Chapter 36 – Taking Care of Business

October 2, 2004 = Saturday

~Eliza Flores~

Entering Vesuvius was a riot of sound on my ears as VV's DJ had a techno-sounding song running loud through the speakers at what had to be two hundred beats a minute. The girls that I could see were dancing excitedly to the music and most of the customers eyes were glued to one of said girls as they danced half-naked around the room. Except for a guy I recognized on my previous trip. He was scratching at his left wrist and I could see the fresh, fancy cross tattoo he had under a bandage. He glanced at me as I passed, his eyes going up briefly before he broke eye contact with me and looked towards the nearest girl.

I walked on, figuring the man for a hunter. Right now I had to figure he was currently VV's problem, as it was her place. Glancing around as I reached the entrance to the VIP area, I didn't see her. I had to search around to find the blonde kindred sitting at a bar sipping at a red drink in a crystaline glass. I shook my head at her almost blatant breach before noticing a similar setup going by on a waitresses tray, my more sensitive nose smelling the liquor in it.

Smiling at VV's ingenuity, I walked over to the bar and sat beside her, not getting noticed as VV sipped at her blood. "I'll have what she's having," I told the bartender, who smiled at me before dropping to a knee behind the bar. VV sat her glass down, and smiled when she looked at me.

"Look who's back," she purred, as she spun her barstool to face me and intermingle a leg in mine. "Couldn't stay away, could you?"

"Like I'd want to," I said, smiling at our playful back and forth and took in her attire tonight. She was wearing a crimson corset over black stockings and garter belts. "I've a screenplay to sell, if you're buying."

"Why don't we take this upstairs," she purred, as I watched the bartender raise back up, a glass of blood in hand. He set it in front of me, and I picked it up as VV sensually slid from her barstool and took my arm to lead me upstairs.

I went with her, arm-in-arm up the stairs to her private VIP suite and couldn't help but feel short next to VV in her ten inch heels. I flicked the switch to the stairs with my elbow, something in me enjoying my time with the kindred on my arm and I didn't want to lose or waste a precious second of the contact.

Since we were now alone in the private lounge, I opened my eyes fully to the neon lights that lit the room, taking in the lava themed room without the shading my constant wearing of sunglasses had given me. I found I could see the fluorescent bars under the thick colored glass of the stage that made the floor 'glow,' and the gentle glow of the walls and ceiling were accomplished by a thin layer of wallpaper over more fluorescent lights, though not enough to make it seem like it all glowed bright, but in certain sections to allow customers to see by.

VV led me to the sofa, and I sat first which allowed VV to curl up on my lap and press her lady lumps into mine. "So, here we are, alone," she purred, as she wrapped an arm around my neck in an unneeded attempt to keep me close. "David was in earlier, happier than I've seen him in some time. I'll take it that you managed to get his screenplay?"

"He thinks that I'm an agent for Isaac, and that I'll give his screenplay to Isaac for his approval," I told her and her smile saddened a bit.

"I'm afraid that Isaac is somewhat of a legend in this town, and that the younger writers don't understand the art that Isaac considers his movies to be," she explained to me. "Isaac loves his older style films, and many of them have become legend. Films such as The Godfather, Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, they're all Isaac Abraham's productions, but he won't authorize just any movie."

"So a vampire movie that almost perfectly emulates our reality..." I said, trailing off as VV put a finger to my lips silencing me.

"Is not something Isaac would ever be interested in, I'm afraid," she said, finishing my sentence. "Michele, maybe, but definitely not Isaac. Thankfully, I'll be able to play this as a rejection and learning experience for David, as I'm sure you have his only screenplay. Correct?"

"I do," I told her, but was unable to reach into my bag as she was curled too tightly around me.

"Would you mind destroying it for me?" she purred, and I nodded. "I can't rip up the product of a man's soul."

"I'll take care of it," I said, and she grimaced at something.

"Did you find the source?" she asked, and I realized that her hatred of violence was what she was grimacing at and what I might have done to preserve our secrecy.

