Mixed Blessing (Mixed Blessing Mystery, Book 1) (3 page)

He'd told me he loved me tonight.

"I ate earlier, you did not. Now eat," he replied, a small knowing smile curving the corners of his full lips. Lips which had devoured me not moments before we entered this restaurant tonight. I could still feel their heat against my own. Still taste him on my tongue.

Exquisite.

"I'm not really hungry for food," I admitted, my eyes finding his from under my lids.

He leaned forward, half his body across the table between us, the food forgotten completely for now. His hand came out and snagged mine, his thumb washing an intimate motion across my wrist.

"What are you hungry for, baby?" he whispered into the space between us. I sucked in breath at the hunger I saw reflected in his chocolate gaze.

"You," I whispered back and watched mesmerised as something flashed in his eyes. It must have been the lights of the room, because although Samson's eyes were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen, even they couldn't change colour like that without outside influence such as the beam of a light in the room.

"Then let's skip dinner and go straight to dessert," he husked, still holding my hand with one of his as he fished some notes out of his pocket and threw them on the table between us, then pulled me upright from my seat.

I loved it when he got like this, an almost loss of control to have me. It had been like this from the start, from the moment he touched me that very first time. I knew now why. Because the moment he touched me fire burned through my veins and I knew it did the same for him. An all consuming hunger for the person before you, a feeling that you would simply die if you didn't get closer, didn't taste, touch, feel every part of them right now.

I had to run to keep up with him, his strides so much longer than mine, but his grip on my hand was enough to pull me along behind him as we left the restaurant, made our way through the throng of people on Viaduct Quay and finally found ourselves in a darkened area, out of sight but not out of sound of those people celebrating a wonderful, star bright Auckland night.

My back was thrust gently, but firmly against a door behind me. Samson's hands already wrapped up in my hair, cupping the back of my neck. The other running a thumb carefully over my taut nipple, the fabric of my blouse doing nothing to stop the sensations of heat and lust his touch created. His body moulded to mine.

"Can you come quietly, babe?" he breathed against my lips.

"What? You want to do it here?" I asked, equal parts shocked and turned on.

"I can't wait to get you home. I need to be inside you right now."

"Samson," I moaned against his lips and tongue, my hands fisted in his shirt between us. "People are here," I managed to get out, but it was mumbled against his beautiful mouth.

"Live life, baby. Grab it while you can," he whispered, his hand now undoing the buttons of my jeans.

"Samson," I repeated, uncertain if I could carry out such an intimate act, so publicly.

"No one will bother us," he promised.

"You can't be sure," I argued as I felt my jeans and knickers get pulled down my legs and the warm night air wrap around my thighs lovingly.

"Then revel in the danger, Gigi. Let life envelope you in all its delicious wonders. Tease you and tempt you. Look it in the eyes and don't ever back down."

Sometimes it felt like he was talking about something else entirely than I was, but it never failed to draw me in. I hadn't felt as alive, as I did when with Samson, in my life before.

I nodded against him, felt his hands shift down to cup my bare behind and then he lifted me up, my back sliding against the hardness of the door behind me, the heat of his body wrapping around my front. His gorgeous chocolate brown eyes held mine for a split second and then he thrust forward with his hips and slid deliciously deep inside.

I gasped, feeling every delightful stretch he was making, my cry for more swallowed down by his lips and tongue,
and then
-
as it had done so many nights before
-
the dream shattered and another began to coalesce around my sleeping form.

With a cry of frustration, mixed with a moan of deep seated fear at what would come next to torment me, I used every ounce of cognitive ability available to me in my slumbering state and forced my bitter-sweet memories from my mind.

It didn't always work, as much as I feared the torture of remembering, I craved that time when my life was so full of love and light. Often the memory-dreams won, a sense of relief and dread making a cocktail of confusing emotions inside.

But tonight, it worked, because the next dream was not of reality, but a place I go to forget.

There was a buzzing sound in the background that I tried to ignore. A ringing that was incongruous with the sun drenched beach I was lying on in my dream. The heat beating down from the heavens left me feeling warm and lazy. I didn't want to move. I didn't want to ruin my tan.

Yeah, like I'd ever had a tan. I'm as pale as they come. Any paler and I'd be considered a ghost. Talk about your stereotypical vampire look. I've got it in spades. But, a girl can dream, can't she? Which just proved that the ringing sound which didn't match the beach scene was real. Because I'd never ruin a good tanning dream with the buzz of my doorbell.

I rolled out of bed feeling surprisingly alive. Better than I'd felt for days. Which only made me remember the reason why. Pre-college boy. Fuck. I pushed the memory, the sensory recollection of tasting his blood, aside. It was too powerful. Even now, having fed the Dark Shadow the night before, she hungered. But, I knew I had a good three days before she would start really complaining again.

Vampires need to feed nightly, but not me. A quirk of the mixed heritage, of being a Nothus
.
Perhaps that's what Lucinda means when she calls it a mixed blessing. That and the fact that although vampires in general are allergic to silver, I am not. Handy, when I feel the pull that leads me to a Rogue Vampire about to kill an innocent, I can palm a silver stake and aim for the heart without any ill effects from the silver of the weapon. I'm sure a silver stake in the heart would still hurt me though, maybe not make me burst into dust like it does other vamps, but shit, it's gotta hurt. No, to make me all done and dusted, you'd have to decapitate me. Silver or no silver, without my head I'd be a goner.

