Author's Note: Finally! An update! It took a while to get my inspiration back. Enjoy the new chapter, and please feel free to tell me what you think.
After a few hours of fitful sleep, Quin gave up on getting anymore rest. She pulled on a pair loose white linen pants and a black silk tank top. This morning being fashionable was not as high on her list as being comfortable. Washing her face with cold water and plain soap, then pulling her hair up in a ponytail, she deemed herself ready to begin her day.
The best way to begin a day is by drinking coffee. The fully stocked kitchen had a brand new, unopened bag of coffee - good coffee twice as expensive as the kind she usually bought. While the coffee brewed, she pulled the cream out of the refrigerator. Money might not buy happiness but it sure paid for a hell of a lot of comfort and convenience.
Quin opened the cabinet to search for a coffee cup. As she pushed up on her tiptoes to reach for one, a large hand with slender fingers reached past hers to retrieve the pretty pedestal coffee mug from the second shelf. It unnerved her that she had not sensed his presence. Her lack of awareness made her wonder if he had moved that fast, too fast for her to pick on his presence, or she was losing her edge, too distracted by her own thoughts.
"Here," Alucard said, holding out the cup to her with his forefinger hooked around the handle.
Her eyes slid down his lanky body noting he was already fully dressed, all in black, pants, shirt, tie, and shoes - everything. She had no doubt his black suit jacket would be a must when they took a trip to the police station to visit the detective. He made her feel grossly underdressed.
"Thank you," she returned, taking hold of the cup itself as not to accidentally make physical contact. The physical contact they had shared last night had been more than enough for her. Officer Simms had interrupted them before they gotten too far.
She averted her gaze from his face to avoid seeing her reflection of his mirrored sunglasses he wore despite the heavy curtains being drawn to block out the sun.
"Why are you up so early?" he asked her, leaning against the counter. "I thought you would sleep until at least noon."
"I wish," she snorted as if he had told a joke. "There's research to do."
Quin walked past him to distance herself from him. Although rail thin, his body seemed to fill the cramped quarters of the kitchen. She retrieved her laptop and cell phone from the living room area to return to the kitchen to set the computer up on the detached island in the middle.
She began by typing in a search for recent murders in the Las Vegas area. Obviously that was a good place to start since that is supposedly where Sir Integra Hellsing got her information to send them here rather than New York. Somehow she doubted the internet had been the woman's only source of information. She would have to rely on a few special sources of her own.
Quin dialed the cell phone number of the one person from the office she could count on to still talk to her.
"Watts," he answered in an agitated tone.
"Jamie, it's good to hear your voice," she said, scrolling through the search results. The top ten articles were all about last night's murder. Of course they did not control the graphic details Simms had shared with them against his will.
"Yes, ma'am, thank you," he returned, his voice tight. He was not alone and most likely in a meeting. Why the hell did he bother to answer the phone if he is in a meeting?
"Can you not talk now or do you not want to talk to me at all?" she inquired, her belly fluttering nervously. Perhaps they had gotten to him and turned him against her as well, making him a part of their boys' club.
"The first definitely," he replied. "How about I call you back later? I know you want information about your case, but I am away from desk. I will have to get back to you."
"Please do," she requested, relieved that he wanted to talk to her.
"I have your number. I'll call later when I have the information. Good bye," he said and hung up on her.
"Shit," she muttered impatiently and putting down her phone.
"What are you looking for?" Alucard asked her, standing behind her to look over her shoulder.
"Honestly, I'm not sure," she admitted, clicking on the headline Hands and Feet Missing from Corpse Found in Dumpster. "I'll know it when I see it, I guess."
"Who did you call?" he inquired, resting his chin on her shoulder and reading the article along with her.
"A friend," she answered, shrugging his chin off of her shoulder. She slipped from between his body and the counter, scooting around him to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"Boyfriend?" he asked, watching her as she poured cream into the cup then returned the carton to the refrigerator.
Is he actually jealous?, Quin pondered, a corner of her mouth lifting into a self-satisfied smirk. The thought of him being envious of the prospect of another man in her life made her happy.
Although she had made it quite clear she had no time for such dalliances, the idea of him being agitated another man would take an interest in her is a self-esteem builder. However, he was probably more irritated that someone would dare to touch his property. Her mouth dropped into an intense frown.
"I am not jealous, you twit," he snapped, reading her thoughts. "I am simply mirroring these irritating emotions you have pushed into my head."
Quin rolled her eyes and grunted in annoyed dismay.
"Like I said, he is a friend," she reiterated, pushing a hand against his arm as a hint for him to move out of her way. She sighed in exasperation when obstinately stood his ground, staring down at her and preventing her from getting to her computer.
"Who is he then? What is he to you?"
She sighed in exasperation at his interrogation and leaned against the counter behind her. Taking a sip of her coffee, she counted to ten in order for the rising anger inside of her to subside. It was too early in the day for an argument.
"A fellow agent in the field office I worked out of," she replied.
Indulging in an obnoxiously exaggerated slurp of her coffee, she leveled her gaze on her face. The resulting noise of her slurp was so loud it made him grimace. Apparently she offended his delicate sensibilities honed by his centuries of living with the genteel British Hellsing Family. The thought made her want to laugh. A prim and proper immortal mass murderer. How weirdly funny.
"is that all?" he goaded her verbally. "Nothing more than a co-worker?"
"For someone who doesn't give a damn, you sure seem jealous," she teased him, taking another, quieter sip of her coffee to hide her returning smile.
"I have a right to know these things," Alucard declared boldly with a dismissive shrug. "You belong to me."
Qun choked on her coffee. There it is. Just as she thought, it is a matter of ownership. Mine, mine, all mine, she could almost hear him grousing like a selfish two year old about to throw a tantrum. This man truly had not changed his attitude much since the medieval times he had actually lived in.
"You have my mind and body. My present is yours. Hell, at this point, I would say my future belongs to you. But my spirit and my past are my own. You can never take those two things away from me," she stated with resolve, a defiant glare in her eyes.
