Chapter One
I yawned.
I was way too old for this shit.
Laughing at myself, I sat up in bed and looked around my lux room. Too old? I was only 24. I had so much life yet to live, and oh what a life it was.
A knock on the door had me standing and shifting my underwear a little over my morning wood.
Ugh.
It sucked being a guy sometimes.
“Come,” I said and the door cracked open.
My normal girl came into the room, a tray of breakfast in her hands.
“Breakfast,” she said as always, a small smile on her face as if she were embarrassed.
I couldn’t help but smile. She always acted so innocent, as if that was my sort of thing.
“Get in the bed or go do your work,” I told her, picking a halved strawberry off a plate on the tray before heading to the bathroom to piss.
“Which would you like me to do, Sir?” she asked now, her voice turning from innocent virgin to rakish whore.
Taking a moment at the toilet, I flushed, slipped my underwear back in place then washed my hands at the sparkling white sink.
“Eh, morning stiff is just about gone. Go do your work. Papa say anything? A note?”
“It’s on the try, Sir,” she said with a disappointed sigh. “I’ll see you this evening.”
I nodded, tossed down my drying towel and waved her off, out of the room.
I sat at the little table with two little chairs in the corner of the room, only used for breakfast and the occasional note writing. Digging into my omelet and bacon, I managed to open Papa’s note with one hand.
9AM meeting. See me before.
One glance at the clock above the TV said it was 8:38.
“Shit…” I mumbled, scooping the rest of my breakfast into my mouth before stripping and stumbling on my way to the shower.
The pristine crystal shower walls fogged with steam as I got in, letting the water run down my dark blond hair and scruffy cheeks. Shaving was annoying so I only did it once a week. About the time when Papa always demanded I did something about the fur on my face.
I had just enough time to brush my teeth and throw on some clothes, completely disregarding the fruity remainder of my breakfast. I would get a draught of whiskey instead in Papa’s office before the meeting.
Slipping my tie from yesterday over my head and tightening it up, I jogged down the corridor, letting my door close behind me on it’s automatic hinges. I stopped in front of Papa’s office door, looking at my watch to see I had 1 minute to spare as I took a couple deep breaths, stretched out my shoulders and lifted my hand to knock.
“Come,” his Irish stained voice called through the thick door.
I clutched the curved handle and pushed down, opening the door.
A wrinkled face met me, light green eyes stared back at me as his expression went from serious to happy.
“My boy, come and sit.”
I nodded, finding a familiar chair in front of his desk. A chair I’d been sitting in since boyhood.
“What do you need, Papa?”
“And who says I need somethin’?” a pale red eyebrow raised at me, wrinkling his forehead all the way up to his barely-fuzzy scalp.
Papa had lost his hair a long, long time ago and he groaned about it almost every day.
“Cause you don’t call me before a meeting unless you need me,” I grinned at him, standing to raid his extensive drybar.
Grabbing a really nice whiskey, I poured a couple inches into a glass before finding my seat again.
“So? What is it?”
Papa laughed and leaned back in his chair.
“Boy, I ought to slap your mouth.”
“Oh, c’mon. A whole lot worse has come out of my mouth,” I grinned at him, taking a long sip of my drink.
“Spirits this early, aye? Bad night or bad morning?”
I shrugged.
“We’re talking about you, not me.”
“Cheeky lad,” he grinned, reaching over to take his own glass off the sideboard table beside his desk.
The crimson liquid spilled into his mouth before he sighed a loud ‘ahhh’.
“So, a new shipment comes in today,” he said as he leaned back in his chair again. “I’ve got some guests coming into town this afternoon so I’d like you to take care of that for me.”
“Sure,” I shrugged.
“A relatively new friend of mine is visiting,” he went on. “He tells me about some woman he has known a while. A black haired beauty he calls her. I am looking forward to meeting her. A vampire, she is.”
