Ripper (33 page)

Stacy laughed, a husky, almost masculine sound. “Hell, no. I have no doubt he still kills from time to time, though no one can prove it, and believe me they’ve tried. The king would love to execute him, but he doesn’t have cause to order a righteous kill proclamation. That’s my whole point. Alexander has learned to keep quiet. Why bring in others?”

I toyed with the crystal as I thought about what she’d said. It made sense, but I had to cover all my bases. If Alexander Sharpe wasn’t involved then someone was trying to make damn sure it appeared he was. “Do you keep records of who sees whom?”

Stacy nodded and slammed back the rest of her drink. A well-dressed man came forward to refill it. “Of course. I can give dates, times, and room numbers. I’ll have my books copied from the last several weeks and sent to your office. I keep records of what goes on in the club, but what happens after hours or off grounds is a mystery.”

“You think the girls were seeing the vampires in places other than the club?”

“I would be shocked if they didn’t. Look, I never meant to become the madam of the supernatural world. It just kind of happened. When the king took over, he freed the slaves. It was a naïve thing to do, and that’s coming from a former slave.”

“You?” I was surprised because looking at the proud woman, the last thing I thought was slave.

“Yes. I grew up in a vampire household in New York,” she explained simply. “The vampire who wanted to see Marcus, his name is Henri Jacobs. He was my mother’s master. As masters went, I couldn’t complain. He was actually quite kind. He sent me to college for a business degree and got me the job running this place. The horror stories I’ve heard make me think I had it good. Anyway, the problem with freeing slaves meant there was a huge hole in who would feed the vampires.”

“So I understand Dev Quinn came up with this plan.”

Cool blue eyes rolled. “As if. I came up with this plan and I went to Dev and believe me that took some guts. I told him I could institute it and have the entire system up and running in six months. It took me three. It’s a good system, damn it. The girls get cash and the vamps get fed. I’m not going out and forcing these girls to work. I put out the word that I was looking and I was willing to pay top dollar and they came in droves.”

I could imagine. “So you set them up with clothes?”

“And taught them how to do their makeup and hair and made damn sure that they were strong enough to defend themselves if they needed to.” I could hear the frustration in her voice. It was the sound of someone older and wiser watching kids make the same mistakes she had and not being able to do anything about it. “I also taught them to never take a vamp outside Ether or the Club where there are paid bodyguards to help them out if they need it. I taught them to not fall for their damn johns.”

I was betting she had and that a wealth of experience caused her to be so adamant about the girls protecting their hearts. Somewhere along the line some vamp had broken hers. “Were the relationships supposed to be short term?”

She leaned forward, her elbows on the table, and she gracefully rested her chin in her palm. “I trained the girls to never sleep with the same vamp more than a couple of times and then put some distance between them. You know what it’s like. I can’t imagine how powerful it is with someone as old as Marcus. You know how they can pull you in. When a vamp really wants to he can make you feel like there’s nothing in the world except him. In that moment, the two of you are all that matters. You would do anything for him and you get the feeling that he would do anything for you. It can feel like love. It can be the most potent high imaginable and you have to treat it like a drug. Fall in love with the drug, not the dealer.”

“You think some of the girls fell for the same guy?” I didn’t know how it felt, but it couldn’t be better than when I was with Gray. What we had really was love. I told myself that. I didn’t need a lecture because I had the real thing.

She sighed. “It was probably inevitable. I was naïve if I thought they would really listen to me. You know how young people are. They always know better. But I still don’t see why a vamp would kill these girls. For the most part, vampires are protective of the women who feed them. They might not love you, but they tend to be grateful. There’s always the bad apple, but even Alexander minds his manners for the most part. I try to properly match him. I try to find girls who won’t mind how rough he is.”

“A girl like Britney Miles?”

Stacy flushed. “Yeah, a girl like her. I said I wasn’t a monster…”

“If it hadn’t been for you, there might have been a lot of violence. The vampires weren’t going to go hungry. I’m not judging you.”

Her eyes narrowed as she took me in and made a decision about me. “You aren’t, are you? Most women do, you know.”

The man who had been carefully refilling our drinks reentered the small, intimate private dining room. He approached Stacy and whispered something in her ear.