Alucard sneered at her.
"You truly are a poet, Quin Harker," he said, the other corner of his mouth lifting in amusement. "I have no need of your past. Keep it. Your ties to the past seem very important to you. Your spirit is what defines you. No one can tame that. I wouldn't have you any other way."
"Oooh," she cooed, sidling up to him while looking him up and down as if she wanted to eat him. "You can be pretty romantic for a self-serving bastard."
Alucard extended his hand to run his fingers over her head as if petting her. Strangely, she did not mind. His touch felt like genuine affection. Then he stepped out of the way giving her access to her computer to continue her internet search.
While Quin typed away, trying different combinations of keywords, including vampire and murder, Alucard paced the room like a nervous cat. When she picked up her computer and sat on the couch in the living room area, he sat down beside her. He leaned his head back on the couch, closing his eyes as if napping.
"How long are you going to do this?" he asked.
"As long as it takes," she responded, the tapping of the keys never ceasing.
"You should eat," he told her.
"I'll order room service," she returned, standing up to go to the table in the corner where the phone and a room service menu was located. After gazing at the pitifully small selection she could get at any fast food restaurant but with five star dining prices attached, she closed the leather bound menu. "Or perhaps I should go out. I need to speak with that detective anyway."
"Great!" he exclaimed as if relieved for a break in the ennui, standing up from the couch.
"I'd rather go by myself," she said as he walked toward his room to retrieve his coat, hat, and gloves to protect against the sun.
"No," he rejoined, his deep voice punctuating the air and leaving no room for argument.
With a grunt of displeasure, Quin went to her room to get her sandals and her purse that contained the card officer Simms had given her.
Surprisingly, the tall imposing vampire dressed like a fine English gentleman with an excessively wide brimmed crimson hat did not warrant any undue attention as they walked through the lobby crowded with news personnel, cops, and lookie loos. Some of the casual nosy observers were dressed all in black with piercings all over their faces and exceedingly copious amount of black eyeliner around their eyes and their lips.
I never thought I'd see the day when Alucard would be the least bizarre person in the room, she thought as her eyes skirted over a girl with purple hair and a round silver nose ring piercing her septum and a bar through the bridge of her nose. All Quin could think is allergy season must be a nightmare and the piercing between her eyes must have hurt like hell.
Why would anyone purposely put themselves through that kind of pain? She just did not understand. For years she had tried avoid pain, both physical and emotional, yet somehow they had a way of finding her. She had definitely picked the wrong career to live pain free.
Once outside, Quin stuck her fingers in her mouth and let loose a shrill whistle to hail a cab in true New Yorker style. She did not want to do the lady like thing and stick out a hand and wave. A yellow cab quickly pulled up the curb and stopped. Opening the door, she swung her arm inviting Alucard to get in.
"Aren't you modern?" he uttered sarcastically as he nearly bent in half to fold his long frame into the car.
"At least one of us is," she retorted with equal acerbity.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
"Las Vegas police department," Quin answered, sliding in beside Alucard.
"Seriously?" the driver questioned her in disbelief, turning his head to stare at her.
"Seriously," she replied, glaring at him.
"Whatever, lady," he grumbled, facing forward. "The PD typically isn't a place the tourists want to vist."
"I'm not a tourist," she muttered.
"You a cop?"
"Something like that." She felt no need to explain herself to him. "Hey, can you pull into that fast food restaurant?"
"What? You can't be seri - " He began to object but stopped when Alucard waved a fifty dollar bill at him. He flipped on his turned signal.
Quin ordered the driver a chocolate milkshake as an extra thank you. For herself she chose a double bacon cheeseburger with extra pickles, double fries, and a strawberry milkshake. Upon her receiving the food, Alucard wrinkled his nose in repulsion and scooted to the opposite side of the seat, pressing his body into the door to be as far away from her as possible.
When she unwrapped the dead, ground, and incinerated cow nestled between two pieces of bread along with smoked slices of pig meat, he covered his nose and mouth with a gloved hand to avoid inhaling any of the revolting fumes from the food.
"That is so vile. How can you eat that?"
"It's good shit," she mumbled around the food filling her mouth so full her cheeks puffed out like those of a chipmunk hoarding nuts.
"Shit indeed. You can be so grotesque and common sometimes," he muttered from behind his hand, turning his face away from her to look out of the window.
"I heard about the kid who got murdered at your hotel," the driver said to stave off what he saw as a lover's quarrel in the works. "Heard the poor bastard got his dick bit right off. What kind of sick fuck does that?"
The answer lay in his question: an extremely sick fuck. She ignored the man as he continued to prattle on about the murder.
"It could be one of those crazy vamp wanna be freaks," he said which caught her attention.
"Vamp wanne be?" Quin queried.
"Yeah. These weirdos who think they're vampires. I don't know who is worse. The freaks who think they're vampires or the ones who let the freaks drink their blood," he complained. "They even have these parties where they meet."
"Where is one of these parties?" Alucard asked, practically snarling the question at the man.
The man shifted nervously in his seat glancing at the stranger than most passenger in the rearview mirror. He shrugged and grunted.
"Dunno," he replied, past the sign proudly announcing the location of the Las Vegas Police Department main precinct. "The locations are kept secret. Invitation only."
"How do people get invited or know the location?"
"They receive a text."
"Well, thanks," Quin said, offering him two bills for the fare along with a hefty tip.
"Sure thing, lady."
He studied them apprehensively in the rear view as they exited his car. He had been sweating bullets the whole time. The tires squealed on the pavement he took off with such vigor, thrilled and relieved to have the unusual occupants out of his cab.
When they reached the double glass door entrance to the police station, Alucard held the door open for her this time. Quin entered without acknowledging him. Another set of locked steel doors barred them entering the building any further than the small square foyer.
On their left, a young woman sat behind a bulletproof glass shield revealing only the top half of her body behind the gray steel wall. There was a loud click.
