Dracul's Revenge 01: Dracul's Blood (17 page)

“And why am I going to the Village?” He tensed, reaching for pants and a dress shirt instead.

“We have another body in an alley behind
The Copa
.”

Bobby heard everything Jablonsky didn’t say.

“Fuck me.” He slammed the closet door shut and perched on the edge of his bed.

“Yeah, partner. I think you need to get down here.”

Nik walked into the bedroom and stopped when he saw Bobby on the phone.

“I’ll leave here in ten. Be there as soon as I can.”

“See you there.”

He hung up and tossed the phone on the bed before changing his clothes. After going into the bathroom, he washed his face and hands. Nik was sitting on the bed when he returned to grab a tie.

“There’s been another murder, hasn’t there?”

Nik’s low voice stopped him and he slumped next to his lover.

“Yes. The second in such a short time doesn’t look good. I just hope we catch a lucky break soon, or there could be more deaths before this is over.”

“You and Detective Jablonsky are good at your job, I’m sure, or your boss would never have put you on the case. I know you’ll catch the person doing this, Bobby. I believe in you.”

The touch of Nik’s hand rubbing over his shoulder eased some of Bobby’s tension.

“All three of us will figure this out. We wouldn’t be anywhere near as far on this case without you.”

He stood with a sigh. “We brought that black light of yours. Why don’t you look at the journal while I’m gone? Remember, don’t open the door to anyone. You should be safe here.”

Leaning over, Bobby gave Nik a quick kiss. He grabbed his gun and other stuff off the hallway table and headed out to his car. In no time at all, he was in the Village. He DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

110

recognised the name of the club as being a pretty popular gay hang-out. He’d even gone there when he was younger and enjoyed looking for a warm body to share some time with.

The yellow crime scene tape was already up when he got there. Jablonsky waved at him from the entrance of the alley. Ducking under the tape, he joined his partner who led him to where a body lay, covered with a sheet.

Bobby crouched and tugged the sheet back. The first thing he noticed was the jagged wound in the young man’s neck with what looked like teeth marks around the edges.

“Definitely has all the marks of our killer,” he said softly.

“That’s what I thought, and we know that little detail hasn’t been leaked yet.”

Jablonsky drummed his pen against his leg.

Time to look at the victim’s face. Bobby hated that part most of all. Studying the lifeless eyes and slack mouth depressed him, knowing that at one time, this boy really had been happy and full of life. Now he was dead in an alley, drained of blood and out of time.

“Holy fuck.”

“What?”

“I saw this kid earlier when I went to Thompson’s house. He was standing at the gate, told me he knew Thompson, and doubted the man did what the papers said he did.”

“No shit?” Jablonsky shook his head. “Here’s another thing for you. Mavis Vanderlist was last seen leaving
The Copa
on the night she was murdered.”

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

111

After shutting his apartment door, Bobby leaned against it for a moment with a sigh.

God, at times, his job really sucked.

“Bobby?” Nik called.

“Yeah.”

He toed off his shoes and shoved them to the side. He hung up his jacket and, as he loosened his tie, made his way into the living room where he found Nik curled up in his chair, the book they’d saved open on his lap.

Bobby strolled over, carefully put the book on the coffee table and swept Nik up into his arms. He embraced the slender man as he sat, settling Nik on his lap, burying his face in Nik’s dark curls. Nik’s familiar scent eased Bobby, almost like coming home did.

“I hate my job sometimes,” he muttered.

Nik rubbed his shoulders the best he could while keeping the book from falling off.

“Was it bad?”

“Not as bloody as the others, but he was just a kid.” He drew a shuddering breath. “In fact, it was the same kid we saw outside Thompson’s house before it burned.”

He caught Nik as the man jerked upright.

“You’re joking?”

Bobby rested his head on the back of the chair while watching Nik. “No, I’m not. You want another coincidence?”

When Nik nodded, Bobby pulled out some papers Jablonsky had handed him when they left the scene. Flipping through them, he found the right one and shuffled it to the top of the pile.

“Seems our other victim, Mavis Vanderlist, was last seen at
The
Copa
where the body was found.”

