Мишель Роуэн - Fanged & Fabulous

Well, maybe for a couple more months.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blond-haired male sidle up to the bar.

I didn’t look up. “George, can you watch the bar for a sec? I need to go on a bathroom break.”

“Who’s George?”

My eyes widened and I looked up at the unfamiliar, lightly accented voice. Was that Russian?

A very attractive, well-over-six-feet, muscular, blond vampire gazed at me from the other side of the bar. He smiled.

“May I have a Jack Daniels on the rocks before you head to the ladies’ room?”

Feeling embarrassed, I nodded, and reached under the bar to grab the bottle and pour out the drink. I slid the glass across the bar to him.

His eyes were green. Very green. Like little green laser beams that fixed directly on me, making me acutely self-conscious. “This is a nice place. You just opened?”

“Last week.”

“I had some trouble finding it.”

“That’s sort of the point. We don’t want just anyone walking in here unannounced.”

“No, wouldn’t want that.”

George appeared next to the man. “Well, hello there, handsome. Welcome to Haven.”

“Thank you.”

“You should come and sit in my section.” He eyed me. “You don’t mind, do you MissSlayer of Slayers?”

“Um.” I blinked. “Of course not.”

The man glanced at George, and then back at me. “Slayer of Slayers?”

“That’s right,” George confirmed, with a knowing wink at me. “Our little Sarah here’s been kicking some hunter butt. She’s totally my hero.”

Now the man’s attention was focused completely on me. “You’re Sarah Dearly?”

I tensed. “Maybe. Who are you?”

He stared at me long enough that I felt like I wanted to crawl away and hide. I felt goosebumps form on my arms.

After another moment he flashed his fangs at me and finally spoke. “You are not at all what I expected.”

“You were expecting something?”

“Yes, of course. What I have heard led me to believe that you’d be larger, older . . . andmuch less attractive.”

Hmm. Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad after all.

“Well, you know what they say about rumors,” I said.

“Slayer of Slayers. Yes, this is good. Very good.” He stood up from the stool and leaned over the bar,

his face coming within inches of my own. I froze in place, not knowing if I should back away from him or not.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, bringing him firmly back down to a seated position on the barstool.

Thierry stood next to him. “Nicolai.” His voice was void of expression.

Nicolai tore his gaze from me and turned to the other vampire, surprise registering on his face for a split second. “Thierry.”

I watched them as they stared at each other and felt tension rising in the air.

Thierry finally broke the silence. “What are you doing here?”

Nicolai regarded him for a moment, his expression far from pleasant. “Is that any way to greet an old friend? I’m disappointed in you.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

Nicolai glanced at me. “Thierry, after so many years, you still manage to surprise me. I had no idea this club was yours. And hiding an angel away in a dark place such as this? What an absolute waste.”

Thierry’s gaze flicked to me. “Sarah is my bartender.”

And that’s all he said.

I felt the blood drain from my face. His bartender.

“Yes,” Nicolai said. “I can see that much. It all begins to make sense to me now. It was at one of your other clubs that the confrontation with the hunters took place in early December?”

Thierry crossed his arms. “An event I wish to leave behind us, for the sake of everyone’s safety. That is why we moved to another location.”

“I have heard all about it.” Nicolai turned to me again. “Such power in such a petite form. I am very impressed.”

“Thanks,” I said. “By the way, that drink was five bucks.”

He grinned and took a wallet from the inner pocket of his jacket. He placed a hundred-dollar bill on the bar. “Keep the change.”

“I think I like you,” I said.

“The feeling is entirely mutual.”

“Who are you, anyhow?”

“Nicolai is a vampire elder,” Thierry said. “Whom I hope is only passing through town.”

That surprised me. I’d expected a vampire elder to have a long white beard and walk with a cane. Not look like that Russian boxer who kicked Stallone’s butt inRocky IV . Live and learn.

“Yes, I will not be here long. I have been in town on other business, but I wanted to investigate the rumors I’ve recently heard before I leave. Of the Slayer of Slayers.” His gaze moved leisurely down my face and neck to my chest. “Is it true that you killed eight hunters that night without sustaining a single injury?”

“It was nine,” I lied. “And Idid break a nail. See? Rumors can’t be trusted.”

One hunter named Peter who wanted me dead. One gun. Me or him. Nightmares ever since that woke me almost every night in tears.

Yeah, it was good being the Slayer of Slayers. Big fun.

I glanced over at Thierry. Thierry, my boyfriend, who had referred to me just a minute ago as his bartender. I didn’t think I liked that very much. But maybe he figured that our personal lives were none of

Nicolai’s business. Plus he said some vampires were dangerous, and I knew this dude was one of them. I could feel it. His age, his power, crawling up my arms like dancing ants.

Nicolai nodded. “Your talents are being wasted here. I would like you to consider joining the Ring.”

“Forget it,” Thierry said quickly.

“What’s the Ring?” I asked. “Does it have anything to do with that scary movie with the creepy little girl in the well? Because that really freaked me out.”

He laughed. “The Ring is a group of vampire elders who act as counsel to the vampire community.”

“A useless organization of self-involved, power-hungry opportunists who love to hear themselves talk,”

Thierry growled.

Nicolai’s smile grew cold. “We do what we must to survive. And we do what we must to help others of our kind survive. However, we prefer to do so in the open, not hiding in the safety of the nearest dark corner.” He looked around the club. “Interesting that this place is so hard to find, isn’t it? Still hiding from the past, my friend?”

George approached with another drink order, but the look Thierry shot him was enough to make him quickly scamper away.

“As you said, we all do what we must for survival,” he replied simply, his face and voice regaining a lack of any discernible emotion. However, I could have sworn the temperature in the club had just dropped about ten degrees.

My eyes had widened at their exchange. “Time for another drink?”

Nicolai glanced at me with a tight smile. “That would be nice.”

I poured another shot of Jack Daniels. Nicolai produced another hundred-dollar bill that he held out to me. I reached forward to take it but he pulled it out of my reach.

“As I was saying, the Ring is interested in meeting with you to discuss your future with our organization.

Your involvement would, with your admirable reputation, inject the Ring with new energy in our fight against the hunters. The fact that you also appear to be young, beautiful, and charismatic will only help.”

Beautiful, huh?

“She will not consider it,” Thierry said.

“I believe that is a choice for Sarah, not for you.” He turned back to me. “I will be in town for three more days. Think about it. I will be in contact again.”

“No,” Thierry said.

Nicolai frowned at him, then a smile curled up his lips and he glanced at me. “I think I see what is going on here. The two of you are romantically involved, I take it? I believe I have also heard rumors that Sarah is involved with a master vampire.”