Chapter 5
5
Ramone
The brick facade cleverly hid what was behind closed doors. The club was primarily promoted via word of mouth, turning a blind and well paid-off eye to the many things not accepted by normal society. Hence, it was the perfect place for someone such as myself.
The doors opened and I stepped inside, my arrival anticipated. The energy in the establishment was dark and electric, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation skimming along my skin. It wasn’t my bar in the Second Realm, but it sufficed.
Rather than taking an immediate left as I normally would and heading straight for the private bar, I wandered toward the main area. Thin wisps of dry ice fog floated through the air with the assistance of hidden fans and smoke machines while ominous electronic music pounded from the overhead sound system. Pedestrians of all ages mingled, clad in black or red, leather or velvet, their clothing either minimal or too much for the steamy temperature filling the space.
I stood in the center of everyone’s way, forcing people to walk around me, and observed the scene lying before me. The humans were enjoying themselves much more than the impression their attire attempted to convey through the dark tones of their outfits. The atmosphere sparkled with various pinpricks of light, auras shimmering around the men and women, and those barely having reached adulthood.
A couple individuals had black ether clinging to their skin. Lesser demons. If they felt me here, they didn’t let on. I wouldn’t bother them; they needed to eat too. Most humans in the room were a buffet of joy, lust, addiction, mixed with a common measure of anxiety and depression to spice up the selection. Anxiety would’ve drawn me, I would have transformed it to fear, but that wasn’t the flavor I searched for. I wanted something that would remind me of my woman.
Resisting the compelling scent of my favorite flavor I continued my search, my eyes darting from figure to figure. My gaze snagged on a cascade of mahogany hair set against jewel toned deep blue and I sucked in a breath. It wasn’t her; it wasn’t Samantha, despite her hijacking the mild rose scent. That particular fragrance belonged to my woman, and my woman alone. The elegant dress this woman wore was a poor imitation of a peasant-style gown, formed of polyester or rayon My female wouldn’t have donned the cheap fabric or tacky style. With a start, I realized she’d also be highly unlikely to frequent a bar such as this. I shook my head and resumed my perusal.
Gold, gold, gold.
There, in the far corner of the dance floor, I spotted an aura similar to Samantha’s.
My legs quickly covered the distance separating us. A few heads turned my way, curiously eyeing the man in a bespoke suit, glittering tattoos covering his neck and trailing to his fingertips beneath jewel-filled rings. I stood out, and I knew it. Reveled in it, really. My hair was blacker than midnight and shone like glass. My bright green eyes and light olive-toned skin were enviable. I may not have been as pretty as some of the others in my circle, but I’d still take their breath away and consume it with the deepest of pleasure.
I stalked toward the oblivious woman. The faintest hint of glitter hung weakly in the atmosphere surrounding her figure. She had no idea of what she contained, and no idea I had my sights set on her. I told her to look, planting the suggestion in her mind, while sending her a thin thread of desire. It was too easy the majority of the time. I’d have to make this one work for it.
While there was no need to go to all this trouble, it was highly entertaining. In my position, I could have any number of terminally ill victims brought to me, delivered in the same manner as a burger and fries. Terminally ill, mentally or physically, criminal or addict, it was all the same. There was just something about hunting that kept my blood flowing hot, invigorating me.
The usual food was kept in figurative or literal cages, away from society by their own choice or ours, wasting away in fear and filling the ether with the nectar that gave us life. After a while, they went stale, they gave up, beaten down by the conditions that plagued mankind. Neither us demons nor the angels set this deluge into place, the societal ills having been unleashed by a force even greater than ourselves.
Under our care, the poor souls exited for greener pastures faster than if they had been allowed to languish in the garbage-strewn gutters. We performed a valuable service that enhanced the quality of this life for everyone. We were a clean-up crew, of sorts. Ilya had brilliantly monetized the emotions and sins of humanity a while ago, encouraging deviant and wasteful behavior through flashy images that preyed upon the public. It was pure genius.
I moved behind the tiny brunette I’d found. The skirt of her black dress swung when she whirled around to see who had slid their hands down her shoulders. She tilted her head back, her lips separating slightly. Anxiety and longing skittered across her skin, a vein in her neck pulsing visibly. She welcomed me, despite her instincts instructing her not to. The warning bells in the back of her mind were dismissed and shut down when I curled my arm around her. Her acceptance was tangible, and in my hunger, I forgot I wanted a challenge.