"May I help you?" she asked, her voice coming through the speaker only slightly altered.
"I'm here to see Detective Barnes," she said, having memorized the name from the card.
"What is your business with him and what is your name, please?" she requested, her eyes moving from Quin to Alucard.
"Quin Harker."
She pulled out her pretty much useless FBI credentials and flashed them. The woman did not look impressed. As a matter of fact, she suddenly looked angry. A typical reaction from local law enforcement when the Feds poked their noses in.
"I'm here to discuss a case." She did not divulge which one.
"Let me call him. Please wait," the woman said with formal politeness.
Quin watched as she picked up the clunky black phone receiver and held it to her ear. After several long seconds, she assumed the detective answered when she saw the receptionist inform him he had a visitor. She smiled when the woman glimpsed at her while stating her name to the detective.
Several more seconds passed and nothing was said by the receptionist. The word yes formed on her lips then she hung up. The intercom button clicked followed by another click and an extended buzz.
"Enter those doors and come to the window on your left," she ordered them.
Inside, there were rows of uncomfortable looking plastic chairs where weary and disheveled people waited. It was difficult to tell who was here because they were a suspect, a witness, or a victim but all were here to speak with policemen for one reason or another.
Another woman sat behind more bulletproof glass and steel but this time there was a small rectangle cut out in the glass and a shelf attached below it. She slid two visitors badges encased in plastic and attached to metal clips through the hole.
"Here are your visitors badges. Please wear them at all times. Elevators are straight ahead. Second floor," she stated with dutiful pointedness. "The detective will be waiting for you."
"Thank you," Quin said, picking up the badges.
After attaching hers to the material the neck of her tank top, she clipped Alucard's to the lapel of his crimson wool trench coat. Drawing attention to himself did not bother him in the least as he confidently strode past all of the gaping people in the waiting area. He did not give a single one of them a passing glance. They might as well not have existed at all as far as he knew. He certainly had a disdain for humans in general and did not mind showing it.
The doors slid open on the second revealing a man wearing a navy blue suit waiting for them. He appeared to be in his early thirties, athletic, and well kempt. His short brown hair had been meticulously gelled and styled. His brown wingtips hand been shined. Most likely not by him. When he extended his hand to shake hers, she noticed his nails were short, straight, and glossy as if he had just received a manicure complete with clear nail polish.
"I'm Richard Barnes," he introduced himself, grasping her hand firmly with a warm, dry, and soft hand. "How may I help you, Agent Harker?"
Detective Barnes did not introduce himself to Alucard nor did he acknowledge the vampire, not even casting him a curious glance. His attention remained riveted to Quin as a slow smile stretched his perfect pink lips.
"We are staying in the hotel where the murder took place last night," she advised him first to give him a credible reason for sticking her nose into their departmental business.
His dark blue eyes flickered over to Alucard at the mention of "we" only to return right back to her face. He did not seem interested or intimidated by the six and a half foot tall man with the powder white complexion standing at her side.
"This is Alucard Hellsing," she introduced him.
The man's professionally waxed eyebrows shot upward in surprise. He cleared his throat and fiddled with already straight white and navy blue striped tie around his neck.
"Nice name. Very...unique," Barnes commented acting as if he wanted to burst out laughing.
Quin wanted to grab that tie and choke him with it. She could imagine Alucard doing so. As always, her wild imagination became a source of entertainment for her companion evidenced by the lopsided grin on his face.
"Did you see or hear anything?" he asked, taking her by the arm to begin leading her down the hall.
"No. I'm actually here to ask a few questions," she said, taking a seat in the chair by the wall but facing his desk.
"Simms said he spoke with you last night and you might be coming by. I apologize your vacation has been ruined by such an awful occurrence," he apologized.
"I was actually investigating a series of murders before my vacation," she began. "They had a few things in common with this murder."
"Oh really?" He leaned forward in his chair, pressing the tips of his flawlessly manicured fingers together. "A serial killer?"
"All the victims were drained of blood. Two parallel puncture wounds in the neck area. Almost as if..." She paused, pretending to think. She was actually waiting to see if he would fill in the blank.
"As if a vampire bit them," he helpfully complied. He sat back in his chair, folding his hands over his belly. "Yeah, a few of our more paranoid and far out there officers offered that theory. They speculated it could be a kid hyped up on drugs fresh from one of these vampire parties. Have you heard of those?"
"Our driver mentioned it on the way over here. They have these parties at a secret location, right?"
"Yeah. That's right. Know anything about them?"
She shook her head. "I was hoping you did. In New York we have so called vampire bars that operate just like any other bar, pandering to a targeted niche clientele. They're quite a bit easier to find but hard as hell to get into. You have to know someone and be invited. They even require a password at the door like an old-fashioned speak easy did during prohibition."
"You have to know someone to get invited to these clubs as well. A text is sent out to an inner circle then they invite their friends who in turn invite their friends. These things sometimes have attendees by the hundreds," he explained, glancing at the brooding Alucard. "Your friend here could slip easily into one of those parties, and they would accept him with open arms."
"Yes, I know," Quin said, placing her hand on Alucard's arm. "My partner takes his undercover work seriously. We've decided since we're here we might try to infiltrate one of these parties to check it out for any leads."
"Partner," he repeated eyeballing Alucard with doubt in his deep blue eyes. "He certainly knows how to get into character."
Alucard smiled, exposing his elongated incisors. The man jumped, startled by his fangs, which made him chuckle.
"Very impressive," he remarked, clearing his throat. "Yes, well, I wouldn't dare ask for your assistance since you're here on vacation."
"Actually, I'm volunteering. For my own personal reasons," she said, standing up and sticking out her hand to him for a good-bye handshake. "It was nice meeting you. If we find out anything, we will let you know."
Quin had no intention of telling him a damn thing. Detective Barnes' eyes were full of intelligence and deceit. There was so much more he knew and was not telling them.
"Thanks," Richard the Dick Barnes replied, squeezing her hand lightly and letting go quickly. "Forgive me if I don't see you back out." He turned to his computer. "I have work to do."
