“I don't want to hear it,” I started. “You can go…” I glanced at Trey, who was riveted on the Captain Crunch box, reading the comics and snorting with laughter. “You can go…drive around and…look for a certain red-haired something.” I hoped Knight got my gist.
“No point,” he started, also glancing at Trey, who was still giggling at the box. “That certain something will have to make itself known. No use in me driving all over hell and back.”
Trey carried the box of cereal into the living room, trailed by a blizzard of Captain Crunch and plopped onto the couch next to Knight, popping open a can of 7-Up. “Is Bram coming to babysit me?”
I shook my head and frowned, knowing Trey had no intention of cleaning up after himself. “No, he's coming to see me.”
“Why's that?” Trey’s cheeks filled with effervescence from the 7-Up which swelled his lips until he looked like a bloated toad mid burp.
“She's writing a book about vampires,” Knight finished for me, in a crass tone.
“Oh, cool,” Trey said with a nod. “There's a comic book I really like about vampires and werewolves, and they fight each other. Kind of like alien versus predator. You ever seen that movie, Todd?”
“No,” Knight answered.
“What about you, Dulce, you ever seen alien versus predator?”
A knock sounding from the front door saved me from the need to respond, and I stood up, sending Knight a threatening scowl-warning him not to act anything but friendly to my vampire guest.
I pulled open the door and found Bram on my doorstep, a single, long-stem rose clutched in his hand. He eyed me from head to toe, and I felt like I was wearing a negligee under his lustful gaze.
“Sweet, wonderful to see you,” he said and the accented words dripped English. Bram hadn't lived in England in at least one hundred fifty years (according to his A.N.C. bio), so I imagined the accent was put on-it wouldn't have lasted so long otherwise. Maybe he thought it enhanced his vampire persona. He definitely wouldn't be as intimidating nor sexy if he talked like Trey.
He handed me the rose, and I took it with a frozen smile. “Hi, Bram,” I said and stepped aside. He casually strolled in, but his grin dissolved when he noticed Trey and Knight on the couch. What, had he thought this was a date?
“Gentlemen,” he said and gave them a slight inclination of his head in greeting.
“Hi, Bram, how's it goin'?” Trey asked, never pulling his eyes from the TV where Pamela Anderson strutted her red-bathing-suited self in a tired rerun of Baywatch.
Knight glared at Bram as his gaze traveled to the rose in my hand. His mouth was tight. “Hi,” he said flatly.
I kicked the door shut and started for the kitchen, pulling out a chair for Bram. He took it with a smile and clapped his hands together like an excited kid. “How shall we proceed?” he asked and his eyes glinted with mischief, as if he were asking what position he should assume. Naked.
“Well, I thought I could ask you some questions, and then if you don't mind, I was going to record our conversation with this,” I said and held up my black audio recorder.
The TV volume blared into the kitchen. Gritting my teeth, I craned my neck to see Knight holding the channel changer, a frown of what appeared to be annoyance marring his otherwise perfect face. Anger burned inside me as I turned to apologize to Bram, but he just smirked.
“Perhaps we are being a distraction, Sweet,” he said and eyed me knowingly. “Shall we retire to your bedroom?”
My eyes found Knight's, and he immediately muted the sound on the television. “No need, you can stay out here,” he grumbled. Hmm, was someone jealous? Pulling out my notebook, I grabbed a pen and faced Bram. “Ready?” He nodded and I pressed record, setting the palm-sized machine in between the two of us. “Okay, please tell me where you were born and what year.” “I was born in 1709 in London.” I ticked off the first question on the pad of paper with a red “x”. “Were you from a well to do family?” He smiled. “Yes, Sweet, very well to do. My father was a prominent Tory and very respected.” “When were you turned into a vampire?” “On my twentieth birthday, my dearest friend introduced me to a harlot named Meg.” Wait a second. “You're twenty?” I asked incredulously. Bram chuckled. “No, Sweet, I’m soon to celebrate my three hundredth year.” “I meant, you were twenty when you were turned?” He nodded as I shook my head. “You just look much older than that…” He laughed again. “Times were different then, Sweet…nutrition wasn't what it is today, and London was…not what it is today.”
I glanced up and found Trey lumbering toward us. He took a seat next to Bram and put his elbows on the table so they could cradle his enormous head. “Wow, twenty?” Trey asked, suddenly finding Bram more interesting than Pamela Anderson.
Bram arched a brow in my direction. “Next question, Sweet.”
I glanced at Knight, who was also studying us. As soon as he caught my attention, he pretended to be absorbed in whatever show he hadn't been watching.
“Can you tell me what happened when you were changed?” I asked.
“Meg happened to be a vampire, and while I was taking full advantage of her body…” He eyed me up and down, and I just shook my head. “She was lapping up my blood. Before I could realize what was happening, I was nearly drained. When I saw what she was, I made the decision not to go down without a fight. Weak as I felt, I managed to unsheathe a dagger I kept on my person, and I slit her wrist.”
Trey's head nearly fell out of his hands. “Holy goblin’s nuts. Did you kill her?”
Bram shook his head. “No, but I forced her wrist into my mouth and sealed my own destiny. Looking back on it, I did not force her to do anything-she was much stronger than I. She knew what she was doing.”
Hmm, this Meg character sounded interesting. Interesting enough to be the heroine of my book? “This woman…” I started. “What became of her?” “She disappeared. I had heard she had been killed by another vampire, but I do not know for certain.” “So, you wouldn't be able to answer particulars about her?” He shook his head and frowned. “I thought your book was about me, Sweet?” I nodded. “It is, but I thought she sounded interesting as a…heroine.” Bram slowly smiled. “I prefer the idea of the fairy love interest.”
A definite scoff came from Knight's direction, but I ignored it. “I never said there was going to be a fairy in it,” I grumbled but ticked off the last question on my sheet.
Then I eyed the question I’d always wanted to ask Bram. “Okay, about your name,” I started.
Bram sighed. “I was born long before the author of Dracula was even a thought,” he said, sounding very put out. “For all I know, Mr. Stoker was named for me.” I laughed, thinking Bram’s narcissism knew no bounds. “Well, that puts the lid on a mystery I’d wondered about since I met you.” The phone rang, and Trey grabbed it. Holy Hades, it was like he was my permanent roommate or something. He handed the phone to me. Before I could say hello, Dagan's voice interrupted me. “Gotta little red filly here I think you want to meet.” Before I could reply, he hung up.
FIFTEEN
After promising Bram a favor, which I really didn't want to do, he agreed to stay with Trey as Knight and I headed for Dagan's. Trey probably would've been fine on his own, considering the creature was at Dagan's, but it's always better to be prepared, and who knew if whoever was controlling the creature might still be after Trey.
“Dulcie, whatever happens tonight, you need to go with it,” Knight said in a hard voice.
“What's that supposed to mean?” I asked, being careful not to pull my attention from the road. Driving and arguing were not a good mix.
He shrugged and strained against the leather vest I'd created for him. I was sporting a red vinyl bodysuit that was confining as all hell. This costume stuff was really getting tiring. “It just means that last time we went to Dagan's, you weren't a good actress. Put on a better show this time.” My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “So, what, if you try to have sex with me, I'm just supposed to let you?” Knight chuckled. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” “You're impossible.”
The smirk dropped off his lips and imagining some serious topic was about to rear its unwanted head, I returned my attention to the red light before me. “Just follow my lead,” he said. “You know I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation, but you need to trust me.” I couldn't remember the last time I'd trusted anyone.
