Blood Secrets

four



KIRK BELJEAN GREEDILY LAPPED AT THE BLOOD SEEPING from the girl’s neck. She moaned as he rhythmically thrust his hips. He loved entering her from behind. The position gave him full control of her movements and he could watch as he slipped in and out.

It also meant he didn’t have to see her face. She was pretty enough but the expressions she made during sex were comical. He couldn’t f*ck her face-to-face unless she was drunk or high, and then she usually passed out before he finished. It didn’t stop him, of course. In fact, he preferred her that way. That was when he had the most fun.

Of all the blood bunnies in his stable, Piper was his favorite. Not because she was willing to do anything he wanted in bed. Not because her blood tasted sweeter than the others. She was his favorite because she was pliable, easily manipulated. All he had to do was suggest that he wanted something and she would see that it was done.

The stupid bitch even believed he loved her.

It hadn’t taken much. He gave her the attention she’d never gotten from human guys. Made her feel as though she was special to him and in return she gave herself over to his will.

Thinking of how easily he’d twisted her into his personal suck and f*ck threw off his concentration. The flood he’d been holding back broke free. He roughly grabbed her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh, and held her tightly against him.

“Not yet, Kirk,” Piper pleaded. “I’m not close. Just a little—”

A primal roar burst from his throat as he ignored her pleas to wait for her to climax with him. He bent her forward, burying her face into the pillows, and rammed himself into her.

Piper’s muffled squeals and violent thrashes spurred his blood-hunger as well as his lust.

Kirk grabbed her long blond hair and pulled her head out of the pillows.

She gulped for air as he sank his fangs into her neck. Blood spurted, hot and sweet, into his mouth. The rush of memories from her life forcing themselves into his mind proved too much for him. He buried himself within her, riding the waves of his climax until his pleasure fully drained from him. Shaking, he withdrew and collapsed next to her on the blood- and semen-stained bed.

Breathing heavily, she rolled onto her side and draped her arm over his chest. “That … was a-f*cking-mazing.”

“I wasn’t asking for your approval.” He shoved her away and reached for the pack of cigarettes on the nightstand.

The hurt from his rejection passed quickly and she smiled, drunkenly. “So what’s got you in such a good mood, sweetie?”

“None of your damn business,” he grumbled, blowing smoke in her face. He stretched while she coughed.

“Can’t you give me a teensy weensy hint?”

Muttering obscenities under his breath, he grabbed his wallet from beside the bed and opened it. He pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it at her. The stack of hundreds and fifties bounced off her chest to scatter over the rumbled sheets.

Piper blinked and then the sight seemed to finally register and she shrieked in delight. “Where did you get all of this?”

“New client.” He took a draw off his cigarette and blew the smoke out his nose like a dragon. “He has a very specific taste and is willing to pay out the wazoo to satisfy it.”

She gathered the bills and laid them on top of her naked form, creating a sort of money blanket. “What does he like?”

“Redheads.”

Piper’s expression froze. “When did he pay you?”

He didn’t answer.

She looked at the money and then at him. “Did you send Mindy to him?”

He thumped her forehead and made her flinch. “What have I told you about asking too many questions?”

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered.

He stabbed out his cigarette on the edge of the nightstand. “Mindy was scheduled to meet him but that dumbass cousin of yours flaked out and didn’t show. Now I’m going to need you to find me a new redhead.”

“Where am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t care, just find one, by tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow?” She sat up, spilling money across the bed and floor. “Why so soon?”

Kirk yawned and stretched again. “I’ll have to break her in before I can send her out to clients.”

Piper’s eyes flashed angrily. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you have to break in every girl?” She pouted. “Aren’t I enough for you?”

He laughed and pulled her on top of him. “Darlin’, I’m not gonna f*ck her. Those bunnies are just the warm-up for the main event. You know that.”

She straddled him and wiggled her sex against his growing erection. “And I’m the main event, right?”

“Damn right.”

“Prove it.”

His arms snaked around her, crushing her to him as he kissed her. He rolled her over onto her back, hundred dollar bills crunching beneath them, and gave her the proof her body craved.

