Death Times Two (The V V Inn, Book 3.5) (3 page)

Asa

I grab Lisa firmly in both hands and yank. It’s as if she’s being drawn forward by an unseen force. With one more tug, she stumbles back against my chest. The freaky door to I don’t know where closes while we watch. My arms wrap around her as I scan every corner of the room. There was no mistaking the panic and fear in her voice,
something
certainly had her in its grip a moment ago, even if the only thing I saw was the weirdly-dressed guy with the gold eyes.

“Thanks. That was a close call.” Lisa’s hands are pinned in front of her. “You supernatural types are certainly a challenge to reap.” A nervous giggle escapes her as she flattens her palms against my chest. My slow heart beat picks up, sending blood to areas I haven’t used in quite a while. Good to know all of me isn’t
undead
.

“Wow,” she croaks out. “You’re really built.”

Satisfied the threat has passed, I glance down at the tempting woman in my arms. Her blue eyes stare at me from under spiky blond hair. Do I respond? Damn, she’s cute when she’s flustered. A slow smile spreads across my face.

“Is that a gun in your front pocket?” she asks, innocence dripping from her tone.

My fangs itch to descend and I tense. I can’t believe I’m sporty a woody the first time her body connects with mine. Might as well go with it, it’s not like a little harmless flirting will lead to anything.

“No, darlin’. My gun is strapped to my right thigh.” God, it feels so nice to be touched. “On the
outside
of my leg.”

“Oh!” she squeaks. Her hands jerk on my chest and a blush spreads across her cheeks.

Damn, that just makes me want her more. My canines elongate and Lisa reacts, a shudder traveling down her back.

Maybe it’s too much for her. I unwrap my arms and step back, putting distance between us. A depressed sigh leaks out of me. “Joanna told you what we are. You’re a reaper, who are you to judge?”

“Judge? Is that what you think I’m doing? What, a girl gets a little apprehensive when the guy snuggled up next to her has growing fangs and all of a sudden she’s judgmental?” She adjusts her shirt, drawing my eye to her luscious boobs. Lisa catches my look and clears her throat. “Hello? My eyes are up here.”

I glance to the corner where the glowing door disappeared. Why does this shit have to be so hard? I’m crazy to think a normal woman would want anything to do with me. I mumble “sorry” and sit in a club chair by the shuttered windows, adjusting my semi-hard state absently with one hand. “I don’t blame you if you were judging. After all, I did kill that woman you just reaped.”

“Hold on now. Joanna said she left you no choice. Was that true?”

I shrug, and stare at my hands on my thighs. “Vivian didn’t think so. She was pretty pissed.”

Lisa’s tone sounds contemplative, “She’s the head vampire, right?” At my nod she continues. “Well, it sounds like she acts as a parent to all of you here. I see why she’d be a little bent when one of her charges dies. My daughter was in a car accident last fall and ‘bent’ doesn’t begin to describe how I felt. More like distraught and borderline suicidal. Cut the old gal a break.”

A grim smile curves my mouth. “I bet she’ll be interested to hear that we truly do have souls.”

“Was that ever in question?” I glance at her sharply and it’s her turn to shrug. “Hey, how would I know? Who am I to question who has a soul or not? Sure, I’ve read books and watched movies about the ‘undead,’ but what does that term really mean anyway? How are you guys—for a lack of a better word—‘made’? It’s obvious if you have a soul. You were human once, right?”

Once.

I wish I still was. There’s so much I’ll never get to have or do now that I’m like this. No family, no children, just me… alone… forever.

Buck up. You have
Eric
. And your dad is alive, so is your aunt.

Yeah, for now.

I steel my thoughts and push the old issues away. This existence here in Alaska is better than living with my aunt in Manhattan and I know I could be much worse off. My thoughts drift to Afghanistan and my face hardens. Yes, there could always be worse times.

“Whoa, now.” Lisa pulls me back to the present. “Your face got all spooky distant. Did I say something wrong?”

I stifle the urge to lean forward and hold her hand. There’s no way she’d want some blood-sucking fiend like me touching her. “It’s not you. I was thinking about when I was
turned
.” I meet her eyes and see something directed at me I haven’t seen in a long while—compassion.

“Can you tell me? I’d like to hear how it works.”

