Blood and Sand (9 page)

He cursed under his breath and muttered, “I should have just swum.”

“Yeah, because showing up soaking wet to a casual meeting where you’re just going to fetch your girl-toy is so likely.”

His quiet voice didn’t need any emphasis to be chilling. “You are never to refer to Ms. Ellis as a toy of any kind. Do you understand, Luis?”

The young man was silent at first. Finally, he said, “Yes, Boss.”

By the time they had pulled up to the entrance of Bar El Ruso, it was almost eleven o’clock. Baojia had formed no less than seven plans to deal with the situation when they found her. It would all depend on who she was talking to and whether or not Ivan had noticed her. Luis parked the car and followed him in through the VIP entrance. The one where weapons were not checked. Two fourteen-inch, German-made butterfly swords were strapped to his thighs under his slacks, within easy reach if things became interesting. He hoped he didn’t have to use them, but better safe than sorry. Ivan would expect him to be armed because Ivan would be armed, too. Ivan, however, would not be as subtle.

The guard at the VIP entrance, a tall immortal whose energy registered young, paused for a moment when he saw Baojia, holding up a hand to stop him and Luis. Baojia gave him a suitably disdainful look before he stopped.

“Is he expecting you?” the guard asked in perfect English.

“No.”

“Very well.” He waved someone over, whispered in his ear, then nodded at Baojia. “Welcome to Bar El Ruso.”

As he walked through the black curtain, he blocked out the flashing red a Klas “Welcomnd blue lights that pulsed and lit the club like eerie lightening. He searched for her, finding her by the bar holding another clear cocktail and watching. She hadn’t seen him yet. He pulled Luis closer. “Go. Find Ivan and make our apologies for intruding. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Boss—”

“Go. I don’t think she’s caught his attention yet.” It was a miracle she hadn’t. There appeared to be a cruise ship in town, or some other event, because the bar held more than the average number of Americans. Luckily, Natalie wasn’t the only pale, redheaded girl in the place. He walked toward her casually, pausing when a cocktail waitress passed. His instincts tripped and his fangs fell down.

Blood.

The girl’s pulse called him.
Blood. Blood. Blood. Drink.

His mouth dropped open and he growled low in his throat, though he’d already fed that night. His mind raced. What was causing this reaction? He was angry, but that normally didn’t rile his instincts the way this girl had. Then he noticed another waitress. Common enough looking, but her blood also whispered to him.

Feed.

Another cocktail waitress passed by, her blood as delectably scented as the first two. Through sheer force of will, his fangs retracted. He blinked and forced himself to look for Natalie again. She was still at the bar, but now she was talking with one of the waitresses. The girl looked nervous, and he could see a vampire—one acting as bartender—watching the two from a distance. They were well within hearing range and Baojia knew the other vampire would hear anything Natalie was saying. There was no time to lose. If the ruse was to work, he had to get control of himself. He also had to not kill the bartender who was eyeing Natalie’s neck. He felt wild and edgy. The instinct to tear Natalie away from prying eyes and clamp his mouth to her vein was almost overwhelming.

In a few short steps, he was standing behind her.
 

“—Rosa, I just want to know a little more about Lourdes. How long did she—”

He slid his hand along the back of her arm, letting his amnis flood her mind. Natalie stopped talking and looked over her shoulder with a dazed expression. “You?”

“Natalie.” He leaned down and kissed her neck possessively, then looked up at the waitress, his fangs falling again at the combination of the girl’s scent and the smell of Natalie’s skin. “You may go.”

The frightened girl shot a look at the bartender, then darted away. Baojia pulled Natalie into his arms and held her close, brushing back her hair and whispering in her ear as she clutched the front of his jacket.

“You’re standing out again, Natalie. They’ve already noticed you asking the waitress questions.”
 

“I knew there was something… What are you—?”