“So you’re leaving me to deal with the shipment so you can get your rocks off?” I glared at Papa playfully and he grinned.
“A man can hope,” he shrugged. “Though, time hasn’t frozen me in my best year, I’m not a bad catch, I don’t think. If only I still had my hair…”
I laughed my ass off.
“Papa, all your wishing and hoping is not going to bring your hair back. Buy a toupée and be over with it, aye?”
“Move your skinny little ass,” he waved his hand around in mock anger. “Get to that meeting. I’ll be there in a moment.”
Grinning, I set down the glass, now empty, and left the room.
“Wes,” a husky female voice followed me down the hall to the conference room.
“Enyana,” I threw over my shoulder, seeing her in those sexy, clicking high heels on her way toward the room too.
“Another rushed morning, huh?” she asked, catching up since I’d slowed down for her.
“What’s wrong with a guy wanting to sleep in?”
She gave me a half smile through her burgundy lipstick.
“Nothing. But leave yourself enough time to comb your hair, won’t you?”
“That’s what I have you for,” I grinned at her, pulling on one of her neatly arranged curls.
She rolled her eyes and pushed her fingers through my hair a few times to straighten it.
“You haven’t visited me in a while,” I told her, catching the slightest hint of her delicious cleavage as she moved.
“And who says it’s my job to visit you? Maybe you should come to my room once in awhile.”
“Because I’m your boss,” my lips quirked up, loving the scowl that turned her lips downward.
“Bah, you’re young. You don’t understand a man’s roll.”
“Oh, oh ouch,” I groaned, pressing my hand to my chest. “Now I’m not a man? I guess I need to prove it to you again, huh?”
Now her perfect lips gave me a mischievous smile.
“I wouldn’t want to offend the boss,” she lifted a perfect bow and made her way through the door to the conference room.
Sighing in pleasure, I followed her in, watching the deep sway of her hips.
I wasn’t really a big fan of vampire lovers, but damn if she wasn’t the most sensuous thing I’d ever met. I figured it had something to do with her proper 40’s childhood. Catholic school for girls, groomed for motherhood and family life that she never desired. Enyana was the only vamp I knew who chose it of her own free will. Most others were close to death, got turned by an attacker, or sometimes had relationships that usually ended badly. Enyana turned for herself, and she continued to live life on her own terms, for herself and only herself, and I absolutely loved that about her.
Not being one for rules or overtures of propriety, I appreciated her feelings on the matter. But there were a few things she never seemed to shake from her past. Heavy lipstick being one, and the fucking fantastically feminine need to wear modest dresses and skirts 24/7.
So when you got a hint of boob or thigh on that woman? Mmmm, it was to be taken notice of.
She sat at her seat at the big table as I sat just to Papa’s right, his chair empty for the time being. Other vamps strolled in, some with smiles, some with frowns, but most with that Godawful cardboard poker face they tended to wear.
Papa came in a couple minutes later, plopped in his seat and rolled his hand to get things going.
It was dry and boring, all of it. It typically was. But as Papa said, business is three parts shit and one part tits. You had to do the boring stuff to get the money. And Papa, over the past 120 years of vampire hood, had gained somewhat of a fortune for himself. I was being groomed to take over eventually, as he had no desire to run the business forever. And since I had the exceptional ability to be both human and vampire, I was a good substitute for a son. I just wouldn’t live forever, like he would.
So since I had a big ol’ timer hanging above my head, I didn’t let any moments go to waste. I took what I wanted, when I wanted. I imbibed in food, spirits and sex as often as I liked and Papa never seemed to mind. Papa constantly reminded me that I wasn’t going to be young and attractive forever, so I’d better enjoy the willing flesh while I could. Until I had to start paying for a woman, like Papa did.
Papa made his way to the top floor, checking in on his hotel while I did the dirty work; getting the shipment in and sorted. Enyana clipped in her heels behind me as we headed down to the garage where we’d get in the shipment. I checked my watch three times as we stood there in the loading bay, silently waiting.
