Kissing with Fangs

Chapter 13

Ruxandra had put up with public transportation and the smells of the great unwashed to meet Kurt at the coffee shop. But he wasn’t even there. She was about to stomp out in a huff when he finally showed up.

“Nice of you to join me,” she said with one hand planted on her hip.

“I can leave, if you prefer.” He moved toward the door as if he’d actually walk out on her. The nerve!

Just what I need…another infuriating man. Then she remembered she wanted something from him and stopped herself from making a rude quip. “Wait.”

He returned to her and sighed. “Sorry I’m late. I probably should have said that first. Would you like a coffee?”

“No thanks. It dehydrates me.”

“Bottled water, then?”

Knowing she needed a certain amount of fluid to keep her blood intake from coagulating—especially those platelet-rich A-positive blood cells, she accepted. Kurt paid for her water and his double espresso and escorted her into the chilly night.

“So, what are you doing over here in Cambridge?” she asked, innocently. “I thought you lived in Boston.”

“I do. I live in the North End.”

Ruxandra was proud of herself. Now she knew where the wizard lived. Either he wasn’t too bright, or he wanted her to know for some reason. She would have congratulated herself on her cleverness, except she knew the man wasn’t stupid. He might not be telling the truth. He could be sending her in the opposite direction if she ever wanted to hunt him down.

He slipped an arm around her waist as he continued. “About what I’m doing here…I’m glad you asked. I’m on a mission, one I hope you’ll help me with.”

“A mission? I thought you were out of the military.”

He chuckled. “It’s not that kind of mission. This is personal.”

His intense stare gave her the opening she needed to try mesmerizing him again. She looked directly into his eyes and began by asking a logical, innocuous question. Something he’d assume was just part of the conversation.

“You must tell me what you mean by this mission being personal.”

He blinked. He wasn’t under. Not only that, but he looked away and shook his head. “Oh, Ruxandra. You tried to mesmerize me again.”

“Why didn’t it work? I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I, darlin’, but it’s a good thing you can’t. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”

“Why not? Don’t you trust me?”

Kurt laughed. “Trust is built. How do you think we’re doing so far?”

She halted. “Is this some kind of test?”

“It wasn’t meant to be. And speaking of meant to be, Nick thinks I’m nuts for trying to have a relationship with you at all.”

“Then why are you?”

“I don’t let other people tell me what to do.”

She didn’t know how to feel about that. Was she included in “other people”? If so, she wasn’t happy. She liked having the upper hand in any relationship. On the other hand, she admired him.

She sighed. “Okay. So, back to the mission. What is it, and why do you need my help?”

“Ironically, I need your ability to mesmerize people. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll tell you what’s going on, and you’ll probably want to help.”

That’s one hell of an assumption. “Go on.”

“There’s a group of researchers capturing paranormals and taking them to a secret lab. We think it’s somewhere in this area.”

Discomfort rippled over her at the words, “secret lab.” Every paranormal’s nightmare was to be found out by humans and dissected for his or her powers.

“But surely mere humans couldn’t catch a vampire—no offense.”

“Not much taken. Apparently no one is immune to a Tazer. Even vampires. No offense.”

Her discomfort morphed into shock. “They immobilize us and take us to their lab? Surely the vampires can escape as soon as the effect wears off.”

“Apparently not. For whatever reason, only one para has escaped. If not for her, we’d never know the lab existed.”

“How did she get out?”

“She said a sympathetic guy on the night shift helped her.”

Ruxandra felt a little better. Perhaps the human weakness of compassion meant females didn’t have to worry.

“And before you think she’s the only female captured, let me tell you they have at least one female vamp. Maybe more.”

Her jaw dropped. When she could speak again, she asked, “What did you mean by this being personal? You’re human.”

He crossed his arms. “They have Tory.”

Ruxandra’s mouth went dry. She didn’t harbor any love for the ex-NFL player. After all, he and Kurt had thrown her out of Anthony’s bar more than once. But Tory was strong. Crazy strong. She didn’t know what kind of supernatural he was, but she suspected shifter. He smelled like wet dog in the rain.

