Blood Dolls Read online

  “Then how...” I blinked, trying to figure out just what the hell I was missing here.

  “My chief of security fields all network breaches and requests approval or denial from me. I allow them when I see fit. Sometimes, even when Blood Vice doesn’t make a formal request,” he added with a knowing grin.

  “Does...does the captain of the St. Louis field office know about this?” I asked.

  “Of course.” He shrugged and took another sip of blood. “Though, she’s not as gracious as the former captain. Our joint efforts are, for obvious reasons, off the record, but she is greedy with the credit where House Lilith is concerned. She didn’t even thank me for the courtesy call last Sunday, when I spotted you and your lot in the club. And she failed to mention that you’d be here again tonight. I assume she is ignorant of this visit, as well?”

  The question sounded like a threat from any angle. If he went ahead and called Vanessa now, I was screwed. But the only reason he’d have for not calling her would be so he could teach me a lesson himself. What had he called it? Unsavory business?

  “Shall I call on her?” he asked, a teasing note in his voice. My anxiety wasn’t lost on him. “Will Agent Knight in shining armor come for you again?” He paused as if waiting for me to fill in the blanks. When I didn’t, he sighed. “Why do I get the feeling the right hand does not know what the left is doing?”

  I snorted. “To Vanessa Sorano, I’m probably more like a failing appendix.”

  “Hmm.” He nodded slowly. “Not a fan of yours either, I take it.” He sat on the piano bench and folded his legs. “Truthfully, I’d rather not involve her. She’s left a...bad taste in my mouth. But I also cannot allow you to terrorize my clientele. You understand?”

  “I do.” I pressed my lips together as I imagined those concrete blocks around my ankles again.

  Radu swirled the blood in his glass and frowned at me. “Whatever shall we do to resolve this?”

  I took a deep, slow breath. It was time to go all in. “Help me get the information I need from Lydia, and I’ll personally see to it that the queen knows of your contribution in finding Ursula.”

  “And you’ll stay clear of my club in the future?” he asked as if that were the most important part of this bargain we were striking.

  “Yes, absolutely. I swear it.” The breath in my lungs swelled hopefully as Radu tapped a finger against his chin, considering my offer.

  “We’ll have to be careful how we approach this,” he said. “The severe reputation of Bleeders and House Vlad must remain intact.”

  House Vlad? As in, Vlad the Impaler? No way. I couldn’t even bring myself to ask if there was a link. I’d lose my nerve and start searching for a means of fight or flight again. I needed that focus for the plan I was piecing together. This would be a long shot.

  “We may need your reputation in order to pull this off,” I said. I nodded at an antique rotary phone on a small table near the entrance. “Does that thing work?”

  Radu grinned. “My dear, I’m a practical man. Everything in this room works.”

  My eyes briefly slid to the iron maiden before darting back to the phone. “May I?”

  He opened his hand to the side. “Please.” Then he stood and placed his empty glass back on the tray. “I suppose I should change. I never dirty my hands while wearing silk.” He headed across the room, pausing at the mouth of the stairwell leading up. “If I find you’re throwing vapors at me, dear, I’ll be dirtying my hands with you tonight, as well.”

  I nodded, not quite sure how to respond to the threat. I didn’t plan on throwing anything—except maybe a party after we’d captured Ursula and Vanessa swore off her blood duel.

  I waited for Radu to disappear upstairs before making my call. The antique handset was delicate. I held it away from my face, afraid to soil its shiny surface with my makeup, and then fingered in Mandy’s cell number from memory.

  My heart throbbed in my throat with each ring. I hated that every element of this plan hinged on the one before it, like a set of dominos that required each piece to be perfectly aligned. When Mandy answered on the fourth ring, I nearly cried with relief.

  “Mandy!” I gasped.

  “Calm your tits,” she grumbled, her voice heavy with sleep. “I have an alarm set for 4:00 A.M. I said I’d be back before sunrise, and I will be.”

  I chewed my bottom lip. “What if I need you sooner?”

  “Where’s Collins?”

