Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (13 page)

“So much death and so little time to enjoy it,” Samedi said to Kubol, who watched the scene intently. Samedi removed his cigar from his mouth and tapped the ashes from the tip with his bony finger. “You know I really enjoyed this. We haven’t had a nice accident like this in a long time.”

“It has been a long time,” Kubol agreed. “Maybe we can see something like this again real soon.” The two demons laughed but sirens blocked out the sound.

“Let’s go find something else to do before we reap these souls,” Samedi suggested. “The night is still young and I’m not a bit tired.”

Both deities disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

* * * *

“Okay, bodies don’t walk away from death scenes,” Anthony said to Luke, one of his deputies.

Luke was short in statue but muscular and didn’t take offense at his boss’ bad disposition. “I’m only the messenger,” he replied. “It’s already on the news. Most of them were the victims of the train accident last night.”

Life used to be so much easier,
Anthony thought. Except for a few murders, robberies and racketeering, New Orleans wasn’t any different than any other city. He turned on the news.

A phone rang in an outer office and one of his people stuck their heads in through the door. “It’s the Mayor,” the man said. “He sounds pissed.”

“Put him through,” Anthony told him. He answered his phone on the first ring. “Yes, sir. “I’m watching it on the news right now. I’ll send some of my men out shortly and get back to you.”

Anthony quickly hung up the phone, picked it back up again and dialed Isabella’s number. She answered on the first ring.

“This is Anthony Norris. Did you hear about the train accident last night?”

“That’s old news,” she replied.

“Well, maybe this isn’t. All the bodies have disappeared,” Anthony told her. “Someone stole them.”

“So, you want me to go check the cemeteries to find out if someone dumped the bodies there, or to talk to the ghosts to find out if they know anything?”

“Stop toying with me, Bella. If you don’t mind and take that big partner of yours with you.”

Isabella laughed. “He’s not going to like this. He hates visiting cemeteries at night.”

“Well, it’s not safe for you to go alone,” Anthony reasoned.

“I’m touched by your concern but I wouldn’t dream of going without my partner.”

“I’m serious, Bella. Take Ernie with you. We don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

“I’m only kidding, Chief. I’ll take the big lug and Otto too. Maybe the three of us can figure out what happened to all those bodies.”

“Let me know what you find out.”

“The Mayor is on your ass, isn’t he?” Isabella asked sarcastically.

“Big time,” Anthony admitted. “I’d like all of this to end before the first parade rolls.”

“We’ll find them,” Isabella said. “I’ll call you as soon as we get back.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Anthony said hanging up the phone.

* * * *

Ernie entered Isabella’s office moments after she got off the phone with Anthony. “Grab your coat. We’re going to search for two hundred missing bodies.”

“Then you’ve seen the news,” Ernie said, pulling his long leather duster from the coat rack.

“Nope, I talked to Anthony Norris. The Mayor is on his ass again.”

“I don’t see the Mayor joining us,” Ernie replied sarcastically.

“We’re taking Otto. He would be more useful than the Mayor. At least he’s not afraid of things that go bump in the night.”

They decided to take Otto’s van because of its size and it was well-equipped with state-of-the–art gizmos courtesy of Marc. It was large enough to throw a couple of bodies into the back, should the need arise.

“Where to first?” Otto asked after Isabella summoned him and told him to meet them outside. He climbed into the driver’s seat, admiring himself in the mirror while they climbed in.

“Let’s try Holt Cemetery first,” Ernie suggested.

Isabella frowned. “The grasshoppers are as large as rabbits there,” she said, trying not to sound irritated at her partner’s suggestion. Ernie knew this was her least favorite cemetery to visit. It didn’t matter that it was cleaned and the grass cut. It was still the cemetery she remembered as a little girl, where she’d fallen into an open grave and started talking to the dead.

“You’re a big girl now,” Ernie teased as if reading her mind.

“You’re a dead man if you try anything funny,” she told him. Ernie had a wicked sense of humor. He’d tried on several occasions to put a grasshopper down her back. It always ended the same way, with her screaming like a girl and him laughing.

“Holt it is,” Ernie said.

Otto started up the van and headed toward City Park.

* * * *

Alesandro removed his mouth away from the throat of his latest victim, a young Asian male who happened to catch his eye earlier in the evening in the casino’s bar. The young man was about twenty and for all medicinal purposes, human and gay. Alesandro had that much figured out, from the time the young man made eye contact with him.

Alesandro wasn’t opposed to a little boy-on-boy action since he’d had many of those types of relationships in his lifetime. It wasn’t hard to capture the young man’s attention, even though he sat in a booth in a dark corner, surrounded by four very beautiful female vampires vying for his attention.

It had been a long month and he’d grown tired of playing diplomat. He dispatched the last captives through the portal, when he decided to treat himself to a little snack. He’d been in the bar only a moment when the vamps arrived. A few minutes later, his Asian conquest walked past the bar in tight leather pants and a sleeveless shirt, displaying a feminine build and budding muscles.

After another few minutes of listening to the vamp girls bitch about which one of them was going to take the young man home, Alesandro made the decision for them by sending a burning mind warp to their brains which sent the girls scurrying from the booth.

Another young man approached the booth and Alesandro watched them. He sent drinks to their table to get their attention. He fancied the idea of taking on both of them but changed his mind. An hour and three drinks later the Asian cutie walked over to him at the bar, promising all sorts of sexual depravity meant to shock him.

Alesandro led the young man out of the casino and into the waiting limousine. In less than an hour Alesandro had him nude from head to toe in his bedroom at his lake front mansion.

