Bloody Heretic (6 page)

    “
Yes, or in any other way other than work related. Or heard of someone he
’
s dated?”

    “
Why? Are you suggesting he
’
s gay?”

    “
Does
that mean no? You haven
’
t seen him with a woman?”
Jeanne asked, getting frustrated.

    “
No, I haven
’
t seen him with a woman. He hasn
’
t set off my radar but I guess since you brought it up
I haven
’
t seen or heard about him with a
nybody. Of course I never
asked
and I
’
ve only known him for a little over six months,”
she answered.
A thoughtful look came over her face. “
He seemed to get awfully pissed at Adam for sleeping around before he met Vic. I wonder if he had a crush on Adam or something!”
She exclaimed
, excited by the prospect. Jeanne held up her hands.

    “
Don
’
t jump to conclusions just yet. I only ask because I haven
’
t seen him with women either and it worries me that he
’
ll go into the club and not be convincing enough with the girls. I think that
’
s
why he seems reluctant to g
o. I would bring it up with him
but if I
’
m wrong I don
’
t want to offend him.
”
Lies.

    “
Pfft. You didn
’
t strike me as someone
who cares if they offend
.”

    “
I usually don
’
t but I am capable of understanding sensitive situations
.”

    “
Well, I
’
m not sure one way or the other. You
’
ll either have to ask him straight out or we
’
ll have to do some covert spying while we
’
re covertly spying in the club,”
she said and laughed.

    “
Yes. It seems so. I would really appreciate it if you
kept this between us,”
she said again.

    “
Like I said, my lips are sealed. I wonder if I could hint
around to Ethan about it
.
I
’
m really good at getting people to talk about t
hings without them realizing it,”
s
he bragged as she stripped out of her black
work trousers and vest.

    “
I doubt we will need to go as far as that. I
’
m sure once we see him in action it will be fairly o
bvious where his preferences lay
. He
’
s very tense about the whole situation. I just hope he doesn
’
t blow the mission because of i
t. I will pull him out myself if he can
’
t at least prete
nd he
’
s interested in the women
.”

    “
Dom, tense? I don
’
t know where you
’
re getting that from. I
’
ve never met a man so collected emotionally. Other than being angry at Adam or joking with Claude he
’
s
usually just quiet or working.”

    “
Exactly,”
she said. Alex pondered this as she changed into her silver and black evening dress. They left as soon as she was finished and met back to the meeting room just as Claude was
s
aying something about Gloria running recon and Tim staying behind in the room. Master Orleans didn
’
t look pleased with this turn of events but didn
’
t comment. No doubt he would just leave the room and follow Gloria around regardless of protocol.

   “
Ready
?”
Adam asked them as they entered.

    “
Yep,”
Alex answered.

    “
I find the daytime lair, you watch the girls,”
Jeanne told Dominic. He looked at her and nodded quickly, not missing a beat at her announcement. “
Let
’
s go.”

    “
Good luck, guys,”
Elliot w
ished them on the way out. Once Gloria and Tim passed by her she turned to mouth
‘
Watch them
’
to Claude and Elliot. They were wrapped around her finger like spun
sugar. Claude gave her a thumb
up and Elliot nodded solemnly, taking his orders from her serio
usly. She winked on her way out. She met the rest of the group in front of the building. Adam and Gloria shielded the group from watchful eyes as they approached the club. They continued shielding Gloria and Tim as they split off to their respected posts.
She made eye contact with Adam as they approached the front entrance.
Cries from the waiting pat
ron
s lined up outside the door flew passed her ears as they were admitted by the guard posted at the door. He nodded to Adam and Ethan as they were ushered past
the rope. Ethan opened the door, motioning them in ahead of him. She walked forward aware that it had been too long since she had seen home. Though the pulsing bass and garish lights were worlds apart from her elegant and trendy club, they shared a lush
s
ymmetry that made her homesick. She followed Vic and Alex as they shed their coats and handed them to the coat check girl. As she untied the strap holding her jacket closed she made a note to slide out of it slowly, sensually rolling her shoulders as it f
e
ll down her back. She handed it to the girl behind the counter, making sure to lean over just enough for the hem of the dress to ride up her thighs. Though the music in the club was deafening, she thought she could hear Dominic
’
s teeth grind together. As
s
he turned to follow the girls she managed to catch a peek at him. Just as she suspected, he was cemented to the floor, knees locked and eyes riveted to her body. She turne
d away silently pleased that he
approved. Her opinion on his sexuality was still some
what up in the air but
apparently her ass was tilting the scales toward straight.

