Past Due (9 page)

“
Would you like me to kill her for you?” he teased.

“
Oh, would you?” she gave him her doe-eyed look.

“
Of course. Any self-respecting young beau would, my darling.”

“
Thank you, but I’m not sure you can even be my beau with a sissy name like Alex.”

“
Oh, no. the pain of it!” Alex clutched his breast. “Why, oh why didn’t my mother call me Colin? I would still kill her for you though?”

“
But she has to pay for the wedding first. We can’t kill her yet!”

“
Gosh darn it, Francis, can’t we elope?”

“
Well, we could live in sin, I suppose.”

“
Your mother would kill me!”

Frankie finally gave into the giggles and collapsed back on the sofa. She was wiping tears away when she finally stopped laughing. “Thank you for that.”

Alex gently pushed a strand of hair off her face, careful not to touch her though there was nothing he wanted more. Frankie’s breath caught in her throat as he held her gaze.

“
You’re welcome.” He smiled tenderly.

Frankie suddenly felt uncomfortable. This wasn’t something she should be getting into. Being attracted to a vampire was never smart. She sat forward.

“
Hey, maybe I should tell her you’re a seven hundred year old vampire. What do you think?”

“
From the sounds of things, I don’t think she’d care.”

“
No, you’re probably right.” She picked up the papers Alex had been reading. “What do you think?” she asked.

“
You want my opinion?” he was surprised.

“
Fresh eyes always help, and you have a fairly unique perspective. Anything strike you as odd or stand out?”

“
The pathologist report says a knife was the murder weapon.”

“
And?”

“
Well, it’s rather prosaic for a witch. If he is as powerful as we’re giving him credit for, he could kill these girls from a distance using a simple spell. No need to get his hands dirty.”

“
True, but maybe he gets some satisfaction from being there.”

“
He could still use a spell. It’s safer and leaves less trace evidence.”

“
Okay, so maybe he wants to get his hands dirty,” she thought out loud.

“
Perhaps...” He sounded doubtful and Frankie shot him a questioning look. “Or perhaps blood has to be spilt.”

“
You mean these murders are part of something bigger?”

“
It’s possible.”

“
Okay, well let me tell you what I’ve learned.” First she told him about not getting any impressions from the symbols on the walls.

“
Is that unusual?” he asked.

“
Very. In fact it’s the first time ever.”

Alex looked thoughtful for a few moments before turning back to her. “What else have you discovered?”

“
I caught a glimpse of him, only a glimpse, I couldn’t draw him from that but he looked… clammy.”

“
Clammy?”

“
Pale, pasty; almost unwell.”

“
Maybe he is unwell, too sick to perform magic.”

“
But still healthy enough to murder?”

Alex conceded her point with a shrug. “Go on.”

Frankie told him about her conversation with Clara and the copy of the Munich Manual grimoire Bradley had been hunting for.

Alex looked grim. “I know of it. It sounds as if he’s found a copy.”

“
Why?”

“
Remember what I said about blood being spilled? Well grimoires are essentially dark magic manuals. This one deals with necromancy and, more importantly, demonology. The rituals involved in invoking a demon often call for both sacrifices and blood.” He looked worried.

“
What are you thinking?”

“
I’m thinking our man has reached the limits of his power; that he’s looking outside of himself now, and enslaving others to do his bidding.”

“
But I thought he was an uber-witch?”

“
He is but there’s still a limit to how much power one man can channel, like there’s only so much electricity a circuit can carry before it burns out. A lone man could probably levitate a small car but if he wanted to levitate a lorry, he’d need help. Usually that would mean forming a coven and combining their power but for whatever reason, our witch doesn’t want to share.”

“
So instead he’s calling on other supernatural entities to do his bidding?”

“
Yes. One of the… rules, if you like, for granting an entity access to the mortal plane is that the entity must provide services to whoever called them, otherwise no human would even attempt to bring these things over.”

“
I’m going to guess these entities aren’t all that happy about serving humans, though.”

“
Quite right. Once the debt is repaid, once they are granted full access to this realm, it’s not unusual for them to turn on whoever called them.”

“
So if we let this play out the killer dies and we’re left facing whatever he brought over.”

“
Yes.”

“
Then we need to find this guy now. Powerful or not, I’m guessing a human is much easier to stop than a demon or some sort of demi-god.”

“
Agreed.”

“
Much as I like being told I’m right, suggestions for finding the creep would be more welcome right now.”

“
If he has disappeared, perhaps the best way to find him is to go back.”

Frankie thought about that for a second. “To his past. His family is dead but there must still be school friends or something. Maybe I can find something, an old haunt or somewhere he’d be likely to go back to.”

“
Good idea.”

Frankie leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “If he keeps to schedule he’ll kill another girl tomorrow. I need more time.”

Alex saw she was in pain; she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders and until now, she’d been doing so alone. “We’ll figure this out, Frankie. We will stop him.” Without thinking he took her hand and stroked his thumb across the back.

He heard her heart beat accelerate and realised he’d touched her. Heaven only knew what she was seeing but judging from her reaction, it wasn’t good. He snatched his hand away.

“
I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” Until this moment, Alex had always loved being a vampire, it allowed him a freedom few humans would ever know. With everything he had seen and done in his long life, he had never regretted being turned. Now it looked as if what he was would keep him from what he wanted most.