“And where is the Councilman?” she asked.

“I believe he is still with Mr. Jacobs,” the young man explained solicitously. “I overheard them asking for a call to be set up in the conference room. I believe they are going to speak with the king about a business matter.”

Ruby-red fingernails drummed along the solid oak table. “That’s a problem. Well, please inform Mr. Sharpe that I need him to wait until such time as the Councilman can join us.”

The young man looked ill at the thought of having to relay the message to the vampire.

It seemed that Marcus’s meeting was going to give me an enormous amount of freedom. I likely should have been wary, but a confidence I’d never known had been flowing through my veins for hours. I was ready to take on anything. “I take it Alexander Sharpe is waiting to speak with me and Marcus is sadly preoccupied with business?”

“That would be the way of it,” Stacy agreed. “And Alexander won’t like waiting. If we take too long, he’ll feed and disappear and you’ll have to come back tomorrow night.”

“As it happens, I have plans for tomorrow night.” I didn’t have firm plans, but they involved being with Gray. If I had to work tomorrow night, I wanted it to be on something he could be by my side at. I also seriously doubted he would be patient enough to let me get all dressed up and spend a second night with Marcus. “So, I guess I’ll have to tackle Mr. Sharpe on my own.”

“Seriously?” Stacy stared at me like I’d grown two heads.

“Is he going to attack me right here? Are you putting me alone in a room with him?”

She shook her head. “No, he’s waiting in the lounge. There are at least twenty people in there, but it really is best if you have Marcus with you. You’re…”

“Going to be a hit with the vampire crowd?”

“Oh, yeah, you’re lovely and there’s something about you that will attract them like flies to honey,” she said simply. “I’ve been around them long enough to know. I can already see what Marcus sees in you. You know it’s been forever since he took a woman as his mistress. He’s absolutely the pickiest vampire I’ve ever met. Most vamps will do anything to keep a female with them, but Marcus prefers to be alone if he’s not truly engaged.”

“And what does Marcus like?” Though I was committed to Gray, I was still curious about my Italian escort.

She thought about it for a moment before answering. “He likes complicated women. He wants them lovely, of course, but mere beauty isn’t enough for him. I wouldn’t say he has a physical type, just lovely and complex. If you throw in a side of danger, Marcus will come panting.”

I stood up. “Well, I’m certainly complex. I’m also not particularly good at following orders. Please take me to Mr. Sharpe. I want to get this interview out of the way.”

“Are you sure? Marcus is likely to be mad.”

“I can handle him.” I knew something she didn’t. Marcus didn’t care about me the way she thought he did. He would probably be thrilled we could leave and he could get along with his evening. Now that it was clear I was happy with Gray, I was certain the vampire would lose any interest he had in me, if it had been there in the first place.

Perfect red lips tugged up in a smile, and Stacy Sears elegantly rose from her chair. “Then I suppose I can handle the fallout, as well. I like you, Kelsey. You aren’t at all what I thought you would be. Can I give you a small piece of advice about the Councilman?”

I shrugged. “Sure.”

“What I said to the girls goes for mistresses, too. He won’t ever marry you. A vampire always wants a companion. They’ll play around with humans, take good care of you and make you think they love you, but in the end, when a companion comes along, they’ll leave you.”

 I felt for her. There was no way that bitterness hadn’t come from experience. I could put her mind at ease about one thing. “Then it’s a damn good thing I don’t love him.”

Stacy reached out and took my hand. “Make sure you keep it that way. Keep hold of my hand. The club is trapped. There are all sorts of strange magic in this place. If you’re not with a vampire, you need someone who lives here to guide you through or you’ll find yourself trapped. Once some dumbass vamp brought a human in and left her alone and it took us two days to find her.”

She led me down an elegant hallway. I could hear the sound of music playing. It was getting louder and I decided the lounge area must be hopping.

A vampire smiled as he strode out of the lounge ahead of us. He stopped in his tracks.

“Stacy, is this a new girl?” he asked as he looked me over assessingly. “Because if she is then I’ll take her. She’s so different. She’s….”

“Marcus’s new mistress,” Stacy finished for him.

“Damn,” he cursed. “Don’t guess you have a sister?”