Giving her a warm smile, I told her, "Yes, I did, but I couldn't pull the trigger on him," I said, and she purred in glee that I hadn't let the monster destroy something beautiful for her. "I told him to leave LA, and not come back or I'd have to kill him for what he'd done. It was a Thin Blood that lived on the beach, so I doubt anyone misses him."

"If it had been any one else, they wouldn't have been so kind and for that and I thank you," she said, then kissed my jaw in appreciation. "Now, I think I owe you something," she said, almost breathing in my ear as she did so.

"You can have whatever part of me you want," she said, kissing my cheek as I moved to nuzzle under her ear as my thirst screamed for me to feed, her perfume and its flowery scent an afterthought as I zeroed in on the intoxicating scent of her blood.

I kissed her neck once, before sliding my fangs out and biting into her tender flesh. VV gasped as my fangs pierced her skin, and began pushing away from me. I wrapped my arms around her, and we ended up on the floor as I fed from her. Her blood held flavors my brain wasn't even registering as I sucked mouth-full after mouth-full into my mouth and down my throat,

It wasn't until her blood thinned and was hard to suck out that I stopped, my thirst satisfied. I propped myself up on my arms, as VV moaned on the floor, her eyes unfocused and her arm instinctively going up to her neck to caress the spot where I had bitten her. The moment her hand found the spot, her eyes snapped into focus onto mine, and she moaned.

"Of all the things I thought you'd take from me, my blood wasn't on my mind," she said, the sultriness of her voice now gone. "You do know that feeding from fellow kindred is considered taboo, or so Isaac has told me."

"Damsel didn't like that I'd fed from her either," I told her as I stood up and VV smiled as I extended my hand to assist her back up.

"From what I hear about the Brujah, your lucky to be alive," she said, as she stood up herself, again dwarfing me in her taller heels.

"Damsel is a Toreador, not a Brujah," I said and VV burst out giggling.

"That little tart is an artist?" she finally got out as she continued to giggle. "I've never even seen her at salon, and she's an artist? Who told you that?"

"Damsel herself," I said and VV continued to laugh.

"Did she happen to tell you who her sire was?" VV said as she tried to bring her laughing under control.

"She never mentioned his name," I told her as VV brought herself under control. "Said he was an artist with his words and he had a penchant for beauty, fad of the month type of thing and that he ruined a lot of girl's lives because of it."

"Felix Barker," she whispered, and it brought my head around. Did this guy get around or something? "Yes, he's ruined a lot of girls lives in pursuit of the 'perfect' woman," she said sourly. "I don't know if I have a lot to say on the matter though, he did kind of save me."

"Barker is your sire, too?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"He sired me, oh, ten years ago now," she said and my jaw dropped as VV sat back on the sofa. "It was spur of the moment, and he didn't stay with me but a few days. Michele helped me get the club going soon after, and I changed my name to hide my past. All because he saw me walking down the street and liked me."

"What was the fad at the time?" I asked and she smiled at a memory.

"It was back in the nineties during the Western craze and it was somewhat fashionable to wear corsets," she told me, as her eyes glossed over in memory. "I had been walking down Vine to a meeting and was wearing this fancy styled dress and corset when he saw me. I never did make that meeting, as Barker shanghaied me and sired me. He was less than thrilled to learn the truth," she said, sighing in her recollections.

"What truth would that be?" I asked and she smiled wanly.

"That I wasn't the high-brow woman he thought me to be," she said simply, without adding to it. "I've known for years that he's done the same to other girls, but I never figured he sired Damsel. She just seems so, anathema to art. Did she say why Barker was drawn to her?"

"Well, when she was sired it was apparently at the height of Beatnik fashion, which Damsel still carries with her," and VV's smiled warmed at that.

"That would be Barker's style," she agreed with me. "I guess since she's always seen with the Brujah I just figured she was Brujah herself. Wonder why she never comes to a salon?" she silently wondered.

"Couldn't say," I said as I looked down at her. "We're not really that close, not since the Trial of Jose," I lied, not wanting to betray myself to the gossip circle VV was likely connected to.