“Oh…” was all she managed to say.

“Yeah. They’ve got my best friend. I need to find this place, break in, free any paranormals still alive, and then make the researchers forget paranormals exist. I have Nick’s help, but he can’t handle that final step.”

“Shit.”

“No shit.”

He needed her help all right. Suddenly, finding out what he’d done to protect Claudia paled in comparison to the emergency at hand.

“I’ll do whatever I can.”

Anthony paced in front of Claudia’s apartment and raked his hands through his hair. Where the hell is she? Meetings didn’t last until midnight.

She had mentioned something called an alkathon, meetings around the clock to fortify sobriety over the holidays. People who might be tempted to drink at parties they were obligated to attend knew there was always a meeting they could get to—but the holidays hadn’t started yet. It wasn’t even Halloween.

He wished he knew her sponsor’s phone number. He’d ask for that as soon as this infuriating wait was over.

Had she mentioned going out of town and he forgot about it? Not likely. He would have had to arrange coverage for her at work the next day.

He snapped his fingers. “Sadie.” Maybe the psychic could give him some clues about what was going on. After all, she’d known Claudia was in trouble shortly after the fire.

He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, quickly checked for messages, and upon finding none, called his niece.

She answered sleepily.

“Did I wake you, Sadie?”

“Yes, but don’t worry about it. I can tell something’s got you upset. What’s wrong?”

“Claudia’s missing.”

After a long pause, Sadie said. “Where are you?”

“At her apartment. Can you tell if she’s in trouble?”

“I wish I could say she’s out with friends having a good time, but I’m not getting that sense. I’ll get dressed and come over.”

“Crap. You don’t have to do that if you can tell me where to look.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know, but you might.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think Ruxandra could have something to do with it?”

Sadie had just voiced Anthony’s worst fear.

His voice shook. “I don’t know where her lair is. Otherwise I’d be there right now.”

“I’m coming over. Maybe we can find it together.”

“Thanks, Sadie, but let me come to you. I don’t want you walking around alone at this time of night.” He dashed down the stairs and onto the sidewalk. Fortunately, she didn’t live far.

“Okay. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“It’ll take me less than a minute.”

“Well, don’t fly. I have to get dressed and splash some water on my face.”

“Too late. I’m standing outside your building.”

Sadie let him in, but she was still wearing her bathrobe. “You know I can’t actually locate people unless I have something that belongs to them, right?”

“You have me. I belong to her.”

Sadie gave him a sad look. “Oh, Anthony. I’m so sorry.” She balled her fists. “If Ruxandra found a way to grab her, I’ll…I’ll… Well, I don’t know what I’d do, but maybe you can wring her neck for both of us.”

Anthony ground his teeth. “She’ll pay. Believe me. Do you know where her lair is? Or can you tell me for sure that Ruxandra has Claudia?”

“I’m not sure I can tell you much of anything, but I’ll try. Let me get my cards.”

Sadie left the room, and Anthony dropped onto the sofa. He hadn’t been to Sadie’s place in a long time. Maybe a year. It was small and neat, despite a lot of things. Crystals, candles, vases, books, figurines… He had no idea what most of them were for. Maybe just decoration.

He reflected on the first time he’d had tea with her here, and his whole sordid history had come out. He had just mentioned her dear, departed lover Dmitri, and then he found out she knew more about the vampire world than he’d ever have dreamed.

Surprised then at the depth of her knowledge, he’d asked, “How did you know all that?”

Sadie chuckled. “You have to ask?”

Anthony squinted at his aunt. “What else do you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know about my history?”

“Only what Dmitri told me.”

He nodded and relaxed. Dmitri was his friend and wouldn’t tell her anything Anthony wouldn’t want her to know.

“Oh! You mean that Salem debacle?” Sadie asked.

Anthony hung his head. “Ah, yeah. That.”