"Don't we all. We have no problem seeing ourselves out. Thank you for your time Detective Barnes," she said, grabbing Alucard's hand to make a hasty exit.
"Why are we leaving so quickly?" he asked her when they were standing at the elevators.
"That man thinks we're morons when he is the useless idiot," she muttered, stabbing the lit down arrow button again as if that would make the elevator move faster. "He's nothing but a pretty figurehead who takes credit for other people's work. That man hasn't worked a real day in his life in a very long time...if ever."
"What makes you say that?" Alucard asked, gazing at her with open curiosity.
"Did you see him?" she shrilled as if offended by the man's model appearance. "No real detective looks like that. He should have introduced himself as Dick Barnes, not Richard."
Alucard chuckled, that rumbling sound deep in his chest. Her belly tightened with excitement in response. She loved that sound like low, distant thunder. She recalled the way it felt when he laughed while holding her, the way his chest vibrated against her back.
His fingers squeezed hers when the elevator doors opened. An empty car waited for them. Once inside, Quin let go of his hand and slumped against the wall in defeat. She was horribly disappointed that the detective knew absolutely nothing. They learned more from the cab driver than they did from him. The only new information was how the invitations to the vampire raves circulated by texts.
Vampire clubs in New York. Vampire parties in Las Vegas. What next? Where would the next murders be committed leaving a victim drained of all their blood with two puncture marks on their neck? Why was the last body half eaten and desecrated in such an awful manner?
"What if it's more than one vampire?" she asked suddenly, thinking out loud. "What if it's a group doing this? An entire network of vampires opening these clubs and having these parties? They are creating their own canned hunts enabling them to prey at their leisure on willing humans. Only sometimes one gets greedy and kills more than they should...or, or, or..." she stuttered in her excitement as her mind raced. Her hands waved in the air as if trying to gather the thoughts eluding her brain. "What if...what if they sometimes get infected or something from bad blood and go nuts? Like a rabid dog. Maybe it was one of those diseased outliers who killed the restaurant worker at the hotel."
"Interesting theories," he murmured, putting his arms around her shoulders as the bell dinged signaling they had arrived on the first floor. "But for now, let's go back to the hotel. I think you need a glass of wine and a nap."
"I am tired, not delirious, Alucard," she assured him, feeling a little lightheaded.
"I know. You have a brilliant mind that works differently than others," he said, making her feel as if he were patronizing her. "Throughout history many men regarded as geniuses now were called insane in their time because no one understood them."
"Are you giving me a compliment or mocking me? I honestly can't tell which you are doing," she said, genuinely confused by his words that could be construed as kind.
"Miss Harker? Miss Harker!" someone shouted for her.
Quin turned ot see Officer Simms scurrying to catch up with them before they reached the doors to exit the station. She could not tell if he was red faced from running or embarrassed at encountering her again after seeing her in her attire of a bedsheet last night.
"I'm so glad I caught you," he exhaled in relief. "My younger brother just texted me the location and invitation for tonight's party."
"Oh, really?!" she gasped excitedly before her elation swiftly fizzled, diminished by suspicion of his motives. "Why would you tell me this?"
The officer looked around then leaned toward her, cupping his hand close to his mouth. Quin inclined her head toward him so he could whisper over the dull roar of noise in the lobby.
"Because I believe you will actually do something with the information like catch the killer," he confided to her in a whisper.
Officer Simms confirmed her suspicion that Dickie Barnes was nothing but a talking head, wanting all the glory without putting in any of the work. She knew quite a few of those in the agency. Detective Barnes would most likely send out officers like Simms to work undercover and most likely get them killed while dodging responsibility professionally and shouldering no guilt personally for their deaths.
"Can I see your phone?"
She held out her hand, and he eagerly put his cell phone in her palm. The text was already displayed on his phone. Pressing forward, she typed in her number and hit send.
"Thank you, Officer Simms," she said, giving him a warm smile.
"My first name is Garret," he said, his pale blue eyes sparkling as he smiled at her. The soft pink blush coloring the tops of his cheeks under his eyes intensified the light blue of his irises.
"Thank you, Garrett."
If they had not been standing in the middle of a busy police station, she would have kissed him. Quin slid a furtive glance at Alucard who kept a watchful eye on the officer talking to her. Then again, maybe she would not have kissed him as not to put him in danger.
She turned to Alucard, showing him her phone.
"We have an important party to go to."
~\'/~
Back at the hotel, Quin took an extra long shower to prepare for their evening out. Luxuriating in the hot water spraying out of the jets on three sides of the shower stall not to mention the waterfall showerhead above her. She conditioned her hair twice. She used her lavender and water lily body wash to moisturize and lightly scent her body. After her shower, she slathered on the same scented lotion.
Walking out of the bathroom in her towel, expecting to find Alucard sitting on her bed, she was actually disappointed to step into an empty room. She shrugged and went to the closet. Opening the louvered doors with a great flourish, she reached inside to caress the deep royal purple silk dress. Thin straps held the body skimming dress on the hanger.
Carefully pulling the floor length dress from the hanger, she held it by those delicate strips of fabric as she allowed the skirt to pool on the floor so she could step into it. The silk caressed her skin as she pulled it up her legs, over her hips, before dragging the straps up her arms to situate her breasts in the cups built into the dress like a bra.
Taking a step toward the mirror, the material separated, exposing her entire right leg through the thigh high slit. She had bought this dress as a unnecessary splurge, taking it with her, just in case she might have the chance to wear it in England. Like the little girl she had once been, she fantasized about dancing under a full moon with the vampire who had tried to seduce her Grandmama Mina and failed miserably.
Her hands slipped over the smooth silk covering her belly. Her abdominal muscles clenched with apprehension. Where Dracula failed with her Grandmama, Alucard had succeeded with her.
"I belong to him," she reminded herself aloud. "You idiot, Wilhelmina Quincey Murray Harker. You huge and terrible idiot."
