Chandler: Books 4 The Witch and the Vampire (11 page)

Chapter Twenty-one

“I love you.” The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself from speaking.
Chandler
licked his lips, removing all traces of Jada’s blood. The sweet taste was still on his tongue, the memory fresh in his mind. He had bitten Jada, thrust his fangs into her neck while in the throes of passion. He sighed and closed his eyes as remorse washed over him.

Jada stirred beneath his body.

He raised his head, glancing down at her. The look on her face nearly broke his heart. She turned her eyes away and pushed against his chest, urging him to let her up. She slid along the couch cushion and got up while he rolled to his back and watched her. She bent and picked up her clothes, dressing quickly and silently.

“I’m not sure who you are or what connection you have to Collins and his stolen art ring, but I intend to find out.” She whirled around and stared at him. “In the meantime, stay the hell away from me.” She marched out of the room and, moments later, the front door slammed.

“Son-of-a-bitch!”
Chandler
sat up and braced his elbows on his knees. He held his head in both hands. Agony surged through his insides. The memory of her body was still fresh in his mind, her smell lingered on his hands. He closed his eyes to the assault of sensations.
I shouldn’t have told her I love her.
He sighed and raised his head. He should have kept his feelings secret, perhaps never to be spoken. He groaned suddenly.
And I never should have taken her blood!

The exquisite sensations of orgasm seemed that much more intensified as he gulped her hot blood, felt it coursing through his veins and pressed his naked body against hers. Her response came quickly to mind. She had proclaimed that that feeling was unlike anything she had ever felt. His brow furrowed. Realization dawned.
Johannes
had not taken her blood when he fucked her!

He rose from the couch and picked up the dark suit he had thrown haphazardly across the room. For whatever reason,
Johannes
had resisted the urge to bite Jada, to turn her into a creature of the night. He refused to believe that the old master had other plans for her, though the possibility existed.
Perhaps it is only too early in
Johannes
’s plan to change Jada. What is he up to?

He dressed, pulling on the well fitting slacks and shirt, then shrugged into the double-breasted coat. He ran one hand across the soft fabric. It was luxurious, perhaps the finest he had ever known.
Richard
Mallory
had established quite a life for himself. He thought then of his investigating of the vampire and his ties to
Johannes
. Perhaps they were only drawn together by circumstance.
Vampire befriending vampire?
He thought then of
Johannes
threatening him in the alley. Had
Johannes
threatened
Richard
Mallory
in a similar way? Had Mallory refused to leave the city? He scratched his head.
What is the connection between
Johannes
and Mallory?

He remembered the phone call he received earlier from one of
Johannes
’s cohorts. He had thought he was
Richard
Mallory
when he answered the phone. He had asked for help, related that
Collins
had instructed he call should there be any trouble.
Could Mallory be more powerful than
Johannes
?

The thought gave him pause.
Johannes
was the most powerful vampire in existence. Or so he thought. Centuries had passed and
Johannes
had managed to survive. Should there be a more powerful vampire in his midst—would he stand to share his territory with another?

Vampires were notorious for guarding their feeding ground. Once he had been released into the world,
Johannes
had ordered him to go far from where he existed. He had hurried to comply, fearing the old master’s rage and sharp fangs. He had traveled abroad and existed in a tormented state of blood sucking and concealment until the day he finally gave in to the agonizing truth. He was a vampire and he was destined to exist whether he chose to continue in his sad state or try to adapt. He pondered long and hard on his decision. Then upon discovering his three brothers had suffered the same destructive consequence—from the same vicious vampire—he pulled himself together and began utilizing his vampire powers.

He had to find out who
Richard
Mallory
really was and what connection he had to
Johannes
.
I have to deal with
Johannes
. Only then, will I be free to pursue Jada.

 
Feeling perhaps the secret of
Richard
Mallory
might be within the walls of the house he had taken over, stashed inside his crypt or hidden within a lockbox, he returned to the study of the house. Standing in the doorway of the room, he scanned the interior, his keen eyes searching for anything that might catch his attention. His gaze traveled over the rich furnishings, the art hanging on the walls, the row of file cabinets flanking the desk. There were no personal mementos, like the office he had briefly investigated in the downtown bank building.
There are no signs that
Richard
Mallory
exists beyond the business aspect.

He shrugged his shoulders. There was no reason for a vampire to retain mementos of his mortal life. Existence in that dimension was destroyed the second a vampire was turned. He wondered suddenly how long
Richard
Mallory
had existed as the banker since his appearance would never change. Once a vampire was turned, he didn’t age mentally or physically. He remembered a young boy he had seen once long ago. A rogue vampire had bitten him, nearly drained his body before deciding to force blood from his own body down the boy’s throat. The child had existed for nearly two centuries and was yet the young boy who wanted to climb trees and play with his friends.