She slid her hand across the table carefully, reaching for his. He didn’t deserve compassion for what he’d done, but the kindness she offered shouldn’t be ignored. He took her hand and she squeezed his.

“That wasn’t your fault, Anthony. It was the fault of the one who made you a vampire.”

“I—I know. But I made it worse.”

“What happened? I don’t know the exact details.”

Anthony hesitated. It might be good to talk about the incident. He hadn’t shared the details with anyone. Not even Dmitri.

“In the late 1600s, I came to Boston from England as an indentured servant. I worked my prescribed number of years and earned my freedom from my employer.”

“So this city is familiar to you.”

He smiled. “Not at all. None of what existed then looks like it does today. This was a small settlement on the banks of a river with the sea nearby. A few boats in the harbor, green grass, and some rolling hills were all you’d notice. Although Boston Common was there and used as grazing space for the cows. All the structures have been replaced. When I arrived from New Orleans a couple months ago, I felt as if I’d never been here before.”

She nodded. “So, how did you get to Salem?”

“The same way everyone got around back then. By horse. I was lucky and had a good master. My skill was animal husbandry, so I worked in the stables. When it was time for me to go, I asked if I might work for him a little longer and earn enough to buy a horse. He allowed it but let me know he would only sell me an older mare. It was enough. Once I had the horse, I made my way to a settlement I had heard about a little farther north—Salem.

“I lived there, working with the horses the well-to-do townspeople owned. Eventually, I was able to procure a few more and began selling them.” He smiled sardonically. “I was the used-car salesman of the time.”

Sadie smiled but didn’t say anything, probably so he’d continue telling his story.

“Back then in 1692, Salem was divided into two distinct parts: Salem Town and Salem Village. The village was actually part of Salem but was set apart by its economy and class. Residents of Salem Village were mostly poor farmers. Salem Town, on the other hand, was a prosperous port town at the center of trade with London. Most of those living in Salem Town were wealthy merchants. I tried to straddle the divide and get along with both classes, so I saw firsthand what was happening.

“For many years, Salem Village tried to gain independence from Salem Town. The town, which depended on the farmers for food, determined crop prices and collected taxes from the village. The dividing line was Ipswich Road.

“Those who, like myself, lived near Ipswich Road were close to the commerce of Salem Town and became merchants, blacksmiths, carpenters, and innkeepers. We prospered and supported the economic changes taking place. But many of the farmers who lived far from the prosperity believed the worldliness and affluence of Salem Town threatened their Puritan values. Their children weren’t even allowed to play with toys. That was considered idleness. All their time had to be spent doing chores or reading the Bible.

“Tensions became worse when Salem Village selected Reverend Samuel Parris as their new minister. Parris was a stern Puritan who denounced the worldly ways and economic prosperity of Salem Town as the influence of the devil. Suddenly, the devil was seen everywhere. If there was a smallpox outbreak that wiped out a family, it was the work of the devil. If the crops died or livestock got sick, somebody must have been practicing witchcraft and calling on the devil to make those things happen.

“A man who had just come off a ship one night asked to see me about buying a horse. A merchant I knew well introduced us, so I had no reason to be suspicious. I took a lantern and showed him my horses. My merchant friend decided to get home to his family and left. When I was alone in the stable with that…vampire, as I now know he was, he grasped me tightly and sank his fangs into my neck.

“I cried out, but the nearest neighbor was too far away and my friend must have been almost home by that time. For whatever reason, the vampire decided to turn me. I thought I was dead, then came back to life with a startling set of new sensations. It was as if someone had cleaned out my ears, sharpened my vision, and intensified the odors around me. Boy, I needed a bath.”

Sadie chuckled.

“I didn’t take the time to think about or question any of it. All I knew was the devil had somehow taken the form of this man and wanted to enslave me. I grabbed a pitchfork, and before he had a chance to react, I stabbed him through the neck, which anchored him to the stable wall. When all he did was laugh, I was positive he was the devil himself and that I had come upon a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rid the world of evil. I grabbed the ax I used to split wood and cut off his head.