“I was serving my fifth term in Afghanistan.” Hesitation and uncertainty grip me, I haven’t spoken of my ordeal with anyone. “It was… hell.”

Lisa leans forward in her chair, reaching out a hand and dropping it at the last instant. “What happened?”

I shake my head, unsure how much I want to relay. “Some parts are a blur. After three weeks in the field, we were on our way back to base camp. All I could think was how much I wanted a hot shower.” The smell of Wet Ones leaps into my mind. “We had to conserve water on those trips and the baby-wipes didn’t cut it for bathing.” My lips turn up at the corner. “My Aunt
Cali
used to send them by the case. We used the pre-moistened towelettes for everything—from cleaning our guns, scrubbing dust off the windshield, to wiping our—” I catch myself in time. “You get the idea.”

I risk a glance over at Lisa. She’s listening raptly, no judgment or fear on her heart-shaped face. “It was really dark that night, when we walked into the desert.” The night comes back to me, crystal clear, the memory chilling my slow-beating heart. “We stopped to relieve ourselves, each of us wandering into the darkness twenty feet or so from the humvee.” God, what idiots we were. Thinking we were safe so close to base camp. “I was jumped from behind. It happened really fast. I thought for a second one of my buddies—piling on as a joke.”

Lisa’s warm hand rests on mine, her hesitant touch more kindness than I expected. I stare at her soft, pale skin, basking in her warmth. “When I woke I had no idea how much time had passed. Some god-awful stench of body odor and rotting meat surrounded me.” The young mother’s hand tightens on my own, encouraging me to keep going. “Worse than mine and my buddies stench, if you can believe that. There was pressure on my chest. And at first I thought maybe I’d been mistaken for dead and was under another corpse, awaiting transit.”

I quickly meet Lisa’s eyes and glance away, shamed by my fear of that night. “But then the body moved. It took me a moment to realize something warm was trickling down my neck… then I heard a gurgling sound and the shadows came together and I knew. Something was at my throat… feeding on me.

“I screamed and screamed, my arms flailing at whatever was on top of me. It pulled off my neck and stared into my eyes… and everything went dark again.”

“Oh God. How awful.” Lisa swallows and tugs my hand away from my lap to hold it in both of hers. “What happened next?”

I shake my head. “I’m not really sure. It wasn’t until later I learned how a vampire was made. You must be drained to the point of death, with your heart about to give out, then fed blood straight from a vampire for the ‘change’ to occur. Later that night I woke again, this time alone, miles from camp. I had all my gear with me and my chest was covered in dried blood. I checked and had no injuries, even the wound on my neck I thought I had was gone. I used my equipment to stagger in the correct direction toward camp.

“Eventually, a couple of soldiers on watch found and took me to the infirmary. I was quickly stripped of my clothes while they checked carefully for any wounds. They questioned me and I couldn’t think of anything to say that made sense—who would believe me? It happened to me and
I
wasn’t even sure what the hell really happened. I was given a bed and told not to leave, they wanted to observe me until my memory came back.”

Lisa’s thumb rubs over the back of my hand, soothing my jangled nerves. Has any woman cared enough to touch me in comfort since my aunt?

I want to rush through the rest, and gloss over the details, unwilling to share the agonizing moments when I almost fed from my comrades. That twist of a sickening hunger in my gut for something so disturbing—I wanted to die. If I hadn’t left when I did who knows what would have happened. No, I won’t share those parts.

I stand, pulling my hand from hers and run the warmed skin over my shaven head. “Once I realized what I was, I left. I didn’t want to kill anyone or risk accidentally turning them into a soulless creature of the night.”

The reaper cocks her head at me. “You’re being hard on yourself. My husband died in a car accident almost two years ago, which unfortunately left me alone, almost penniless, with our three kids. I don’t know specifically what you’ve experienced, but I understand the pain and confusion of loss. And you’re not so soulless from what I witnessed. Doesn’t that count for something?”

A new peace fills me at her observation. The same sense of purpose that filled me when I joined the Army almost a decade ago creeps across my awareness. “Yeah, maybe it does.”

Before we have a chance to say anything else, my phone rings. I dig it out from my pocket and see it’s Vivian.

“I have to take this,” I say to Lisa. “Why don’t you get settled in?”

She nods, her big blue eyes so filled with emotion I have to turn away before I give in to the urge to wrap my arms around her again.