Shaking away the mirror image of the child, he turned on his heel and left the room. He would deal with
Johannes
. After all,
Johannes
was the threat.
Richard
Mallory
no longer existed, regardless of how old he was or how long he had been established in the banking industry. He could change his personality and habits at will. But once
Johannes
realized that
Richard
Mallory
had been destroyed—

His eyes flashed brilliant red. Could he pretend to be
Richard
Mallory
and fool
Johannes
? The thought had merit. He had led the police to believe he was the banker.
But Johannes is a vampire, too
,
and a cunning one at that. Would he be so easily taken in?

Perhaps the result would rely on his performance, his impersonation of Mallory. He walked to the hallway and peered slowly along the expanse. He would need to investigate every inch of the house, to learn everything possible about
Richard
Mallory
before confronting
Johannes
. He nodded his head. His keen powers of perception would aid him well in his endeavor. He strode toward the nearest room, his mind set to inspect every object within the space.

Chapter Twenty-two

“You failed to help my men.”

Chandler
froze, his hand on the drawer pull of the desk drawer.
Johannes
!
His first instinct was to hide the uneasy feeling that rose up inside him.
Johannes
would sense in a second if he exhibited the slightest fear of him. He pulled in a steadying breath. The showdown was coming quicker than he anticipated.
Easy. Easy. Play the role of
Richard
Mallory
.

Johannes
lounged in the doorway of the study, his black eyes assessing
Chandler
as he sat at the desk.

“Your cohorts placed me in a precarious position. I chose to protect myself.” He rose from the desk, his hands braced on its top. “We have no arrangement governing my assistance in your schemes where the local police are involved.”

Johannes
straightened and stepped into the room.

Chandler
could sense the master’s uncertainty concerning him. He deliberately stepped around the desk and perched on one corner of it, a warning look on his face. “And I might add as well,
Johannes
, in the future, should you encounter difficulties, you should deal with them on your own. Instruct your servants that I will refuse any more calls from them.”

Johannes
cocked one eyebrow. He smiled slowly. “Did we not have an agreement,
Richard
, that I should take the chances, and we both would reap the rewards?”

So that was their deal. Mallory was profiting from the stolen art
Johannes
and his crew were stealing and selling.
“I rather fancy my existence,
Johannes
. I would be most distressed if anything were to disturb it.” He leveled his gaze on the master vampire.

“A mere set back. I assure you, the police will find nothing incriminating you or I.”

“Then perhaps you should seize the opportunity to move on, leave the area before your cohorts give you up.”

Johannes
chuckled. “I’ve taken care of my cohorts,
Richard
.” He raised one hand and swiped it across his mouth. “They are no longer a worry to either of us.”

Chandler
folded his arms across his chest. “Murder is such an easy way out,
Johannes
.”

“I have only one more mortal to dispose of.” He stepped closer to
Chandler
and narrowed his eyes. “The whore I’ve been fucking is an undercover cop sent to investigate me and my business.”

A ripple of anger spiraled through
Chandler
’s big body.
Easy! Don’t allow your emotions to show!
“An undercover cop?”

Johannes
nodded. He stopped mere inches from
Chandler
, his gaze holding his in a deliberate stare. “She posed as a dancer in the club. She thought I didn’t know who she was.” He laughed out loud. “She brought an accomplice along.
Mike
, a burly policeman with more muscles than brains. I hired him as a bouncer. His intent was to rifle my office while I was out.” He snarled. “Stupid mortals. They have no sense of perception. They know nothing of cunning and treachery.”

Chandler
rose from the desk.
Johannes
was growing angrier by the second, relating his assessment of Jada and
Mike
. Leary of showing too much emotion for fear that
Johannes
would be on to him,
Chandler
busied himself by arranging the strewn folders on the top of his desk.

“Perhaps you’ve played the part of the banker too long!”

Chandler
sensed
Johannes
’s movement at his side. He whirled around suddenly and grasped the long arm
Johannes
levered into the air. Rage gripped his insides. He opened his mouth and bared his fangs. He extended his long sharp fingernails and dug them into
Johannes
’s wrist.

A fearful look wafted across
Johannes
’s face. He jerked his arm, trying to free it from
Chandler
’s tight grasp. “I meant no disrespect.”

Really?
Chandler
locked gazes with the master, refusing to relinquish his arm until he was certain the expression in the old vampire’s eyes was fear and reverence.

“It’s time you took leave,
Johannes
.” He bit out the words, his fangs still clearly in sight, his eyes beginning to glow red. Slowly, he retracted his long claws and released
Johannes
’s arm. “And I advise you to leave
New York
.”