Allen and Leah Johnson lived in a Victorian manor in the heart of Jefferson’s Old Towne district. Tasha had always loved the eclectic mixture of elegant antebellum mansions, brightly painted Victorians, and earthy mid-century bungalows. She’d even dreamed of the day she, Caleb, and Maya would own a home in the coveted neighborhood.

It was a dream that would never come to fruition now, and she found herself settling for a rented cottage in one of the fringe areas surrounding Old Towne.

As she guided her unmarked police cruiser into the driveway beside the Johnsons’ stately home, she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy. She pushed aside the resentment and made her way up the front walk while the various possibilities behind their daughter Mindy’s disappearance ran through her mind, a new one forming with each step.

Kidnapping for money had been ruled out. More than forty-eight hours had passed without a single ransom demand made. Of course, money wasn’t the only reason people were abducted. Even though Mindy’s car had been found the possibility she’d left town of her own volition couldn’t be ruled out. However, as the days fell away without the girl contacting her family, it seemed unlikely.

The most likely scenario involved foul play. Tasha started her law enforcement career as a street cop a few years after high school and worked her way up through the ranks. Over the years she’d honed her investigative instincts and her gut told her Mindy wasn’t being held. It told her the girl was most likely already dead but she couldn’t voice that opinion. To give it voice would ripple through the cosmos and make it reality.

Leah Johnson answered the door before the final chime of the bell had faded. “Lieutenant Lockwood,” she said, brushing a strand of coppery hair from her face. “Has there been any word on Mindy?”

“I have some news.” Tasha avoided directly answering the woman’s question. “Is Allen home?”

“Yes, he’s home.” She stepped back, opening the door wide to admit Tasha. “Please, come in.”

Tasha entered the home’s small foyer and then a cozy room to the right as indicated by Leah.

“What’s the news? Did you find Mindy? Is she all right?” Leah’s questions came rapid-fire, burning with the same strained hope that filled her jade-like eyes.

“I think it’s best if I tell you and Allen together.”

A shaking hand fluttered up to cover Leah’s mouth. “Oh, sweet Jesus. She’s dead. Isn’t she?”

Tasha realized how her previous statement could’ve been misconstrued and moved quickly to correct her mistake. “No, Leah. We don’t know that. We’re still looking for her, but we did find her car.”

Leah made a sound somewhere between a relieved sigh and a mournful sob.

“I have some follow-up questions for you and Allen, if you’re up to it.”

“Yes,” Leah said, nodding. “Of course. I’ll let Allen know you’re here.”

Tasha took a deep breath and released it slowly while Leah made her way up the stairs lining the left side of the foyer. The Johnsons’ living room sported high ceilings, denim blue walls, comfortable furniture perfect for watching movies on the big screen plasma television, and dozens of family photos. She paused to look at a framed portrait of Mindy in her high school graduation cap and gown.

The smiling girl in the photo was a younger version of her mother. Coppery red hair curled around a peaches and cream face. Jade green eyes twinkled with excitement and the promise of the life that lay ahead of her.

Tasha had seen that same excitement in Maya’s eyes in the last photo she’d received. She was twelve in the photo, but had turned thirteen a few days after it was taken. Looking at the proud display the Johnsons had created for Mindy, Tasha felt a pang of guilt. She didn’t display Maya’s photo at home or on her desk. She kept it tucked away with her badge, her secret guardian angel and a reminder of why she risked her life to make the world a safer place.

Another picture of the entire Johnson family caught Tasha’s eye. It was a snapshot from what appeared to be a vacation at the beach. Leah and Mindy knelt on sandy towels, hugging and laughing. Allen sat on an ice chest nearby, smiling and watching mother and daughter as they mugged for the camera. The perfect example of a familial happiness Tasha had never known.

“Lieutenant,” a man’s voice called from the foyer.

Tasha looked up from the photo and was greeted by an identical smile plastered on the living face of Allen Johnson.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Leah says you found Mindy’s car.” He directed her to an overstuffed and oversized armchair while he and his wife took positions on the opposite sofa.

“It was left in front of the women’s dorm at the community college.”

