Immortal Revenge (26 page)

“I’m not tired.” Brandon’s protest sounded like a toddler refusing to go to bed.

Steven returned his attention to the television, trying to ignore his friend’s attitude. The young vampire had a lot to learn after only four decades of immortality, such as patience and control. His temperament made him a good fighter, but there were times it landed him in trouble. Steven had to save his friend’s ass last year after Brandon had started a bar brawl because some drunken humans, who happened to be part of a biker gang, had hit on Debbie. They used broken bottles, knives and guns to fight Brandon. It took close to a half hour, but with Steven’s help, the battle ended with every human dead or dying on the floor. He and Brandon walked out with their bodies full of bullets. It took hours to dig them out, which was a painful and disgusting chore Steven disliked immensely. He remained pissed at Brandon for weeks and reminded him about the brawl every time someone eyed his girlfriend in a bar.

“That fucking bitch is dead. Both of them.” Brandon grumbled, walking in front of the television again.

The strobe light effect created from Brandon’s multiple passes irritated Steven’s eyes. “Sit the fuck down before I make you.” His deep tone and clipped words were indicative of his frustration. He wished Brandon would shut his trap and stop pacing. With the sun burning bright in the sky, neither one of them could do anything. The immature vampire knew it, so why bother bitching. It did nothing but annoy Steven. “Sit!”

Brandon obeyed this time and fell backward into the recliner. “Something is wrong. She hasn’t answered her phone–”

“Would you stop worrying? Maybe she went home with a mortal man and stayed at his house.”

Steven fluffed the pillow as he placed it back under his head. His patience was depleting fast. If Brandon kept wining about his girlfriend, Steven would punch some sense into him to shut his mouth. He wanted to catch a bit of sleep before calling the soon-to-be dead man’s girlfriend.

“That’s not even funny,” Brandon said dryly. “I’d cut the bitch’s head off if I found her with another man. She knows it.”

“Get. Some. Rest.” Steven used his deep voice again to emphasize his order.

The recliner made a clicking noise as Brandon leaned back in it and the foot piece lifted. Silenced passed long enough for Steven to hear the local news announce rain in the forecast for the evening and next two days. Two days in this piss-ant Midwestern town would be too long. He was ready to get back to New Mexico. The Wild West was his home, had been for the last century and a half. Women tasted better, blood was warmer and he could get rid of bodies without having to do much clean up work. People disappeared all the time in the desert.

“Do you really think Debbie would leave or do something without telling us?”

Although Brandon asked in a calm tone, his voice sparked fury in Steven. He leapt to his feet, pounced on Brandon, then swung his hard fist into the young vamp’s face. Once, twice and on the third time bones crunched.

“I told you to shut the fuck up.” Steven punched Brandon’s jaw one more time to ensure the fledgling understood.

With his message delivered, Steven stepped back and shook his bloodied hand. Damn young ones were always rebellious. Even though he’d trained Brandon how to feed off humans, clean up after his meals and explained where to find good pussy, the vampire still disobeyed him. Normally the young looked to their elders for guidance and followed their instructions. Not Brandon. He had a hard-on for disobeying authority. The Order saw the quality as a benefit and wanted Steven to mold Brandon, make him a quick killer, train him how to sniff out the vamps in hiding, show him the proper way to clean up. To date, the only molding Brandon had done was to Debbie.

The young vampire coughed and twisted in his recliner, his bloodied face hardly recognizable. He leaned over the edge and spit.

“Sorry, Steve.”

He loomed in front of the battered young vamp. “Don’t make me break your fucking neck. I will do it to shut you up.”

Leaning his head against the recliner, Brandon gently shook his head. The broken bones in his face would heal, but he’d have to suffer with pain until they did. Stupid prick. He only listened when Steven used violence. The boy never learned.

Steven returned to his spot on the sofa and lay facing the ceiling. Although Brandon’s questioning annoyed the hell out of him, he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to Debbie. He’d left her at the bar to see if anyone had information about Kyle’s girlfriend while he took Joe and Michael for a question and answer session. Steven caught a lucky break with Joe. His girlfriend, Julie, was Katie’s friend. After he wiped Michael’s mind and sent him on his way, Joe led him to his girlfriend’s house. Finding Katie’s number on a note taped to the refrigerator, he had Joe call it. The line rang and rang. Two hours later with no answer and an irritating neighbor’s dog yapping, Steven decided to leave a different kind of message, one that would definitely grab her attention. He taped the note with her phone number to the container with Joe’s fingers, then left the dog in the bathroom for Julie. He’d figured she probably didn’t know about vampires since Joe didn’t, so the gruesome welcome home surprise should’ve put a nice chill in the air for her. If Steven could get her attention, maybe she’d trade Katie in for her boyfriend. Humans were so vulnerable with their emotions.

He ran a hand through his hair as the question about Debbie returned for the hundredth time. What had happened to her? Everyone in town was human, which meant they were incapable of fighting a vampire. For another matter, none of the humans he’d read had a clue vampires existed. It would seem unlikely for Debbie to run into trouble. If she had, she would’ve snapped them in two within seconds. The Asian was fast, faster then he was on his feet. The odds of her running into problems had to be next to none.