Quin went back to the closet to retrieve the matching shoes, stiletto heels with a wide strip of silk across her toes and silk ribbons to wind around her legs up to her knees. She had really gone all out on this purchase not only money wise but style wise.
Well, too late now. I'm in and in it deep, she thought as she crisscrossed the ribbons and wound them around her leg.
Quin took her time applying her make up. Alucard never bothered her. Not once did he knock on the door or demand entry. He did not even teleport inside her room without asking permission which he could do if so chose.
After her hair had been curled and piled on top of her head with tendrils strategically chosen to hang down across her chest and back, she dabbed on perfume and gave herself one last long look in the full length mirror. For the first in her life, she found herself seeking the approval of a man who was not her father.
Quin resisted the urge to chew on her lower lip painted with blood red lipstick. She had never gotten her father's approval, and she did not see winning Alucard's as being an easy feat either.
"Why the hell do I even care?" she asked her reflection.
"Come out and let me see you," Alucard said from the other side of the door. "I am not your father."
"Get out of my head!" she yelled at him furiously.
The doorknob twisted and the door swung open. Alucard stood there still dressed in all in black except he had changed his tie from black to the same shade of rich dark purple as her dress. He even added a pocket square of the same color to his jacket pocket. Since the sun had set, he had removed his sunglasses.
Quin smiled at him, carefully turning a slow circle so the small train of the dress dragging behind her would not get caught on her pencil thin heels and trip her. She had endured enough humiliation for one day. At the moment, she wanted to feel beautiful and elegant.
"You are absolutely gorgeous," he complimented her.
Quin felt a rush of warmth as the pleasure from his sincere compliment washed over her from head to toe. She exhaled in relief.
"Why do you have a dress like that among your things?" he asked her, circling around her and scrutinizing her from head to toe.
"I thought I might be able to attend a lovely party in London town," she answered in a terrible British accent.
His eyebrows arched toward his hairline as his eyes skirted up her body to her face. He smiled broadly, showing off his fangs. He patted her head and scratched her under the chin. She grimaced and slapped his hand away.
"You're cute when you're angry," he said as she turned her back on him.
"You really do think of me as a pet, don't you?" she asked, her voice warbling with the tears that seared the backs of her eyeballs.
Biting the inside of her cheek, the sharp pain dried up the tears but did not stop the ache in her heart. He had warned her he would think so little of her, but it still hurt.
His arms went around her, trapping her in a backwards bear hug. She felt as if he was engulfing her as he bent his long, lean body over her much shorter one. His gaunt, smooth cheek pressed to hers. His cold skin cooled the blush of humiliation burning its way through her face.
"I adore you," he whispered in her ear, his arms coiling around her with the power of twin boa constrictors.
When his arms loosened and she could breathe again, she wheezed, "I suppose I should be happy you feel anything warm and tender for me, cherishing the slightest bit of affection."
"You should," he said, abruptly releasing her and walking away.
"Ugh," she groaned, feeling rejected AND abandoned by his actions.
"You're far too sensitive my dear, Quin." He pivoted on his boot heel to face her. Stomping his foot as if to drive his next point home, he ordered her, "You have to stop this emotional roller coaster. I want to get off."
"What?" she laughed, shocked yet amused by the melodramatic and highly metaphorical statements. "That was a very human thing to say, Alucard."
"I know," he groaned, placing his head in his hands as if ashamed. "The things you are doing to me are awful and cruel. Absolutely terrible."
"Oh, please," she muttered, unmoved by his dramatic display. After his hands dropped form his face, she hooked her arm through his. "Shall we go?"
"Yes, we shall, but be careful tonight," he warned her, resting his fingertips on her cheek as she gazed up at him.
She smiled. "I'm not worried. I'll be there with the most powerful vampire of all. Since I am yours, you will not allow anything bad to happen to me."
"You are indeed a clever girl. You are more than a mere possession to me, Quin. You will learn I am not always a cruel master."
Not always a cruel master. The words ran round and round in her head chasing each other as she tried to understand their meaning. Taking them at face value since he referred to himself as her master and he had been known in the past for his excessive cruelty, Quin chose to believe he would treat her kindly as his servant of sorts whether it was an ugly truth or a beautiful lie.
"Our good friend Officer Simms took the liberty of making the transport arrangements," he informed her.
As if on cue, their room phone rang. He slid his arm from hers to go answer it while she followed behind, slowly, as not to fall off her stilt like heels and break an ankle.
"Yes. We will be right down," she heard him say before hanging up. When she entered the room, he offered her his arm to escort her. "Our chariot awaits, my beauty."
A limousine complete with uniformed driver waited for them downstairs. When he saw them approaching, he opened the door.
"Is this necessary?" she asked Alucard as he slid across the smooth leather seat to sit with his hip pressed to hers despite having plenty of room to not sit so close.
"I like being close to you," he said, laying his hand on her knee.
"Not this," she said, picking up his hand and dropping it onto his leg. "The car."
"Officer Simms thought so."
Alucard leaned forward, opening the refrigerator. He pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her.
"Enjoy it, my dear. Just consider it a special evening out for the two of us. It's going to be a long night. You should hydrate."
Quin cracked open the bottle and began drinking. He was not wrong. She had the feeling it was going to be a really long night for one reason or another. The first part would be an extraordinarily lengthy ride to their destination.
They left behind the light and noise pollution of Las Vegas proper to drive along a two lane road through the middle of the desert. The vacant road stretched in front of them and behind them with nothing but miles of sand on both sides.
The light of the full moon spilled across the desert plain enveloping the Saguaro and organ pipe cactus in light and shadow giving them the illusion of being otherworldly creatures lying in wait for unsuspecting humans when their car breaks down.
Quin pressed the button on the panel of the door to roll down the soundproof divider between where they sat and the driver.
"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Quin asked.
"Yes, ma'am," the man replied, rolling the divider back up from his switch up front.