I step into the hall, closing the door behind me, and click answer on the tiny screen. “Yes?”

“How’s it going so far?” The calm cool voice of Vivian reaches me. “Has she reaped any ghosts?” A note of disbelief colors her question.

“Oh, yeah. Turns out we do have souls and we’re a little more hard to ‘reap’ than an average human.”

“Really?” she sounds excited and slightly doubting. “That’s absolutely fascinating. Are you sure? Did you actually see her reaping a vampire soul?”

“No, I didn’t. I did see the doorway though. But there’s no way she was faking her conversation with Joanna. She said stuff even that John Edwards guy from Crossing Over would never have known.”

“Who?” she asks.

Before I have a chance to answer I hear Rafe’s voice in the background. “TV show,
liebling
. Psychic medium who talks to dead people.”

“Is that like the Bruce Willis movie you made me watch, ‘I see dead people’?”

“Yes, dear.”

Vivian snorts and returns her attention to me. “Okay, so she says we have souls. Good to know. Now what made the ‘reaping’ different than with a human?”

“Apparently we’re stronger and don’t want to let go.”

“Figures. Greedy in life and greedy in death, too.”

“Oh, that’s not the half of it,” I say.

“How so?”

“There’s this porter to the afterlife who shuttles the souls to their destination.”

“Like Charron and the River of Styx?”

I have no idea who she’s talking about. “What’s that?”

“The minion from the underworld who used to ferry the dead between the worlds.”

“Uh, yeah. That sounds about right. Well, he requires payment for supernatural souls. Says we’re more work.”

“And did you pay him?”

“I used a battalion coin that I’ve carried since the war. He said it would do, for now. But next time he wants something ‘of value.’ He specifically asked for gold.”

“I can’t decide which is more amazing—that vampires have souls or that the ferryman is squeezing us for cash. Nope, I got it. Definitely more amazing that we have souls. I’ve always wondered…”

I hear Rafe laughing in the background. He’s much more used to dealing with my boss’s quirky sense of humor and violent mood swings than I am.

“This guy won’t take cash, of that I’m certain. Do we have any valuable coins on site, Vivian? I haven’t said anything to Lisa yet, but we’ve had a lot of people die here recently.”

“Oh yes, good point. There’s a hollowed-out book in the bookshelves on the second floor landing with a few gold coins in it.”

Who the hell keeps gold at their home? Oh yeah, my crazy vampire boss, that’s who. “There’s got to be several thousand books on the second floor. Can you narrow it down a little?”

“Hmmm… Let me see… In the reading loft, not on the landings exactly. Black spine in the second bookcase, at the top, on the right wall. Think the book is ‘The Art of War’ and it’s written in French.”

“Okay, I’ll get it before she does any more reaping.”

“Good. And Asa?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“You stick to that woman like glue. If she learns anything she shouldn’t, you need to carefully remove the knowledge from her mind before she leaves. Can you do that?”

The image of staring into those big beautiful blue eyes comes to me, causing a lump in my throat. I will not fail in my job. “Yes, ma’am.”

A blood curdling scream rips from the room behind me.

Lisa

My body slams against the far wall in an effort to get away from the approaching spirit. Creepy doesn’t begin to describe this guy. He’s the one I saw in the lobby, but he looks much more menacing now. White hair and goatee, lanky, and slinking toward me in a way that says he’s got one thing on his mind—taking a sip of Lisa.

With no knowledge of what vampire ghosts can and can’t do, I try to escape, but he has me pinned in my room and I can’t get to the door. I could run through him, but only as a last resort. A violent criminal passed through me once and I swear I still feel his taint on my soul. No telling what residual effect a vampire would leave.

He closes the distance and I lunge to the side. Before I can get around him, the spirit grabs me around the neck and slams me against the wall again. I don’t get paid enough to put up with this crap. Instantly his hand tightens.

“No.” I squeak out. My breath stutters with each painful bit of pressure. “What do you want?”

A feral smile spreads across his thin lips. “You.”

My body lifts from the floor. I kick my feet but they go right through the ghost. Now I’m eye level with him. His eyes hold a kind of crazy I’ve never seen. Unlike Joanna, my touch doesn’t seem to have a calming effect on him. Another minute like this and I’ll pass out and crazy vamp will have his way with me. Being a reaper was bad enough. Being a vampire reaper—well that would totally suck.