"Hmm," she said and I looked at the exit. I did need to get on with my night, as there was so little left. It was getting on four.

"Well," I said, looking back to the stairs, "The night wanes, and I'm a busy woman."

"Do come back and see me sometime," she purred, stretching out on the comfortable couch in a provocative pose. "I do hate being here all alone."

"I'll come back, VV," I said with a smile, and meant it as I disappeared down the dark stairs. The hunter wasn't in his spot when I came back down the stairs, and that set me on edge. He knew from my lack of eyes that I was supernatural, and if he waited for me in the parking lot, I might have a few problems. I ran through my list of options, deciding I couldn't risk losing my bike to theft and needing to get the bondage equipment back to the mansion

At the door, I paused at the empty entrance and scanned the parking lot. Not seeing anyone waiting wasn't a comfort, and I kept scanning the lot for the hunter while silently hoping he just went to the bathroom. Crossing the street, I still hadn't seen him and it was making me uneasy. Being out in the open like this, I was a sitting duck should he try to shoot an arrow into me so as soon as I got to my bike, I hopped on and started it up and practically peeled out of the Sin Bin's parking lot and didn't slow down till I was back on the freeway.

It was almost a mile later before I noticed the car racing up behind me. I gunned the motor in my Harley, but found I couldn't outrun the car. Hitting the next exit, I raced down the ramp and leaned into the hard turn in an attempt to hold my bike. When I finished the hard turn, I could hear the screech of tires where the Hunter followed me.

It was maddening, knowing I had a trained vampire killer following me and as I looked back saw that he wasn't that far away. I took the next turn, turning into some kind of warehousing area and cutting off a semi that blew its horn at me. The Hunter followed my turn, only seconds behind me when I realized I had made a very terrible mistake. Looking ahead for the next turn to escape, I realized the road ended in a cul-de-sac and the only way out was now blocked by a religious fanatic. Blowing straight through the open gate of a dark warehouse, I soon found myself running out of room to run with the motorcycle and was forced to stop.

The Hunter gunned the motor as I pulled up, and I managed to step out through the shadow my bike made as I was out of options and tried to save the bike by pulling it with me. I only stepped to a spot between two semi trailers some ten feet away where I'd be safe from the crash but the bike was no longer under me. I watched as the Hunter slammed hard into the wall where I had been, the Harley I had ridden crumpled underneath the car which was not totaled.

Walking to the driver's door quickly in an attempt to kill the hunter, my hand scrabbling for a gun in my bag, I was shocked to see the Hunter quickly emerge unscathed with a mini crossbow in his hand. Together, me and him locked eyes and brought our weapons to bear on each other and fired, my shot wide and high as I rushed it too much. His shot was true, and only my newfound celerity allowed me to dodge the lethal dart.

His shot wasted, he dropped the crossbow and began to pull a wicked looking short sword from under his jacket. I brought my weapon back to bear, and snapped off a shot but the Hunter shrugged it off as he charged me. I didn't get a chance to aim, instead emptying my clip at the Hunter as he brought his sword high and tried to cleave me with it. I dropped the gun, and rolled, his strike barely missing.

Turning and rising, I managed to tackle him before he could bring that sword to bear again. We went tumbling, the sword falling to the ground as we rolled. I brought my strength to bear, and soon pinned his arms. The Hunter only smiled, then with amazing flexibility for a guy wrapped a leg under my head and pealed me off of him to tumble away.

He was on me in a flash, pulling a stake from somewhere and trying to find a home for it in my heart. I barely got my arms up in an X to block his strike, then flipped him over me. Spinning to face the Hunter, he got back on his feet and we squared off again. He was fast, as fast as I could be with my basic celerity power and he was wily enough to beat my potence ability.

I had one last way of beating him, and with a smile, I slunk back into the shadows of the trailers. The Hunter followed, and I kept backpedaling until we were well within the shadows of the trailers. When shadow fell across him, I stopped moving, letting him think I was going to fight him in the narrow confines we were now in.