As they sat, Tasha scrutinized the couple. The Johnsons were a study in contrasts. Leah was petite, fair-skinned with equally pale red hair and green eyes, and a youthful glow that made her age difficult to determine based solely on appearance. Thick muscles rippled under Allen’s mahogany skin, creating a solid girth to match his height. Naturally wiry hair had been tamed, cut close to the scalp but retaining the salt-and-pepper characteristic of a man in his late forties. His eyes were a light golden brown, sharp and piercing in their intensity.

“Is there any indication that she’s the one who left it there?” Allen asked.

“No, but forensic analysts from the FBPI will be examining the car. If there is any evidence to be found, they’ll find it.”

“No one saw anything?” Leah asked.

“No one has come forward yet.”

“How can someone leave a car in plain sight and no one see the driver?” Leah’s voice took a hysterical edge. “It doesn’t make sense!”

Allen wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “The police are doing everything they can, sweetheart.”

Tasha nodded. “It’s true. We have officers canvassing the campus and surrounding areas with Mindy’s picture and a description of the car. Unfortunately, these cases can take time to crack. But someone, somewhere, holds the key bit of information we need. We just have to find them.”

Leah dropped her gaze, and Allen cleared his throat before asking, “You said you had some questions for us?”

Tasha pulled from her pocket a pen and small notebook containing a few hastily scribbled notes she’d made during a brief phone conversation with Alex. “One of the Enforcers found a couple of items in Mindy’s car that perhaps you could help put into context and give us a better understanding of how they fit in with Mindy’s life.”

“Of course,” Leah said, wiping at her eyes as she looked at Tasha. “Anything we can do to help bring Mindy home.”

“The Enforcers found a large amount of cash in her backpack. Was it customary for Mindy to carry around a lot of money?”

“No, but how much is ‘a large amount’?” Allen asked.

“Almost one thousand dollars.”

“Where would she get that kind of money?” Allen looked at his wife, who shook her head.

Tasha scribbled in her notepad. “Did she have a job?”

“No, we paid all her expenses.”

“They also found a donor card bearing Mindy’s name. Were you aware of Mindy’s status as a registered vampire blood donor?”

“Yes,” Allen answered quickly, removing his arm from Leah’s shoulders. “She told us a couple of months ago but she said she wasn’t working anywhere yet because of her class schedule.”

Vampires required small amounts of blood for survival. However, they weren’t allowed to pick random human victims. All blood transactions were closely regulated by a joint effort between the Centers for Disease Control and the FBPI. Humans wanting to give their blood to vampires—and there wasn’t a shortage of willing donors—were required to pass a battery of physical and psychological tests. Once they were deemed fit, their name and information were entered into the Central Donor Registry. They were then required to show a valid donor card to any vampire wanting to hire them as a donor.

It was a practice, regardless of the safeguards that had been implemented over the years, that Tasha simply didn’t understand. She’d heard some donors speak of the rush they got from donating to a vampire. The way they talked it was as though they were addicted to it.

You know something about addiction, don’t you? the nagging voice in her head taunted. You chose me over your husband, your child, even your job. Now look at you. Nothing but a couple of vampires’ lapdog.

She massaged her temple, trying to rub out the voice’s source as she asked, “Did Mindy say who her private recipient was?”

Allen sighed heavily and interlaced his fingers with those of Leah’s free hand.

“I’m not certain I understand your question. Private recipient?” Leah asked.

“Most donors work in blood bars, but there are a few who apply for private donor status, reserving their blood for one vampire only. Mindy’s application carried a private donation waiver.”

Leah gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Allen—”

His hand closed around Leah’s, cutting off her question. “Are you certain it’s our Mindy?”

Tasha nodded, carefully watching the couple’s interactions. “We confirmed all the information with the Central Donor Registry. Unfortunately, her private recipient wasn’t listed.”

“How can they not have that information on record?” Allen asked.

“The Enforcers are looking into it now.”

“It can’t be true,” Leah said, her voice shaky. “It can’t be.”

“Sometimes when kids leave home for the first time, they do impulsive things,” Tasha offered. “Maybe Mindy—”

“No.” Leah shook her head. “Not Mindy. She isn’t like that!”

“She registered without telling us first,” Allen said quietly. He cleared his throat when Leah stared at him. “Why should a private donor be any great shock?”

Leah continued to stare at him in silence.

