Old Sins, Long Shadow Read online

  After a lifetime of enforced obscurity, of never allowing anyone too close, never allowing anyone to know the real him—of never really being certain himself who the real him was—his instant celebrity status was a source of amusement to him. When the shallowness of it wasn’t pissing him off.

  “You’re in here again, Fisher?” Drew Geiger, the club’s manager, sidled up beside him at the bar. “What’s this make it, Danny? Third time this week?”

  “Fourth, I think,” Danny replied shooting Marc a conspiratorial wink.

  Marc shrugged. “What can I say, Geiger? It’s like my home away from home.”

  “That certainly does seem to be the case, doesn’t it?” Drew observed, accepting a glass of stout from Danny. “So, are we on for tonight?”

  “Absolutely.” Marc couldn’t help but smile as he thought about the evening ahead. On the surface, he and Drew appeared to have very little in common. Their unexpected friendship had developed from the discovery they shared a specific, though decidedly offbeat interest. They both enjoyed indulging the less-civilized aspect of their natures in the occasional urban hunt, rousting junkies in the park, turning the tables on the thieves and muggers. It was their great pleasure to target the lowlifes—the criminals who kept too many of the decent necks indoors and off the streets at night—and to put a serious fear of the dark on the city’s less desirable elements.

  “I promised Danny I’d take care of him when he gets off work,” Marc said, with a nod toward the bartender. “But, after that, I’m all for it. Let’s you and me go and see how much trouble we can stir up.”

  “Danny too now?” Drew sighed with mock distress. “Tell me, Marc, isn’t it enough that you’re already monopolizing most of the paying customers, must you spoil the help as well? How is this good for my business? Do I need to talk to Conrad about you?”

  Marc bit back a laugh. “Yeah, good idea. Why don’t you try that?” Drew might run the bar, but it was hardly his business. Like everything else that existed under the auspices of Clan Quintano, the ultimate owner and final arbiter of all decisions was Conrad. And, right or wrong, they both knew which of them he was more likely to favor in the event of an actual dispute.

  “You know,” Drew murmured, still studying him thoughtfully. “Given all the time you’ve been spending in here lately, I’m starting to wonder why I haven’t put you to work yet.”

  “Put me to work?” Was Drew offering him a job? Seriously? Marc turned the idea over in his mind as he drank his water. Up until very recently, such a thing hadn’t even been a consideration. Neither he nor Julie had ever been allowed to do anything that might have brought them to anyone’s attention, put them in regular contact with outsiders, or which could have produced any kind of paper trail. Jobs, a formal education, close friends, a permanent home or even serious relationships, had all been forbidden to them. Now, however, it suddenly appeared he had possibilities. What might he want to do with his seemingly endless life? “Well, you know what, Drew old buddy? Maybe you should.”

  Drew looked at him in surprise. “Really?”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Before Drew could reply, Danny leaned across the bar. Motioning with his head toward the front of the club he said, “Mr. Geiger? That crazy girl’s back.”

  “What?” Drew shot a startled glance in the direction Danny had indicated. His expression darkened. “Son of a bitch, I thought we’d seen the last of her.” Growling in annoyance, he downed his stout and set the glass on the bar with a thump. “Right. I’ll just go kick her ass to the curb. Again.”

  “Why? What’d she do?” Marc studied the slight blonde standing just inside the door. She looked young, still in her teens most likely. Not that appearances were anything to go by when it came to vampires of course, but there was a hungry, desperate, confused look on her face as she scanned the crowd that marked her as a probable newbie. Marc knew a moment of empathy. “Who is she?”

  Drew shook his head. “She’s no one. Just some feral kitten who keeps coming around scaring the crap out of people.”

  “She scares people? Are you serious?”

  “Look at her, man.” Danny’s voice held more than a hint of panic. “She’s outta control! She nearly ripped some poor guy’s head off the first time she came in here, before anyone knew what she was. She still looks like she could kill someone.”