I scream as loud as I can. Before I form a coherent plea his mouth covers mine. It’s worse than when creepy Tony kissed me in seventh grade. All tongue and spit. The spirit’s kiss feels like he’s climbing inside me, trying so possess my body. I’m completely helpless. Unable to get free. Unable to breathe.

Relief washes through me when the door slams open and Asa charges to my rescue. The ghost releases my mouth and cranes his head to look at Asa. He bares his fangs at the intruder, but I’m fairly certain Asa can’t see him.

I gasp, drawing in a full breath. “He’s trying to possess me.”

With speed like I’ve never seen, Asa races across the room and yanks me to him. “Who? Where is he?”

I’m panting, not in a
I’m being held by a sexy vamp
way, but in a sustaining consciousness way. “White hair, goatee.”

“Shit.” Asa’s gaze scans the room but obviously he doesn’t see the spirit. “It’s Ivan.”

The ghost growls and starts toward me again. “He’s coming. Kiss me?”

Asa’s eyes round. “What?”

“He’s trying to gain possession of me through my mouth. Kiss me.”

Without hesitating he drags me to him and lowers his mouth to mine. Sweet vamps that’s nice. For a few seconds I forget about the encroaching danger. Asa’s lips are soft and extremely skilled. I open my mouth slightly to try and speak but his tongue delves inside. Whatever I was going to say can wait.

My eyes drift closed and his hand slides down to rest against the curve of my butt. I can feel his arousal and for the first time in well over a year I want nothing more than to explore what other tricks this vampire has up his sleeve—or in his pants.

A cold burn slashes through my arm and I gasp again. The creepy old vampire has a hold of me. Remembering why I’m at the inn, I pull back slightly and speak against Asa’s mouth. “I need to get him to Hal.” I circle my arm and grip the ghost’s wrist. “But we need gold.”

“Vivian told me where we can find some,” he replies, not letting our lips part. “But we need to get to the correct bookcase to find it.”

I give a little nod and wrap my free arm around his neck. “We can’t stop kissing or he’ll try to possess me.”

Beside me the spirit chuckles. “What are you?” he asks.

I shift my eyes to look at Ivan. “I’m a grim reaper.”

“Is he talking to you?” Asa asks.

“Yes.” My lips are still pressed against Asa’s delicious mouth. “He wants to know what I am.”

“Crazy fuck.” Asa turns us and takes a step toward the door. “Keep a hold of him.”

I nod and let him guide me out of the room, pulling Ivan with me.

“You can stop kissing him. I promise I won’t try to possess you.” The ghost’s grip loosens on my arm but I still keep hold of him. “Tell me more about being a grim reaper.”

I don’t trust the spirit for a second. No way do I want Ivan wearing a Lisa suit, running around the inn killing people. Plus I didn’t want to stop kissing Asa, so I ignore him. We maneuver our way along the hall and toward a reading area.

“She said it’s a black book. ‘The Art of War.’” Asa stops in front of a towering bookcase. “French version.”

“I don’t read French.” I angle my body and scan the hundreds of books. “Do you?”

“A little.” His gaze skates along the collection and then he points. “Up there, but I can’t reach it.”

“Really, child, this is ridiculous,” Ivan says. “You have my word as a gentleman. I won’t possess you.”

I don’t trust the ghost but we need the coins. “Okay.” I look into Asa’s eyes. “Grab them—quickly.”

“I promise I won’t let anything happen to you,” he says.

“This one is so noble.” Ivan gives a disgusted laugh. “Too much so, I think.”

Unwinding my arm, I take a deep breath and step away from Asa, praying Ivan keeps his word.

Asa springs into action and grabs a nearby library ladder to reach the book. “Call the porter.”

“Hal!”

Ivan cocks his head. “And what will you do with me now, reaper?”

“Hal!” Where is that damn porter when I need him? I level a stare at Ivan. My heart beats a thousand beats a minute. Partially from the contact with Asa, but mainly because this spirit is like nothing I’ve encountered. I pray Hal won’t give me a bunch of crap about taking him. “I’m delivering you to the porter. He knows where you go.”

Ivan’s white eyebrows life in surprise. “You mean Hell?”

“Not necessarily, but in your case that’s probably a good bet.”

