Chapter Seven #2
“Right. Powerful. Old.” I jump to my feet and pace the small patch of carpet at the bottom of the bed. “He’s not going to be able to sense my power, most likely, but I’ll do my best to keep it under wraps anyway. He’ll be able to tell I’m young. How can I draw him in?”
The once-over Vlad gives me is almost approving. “He likes the look of these vampires, we know that. All these vampires will have been older than you, to be out of their bloodlust and interacting with others.”
“So, play that up?”
“Not enough that he has questions.”
“Right, right.” I rub my forehead. “Get his attention. Play into his type. You really think I’ll find out the name of the fae tonight?”
“Unlikely. Tonight is about laying the groundwork and ensuring that Jakob’s attention is on you as his next target.” The final few words come out through clenched teeth.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
“I know.”
“You won’t let it.”
“I know that.”
“And I can handle it too, you know. I can do this.”
Vlad sighs. “I know you will try.”
Rude. But fine, I get it. “What are you going to do while I try to attract Jakob’s attention?”
“I will also be in the club. I will use my blessing to make it appear as though I am human.”
“You’ll be in there? Vlad…”
“I am not letting you out of my sight. This is your first time on a job, Grant, and even if you had asked me years from now and I had been convinced this was a good idea, this would never be the first night of a job I would have asked of you. I am not going to risk you when it is likely he may not do more than look at you tonight.”
I huff. It’s not often Vlad cracks out more than a couple of sentences, so I might as well take him seriously. Besides, we said we’d communicate. I need to do that.
“Okay. But you’ll stay out of the way? I mean it. I might do things you wouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean you need to intervene.”
“I understand.”
That one I’m not sure about, but I let it lie.
“All right. Ready to go?”
As it turns out, he isn’t, so I lounge around the room, texting Quinn until Vlad changes into a slightly different shirt-and-trousers combo and styles his hair. Well, he ties it back at the top in a kind of half ponytail that is, frankly, really fucking hot.
Oh, God. Will he take it out before we go to bed in the morning or am I going to have to try to somehow sleep next to him while he’s shirtless and his hair is like—
“Let’s go,” Vlad says, snapping me out of a dangerous fantasy. Got to get my head on straight. I need to do this. It’s not just about proving myself. I need to help these young vampires.
We walk a couple of streets together, but Vlad ushers me off to the club as he ducks into an alley to adjust his blessing so that he’ll appear human to the people inside.
Will that work on the fae? I suppose it doesn’t matter that much.
Once we’ve found out who she is, the Huntsman can take care of throwing her back through the veil, I guess.
I wonder about that as I stand in the queue, ignoring the approving—and not-so-subtly disapproving—stares I get from other people in line.
Not my problem that they didn’t have a werewolf and a mage to go shop for them.
I bite back a smile at the thought. Sam is like the personification of every guy I wanted to be when I was working through my sexuality as a teen.
Hot and composed and stylish and powerful…
I grew up to be a little different to that. It’s fine. I’ve got what I’ve got, and at the time, it’s not like I knew that being a vampire was an option. Probably for the best. I already went through an iffy Interview with the Vampire phase when I was fifteen.
But yeah. Their whole pack seems to have such an interesting dynamic, and I really want to be closer with them, to see that up close if nothing else, but I don’t want to lose whatever I have with Vlad and the rest of the Hunt, either.
Vlad’s and my relationship has been strained over the past few months, but what does that mean in the grand scheme of things?
The faint bond between us pulses. Some kind of fae connection, rather than the usual sire-turn bond.
I let it slip from my mind as I reach the front of the queue.
The beat of the music reaches me from beyond the door and, despite everything, excitement fizzes in my stomach.
When I first figured out how to sneak out of the base, clubbing was basically all I wanted to do, and it’s been a few years since then, but I enjoyed it.
The bouncer doesn’t so much as smile as he checks my ID, but he doesn’t pat me down either, so I grin and walk inside once he waves me through. We’re here early enough that entry is free, and I slip past a group of women on a hen do as I attempt to find the bar.
The club is split into two main rooms—one louder, lights flashing, people already on the dance floor. I don’t feel a hint of anything supernatural in there, so I take a turn around before I slip out again and head for the other.
Music still plays in this one, but it’s a little quieter to my ears. The dance floor is smaller, and there are seats, kind of like booths, along one wall.
There are at least five vampires in here, too. Two—a man and a woman—are swaying together on the dance floor. I’m certain they’re not drunk, but they’re acting like it. Another is behind the bar.
Four and five are in one of the booths. Well, one is standing outside, dressed like any bodyguard I’ve ever seen on TV.
The other is Jakob. I stride over to the bar, doing my best to act as though I’ve hardly noticed any of them.
He perks his head up all the same, and I feel his eyes on me as I slip between two humans and rest my elbows on the bar top.
I don’t think he has fae magic, even if he’s working with one of them.
Wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t. I don’t think the fae like to share, our Huntsman aside.
The bond between me and Vlad pulses again, and I don’t feel his vampire presence, but I know he’s in this room with me all the same.
Sure enough, he appears in my periphery further down the bar.
Hopefully, no one will work out what he is.
One strange vampire stumbling into this club is one thing. Two is suspicious, no matter which way we slice it.
The woman on my left gets her drink, and the bartender turns to the man on my right. I’ve been so focused on Jakob and Vlad that I don’t even realise he’s talking to me until he rubs a hand over my shoulder.
“Sorry?”
“I asked what you were drinking,” he says, tone affable. The bartender narrows his eyes at me. He knows I’m a vampire; I’m not hiding that. “Let me get you one.”