Without warning, I stepped into the shadow, coming out behind him and grabbed him with my potence and threw him against the metal sided trailer. The Hunter was knocked somewhat loopy, and I pressed my attack by doing it again several more times. Eventually, the Hunter was so disoriented from having his head beaten again a metal wall that he dropped the stake and stumbled away as he attempted to escape.

Picking up the stake, and knowing that if I didn't stop him he would kill some other unsuspecting kindred, I walked up behind him and spun him around. He tried to swat me away, but his eyes were unfocused and I quickly pinned him against the wall and buried the stake in his heart. His free hand went to the stake, and tried to pull it out. His strength must have waned though, because he was still trying to pull it out as he collapsed to the ground.

I checked his pulse after several minutes to find it was gone, and let him be. Walking out from in between the trailers, I got in the car and backed it off my bike. The nineties model Fatboy was ruined though, it's handlebars bent and fuel tank had a huge rip in it. I sighed in my misery, hating to lose the bike and decided to replace it as soon as I could. Maybe I should

I pulled out my Sin Bin purchases and stuffed them in my messenger bag, then checked out the Hunter's car. He had several duffle bags full of weapons, some medieval and some containing guns and clips, and one that looked like it contained some sort of armor. I took the bags, needing my potence to handle the weight, and walked away from the ruined wrecks of my bike and the Hunters car to where the crossbow had fallen and picked it up. Picking up the crossbow, I packed it in a duffle and shadow-stepped to Four-Play because all I had to do there was call a cab to take me home.

Stepping into the alley, I walked to the door that led directly to Duke's office. Once I opened it, one of Duke's bouncers noticed me and opened the door to the office and let me in while his buddy went to get Duke for me. I set the heavy bags down, taking the one with the modern firepower and setting it on his desk and opened it, pulling out a wicked looking rifle with what looked like a miniature scope that at first glance seemed more like a paintball gun for all the plastic on it. It wasn't until I found the clip that went with it and saw the bullets in it that I realized it was a rifle.

Examining the rifle, I found that the clip snapped into place behind the grip in the shoulder stock, seeming odd to how I thought rifles were supposed to be used. Shouldering the short rifle, I examined it and found the 'scope' was just a fancy aiming guide with a round circle and a small dot, but figured any assistance was better than firing blind.

Setting it in the seat, I examined the bag to find another semi-automatic pistol in a carrying case, though this one was much bigger and heavier than my Glock. Examining this one, I found it said Desert Eagle on the slide where mine said Glock 19. Pulling on the slide, I found it was loaded and that I had just ejected one of its large shells which I caught by snaking my hand. The rear said it was a Hornady .0 AE, which I though bigger than the .357 I had given Brian, and the other end seemed to be hollowed out, though it had some sort of wax there. Finding the release for the clip, I pulled it out and inserted the bullet back in before slamming the clip home in the grip.

Setting it aside, I pulled out the next weapon which I was sure was a paintball gun, given that it had a canister attached under it. It was a crude gun, seemingly homemade and heavy from the metal in it. I examined it, but was puzzled by the small hole in the barrel. My nose picked up the small of something burning and with a shock, I realized it was coming from the gun. Taking the gun back out into the alley, I flipped the safety off above canister and pulled the trigger, only to get the bejeesus scared out of me when a gout of flame shot out twenty feet down the alley.

Taking the gun back inside, I carefully reset the safety and set it aside. It made sense that the Hunters would have weapons like this, but there had to be reasons that they didn't use it, such as difficulties in acquiring replacement fuel or dangerous to reload. Lord knows what the countryside would be like if you fired this off on the brush and lit the hills on fire. Those were bad enough when they were accidental or the cause of bad storms and destroyed millions of dollars before they could be stopped.

I had just set the gun on the chair with the rifle when Duke walked in. The ghoul was wearing a light gray business suit and was happy to see me. "Hey ya doll," he said, cheerily as he shut the door behind him, his eyes falling on the firepower I had set in the chair. "Business been rough?"

"Somewhat," I said, finding that there were more arrows for the small crossbow I had tucked away somewhere. "Had a Hunter after me before I came here."

