Chandler: Books 4 The Witch and the Vampire (10 page)

Chapter Nineteen

A wide mahogany desk sat before a bank of tall windows overlooking the city.
Chandler
stood in the center of the floor and looked around. The room was large with a sitting area to one side. Dark leather sofas and chairs were positioned near a fireplace on the wall. An adjoining room boasted a long polished table flanked by a dozen chairs. He poked his head inside a bathroom with an adjoining dressing room. He noted the three suits hanging on a rack and the accompanying shoes and overcoats. Raising his bloody hands, he stepped inside the small room and went to the sink to wash up.

The desk held an assortment of things, gold embossed pens. A leather backed appointment book caught his attention. He rolled the leather desk chair out and slid into it, sliding his palms across the smooth leather with an appraising sigh. He opened the appointment book and found a marker at one page. Assuming the notations were meant for that day, he was relieved to see that Mallory had already finished with the day’s appointments.

Aware that assuming
Richard
Mallory
’s identity would require a bit of study on his part, he set his mind to learning from the articles he found in the office. Car keys were in the center drawer of the desk as well as personalized notepapers. There were no portraits of kin anywhere in the large office or adjoining rooms though there were numerous photos of Mallory posing with other businessmen at such events as groundbreaking ceremonies and business openings.
Chandler
took note of the smiling faces in the photos, noticing that there were no females in any of the pictures.

He rifled through two file cabinets in a small alcove off the main office and found that Mallory owned several downtown properties as well as two houses in the better part of the city. Once he discovered his present residence, he mentally noted the address and moved on to a third file cabinet. He was quickly finding out bits and pieces of interesting details about his predecessor when the ringing of the phone suddenly interrupted him. He turned his gaze toward the desk, staring at the phone sitting on its corner.

Shrugging one shoulder, he chuckled and lifted the receiver. “
Richard
Mallory
.” He listened to the way the name rolled off his tongue, satisfied he could play the part of the vampire banker, with a little practice.

“This is
Jerome
, from The Royal.
Mr.
Collins
said that if there was ever any trouble I should give you a call.”

Surprise filtered through
Chandler
’s body. He turned his ears to the voice and tried to sense the caller’s emotional state.

“Well, there’s been a little trouble,
Mr.
Mallory
.”

“Do tell.”

“The cops raided the club this morning. They found a couple of paintings and they arrested
Lester
and
Joe
. Luckily,
Mr.
Collins
was out when they arrived. Can you fix things? Can you post bail?”

Fear laced the man’s words. His voice trembled. “You say
Mr.
Collins
didn’t get arrested?”

“No sir.” The caller sighed into the phone. “I know I’m not supposed to be talking about this over the phone, but I knew the boss was taking a chance keeping those paintings around.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”
Chandler
hung up the phone and leaned back in the plush desk chair.
Richard
Mallory
has ties to
Johannes
.
He cocked an eyebrow.
One vampire helping out another vampire.
He thought of Jada suddenly and bounded out of the chair.
Time to assume my new identity.
Crossing the room to the dressing area beyond the bathroom, he tore at his clothes in an effort to remove them. He had no intention of going to the jail to post bail for
Johannes
’s cohorts, but he did have intentions of checking on Jada.

He stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt and donned a dark navy suit from the dressing area. Sliding on a pair of shiny black leather shoes, he was surprised to find that they fit. He zipped his fly and took a moment to glance at his appearance in the floor to ceiling mirror at the back of the small dressing room. He looked quite debonair. The suit fit as though it had been made for him, and though he had no idea how to tie a necktie, he was dashing with the neck of his white shirt open. He found a comb in the bathroom and combed his hair, then retied it at his nape.

 
Returning to the office area, he started toward the door, then remembered he had seen car keys in the desk drawer. Curiosity dictated his movements as he yanked the drawer open and lifted the keys into his palm.
There might be a few things I’ll need help with.
He closed his fingers around the keys and then slipped them into his pants pocket. Sooner or later he would make good use of them. He left the office and rode the elevator down to street level. Crossing the polished tile floor to the entrance, he walked like a man with a purpose, turning heads as he passed those standing in line awaiting tellers. A man wearing a red coat with gold buttons rushed to open the door for him.