Stacy ignored him as she pulled me along. “Get used to that. When it happens, tell them who you are and they should back off. Use Marcus’s name like a blunt instrument. Trust me. No one here wants to cross him.”

The lounge was lit with low lights, giving the place a private, intimate feel. My eyes adjusted quickly to the dimness and I could see couples swaying on the dance floor to the strong, seductive beat of the music. I recognized one of the girls, a wolf, from the school Liv taught at. She had been in the graduating class the first year Liv had joined the high school group. Though I’d promised not to judge anyone, I wanted to walk over, snatch her out of that vampire’s arms, and escort her straight home. I understood the need and it didn’t bother me on an intellectual level but seeing someone I knew…

“There he is.” Stacy stopped and pointed to the man sitting in an elegant armchair watching the dancers with a blank expression on his face.

He seemed to be waiting, sitting utterly motionless, as though he could trick someone into thinking he was harmless, but I saw through him. He was a predator and a savage one at that. He was the first man I’d seen walk into the club the night I staked it out. I remembered that night well. It was the first time I’d laid eyes on Marcus and I’d thought he reminded me of a hawk. This man was something different. He was a spider, moving slowly, all his limbs a testament to delicate, graceful death. He would weave a gossamer web and then catch his prey and gleefully devour it. He would take his time, enjoying each bite. I swallowed as I watched Alexander Sharpe because I had no trouble seeing him as a serial killer.

“Mr. Sharpe,” Stacy greeted the vampire.

He didn’t get out of his chair, merely inclined his head and his dark eyes took us in. “Miss Sears. I take it this is Miss Atwood.” His accent was perfectly British. Upper crust, without a hint of cockney to tarnish it.

“I am. I have a few questions for you concerning a series of murders.”

His lips quirked up. “Doesn’t everyone, dear?” He held his hand out. It was long and graceful, like the hand of a surgeon. “Please join me. I’ve been properly threatened into answering your questions.”

I sank into the seat opposite him. The chairs were close. Our knees almost touched and I wished it wouldn’t be so terribly rude to shove the chair back because I didn’t want to accidentally have any contact with this man. I merely slid my knees to the side in a lady-like fashion.

“If you’re all right here, I’ll go see what’s holding up the Councilman,” Stacy said. “Remember what I said about the club. Stay here until I or Marcus returns for you.”

Stacy turned and strode out of the room. I was alone with the vampire.

“So, dear, Marcus Vorenus has finally set aside his unrequited love for the luscious Zoey,” the Brit drawled. His eyes slid across me as he appraised everything about me. I could feel it like a rabbit must sense a cougar. “Or has he? You’ll forgive me, but you don’t look like the mistress of one of the most powerful vampires in the world.”

“Really?” I asked, trying for jauntily unconcerned. “I suppose I should be more beautiful.”

His lips curled up and I feared I’d fallen into a trap. “I was referring to the fact that I happen to know the good councilman prefers to eat early in the evening rather than late and your neck is smooth. It’s quite lovely and perfectly untouched. He likes it from the neck. I believe he thinks it’s more romantic. You see, I make it a point to know the habits of those around me.”

And there went our cover. “My relationship with the councilman is no concern of yours.”

“So it is a ruse,” he deduced with great satisfaction. “You’re law enforcement?”

Vampire politics seemed to be a veritable minefield, so I chose to leave Dev Quinn out of my explanation. Quinn seemed to have made a place for himself in this world, but he had also pissed a bunch of people off. It was easier to go with a simple explanation. “No. I’m a private investigator. I was hired to find Joanne Taylor by her mother.”

He sighed and there was pleasure in it. His hands caressed the plush velvet of the armchair as though he was touching a lover. “Yes, the lovely doe. Her eyes were wide and brown. It isn’t often that graceful creatures allow us such delightful access to their charms.”

I was a little nauseous at the thought of Joanne at this man’s mercy. “The werewolves don’t do it for you?”

He wasn’t put off by the question at all. If anything, he leaned forward as though sharing an intimate secret with a friend. “The wolves are fine, but somewhat rough. It’s difficult to shock a wolf, if you know what I mean. I like to see the surprise in their eyes.”