"If he comes here, I'll make sure my boys break his spine," Duke said defensively as he walked closer and examined the rifle I had recently acquired. "Wow, Steyr Aug. Thought this bad boy got outlawed back in the 90's. Where did you get it?"

"From the Hunter I killed," I said flatly, and couldn't help but think of the Hunter's face as he died. I refused to feel sorry for the man's death, as he had tried to kill me, but I would have to be more careful about such things in the future. If he had led off with the flamethrower, I'd likely be dead now. "He won't be needing it anymore."

"Gun's really don't work on you, do they," he said, as he lifted the small weapon and shouldered it, the small weapon looking somewhat goofy in his hands.

"Not so much," I said, replacing all the weapons in the duffle and setting it back on the floor. I picked up the other duffle and set it on the desk, finding it was a selection of swords, plastic bottles filled with holy water, and stakes, making it the more lethal bag to kindred. Setting it aside, I picked up the third duffle, and examined the contents. It contained some sort of dark blue, almost black, armor, mostly made of leather with metal studs throughout.

"Ever seen armor like this?" I asked him, showing him one of the pieces.

Duke pulled a piece out and examined it, then frowned. "No, looks new though because the leather isn't cracked. And it's female," he said as he held it up, sizing it against my body. "Or at least made for a young man."

"Wonder why he had it then?" I wondered, then put it back in the bag. It wasn't like I could ask him now. "He was way too big to confused with a woman, unless..." I started to say when it hit. Predators and prey. I killed the predator, but what if he had been, until recently, assisted with someone acting as bait? Say, Chastity, a small woman who had until recently been dancing at Vesuvius? "Well, she won't be needing it either," I said for Duke's benefit.

"Good to know you won't be disappearing on me anytime soon," he flatpanned, and I nodded at the grim admission. I had taken on two Hunters since ghouling Duke, though only the last one knew of my existence for any length of time before I dispatched him.

"So, how are things going in the club?" I asked him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Good so far," he said, as he moved to take his spot behind his desk. "Been keeping an eye on one of my new hires. Got a new one, she's got charisma, but she's nothing like Angel or Amber."

"Show me," I said as I moved around the desk, and he flicked through the cameras to bring up a platinum blond sitting between two men. She seemed to be talking with both as she leaned back against the bar, her barely covered chest on display as both men seemed to fight over her. "So what's the deal?" I asked and he spun to face me.

"Blondie on the left is into redheads with big breasts, preferably in the double letter range, while the rich boy on the right prefers petite Asian," he said as if he were discussing menu options and not women. He brought up another shot, this one of a petite Asian woman who couldn't have been over sixteen and leaned back in his chair. "That's his usual girl and after he gets drunk, will gladly take her into the VIP rooms upstairs to get in her panties, if you know what I mean. So far, I have yet to see Sugar take any of my customers upstairs, but instead she takes them into the members area. Not bad for a girl who can't speak."

I studied the screen while my brain worked, and hit on the problem that Duke was presenting me. Bound my order, he could no longer break the girls to do what he wanted them to do by forcing them onto his couch. As such, Sugar was doing the bare minimum to make money, and not putting out.

Still, there was only one way my brain saw that Sugar could pull two men with such different appetites to her with looks alone, and that was by presence. She didn't look like a kindred, but as my own ghouls could attest, ghouls could acquire kindred powers.

"Can you bring her in? I'd like to talk to her," I asked Duke and he nodded.

"Give me a minute, and I'll have her brought in," he said as he got up and went to the door. After telling one of the bouncers to bring him Sugar, he went back to his desk and pulled out a pad and pen from a drawer and placed them on the other side of the desk. I give him a questioning look and he chuckled. "She doesn't speak. Said she had her throat ripped out by a dog a while back. Can't make a sound, but she's had the cosmetic surgery to make it like it never happened."

Nodding in acceptance, I waited while his bouncer interrupted the two men who were about to start a fist fight over Sugar and led her back to his office. As soon as she was headed our way, the two men split up, each one shaking their head as if to clear before going separate directions.

