Having had a long elevator ride down from LaCroix's penthouse, I was steady once more when I stepped out of Venture Tower. Mercurio was leaning against the wall, waiting for me. "God, he musta ripped you a new one," he said, falling into step beside me as I walked towards my apartment.

I took a deep breath. "He...wasn't happy."

"You okay?"

I nodded. "We're cool, I think."

"Whoa, whoa." Mercurio stepped in front of me, making me stop. "'We're cool'? No one's really 'cool' with LaCroix, sweetheart." I shrugged, trying to smile. "What happened up there?"

I bit my lip nervously, instantly regretting it as I reopened the wound I'd given myself. I sucked on it for a second before answering. "He basically told me that people think he and I are lovers and that I'm making him look bad because now they think I'm cheating on him with Nines and that I'm to cut ties with the Anarchs if I don't want him to lock me in a room in the tower to stop the rumors from flying."

Either I grew three more heads or Mercurio was having trouble taking in everything I'd just said. "They think...you and...wait, whoa." He started to laugh. "They think that you and LaCroix..."

"Are lovers, yes." I don't wear my emotions on my sleeve; I wear them on my cheeks, which were growing warmer each time this topic came up.

"And that you're having an affair with Nines Rodriguez?" I nodded. He shook his head, grinning. "Jeez, honey, you sure have made things interesting around here." I rolled my eyes and pushed past him. "But what was that about locking you up?"

"LaCroix said that he would lock me up for at least the nighttime hours in his tower if he has to in order to make the infidelity rumors stop."

Mercurio laughed again. "So he wants to go along with the lovers rumor?"

"That's what it sounded like to me!" I said, throwing up my hands in frustration as Mercurio stopped me again. "But when I said something to that effect, he grabbed me by the throat and pretty much threatened my life if I didn't drop it."

Clouds covered Mercurio's expression. "He threatened you?"

I smiled softly. "It's okay. I think I just pushed buttons I knew better than to push. If I'd just kept my mouth shut and gone with 'yes sir' instead of going into smartass mode, it wouldn't have happened." I took Mercurio's hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm okay."

"I don't like him treating you like that," he said, putting his arm around my shoulders as we began to walk again.

"I think he felt guilty about it too," I said, grinning.

"How so?"

"I asked him about the blood thing. How I don't get it as often as you?"

"Yeah?"

I beamed up at Mercurio. "Got me an extra fix out of it."

"Yeah? How'd ya do that?"

I shrugged as we got to the Skyeline Apartment building's elevator. "He told me he's finding out my withdrawal threshold, basically. Your body uses it up faster with all the work you do, so you get it more often. When I start getting more jobs to do, he'll up my 'dosage.'"

As we left the elevator and stepped into my apartment, Mercurio shook his head and said, "That doesn't explain how you got an extra fix."

Shrugging again as I flopped down on the couch, I grinned. "He asked if I was hinting at something by asking the question. I said no, but I wouldn't turn it down if he offered. I guess it helped that I gave him that look you hate so much, the one that gets you to buy me stuff?" Mercurio raised an eyebrow, looking amused and curious at the same time. "Next thing I knew, I was drinking from his wrist." I decided that my grandfather didn't need the details of the encounter.

"Huh. I knew that look of yours has me wrapped around your little finger, but I didn't think it'd have any effect on a cold bastard like LaCroix." I grinned again. Mercurio chuckled. "Never use that power for evil, kiddo." At that, I laughed. "Hey, I gotta get goin'," he said. I jumped up and gave him a hug goodbye. "Gimme a call if you need anything," he said before leaving.

I grabbed a remote off the coffee table and turned on my stereo before settling back onto the couch. My finger absently ran over where I'd bitten my lip, and my mind drifted to how it had felt for his finger to be brushing over my lips. How it had felt in my mouth. The look in his eyes.

I shivered and stood. Definitely time for that cold shower.