A frown marred Nik’s smooth forehead. “You said found. Don’t you think the kid was killed there?”

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

112

“No. First, I don’t think the kid was old enough to get into the club.” He waited until that sank in before continuing. “Second, there wasn’t any blood. The victim bled out somewhere else and got dumped in the alley.”

“If there’s no blood, why do you think it’s connected with the other killings?” Nik picked at his thumb.

Bobby grabbed Nik’s hands and held them, not wanting him to do any more damage to his poor thumb. “There were bite marks on the neck where the wound sliced through the jugular. It wasn’t nearly as messy as Thompson’s killings or even Vanderlist’s murder.”

“And that means what?”

“It means whoever killed Vanderlist murdered this kid. It’s all tied to that fucking wine and that sickening Knights society. I’m afraid what it also means is that the killer was not as overwhelmed by the blood lust like Thompson was. So he either knows what the wine is or does, or he isn’t drinking it nearly as fast as Thompson did.”

After climbing to his feet, Nik paced, his white knuckled grip on the book in his hands a sign of his agitation. Bobby tracked his lover’s movements from one end of the living room to the other.

“What’s wrong?”

Nik waved a hand at the journal in his hand. “I need to tell you what I found.”

Before Nik could continue, Bobby’s phone rang.

“Shit.” He flipped it open and answered. “There better not be another murder.”

“If there is, no one’s reported it yet.” Jablonsky laughed harshly. “I wanted to give you a heads up, buddy.”

“Why?” He stood, and headed towards his bedroom. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Ummm… I’m not sure, but having a crime scene burn down while you’re searching it might be considered wrong.”

“I didn’t start the damn fire. Whoever it was knew what we were going to find at Thompson’s house, Jablonsky, and I bet it was whoever killed that boy.”

He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, tossing it in the direction of his laundry basket. Off came his belt, then his pants, until he stood in his room wearing only his underwear.

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

113

“I don’t think the lieutenant can chew my ass too hard for that. Besides, we found something that might help us figure this whole mess out.” He hesitated.

His inner voice questioned whether he should tell Jablonsky about the journal, or wait until he heard what Nik had to say.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Bobby opened his closet and yanked out a pair of jeans.

“You think so? This case is fucking dynamite, Bobby. You better have more than you think so or else we’re going to explode. I don’t want to pick up the pieces of my career because you think so.” Jablonsky didn’t sound happy.

“Hey, I just found the evidence. I haven’t gotten a chance to go over it. Nik has though, and before you called me, he was going to tell me what he found in it. I should be able to tell you more tomorrow.”

Pulling on his jeans, he zipped them, but left them unbuttoned. He didn’t bother with a T-shirt. His apartment was warm enough. Scratching his chest, he wandered back out to the living room where Nik perched on the edge of the couch, tension in every line of his body.

“Fuck. Here comes the lieutenant and she doesn’t look happy. I’ll see you tomorrow when you’ll bring me up-to-date with what you’ve got.” Jablonsky hung up.

Bobby shut his phone and flopped onto the cushions beside Nik. He ran his hand down Nik’s spine, bringing it to a stop at the small of his lover’s back. Nik quivered and held out one of the reports Bobby had dropped when he went to change his clothes.

“Did you read this?”

Bobby took the paper and shook his head. “No. Jablonsky gave them to me right before I left the scene. Haven’t had time to read anything more than the report on Vanderlist’s last known whereabouts. What about it?”

“Just read it.”

“I will in a second.” Bobby set it on the coffee table before sliding his hand around the back of Nik’s head and bringing the man to him. “I want to kiss you hello.”

“Oh.” Nik breathed, his green eyes wide behind his glasses.

The first touch of Nik’s soft lips against his mouth brought a sigh from Bobby. Nik tasted perfect, like all of Bobby’s dreams come true. His anger and sadness at the young man’s death faded until all he could think of was the way Nik melted into his arms.

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

114

He wrapped his other arm around Nik’s waist, urging him to rest against his chest.