Frankie waved him off and stood up. Her handbag was resting on the desk and she picked it up and searched inside.

When she turned back to him she had a gun aimed at his heart.

Chapter Six

“
Frankie?”

“
It’s loaded with silver hollow-point bullets. Even if they don’t kill you, they’ll slow you down until I can.”

“
What’s wrong?”

“
Nothing.”

“
It’s hardly nothing if you’re aiming a gun at me.”

“
I felt nothing. No memories at all. You’re as blank to me as those symbols on the walls.”

“
You’re saying you think I killed them?”

“
I’m saying it’s too much of a coincidence. I have never encountered someone who doesn’t leave a psychic impression, now both you and the killer don’t?”

“
It could very well be a vampire, Frankie, but it isn’t me.”

“
How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“
Firstly because once you told me you didn’t get an impression from the symbols, I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to touch you if I had drawn them. Secondly, you caught a glimpse of the killer. Perhaps not enough to identify him in a line-up, but surely you can say if it was me or not? And finally-”

Before she knew what was happening her gun was gone and Frankie’s back was to the wall with Alex pressed up against her, one of his hands resting lightly on her throat. “If I wished you harm, you’d already be dead.”

Frankie reigned in her panic and considered his points. He had conceded it might be another vampire and, honestly, she didn’t believe he was guilty. She believed he was capable of killing, but the level of deception since then to get her on side made no sense.

“
I’m sorry, I panicked.” She raised her gaze from his chest and looked into his eyes, afraid she’d see anger there. Instead she saw hunger, and not for her blood.

“
Frankie.” His voice was full of desire as he looked down at her. Right now Alex wanted her more than anything but he also knew he couldn’t push her. She was like a beautiful butterfly and if he tried to catch her, he would lose her.

The other implications of his touch began to dawn on Frankie. If she could touch him and not see his memories…

She found her gaze locked on his lips. They were slightly parted and she could see a flash of fang. Suddenly her racing heartbeat had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with passion.

Yes, he was a vampire and by most definitions, a monster, but he was silent to her. She could finally know the touch of another without seeing all their deepest, darkest secrets. She could know what normal people felt like.

Both terrified and exhilarated, she met his gaze, raised her hands and slid them behind his neck. She leaned forward slowly. Half hoping something would stop them, yet sure she would kill whatever tried, she pressed her lips onto his.

It took every ounce of control Alex had ever learnt not to simply take her up against the wall where they stood but he knew this could be so much more than just sex. He hadn't felt this strongly about anyone for over two hundred years and he couldn’t lose her.

They stayed where they were for a long time, mouths and hands exploring each other. Alex trailed kisses down over her jaw and pressed his lips onto her neck. Her pulse jumped but she didn’t push him away. Finally he scooped her into his arms and carried her upstairs.

He laid her gently on the bed and began undressing her. Uncomfortable under his gaze, she pulled his head down to her lips again. Alex was disappointed, he wanted to see her but he was well acquainted with modesty too. Only recently had most women become more comfortable with their sexuality.

He took things slowly. Realising this was probably the first sexual experience she would be able to enjoy; he was going to do everything he could to make sure she did enjoy it.

Once her clothes were gone he explored her body, first with his hands, then with his lips. He teased her until she was ready to scream before finally giving her the release she craved. The image of her laying panting was almost enough to push him over the edge but he held himself in check.

He gave her only a moment to recover before he positioned himself at her entrance. He looked down at her face, able to see it clearly even in the dim light.

“
Are you ready?” he whispered.

She nodded, still breathing heavily. He thrust inside her and she gasped his name.

Alex had to pause for a moment. Hearing his name on her lips-

“
Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “On the contrary, I’m having trouble controlling myself around you.”

He could hear her blood pumping through her veins; smell its sweet scent now even sweeter after her climax. She was like his own personal torture, designed specifically to excite him. He placed his lips on her throat and began thrusting into her again.

One of her hands threaded itself into his hair and pulled his lips closer.

“
Are you sure?” he asked, his fangs grazing her skin.

“
Yes.”

Alex sank his fangs in.

Frankie didn’t feel the bite exactly -- at least she didn’t feel any pain -- but a very sensual tingling. If she didn’t know what he was she would never have realised she’d been bitten.

Her hands clawed at his back and she lightly bit his shoulder. She heard a deep rumbling growl and the next thing she knew another wave of pleasure crashed over her.

She had no idea how long they both lay there while Frankie tried to regain her senses. When she finally did Alex was licking her neck.

“
What was that?” she asked.

Alex hovered above her and smiled softly, perhaps sheepishly. “I’m afraid I lost control. We find biting very erotic and once you bit my shoulder I couldn’t hold back any longer. Did I hurt you?”

Frankie smiled languidly and cupped his cheek. “No, and if that’s losing control, you’ll have to do it more often.”

Alex couldn’t stop the smirk that spread across his face.

“
Great,” Frankie teased. “Just what your ego needed, more inflating.”

Alex rolled off and gathered her to him so she wouldn’t see the confusion in his eyes. He had foolishly expected this to change things between them, bring them even closer but her joke told him that her barriers were going up again. “Well, if it helps any, you were amazing too.” He kissed the top of her head.

She settled onto him, resting her head on his shoulder and began running her fingers through the smattering of hair on his chest. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”