  “Yes, well, she probably has.” Drew shot Danny a pitying glance. “Relax. We talked about this last time, didn’t we? She’s not going to be doing it here. Now get back to work. I’ll take care of things, just like always. Got that?”

  Danny nodded. “Yes, sir,” he murmured, his tone subdued.

  As Drew headed for the door, Marc fell into step beside him. “A feral kitten? What the hell, bro? That’s way cold.”

  “Is it? The girl’s a nuisance. You saw how Danny was affected, didn’t you? He’s not the only one who feels that way.”

  “Yeah, but what’s it even mean?”

  Drew shook his head. “It means she’s fresh-out-of-the-box new—all teeth and claws and no skills whatsoever. She has no family, no nest, no house. Nobody has any idea who made her or, if they do, they’re not admitting to it. I’m actually surprised she’s still hanging around. She must have had the gods’ own luck to survive for as long as she has out on the street on her own. Still, it’s only a matter of time before her luck runs out and she’s put down. Sooner the better, I say.”

  “Put down? You mean killed?” Startled, Marc put a hand on his friend’s arm to stop him. “Drew, she’s just a kid.”

  Drew turned to him, his glance skeptical. “Not too likely, is it? If she’s enough of an adult to survive being turned, she’s old enough to suffer the consequences of her actions.”

  “Whatever. You’re still talking about murder.”

  Drew glanced impatiently toward the door. “Look, Marc, I realize it may seem unpleasant from your perspective, but that’s the human in you talking. This is the way things work in our world and trust me, it’s for the best. Ferals are notoriously difficult to deal with. They’re answerable to no one, which makes them almost impossible to rehabilitate even in the best of circumstances. For one so young, someone who’s had no training at all, it’s fairly hopeless. Unless the girl wises up somehow, which I can’t really see happening, she’ll likely be dead within a matter of weeks. Certainly by year’s end at the very latest. With any luck, the end will be quick and relatively painless, but that’s really the most she can hope for. Now, would you please let me go? I have work to do.”

  “What is she doing that’s so wrong? So she scares people. Big deal. So do we.”

  Drew sighed. “It is a big deal actually, and it’s not at all the same thing. What we do is conscious and calculated, undertaken with a clear understanding of the risks involved. What she does is mindless and uncontrolled and it threatens us all. But, listen, this is not our concern. I’m not about to harm her, if that’s what’s worrying you. It’s not my place to do so and, besides, it’s not necessary. Sooner or later, she’ll cross paths with someone who’s powerful enough, or well-connected enough, that he won’t care who she belongs to, or whose toes he might be stepping on if he disposes of her—and that’ll be the end of it. Until then, I’m just going to keep tossing her out whenever she shows her face in here. But I am going to do that.” He glanced meaningfully at Marc’s hand, still fastened on his arm. “Now, if you don’t mind?”

  “Why don’t you let me handle things this time?”

  Drew gazed at him in surprise. “Be my guest. But, just out of curiosity, how come?”

  “Because. That’s what you pay me for.”

  “I pay you? Since when?”

  Marc smiled. “Well, it’s like I said a couple of minutes ago, maybe you should.”

  “You’re right. Maybe I should.” Nodding thoughtfully, Drew turned back toward the bar. “That is an excellent idea. Why not, indeed?”

  Chapter Six

  Marc bulled his way throu
gh the crowd, which was largely eddying away from the girl. By the time he reached her, she’d all but disappeared behind a ring of angry, snarling vampires.

  “All right, everybody calm down,” he ordered as he shouldered between them. “Show’s over.” The blonde had been backed up against one of the fire doors. She had one hand clutched around the handle but even though her teeth were bared and her big, brown doe-eyes were wide with fear, she still wouldn’t leave.

  Her wild-eyed defiance in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds called thoughts of Julie to Marc’s mind—which probably explained the strange emotions swirling around inside him. He hadn’t been completely honest with Drew. This wasn’t just about a job, or even about vampire ethics. The truth was he’d felt oddly protective of the girl from the moment he’d first set eyes on her—almost as if she really was his sister—and the closer he got to her, the stronger the sensation became.