Chapter Three

    “
Hello, mate,”
Ethan slapped Dom on the back when he didn
’
t move out of way. Ethan gave him a curious glance before removing his jacket and handing it to the coat check. Dom shook his head, mentally slapping himself in the face for being so obvious. No doubt that little stunt with the coat had been for him and J
e
anne knew what it was doing to him. He had caught her little smirk as she walked away.
The stunt had worked and she knew it. Jerking off hadn
’
t helped one bit. His hands fisted at his sides.
What was she playing at? Why now? He would chalk it up to sheer b
oredom on her part, messing with him like this, but he didn
’
t believe she would be so reckless during a mission. He walked with th
e men toward a darkened alcove
and sat down.
Circular leather booths and a large round table dominated the area.
Adam remained
standing.

    “
I
’
m getting a bottle. You want anything in particular?”
He asked.

    “
You know what I like. I probably won
’
t drink much either way,”
Ethan answered.

    “
Okay. Dom?”
He turned to him. It didn
’
t matter how much blood he ingested, he was bo
und to stay on task here tonight, even
if he had to do it by the skin of his teeth.

    “
I
’
ll have whatever you
’
re having,”
he said. The homeless man he had grabbed earlier in the evening wasn
’
t sitting well in his stomach. He wasn
’
t sure if the man was d
iseased or if the thought of the pressure he was under was making him want to throw up. Could a Vampire get an ulcer?

    “
So what was up with you and Jeanne?”
Ethan asked. Dom twisted in his seat to stare wide-eyed at the man.

    “
Nothing. Why do you as
k?”

    “
I don
’
t know. Maybe because you were bolted to the floor a second ago, your tongue hanging out, drool all over the place,”
he motioned around his face as if Dom had secreted upon himself. He punched the bastard in the shoulder.

    “
I was not! It
just shocked me, was all. I
’
ve never seen her in such a revealing outfit. I guess I just always thought of her as a professional, not as a woman.”
Lies!
It had been more than an infatuation,
and now, after having seen her full potential as it were, he was having a full blown lust attack.

    “
Mmm hmm,”
Ethan mumbled,
unconvinced. “
She wears tee shirts
with cartoon cat
s on them and
you only think of her as a professional.”

    “
Her demeanor. H
er approach to the job. I
’
ve never viewed her as anything other than a co-worker.”
He looked up as Adam came back with a bottle and three glasses.

    “
What are we talking about?”
He asked as he sat down.

    “
Nothing. Ethan is giving me a hard time is al
l. Aren
’
t the ladies joining us?”
He asked
motioning to the three glasses.

    “
Alex doesn
’
t partake and I haven
’
t asked Jeanne but I
’
m sure if she does she can share with you. We can get you two some straws and you can sit together. Pretend it
’
s a chocola
te malt,”
he said, laughing. Ethan slapped the table, joining in on the joke. Dom glared at them both.

    “
Don
’
t make this into a thing,”
he declared.

    “
And why shouldn
’
t you have a crush on her? Everyone else is paired up nicely,”
Ethan stated.

    “
I
’
ll be sure to let Claude know he
’
s stuck with Elliot,”
Dom retorted. They all laughed at that. The tension in Dom
’
s back and shoulders eased somewhat with the gentle ribbing. If the guys knew how close they were to the truth they didn
’
t let on. He let t
h
em think he just liked checking her out.
He sipped lightly at his glass of AB Neg.
The churning of his stomach didn
’
t settle with the dead blood. He should have known it wouldn
’
t. He looked out at the sea of bodies, humans mostly,
and
watched as they gyrat
ed and swayed against each other. The stuff that passed for music and dance these days. He huffed and sat back against the wall of the booth.

    “
What
’
s wrong, mate
?”
Adam asked.

    “
I feel old,”
Dom answered truthfully.

   
Adam scoffed
.
“
Well, if you
’
re old then what am I?”
He asked.

    “
Decrepit,”
Ethan said. Adam flipped him off still looking at Dom.

    “
How can you feel old already? You
’
re what? Three hundred? Three fifty?”

    “
Three
hundred and
eighty-eight this fall,”
he answered blandly. The
re was a blur of pink spinning across the dance floor and he was bound and determined to stop watching it before it materialized into Jeanne.