vampire for hire 02.5 - vampire nights

VAMPIRE FOR HIRE:

The Short Stories

Teeth

Vampire Nights

Vampire Blues

(Plus Bonus Material)

by

J.R. RAIN

Acclaim for the novels of J.R. Rain:

“Be prepared to lose sleep!”

—
James Rollins
, international bestselling author of
The Devil Colony

“I love this!”

—
Piers Anthony
, bestselling author of
Xanth

“
Dark Horse
is the best book I’ve read in a long time!”

—
Gemma Halliday
, award-winning author of
Spying in High Heels

“
Moon Dance
is absolutely brilliant!”

—
Lisa Tenzin-Dolma
, author of
Understanding the Planetary Myths

“Powerful stuff!”

—
Aiden James
, author of
Plague of Coins

“
Moon Dance
is a must read. If you like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, be prepared to love J.R. Rain’s Samantha Moon, vampire private investigator.”

—
Eve Paludan
, author of
Letters from David

“Impossible to put down. J.R. Rain’s
Moon Dance
is a fabulous urban fantasy replete with multifarious and unusual characters, a perfectly synchronized plot, vibrant dialogue and sterling witticism all wrapped in a voice that is as beautiful as it is rich and vividly intense as it is relaxed.”

—
April Vine
, author of
The Midnight Rose

OTHER BOOKS BY J.R. RAIN

The Lost Ark

The Body Departed

Elvis Has Not Left the Building

Silent Echo (coming soon)

All the Way Back Home (coming soon)

A Small Sea Rises (coming soon)

VAMPIRE FOR HIRE SERIES

Moon Dance

Vampire Moon

American Vampire

Moon Child

Christmas Moon

Vampire Dawn

Vampire Games

Moon Island (coming soon)

SAMANTHA MOON SHORT STORIES

Teeth

Vampire Nights

Vampires Blues

Vampire Dreams

THE JIM KNIGHTHORSE SERIES

Dark Horse

The Mummy Case

Hail Mary

Clean Slate (coming soon)

THE SPINOZA SERIES

The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo

The Vampire Who Played Dead

The Vampire in the Iron Mask

THE GRAIL QUEST TRILOGY

Arthur

Merlin (coming soon)

Lancelot (coming soon)

WITH PIERS ANTHONY

Aladdin Relighted

Aladdin Sins Bad

Aladdin and the Flying Dutchman

Aladdin’s Odyssey (coming soon)

Dragon Assassin (coming soon)

WITH SCOTT NICHOLSON

Cursed!

Ghost College

The Vampire Club

Bad Blood (also with H.T. Night)

Spider Web

WITH AIDEN JAMES

Temple of the Jaguar

OTHER SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

The Bleeder and Other Stories

Vampires Rain and Other Stories

SCREENPLAYS

Judas Silver

Lost Eden

AS EDITOR

Ghost Soldier

Ghost Fire

Ghost Hall

Ghost Tattoo

Ghost Town

NON-FICTION

The Rain Interviews

Vampire for Hire: The Short Stories

Published by J.R. Rain

Copyright © 2012 by J.R. Rain

All rights reserved.

Ebook Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to your favorite ebookseller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Teeth

Vampire Nights

Vampire Blues

Deleted Scene #1

(from
Vampire Moon
)

Deleted Scene #2

(from
Vampire Moon
)

Moon Dance: Rap Sheet

Reading Samples

About the Author

Teeth: Fang’s Story

A “Vampire for Hire” Short Story

The defense attorney circled the witness box and studied the killer. The young man, with his head bowed and hands clasped loosely before him, looked as if he were in a confessional. The attorney nearly chuckled at the image.

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sucked my girlfriend dry.”

He stopped circling and now stood directly in front of his client. As usual, the young man ignored him and stared down into his lap.

Remember, Aaron,
thought the attorney.
Your fate rests with me. I’m your friend here, not the enemy.

The crowd was silent; so silent, in fact, that the attorney actually heard a pen drop, clattering loudly on the polished tiles. The lawyer, however, was not so delusional as to believe that those in the courtroom were holding their collective breaths and waiting for him. Indeed, he knew they were spellbound by the young man. The killer. Hell, the whole damn world seemed spellbound by the young man, whom the pressed had dubbed the American Vampire.

The attorney removed his glasses dramatically—he always removed them dramatically—and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. After all, this was his big moment, too. This case would make his career.