  “C’mon,” he said when he’d reached her side. “Let’s take this outside.” Putting a hand on her arm, he urged her toward the door.

  The girl stiffened at his touch and stood rooted in place, her face wiped blank by surprise.

  “Outside,” Marc repeated as he pushed the door open and propelled her through it and into the alley. “Now. I want to talk to you.”

  As the door began to close behind them, Marc was distantly aware of the grumbling voices that followed their departure.

  “Did you see that? What the fuck was that about?”

  “Beats the hell out of me. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “It’s obvious, isn’t it? That’s Conrad’s new boy. Not even a dumb feral could be so stupid she’d wanna mess with him. They have to have some instinct for survival, don’t they?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Here’s hoping he does us all a favor and ends the bitch. Someone’s gotta do it.”

  Marc’s stomach clenched. Conrad’s boy? End the bitch? Not hardly. He loved his sire dearly, but he was no one’s boy. He was his own man. Sooner or later, he’d find a way to prove that. As for the other? No. Not even.

  There’d be no ending of anyone tonight—not if he had anything to say about the matter and most especially not if he was the person everyone was counting on to do the deed.

  “Why do you keep coming back here?” he demanded, turning his anger on the girl. “You’re not wanted. Could they have made that any clearer to you?”

  “Hungry,” she answered, casting furtive glances at the door to the club. “I just want something to eat.”

  “So? Go eat then,” Marc snapped, shaking his head when she perked up and gazed at him hopefully. “Not here. Go someplace else.”

  “Why not here?” she asked, her voice turning plaintive. “That’s what all those people are in there for, isn’t it? You think I don’t know that? They come here hoping to be someone’s dinner. They want someone to bite them. Why not me?”

  Marc sighed. “Because apparently you scare people.” And if she had that effect on all the eager necks who flocked to the clubs, he could only imagine what she must do to the others—to the unsuspecting strangers she tried to waylay in the streets. She probably flat-out terrified them. “Look, you gotta learn how to handle yourself better than you’ve been doing. Isn’t there anyone who could teach you this stuff?”

  “What do you mean? Who’ll teach me what stuff?”

  “Who?” Marc sneered. “Oh, I dunno, your sire perhaps?”

  His sarcasm was wasted on the girl. She stared blankly back at him. “Sire? What’s that?”

  “The vampire who turned you?”

  “Oh. Him.” She grimaced in distaste. “I don’t know what happened to him. He just… He’s just gone.”

  “So, what are you saying? He abandoned you? How soon after you were turned?”

  “Right away, I guess. I don’t really remember.”

  Marc stared at her in amazement. “Were you even awake?”

  The girl shrugged. “No. Maybe. I told you, I don’t remember.”

  No wonder she was having so much trouble adjusting. Marc didn’t recall much of his early training himself, most of it had taken place when he was far too young to remember anything, but even under the watchful eyes of two caring, proficient “parents” it had taken years to hone his skills. Granted, his situation was a little different than most, but how could anyone learn even enough to survive with no help at all? “How long has it been since you last fed, anyway?”

  “A while.”

  “Would you like help getting some now?”

  “Really?” The girl’s face lit up. Marc felt a thrill of unease at the eager way she was eyeing his throat. “You’d do that for me?”

  “I’ll help you find some suitable prey—sure,” he clarified, just in case she thought he was volunteering to do anything more.

  He glanced up and down the alley. This time of night there was usually someone rifling through the dumpsters, conducting their own search for sustenance. He wasn’t disappointed. Faint noises—clinking glass and rustling papers—reached his ears. His eyes easily pierced the shadows, zeroing in on the shambling figure picking through the trash. “Over there by the dumpster,” he whispered. “D’you see him?”

  A growl rippled out of the girl’s throat. Fangs emerging, she started toward the man.

  “Whoa, not so fast.” Grabbing her arm, Marc forced her to a stop. No skills, Drew had said. Marc was beginning to understand what his friend had meant.

  The girl turned on him. “Let go,” she snarled in savage tones.