  My breath shuddered at the question. “He’s no longer part of the harem, and he put in his notice with Blood Vice.”

  “What? Why? That asshole!”

  “It’s not his fault,” I said. “Mandy, I screwed everything up. Everything. There’s still time to fix it, but I need your help. It’s bad.”

  She swore under her breath. “I’ll get dressed and see who I can wake up for an earlier ride.”

  “Actually, I think I can bring this problem to you. In fact, that would probably be best.” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “There’s a slight chance there are agents looking for me in the city right now.”

  Mandy swore again. “I guess you really did screw the pooch this time.”

  “You have no idea.” I sighed, trying to decide if I should go into my list of sins over a line that was likely bugged. How much did I want this Radu to know about my hazardous situation? How might it affect his agreement to help me?

  “Why didn’t your name come up on my caller ID?” Mandy asked.

  “I’m at Bleeders.”

  “What the hell, Jenna? How many fires are you starting tonight?”

  “It’s okay. I’m safe here. I think,” I said, glancing around the room to see if I was still alone. This night had certainly taken an unexpected turn. “You’re at Meramac, right?”

  “Yeah,” Mandy said. I heard a zipper and pictured her stepping out of her tent, probably for more privacy. Werewolves had exceptional hearing, and she was camping with at least a dozen of them—who were all in law enforcement.

  “Didn’t you say something about an old motel around there?” I asked.

  “That was only if a bad storm blew through. We managed at the campsite.”

  “Okay. Perfect. I’m going to need you to check into a room.”

  “Oookay?”

  “Under the name Ruby Lillard,” I added.

  Mandy groaned. “Does this plan involve bad company?”

  “The worst.”

  * * * * *

  There was a floor beneath the one that held the observation room and swanky loft apartment. I rode the elevator down to it with Radu, my personal tour guide. He’d changed into a sharp, modern suit and had slicked back his hair with some product that made it gleam in the light. Very villain chic.

  The new level was...eerie. We stepped out into a long hallway that stretched into darkness, an ominous illusion that made it appear as if it could go on forever. Our footsteps echoed off the concrete floor and walls. We passed a few closed doors and then a bloody handprint smeared across a section of wall. I pretended not to notice.

  This was more what I’d expected after being dragged from the feeding booth. It reflected the barbaric reputation that patrons whispered about in the shadows. Radu might provide them with privacy and freedom from outside authority, but he did not take kindly to anyone who disrupted his carefully crafted playground.

  It was hard not to imagine how differently my night could have gone if he’d had Zane deliver me here instead of to his loft. If he had known that I’d gone rogue...it could have been me on the opposite side of the glass window we stopped in front of, where Lydia sat sobbing hysterically.

  She’d taken the bandana out of her hair and twisted it in her hands, touching it to her nose every so often. Her eyes swept wildly around the room, sliding right past us when they reached the window. It was two-way glass, I realized.

  Zane approached us from the other side of the hallway. His eyes landed on me, and he scowled before giving his attention to Radu. “What no
w?” he asked.

  The vampire retrieved an earpiece and a small, clip-on microphone from his pocket. He handed the earpiece to Zane and the mic to me. “You’ll interrogate her, taking lead from Agent Skye.”

  Zane’s eyes widened. His jaw flexed as he looked from me to his pretend sire. “Sir?”

  “Is there a problem?” Radu asked. The calm control in his voice carried a darkness I was fairly certain I didn’t want to see unleashed. I tried to keep a neutral face, doing my best not to provoke Zane any more than I already had.

  “No problem, sir,” he answered, slipping the earpiece in place. He turned to me next, assuming a blank expression. “How would you like to begin?”

  I glanced through the window, taking in Lydia’s miserable condition. Her makeup smeared in all directions over her face, made only worse by her efforts with the bandana. She looked pissed and terrified all at the same time. Radu had been right about this being dirty work.

  “Tell her that you know she’s affiliated with Scarlett,” I said.

  Zane snorted. “She’ll only deny it.”

  “That’s when you’ll sympathize and demand that she warn the baroness about what you found out when you questioned me.”