I grin. I think Jakob’s still watching me, and I need an in. Anything I can get. “Sure! Gin and tonic?”
“Nice choice,” the stranger says, and he nods at the bartender, whose suspicious expression twists into straight-up annoyance before he turns to get our drinks. “I’m Steve. What’s your name?”
“Quinn,” I say and instantly regret it. Didn’t think to come up with a fake name earlier, did I? I really should have, considering I’m supposed to get close to Jakob at some point.
“Pretty name, pretty face…” Steve winks as the bartender sets our drinks down in front of us. He’s still eyeing me suspiciously, and I have to assume he works for Jakob, considering this is his club. “What brings you to Margate?”
“Oh, you don’t think I’m from here?”
“I think I’d have noticed you before if you were.”
I grin and take a sip of my drink. He’s trying, and it’s not his fault I’m not interested. I tilt my head, taking a good look at him. He appears to be in his late thirties, maybe early forties, and what I can see of his body through his tight jumper and jeans is not too shabby at all.
But I’m not interested in a human. I’m not interested in anyone who isn’t Vlad.
Still, I smile again when he looks right back, and out of the corner of my eye, I notice that Jakob’s bodyguard has edged a little closer. Under orders? I hope so.
“Just thought I might check out the city,” I say with a shrug. I lean against the bar, angling my body so Steve thinks he has my full attention. Just play it like I don’t wanna pay for drinks all night. I’ve done that before. Easy-peasy. “Got any recommendations?”
“Well, I happen to know a very nice house not far from here. Stone’s throw from the beach. Three large bedrooms…”
“Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Never said it was my house.”
“Oh, so a friend’s? Really getting ahead of yourself there, Steve.”
He laughs into his drink, and it sounds real. The energy coming off him feels genuine enough. He’s just a nice guy looking for a good time, and he might think he’s far older than me, but there’s definitely someone here who’ll be into that.
We chat for a bit as we finish our drinks, and all the while, my attention is on Jakob’s bodyguard, edging closer in my periphery.
Does he think he’s being subtle? Maybe he is.
No one else seems to have noticed—no one but Vlad, who is nursing his own drink against a back wall.
He looks like he’s watching the dance floor, but I know better than that, too.
“Wanna dance?” I ask Steve because there’s no point in waiting for Jakob to make a move. I have to lure a guy like that in. Maybe he hasn’t picked out his next young vampire yet.
Let him think I’m easy prey.
“Sure.”
I drag Steve over to the small dance floor in this room, which has filled up some while we’ve been talking. I’m careful to position us where Jakob can still see, and Steve laughs when I back up into him, rolling my hips.
It’s hard not to get distracted. Steve’s a good dancer, and he keeps his touches fairly respectful. I feel a pulse or two of something from Vlad but push it away. If there was a real emergency, he’d let me know.
The bodyguard comes over three songs in. Steve makes an irritated sound when he stands in front of me, big body blocking my view of the DJ.
“Boss wants to see you.”
“Boss?” I snicker, and when I look at the bodyguard questioningly, he indicates Jakob with a jerk of his chin.
I turn and look at him. Really look at him, slowly taking him in.
I spin back to the bodyguard again with a smile. “No, thank you.”
A muscle in the big vampire’s jaw ticks. He leaves without a word, and I spin into Steve’s arms, chuckling.
“You always attract this much attention?” Steve asks.
“Only when I want to,” I reply. I wrap my arms around his shoulders but don’t lean in for the kiss he clearly wants. “What about you? You always look for someone to pick up?”
“Not always.”
Jakob and his bodyguard are having a heated discussion. I go back to dancing, then let out an exaggerated sigh when I see the bodyguard approaching again.
I push back up onto my tiptoes and put my hands on Steve’s shoulders. It’s nothing at all to feed power into my voice, to take that magic vampires inherently have—boosted by whatever Vlad gave me—and give Steve a little suggestion.
“Go into the next room and find a pretty little twink to go home with. Pick one who’ll boss you around. I think you’re going to like it.”
Steve grins down at me, eyes a little hazy, and hugs me tight before he slips from my grasp and wanders into the next room. The bodyguard moves in quickly, and I see Vlad slightly push off from the wall, but he stops himself from intervening.
“You’re not supposed to do that,” the bodyguard says, grabbing my arm.
I twist easily out of his grip and glare at him, then in Jakob’s direction. “Well, considering your boss is intent on ruining my fucking night, go bother him about it. I’m not interested.”
Before he can reply, I turn on my heel and storm out of the club.
Well, not storm. I’m holding in a laugh by the time I reach the doors, and I take a slow, meandering route back to the hotel, knowing that Vlad will be on my trail. On my trail and mad about it.
He catches up a few minutes later.
“What was that about?”
“What?”
“You were supposed to speak with him, Grant. Get close to him. Now, he will not—”
“Now, he’ll want more,” I interrupt, coming to a sudden stop.
Vlad stops, too. He is angry, banked fire behind his eyes, but I don’t think it’s all aimed at me.
“What do you think usually happens when he turns his attention on one of his targets? They give in, right? They fawn all over him. And if I come in doing the exact same thing, it’s going to look more suspicious when I start asking questions. ”
Vlad frowns. “You should have told me you intended to change the plan.”
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do until we got in there! Steve started chatting me up at the bar, and I needed to keep Jakob’s attention, didn’t I, because you’ve all made it clear that we need to stop him from hurting anyone else and—”
“Grant,” Vlad says firmly. He puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezes gently, and I do my best not to jump at the brief touch. “I did not say you were wrong to do it. You were not wrong to do it. I believe your reasoning is sound.”
“Okay?”
“You did a good job tonight. But we should run through what we intend to do tomorrow.”