Vampires! A Bundle of Bloodsuckers (32 page)

Good thing this wasn’t really happening, that it was just her brain synapses frying, because it was the biggest load of shit she’d ever heard.

She opened her mouth to voice her opinions even louder, then stopped, and took another path. “What if I choose to die? What happens then?”

“Well,” he pulled at the wiry hairs sprouting from his chin, “you’ll turn back into energy, then you can decide what you want to do next. There’s really no limit. Anything you can imagine, you can do.”

She frowned, studying him, waiting for him to say he was just kidding or something. “What about heaven and hell and all that stuff? Are you saying that doesn’t exist?”

“Everything exists.” He grinned. “Whatever you want. Whatever you need.”

“Okay, come on now. Level with me. I’m insane, right? My brain is rotting and oozing out my ears, and that’s why I’m having this psychotic delusion. You’re not real, are you?”

He stood up very straight and became serious. “That depends on what ‘real’ means to you.”

She started to talk again, and he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“It’s time for you to decide. Either go back and have your adventure with Handsome Harry the Vampire or choose to end your existence as Tempest and come with me. It’s all good.” He smiled, “Of course, you can’t bring your guitar with you if you come with me.”

She stared into Uncle Stix’s friendly eyes for a moment, and he nodded. “I figured the guitar thing would do it. If you want to talk to me again, just call me. I’m always around. Take care, sweet Temper!”

Simultaneously, he vanished, and she floated once again over her physical body in the bed. She arrived just in time to watch Malveaux tenderly kiss her lips.

“Please don’t die.”

Wow. That was one amazing dream or whatever. She guessed she didn’t have to die right then. She could always walk into the sun, if the bloodsucking gig was a drag. Who’d polish her ax if she was dead? Besides, pretty boy wasn’t half bad to look at, and he certainly was a fine cocksman. Seemed to like her pretty well, too. No promises. She’d take it one day – or night, rather – at a time. Maybe they could steal blood from blood banks or something. Shit. It wasn’t as if any kind of life was easy. And there was that jet to consider.

She just wasn’t ready to let go yet. There were too many songs to write.

With a gasp, she opened her eyes.

Malveaux’s jaw dropped. “Tempest!” He scooped her limp body into his arms. “I didn’t think you were going to make it. You were out for so long! Do you remember anything?”

She licked her dry lips and coughed. The pain was gone. “Just the weirdest dream. My dead uncle was there . . .”

“O
h, yeah. That’s the spot. Slower. Now faster. Jesus, you’re so good at that.”

Tempest gazed down at Malveaux’s head between her legs. She had a death grip on his shiny hair as he flicked his tongue along her clit. Her heart pounded double time, shallow breaths puffed from her wet, parted lips. She groaned, her body writhing in ecstasy. Her pleasure built, and her hips caught his rhythm, bucking more forcefully as her orgasm approached.

He groaned and tightened his grip on her thighs to hold her in place for the big finish.

“Malveaux!” she screamed as her body spasmed in rapture.

After a moment, he raised his head and smiled, licking his lips. He crawled like a hungry cat up her body and then thrust his cock into her wet slit in one smooth movement. He growled low, gazing into her eyes. She fastened her legs around him, took him even deeper, and then encircled his neck with her arms, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

He teased his tongue into her mouth, and she groaned, opening herself in every way.

They moved together as one, riding the wave as it exploded, the still-new sensation of sharing bodies and souls a constant surprise to each.

“Wow,” Tempest said as the vibrations pulsed through her body.

Malveaux lifted his head. “Eloquently stated, as usual,” he teased.

“I’d say ‘fuck you,’ but that would be redundant. Will I ever get used to these new vampire orgasms? Won’t my body explode, or something?”

He chuckled and rolled to the side, pulling her close against his chest. “It’s not just the vampire part that makes them cataclysmic. It’s because you’re my offspring. The same blood runs in our veins. You’re mine.”

