He’s the boss, after all) to let a trespasser threaten our peaceful dealings with the community. So when the occasional blood drinker passes through town to check out the pickings, we make sure he knows to mind his manners. Leaving a drained body where it can be found by the authorities will get any vamp playing fast and loose a quick escort out of town, usually being dragged by a chain behind my Corvette.
But this situation was different. The vampire who had broken into that cargo hold was a lot stronger than I was. Possibly even stronger than William. It had killed the vampire on board and undoubtedly the crew as well, throwing three overboard and leaving the other body behind. Was that body and its teeth marks meant as a calling card of some kind? Why were there two vampires aboard, and what was their beef with each other? Why had the strong one sneaked his way aboard rather than come out in the open? And where had he gone?
Questions and more questions. Would William have the answers? And if so, would he share them with me? Fat chance. They say knowledge is power, and William won’t give me any more information about our way of life than I need to survive. He keeps me under his thumb by using my ignorance about exactly what I am and what I can do. The idea that he might be afraid I’d challenge him makes me feel a little better, but not for long. You’d think that after three human lifespans of loyal service, I’d have earned his trust. You’d be wrong.
I heard the purr of William’s Jag in the distance, hauled myself from the water, and fetched the duffel. I figured I must look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
“You can’t possibly be thinking of getting into this automobile dripping with mud,” William stated. The top was down, as usual, despite the chill.
I slung the bag into the back and hopped into the passenger seat.
“I’ll get one of the boys to detail it tomorrow.” William glared at me briefly and then gunned the engine. With one undecipherable glance back toward the Alabaster ’s watery grave, he steered the Jag out of the parking lot and back toward Savannah. “So, have you figured anything out yet?” I asked him.
“I’ve made some inquiries. There was an accident with one of the Irish dockworkers before the Alabaster sailed, but it seems unrelated to what happened on board. I’m waiting for more information.”
I settled back in the soft leather bucket seat, waiting to see if William would ask me if I had a theory as to what happened or at least if I’d found any more evidence on the boat. He didn’t. After a few minutes, I said, “I examined the body stuffed into that cabinet in the hold. Found bite marks, deep and wide. It was a vamp, all right. We’re looking for a big boy.”
“I thought as much from the looks of that broken hatch.”
More silence. Hell, you’d think he’d be ranting and raving. He’d just lost a seven-figure yacht and a powerful rogue vamp was stalking his territory. And yet I felt nothing from him, not even the rage I’d sensed at the docks. He was deliberately blocking me out of his mind, cutting off the communication of the blood, as he called it. We couldn’t read each other’s minds exactly, but we were definitely on the same wavelength. It had something to do with him being my sire. But if he didn’t want me to follow the direction of his thoughts and read his emotions, I couldn’t.
Then again, there was always the direct approach. “So, boss, what are you not telling me?”
“Nothing you need to know at this point.”
“Dammit, William, there’s a killer of vampires on the loose, and in case you haven’t noticed, we’re vampires !”
“I’ll find whoever did this and I’ll deal with them. End of story.”
“There has to be more to it than that. What about—”
He turned in the seat so I could see his fangs. “It’s been a long night. I’ve suffered losses you can’t imagine. We’ll talk about this when I have
But this situation was different. The vampire who had broken into that cargo hold was a lot stronger than I was. Possibly even stronger than William. It had killed the vampire on board and undoubtedly the crew as well, throwing three overboard and leaving the other body behind. Was that body and its teeth marks meant as a calling card of some kind? Why were there two vampires aboard, and what was their beef with each other? Why had the strong one sneaked his way aboard rather than come out in the open? And where had he gone?
Questions and more questions. Would William have the answers? And if so, would he share them with me? Fat chance. They say knowledge is power, and William won’t give me any more information about our way of life than I need to survive. He keeps me under his thumb by using my ignorance about exactly what I am and what I can do. The idea that he might be afraid I’d challenge him makes me feel a little better, but not for long. You’d think that after three human lifespans of loyal service, I’d have earned his trust. You’d be wrong.
I heard the purr of William’s Jag in the distance, hauled myself from the water, and fetched the duffel. I figured I must look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
“You can’t possibly be thinking of getting into this automobile dripping with mud,” William stated. The top was down, as usual, despite the chill.
I slung the bag into the back and hopped into the passenger seat.
“I’ll get one of the boys to detail it tomorrow.” William glared at me briefly and then gunned the engine. With one undecipherable glance back toward the Alabaster ’s watery grave, he steered the Jag out of the parking lot and back toward Savannah. “So, have you figured anything out yet?” I asked him.
“I’ve made some inquiries. There was an accident with one of the Irish dockworkers before the Alabaster sailed, but it seems unrelated to what happened on board. I’m waiting for more information.”
I settled back in the soft leather bucket seat, waiting to see if William would ask me if I had a theory as to what happened or at least if I’d found any more evidence on the boat. He didn’t. After a few minutes, I said, “I examined the body stuffed into that cabinet in the hold. Found bite marks, deep and wide. It was a vamp, all right. We’re looking for a big boy.”
“I thought as much from the looks of that broken hatch.”
More silence. Hell, you’d think he’d be ranting and raving. He’d just lost a seven-figure yacht and a powerful rogue vamp was stalking his territory. And yet I felt nothing from him, not even the rage I’d sensed at the docks. He was deliberately blocking me out of his mind, cutting off the communication of the blood, as he called it. We couldn’t read each other’s minds exactly, but we were definitely on the same wavelength. It had something to do with him being my sire. But if he didn’t want me to follow the direction of his thoughts and read his emotions, I couldn’t.
Then again, there was always the direct approach. “So, boss, what are you not telling me?”
“Nothing you need to know at this point.”
“Dammit, William, there’s a killer of vampires on the loose, and in case you haven’t noticed, we’re vampires !”
“I’ll find whoever did this and I’ll deal with them. End of story.”
“There has to be more to it than that. What about—”
He turned in the seat so I could see his fangs. “It’s been a long night. I’ve suffered losses you can’t imagine. We’ll talk about this when I have
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