“Good afternoon,
Mr.
Mallory
.”

Chandler
nodded at the doorman and stepped through the entrance onto the sidewalk. Glancing in either direction, he realized he should have gone to the roof of the building and transformed where no prying eyes could have seen him.

“Should I hail a cab for you,
Mr.
Mallory
?”

 
Turning at the sound of the doorman’s voice, he quickly nodded his head. Maybe Mallory took cabs and the doorman wouldn’t find it unusual to hail one for him. As he slid across the back seat of the rented car and gave the address of The Royal Nightclub to the driver, he realized he could make changes in Mallory’s life as he saw fit.
Mallory is dead. I’m the new improved version.
He chuckled as he leaned back in the seat and turned his gaze out the side window.

The cab arrived at the nightclub in a matter of minutes.
Chandler
gave the driver a bill and tried not to look surprised when he received bills in return. He hurried from the car and crossed the avenue to the front of the club. Three police cars were lined up at the curb and, as soon as he set foot on the sidewalk, a burly policeman stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

“The club is closed for now.”

Chandler
swallowed down his immediate anger at the man blocking his way. He forced a smile and met the policeman’s gaze.
Act like a nice mortal.
“I’m looking for Detective Harris.”

The cop’s eyes widened. “And who are you?”

“
Richard
Mallory
.” He offered his hand to the policeman.

“The banker? Oh yeah. Sure. I thought you looked familiar.” He stepped to one side. “Jada is inside. You can go in,
Mr.
Mallory
.”

Damn! Mallory must be a force to be reckoned with.
Chandler
glanced over his shoulder at the policeman as he took hold of the doorknob.
Surely it wasn’t known to everyone that Mallory was a vampire.
He pushed the thought aside and entered the club in search of Jada.

The interior was brightly lit and dozens of policemen were busy combing every inch. He paused just inside the door and blinked his eyes against the blaze of lights. Scanning the wide room, he searched for Jada or
Mike
. Voices came to his ears, drawing his attention to the upper floor of the building. He crossed to the stairs and hurried up them, careful to set foot on each stair as a mortal would do. He found Jada inside Collins’s office, seated at his desk, a scattering of files before her. She glanced up when he entered the room.

“How in hell did you get in here?”

 
Chandler
winked one dark eye at her. “It’s nice to see you too, Jada.” He wafted his gaze over her face and lowered it to the tantalizing cleavage at the neck of her blouse. He wanted her instantly, his cock aroused just by the sight of her beautiful face.

“I thought I told you to stay clear of this place.” She rose from the desk and came toward him. Halting a few feet from him, she placed both hands on her hips. “You clean up nicely.” She reached out one hand and fingered the lapel of his suit coat. “Nice duds. Where did you steal them?”

Where did I steal them? This female needs taught a lesson.
He closed the gap between them and pulled her against his chest. “I’d like to throw you down on that desk and fuck you until you beg me to stop.”

She smiled slightly and pushed out of his arms.

He pulled in a deep breath, savoring the musk of her arousal.

“I’ve got work to do.” She returned to the desk and sat down in the chair. Staring across the expanse at him, she locked gazes with him. “We didn’t arrest
Collins
. He was gone when we instituted the raid.” She sighed and leaned back in the chair. “I bet the bastard is out of the country by now.”

Chandler
stared at her and tried to think of something truthful to say, something she would believe. Odds were, she would never apprehend the man she knew as
John
Collins
.
Johannes
was too slick to be caught, and besides, there wasn’t a jail made that could hold him. He could vaporize and disappear quicker than a cop could draw his gun. He raised one hand and scrubbed it along his jaw
. If
Johannes
was smart, he would leave the city and start a new venture elsewhere.

Chapter Twenty

Believing Jada was safe from Collins—at least while the vampire thought the cops were searching the city for him—
Chandler
left the club. Returning his thoughts to further researching
Richard
Mallory
, he gave the address of Mallory’s house to the cab driver and settled back for the ride to his new home.