“You need to be quiet and let me talk.” He slowly walked her away from the bar and toward the VIP lounge. It would be nice to think he could escape without talking to Ivan, but that was not going to be an option. She stumbled along with him. He tried to balance the influence he was using so she was unable to talk, but could still walk at his side. His arms stayed around her waist. “We’re going to meet some very dangerous people, Natalie. And you’re going to do exactly what I tell you. Exactly. You’re going to play along because if you don’t, you’ll die. Do you understand? I’m going to lessen my influence now and you need to answer me.”

He paused near the stairs and cupped her face as he saw her eyes blink into focus.
 
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She whispered, “Who are you?”

He stroked her cheek and brushed a kiss along her jaw, playing the part of the indulgent lover as he lessened the energy that flooded her mind. “Questions later. Do you understand what I told you?”

“No. What do you mean, play along? I know these are dangerous people, but I was only—”

“Please don’t make me use my amnis again. I need to know whether you can be trusted to play along or whether I can’t allow you to speak.”

He saw the fury in her eyes. “Can’t allow—?”

“Again, Natalie, I need to know whether I can trust you. Do you want to die?”

He saw her pause and think. Baojia continued stroking her cheeks, which had flushed with anger. It gave her a lush, tempting color he knew the other vampires would notice. He had to make them believe she was his. If he couldn’t, they were both in very serious danger.

“What’s your name?” she finally asked. “Your real one.”

He heard the edge of compromise in her voice. “My name is Baojia.”

Her mouth dropped open, a round, tempting “O” that he leaned down and captured with his lips before she could speak again. His fingers grasped the nape of her neck and he pulled her closer, letting the edge of his tongue touch hers before it danced back. Her mouth was soft and warm, her taste… The smell of the blood pulsing around him made his fangs throb. A frustrated growl left his throat as he pulled away from her mouth to whisper in her ear, his hand still tangled in the riot of red waves at her neck. “And you won’t forget me again. But I need to know if I can trust you, Natalie.”

“Okay.” Her breath was hot on his neck. “But I want answers later.”

“That’s unavoidable at this point. Now play along and pretend to be dumb for a while.” There was no more delaying; he had to go up the stairs. Tucking Natalie under his arm, he strode up to the VIP balcony, so much like the one at Boca. He knew video monitors were watching. Knew that his appearance and Natalie’s was being catalogued. Even as they walked, her picture was being sent to spies in Tijuana, San Diego, LA, Mexico City. It was a matter of hours before her identity was known.

One of Luis’s cautions in the car leapt to his mind again.
“You know you might be creating the vampire equivalent of an international incident, and all over a girl, right?”

Nope, he was never getting back to his life in LA. They reached the top of the stairs.

“Ivan.” Baojia didn’t try to be overly friendly. Ivan would only be suspicious. “I offer my apologies for arriving unannounced like this.”

The black-eyed Russian looked him over but did not offer a seat. Ivan, despite his name, was Mexican by birth, son of a Russian emigrant to Northern Mexico who was turned at the beginning of the twentieth century, if Baojia’s information was correct. His face had been scarred in human life, giving the young man a vicious-looking grin that made humans and vampires around him cringe, even without his reputation. He sat on a red velvet couch with a girl on each side, the very picture of every vampire cliché Baojia could imagine. He had to force himself not to roll his eyes.

“Baojia. It was a surprise to see you this night. What brings you to Ensenada?” Ivan’s eyes had latched on to Natalie, who was leaning into Baojia’s side, being suitably silent.

“It’s rather embarrassing, to be honest. I hope Luis filled you in.”

“Your human said you were here for a girl?” Ivan’ Kl?tros unnatural grin widened, and Baojia felt Natalie stiffen. He sent a creep of amnis over her. Just enough to relax her so she didn’t look surprised. “How times have changed. I don’t recall you being fond of human women.”

“I’m not, but there’s not much to do in San Diego.” Baojia glanced around the club. “I’m sure you understand. Where’s Constantina?”

The name of his longtime mistress seemed to trip Ivan up for only a second before he said, “Some ridiculous illness. Not sure.” He shrugged. “You know how they complain.”