Leaning down, I inhaled her scent. The faint fragrance of baby powder filled my nostrils. It was unexpected, but then I sensed she’d very recently given birth. Interesting. It might be her first night away from the infant. I closed my eyes, rubbing my thumb along the pulse in her neck. She’d connected with the tiny child, an iridescent thread joined to another soul. Even amongst the sin surrounding her she was still connected, the maternal bond, strong.
“Kenzie,” she said, her voice straining over the music.
“Ramone,” I answered her, leaning toward her ear, letting my lips skim the shell. A small shudder ran through her, and I pulled her closer.
We danced for a couple songs while she became braver, her small hands finally settling on my hips and keeping me close. After a bit, I held her against me, my arm over her shoulder, fingers skirting the swell of her generous, milk-filled breasts.
My hair fell forward, forming a curtain along the side of her face. “Allow me to buy you a drink.”
Her hesitation permeated the foggy air, and I knew it was because she was nursing a newborn child. My other hand smoothed down her side, halting over her hipbone. She nodded her compliance as my phone vibrated in my pocket. It could wait; I was famished.
Kenzie requested a drink named after fornicating by the ocean. Self-righteousness over what I was about to do to the single mother washed over me. Cheap drinks, cheap life.
I ordered Absolut Elyx and quickly swallowed three shots while she watched me in fascination, starry-eyed, keeping a palm over her drink’s opening. Internally, I snickered over the action and then caged her against the counter, pressing a kiss to the flesh of her neck. She shivered, and I locked onto the sweet scent of her desire.
When I gestured toward the rear of the establishment she gave me an almost imperceptible nod. Taking her hand, I led her to a set of doors and then down a hallway, stopping quickly to press my lips to hers after I shoved her to the wall. Scrambling, her fingers sought my shoulders, scratching the material of my jacket. I lifted one of her legs, gripping the flesh between her upper thigh and her pussy, the heat of her core soaking into my skin.
“Come,” I compelled Kenzie, releasing her as she panted for me. I stood behind her and marched her through another door.
The space we entered was the club’s private room. Music played overhead and a scant few people wandered under the soft lighting. Alastair waited for me in a booth opposite the sleek, modern bar. Kenzie’s head twisted and turned, taking it all in. She likely hadn’t known this area existed, until now.
I sensed Alastair’s internal eye roll and then felt something different. Something had changed in him. Forgetting Kenzie, I marched across the room. She increased her pace, trying to keep up.
“Fuck,” I greeted my best friend. He grinned at me, his eyes displaying a pearlescent sheen. “What the fuck, Alastair.”
His gaze roamed the small woman clinging to my side. “For me? You shouldn’t have,” he joked. I knew he wouldn't step out on his wife, Devane, with another female. Kenzie began to shrink back until I nudged her forward, my palm against her ass.
“Courtesy of Matthew,” Alastair answered my unspoken question over the change in his eye color.
Well, this was new. I’d never heard of vampire and angel blood and magic mixing but as they say, there was nothing new under the sun.
“Interesting,” I responded. He knew I had many questions, and I knew they would be answered later, the unspoken message received by me with a look of reassurance from my friend. There was a time and place, and this wasn’t the time.
Alastair was aware of my fixation on Samantha, and I could feel the weight of his judgement in response to Kenzie’s presence. It grated at me. My friend was nothing if not loyal in certain ways and I knew he took my companionship with this girl as a betrayal to Samantha, despite her ignorance of my existence. In matters of the heart, Alastair did not mess around.
Kenzie ordered another revolting beverage while Alastair sat there sipping on blood in an exquisite crystal glass. The single mom was either dense as fuck or much more open minded than either of us beings could pick up on. I decided she was highly gullible and naive. With that, my hand returned to her thigh, tracing little circles along her skin as she squirmed while Alastair and I caught up on what we could.
With the woman sufficiently under my control, dizzy from my scent, sorcery, and her cheap alcohol, I brought up the book. “When were you going to tell me?” I could barely keep the anger out of my voice, thinking of his withholding of information.
A pensive look crossed my friend’s face. “What difference would it make? What’s done is done.”
“Knowledge is power,” I growled.
He nodded. “Yes, but it's too late now, isn’t it?”
Scowling, I shot back, “You should’ve told me. What have you to gain by not coming to me?” My fingers crawled up Kenzie’s thigh, teasing at the thin satin of her underwear. I could only guess Alastair’s motives, but I doubted they were truly malicious. He was a better man than I.
He let out his breath, lifting his glass to his lips and scanned the room. “Ilya is testing my blood. I’m sure he’s testing the wine again as well. It will be interesting to see what more he finds.”
“You’d have better luck pulling the information from Stefan,” I retorted, referencing a demon who prided himself on being useful and knowing a little bit about every subject.