Nik buried his hands in Bobby’s hair, and tilted his head, letting the kiss go deeper. Their tongues teased and stroked. They sucked and nibbled.

It was the best welcome home Bobby had gotten in a long time and he decided he didn’t want to go back to not having anyone waiting for him. Yet he understood it wasn’t the right moment to tell Nik that. The middle of a gruesome murder investigation wasn’t the best place to confess he was falling in love.

Nik straddled his lap, rocking their groins together. Bobby’s moan got swallowed by Nik. It was going to get hot and heavy soon, but Bobby didn’t mind. There would be enough time to discuss the case later.

The phone began to ring
.

“Fuck.” Bobby swore softly and rested his forehead against Nik’s for a moment while he caught his breath.

“Your friends have bad timing,” Nik commented before climbing off him.

“Tell me about it.” He grabbed the phone and snarled as he brought it up to his ear.

“This had better be a fucking emergency.”

“When I’m done telling you, you might consider it one, Marks.” His lieutenant’s voice shot over the phone like a bullet.

“Sorry, Lieutenant.” He climbed to his feet and went to rest his ass on the dining room table, knowing if he didn’t get away from Nik, he wouldn’t be able to keep from touching him. It wasn’t good to grope your boyfriend while on the phone with your boss.

“Well, to tell you the truth, I feel like biting someone’s head off at the moment, so I know how you feel.” Her anger burned hot in her voice.

“What’s up?”

“I just got off the phone with the commissioner. The man is a pain in the ass and an arrogant bastard. No wonder he and the mayor get along so well.”

Something told Bobby he wasn’t going to like what the lieutenant had to tell him.

“And you talked about me?”

She snorted. “He yelled about you, and I tried to reason with him, but he’s got a hard-on for you, Marks, ever since the last Policeman’s Ball where you punched his kid.”

“How was I supposed to know that was his kid? All I saw was some guy kissing a girl who wasn’t happy about it. I intervened and the guy swung at me. I’m not going to let DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase

115

anyone hit me.” He frowned, remembering how angry the commissioner was to find his son unconscious and Bobby standing over him.

“I don’t care what the reason was. The commissioner wants you off this case. He says the fact you let the Thompson house burn down was a clear sign that you’re incompetent.

Oh, and the gall you have of even daring to investigate Mr. Vanderlist is monumental.

Vanderlist is an upstanding citizen who has lost his only child. Blah. Blah. Blah.”

Bobby swung around and slammed his fist into the wall. “Are you fucking kidding me? I didn’t allow the damn house to burn down. It was all I could do to save Nik and myself. And Vanderlist has a cigar box with the same seal that was on the wine bottle. How can he take me off the case?”

Nik studied him with a concerned expression, but stayed silent. Rage swelled in Bobby. He hit the wall again.
Fuck.
He might have pushed the boundaries in the pursuit of investigations, but never crossed any lines of propriety.

“He’s the commissioner. He can take anyone off any case he wants. Unfortunately, you must have upset Vanderlist and he talked to the commissioner. Vanderlist is a huge donor and you know, the commissioner is thinking about running for the senate next year.

He’s not going to run the risk of pissing the man off and losing his support.” The lieutenant growled under her breath. “I’m sorry, but I have to take you off this case.”

“Okay. I understand, Lieutenant. It makes me mad as hell, but I know you can’t do anything about it.” A thought hit him. “I think I should take some of my vacation time.”

“Now?” Suspicion coloured her voice.

“Why not? This case was the only one I was working at the moment. It’s time I relaxed a little.” He grinned at Nik. “Especially since I have something to fill my hours now.”

Nik ducked his head and blushed, drawing a silent chuckle from Bobby.

“Fill out the papers and have them on my desk tomorrow morning. I’ll approve it.

That way you’ll get paid.” A pause. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, Marks.”

“Just taking some vacation time before I lose it. You’re always on Jablonsky and me to take it.”

“Right. Just keep in touch with Jablonsky.”

He set the phone on the counter after the lieutenant hung up. Nik came up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

“I’m sorry.”

DRACUL’S BLOOD

Carol Lynne and T.A. Chase