Quin had expected to be taken to a barren warehouse in a seedy but populated part of town not out to the middle of nowhere. People are brought to places like this to be killed and buried, never to be found again. She could not recall pissing of anyone in the mafia. None of her past cases dealt with the mob. She pressed her body to Alucard's side, hugging his arm between her breasts.
"That wild imagination of yours is absolutely precious. You missed your calling, my sweet. You should have been a writer," he teased her, patting her hand that clutched his bicep with white knuckle intensity. "Your fear is unexpected. I did not think anything frightened you...considering what you have been through."
"Whatever gave you the idea I was never terrified during any of that? I was scared out of my mind before every mission. It's the fear that keeps me alive," she said, forcing herself to relax her grip on him. "Fear is a very normal human reaction."
"You're right. I had forgotten what it's like to feel fear...to be human. I have not been human for quite a while."
"I'm sorry," she apologized, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Do you regret choosing me?"
"No. Not at all," he assured her, placing his large hand back on her bare knee. "It's been rather nice being reminded what it's like to be human."
At last, lights could be seen, mere white dots that seemed to float in the black distance. As they neared the area, they saw what appeared to be an abandoned and shuttered old gas station surrounded by old and rusty vehicles from many decades past.
This is more like the type of place she had expected. The only thing that looked new and operable was the shiny roll up metal door on the garage of the station. The driver lowered the divider.
"We're here," he announced.
Thank you, Captain Obvious, she wanted to snap in return. He did not roll the divider back up which allowed them an unimpeded view through the windshield.
The driver pulled up to the door and turned off the headlights. He honked the horn three times. The door slowly began to ascend. The entire floor of the garage lifted revealing an incline below. The driver pulled forward.
"What the hell is this?" Quin mumbled out loud, leaning forward as if that would help her get a closer look.
"Looks like an abandoned military missile bunker," Alucard guessed despite her question having been rhetorical.
"How the hell would you know what that looks like?" she inquired in curious awe.
"I have been around a while. I have seen many things. Many things you cannot even begin to fathom," he said, stroking her forearm.
"I have no doubt," she sighed. "Sometimes I forget who I am talking to. You make it disturbingly easy to lose sight of the fact of what you are."
He chuckled despite being unamused.
"Now you're being insulting, my dear."
She inhaled a shaky breath which was just as ragged on the exhale. The pins and needles of nervous anticipation poked at her. The uncertainty of what they could be walking into shredded her nerves putting her body on high alert. Every noise was louder than usual. Lights and colors were brighter despite being in the monochromatic gray steel underground corridor dimly lit decades old artificial illumination. Her entire body throbbed from the adrenaline pumping through her system.
"Quin."
The sound of her name whispered from Alucard's lips startled her as if he had shouted it. She turned her face toward him, her eyes meeting his which glowed a soft red like embers of a warming fire.
"You are not alone. I am with you. I will keep you safe. That is my oath to you as my chosen one," he promised her.
Alucard pressed his lips to her forehead. Immediately a sense of calm enveloped her. Her pulse regulated, her breaths coming in deep measured inhales instead of raspy, short bursts. Her muscles loosened and unraveled as if she had been given a sedative.
"No man nor vampire will harm you because you have been marked as mine," he whispered to her, kissing her cheek.
The car stopped and the door opened. A man wearing a suit similar to what a maître d would wear in a fancy restaurant extended his hand to Quin. She took it for him to assist her with getting out of the car. He threaded her arm through his to escort her to the two shiny steel doors that separated and slid apart like those of an elevator.
But this was not an elevator. They were about to enter the party. Many elaborate chandeliers filled the concrete bunker with golden light which reflected off the surfaces of the tall round white tables placed around the room. Mirrors and glass shelves filled with liquor bottles lined an entire wall behind the long mahogany bar which offered the only seating in the place.
Women dressed in evening gowns and men dressed in tuxedos as if they were going to a formal ball stood at the tables where their glasses rested while they conversed. Diamonds and gold hung from their ears and necks. Expensive watches and furs adorned their bodies.
It was as if they had crashed the Christmas party of a Fortune 500 company rather than a supposed vampire party. This is not what she had envisioned at all. She had expected it to look more like the scene in the hotel lobby this morning but with even more dark Goth Aesthetics along with fake vampire teeth and possibly a few capes.
Quin suddenly felt sorely inadequate like a little girl playing dress up at a grown up party. She had planned to be a pearl among swine, the center of attention with her vampire escort and sexy dress. Here she was a pearl among diamonds. Her luster dulled in comparison to theirs. No one person looked their way as the man led them further in to the room to the bar.
"Well, well, the rich never change. Indulging all of their sick whims and darkest fantasies every chance they get," Alucard muttered behind her.
The man pulled his arm from hers. He bowed to her then said, "Please ask for anything you might desire. Your wish is our command, madam. Please enjoy your evening."
"He's awfully accommodating," she remarked after the overly polite man walked away. When she thought of servant, that is what she pictured. Grossly submissive. Lots of bowing and scraping. Blind obedience.
"Hmph," Alucard snorted scornfully. "Pretending to be a familiar. How gauche."
"Familiar?" she questioned him, sitting down in the one available bar stool the man had led her to. "Like a witch's black cat?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes. Some vampires chose to have consorts, obedient lackeys who attend to their every need and obey their commands without questioning," he explained, placing his hand on her shoulder as the bartender approached.
Like Renfield. Or me, she thought. His fingers massaged her bare shoulder. He bent to bring his mouth level with her ear.
"You are most definitely not a familiar," he whispered in her ear so the man could not hear it.
"What can I get for you?" the bartender asked Quin. Blonde and tanned. Tall and muscular. A living Ken doll.
"Surprise me," she replied gamely, smiling at the handsome man.
"An adventurous lady. I like that," he said, flashing two rows of flawless white teeth at her. His blue eyes shifted to Alucard. "What type would you like?"
At first Quin thought the bartender was shamelessly hitting on the vampire - but his question had a far different meaning for Alucard.