Mentally noting the direction the cab was taking, he observed the scenery as the route wound through the city and into the quiet suburbs. The avenues grew broader as lavish homes sprawled across lush lawns and curving driveways led to four car garages. He hid his surprise when the car pulled into one of the impressive drives and came to a halt at a tall white two-story mansion.

 
Chandler
tried the door latch before resorting to using one of the keys he had tucked into his pocket. The knob turned and the door swung open, revealing a spacious room with a hardwood floor and pristine white walls. He admired the sight as he stepped inside and pushed the door closed behind him. He paused and listened. He heard a motor humming and then the noise of rushing air. Turning his head, he saw the long drapery at the front window flutter and spied a vent just below the cloth. He sensed his first impression of the residence was accurate. There was no one within the walls, aside from an assortment of electrical appliances necessary to maintain the home.

He strode down the foyer to the back of the house, poking his head into each of the rooms stemming off the hallway. The home was furnished beautifully and looked as though a mortal man, instead of a brutal vampire, inhabited it. He turned his gaze on the curving stairs leading up to the second floor. The stench of earth and vampire flesh reached his nose.
Mallory’s lair is upstairs.

Following the odor, he reached the suite of rooms at the end of the hallway and opened the door. A dark room lay beyond with drapes pulled across wide windows. He scanned the space, identifying Mallory’s crypt sitting near the back of the room. The scent of centuries old vampire flesh filled the room. He crossed the space to the open casket. When Mallory slept, he lay down in the fragrant earth, rejuvenating his body with his homeland soil. He stared at the ebon place, sensing that the vampire didn’t often take refuge in the box.
Like the master, Mallory had known the secret of living in the daylight.

Returning to the downstairs portion of the house, he sought out the home office Mallory kept and took a seat at the desk in the center of the room. Its top was cluttered with files and stacks of sheets with long columns of numbers. Intrigued by the amount of work the vampire banker had brought home to go over, he seated himself at the desk and started looking through the assortment of pages.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted his concentration.
Chandler
paused, raising his head and listening for further evidence that someone was at the door of the house. The bell sounded again, followed by knocking. He rose and went to the front of the house. Halting his feet mere inches from the door, he sensed Jada’s presence on the front porch. He released a long breath, combed his fingers through his hair and grasped the doorknob.
She’s mad as hell!

His mind spun as he tried to think of a lie she would believe. Finding him at the Mallory residence left him but one choice. He had to pretend to be the banker he looked so much like. He pulled the door open, prepared to defend himself with a hasty made up story about why he had lied to her in the first place.

Jada marched inside, whirled around to face him, propped her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You’ve some explaining to do.”

He closed the door, turning his back to her for a moment, thinking.

“First you make me believe you’re a cop sent to help me work a case, then I find out you aren’t, then you show up during a raid I’ve waited to institute for six months and my fellow officer friends tell me you’re a prominent banker named Richard Mallory.” She cocked her head at him. “What in hell is going on? Who are you?” She held up one hand. “Who are you at this very moment?”

He chuckled and took her arm. Turning her toward the living room, he guided her through the doorway. Glancing around, he spied a dark green sofa and steered her toward it. He wondered if he should offer her a drink since he saw a liquor cabinet in the corner of the room.
And if she drinks enough, maybe she’ll believe anything I say.

She jerked her arm free of his grasp. “Stop stalling. Just who in hell are you?”

He offered her a seat on the couch, then seated himself on one end and looked up at her.
Who do you want me to be?
The thought came to mind just as Jada sighed and dropped onto the couch beside him. He caught the airy fragrance of her perfume and, for an instant, wondered if he might make her forget all about questioning him with a mental suggestion that they should have sex.

“Are you really
Richard
Mallory
?” She gazed around the lavish room, then returned her gaze to his face. “Because if you are, you need to explain what your ties are to
John
Collins
.”

“I have no ties to
John
Collins
.”

