“Come in.” He gathered all the confidence he could muster. He couldn’t let anyone here see this moment of weakness. It was unwise and even dangerous, especially around Malachi and the others. He could fool mortals a lot easier than vampires.
Ian came into the office. For a moment he said nothing at all. He just stared at Dorian with sad eyes.
“Yes Ian. What is it?” Dorian snapped.
“May I speak candidly with you, Dorian?”
“Mr. Taylor,” Dorian interrupted. “When you’re in my office you’re to address me as Mr. Taylor.”
Ian moved a few steps back. He looked confused.
“Yes, Mr. Taylor,” Ian replied quietly. “It’s just that, the Dorian Taylor I know never backs down from a challenge . . .”
“Before you go any further, you’d be wise to remember who you’re taking to, Ian. Never forget what I am.” Dorian made sure his voice sounded as cold as possible. His icy blue eyes sparkled with preternatural light, the blood circled around the inside of his eyelids, and his teeth grew.
These things he could do at will. Controlling them was another matter. That was harder and he’d done everything in his power to make sure Jennifer had never seen him like that. “If you’ve come to discuss Ms. Reese, don’t bother. That subject is closed. I’m done with her.”
“I see.” Ian looked down at the floor.
Dorian knew there was a good possibility that his office was bugged. Malachi was not about to let Dorian get away from him. It wasn’t safe to speak with Ian here. He opened a folder on his desk and began writing at a frantic pace.
“I suggest you concentrate on what you get paid for. Do your job.” Dorian closed the folder and handed it to Ian.
“That’s the final specs for the software project. Charlie found the glitch. I double checked his work and just signed off on it. Have the proposal prepared and on my desk by tomorrow evening. Put everything else aside and work on this. I have a meeting with Global International first thing next week. If there’s nothing else, we both have a work to do.” Dorian’s tone was dismissive.
Now he’d wait for Ian to read what he’d wrote inside that folder. He’d apologized for treating the man so poorly and told him to meet him at the bomb shelter tomorrow evening at 7:00 pm. That was his safe place; the only haven he knew was free from prying eyes and ears. Malachi didn’t rise until late, as he had for centuries
, which would give him and Ian time to talk.
Later that night, Malachi strolled into his office and demanded Dorian go hunting with him.
The fiend loved to prowl the more seedy areas of Miami. Dorian hadn’t hunted in years. There was no need for it anymore. It wasn’t like the old days when it had been necessary. The blood banks were easy targets for them and provided them with a never ending supply of blood.
The two moved swiftly through the main streets where prostitutes strolled in large numbers. The pimps, drug dealers, murderers and other criminals were ripe for the picking.
Dorian stood to the side, watching as Malachi lured his victims in. He killed two prostitutes that night. He led each into an alley by promising them a lot of money in exchange for their services.
To them it probably seemed like a win/win situation. Malachi was enchantingly handsome. Most women wanted him and they’d get paid for doing with him what they probably would’ve done for free.
He pushed them up against the dirty alley wall and pounded into them mercilessly. They were so enraptured by him they didn’t seem to notice when his teeth pierced the skin on their neck. He drained them of all their blood. Their lifeless bodies slumped to the ground. He waved his hand over the bite-marks and they completed vanished. No-one would ever know a vampire had killed them. Life on the streets was dangerous in Miami. The police would surely conclude they’d been murdered by a john, a pimp or even a random killer.
“Ah, Dorian,” he sighed. “You’ve missed out on a meal fit for a king. Why don’t you do what comes natural for you to do?” Malachi mocked him. “Or do you think you’re better than me?
Because you’re not. You’re a killer, same as I, whether you indulge or not.”
“I know I’m no better than you
, Malachi. I just don’t find it necessary to kill.”
“Necessity has little to do with it. I
enjoy
killing. I’ve taken very little from the world with the death of these two mortal whores. Who will mourn them? Not I, not you. Their deaths are of no consequence to us.”
Malachi’s eyes glittered in the dark alley. Within seconds he was in front of Dorian. Fiercely, he grabbed the sides of his head and kissed him full on the mouth. Releasing him, he pushed him away and laughed sarcastically.
And to think, I loved him once
, Dorian thought, utterly repelled by the kiss and by him. He said nothing, nor did he move. Throwing a mental veil over his thoughts, he maintained a demeanor of total detachment. He was sickened by Malachi’s needless kills, yet he couldn’t protest or let him see how he felt about it.
He spent the night with Malachi, seeing him through new eyes now. Jennifer had shown him the kind of love he needed, the unconditionally pure kind of love he’d craved but didn’t know it until he’d lain in her arms. He knew he loved her so deeply; he’d lay down his very life for her without hesitation.
***
The next evening when Dorian arose, Ian was waiting for him. He sat stoically in one of the arm chairs. Other than Dorian, Ian had the only set of keys to the bomb shelter.
“Good evening, Mr. Taylor,” he said respectfully.
“Dorian. You need only call me Mr. Taylor at the office. There may be others watching us and we need to be careful now.”
“Now, may I speak candidly with you, Dorian?” Ian’s tone was s
olemn.
“You may. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Ian hesitated as if he were gathering his thoughts. “Frankly, I’m shocked that you’d back down from Malachi and the others. The Dorian Taylor I know never backs down from a challenge, and
always
wins. I’ve never seen you fail at anything you put your mind to.”