"O positive preferably," he replied, receiving a perfect smile in return.
"Yes, sir," the man replied, his eyes lingering on Alucard as did his smile.
"Oh, I do believe our flirty bartender likes what he sees," Quin teased him after we walked away to fulfill their requests.
"Yes, I do believe he is a pendulum," the vampire remarked in a bored tone as if already done and ready to leave.
"Pendulum?"
"He swings both ways."
Quin threw back her head and laughed loudly which grabbed the attention from a few of the nearby partygoers who sneered at her in disgust.
"Oh, my god," she gasped, grabbing his arm. "You have a sense of humor."
"I think I'm drawing it from you."
"You're giving me too much credit."
"Maybe not."
"Your drinks," Ken doll the bartender announced, setting their drinks on napkins he placed in front of them.
A glowing blue drink in a martini glass waited for Quin to give it a taste. Perhaps she had been too bold. She picked up the glass and sniffed while Alucard swirled his blood in a wine glass like a premium vintage before taking a sip. The drink smelled like peach and lime. Bubbles stuck to the bottom of the glass floated to the top and burst tickling her nose.
"It's okay. It's not poison," he assured her, leaning across the bar. "It's blue curacao, peach schnapps, white rum, and lemon lime soda. There's a plastic ice cube with a light inside that makes it glow."
"Oh." She took a sip. It was good. The sweet fruit flavors covered the alcohol taste but did not stunt the effects which made her feel warm inside.
"What's it called?" she asked, taking another tentative taste.
"Sex in the driveway," he replied.
Quin gulped down the drink and a huge air bubble to keep from spewing it all over him. She patted her chest gingerly as the pocket of air descended through her esophagus into her stomach. Tipping up the glass, she drained it.
"I'll bring you another one," he immediately offered, picking up her empty glass.
Alucard chuckled.
"What?" she asked without looking at him.
"It's cute to watch you get embarrassed," he answered, dragging his fingers across the back of her neck. "I think our friend likes you."
"I think he likes you more," she rejoined as the man returned with fresh drinks for the both of them.
"Miss Harker," the blond and the beautiful said, resting his forearms on the bar.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him. "And you are?"
"Randolph Simms. You can call me Randy," he said.
"Randy, indeed," she snickered at the flirty bartender who acted horny for her and her vampire.
Then his last name sank into her muddled brain. The police officer's younger brother who told him about the party. These brothers were smarter than she thought both having recognized Alucard for what he is in a world who usually turns a blind eye to supernatural creatures.
Quin studied his face searching for a resemblance between the brothers. Randy possessed a thin sharp nose, square angular jaw, and almond shaped eyes. Six feet tall with the body of a man who lifts weights - lots of them. Garrett, baby faced in contrast, had softer, rounder facial features including a button nose, full cheeks, and big round eyes that gave him a certain innocence despite being a police officer.
She would have thought Garrett to be the younger brother rather than the older sibling. He was also shorter, only about five eight with a smaller, more compact frame sporting smooth toned muscles free of the buik that comes with bodybuilding. He also had dark brown hair. The only trait they shared is their captivating arctic blue eyes.
"See something you like?" Randy asked her, flashing his million dollar smile.
"Sorry," she apologized, her face heating with embarrassment. She picked up her untouched drink sucking down half of it. "I didn't mean to stare. I was just trying to find the similarities between you and your brother."
He chuckled lightly. "Yeah. There aren't many. I look like Dad. Gary took after Mom. We both got Dad's eyes. Mom said it was his eyes that captured her heart."
"Yeah. I can understand why," she murmured.
Alucard pressed his body into her back as if to remind her of his presence. As if she could forget the vampire who lurked in her head.
"I thought this was supposed to be a party," she huffed, looking around the room.
Although there was a dance floor, no one danced. The music played softly in the background allowing the people content to stand around and converse to hold conversations in hushed voices. Most of them leaned in close to each other, listening intently as if divulging secret fantasies, whispering sweet nothings, promises of love or just sex. Some appeared to be sharing an inside joke they did not want anyone else to hear, simpering like fools before covering their mouths and giggling discreetly.
"They're not all like this," Randy said, resting his hands on the bar close to hers. "The first one was actually pretty wild. People were getting high and having sex right out in the open. I even watched a girl draw blood from a guy with a syringe then shoot it straight into her veins as if taking a drug."
"Hmmm," she hummed pensively. "Have you worked many of these...parties?" Quin asked, running her finger around the rim of her glass.
"This is my third one. These people are nothing more than pretentious snobs into partner swapping and blood fetishes."
"Blood fetishes? They think they're vampires?" she questioned him, extending her forefinger to stroke the back of his hand.
"Maybe." His eyes meandered over to Alucard as he withdrew his hands from the bar. "Certainly not the real thing."
She jumped when Alucard placed his hand on her shoulder. His fingers were warm. Probably due to the recent imbibing of blood. Must have been fresh.
Immediately her mind began to formulate theories of how they got their supply. Perhaps they had a person hooked up in a room somewhere drawing the blood straight from the tap so to speak. Did they drain them dry, killing them? There could be several donors who willingly gave their blood to be consumed by the supernatural apex predators of humans.
"How did you get into doing these private parties?" she asked.
"A woman propositioned me at the bar I worked at She had these crazy long teeth," he said, glancing at Alucard. "Like a vampire's." His intense gaze shifted back to her. "She said her boss was looking for a good bartender for private parties, one who could keep his mouth shut no matter what he sees. People always had a tendency to tell me deepest darkest secrets anyway and I never said a word so I figured why not do these parties for the extra cash."
"You weren't afraid? I mean, did it ever cross your mind that this woman, or her boss, could be real vampires? Or just plain crazy?"
Randy shrugged. He lowered his eyes and began wiping the already clean and polished bar with the cloth in his hand.
"I always text my brother the location of the party in case," he said, glancing around.
"In case of...what?"
His eyes met hers. There was a flicker of uncertainty and fear before it disappeared.