I took a peek through the peep hole to see who was disturbing my Saturday morning sleep. Anyone who knew me would know I worked late last night. Plus, you know, any vampires that know me wouldn't be up and about just yet, considering it's only just gone One in the afternoon.

It was Kara, my best friend since kindergarten. She's as human as they come, but she knows about my... disability. Lucinda and Samson were not happy that I told her. I think they worried about
her
safety, not mine. I would never harm Kara. Well not intentionally. She's like the sister I never had. She also has a key to my apartment, but we'd discovered not long after the turning, that if she barged in it wasn't always good. She knew I needed to feed when I spoke to her yesterday afternoon on the phone. Her reluctance to use her key was both good and bad. Good, because if I hadn't have fed she would be in trouble. And bad, because she was aware of how much trouble she could be in right now if that was indeed the case.

I sighed and rubbed sleep from my eyes. It sucked to be me.

“It's safe,” I said loud enough to carry through the closed door and then flashed across the room to the safety of shadows. It wouldn't be safe if she opened the door and let the sunlight from the landing in on me.

Her key slid into the lock and clicked it open and a moment later the scent of honeysuckle wafted in on the air. I inhaled deeply, it always seemed to calm me, her scent. So far, it didn't make my mouth water in anticipation, but the thought that it might this time always crossed my mind right when I took a deep sniff.

“Hey, Gigs.” Her voice was quieter than usual and immediately I let out a little growl. Damn vampire reactions.

She stiffened just inside the threshold, door still open at her back for easy retreat. I willed my Dark Shadow to stop overreacting, maybe Kara had just had a late night too and was suffering the after effects.

“What's up?” My voice was neutral, even and completely devoid of a growl.

She closed the door behind her and as the sunlight left the room, allowing my vampire eyes to reign supreme, I noticed how tired she looked. Her pale face, which normally had plumpish rosy pink cheeks, now looked too white and hollow. Dark bags under her brown eyes completed the ragged look. Her hair was tied back in a hastily pulled together ponytail. The brown strands looking unwashed, dull and flat. Not the usual glossy brown with gold highlights of her signature heat straightened look. How long had it been since I last saw her? Only a day, maybe two. What the hell had happened?

“Jeez Kara, what's wrong?” I made sure not to flash to her side, but purposely took one slow step after another. When I first told her what had happened to me we'd had a blast experimenting with what exactly I could do. Flashing from one spot to another in the front room of her villa had us in fits of laughter for more than an hour. Now did not seem like the time to make her laugh.

“
Oh God, Gigs. Something terrible has happened.” She was wringing her hands and her bottom lip was trembling. At any moment the water works would start.

“
Come on, hon,” I said taking her hand and leading her to the sofa. “Take a seat and tell me what you can.”

She took a deep shattering breath in, once we were seated side by side, her hands still wringing together painfully. It was breaking my heart to watch. Kara is the most laid back person I know. That's why telling her about my new lifestyle options was easier than facing my mum and dad. I still haven't managed the latter, but it took me only a week to confront Kara. Her ability to take most things in her stride and the fact that she had phoned me three times daily until I had succumbed to her ever increasing demands to meet face to face, made the whole episode manageable. Seeing her distraught now was something altogether new.

“It's Stuart,” she said, her voice hitching slightly on her cousin's name. “He's been arrested for murder.”

Fuck-a-duck. Stu was Kara's closest cousin. We'd done a lot of things together growing up, he's just a year older than us. He's a regular wise-guy. Although New Zealand doesn't have a Mafia, we're more into gangs. Not that Stu is a gang member, but he just has that air about him of a made man. Dresses in sleek suits with swished back, greased up hair. His skin's a little dark too, so to look at him you might think he has a hint of Italian blood in him. He doesn't, but he plays on his good looks. He's a lady's man and a quite successful sales rep for a local vodka company. He gets invited to all the swanky events SubZero sponsors. And they sponsor the best.

“Murder?” I asked, not without a little shock. “How? Who?”

Kara's big round tear-filled eyes looked up at mine. “Knife, we think. His boss. And he didn't do it.” She said the last as though challenging me otherwise.

“Of course he didn't do it, hon. Stu wouldn't hurt a lamb.” Her shoulders relaxed as soon as I defended Stu's honour. Perhaps she'd thought I wouldn't now that I was capable of killing at a drop of the hat. But, I remembered all those fun times we'd had together, the three of us. How caring and attentive Stu had been to both Kara and me. Despite me not being a relative, he had treated me exactly the same as his favourite little cousin. Protective, tolerant and kind.

Stu couldn't have done this. Could he?

“What happened exactly, Kara? What to you know?” I asked softly.

“
That's just it. The police aren't telling the family anything. They've let his lawyer see him, but Aunt Sarah isn't allowed to visit at all. They've denied him bail and are holding him at Mt Eden Prison, awaiting trial. It's crazy Gigs, they're acting like they are
sure
he did it. They're acting like it's a fait accompli.”