She narrowed her gaze on him. “Why did you show up at the club when we instigated the raid?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I was looking for you.” He reached out one hand and took hers, bringing her knuckles to his mouth. He kissed each one. “I wanted to make certain you were safe.”

She jerked her hand away. “I can take care of myself.”

He grimaced. Had she any idea whom she was dealing with—who
John
Collins
actually was—she would cringe and thank him for his concern. But then he had that thought the first time he realized
Johannes
was impersonating the club owner. “You seem indifferent to my concern.”

She smiled slowly. “I carry a gun and I’m not afraid to use it,
Chandler
, or should I call you
Richard
?”

“Either.”

She drew back, surprised. “Either?” She reached inside her jacket and extracted a set of handcuffs. “I think I’m going to have to arrest you, just until I find out who you really are?”

“Why? What did I do?” Amusement traveled through his insides.

“Stand up and put your hands behind your back.” She rose, spread her legs and braced her body. “I’m taking you in.”

He chuckled. “Thank you, but I have other plans for this evening.”

Her eyes widened. She reached for her gun.

Chandler
reached out and grasped her around the waist, hauling her across his lap.

 
She yelped in surprise and tried to break his hold, pushing at his chest with flattened palms.

“You’re no match for my strength, Jada.” His voice was low toned, calm. He smiled down into her surprised face, then bent his head and brushed his lips across hers. “Your mouth tastes like honey. I could feed on you all day and night.” He pressed his lips against hers with a force that made her moan and close her eyes.

Her body relaxed. She wound her arms around his neck and leaned against his chest. Her breasts flattened against the hard muscles beneath his coat, her warmth penetrated his cool flesh. He took her mouth as though he owned it, poking his tongue between her lips and commanding she open up for his sensual probing. He stroked her back and delved his hand beneath her jacket and blouse, finding her supple skin. A low moan found its way up his throat.

 
Chandler
took away her jacket and blouse, baring her body as he continued kissing her lips, claiming her forever more as he took total control of the situation. She closed her eyes and didn’t complain as he unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. He covered her breasts with his hands and plucked her nipples until they were taut nubs. When she quivered beneath his hands, he released the zipper in her pants and pushed them from her body. She lay across his lap naked, her legs splayed and his hand in her crotch. He stroked her silken tissues while she moaned and clung to his chest, her arms wound tightly around his neck, her mouth pressed seductively to his.

He brought her quickly to orgasm with his stroking fingers. Her breathless moans served only to intensify his sexual urges.
I wonder if there’s a bed in one of those upstairs rooms?
He dashed the thought. He didn’t dare carry her up the stairs only to wander the hallway in search of the right room to fulfill his lusty urges. He slid her off his lap onto the couch and tore at his clothes. Momentarily he parted her legs with one knee and climbed atop her body, plunging his hot cock between her splayed legs. She gasped and levered her body upward, only to clasp his shoulders with both hands and pull him down against her breasts.

Chandler
thrust inside her core, ramming his hard cock to the hilt, pausing, savoring, pulling back and ramming inside again, deeper. Her warmth surrounded his cock, held it tightly and slicked along its hot length. He savored the heat of her body, longed to keep his cock inside her forever, thrusting, bringing orgasm to the fore. He nuzzled her neck and nestled his face in the niche formed by her collarbone and shoulder. The urge to drink her blood came upon him suddenly.

No! Dammit! No!
He tried to push the desire away. He groaned and felt the first sensations of orgasm stream through his body. The urge rose in mountainous peaks, spurring him on. He felt his fangs extending, brushing his lip. He tightened his abdomen as the orgasm crashed through his limbs. He opened his mouth, touched Jada’s throat with his tongue, wet the spot over her vein, listened to the sweet sound of her blood rushing through her blood vessels. He sank his fangs into her flesh, piercing her vein. Her hot blood filled his mouth. Silently, he cursed himself for being so weak as the orgasm came full bloom, taking his senses over the edge.

“Damn! I’ve never…felt anything…like that before!” She clawed his back with her sharp nails and raised her legs to wrap them around his thrusting hips. A shuddering moan slipped from her mouth.