her, bully the petite, tiny redhead.
 
Unlike her brother, Jack Kursed, she liked to be touched.
 
But on her own terms, in her own bedroom.

"It's nice to meet you, Kate.
 
I can tell you're a sweet person, a little out of your depth here.
 
Please, take your hand off my shoulder."

It took everything Kate had not to break down crying.

"But…I'll lose my job."

"No you won't.
 
Don't worry.
 
I don't want to ruin your beautiful dress, Kate."

Kate removed her hand, and Victoria pressed forward, past another mortal obstacle.

She stepped into a long hallway.
 
It had the same low-lighting theme as the lobby.
 
On both sides of the hallway were rooms, half the doors closed.
 
She peered inside one of the open rooms and saw what resembled a hotel room, but not quite.
 
There was a bed, freshly made, with a couch against the wall.
 
A dresser with a mirror.
 
No television, no refrigerator.
 
She inhaled deeply, and was surprised to pick up the faint scent of blood, along with generic air freshener.

A door directly at the end of the hall opened.
 
Out walked two men, one human, one vampire.
 
The mortal had a radio similar to the door-man.
 
He whispered a quick
thank you
.
 
The man upstairs had done his job, and warned them.

"Lady," the mortal shouted.
 
Victoria preferred
lady
to
ma'am
.
 
"Turn around right now, and walk away."