“Then I was well and truly fucked. I had no idea what the sun had in store for me the next morning and found out the hard way. Someone knocked on my door, and when I opened it, my hand and face burned as if I’d been thrown into a raging fire.”

He stopped long enough to rub his hand, as if he could feel the burn after all these years.

“The young man at the door ran screaming, Meanwhile, I retreated to the root cellar, which had no windows, and experienced my first death sleep. I don’t know if he told anyone what he saw or not, but the next night two men came to my home and asked if everything was all right. They said the stranger who had come to see me had been expected at the inn and never returned. Naturally I was worried that they’d discover him in the stable, so I invited the townsmen into my home. That’s when the hunger for blood became overpowering. I couldn’t stand it.

“I heard the blood pulsing in their veins, and without even realizing what I was doing, I grabbed one of them by the neck and held him so tightly that I heard his bones crack. Then I sank my fangs into his neck until I drained him dry. His friend was trying to pull me off, and when he decided he couldn’t do anything but save himself, he ran. I was so quick that I caught him before his feet touched the grass. I didn’t know I could move like that.

“He started to scream, ‘Devil,’ so I shoved him back into my little house and latched the door. I didn’t know what to do with him. My bloodlust had been slaked, so I didn’t have to feed on him and was so sickened by what I had done that I thought I’d never do it again. Boy, was I wrong. I wound up tying him to the iron grid in my fireplace and left him there as I escaped on horseback.”

At last Anthony stopped and waited for a reaction. Sadie must have some kind of opinion on all of this. He didn’t care if it was revulsion. He just wanted to know how his story affected someone else.

She offered him a sad smile. “It wasn’t your fault, you know. None of it was. I gather you’re blaming yourself for the witch hunts.”

“Not for starting the whole thing. It was well under way by that time, but I contributed to the idea that it was real. A lot of innocent people died during the following months.”

“Where did you go?”

“Back to Boston, but only long enough to stow away on a ship sailing for England. Half the crew lost their lives on that voyage, but it wasn’t due to falling overboard as everyone had thought.” Honestly, how many clumsy sailors did they think there were?

“And you made it to England?”

“Yes. I stayed in the White Chapel area of London while I sought out a doctor who might know what was wrong with me. It was a poor neighborhood and a few of its solitary citizens went missing, but nobody seemed to notice or care. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

Sadie nodded. “You had to feed. By that time you must have learned how to control it somewhat.”

“Yes. I still experienced bloodlust, but I knew better than to let it get so bad that I’d grab just anyone and…” A golf-ball-sized lump formed in his throat. He remembered the faces of the orphans and widows he’d lured into a dark corner. How he’d found out he could mesmerize people, although there wasn’t a word for it at the time. He just stared into their eyes, and their jaws would go slack. Then they’d stand there completely relaxed while he drank his fill.

Sadie reached over and took his hand again. Her gentle touch and sympathetic expression spoke of undeserved forgiveness.

“Did you ever find a doctor you could trust, who knew the truth and could help you?”

“I spoke to a doctor over a few mugs of ale in a tavern. He had no idea I was talking about myself. I said I had heard about this fellow, and he said he had heard about a prince in Romania with a similar story, and eventually I deduced that I’d find the answer there.”

Sadie nodded. “It must have been difficult with no guidance. No one to explain not only how it worked, but what you were.”

“‘Difficult’ is one way of putting it. ‘Fucking impossible’ was a little closer to the way it felt.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

He nodded, staring at his lap. “Yeah. Me too.”

They say confession is good for the soul. Maybe not so much for the soulless.

It took Sadie a minute or two to retrieve her cards from the other room.

She sat next to him and handed him the cards. “Here. Shuffle them while visualizing her. Stop shuffling when it feels right.”

Nothing felt right. He had called Kurt and Nick and had to leave messages. Tory was still missing, and now Claudia was, too. He had just finished shuffling and laying the cards on the table when his phone rang.

“Anthony Cross,” he answered.