“Is there anyone you can think of she would’ve told about her private donor, Mr. Johnson?” Tasha asked.

“Her cousin, Piper. She and Mindy are very close. When I saw the two of them a few days before Mindy disappeared, I had the feeling there was something going on, but I didn’t press the issue. I thought Mindy would come to us when she was ready.”

“You saw her?” Leah whispered.

He nodded.

“And you didn’t tell me?”

Allen enclosed her hand in both of his. “I didn’t want to upset you. It was in passing. They were sitting in a coffee shop. I was running late for a meeting but I waved. They must not have seen me because—”

“How can you be so calm about all of this?” Leah demanded. “My baby is missing and you’re prattling on like it’s the most common thing!”

“I don’t believe hysterics are going to help bring Mindy home.”

“You bastard.” Leah pulled her hand away from his and stood.

Tasha jerked in her seat with the surprise force of Leah’s hand connecting with her husband’s face. Sobbing, Leah fled the room and up the stairs. The glass panes in the window behind Tasha rattled when a door slammed somewhere on the second floor.

Allen stared at the ceiling for a moment before turning his attention to Tasha. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant. Leah can be overly emotional at times. Mindy’s our only child, and the stress of the last few days is starting to really take its toll.”

“I understand completely. I have a daughter of my own.”

“How old?”

“She’s thirteen.”

He smiled wanly. “That’s a great but difficult age.”

Tasha sighed, suddenly uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation. She flipped through her notes. “Mindy’s your stepdaughter, isn’t she?”

“I’m not her biological father, no, but I did legally adopt her a few years after Leah and I married. Mindy was three or four at the time.”

“Where’s her biological father? If we could talk to him, he—”

“You’re wasting your time, Lieutenant. Connor, Leah’s first husband, died when Mindy was only a few months old. Hunting accident. He fell out of a tree stand and his gun accidentally discharged.”

Tasha winced and her inhaled breath whistled as it passed through her clenched teeth.

“After Leah and I married, it just seemed easier to adopt Mindy than have her grow up with a different last name. Oh, I know it’s common now for kids and parents to have different last names, but I think it’s confusing for the kids and can be frustrating for the parents. I wanted to save Mindy and Leah from having to go through that.”

Tasha nodded her understanding. She made a few notes in her notepad and redirected the conversation. “Where did you see Mindy?”

“The coffee shop on Jefferson Boulevard—Mug Shots.”

“And you don’t know what she and her cousin were talking about?”

“No, and there was someone with them. A boy. As I said, I was running late for a meeting. I ran in, grabbed a cup of coffee, saw Mindy and Piper sitting in the back, and waved. They must not have seen me because they kept talking.”

“If you didn’t hear the conversation, what makes you think there was anything wrong?”

“Mindy looked as though she’d been crying.”

“Did you recognize the boy with them?” Tasha asked as she quickly scribbled notes.

“No, but I think he may have been Piper’s boyfriend. The two of them were sitting beside each other, and he had his arm draped over her shoulders.”

“Can you describe him?”

Allen took a deep breath and tilted his head, staring out the window behind her. “I only saw his profile, but he had sort of longish brown hair, wore one of those knit caps with the brim, flannel shirt over a white T-shirt, jeans. There was a denim jacket hanging on the back of his chair.”

“And you’d never seen him with either Mindy or Piper before that day?”

He shook his head.

The cell phone clipped to the waistband of her slacks vibrated, and Tasha checked the text message that showed up on the screen.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE AT COONE’S AUTO SALVAGE. PROPERTY OWNER REPORTS STRANGE ODOR EMANATING FROM TRUNK.

Tasha added the last of the description that Allen had provided to her notebook and rose. “I’m sorry to cut this short but I have an urgent call. I have to go.”

Allen stood with her and shook her hand. “You’ll let us know the moment you hear something, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

He escorted her to the entrance and thanked her for stopping by.

Tasha heard the door close behind her as she hurried to her car. Backing out of the drive, she thought she saw Leah staring out from one of the second-story windows. The vision was gone almost as soon as she spotted it, leaving only shadows backing the windows, and she couldn’t help but wonder if those windows reflected a darkness growing within.