Ivan’s mistress was one of the most formidable women Baojia had ever met. A human fiercely loyal to her immortal lover, she possessed keen intelligence and sensual beauty in equal measure. She was integral to Ivan’s businesses. If Constantina wasn’t at Bar El Ruso, something was definitely up.

“Hmmm.” Baojia tried to look bored. “Well, as I said, I offer my apologies for the unexpected visit.”

The vampire motioned Baojia to a seat. He relaxed infinitesimally as he sat down and pulled Natalie onto his knee.

“The things we do to alleviate boredom, eh?” Ivan said with a nasty glint in his eye. “She’s pretty. Very… American-looking.”

“I’m fond of her. She’s kept me more entertained than most.”

Natalie tensed as the two men continued on as if she wasn’t there. Baojia absently played with a piece of her hair, hoping she would relax on her own and play along.

“I’m very curious what you wanted to meet about, but first, can I offer you a drink?” Ivan leaned over to a girl at his side, brushing her hair to the side as he licked her pulse, then bit. Luckily, Ivan was too busy to notice Natalie’s reaction. The woman went stiff in his arms, a protest about to burst from her lips. Baojia sent more amnis over her. She was going to want to kill him. She wouldn’t, of course. But she’d want to. He grabbed the back of her neck possessively and pulled her down to nuzzle her neck.

“No reaction,” he took the opportunity to murmur, then placed a gentle kiss on her neck as the girl across from Ivan moaned. Natalie was trembling. Not anger, he finally realized. She was scared to death. He looked over at Luis, who was standing in a corner, also looking terrified. “Luis.” He caught his assistant’s eye and motioned him over. He waited for Ivan to finish drinking, which he did, licking the last of the girl’s blood from his lips, his fangs bared as the human slumped at his side. “Ivan, I wonder if I might send my humans to wait in the car so we can speak more openly.”

“Of course. Tio will see them out.”

A large brute of a vampire sped to Luis’s side while Baojia rose. He slid an arm around Natalie’s waist for a moment, squeezing her hand and sending another wave of calm over her. “Take a nap, darling. You’ve had a long night.”

Natalie only blinked and nodded, but he could see the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “I’ll wait in the car,” she whispered.

“Luis will see to you if you need anything.”

His assistant held out an arm and Baojia put Natalie’s in his, reluctant to let her out of his sight, even if it meant getting her farther away from Ivan. Just then, Ivan’s man stepped a little too close to Natalie, and she cringed as the strange vampire bared his teeth and took a threatening sniff.

Baojia’s tightly leashed control, strained by the tension permeating the club, snapped as Luis was forced to pull Natalie behind him. He reached for one of the short swords. A slight rip at the edge of his pocket was the only warnin Ke o nug Tio received before he was pinned to the wall by Baojia’s blade through his neck. The vampire scrambled, pulling at the sword that was lodged an inch from his spine, as Ivan laughed and Baojia darted in front of him, tugging Natalie along. He danced on the edge of violence, sorely tempted to end the life of the presumptuous brute.

“See that?” He flipped the hair away from her neck, baring the bite marks he’d made the first night he met her. Natalie couldn’t stop the whimper that left her throat when Baojia pulled his blade from Tio’s neck and wiped off the blood on the vampire’s shoulder, baring his teeth in his face. “Do you know who I am? You do not sniff what is mine. Do you understand?”

“Learn some manners, Tio!” Ivan was still laughing. “Carlos, see to the humans.”

“Yes, Boss.” An older vampire Baojia recognized stepped out of the shadows and motioned Luis and Natalie to the stairs.
 

“Carlos is far more controlled. Your humans will be safe with him.”

“Thank you.” He took a deep breath, ignoring the wild adrenaline scenting the air. “Luis, take the girl to the car. I
’m sure I’ll only be a few more moments.”

“Of course.” He held out his arm for Natalie again. “Shall we?”

Before she took it, Baojia caught her eye. Her terrified gaze only said one thing.

Monster
.

CHAPTER SIX