Ripper(25)

They also have the most organized, powerful central system of government in the supernatural world. The Vampire Council rules the supernaturals with an iron fist. I’d heard vague rumors that there had been a change at the top of the Council, but trust me, they’re still the same assholes, different faces. If Joanne Taylor was killed by a vampire it would be hard for me to prove it and even harder to bring him to justice. The Council protects their own.

I sighed and settled in because I wasn’t going to let some group of old, and I mean old, politicians stop me from finding out the truth. I pulled out my camera and concentrated on the front of the building. I took a bunch of pictures, getting the lay of the land, so to speak. The first limo arrived shortly after full dark and contained a group of females. It surprised me because I had understood that the women who worked in the vampire clubs tended to live there. They were slaves. These women didn’t look like slaves, but they were dressed in heels and short dresses and ready to party. Their clothes reminded me of the dresses Liv found in the back of Joanne’s closet. I made sure I got close-ups of the girls as they headed into the building. A big guy opened the door and I caught the briefest glimpse of a blonde-haired woman greeting the girls.

I twisted the cap off beer number two and my body was finally relaxing after a day of tormenting me. I shifted on my knees and decided that I would put a pillow in the back of the Jeep for times like this. My knees were hurting from kneeling on the hard concrete, but I didn’t want to stand up. Even though I was a long way from the club, vampires have damn fine senses, and I didn’t want to get caught.

A Mercedes pulled up and the big guy was moving quickly to get to that car. He hauled ass to open the door for the dark-haired man who tossed his keys at him. I snapped off a few quick photos before really studying the vampire through the lens. I engaged the zoom and got my first good look at a vampire who didn’t play games with my brother.

He wasn’t the tallest man I’d seen, but he was powerfully built. His eyes were gray and seemed extremely cold to me. His hair was brown and slicked back. He wore a tailored suit and black tie. The male radiated superiority to everyone around him. He breathed in the night air and I felt the air of anticipation from him even across the block and five floors up. He was hungry and he wanted blood.

The vampire took the steps two at a time in his eagerness to get to the door. The thin, blonde woman was waiting to greet him. She nodded formally as he entered the house and she closed the door behind him.

I sat back on my heels. He’d given me the serious creeps and I hadn’t even seen the dude’s fangs. I made a mental note to buy a crossbow at the earliest given opportunity. I was taking another swig of my rapidly warming beer when every single one of my instincts went on full alert.

I can’t properly describe it, but it’s never steered me wrong. I know when I’m no longer alone. I slowly put the beer down and reached into my bag, carefully palming my .38. I closed my eyes and opened my ears. Whoever was coming for me was making their way up the ramp from the lower levels. The sound was somewhat slow. There was something impatient about the brisk thuds. Whoever it was, they weren’t really trying to hide their progress, but that didn’t mean they weren’t dangerous. I pulled myself up onto the cement column, making sure my sneakers were hidden from view. I had to let one foot dangle off the ledge to make sure no one could see where I was hiding. I pulled the .38 close to my chest and made sure the safety was off. I closed my eyes and listened. The sound was getting closer and closer, the click clack getting more and more pissed off as it made its way up the ramps. I was beginning to suspect who was after me, but I couldn’t be sure until I had visual recognition. Even with my suspicion, I intended to give whoever was coming up that ramp a reason to reconsider.

“Damn it,” I heard a feminine voice say. The female sighed and started up the ramp to go to the top floor of the parking garage when she stopped and turned. I smiled. She’d seen my stuff on the floor of the garage, but she still hadn’t seen me.

“Kelsey?” Liv asked hesitantly. “Are you here?”

I leapt from my hiding place and had her perfectly in my sights before she had a chance to breathe.

“Holy shit!” Liv screamed and jumped back at least two feet before landing on her ass.

I grinned down at her. “You were looking for me?”

“Bitch!” she breathed, her eyes wide. “I hate it when you do that.”

I have to admit I enjoyed the way she had to catch her breath and clutched her chest, like she could stop her heart from racing. “Then don’t try to sneak up on me.”