She slid her hand across his chest. “Yeah, yeah. We’ve been all through this. You know I’m not going to be anybody’s slave. You can kiss that fantasy goodbye. I call my own shots, pretty boy.”

“I don’t want a slave,” he said. “I want you. Nothing about this process turned out as I expected. You somehow managed to become my equal. There’s just something strange about your brain, or maybe it’s the way I feel about you. Maybe that was the complicated fly in the cosmic ointment.”

She rose up on one elbow and gave him an innocent smile. “How you feel about me? How is that, exactly?”

He stared up at the ceiling, frowned, and cleared his throat. “You know. I mean you
literally
know, because you can read my mind.”

 “Maybe, but I want you to tell me. Out loud. I need to hear it.”

“That’s too bad.” He shifted his gaze back to hers. “As the song says, ‘You can’t always get what you want.’ Every relationship needs a little mystery. I’ll just let my actions speak louder than my words.” He cupped her breast.

“Okay, mystery man.” She grinned. “I guess I like you, too. How could I not, after you got the band a recording contract and a gig at the coolest club in L.A.? After waiting thirty years for my big break, you managed to get me on the cover of
Rolling Stone
in only six months.” She pointed to the promo photos hanging in ornate frames on the bedroom wall, thinking about how great it was that vampires could be photographed with the new technology. “You’re now officially pawing the tit of ‘The Year’s Most Exciting New Talent.’ I’ll admit it. I was totally impressed. One blast from your vampiro-eyeballs, and people were falling over themselves to do your bidding. You’ll have to teach me more about using my vampire ju-ju to make humans do what I want. I don’t have the hang of that, yet.”

“I told you I’d make you famous.” He gave her a quick kiss. “As the saying goes, ‘You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.’ You’re getting pretty good at keeping the band members from being aware of the fact that their lead guitar player is now a bloodsucking fiend.” He pinched her nipple. “Not to mention the hidden life of yours truly, their new manager.”

She laughed and slid her hand down his stomach, heading south. “Yeah, but you know musicians. Give them a little smoke, some alcohol, junk food, and loose women, and they don’t ask many questions.”

He caught her hand just as her fingernails raked through his pubic hair. He smirked. “What was it your imaginary uncle said about me? I’m your what?”

She retracted the fingers that were inching toward his cock, and relaxed back into the bed, frowning. “I should never have told you. You’ll never let me forget it now, will you? I don’t believe in any of that soul mate shit.”

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. “Yes, you do.”

“Up yours.” She ran her fingers through his long hair. “You’d better watch out. I could leave you any time, find another bloodsucker to hang with. Then you’d be sorry for tormenting me.”

“Good try, offspring.” He smiled wide. “We’re bonded. Forever.” The tone of his voice changed. “Do you really want to leave me?”

“Nope.” She rolled over onto his chest and kissed him. “You’re stuck with me. Apparently for a very long time.”

“Well,” he raised an eyebrow, “what shall we do to fill all that time?”

She gazed down at his erection and smiled, walking her fingers down his thigh. She touched the drop of liquid beading at the top of his cock and raised her finger to her mouth. “Are there vampires in L.A.?”

He barked out a laugh, obviously surprised by the change of topics. “Yes, as a matter of fact, there are lots of us. You’d be surprised how many Hollywood celebrities and members of famous bands are vampires. There are even vampire gangs. Why do you ask?”

An evil grin blossomed across her face. “I thought after we get done screwing each others’ brains out, we could go piss off some more vampires. Fry some of the bad ones. That was fun.”

“Ah, yes.” He laughed. “I can see it now. Malveaux and Offspring, Vampire Assassins for Hire. That has quite a ring to it.”

“And speaking of rings, pretty boy. I want one. A big diamond, and maybe a queen-of-the-guitar-players crown, too. After all, we have to keep up appearances.” She kissed him.

“Well, that’s the least I can do.”