I'm fighting. I feel the impact of my fist against flesh, hear the crack of bones against brick as I drive my enemy's head into the side of a building. As the first falls dead at my feet, I have another pinned to the wall, my forearm locked against his throat. My face is scratched by long claws, frantically trying to make me back off; I only press harder and use my other fist to break his nose. The face is unfamiliar but monstrous. My victim bears long, sharp fangs; my arm against his windpipe will do nothing as he does not need air to survive. My free hand is holding a stake. I plunge it through the creature's heart, pinning him against the brick.

Backing away several steps, I stare at the hand that had driven the stake through his chest. It's covered in nearly black blood. There is someone else in front of me now. The wall is gone, the creature with it. There is only him. He brushes my sweat-soaked curls from my face and smiles, gray eyes telling me he's proud of my work as he takes my bloody hand. My clean hand reaches up and runs through his blond hair, and I grin as he shivers and closes his eyes. My hand at the base of his neck, I pull him close. The fingers of my bloody hand lace with his as our bodies press together. I pull his hair, tugging his head to the side. My fangs pierce his neck, and I drink my fill.

Gasping, I sat up in bed, my nightshirt clinging to my body from sweat. "What the fuck was that?" I asked out loud, breathing hard. I'd had sexy dreams before, some of which were much more graphic than the one I'd just had. Some of them were even about people I'd rather not have sexy dreams about. But this?

I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. Its glowing numbers told me it was nearly noon. I let out a shaky sigh and sat on the edge of my bed. It had to be the blood, I told myself, fighting back the reminder that it had never happened the other three times I'd drunk LaCroix's blood, even the first time. Shaking my head, I made my way to my second cold shower in twelve hours.

I used my day to walk around downtown LA. It amazed me that I could look at someone and think, You have no idea what walks these streets at night. The only thing that was certain was the fact that there were no vampires about at that moment. It was a warm, sunny day, the type I came to California for. Spring was just starting, and everything seemed to be glad of it. Singing birds, blossoms on trees that swayed with a light breeze, little puffs of clouds...life was so different during the day.

I cut down an alley to get to the street my apartment building was on faster, but my steps slowed until I stopped in front of a brick wall. I looked down at my left hand. No blackish blood. No stake. No LaCroix. Without thinking, I punched the wall. I hopped around for a few seconds after that, cursing my dream, vampires, this alley, that wall, and the fact that I couldn't seem to get the dream out of my head, even on a beautiful day like this. After inspecting my abused knuckles, I walked through the rest of the alley, my head in a decidedly gloomier place.

The rest of the evening was spent dozing on the couch in front of bad reality shows on MTV. I rubbed my eyes and finally decided I should get up and at least check my email when I realized the clock on my tv stated it was nearing midnight. Nothing. Guess LaCroix didn't need me tonight. Hey, didn't bother me any. He had me on a fixed salary, so I got paid no matter how much or how little work I did.

I threw on a light leather jacket and headed out. I figured I might as well walk the streets, see if anything interesting was going down in Vamp-town, as I liked to call it after dark. To myself only, of course. Lost in random thoughts, I found myself in the vicinity of The Last Round. I frowned, looking at the bar's door. I'd just decided that I wouldn't go in—I didn't want to make LaCroix any more pissed off at me than he'd been the previous night—when the door opened. Nines. Of course, as is my luck, the first thing Nines laid eyes on upon stepping out of the bar was me. He smiled and crossed the street to where I was. "Hey, what're you doing out here?" he asked, his voice warm and friendly as always. "We've been wondering where you'd disappeared to."

I smiled, sighing. "I've been busy, I guess."

"Oh yeah?"

I nodded, my eyes darting away from his. "Yeah. Work and...stuff..."

Nines ducked his head, trying to view my expression better. "You okay?"

Nodding again, I smiled. "Fine."

His eyes narrowed slightly. He looked concerned. "You got somethin' you don't wanna talk about?"

I chuckled. "Kinda." My tongue ran over the raw spot on my lip. It was almost healed because of the vampire blood in me, but I could still taste the metallic raw flesh. "I...just shouldn't be coming around here anymore," I said. I had my head bowed now, staring at the ground.