He throws back his head and laughs. The sound sends shivers through me. It’s maniacal, bordering on down right crazy. After a few seconds he looks at me again. “Well, you know what they say, you go to Heaven for the climate—”

“Yes, ‘and Hell for the company.’ I’ve heard that.” Unlike Joanna this spirit doesn’t seem to fear the great beyond. “I’m sure you have a lot of friends there.”

“No doubt.” He strokes his translucent goatee. “No doubt.”

The tell-tale pink band of light elongates far too close for my comfort. I pull Ivan back a few feet. The light dims and the elevator door slides open. At the same time I hear a jangle of coins above me.

“Hurry!” I yell, worry clouding my tone.

Asa jumps from the ladder and grabs me again, pressing his lips to mine. I could really get used to this.

“Jesus, Lisa, what is going on here?” Hal sounds like an indignant father. “Why is that vampire pawing you?”

“Coin,” I say against Asa’s mouth, ignoring Hal. “I need the coin.”

He presses it into my hand. “Is the porter here?”

I’m tempted to say no because he’s facing away from the door and I don’t want the kissing to end. But I also don’t like a crowd. This might be my last chance to grind against this smokin’ hot vampire. I’m turning into such a slut. “Yes.” I toss the coin to Hal and he catches it in his bejeweled hand. “Gold.”

Hal examines the coin and then lifts it to his mouth and bites. A white smile curves the corners of his lips. “It will do.”

It damn well had better, because I didn’t have anything else. I break our kiss but don’t let go of Asa. “Will you go?”

Ivan looks at me and then at Hal. “You look like a man who would be amenable to a little harmless torment and torture.”

Tipping his head to the side, Hal points his silver tipped walking stick at Ivan. “What other kind is there, my friend?” He steps aside, indicating that Ivan should enter the elevator. “Shall we take a turn around the circles of Hell and see what mischief we can stir up?”

“A grand idea.” Ivan looks at me. “My apologies for the possession. I fear my mind is not always sound and you people are irresistible to control.” He gives me a super creepy smile. “But I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that anymore.”

He slips from my grasp and voluntarily enters the elevator. They both nod their heads in my direction as the door eases closed. Normally I try to prevent Hal from dragging my clients to Hell. In this case I couldn’t care less.

“Are they still here?” Asa asks.

I’m evil. I openly admit that, but I don’t want our moment to end. I gasp and turn back to him, winding both arms around his neck. His mouth instantly captures mine and his arms wrap about my waist. I open to him again, letting his tongue take the lead.

It slides against mine, caressing and teasing. My body presses against his and I feel him respond. Wow, does he respond. A quiet moan of pleasure escapes me, vibrating into his mouth. The sound seems to amp up his desire. He cups my ass and pulls me against him. If it was just Asa and me in the inn I’d have him stripped and straddled on the ground like a calf at a roping competition. But we’re not alone, so after a few more glorious seconds of kissing, I sigh and break the kiss.

“They’re gone.” I let my arms drift across his shoulders and lower them to my side. “Thanks.” I step back. “You saved my life.”

He clears his throat and shoves his hands in his front pockets. “Anytime.”

“Really?”

Asa’s gaze drops to the floor but he doesn’t answer me. Obviously I’m being way too forward. Poor guy, he’s probably never been mauled by a randy mom with three kids before. I search for a topic change. “So, I reaped a human guy hanging out in my bathroom. Jean-Pierre, I think he said his name was.”

“He was one of Ivan’s kills.” He looks at me. “No problems with Hal on transporting him? You didn’t need gold?”

“No, he was human. No gold required.”

I move to the bookcase. Suddenly things between Asa and me feel awkward. Shame. I wouldn’t mind experiencing some of his mad kissing skill again—or more. I’ve been a widow for nearly two years. When I say it’s been a dry spell, I mean even my vibrator needs dusting off. Until Asa, my libido has been running on a trickle charge. Sure I’ve had naughty thoughts about Constantine, and there was even a zing of sexual tension between Nate and me once, but nothing like I’m feeling for Asa. One thing I’ve learned is life is too short. At least in my life it is. Who knows about the vampires? They’re probably immortal unless somebody takes them out.

Deciding I’ve spent too long waiting to get what I want, I take a deep breath and face him. “So, wanna make out?”