Dorian stared hard at Ian. “So you know about the others? I’m not protecting myself from them, I’m protecting Jennifer. Malachi will kill her if I don’t stay away. You have no idea how vicious he and the others are. They’re brutal killers. Not that I’m much better.”
“But you
are
better. You’re a good and decent man even if you are a vampire. You’ve been able to do something they haven’t; keep your humanity. And they envy you and perhaps even hate you for it. Maybe the others were evil while they were alive. I don’t know. But I do know you were not.”
“How do you know all this Ian? Do you know your own life is in danger just because you’re my assistant?”
“I know because I watch what goes on and I know you. And Shane tells me things. I don’t worry about being in danger. I believe with all my heart that you’d do everything in your power to protect me. As for Shane, he’s terrified of Malachi but of course, he signed the non-disclosure and there’s no way out for him. That is, unless we help him.”
“And Jennifer? What are your thoughts about her?”
Ian looked Dorian right in the eye. “I think you should fight for her.”
Dorian glanced away. “She hates me,” he whispered.
“She doesn’t hate you. She’s hurt and angry, but she loves you. And you love her.”
“It’s not that simple,” Dorian said.
“It
is
that simple. You don’t belong here. You belong with
her
and you know it.”
“I love her more than anything in this world. I can’t just turn off a switch and stop, but what choice do I have?”
“Love is clouding your judgment Dorian. Work the problem just like you always do. For Christ sakes you’re a genius! Look at how much you’ve accomplished in life. I’ll help you in any way I can.”
“Why would you put your life on the line for me
, Ian?”
“Because I trust you
, and . . . I’ve never seen you happy, that is, until she came into your life. You
deserve
to be happy and yet, you tell yourself you don’t because of the things you’ve done in the past. You think you have to suffer forever. Few people ever meet their true soul mate. I believe you’ve met yours. I guess I’m a hopeless romantic at heart.” He smiled that disarming smile of his.
“And when she finds out what I really am? I can’t keep i
t from her forever. I’ll have to tell her the truth eventually. She’ll think me a monster and she’d be right.”
“She loves you with all her heart, Dorian. You know she does. She’ll be shocked at first, but I think she’d accept you for who and what you are no matter what. She knows you’re keeping something from her, that you have a huge secret. She’s mentioned it to Julie many times.”
“Not a secret like this,” Dorian whispered.
Ian got up and paused before speaking. “I have an idea. It’s going to require a lot of planning but I think we can pull it off.”
“Oh?” Dorian’s interest was piqued.
“I say we kill them all.”
“And just how do we do that, Ian?”
“We get them all in one place and blow them off the fucking planet with blocks of C-4 explosives.”
Dorian felt hopeful for the first time in days. “Interesting idea. Where did you come up with that?”
Ian shrugged and smiled. “I never miss an episode of
Burn Notice
.”
“I like it. It’s bloody brilliant. Why didn’t I think of it?”
“Because you’re in love, that’s why. You can’t see past her. You’ll have to take your emotions out of the equation and together, we will do this thing.”
Dorian thought about it before answering. “Yes we will. I’ll start working out the logistics tonight. Meet me here tomorrow night at the same time. It’ll take a few weeks to get everything in place. This must be done right. You cannot speak of what has passed between us tonight to anyone, not even Julie. Give me your word.” Dorian extended his hand to Ian.
Ian took Dorian’s outstretched hand. The two men shook on it. For some reason, Dorian trusted Ian’s word more than Malachi’s. He had a sinking feeling that Malachi planned to kill Jennifer anyway. The only question was when.
“Ian, make sure the men you hired to watch Jennifer continue to do so. We need to keep her safe until we kill every last fucking one of them.”
Chapter 30
It had been almost two weeks since Dorian Taylor had unceremoniously dumped her. She’d barely eaten except when Julie, Mary-Lou and Suzanne came over and forced her to. The nights were unbearably lonely and her mind went over every single thing they’d said and done with one another. She couldn’t find any reason for what he’d done to her, unless he was an incredibly talented liar.
The DVD, all she had left of him, lay half in and out of the player. She’d tried to watch it, but never got past the first minute or so without breaking down and crying. What was the point of looking at his beautiful face when she couldn’t have him? It was too painful.
She forced herself to start thinking about her future. She should get a job. It might take her mind off him.
Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll never stop thinking of him as long as I live, never stop wanting him.
He was a part of her very being now
. How can I forget him? I know I’ll never love like that again.
She’d met with the landlord that morning to find out how long the lease on the apartment was. The woman told her it was a two year lease and Mr. Taylor had paid for the entire period. Two years. Was that what she was worth to him? Did he have women all over Miami, perhaps even the world living in apartments he’d paid for? The thought made her feel downright dirty.
Julie was taking her to lunch today. She’d been a wonderful friend through it all. Her cousin, Tina had called from Maine to check in during the week. Jennifer hadn’t told her about the break up. She couldn’t bear to go over it again and hear the sympathy in her voice.
Jen knew Julie wouldn’t talk about Dorian unless she brought it up. She listened and provided her a shoulder to cry on. Although she and Julie were very different, they’d become best friends.
She heard Julie beep, grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
A wave of dizziness swept over her. “What the hell?” she mumbled, holding onto the door frame to steady herself. It passed in a minute or so. She chalked it up to stress and went down to meet Julie, glancing at the Mercedes still parked exactly where she’d left it. She hadn’t driven it in a while and never would. She’d talk to Julie today about having Ian remove it and give it back to Dorian.