“That gives me an idea. I’ll have Devane contact his wife.” Alastair took another sip of his beverage.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, drink still raised. “Have you thought about getting more involved? This is yours; all of it is yours. And yet, you leave it in Ilya’s and Alexander’s hands.” Ilya handled all the technical aspects of the business while Alexander frequented the Second Realm often, handling cargo. Cargo—meaning humans.
Alexander was becoming frustrated, wanting to spend more time where I was in what we called the Third Realm. He seemed to have a love interest of some sort, a distraction, that kept tearing him away. I often kept him too busy for personal pursuits.
Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind I should bring Alastair in, have him work for Fulgere Industries rather than performing the occasional favor. It was uncertain whether he’d be accepted, being a bloodsucker, but my word was law. His newly acquired magic and his wife’s talents for research were invaluable resources no one could deny and would come in handy. He could help; it would lessen my burden.
Irritated by Alastair’s personal observation over my sense of responsibility, I ignored him for the moment. I tore Kenzie’s undergarment to the side and plunged a finger between her lower lips, slickness coating my finger. Her eyes closed and I added another before rubbing her clit with my thumb. A breathless “ohh” fell from her tongue while I licked the side of her neck. A server stopped by the table, keeping their gaze averted, and removed our empty glasses before replacing them with fresh beverages.
I heard my friend chuckle as I unbuckled my belt, lifting my hips to slide my pants down. I grabbed the nape of Kenzie’s neck, pulling her hair while I fisted my cock. She glanced at my lap, eyes going wide. A small bead of precum shined in the light and I shoved her head down, instantly choking her. I leaned my head back, relaxing my shoulders, listening to the slurping sounds and basking in the sensations.
Alastair’s words repeatedly interrupted my pleasure, the noise clanging about in the back of my head. Who did the fucker think he was? I yanked Kenzie’s head back, forcing a cry from her throat and then lifted her hips over my cock and forced her down. I was too big for her, but I didn’t care, soaking up her pain as I tore into her tender flesh with a hiss.
Biting her breast, I lapped at the rivulets of blood that coursed between the two bouncing mounds. Her cunt contracted; she was close. Oblivious to the danger directly in her face, her orgasm hit her, and her fingernails slid helplessly against the linen of my shirt.
As she convulsed, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to her neck. I took a deep breath and then lapped at her skin, my tongue trailing across the goose bumps that followed my path. A sweet flavor poured over my tongue and down my throat, filling every cell of my body, making it sing. The base of my spine tingled, my blood racing to my groin when I exploded inside her. Repeating the inhalation, I sucked more of her in—her aura, her essence, while her pulse slowed. Her system flooded with dopamine and oxytocin, and I consumed her soul.
Shuddering, I shoved her body onto the floor and straightened my pants, refastening them.
“Not loyal to your obsession any longer, I see,” Alastair remarked, staring at me with distaste.
I scoffed. “A man’s gotta eat.” I motioned for another drink, and one was rapidly delivered. Shortly thereafter, someone came and removed the slightly deflated corpse from the bar’s floor. Before Devane, Alastair would’ve drained my victims’ blood. He was now a changed man and held himself to different standards. Remembering he was now in possession of angel blood, I had to ask. “Do you still feed in the same manner?”
He knew what I was referring to, the possibility he now possessed an affinity to feed on souls. “I can do both, but I’ve restricted myself to solely tasting my wife in those fashions. Supplementing with bagged blood donations as needed, of course.” He chuckled. “To think what I was missing out on.”
I smirked and changed the subject. “You will work for me now.” If the man could’ve blanched, he would have, but his alabaster skin left no room for such a feat,
“I have my own responsibilities, as you know.”
His objections meant nothing to me. “It wasn’t a question, nor an offer.”
Alastair and the man who had bit him, changing him into a vampire, Nick, were in control of and regulated the vampires throughout the eastern United States. I didn’t pay as much attention as perhaps I should have, but my friend was already in league with me based on his valuable assistance with the occasional disposal of, or delivery of bodies. He was a vampire; he couldn’t stay away from darkness no matter how hard he tried.
He’d always liked to boast about how he primarily drained those who were deserving, and I’d just fucked and threw away a young, innocent mother right in front of him. Our morals and ethics had always diverted widely. But the fact of the matter was, he’d still have eaten dinner if he wasn’t a love-struck bloodsucker.
Defeated, he responded, “Very well.”
Satisfied with his acquiescence, I leaned back and finished my drink. I hated being in need of others, but it was a necessary occupational hazard.
It then occurred to me I needed to make Samantha dependent on me in some way.