  Zane nodded, a hint of understanding lighting his eyes. “Okay. You’ll pick up from there?” he asked, tapping his ear. I nodded.

  “Take this with you.” Radu pulled a bloodied handkerchief from another pocket. He’d come prepared. One side of his mouth drew up into a crooked grin when he caught my stare. “The anticipation of pain is almost sweeter than the act itself.”

  Zane accepted the cloth with an obedient nod. As he stepped into the room with Lydia, I clipped the mic onto the collar of my fishnet top. Standing next to Radu, I felt painfully underdressed. I couldn’t wait to put my blazer back on.

  Radu leaned closer to me, speaking into the mic from over my shoulder. “Knock if you can hear us, my scion.”

  Zane cleared his throat and rapped his knuckles on the corner of the table. It made Lydia jump as if she hadn’t heard him enter over her sniffling sobs. He sat in the chair on the opposite side of the table and made a show of wiping his hands clean with the handkerchief.

  “We know you’re one of Scarlett’s,” he began.

  “No!” Lydia blubbered, immediately denying it as Zane had predicted.

  “That agent told us everything. Save your tears.”

  “I’m not! I swear!” Lydia pressed her fingers to her closed eyes. “I told her I didn’t know anything.”

  “Ah, now we both know that’s not true.” Zane gave her a vicious smile, letting his fake fangs peek out. “You told her all about poor ol’ Ricky. I heard it on the video with my own ears.” Lydia gasped, but he waved his hand and went on. “I’m sure we can overlook that little betrayal—in exchange for your loyalty to our mutual friend, the baroness.”

  “B-but I don’t...” Lydia hiccupped mid-sob. I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. She was considering her words more carefully now. I’d believed her before when she denied any knowledge of Scarlett’s whereabouts. But there was someone else I counted on her knowing.

  Zane rested his elbows on the table and pretended to clean his fingernails with Radu’s horror-set hanky. “We asked that agent very nicely to tell us what she knew. Now, all we need you to do is call Scarlett and relay the information. That’s it. Then you’re free to go.”

  Lydia was on the verge of hyperventilating. Free to go. Those were the magic words.

  “Okay.” Her breath trembled hopefully. “Okay.”

  Zane cleared his throat, signaling me. I told him the name of the motel near Mandy’s campsite and the name I’d asked her to register under.

  “Tell her that the feds know,” I said. “They’re planning to pick her up after sunset tomorrow. She should warn Scarlett to leave now, before sunrise.”

  Radu gave me a sly grin. “You and I both know this poor girl has no ties to the baroness. Who do you expect her to feed this information to?”

  “A scout of Ursula’s,” I said. His invaluable help deserved my honesty, but my answer seemed to trouble him.

  “That’s an awfully bold move for such a timid little blood doll.” He frowned at Lydia through the glass window. “Are you sure she’ll deliver?”

  I’d given what she’d said about Scarlett a lot of thought.

  The baroness fancies herself queen of the miscreants. She’ll bite anyone who lets her—and plenty who don’t. That doesn’t make them harem material.

  I knew that tone. Lydia was bitter. She’d been rejected, and I was betting the farm on her wanting to even the score. Blood Vice had let Scarlett get away so many times now, their investigation seemed like a bad joke. And Lydia had been caught in the crosshairs more than once.

  But Annie... She was motivated by a half-sired bond to please her mistress. She would follow through where Blood Vice had failed. Lydia had to know that. There was also the fact that Lydia’s exchange with Annie hadn’t soiled her name. That had to count for something. Lydia’s current predicament meant that she’d be too terrified to return to Bleeders anyway, so burning that bridge wouldn’t matter.

  It all made sense, but at the moment, it was still wishful thinking. So it took all the grit I could muster to look at Radu and say, “Yes. She’ll deliver.”

  We turned back to the window and watched as Zane pushed a cell phone across the table and into Lydia’s trembling hands. The sparkly bat charm dangling from the case told me it was likely hers, confiscated when she’d been brought in for questioning.

