68
Stormy Glenn
Danny rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands as he listened with rapt attention as Dominic recounted his time during the French Revolution. History was a whole lot different when he talked to someone that had lived during that time rather than what he read in his history books. Danny was fascinated.
Everything about Dominic fascinated him. The man was a walking, talking piece of history. He was also a sexy walking, talking piece of history. Add in the mystique surrounding being a vampire, and Danny knew he could become easily hooked.
He didn’t even want to think about how readily he responded to the vampire’s bite. That just made him nervous. Sure, Dominic was a stunning example of what a male should be, but Danny didn’t think he should respond so readily to a man he had just met, simply because of a bite, no matter how erotic he was.
“And then they shaved her head.”
“What?” Danny’s head snapped up. His face flushed as he realized he had tuned Dominic out and missed almost everything the man said. Oops. “They shaved her head?”
“Well, they didn’t really shave off her hair, just cut it. But it sure looked like it. She was driven through the streets of Paris to the Place de la Révolution, where she was executed.” Dominic shook his head.
“It was sad really. She wasn’t perfect, but I don’t think all the things they said about her were true.”
“She didn’t say, ‘Let them eat cake’?”
Dominic chuckled. “She might have, but I was referring to the rumors that were spread about her. Her trial was pretty much a sham, her fate decided before the trial even began. Hell, she was only given a single day to come up with her defense.”
Danny frowned. “That’s not what the history books say.”
“The history books are wrong.” Dominic wagged his finger at Danny. “History is often written by the victors, and they get to say whatever they want. Why do you think the myths about vampires are what they are? I mean come on. I’m supposed to be so fascinated by a
Blood Contract
69
handful of rice thrown on the ground at a crossroads that I’ll stop to count each one? Or I can’t cross running water?” Dominic snorted. “I was born in France.” He waved his hand around the room. “Does this look like France to you?”
Danny looked around the room. He took in the ornate marble fireplace, the French Baroque furniture, the colorful Persian rugs on the floor, and the old oil paintings on the wall. When he turned back to look at Dominic, he nodded.
“Yeah.” Danny laughed. “It does.”
Dominic stared for a moment then burst out laughing. “I suppose it does at that.”
Danny smiled at Dominic’s amusement.
“Much of this stuff came with me from France, and I picked up pieces here and there until I had enough to fill an entire mansion.
Being as old as I am does have its benefits.” Dominic glanced around.
“It reminds me of home.”
“I thought you said you were born a commoner.”
“I was. My father was a cordwainer.”
“What’s a cordwainer?” Danny had never heard that term.
“Someone who makes luxury shoes and boots out of the finest leathers.” Dominic sounded proud.
“Like a shoemaker or cobbler?”
“In a sense. In my time, a cobbler was someone who repaired shoes. A cordwainer was someone who made the shoes. Big difference.”
“So, your father made shoes then?”
“He did, and so did I until the revolution started, and then I became a soldier in the war.”
“How did you become a vampire?”
“I was born a vampire, Danny.”
Danny’s eyebrows shot up. “You were born a vampire? I thought you had to be turned.”
70
Stormy Glenn
“Only in Hollywood.” Dominic chuckled. “Remember what Sully said? Most vampires are born. However, there is a virus in our bloodstream that can transform someone into a vampire, but only if they have the vampire gene.”
“Vampire gene? What exactly is that? I didn’t really understand what Sully said.”
Dominic nodded. “Every vampire has it. It’s what makes us vampires. For humans, if they have the gene and are bitten by a vampire, it transforms them into a vampire. If they don’t have the gene, it doesn’t affect them.”
“And I don’t have the vampire gene?”
“No, you don’t.” Dominic shook his head. “Sully would have told me if you had the vampire gene.”
“Then why was he so freaked out over the idea that I might have drunk your blood?”
Dominic shrugged. “Sully freaks out over a lot of things.”