“So, will I see you tonight?” I asked her, watching her tap a pen on her clipboard.
“If you come to my room.”
“You’ll really make me work for it?” I asked with a grin.
“It’s about time you worked for something, Wesley.”
“And what am I doing right now?”
“You’re making your papa happy. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have to be. You always found this task distasteful.”
“Distasteful or not, it’s what pays for the hotel, the blood, and the lipstick.”
She gave me a sideways look as the doors began to open.
“I’ll feed you dinner,” I offered in a low voice.
Her head perked up.
“Dinner? I’ll think on it.”
Knowing I had her by the stomach, I took a couple steps toward where the workers were backing the truck in and lowering the door again.
“How many do we have this time?” I asked her, waving toward her chart.
“Thirty-six,” she said as she followed me to the truck.
Some workers unlocked then lifted the latch, rolling the big door open.
Inside the truck was dark, but I could hear the chittering that always followed the door opening.
Workers climbed into the bed and started removing the cargo.
Men and women of a varying age came out, heads covered in black bags and bodies shaking like leaves from fear.
“Sir,” one of the workers called me toward the truck.
I sighed and approached.
“We had a couple exceptionally pretty ones this time,” the older man said, his eyes crystalline from bloodlust for the humans.
“Show me,” I told him and he motioned me toward the bed of the truck.
“Bring them OUT to me,” I growled at him and he nodded quickly, going in to get the humans himself. He led them out by their cuffed hands, two women and one man.
“Would you like to help me see to them?” I asked Enyana but she scoffed. “Only if you let me taste them.”
“Now, now. You know the rules. You gotta pay for that, pretty girl.”
Wrinkling her nose, she continued to tap that pen on her clipboard.
The worker lined the three up and one by one took off the black hoods.
He was right, three exceptional beauties.
“What’s your name?” I asked the first one, lifting her chin and seeing a fair face, bloodstained and dirty but well formed.
“V-Valerie.”
I nodded, taking only a moment to pull out the v-neck of her top and peek down. A fuller bra meant a fuller wallet. Hers was plenty full.
“How old are you, Honey?”
“21,” she whispered, her voice trembling in fear.
Even though her hair was ratted it still shone with health and good care. I wondered where they’d gotten this one from.
Moving on, I looked to the next woman.
“Name?”
“Janess,” she said sharply, not giving one rats ass that I held her life in my hand.
“Janess,” I said back slowly, checking her face and seeing relatively healthy ebony skin that was riddled with pimples.
“That one was a streetwalker,” the worker said as he stood behind the humans.
“I’m asking the questions,” I reminded him in a clipped tone before doing the bra test on the second woman.
Young breasts, but small.
“How old?”
“Fuck you.”
“Would you like to?” I grinned at her and it set her back a step, obviously not expecting my response.
“26,” she said finally through tight lips.
“Good. Cooperation is good Janess. You’ll see.”
I moved on the the third, the man.
“Name?”
“Ian.”
“Age?”
“32.”
He looked young and fit to be so old. Then again, our guests liked older men, and once they lose virginity, human’s blood tastes pretty much the same no matter the age.
“You know how to use this?” I asked, tapping him between the legs with the back of my hand.
“Yes,” was his short answer.
“Am I going to have a problem with you, Ian? The women cow easily, the men…not so much.”
“I’m already dead anyway,” he said with a grimace.
“Oh, no. No, far from it, at least for now.”
The man had a military stance. Again, where the hell did they get him from? But with a pretty face and a solid build, the ladies would fawn all over him and he would make us a shitton of money.
“Well you have a choice,” I told them. “The others you traveled with will be sedated, but still live for a while yet. But they are not being given this option I’m going to present to you, so think carefully on what you’d rather have.”
“I’d rather have freedom,” Ian said, his light blue eyes burning into mine.