“Anthony, it’s Nick. We’re at the hospital. What’s going on?”

“The hospital?” Anthony’s heart beat a little faster. Okay, maybe four or five beats a minute, but faster than his usual one.

“Yeah. Brandee’s in labor.”

“Oh. I guess this isn’t a good time to bother you with my dilemma.”

“What dilemma?”

“Claudia’s missing.”

“Shit. How long has she been gone?”

“Since she left work early this evening.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Uh, Anthony… She might have just gone out for the evening.”

“I don’t think so. Sadie’s here and she was about to try her cards to find out what may have happened to Claudia.”

“Hang on a moment,” Nick said.

Anthony heard him giving encouraging words to Brandee and then breathing funny. Meanwhile he turned to Sadie. “Go ahead with the cards. Nick’s busy for a minute.”

Sadie spread the cards across the coffee table. “Draw one,” she said.

Absently, Anthony reached for the closest one and handed it to her.

“Hmmm…the Magician.”

“That reminds me. I can’t get ahold of Kurt, either.”

Sadie sighed. “Now don’t get upset, but the way you pulled it, the card is reversed.”

“Shit. That’s bad, isn’t it?”

Nick interrupted. “Okay, I’m back. Brandee had another labor pain. I’m her coach, so I’ll have to disappear every three minutes or so.”

“Sadie was about to read the tarot cards for me, but I’m not so sure I want to hear what they say.”

After another long pause, Nick said, “Buddy, maybe you should wait a while. Claudia might still come home and wonder what all the fuss is about.”

“Hang on, Nick. Sadie, do your thing.”

She tapped the card. “This card is about energy. This card describes an energetic, focused, and dedicated person. A person who practices hard at a craft, ambition, or personal goal. In reverse, as you drew it, it indicates the drawer of the card is spinning his wheels. Personal energy is being misdirected or wasted.”

“See?” Nick said. “You’re probably worried for nothing.”

“Are you sure the Magician isn’t referring to Claudia? She works twice as hard as most people and is more dedicated than anyone I know.”

“I’m sorry. If she were here, it would be about her. This is about you.”

“Crap.”

“Is there anything else either of you can think of besides waiting it out? I’ll go bonkers if I do nothing.”

“Sorry, buddy. I’ve got nuthin’,” Nick said.

Sadie snapped her fingers. “Those daytime vampires. Sly and Morgaine. Maybe you can talk to the woman. She’s a witch and can do a locator spell.”

“Great idea, Sadie. Nick, you know where they live, right?”

“Yeah. In my brother’s old apartment building. Sly’s the super and his daughter lives upstairs. He babysits his grandson sometimes, so I doubt they’d have moved.”

“Where is it?”

“Do you really want to bother them at this time of night?” Sadie asked. “If they’re up during the day, they’re probably asleep at night. They have to sleep sometime, don’t they?”

Anthony pounded his fist on the coffee table and inadvertently broke it in half. Sadie jumped in surprise.

“I’m sorry, Sadie. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’ll be okay. I’ll get the address from Nick and visit them tomorrow night if they’re unreachable. Sadie, can you tell Angie and Chris that Claudia’s missing and send them home for the day?”

“I have a couple readings booked. Why don’t I run the place for one day?”

“I thought you didn’t want to do that.”

“That was back when it was a bar. I think I can handle the tea crowd.”

Anthony leaned toward her but spoke so both she and Nick could hear. “So, you think she won’t be back by tomorrow?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Anthony watched her facial expression carefully as he asked, “Sadie, you get vibes. What is your gut telling you?”

Sadie sighed. “I’m sorry. My gut tells me she won’t be back tomorrow.”

Ruxandra had been having an unexpectedly pleasant evening. Kurt was funny and flirtatious, making her feel like an attractive woman again. She hadn’t realized how much damage to her self-esteem all of Anthony’s rejection had caused. Suddenly, she knew that Anthony might not be what she needed—and even more surprising, that she wasn’t playacting with Kurt. She was genuinely attracted to him. If only he’d let his hair grow, he’d be every bit as attractive as Anthony.