Steven blew out a puff of air. So where was she? Why didn’t she answer Brandon’s repeated calls? She’d spent the last twenty-two years glued to the man. She wasn’t the cheating sort, especially with humans. None of them could match her stamina. Hell, Brandon could hardly keep up. Debbie’s appetite for other vampires and her prior relationships over the last century instilled jealousy in Brandon’s heart. When he’d learned Kyle was once a fling and happened to be on the most wanted list, he took a keen interest in finding the vampire. Nine months of research and a little luck tracked Kyle to the university he taught at in Michigan. They spent two weeks interrogating the minds of the staff members on the campus. Several remembered Kyle Brown, yet all records of his tenure there were missing. Brandon set to work again, searching the nearby states for one Kyle Brown. Three months later, they were snooping around in Mishawaka and Steven had found the five-century-old vamp. Brandon took great pleasure in chopping his head off while he and Debbie held the vamp on his knees.

Unable to sleep with questions of Debbie’s disappearance plaguing him, Steven sat upright. He wedged his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and withdrew his cell phone. While neither he nor Brandon could search during the day for Debbie, he knew of someone who might be able to track her location. If she was a hunkered in a house in town, they could find her after sunset. Brandon could finally stop bitching.

Steven dialed the number to his friend. Brandon watched and made no effort to speak.

“Hello?” asked the man on the other end of the line, his voice groggy.

“Chaz, it’s Steven.”

“Hey, man. Where are you? Sun’s up, ya know.” Chaz lived in Arizona where the sun had risen a few hours ago.

“I’m calling to wish you an early happy rebirthday.”

Chaz chuckled. “Man, it’s not for another year.”

“Two centuries is a big deal, old man. In case I’m not there, I want you to know I care.”

“Man, you better fucking show up for my party. It’s going to be wild. Women everywhere naked, dancing and fucking. You don’t want to miss it.”

Steven smiled from the image his friend had given him. “In that case, count me in. I’m a sucker for pussy.”

“Yeah, I thought that would get your attention.” Chaz made a grunting sound. “So what’s going on? I know you didn’t call this early to talk about my rebirthday plans.”

Brandon leaned forward and removed his shirt. He wiped his face, clearing the blood away. Muscles complimented his bare chest and arms. The intricate tattoo running from his shoulder to his wrist seemed to move when light from the screen flickered. Tricks of the eye, Steven told himself. Brandon tossed the soiled shirt at Joe’s head. The dying man didn’t move an inch.

“I’m in Indiana and–”

“Why the fuck are you there?”

“Brandon found one of the vamps listed for extermination. I came with him to see the job through.”

“How is the young runt?”

“He can suck my dick.” Brandon mumbled.

“Fine, but trying to rest.” Steven glared at Brandon.

Chaz made a bit of a breathy sound as if he were moving, walking. “Did he behead the vampire?”

“Beheaded and burned,” Steven said.

“Wow. Kudos for the kid.”

“He’s lost his girlfriend, Debbie.”

“Lost?”

“She’s not answering her phone.”

“Maybe she decided to hump human beef for a while.”

Steven pointed his arm at Brandon right as the young vamp rose from his chair. Glowing eyes and long fangs revealed Brandon’s anger.

“Sit the fuck down,” Steven barked.

Chaz laughed. “That’s right. Tell the pup to stay put.”

Brandon opened his mouth to say something, but when Steven jumped to his feet, he quickly shut his trap. Steven glowered at Brandon. He wouldn’t hesitate to knock more sense into the young vamp if he had to. Fortunately, Brandon took the hint and returned to his chair like a whimpering dog, head lowered.

“So, how can I help you?” Chaz asked.

“Could you track her cell phone and give me the coordinates?” Steven returned to his spot on the sofa.

“Now?” Chaz asked as if it were a huge ordeal for him. The man was a genius with computers and gadgets. It might take him five minutes to trace her number. Yet, clearly he lacked enthusiasm to do much during the day. Most vampires did. Everyone needed some beauty rest.

“No, not now. How about in five hours? That way we can find her once the sun sets here and you can sleep for a bit.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll set my alarm.” Chaz sounded more willing to help.

“Can you track another number for me too?”

“Sure man, I’ll trace any number for you.”

An idea popped in Steven’s head. “Hang on.” He lowered the phone and looked at Brandon. “Where’s Joe’s phone?”

Brandon reached around to his back pocket. He removed the phone and handed it to Steven.

“I’m going to read you a number,” Steven said as his thumb slid over the screen. He scrolled down the list and found what he wanted. “Actually, I have two.”

“Okay, give ‘em to me.”

Steven read the two numbers, then listened while Chaz repeated them.

“We’re looking for these two women in town. Hopefully you can help us.”

“Two women? I should catch a plane tonight.”

“No need. We won’t be here long once we find them, which I’m hoping is tonight.”

“Uh-oh, sounds like they have a date with death.”

“Let me know what you have later.”

“Sure thing.”

“Call me at this number.” Steven lowered the phone, then met Brandon’s gaze. “We’ll find out where Debbie is and go pick her up. Then we’ll decide what to do with the two bitches.”

Brandon nodded as he settled into the recliner and relaxed with his feet up. For once, the young vamp adhered to Steven’s command. Maybe now they could both get some sleep. Then later this evening, they’d snack before leaving. And after they found Katie and Joe’s girlfriend, they’d have a feast. They’d get rid of the bodies and catch the next plane to New Mexico.

Pleasant thoughts of their night ahead occupied Steven’s mind as he lay on the sofa with his eyes closed. Soon, they’d finish their job and return home. Brandon could get his dick sucked by his girlfriend and Steven could find some sweet pussy to devour. Sundown couldn’t come quick enough.

18

“You actually cried because he gave you pajamas?” Katie asked as they headed for their hotel room. They both carried a pair of roller skates over their shoulders and were sweaty and hot from having spent the last two hours at the rink, skating, thinking and chatting. But what fun they’d had.