“Fair enough. But I’m afraid I can’t give that to you. Freedom is something that costs too much, even for the likes of me.”
Something flickered across his face before he stared ahead again.
“Your option is this. You’ll work for us. We’ve got a great, upclass hotel that we run here. We need servers, waiters, sure. But we don’t get the typical clientele here. You will feed our customers with your blood, whether you’re awake for it or not.”
Valerie wavered and the worker came up behind her to catch her.
Enyana approached and waved a hand in front of the girl, murmuring for her to wake up.
“Don’t think she has the stomach for it,” she said to me, tapping the girl’s face to get her to wake up.
“No. Bring her to the rest of them.”
With a nod the worker took the girl back toward where they’d led the others, putting the bag back over her head.
“As I was saying,” I turned to the others. “We run a hotel for vampires.”
The girl scoffed and the man’s brows drew together in disbelief.
“I know, I know. You need proof. Yana?” I asked Enyana at my side.
She scowled before blinking, her brown eyes going crystalline and her skin paling while her lips parted to reveal the canines protruding from her mouth.
The girl reared back and the man flinched, his eyes wide in wonder, and oddly enough, curiosity.
“Ok, so the proof is out of the way. Thanks Yana. Now as I was saying. Your choice is this. You work here, doing as we ask. You’ll feed our clients, bed them, whatever they’ll pay us a fortune for, and we’ll take care of you. We’ll feed you, keep you healthy, give you a place to stay and a home. There’s dozens of humans just like you that already work here and are happy. So it’s that, or you can go with the others and we can bleed you dry for the next decade or so. Your choice.” I stood there and looked at them, waiting for an answer.
“So you’re saying,” Ian said carefully, slowly. “That we either become your blood prostitutes, or we die now?”
“Basically,” I shrugged, “But what’s so bad about trading sex and blood for the lux life we’re providing for you? You’ve got an excess of both, and honestly, most of the time they don’t want you unless you’re willing. So keep that in mind as well.”
Ian looked at Janess, who met his eyes.
“What’re you going to do?” she asked him.
“I don’t know. You?”
She twisted her lips in thought before saying, “It’s basically what I was doing already,” she eventually shrugged. “Can you guarantee our safety?”
“We’re your family, not your pimp,” I told her. “We take care of you as our own, and I know every one of your names, and try to get to know you personally. We make the vamps sign waivers in order to receive you and if you’re harmed beyond the typical, they pay a heavy, HEAVY fee and are usually never allowed back, depending on the harm. Of course they’re going to have their own… likes and dislikes… but they’re fickle and they’ve been around a long time, so that kind of comes with the territory.”
“Am I fickle?” Enyana asked from my side.
“Yes,” I grinned at her and she gave me a stink eye before I faced the two again. “Anyway, I came here when I was 5 years old. And I’m happy. My Papa is a fair man, and generally the vamps that run this place with us are fair. And as I’ve assigned myself the human’s personal ambassador, if you have an issue, you come to me and I’ll take care of it.”
Janess nodded.
“Fine, I’m in. You’ll feed us?”
“The finest.”
Ian nodded too.
“I’m not leaving her alone to this,” he nodded toward Janess. “No offence, but I don’t trust you.”
“Good. Trust is something that should be earned. And I’ve every intention of earning yours. Eventually.”
With another distinct nod, Ian folded his arms across his broad chest and spread his legs a little further, looking more and more like a military man.
“One last thing, then I’ll have you taken over to get clean, get clothes and get a bunk.”
I motioned to the worker behind me and asked for shots for the newcomers before turning back to them.
“If you try to run, if you try to hurt a vamp or a human that works here or that stays here. If you try to run away or free someone or yourself, you will be killed. No trial, no jury. Think your moves through carefully before you make them. Follow the rules, you’ll be fine, happy even, as I am. If you disobey, you will suffer. Do you understand?”
They nodded solemnly.