Never having much of a filter, she’d probably blurt that out at some point, but now was not the time. She didn’t want to spoil the wonderful mood. As they strolled over the bridge, Ruxandra remembered something that hampered her mood anyway. Claudia.

She wished she could invite Kurt in, but letting him see Anthony’s girlfriend all duct-taped up and probably asleep on the cold, concrete floor wouldn’t make a very good impression.

Why did she want the girl, anyway? And what in the world was she going to do with her now? Frig. Anthony will probably call Kurt to help him find her. Pondering her dilemma made her stop in the middle of the bridge.

“Why are you stopping?” Kurt asked.

She took his hand and pointed to the full moon over the Charles River. “Look. Isn’t it beautiful? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything prettier.”

Kurt leaned against the railing. “I have.”

“Really? What?” She expected he’d say something about flying above the clouds or soaring over a jungle waterfall or something. But instead, he swept a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and said, “You.”

She nearly melted on the spot. Grinning at her feet like a schoolgirl, she said, “You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do. I’m a Libra. I appreciate beauty in all its forms. Nature can be breathtaking, but nothing beats a beautiful woman. And you, my lovely, are the most breathtakingly beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Her jaw almost hit the pavement.

“Seriously?”

He nodded and leaned toward her. She tipped her face up, letting him know she was open to the idea of kissing him. He wasted no time and captured her lips in one of the most passionate, toe-curling kisses she’d ever experienced. Even Anthony’s sensuous full lips didn’t convey the desire radiating from Kurt. And surprise, surprise, she wanted him too.

If only I didn’t have a human held captive in my damn lair.

All she could do was prevent whatever damage Anthony might do if he called Kurt and blamed her for Claudia’s disappearance.

Which pocket does he keep his phone in? Kurt was wearing an old fatigue jacket with about a million pockets both inside and out. Crap. Oh, well. I’ll just have to feel him up to find it.

She began caressing his back and chest. He took it as a go-ahead signal to grope her a little too. By the time she located the rectangular shape, he was cupping and squeezing her ass.

“Get a room,” someone yelled from a passing car.

They broke apart and giggled like they’d been caught in the act. A little longer, and they might have been. Kurt gazed down at her with heavily lidded eyes. She recognized that look. She hadn’t seen it in a while, but she knew it as “bedroom eyes.” If only she hadn’t blown it by kidnapping Claudia, they’d be making love in about ten minutes.

They recommenced their walk, heading in the direction of her lair. She had to drag her mind back to the task at hand. She needed to pick his pocket and take his cell phone. Then she had to hope he didn’t have a landline Anthony could call.

One thing at a time.

When they reached the Flats, she turned to him for a good-night kiss. He surprised her by sweeping her into his arms and dipping her low as he kissed her silly. She had exactly the room she needed to reach into his pocket, grab his phone, and slip it under her waistband. Fortunately, she’d worn a skirt and sweater instead of a one-piece dress or her catsuit.

When he pulled her back up and she regained her balance, she smiled. “Wow. You’re so…” What was she going to say? She never complimented guys. She didn’t have to. But she wanted to say something sweet to Kurt.

He smiled in return. “Sexy? Smart? Handsome?”

She chuckled. “I was thinking ‘romantic,’ but the rest apply, too.”

His smile turned into an ear-to-ear grin. His straight white teeth held a certain appeal, but she was a little sad knowing he’d never grow fangs and sink them into her neck in the throes of passion. At least that gave her the moment to cool off.

“Well, it’s been a great night, but I should let you get some sleep.”

“Why?” he said with a teasing smile.

She laughed. “Look, I like you, and I don’t like many people. But let’s take it slow. Savor it. Okay?”

He stepped away and held her at arm’s length. “I guess I can do that, but I’d better go soon. Otherwise, I might try to change your mind.”

Exactly what I wanted to hear. She didn’t really want it to end, but at the moment, that’s what had to happen.