Soon, the platinum blonde entered the office and I got a good look at her. She wasn't very tall, naturally speaking as she wore four inch heels and was still several inches shorter than the bouncers. The hair seemed natural though, and not out of a bottle and her skin was pink and not pale, making her a ghoul instead of a kindred. Her eyes lit up as she saw me though, and it wasn't in any form of glee.

No, she was terrified.

"You know what I am don't you?" I asked her, and she nodded slowly as she inched back to the door. "Who's your master?"

Sugar shook her head, and bolted for the door forcing me to sprint on the tips of my toes to get to the door before she did, and I pinned her there as she silently sobbed and struggled to get free. Using my potence, I drug her from the door and back to the couch and tossed her gently onto its cushions. Knowing she was beat, she curled up on herself and I watched as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Who's your master?" I asked again, while Duke handed her the pad and pen. She wrote something down, and showed it to Duke who was closer.

"She says his name is Felix Barker," he said as he read her note. "She just wants to go home."

"And so Felix ruins another girl's life," I muttered and shook my head. Sugar began writing something else, and when Duke read it, he scrunched his forehead up.

"She wants to know if you're going to take her back to him," he said and I shook my head.

"No," I said, as she pleaded with her eyes to me. "I won't take you back, nor will I tell him where you've gone."

She got up and embraced me at that, and I gave her a warm hug as we rocked back and forth. "Sweetie," I said, and she looked up at me with hope in her eyes. "You do know that it's painful to go through blood withdrawal, right?"

She nodded her head, and that made me wonder where she got her information. "Who told you that?"

Duke gave her the pad and pen again, and she wrote down Remy, which I recognized as another ghoul of Toreador Primogen Michele Riviere. Since Barker was also a Toreador, it stood to reason that they were either closely allied or Michele was Barker's sire, and either was possible. It made me wonder what else was going on, but likely that Barker was going par for the course and Remy was trying to save Sugar as best she could.

"If you get to wanting blood, have Duke get a hold of me, okay? I'll treat you better than Barker will," I told her, and she nodded.

A thought hit me, and I dismissed it. If she wanted to go home, she surely didn't want my blood. "Stay here for a bit, I need to talk to Duke alone, okay?" I asked and she nodded in understanding. I led Duke out of his office, taking the duffle bags with me as we stepped into the alleyway.

Once we were completely out of the club, I turned back to him in the pinkish glow of the coming dawn and stared hard into his eyes. "I've gotten a better look at how these clubs operate, but I can't in good conscience support your desire to rape women to further your own pocketbook."

"If I can't break..." he started to say but I held up my hand to silence him.

"That I have learned," I said as I hung my head a bit. "I've talked with Velvet Velour, and I got her to teach me a bit about the business. One thing I was taught was not to have emotional attachments, and I guess that means I can't say much about how you run this club. My only rule to you now is, you can't kill them. That's one thing I don't want you doing."

"I can live with that," he said, giving me a wan smile. "It's starting to get bright out, so shouldn't you be heading home?"

"Yes, I should," I said as I looked to horizon as it started to glow brighter when I remembered I needed to ask Duke something. "I need a room or three for some of my other ghouls. Something's come up and I don't need them at the house at sunset. They're names are Brian, Heather and Constance."

"Alright," he said from behind me as I scanned the brightening horizon. Soon we would be turning the world over to the mortals, and it was time for good little kindred to slink off into the shadows.

"I'll be in touch," I said as I stepped back into the shadows and stepped out at my mansion in my secret room and set the duffle bags down. No one was around, so I went out through my painting covered exit, only to find everyone sitting around the master bed at a sleeping Yukie. Heather was sitting on the bed, one leg curled under and the other hanging off the side. Brian sat backwards in a hard backed chair at the foot of the bed with his head resting on the top of the seat back while Constance lay beside Yukie who lay there covered in a long T-shirt featuring a howling wolf.

"How is she?" I asked and everyone jumped slightly as they hadn't noticed I was there.