The worker came back with two small shots filled with fruit juice and a few drops of vamp blood. He handed one to each of the humans and I told them to drink.
They both stared at me, not knowing what to do or if they should trust me.
“Obey, you’ll be rewarded,” I said again, slowly this time. “Disobey and you’ll be punished.”
That quick Janess slammed the shot and Ian followed.
“It’s just juice?” she asked.
“Juice with a kick. Vampire blood keeps humans healthy and can heal them. That had a couple drops in it for each of you. You’ll feel it kicking in any second now.”
Janess’s hand went to her stomach as she likely was beginning to feel the fuzzy warmth that came with ingestion of vamp blood.
Before our eyes her skin healed, became silky and her eyes cleared from the druggy haze that lived there before.
“Every morning, and after you’re drunk from, you’ll get one of these shots. If you stop taking them, we’ll know.”
“What’s your name,” Ian asked, raising an eyebrow at me in a somewhat defiant manner.
“I’m Wesley.”
“Age?”
I grinned at him.
“24. 6 feet 3 inches tall. 204 pounds, 7 and a quarter inches by 6 and a half.”
Enyana giggled behind me as I tilted my head at Ian.
“Any other questions?”
“You measured?” he looked amused.
“I didn’t do it myself, but yes, it’s been measured. And no, you won’t need to measure yours. If it’s smaller, I really don’t give a shit. If it’s bigger, I really don’t give a shit. Knowing how to use it? Now, that’s the shit, right there.”
Enyana smiled as she whispered in my ear.
“Maybe we should measure again, just to be sure of the accuracy.”
I rolled my eyes at her and turned to our newcomers.
“Alright. If you don’t have any more questions, let’s get you cleaned up and changed.”
“Why us?” Ian spoke up again. “I mean, why did you take us? Why are we here?”
“We just went over that.”
“I just… There’s all those people in there that’re going to die at your hands, and you’re acting like our friend while you’re informing us that we either prostitute for you or die.”
I sighed.
“Dude, I don’t run the whole show here. I don’t know where they got you from or why you were chosen specifically. They just try to pick people with little or no family, and people that are living on the streets or bums to society. I’m acting like your friend because I’d like to be. Maybe not buddy-buddy, but I want to be someone you can trust in, eventually, and I’ll try to help you out as much as I can. You scratch my back, I scratch yours, if you will.”
“I’m a veteran. Don’t you have any respect for the military?”
I knew it!
I shrugged.
“There’s no home country here, my man. Just a dictatorship. But on the plus side, it’s just like the military. We give you orders, you follow them. That simple.”
Anger flooded over his face and his fists wrapped up by his side but he didn’t move beyond that.
“Alright, I know you’re mad. Hell, I was mad too. But it’s been almost 20 years and I’m doing fucking well for myself. Give it some time, prove yourself, and you’ll do well, too.” I motioned to some of the workers who stepped up and grabbed both the humans by their arms. “Bring them over to get washed up. New clothes, bathe; and feed them, Goddammit.”
Sharp nods waved my way as they were taken away.
“You never told me anything about when you got here,” Enyana said from beside me.
“You never asked.”
“Maybe you’ll tell me over dinner?” she suggested, her fingers running down the inside of my arm, over my suit jacket.
“So you’ll accept my generous invitation?” I asked her, taking her hand and leading her out of the loading bay and into a better smelling part of the hotel.
“I don’t know what about all that in there makes me so hot, but it absolutely does,” she whispered into my ear again, biting down lightly.
“Maybe lunch instead?” I asked looking for a spot to find some privacy.
“Can’t,” she sighed. “Dinner. I’ll go to your room after your dinner with your Papa.”
“Shit, I forgot about that.”
“Don’t. He’d be upset. 6 o’clock in the dining room.”
“What would I ever do without you?”
“The maid,” she grinned, heading down the corridor at a trot.
Yeah, she was probably right.