Nines put his hand under my chin, forcing me to look at him. I had to bite my tongue, inflicting pain to remind myself not to reach up and touch his face. Those pale blue eyes were so tempting, especially while showing concern for me. I wanted to risk a kiss so badly. I'd been wanting to since I met him, but had never worked up the courage to try. Now? Not even the slightest possibility. "It's LaCroix, huh?" Nines asked softly.

I didn't have to ask how he knew. I just nodded. "He's not too happy with the rumors that I'm apparently cheating on him with you." The sound of the words made me laugh. It was ludicrous.

Nines raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

I shook my head. "He told me that's the word on the street, and it's making him look like a fool."

"As if that's hard to do." I shot him a look which he ignored. "Look, I don't know where he's been hearing that bullshit, but--"

"Does it matter?" I interrupted. "He nearly ripped my head off last night over it. Literally. Besides, he kinda has a point. Apparently, everyone in town knows me even though I didn't realize it until he brought it up. And yeah, I can't imagine it looks good for the girl everyone knows is LaCroix's ghoul to be hanging around the Anarch bar." I shrugged, looking at Nines apologetically. "I kinda owe him. He spared my life."

"He shouldn't have been threatening it in the first place," Nines said, a low growl to his voice.

"Okay, yeah, but fact is, I'm alive because he chose to keep me alive. Same with my grandfather. So, I can't really expect to stay in his good graces without making a couple sacrifices."

Nines frowned. "Like your life? He's gonna turn you into a slave, kid, just like everyone else he has under his thumb."

I shrugged again, helpless. "C'est la vie."

"What?"

"It's French," I said with a chuckle. "You know, 'such is life'?"

Nines rolled his eyes. "I suppose Lil' Napoleon taught you that too, huh?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

Confused, I shook my head. "Who?"

"LaCroix."

"No," I replied with a laugh. "Why do you call him that?"

"Oh, I dunno, because he's a French bastard who wants to take over the world?"

"He's French?" I asked, drawing a sigh from Nines.

"Listen. You get outta here. Far be it from me to cause you to get a hard hour from LaCroix." He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me sadly. "But listen to me: if I were you, I'd get out of there as soon as possible. You're working for the wrong side, kid. The Camarilla just wants to have everyone under their watchful eye and will forcefully get rid of anyone who doesn't wanna play by their bullshit rules. Just a bunch of rich vamps on the power trip of their lives, especially LaCroix."

I pressed my lips together tightly. I wasn't going to defend LaCroix, but I didn't like hearing anyone talk about the Camarilla that way. My grandfather had worked for them for thirty years; that had to mean something, right? Instead of arguing, though, I just gave Nines a quick hug and waved goodbye without another word. I'd already loitered around with him for too long. Who knows who could have seen? The thought crossed my mind that I could go to Venture Tower to see if there were any jobs for me. I chuckled at the thought. I'd just had my blood fix the previous night, and already I was thinking like I did when I was due for another fix?

My mind wandered back to Nines's words. Not about the Camarilla or LaCroix being a slave driver. About LaCroix's being French, of all things. I wondered what he sounded like speaking his native tongue. I wondered if he ever whispered it in a woman's ear, especially during--

BAD THOUGHT. GO AWAY BAD THOUGHT. Think of something else, quick! Uh, tv...music...fast cars...ooo, fast cars, I like cars, okay, cars, black cars, sexy black cars, sexy limousine, leather seats, scent of leather mingling with what's probably French cologne, taste of blood—BAD THOUGHT.

I shook my head hard, nearly stumbling off the sidewalk. I got a dirty look from a club-goer I nearly bumped into during my struggle to regain my balance. Coming to a stop, I took a deep breath, then another, gazing down the street in front of me. Black car. Sexy black car. Sexy black car stopping beside me. I stared at the car dumbly while the passenger window rolled down. "Get in," said a voice from inside.