"In case I don't come home."
Quin opened her mouth to ask another question but was interrupted.
"Yoo hoo! Young man!" called woman down the bar. She raised her hand and waved, the diamond bracelet on her wrist glimmering dramatically in the low light.
"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," Randy said, tapping on the bar.
Quin watched him as he poured the woman her drink. A glass of Chardonnay. How typical for the snotty elite. She rolled her eyes and slurped at her drink. Alucard pinched her side.
"Ouch!" she whimpered, rubbing the sore skin on her hip.
"Stop that. It's bad manners," he chastised her.
"Sorry, mother," she apologized insincerely.
Randy brought her another drink when he returned despite the fact she had not finished her second one. He had to keep up appearances though.
"I'm sure you have more questions, but I really can't talk here," he said in a low voice, being heralded again by a man a few seats away.
"Your brother has my number," she said, finishing off her second drink.
"Great. I'll be in touch," he promised her with a wink.
"This is pointless," Alucard grumbled, emptying his second glass of blood. "I don't think there are any fake vampires here and certainly not any real ones. These are just bored, horny rich people."
"I guess," she sighed in disappointment, picking up her glass to empty it. "Shall we go?"
"Not yet," he said, taking her by the hand to pull her from the clear acrylic bar stool.
"But what's the point of hanging around?" she moaned pitifully, feeling sorry for herself for hitting a wall when it could have been such a promising lead.
Alucard pulled her onto the dance floor comprised of square wooden tiles placed together to form a much larger square on the concrete floor. He pulled her into his body, holding her hand and extending her arm while hooking the other under her other arm and around her upper torso.
Quin stared up at him, a little confused. The alcohol gave her a sense of detachment from reality. Is this a dream? It felt like it. And it felt nice. His body was warm against hers as he held her like a ballroom dancer holding his partner. Her hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"I will not waste your beauty. They should all see you...envy you. You are the most beautiful woman here, and you are mine. Therefore, I will show you off. One dance," he said as the volume of the music increased, filling the air around them with its lively notes beckoning them to move to its beat. "Then we leave."
Quin would swear his voice had become heavily accented; a thick, old world Slavic accent similar to a modern day Russian articulation. She contemplated if this is what Vlad Tepes, Count Dracula, sounded like. As she stared into his eyes, an inky blackness covered their vibrant red. There was no distinction between iris and pupil. Just limitless voids like black holes of nothingness that wanted to suck her in.
"Vlad," she whispered as he led her around the dance floor.
"You are a smart woman, Quin Harker," he said, pushing her gently to spin her out like a top then back into his arms to continue leading her in an effortless waltz.
"Why - "
"Because I want you to know all of me. Just like I want to know all of you," he murmured, his arms tightening around her torso as he turned them both before leaning her back.
"But you shut yourself off to avoid feeling the pain. I can understand that," she mumbled, her words slurring slightly.
"I'm willing to risk it...for you," he whispered in her ear, his breath warm on her neck.
Quin's body shivered as a delicious thrill raced up her spine. Suddenly he seemed extremely human to her. No longer a cold, heartless vampire. What the hell did Randy put in that drink? This must be an illusion. He was pandering to her romantic tendencies - toying with her mind and heart simply because he can. Alucard would never lower his defenses, expose his heart, which she truly believed no longer existed if it ever existed at all.
"You're a cruel woman, " he chided her but chuckled lightly at her random thoughts.
"I can't imagine what it has been like for you. Outliving those you love time and time again. Being left behind and lonely. Or worse...being shunned and feared once they find out what you are to be abandoned while they still live. That part I do understand."
"That's why I'm taking a chance on you." He pressed a tender, brief kiss to her lips. The brush of his lips was like the caress of a fairy's wings. "You have the ability to understand what it's like."
Quin tottered on her heels but held onto him to right herself.
"I have you. I won't let you fall," he promised her.
Her eyes met his that smoldered like embers of a fire being stoked back to life. However, the fire erupted inside of her.
"Too late," she said, smiling sadly at him.
When their dance was over, everyone around them clapped. A reserved and demure ovation given by the upper class at a riveting performance.
Alucard bowed graciously and Quin followed his lead, shifting her right foot behind her and bending her knees in a deep curtsey. She had not curtseyed in since she was a child. It felt weird and stupid. The curtsey is a pointless social grace belonging to a bygone era. A sardonic smile touched her lips to think those old-fashioned charm school lessons her mother insisted on had actually come in handy.
"Let's go, my dear," he said, placing her arm through his.
Quin was beginning to like the hearing the possessive pet names he used to refer to her. She might as well. This is her life now. Threading her arm through his, she felt like a queen on the arm of the No Life King.
As they were passing by the bar, Quin glanced over at Randy. A hopeless flirt, the man blew a kiss to her.
"He really liked you," Alucard said, placing his hand over hers laying on his forearm.
"I think he's just using his skills as a flirt to the best of his ability. In his line of work that ensures a big tip," she explained.
She figured the call from Randy would be more professional than personal. He had wanted to tell her more about these privately hosted events but had not been able to do so.
Perhaps this evening had not been a complete waste of time. Randy might have information to help them find the killer, or killers as the case may be.
Quin felt drowsy from the drinks and lack of sleep. She slumped against Alucard while they waited in the underground corridor full of armed guards for their limousine.
Tonight was not a complete waste of time. One very good thing happened to her. Although not under the moonlight, she had shared that romantic dance with the vampire of her dreams.
Aware of her thoughts, Alucard nuzzled into her soft hair smelling of her lavender shampoo. Such a sweet and heady scent but he liked her smell. He had already grown far too accustomed to her.
"You silly little fool," Alucard whispered to her, lifting her into his arms as the car arrived.
"I know." She had already come to same conclusion earlier.
"Sleep, my darling" Alucard bid her.
Quin could not be sure if it was an enchantment or simply due to her profound exhaustion and the alcohol that put her out. So at last, she slept soundly - unaware he held close when he did not have to.