joints. It cut into my skin, not deep, but a trickle of blood came away when I pressed my hand to it. The vamp would pay for that. He’d been undead for over fifty years—too strong for me to fight hand to hand, but there were other ways.
He clucked his tongue. “Oh, did the little sensor get hurt?”
“Fuck you,” I said, stepping away from the fallen armor.
A couple of young werewolves came into the foyer to watch the show. Very few of the sups around here liked me. They knew exactly what I was, though they were compelled to keep it to themselves. Nik had imposed a policy forcing them to tolerate me, but they made their feelings known every time he wasn’t around.
I could sense the master vampire in his bedroom across the house. He’d had it soundproofed. Even with his enhanced hearing, he wouldn’t know what was going on. I’d have to resolve this problem without his help. It was about time these guys learned a lesson, anyway.
I grabbed an expensive vase Nik had bought on a recent trip overseas and threw it far right of Hagan’s head. He dove to grab it. Yeah, he’d be in big trouble if that thing broke. I whipped my gun out at the same time. A vamp will never stand still for you to shoot them, but provide a little distraction—Hagan caught the vase a full foot before it would have crashed onto the shiny wood floor.
He turned over to find my .45 Sig pointed at him. I pulled the trigger. The hollow-point bullet went straight through his left eye and exploded, leaving bits and pieces of him all over the floor and walls. I tilted my head. Vamp brains looked basically the same as a human’s. Who’d have guessed? The vase fell from his limp hands, but it was sturdy enough not to break as it rolled away. At least I wouldn’t have to explain that later.
The werewolves across the foyer stood gaping at me. This was the first time I’d pulled a gun inside the house. I’d had more than enough of being bullied by these fools because of their stupid prejudices against my kind. They needed to learn there were consequences. I aimed the weapon at them next. They lifted their hands up and backed away a couple of steps.
“We don’t want trouble,” one of them said. The other guy nodded.
I glanced at the vamp on the floor. He was starting to heal, but he’d be out for at least an hour. If I shot the weres in the head they’d probably die and they knew it. Their healing abilities weren’t as good as a vamp’s while in human form.
“Then get out of my way.”
They took off without another word.
From the foyer, I had three options. The way the weres went would either take me to the bedrooms where most of the permanent residents stayed or a set of stairs that connected the basement to the first and second floors. Vamps preferred to sleep on the lowest level during the day to avoid exposure to the sun.
The main living room was straight ahead and the third way would take me toward the other half of the house where Nik’s bedroom was located. I passed the kitchen on the way. Stainless steel appliances, marble countertops, and a mahogany dinner table filled the space. I didn’t see anyone in there. A little farther down was the security room where all the camera feeds could be monitored.
A familiar figure leaned against the door that led into it. She was six hundred years old and would have passed for an Amazon with her stocky figure and thick blond hair. No one would call her a beauty, but her flawless skin had an enviable quality to it.
She always made me nervous. I couldn’t hope to take her in a real fight and she’d never fall for the vase trick I’d used on the younger vampire. Kariann was one kick-ass chick you didn’t want to upset.
“You could have helped me out back there, you know,” I said.
She shrugged. “You had it under control. If I’d stepped in, they’d have treated you even worse the next time.”
I’d been avoiding a real fight, hoping they’d give up, but tonight they’d
He clucked his tongue. “Oh, did the little sensor get hurt?”
“Fuck you,” I said, stepping away from the fallen armor.
A couple of young werewolves came into the foyer to watch the show. Very few of the sups around here liked me. They knew exactly what I was, though they were compelled to keep it to themselves. Nik had imposed a policy forcing them to tolerate me, but they made their feelings known every time he wasn’t around.
I could sense the master vampire in his bedroom across the house. He’d had it soundproofed. Even with his enhanced hearing, he wouldn’t know what was going on. I’d have to resolve this problem without his help. It was about time these guys learned a lesson, anyway.
I grabbed an expensive vase Nik had bought on a recent trip overseas and threw it far right of Hagan’s head. He dove to grab it. Yeah, he’d be in big trouble if that thing broke. I whipped my gun out at the same time. A vamp will never stand still for you to shoot them, but provide a little distraction—Hagan caught the vase a full foot before it would have crashed onto the shiny wood floor.
He turned over to find my .45 Sig pointed at him. I pulled the trigger. The hollow-point bullet went straight through his left eye and exploded, leaving bits and pieces of him all over the floor and walls. I tilted my head. Vamp brains looked basically the same as a human’s. Who’d have guessed? The vase fell from his limp hands, but it was sturdy enough not to break as it rolled away. At least I wouldn’t have to explain that later.
The werewolves across the foyer stood gaping at me. This was the first time I’d pulled a gun inside the house. I’d had more than enough of being bullied by these fools because of their stupid prejudices against my kind. They needed to learn there were consequences. I aimed the weapon at them next. They lifted their hands up and backed away a couple of steps.
“We don’t want trouble,” one of them said. The other guy nodded.
I glanced at the vamp on the floor. He was starting to heal, but he’d be out for at least an hour. If I shot the weres in the head they’d probably die and they knew it. Their healing abilities weren’t as good as a vamp’s while in human form.
“Then get out of my way.”
They took off without another word.
From the foyer, I had three options. The way the weres went would either take me to the bedrooms where most of the permanent residents stayed or a set of stairs that connected the basement to the first and second floors. Vamps preferred to sleep on the lowest level during the day to avoid exposure to the sun.
The main living room was straight ahead and the third way would take me toward the other half of the house where Nik’s bedroom was located. I passed the kitchen on the way. Stainless steel appliances, marble countertops, and a mahogany dinner table filled the space. I didn’t see anyone in there. A little farther down was the security room where all the camera feeds could be monitored.
A familiar figure leaned against the door that led into it. She was six hundred years old and would have passed for an Amazon with her stocky figure and thick blond hair. No one would call her a beauty, but her flawless skin had an enviable quality to it.
She always made me nervous. I couldn’t hope to take her in a real fight and she’d never fall for the vase trick I’d used on the younger vampire. Kariann was one kick-ass chick you didn’t want to upset.
“You could have helped me out back there, you know,” I said.
She shrugged. “You had it under control. If I’d stepped in, they’d have treated you even worse the next time.”
I’d been avoiding a real fight, hoping they’d give up, but tonight they’d
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