I bent down, looking in the window. "Mr. LaCroix?" I said, dumbfounded. I didn't even know he drove himself anywhere ever.

"Get. In." I opened my mouth to say something. Before I even knew what I had been about to say, the car was driving off, me in the passenger seat.

We drove in silence for several minutes. I wanted to ask where we were going, but first I wanted to know why the hell I'd gotten in the car without even thinking about it. It reminded me of the limo, when he'd told me to sit next to him. It was as if his words were a command that no one could defy, no matter what will power they might have. Giving up trying to figure it out—a fight I'd given up many times since learning of the existence of vampires--, I turned my attention to the road in front of us. We were heading out of town. "Never go out of town by yourself," I remembered Mercurio telling me a few months back. "Outside city limits? That's werewolf country. What, there can be vampires but no werewolves? Believe me, honey, they're real; and they're scarier than any movie has ever been able to show. I don't care if you're in a car or a tank; you don't wanna be caught out of town at night."

And of course, where were we? Outside town. At night. In a car that was pretty, but far from being a tank. I looked at LaCroix with a frown. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"I have a meeting with one of the Primogen," he explained, keeping his eyes on the road. "Malkavian. He refuses to come into the city."

I nodded slowly. "So...why bring me?"

That drew LaCroix's gaze to me. "Strength in numbers."

Gulp. "You have a tower full of people—vampires--and you choose to pick me up at random to be your bodyguard?" I said incredulously.

"Not bodyguard, Miss Lucas," he said. I clung to the door handle for dear life as he took a curve a little too fast. After getting back onto straight road, he turned to me and smiled. "Bait."

"What." My hand was searching for the door handle. I was seriously considering jumping until I saw his speedometer. 100. "Jesus, you've got a lead foot!" I exclaimed.

A bored sigh. "It's in kilometers, Miss Lucas. We're only going approximately 67 miles per hour."

"Still..." I grumbled. "And what do you mean by 'bait'? Why am I your bait? And what are you baiting with me?"

"So many questions, and not a one I'm interested in answering right now." His tone was light, and I wondered if driving put him in a good mood. Well...as good as Sebastian LaCroix could get.

"Well...well...fine! Fuck you then!" I crossed my arms and huffed, staring out the window. His chuckle only irritated me more. Especially since I still had questions on my tongue that I knew I'd eventually ask even though he'd never answer them. So I went with something totally off topic. "So you're French?"

He looked at me, confused. "Wh—yes?" He was giving me the oddest look. "You're not one to carry a conversation gracefully, are you?" he asked.

I huffed again, pouting. "Just trying to change the subject to something I would think you'd be happy to talk about. Yourself."

"And yet you're asking questions that everyone knows the answer to."

"I'm new in town, remember?" I said snidely. "Humor me."

"Are you trying to give me orders, Miss Lucas?"

Shrinking back against the seat, I said softly, "No, sir."

"Good."

And silence filled the car for the rest of the ride.

We pulled up to a large iron gate. LaCroix lowered his window and input a code on a keypad right outside the gate. The doors swung open, letting us into the courtyard of an immense mansion. It was well lit, looking more like a classic museum than living quarters. "Bloody Malkavians," LaCroix grumbled as he pulled up the parking break. "They always choose to live so far out of the way and never want to come around when you need them." He looked at me. I looked back. "You're going in," he told me.

"What about you?"

"I'm staying here."

"But...why do I have to go in? I thought you said I was bait! Not that I like the sound of that any better, but what happened to 'strength in numbers'?"

LaCroix sighed with annoyance and leaned closer to me. "You are going in because that man has developed quite a paranoia about me," he said, staring into my eyes. "You are baiting him out here. Understand?"

I nodded slowly. "But...'strength in numbers'..." I said weakly.

The corner of his mouth twitched in a smile. "That comes when he finds out I'm in the car. I expect I'll need your help getting him in here."

"What did you do to make him so scared of you?"