“You got that right,” she mumbled as her hand closed around his cock. “Shut up and kiss me.”

I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read my books. I hope you enjoyed them and you’ll tell your friends about them.

And continue reading for excerpts from
Blood Therapy
and
The Vampire Shrink

R
eaching out to an old friend . . .

A half-hour later I sat at my desk, drinking coffee, and eating a banana-nut muffin, while I fired up my laptop.

Since I was willing to do anything that might help my situation, I’d put the diamond cross back on after my shower, along with the pentagram necklace. I should have felt relatively safe because the sun was out, but I no longer had any pretense of thinking I  knew what was, or wasn’t, possible in the world of the vampires.

I toyed with the cross, grabbed my phone, called Alan’s cell, and went to voice mail.

“Hey, Alan. It’s Kismet. I need to talk to you. Please call me back as soon as you can. It’s important. You have all my numbers. Bye.”

Last we’d spoken, he was still in Sedona following Lucifer’s trail of drained bodies, while at the same time continuing his search for his mother – his mother the vampire. On Halloween, he’d told me his childhood story of her disappearance. He’d never gotten over her abandonment and had become a forensic psychologist, joined the FBI and devoted himself to exploring the strange and unusual in hopes of catching another glimpse of her.

“Come on, Alan. Call me,” I said to the silent phone. “Where are all my alleged abilities when I need them? Seems like I ought to be able to contact you psychically. Well, hey, let’s give that a try.” I held my hands out, palms up, adopting what I thought might be a mystical pose, and said, “Ohm, ohm. Alan! Ohm, ohm. Call me now!”

I’d just taken a breath to laugh at myself when the phone rang. I jumped in my chair.

“Hot damn!” I read the caller ID screen and saw Alan’s name. I scooped up the phone and answered. “Alan? Is that you?”

“The one and only.”

“You got my message?”

“Message? No. I haven’t had time to check my voice mail today. I was out all night riding with some cops, and just got up a while ago. Now I’m sitting in a coffee shop, updating my notes, and I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to call you. Weird, eh?”

Actually, it’s excellent. Maybe I finally have a reliable skill!

“Yeah, weird. But I’m glad you called. Do you have a few minutes? What time is it there in Sedona?”

“As of two days ago, I’m no longer in Sedona.” A small crash echoed through the phone. “Shit!”

“What was that?” I took a bite of muffin.

“I just managed to spill my coffee on myself and drop the mug on the tile floor. That was the clatter you heard. What a mess. Hold on . . .”

“Do you need more napkins, sir?” a young-sounding voice said in the background.

“No. I’m good, thanks.”

“Would you like a coffee refill?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Alan?”

“Yeah, I’m here – looking like I wet myself – but I’m here.” His mouth shifted away from the phone. “Thanks, I’ll try to hang on to this one.” He cleared his throat. “So, like I said, I left Sedona. A few days ago I started hearing rumblings about activities in San Francisco that sounded like our repulsive, bald, toothsome friend so I hit the road. I’m now staring out across the water at the notorious Alcatraz, and thinking life doesn’t get much better than this.”

“San Francisco? I just saw something about serial killers there. Are you involved with that, too?”

“No. I heard about it, but nobody’s said anything. I’ve got my hands full with Stink Vamp and the six deaths I’m sure he’s involved with, and as psychologically interesting as it would be to chase some version of Hannibal Lecter, I can only handle one fiend at a time. Of course none of the locals have put the pieces together about the six drained bodies yet, so I’m the only one who knows that there’s a supernatural angle.”

“Well, as awful as this sounds, if you have to track him somewhere, I can’t imagine a more beautiful city.”

“Yeah, it’s great. I’ve spent a lot of time here over the years. And let me remind you that you have a standing invitation to come and visit, wherever I am. I’d be glad to show you the town.” He laughed. “And the inside of my comfortable hotel room. We could tour this side of the bed, then that side, then the table in the corner . . .”

Nope. Let’s not go there.