  “In a minute. You can’t just go off in a rush like that. Think this through. What are you trying to accomplish here? Are you trying to scare him away, or are you trying to get close enough to catch him off guard?”

  “I’m trying to eat something! Now, let me go. He’s gonna get away.”

  “Calm down,” Marc murmured soothingly. “No one’s going anywhere. Even if he does, it’s no big deal. We’ll simply round up someone else.”

  As he spoke, he reached his free hand out to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen across her face. The girl flinched. She jerked her head out of range then lunged for him, driving her fangs into the heel of his hand.

  Marc gasped in surprise. The girl hadn’t even bothered to express any venom to ease the way. She’d just gone in dry. Adrenaline and the rush of pain kicked his instincts into high gear. Without thinking, he shoved her up against the building’s brick wall, his hand still caught between her teeth. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  The girl gave no sign she even heard him. Eyes closed, she sucked greedily, noisily, while Marc struggled to overcome two opposite and almost equal urges—wanting either to rip out her throat or let her bleed him dry.

  “Let go,” he demanded hoarsely, confused by his own reaction. “Cut it out. I mean it.” Vampires only rarely bit each other for reasons that had anything to do with hunger. Unless they were on the brink of starvation, any use of their teeth on one another generally signaled either extreme aggression, or a desire for sex. Which is this, he wondered, as the suction of her lips against his flesh increased in strength. Blissful little shivers coursed through the girl and Marc’s cock hardened as his senses continued to broadcast all manner of mixed messages to his brain. This is nuts, that’s what it is. This is nothing less than crazy.

  With an effort, he pulled himself together. Leaning in close, he whispered menacingly, “All right now, that’s enough. Get your damned teeth out of my hand, or else. This is the last time I’m going to tell you.”

  Something—either his words or his tone—seemed to finally get through to her. Or, perhaps, with the edge of her hunger blunted, she’d at last regained enough sanity to realize she was making a huge mistake. Her eyes fluttered open. Gingerly she released his hand. “Sorry,” she muttered, swallowing hard.

  “You damned well ought to be. You’re just lucky I’m in such a reasonable mood tonight,” Marc lied. He was in some kind of mood, all right, but re
asonable wasn’t even in the running. “’Cause if I hadn’t been, or if you’d pulled that stunt on someone else, you’d be in a world of pain right now. We don’t attack each other, not unless we mean it, and, honey, you do not want to fight me.”

  “But I’m just so hungry,” she whimpered piteously. “I’m hungry all the time.”

  Marc sighed. “I know. That’s why I’m cutting you some slack.” That and the fact that Conrad had always emphasized the need for restraint, the need to be gentle when feeding, to show compassion when dealing with those who were weaker, younger or more frail. “But I’m not just making idle threats here either. You have got to learn to control yourself. Otherwise, someone’s going to get fed up with all this bullshit and snap your pretty little neck.”

  The girl winced a little at that, but said nothing.

  “Look,” Marc said at last in an effort to lighten the mood a little. “There’s no reason for that to happen, all right? A cute girl like you shouldn’t ever have any trouble finding food—not in a city the size of this one. I promise, if you do what I tell you, you won’t ever be hungry like this again, but you have to trust me. You’ll need to have patience. You’ll need to listen to what I tell you and do exactly as I say. So, what’s it gonna be—think you can do that?”

  She studied his face for a moment, her expression cautious. Finally, she nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good. Now, what’s your name?”

  “Heather,” the girl answered quietly.

  “Okay, Heather, I’m going to go catch that guy by the dumpster for you—but without scaring him.” He paused to spare a single, guilty thought to the activities he and Drew had planned for later that night. If ever there was a situation that justified “do as I say, not as I do”, this was it. “’Cause scaring people is bad. You can understand that, can’t you? You don’t ever want to scare people if you can help it. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great. Now, I want you to watch how I approach him, so that you’ll know how to keep from scaring your prey in the future, but—and this is the really important part—I need you to stay here while I do that. Okay? I know it’s hard, but you absolutely cannot come over there until I call you. You got that?”