LaCroix frowned. "I've done nothing. He's Malkavian." I blinked at him, giving my best "I have no idea what's going on so I'll just stare at you until you decide to enlighten me" look. LaCroix grumbled under his breath. "Has Mercurio told you nothing of the clans?"

"A little?" I said. "I...may not have paid attention during that lesson. Fully."

He stared at me until I shivered and glanced at the floor of the car. "I suggest you begin to pay attention so you at least look like you're worthy of being my ghoul, Miss Lucas," he said, ice lacing his words.

"Yes, sir."

"Malkavians are cursed with madness that is carried through their clan's blood," LaCroix explained. "Their madness manifests itself in different ways for each Malkavian, but it is always present. This one seems to pick random people to turn into the devil and refuses to willingly deal with any of them. I, unfortunately, am one of those people. This makes meetings rather problematic, and I have brought it up to the other Primogen, but they are—as always—slow to come to a decision regarding a resolution to this problem."

I suddenly felt sorry for the vampire in the mansion. I could relate. I was terrified of LaCroix most of the time myself. "So, I just go up, knock on the door...then what?"

"Be honest. Tell Calvin he must attend an important meeting."

"Just don't tell him it's with you," I clarified. LaCroix nodded. "Got it." I climbed out of the car, slamming the passenger door a little harder than I had to. Poor car, but I did it for LaCroix's benefit. I wanted him to know I was a little pissed. As if he cared.

I walked up the steps to the huge double doors at the entrance to the mansion. I spent a couple minutes looking for a bell, then resorted to rapping my knuckles on the wood. No bell, no door knocker. "Peek a boo," someone whispered right next to my ear. I screamed and jumped. I lost my footing and fell into a sitting position, my back pressed against the door. A young looking man was crouched down in front of me with a grin on his face. "I found you, sissy," he whispered.

Once my heart got out of my throat, I could speak again. "Sis—sissy?"

"It's taken so long to find you, sissy!" He crawled forward on his hands and knees before taking one of my hands in his and sitting crosslegged in front of me. "You always pick good hiding places. You need to show me some!"

I blinked at him. I was pretty sure I had the right guy now, but this situation was just too weird. "Calvin?"

"Yes, sissy?" He grinned at me, petting the back of my hand.

I tried to smile sweetly. "I had to stop the game because it's time for you to go to a very important meeting," I told him.

He frowned. "No."

I pouted, then covered his hand with mine. "Why not, honey?"

"He'll be there." The man looked around nervously.

"Who?"

Calvin edged a little closer and took one of his hands back from me. He ran it down my face while looking at me with a dreamy expression. "The one who dances through your veins," he said in a whisper. My eyes widened with awe. How could he know that I'd drunk LaCroix's blood? His hand moved from my cheek to my jaw, which he grabbed hard enough to feel like my jawbone was being crushed. "He has not given you his teeth yet." He took his hand away from my face and bit down on his index finger, his fangs sinking into his flesh. He tipped his head back and dangled his finger above his mouth, letting the blood drip onto his tongue.

I shivered. "Calvin, please, this is important. They need you there. Come with me, okay? I'll make sure you're safe."

Calvin's head snapped down to look at me, a droplet of blood landing on his nose. I reached up to gently wipe it away, but he didn't seem to notice it. "Sissy will be with me?"

"As long as I can be, honey," I said. At least I would be for the ride back to town. Possibly the ride back here.

My response made him grin, and he jumped to his feet. He ran down the stairs in front of me and threw open the back door to the car. He leaned in, pointing his bloody finger at LaCroix. "You can't touch me, golden devil!" he yelled, laughing as he climbed into the back seat. "My sissy will keep your molten eyes off me."

LaCroix gave me an odd look as I got in. I responded with only a shrug. "Well done," he said in an odd tone.

I gave him my sweetest smile as I buckled my safety belt. "Thank you, sir," I chirped. Turning towards the back seat, I said, "Buckle up, Cal. Golden devil here drives like the bat outta Hell he is." Calvin giggled like a little boy at that, and I got a cold glare from LaCroix. Totally worth it.