Dead Reckoning(101)

Maxwell apparently heard a knock at the back door, inaudible to my human ears. He jetted away and returned to tell Eric that Bill and Bubba had arrived. They were staying in the office until the moment came.

Very soon after that, I heard cars pull in front of the club.

“Showtime,” Pam said, and for the first time that evening she smiled.





Chapter 15




Luis and Antonio came in first. They were clearly wary. It was like watching a cop show on television; they came inside in a rush, immediately separating to flank the door. I almost smiled, and Immanuel actually grinned, which was not a good idea. Luckily, humans are the last creatures vampires will worry about when they’re anticipating trouble. The two handsome vamps, clad in jeans and T-shirts instead of leather loincloths, quickly searched the club, checking out places other vampires could hide. It would have been a severe breach of etiquette to demand body searches, but you could tell they were eyeballing each local vampire for guns or stakes. Maxwell had to give up his gun, which he did without a second’s protest. He’d expected it.

After a thorough scan of the premises and a bow to Eric, Luis stuck his head out to give the all-clear.

The rest of Victor’s entourage entered in order of expendability: the married human couple he’d been with at Vampire’s Kiss (Mark and Mindy), two young vampires whose names I never learned, Ana Lyudmila (who looked much better out of her fantasy bondage gear), and a vampire I’d never seen, an Asian guy with ivory skin and jetblack hair pulled up on his head in a complicated knot. He would have looked great in traditional clothes, but instead he wore jeans and a black vest, no shirt or shoes.

“Akiro,” Heidi said in an awed whisper. She’d eased closer to me, and the tension had crept into her, too.

“You know him from Nevada?”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “I didn’t know Victor had called for him. He’s finally replaced Bruno — and Corinna, too. That’s how good Akiro’s reputation is.”

Since he was now officially second-in-command, it was okay for Akiro to be openly armed. He was carrying a sword, like one other Asian vampire I’d met. (Come to think of it, she’d been a bodyguard, too.) Akiro stood in the center of the room, conscious of all the eyes on him, his face cold and hard, and his eyes relentless.

And then Victor made his entrance, resplendent in a white threepiece suit.

“Good God almighty,” I said blankly, not daring to meet anyone’s eyes. Victor’s dark curls were carefully arranged, and his pierced ear sported a big gold hoop earring. His shoes were beautifully black. Victor was a trip. It almost seemed a shame to try to destroy all that beauty, and I wished he weren’t so determined to ruin our lives. I set my purse on the bar and unzipped it so I’d have quick access. Immanuel slid off his stool and moved away to the wall, his eyes fixed on the newcomers. Heidi took his place while Victor and his party moved farther into the club.

Though my eyes were fixed on Victor, I felt obliged to speak to Heidi, since I felt she’d perched beside me for a reason. “How’s your son?” I asked, like you do, when you know someone had a loved one.

“Eric has offered to let me bring him here,” Heidi said, carefully keeping her eyes on the visitors.

“That’s very good news,” I said, and I meant it. One more on our side.

In the meantime, the reception was moving slowly forward.

“Victor,” Eric said. He moved front and center, a careful two yards away from the regent. He was smart enough not to give Victor a fulsome welcome, since that would be a huge tip that something bad was about to come down. “Welcome to Fangtasia. We’re glad to have the chance to entertain you.” Eric bowed. Akiro’s face remained blank, as if Eric weren’t there.

Still standing and flanked by Luis and Antonio, Victor inclined his curly head. “Sheriff, I present my new right hand, Akiro,” he said with his flashing smile. “Akiro recently agreed to relocate from Nevada to Louisiana.”

Eric said, “I welcome such a well-known vampire as Akiro to Louisiana. I’m sure you’ll be a great addition to the regent’s staff.” Eric could give impassive as well as the next vampire.

Akiro had to acknowledge the greeting of a sheriff, who was higher on the food chain, but you could tell he didn’t want to. His bow was a millimeter too shallow.

Vampires.

Great, I thought, very put out. Finally, Victor replaces his lieutenant and his best fighter. Just at this moment. “I guess this Akiro is a pretty good fighter, huh?” I whispered to Heidi.

“You could say that,” Heidi said dryly, and she drifted forward to greet her regent. All Eric’s vampires had to take turns offering obeisance. Jock, the newest member of Eric’s staff, was last in line. You could tell he was ready to kiss Victor’s ass if he got half a chance.