The young man’s body was soft and warm like a baby and he smelled heavenly. “What’s your name?” Alesandro asked him as he pulled away his own clothes from his muscular body.

“Nikko,” he answered, watching Alesandro as he peeled away his skin-tight burgundy pants and tossed them in a heap on the floor. Nikko’s eyes bulged as they traveled along Alesandro’s body until they landed on his jock.

“You’re very pretty,” Alesandro told him as he approached. He made his hips sway enticingly so Nikko could get a good look at what he offered.

Nikko reached out and took Alesandro’s penis into his hands and played around with it with his fingers. It sprung to life much to Nikko’s delight.

“Have you ever been with a man before?” Alesandro asked as he pulled Nikko to him.

Nikko’s eyes locked with his. “Yes,” he replied as Alesandro worked his mojo on him. “But never with a man like you.”

“I can make you feel real good,” Alesandro told him. “I can make you forget all about those silly young boys and doddering old men in your life. Would you like that, Nikko?”

“Yes,” Nikko answered as he fell under Alesandro’s dark stare. “Oh, yes—please.”

Alesandro swept Nikko up in his arms and carried him across the room to his king-sized bed and laid him gently on top of the black comforter. He lay down beside Nikko and kissed him on the lips.

Nikko responded hungrily and moments later Alesandro had him face down on the bed with his arms tied to the bedposts. “This is what a real man is like,” he told Nikko as he took him from behind.

Nikko’s cries of passion sounded throughout the entire mansion. Halfway through the lovemaking Alesandro decided he liked the young man and wouldn’t kill him. He drained Nikko’s veins until his heartbeat slowed and then Alesandro slit his own wrist with one of his long fingernails and offered it to Nikko, who like a very young fool supped on the blood until he passed out from exhaustion.

When it was over Alesandro called for one of his servants. “Take him to the sleep room and put him in one of the empty coffins.”

The servant bowed. “Yes, your Excellency.”

“Make sure the lid is secured. We don’t want him to become reborn and wander off,” Alesandro explained.

The servant nodded and took Nikko from the room.

A pain shot through Alesandro’s head the moment he turned. “Isabella’s in trouble.”

Chapter Fourteen

Isabella looked up quickly as a black blur appeared before her in Holt Cemetery. She braced herself for the attack. Otto and Ernie stopped in their tracks also aware of something approaching. Breath left her body as the attacker bumped into her and then swept her off her feet. Isabella pounded it with her fists until it appeared.

“Alesandro,” she shouted. “You scared the shit out of me.”

Otto and Ernie moved closer to protect her but Isabella raised her hands to stop them. “I’m okay.”

The dapper-dressed master vampire looked down on her with those startling purple eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay? I thought you were in danger.”

Alesandro lowered her slowly in a way that forced her to slide down his six foot frame. “Why are you here?”

“I heard you scream and thought you were in danger.”

Ernie chuckled but she cut him off with a scathing look.

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Were you lurking somewhere nearby?”

“I do not lurk,” he said with a pout. “No, I was at my place.”

“That’s several miles away,” Ernie replied.

Alesandro rolled his eyes at Ernie and then put his attention back on Isabella, looking down at her oddly. “I distinctly heard the terror in your voice. What frightened you so?”

At the moment he did. She didn’t like the way he looked at her. How did he hear her scream and why did he come to see about her? The man before her was very confusing. “It was nothing.”

“I knew you wouldn’t tell me the truth.” He turned to Ernie. “You’re her partner—what happened?”

Ernie straightened up appearing not a bit intimidated by the vampire. “A grasshopper hopped on her,” he said trying to hide his chagrin.

“It did not hop on me; you tossed it on me,” Isabella replied angrily.

Alesandro looked absolutely appalled. “A what?”

“A grasshopper,” Ernie repeated. “Bella’s terrified of them.”

Isabella rolled her eyes at Ernie and Otto who was trying to stifle a chuckle. “Thanks, partner, for telling a master vampire that I’m afraid of an insect.”

Alesandro tried to hide his smile but then turned serious. “You mean I interrupted my date and broke the sound barrier coming to your defense for an insect?”

He was on a date? How come it did not set right with her? Isabella shrugged.

“I would be absolutely mad at you if I didn’t find this very endearing,” Alesandro said, moving toward her.

Even in the dark cemetery she could make out his handsome good looks. What was the scent he was wearing? Passion? “You can return to your date.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Alesandro assured her.

Isabella’s mouth opened but she didn’t comment.
He?

“Are you surprised?”
Alesandro asked inside her head.

Isabella pushed him away from her. “I thought I told you to stay out of my head.”

Ernie pulled her toward him protectively. “He can read your thoughts?”

Alesandro did not miss the move and eyed Ernie like he wanted to kill him for touching her. “At times,” he answered for Isabella.

“Let me get this right. You heard her scream tonight, but you did not hear her when she was nearly killed by a vampire? A vampire who was looking for you?”

Alesandro moved quickly and snatched her from Ernie. He ran his eyes over her like an x-ray machine. “Lucius said you were okay. Was he mistaken? Did Daton hurt you?”

“Only my pride,” Isabella replied, trying to get out of his grasp. “Who the hell is he anyway?”

“An old enemy,” Alesandro said, releasing her. “He was the one who...” He stopped the explanation. “Never mind. I will take care of him.”

“No need to,” Isabella replied.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s dust,” Ernie answered. “She took his head.”

“Ouch,” Alesandro replied. “No!”

Isabella nodded. What was one more dead vampire to her? King Adjatay already had a contract on her head for trying to kill Darius, Zolin, and Alesandro. What was one more?

“You know Adjatay lifted the contract,” Alesandro told her, still reading her mind.