“
That is weird,” I agreed. Not that I knew a lot about the judicial system, but not allowing his mother to see him while awaiting trial did seem a bit steep. Still, maybe they did have something incriminating that couldn't be denied.

I shook my head. I just couldn't see Stu knifing someone. Especially his boss. From what I'd read in the papers, Alison Danvers was the liquor industry's golden girl. She was liked by everyone. The belle of the ball. Stu loved his job and the perks were great. I'd only ever heard him speak kindly of Alison. Nah, stabbing her was either a mistake or as I suspected, he didn't even do it.

Not that my opinion would count for anything. I'm just a bartender with a lust for blood.

“
I was hoping you'd help us.” Kara's words brought me back to the room with a jolt.

“
How the hell did you figure that?” I asked and then cringed when she sunk in on herself at my harsh words. “Sorry, hon. Still a little bitter with my lot in life.”

That made her relax and made me feel like a chump. Reminding her of my problems when she had enough of her own was low. Even for a vampire.

“The lead detective on the case is Mark Anderson. He always had a thing for you in school. I wondered if you could, you know, use your new talents to find out what they have on Stu.”

She had the decency to look terrified while she asked that. And so might she too. My talents indeed. And what the hell? Mark never batted an eyelash at me at school. Too busy with the rugby team and the ever present cheer leading squad. Of which I most certainly never was a part of. And, he was at least four years older than us. The only reason I knew him at all was because I dated his younger brother Richard for three months in year 11.

“Kara,” I said with what I hoped was kindness in my voice, “I'm not sure that's a good idea. There has to be rules about glazing the police and really, hon, Mark and I don't know each other that well. He probably wouldn't even remember me if we ran straight into each other on the street. I think your faith in my abilities is misplaced.”

Kara got that superior look on her face, the one I'd seen on her mother's from time to time. The one that said quite clearly that I knew nothing and she knew everything. It was damned annoying. I squirmed under the intensity of her glare as though we were still in grade school. Kara had always been the boss of our relationships. Laid back she may be, but she certainly knew how to rule the roost.

“Just try? Please? We're getting nowhere through all the normal channels and even Stu's lawyer is starting to lose hope. They have something, something they are sure has made the case a done deal. And until it goes to court, we won't know what it is.” She took my hand in hers and squeezed surprisingly hard. “We need to know what we're up against. For Stu, Gigs. Please?”

I sat back on the couch and sighed. I liked Stu. A lot. And I couldn't see him slicing Alison Danvers. Plus, this was Kara asking. My best friend. The girl who didn't run a mile when I told her vampires existed. The girl who didn't scream in fright when I showed her my fangs. The girl who simply asked, when given the evidence of my altered DNA, if vampires were as sexy as the books and movies would have you believe.

I looked at her now. Hope and fear and a weary tiredness that I didn't like seeing on her cherubic cheeks making my heart ache and my gums throb as fangs threatened to elongate ready to right her world. This was my best friend, how could I not try to do what I could to help out?

“
I can't promise anything,” I started slowly, holding her gaze. “He may not even agree to see me. And you know how dangerous glazing is. If anyone witnesses me doing it I could be in a lot of trouble. And the trouble my kind gets into makes Stu's problems pale in comparison.”

Kara frowned, not liking me comparing Stu's predicament to vampire politics. But, I had to make her see I was subject to certain rules. Set not only by the Master of Auckland City, but by the vampire governing body in Paris, called the
Iunctio
. I hadn't met a member of the
Iunctio
Council before, but every vampire and even Lucinda, had made it quite clear that I didn't want to. And being something other than your standard, run of the mill vampire, made the repercussions of appearing on the
Iunctio's
radar that much more dangerous.

Dhampirs, or
Nothus
as we are called,
were not tolerated by the
Iunctio
. Considered illegitimate or better still, an illegal combination of species, they had a standing execution order out for any who are identified. Stake first, ask questions later. There were only a few vampires who knew my secret. Those of Lucinda's line and Michel. Lucinda's husband. Even his vampires weren't aware of what I was. Except Doug. I worked too closely with him to hide it, so Lucinda had insisted he be brought in on the ruse. Otherwise, she had said it was imperative to keep it secret. So we did.

Half a dozen vampires, a Nosferatin and a human. The full extent of my top secret club. Acceptance into our circle was by invitation only. And even then, I didn't trust any of them. Well, I trusted Kara, that's why I had do what I could to help.

I just hoped I wouldn't get caught using vampiric powers of persuasion on a cop.

I just hoped he'd remember me. That'd be a good place to start.

As it happened, Detective Mark Anderson worked the night shift out of Auckland Central Police Station. Convenient, considering I couldn't barge in there during sunlit hours. I'd never had reason to go to the cop shop before, but I'd certainly dealt with my fair share of cops.
Sensations
might have been a step up from previous employers, but I'd had to do my time with some of the seedier joints in order to build up a decent resume. Cops and bars go hand in hand. The fact that
Sensations
kept the cops away was more to do with wards than good management.