  Her fingers moved swiftly over the screen, and I silently prayed it was Annie’s number that she entered before pressing the phone to her ear and delivering the bait.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I half expected Radu to change his mind and not let me leave Bleeders. He just had that uncertain air about him. But we’d bonded over our joint effort to trick Lydia, and so he had Zane escort me out through a private exit into the back alley. It did wonders for my anxiety.

  “I gotta tell you,” Zane said as we walked past the spot where we’d exchanged heated words only a few days before. “I know we’re supposed to be on the same side, but I really don’t like you. If you’re expecting an apology for the zapping, you can forget it.”

  I snorted. “I guess I’ll be the bigger person then and apologize for mentioning your dental handicap in front of the help.”

  Zane groaned under his breath. “Do you know how much I paid for these? I thought they were perfect. How can you tell?”

  We paused in the mouth of the alley, waiting for a car to pass. Zane stepped in behind a dumpster, staying out of sight. He couldn’t be seen helping me escape—which is what any guest at Bleeders would assume if we were spotted together.

  “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” I winked at him and then darted across the street.

  Lydia’s phone call had begun a countdown. I had to beat Annie to the motel where Mandy waited. It was about an hour drive from the city. If I were lucky, I’d make it there by 11:00 P.M.

  I activated the Eye of Blood on my way back to the Bronco, searching every shadow for signs of agents lying in wait. The world lit up in outlines and shades of red. When I realized I was in the clear, I took off at a full-on run. There wasn’t a second to spare.

  I had no idea where Annie was at the moment, but I assumed she would need to borrow a vehicle from someone in order to pick up Scarlett. Hopefully, that would buy me enough time to get into position.

  Once in the Bronco, I fetched my blazer and yanked it on. Then I started the engine and cranked up the heat. The longer nights had their price. As I pulled out of the lot and made my way toward I-44, I wondered about the Blood Vice offices in Florida and Southern California. If I survived this mess I’d made, and if Mandy didn’t want to transfer with me, maybe I’d consider those locations. There was still a slim chance I’d keep my job, right?

  Or maybe I was just kidding myself with thinking I had a
future at all. Only time would tell.

  I tried to pacify myself with more unrealistic fantasies over the next hour, but it did little to calm the despair that had found a home in my heart since leaving Vanessa’s office.

  It didn’t matter that Roman had begged me to leave. I still felt as if I had abandoned him to some awful fate. I wanted to believe that Vanessa wouldn’t harm him. Not really. The slap she’d issued had been...intense. But she could have put him through a wall when he attempted to restrain her, and she didn’t. Though, that probably would have been her next move, had he tried to leave with me.

  I wanted to call and check on him, but it was too soon, and I wasn’t a complete idiot. Odds were, Vanessa had someone in tech searching the grid for my phone at this very moment. As soon as it popped up, she’d be on her way.

  If she had plans to outright kill me—which was safe to assume, considering the blood duel declaration—she’d come alone. It would be a short game of cat and mouse. Vanessa had been sired and trained by the best.

  I’d given Mandy precise instructions, and I hoped like hell she remembered them all. I hadn’t turned my phone back on yet, so she wouldn’t be able to reach me if she had any questions or ran into any problems collecting the few things I’d requested of her.

  At this hour, there were more truckers on the highway than anything else. I drove the speed limit, not wanting to risk a ticket, and eyeballed every driver that passed me, fearful that it might be Annie. I needed to get to the motel first. There was still prep work to be done.

  By the time I exited the highway and began the slower trek down through the wooded area leading to the river, my nerves were raw hamburger. The moonless sky glittered with stars, but under the canopy of leafless limbs, darkness pooled around the Bronco. My headlights were the only sign of life for miles, the roar of the engine the only sound in the dead silence of winter.

  I pressed down on the brake as the road curled into a steep decline, and then the motel appeared through the naked trees. It was nothing fancy. Just a series of small, brick buildings staggered across the hilly landscape. Numbered doors faced the parking lot, which was only partially lit by a floodlight over the sign for the office.