“Aaron, you have been found guilty for the murder of Annie Hox. Now a new jury must decide your punishment. In particular, they will decide if you are worth more alive than dead. The ball is in your court, Aaron.”

The young man continued staring down at his hands, almost petulantly, like a scolded kid.

A hell of a scolding,
thought the attorney.

Aaron Parker had always been a quiet young man, the very definition of introverted. Long ago he had learned never to trust anyone, especially not to open up to anyone. Now, sitting here for all the world to see in the witness box, he felt uneasy at best. The uncomfortable chair didn’t help, either.

As Aaron shifted again, the lead defender paused in front of him, smelling of expensive cologne and looking, if anything, like he was enjoying himself. Aaron hated him. Aaron hated most people, but he especially hated his own attorney. The polished man looked like the older version of all the kids in school who had made fun of him. All the good-looking kids who had it good and easy.

Aaron never had it easy. Ever.

And so he hated the man, just like he hated all the others.

Despite himself, Aaron inhaled deeply, drawing in the man’s cologne. Aaron always had a thing for scents and smells. In fact, he often thought of all his senses as being highly attuned. Especially his sense of taste.

He looked past his attorney, his small darting eyes finding the faces of those sitting in the courtroom beyond. Hundreds of faces, belonging to everyone from family members and friends, to the media and the damn curious. Expressions ranging from revulsion to amusement to horror. And all were staring at him. Everyone one of them.

Just another freak show,
he thought.

As he gazed at the crowd, as he watched those watching him, he did what he always did, what many in the crowd had noticed throughout the course of this outrageous trial:

He opened his mouth, just a little, and the tip of his tongue poked out as he unconsciously ran it back and forth along his upper incisors. He did this for perhaps ten seconds—

And then he opened his mouth a little more, as he always did. Now his roaming tongue stopped at his massive canines—teeth that projected down from his upper jaw like mighty ivory stalagmites—

Wet, gleaming tongue sliding down one of the freakishly long stalagmites—the right one, in fact—down, down this massive fang, stopping finally at the tip. There it paused, and, like an elephant’s curious trunk, gently tapped the tip of the tooth. Tapped it hesitantly, as if testing it. Tapped it carefully, as if fearful of it. Tapped it again and again and again....

“Aaron, can you please recount for the court the events that led to the killing of Annie Hox?”

The long tongue retracted like a frightened turtle and his lips slammed shut and the young man turned his attention away from a frowning older woman sitting in the second row—a woman who seemed to be staring at him almost sideways, as if afraid to look the devil in the eye. Aaron Parker settled his gaze onto the smooth-shaven face of the defense attorney.

“Where would you like me to begin?” Aaron asked shyly, speaking in such a way that his lips barely moved, a way that completely concealed his teeth.

“At the beginning,” said the attorney.

“The beginning...was a long time ago,” said Aaron.

“Remember, Aaron, this is a new jury. They haven’t heard your case.”

The young man chuckled softly. “All they had to do was turn on the TV.”

“Please, Aaron, just tell us your story.”

The young man inhaled deeply and motioned vaguely to his mouth. He said, “I suppose it all started when they grew in.”

“
They
, Aaron?”

“My teeth, of course.”

“Thank you, Aaron, now will you please display your teeth to the jury?”

Aaron felt his pulse quicken. He was always aware of his own pulse. Vigilantly aware. And it quickened now because showing his teeth went against his every instinct. Showing his teeth inspired questions. Showing his teeth induced ridicule. Showing his teeth had often gotten him beat up, and worse.

“Please, Aaron, this is important.”

Dance for us, monkey boy,
thought Aaron.

Not wanting to see their reactions, he closed his eyes and turned his face toward the jury box. And opened his mouth. He might not have seen their faces, but he heard the gasps. And he heard their fervent whisperings.

I am more than my teeth.

“That’s quite enough, Aaron,” said his attorney. “Thank you.”

Now they know you’re a freak,
thought Aaron.

Yeah? So what else is new?

He closed his mouth and slumped back in the chair, trying unsuccessfully to hide, and found himself staring up once again at the defense attorney. The man was indeed good-looking: muscular neck, strong jaw, square shoulders. Aaron went back to his clean-shaven neck, which was roped with thick muscle. And he kept on looking, searching really....

Ah, there it is.

The man’s jugular vein, pulsing steadily, strongly. Aaron’s stomach growled. Loudly.

The attorney heard the young man’s stomach growl, saw the laser-focused intent in the young man’s eyes. He paused in mid-pace.