"She's still sleeping," Heather said from the other side of the bed. "I guess we were just hoping if we were all here when she woke up we might better control her."

"I got something that will help with that," I said, as I pulled the bondage gear from my overly stuffed messenger bag. "Brian, go set this up on my bed in my room. I'll bring her down in a bit."

"Yes, mistress," he said as he took the packages and left the room.

After Brian left the room, I sat at the edge of the bed and looked back at the petite young Asian and wondered if I should dump her in a motel room before I was forced to sleep for the night. But, if there were any problems there'd likely be no one there to help her and she'd be vulnerable to kidnapping until she woke up.

Shaking my head, I reached over and lifted her up, finding I barely needed my potence to carry her downstairs. I moved slowly and carefully, so to not bang her head and carried her down to my private room. Brian had the basic straps for securing her to the bed laid out, and I set her down in the middle and he wasted no time in securing her arms and legs.

After he had her arms and legs tied to the four corners, he took the ball gag from its package and put it in her mouth and secured it, making sure she didn't start screaming if she woke up. With that, Brian gave a nod to me and smiled.

"You got the good stuff," he said as he backed away from the bed. "I thought for a bit you might bring back handcuffs with fuzz pink fur all over it, not leather straps."

"Ah, but you forget the best part," I said, as I went to the messenger bag and pulled out the locks that were under the black robe I had bought. "Added insurance," I said and Brian quickly worked the locks out and put them on the leather straps. "Now, unless she's much stronger than she looks, she can't get free. She's not to be abused, but I would say don't let her out either. If she wakes up before I do, try to be nice to her, and tell her I'll let her out when I wake up. In the meantime, I got Duke to let you have motel rooms at his motel. Just go see him for the keys."

"Do you want us to stay there all day?" Heather asked, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"You can if it makes you feel safer, though I'd like to have someone with Yukie if she wakes up," I told them. "I know I'm a bit of a liability with Lasombra's ability to rise through me, and if he does wake up instead of me, he'll kill her if he knows what she is."

"What if I set her free when he wakes up?" Brian said and we all looked at him. He shrugged his shoulders and continued on. "She is a vampire hunter, I say give her a weapon and let her kill him."

"If she does kill him, she probably kills me," I said and everyone oohed at that. "We do share one body."

"It was a thought," Brian said, raising his hands as Heather and Constance gave him a hard eye.

"A bad one," Constance said and I had to agree with her.

"Well, I'm going to shower," I said as I headed back out, letting my ghouls argue about whether or not they'd stay in the mansion tonight.

I headed back up to the master bath, stripping my clothes off on the bed as I watched the sky continue to brighten outside. It was definitely early in the morning now, and I turned off the lights to end my headache as I stepped into the bathroom to begin my shower.

When I stepped out, my gray bathrobe was waiting for me and I slipped it on. Back downstairs in my hidden bedroom, only Brian remained by Yukie's side. He sat backwards on a kitchen chair, his eyes staring holes while he watched Yukie. He jumped a bit when I put a hand on his shoulder, but quickly settled himself back down and continued to watch her sleep.

"Heather and Constance are packing up," he said glumly. "They're going to get rooms today with Duke, and I'll join them tonight, but for today I'm going to watch Yukie. I can't just leave her here with you. What if she got loose? She could kill you before you woke up and then where would we be?"

"Thank you, Brian," I said, feeling the sun rise and the wave of dizziness that came with it. "What was it like when Lasombra rose?"

"She's scary," he said, not taking his eyes off Yukie. "She demands obedience, and will beat you if you screw up. She also has no modesty, and even let me put her clothes on her. It wasn't until after she left that I realized she didn't even carry a weapon out of here, and you come back with Uzis. Boy was Dennis a fool for not becoming your ghoul."

"Thanks, Brian," I said as I moved to the wardrobe they had bought to house my clothes in and sat down beside it so Yukie could see me if she tried. Maybe it would help keep her calm if she knew I was out of commission with the sunrise and would set her free with the sunset. One could hope, right?

It had been a long night though, and I was out as soon as I my butt met the wood floor.