“Okay. I’ll look for you tomorrow night. Unless you have a phone…” He began to reach for his pocket but she stopped him by taking his hand.

“No. Unfortunately, I don’t have one. I’ll have to meet you somewhere.”

“How about here? I’ll pick you up and take you somewhere really romantic.”

“What about the lab?”

“You don’t think looking for a secret lab is a romantic date?”

She chuckled. “Okay. I’ll see you here tomorrow night.”

“Good.” He lifted her hand to his lips and gave her a sweet, old-fashioned kiss on her knuckles.

A few days ago, she’d have skinned those same knuckles on his chin.

Ruxandra watched as Kurt rounded the corner onto Charles Street. When she was sure he couldn’t follow her inside, she unlocked her door and entered quickly, locking it behind her. Claudia was still leaning against the back wall, glaring at her.

“Wow. If looks could kill…” Ruxandra muttered.

“Meh ah ta ga ta da ah-rah.”

Now, what do I do with her? I can’t mesmerize her into forgetting all about this, or I’d just let her go. Ruxandra strode over to Claudia and ripped the duct tape off her face none too gently.

“Ouch.”

“Be grateful there was a corner I could grab without touching you. Otherwise you’d be talking garbled gibberish for who knows how long.”

“I said, I have to go to the bathroom.”

Ruxandra let out a long sigh. “I’m afraid I don’t have any indoor plumbing.”

“I have a bathroom at my place,” Claudia said hopefully.

Ruxandra snorted. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Claudia just dropped her head and stared at her lap.

Ruxandra wracked her brain for a new plan. She wanted to get rid of Claudia, but not by killing her. She really would just let her go if she could count on the glorified waitress to keep her mouth shut.

She began to pace. “You realize I’m not that stupid, right?”

Claudia didn’t look up, but she nodded slightly.

“Are you crying?”

Her rival lifted her head and bit out, “No.”

“Hmmm… You don’t want to give me the satisfaction, I’ll bet.”

Claudia said nothing, but it was plain to see Ruxandra had hit a nerve. The young woman’s jaw was set, as if she was clenching her teeth so hard they might break.

“Look. I’m going to level with you, Claud…”

Claudia’s eyes narrowed and her face grew red.

“Oh! You don’t like that nickname, do you?”

Claudia didn’t answer.

Ruxandra chuckled. “No. I don’t suppose you do. If I were going to hang on to you much longer, I’d call you nothing but Claud from now on.” She sighed. “But you’re in luck. I’m tired of you and I just want you out of my hair.”

“Great. Let me go.”

Kurt’s phone vibrated.

“Hold that thought.”

Ruxandra scrutinized the caller ID and hoped it would spell out who was trying to get ahold of Kurt. Unfortunately it was only a number. She waited for the call to be rerouted to voice mail, then inspected the phone.

“Do you know how these things work?” she asked.

Claudia raised her eyebrows. “You don’t?”

“I wouldn’t be asking you if I did, would I?”

“Yeah. I know how most phones work. If I had my hands available, I could help you with it.”

“Ha. Clever girl. Clearly, that’s not going to happen.” She held the device in front of Claudia’s face and said, “How do I get to the messages?”

Claudia shrugged. “How badly do you want them?”

Ruxandra threw the phone on the concrete floor, smashing it. “Not that badly. I was just curious.”

“Oh. Well, it would have been nearly impossible since the phone is password protected. I take it that’s not your phone.”

“Forget the stupid phone.” Ruxandra resumed pacing. “What I was going to say before the phone buzzed is that I have to move you.”

“Move me? Where?”

“Somewhere that’s not here.”

Claudia rolled her eyes. “Hopefully somewhere with a bathroom.”

Ruxandra halted and stared at her flippant captive. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“That you should be afraid. That I’m a vampire. That I could rip your head off, bash your skull in, and drink out of it like a goblet.”

A flicker of something akin to fear showed in Claudia’s eyes. Not fear. Revulsion. Then she reverted back to her annoying defiance. “Then why don’t you?”

“If only…”