Johannes
straightened his sleeve. “And forfeit my profits to you? Surely you jest,
Richard
.”

Chandler
considered
Johannes
’s words.
Were there more paintings to sell? Or was the master merely poking a jab at him for his show of defiance against him?
“Perhaps you would be safer if you relocated to another city and ran your scheme there. You could find other mortals willing to risk life and limb.”

Johannes
smiled. “I need your partnership,
Richard
. I need your contacts.” He shook his head. “I doubt I would be able to find another fellow vampire who has such far reaching contacts in the business world. No. I shall remain here and continue my art dealings as though nothing has happened. I will take care of the lady cop and her burly companion. And no one will be the wiser.” He strode to the door of the study. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder at
Chandler
. “I’ll be in touch.”

 
Black acid smoke appeared where
Johannes
stood, swirled, rose into the air, then quickly dissipated.
Chandler
blinked his eyes at the doorway where the old master had vaporized and disappeared so quickly.

Damn!
He ran one hand through his hair. The ordeal had caused his temples to pound. He sat on the desk and stared at the spot where
Johannes
had last stood. Had he convinced the master that he was indeed his vampire banker? If he hadn’t,
Johannes
had been too cunning to show otherwise. He drew in a long breath. He had almost given up the role when the vampire spoke of killing Jada.

 
Chandler
levered himself off the desk. Now that he knew
Johannes
’s plan for Jada and
Mike
, he had to intervene. If anything happened to Jada—he scrubbed one hand along his jaw. Odds were, Jada would never believe him if he told her
Johannes
was going to harm her. She was under the belief that
John
Collins
was the leader of the art theft ring and that he was out of town, maybe out of the country by now.

I have to risk it.
He left the room in a bounding leap that landed him at the front door of the house. In the next moment, he shapeshifted into a bat and lifted into the air. If it was in his power at all, he had to make Jada understand that her life was in danger.
And she has little recourse toward the vicious vampire set to destroy her.

 
Flying to the street where Jada’s house stood, he lit on the roof peak and considered his next move. Had
Johannes
taken his advice about leaving the city, he wouldn’t worry about Jada or
Mike
, at least as far as the vampire was concerned. Johannes’s remark following his suggestion that he go elsewhere to carry out his devious plans had convinced him that there were still pieces of art awaiting sale and money to be collected once the goods were delivered. He sighed. He had, however, gotten the idea that
Johannes
was a wee bit scared of
Richard
Mallory
’s powers. The notion gave him a mental boost. Perhaps he could best the old master after all, if he was careful not to tip his hand.

He spied a car slowing in front of Jada’s house and watched it pull to the curb. The passenger door opened and Jada exited, her purse slung over one shoulder. She hurried up the front steps and disappeared through the door. The car pulled into the street and he watched it until it was out of sight at the end of the block. He glided silently to the ground beside the house and shapeshifted into his vampire body. Straightening his shirt collar, he stepped from the shadows and walked to the door.

He could hear water running from inside the house.
Is she taking a bath? Preparing for bed?
He mentally calculated the time. It was early evening. The sun had just set in the west. For a moment he relived the sensation of watching the yellow disk sink below the horizon. A multitude of centuries had passed since he had been privileged to witness such a sight.

 
Shaking off the reverie, he slipped quietly inside the front door. Turning his ear to the sound of the running water, he glided quickly along the hallway to the bathroom. The door was ajar and he could see clearly inside the room. Jada was standing in front of the small mirror staring at her reflection. He drank in her naked form, the curve of her hips and the shapely length of her legs. Her long hair was piled on the top of her head, held in place by a large clip. A few strands had managed to escape and hung in feathery wisps around her face. He smiled. She looked inviting in her naked state, vulnerable, unaware he stood mere feet away and lusted after her. He saw then that she was looking at her neck. She raised one hand and touched the place where he had sank his fangs into her vein. Her brows drew together, as though she was trying to remember what happened.

Chandler
berated himself for having bitten her, for giving into his urge for blood and taking the precious necessity in the throes of sexual orgasm.
I should have waited.
But the climax was so strong and her vein beckoned to me…

Jada turned from the mirror suddenly and shut off the water at the tub. She swirled one hand in the frothy white bubbles rising to the rim and then stepped into the basin.

Chandler
resisted the urge to make himself known. She was safe. Perhaps he should leave. A wave of guilt for having bitten her washed over him. He turned quietly and vaporized, seeping beneath the front door of the house and taking to the air. Perhaps his powers would be better served if he turned his thoughts to annihilating
Johannes
.