Be Still My Vampire Heart(82)

 

Katya slapped her.

 

The French vampire giggled. "Meow, hiss!" He curled his chubby white fingers to resemble claws. "I just adore a good catfight." He gazed at Emma fondly. "But she is special, zhis one, non? May I take a whip to her?"

 

"If we have time." Katya patted him on the arm. "Brouchard, we need to secure the prisoners before the sun rises."

 

"Ah, yes. But of course." Brouchard rubbed his plump white hands together. "Zhis is so exciting! It is not often that I have such honored guests." He laughed and waved his hand in the air. "Many visit my cellar, but very few leave."

 

He stepped closer to Emma. "Shall I tell you my darkest secret, how I lure my victims to their doom?"

 

"No."

 

He sneered. His pointed canine teeth looked yellow against his pasty white skin. "You are a fiery one, n'est-ce pas? I wager your blood runs hot." He leaned forward to sniff.

 

"Easy, Brouchard." Katya placed a hand on his shoulder. "I need her alive."

 

"Ah, yes." Brouchard stepped back. He flipped a lacy handkerchief from the pocket of his velvet dinner jacket and dabbed at his mouth. "She is a little present for Casimir. He will find her quite tasty."

 

Emma swallowed hard. She glanced at Angus. His eyes were following everyone's movements.

 

Brouchard strolled to a round table, topped with a pristine white tablecloth. Elegant china was set for two. "You see, my dear, when I invite zhe lovely young men and ladies to dinner, zhey come gladly to see my famous wine collection. Zhey never realize till it is too late zhatzhey are my dinner."

 

Creepy little serial killer. Emma kept her face blank to hide her disgust.

 

"I am a gentleman." Brouchard sauntered down a row of racks, running his pasty fingers over the wine bottles. "I always allow my guests to choose the wine. Once zhey have enjoyed zheir fill, I take… my fill." He patted his plump belly and giggled. "I have a big appetite for life, non?"

 

"Enough, Brouchard." Katya yawned. "The sun is rising."

 

"Yes, yes. I have coffins zhis way." Brouchard scurried past several rows of bottles.

 

"And zhere is a storeroom where we can lock up zhe prisoners."

 

Alek pulled Emma along with him. Uri hefted Angus over his shoulder and followed them.

 

"Here are zhe coffins." Brouchard waved a hand toward a line of eight coffins. "Zhey are very nice, non? But you do not need so many now. Only zhree of you came." He looked at Emma and giggled. "Naughty girl. Are you sure I cannot whip her?"

 

"Later," Katya said. "Where's the storeroom?"

 

"Here." Brouchard shoved a tapestry on the wall to the side and revealed an old wooden door. He unlocked it with a skeleton key, and it opened with a loud creak. "Spooky inside, non?"

 

He laughed as he removed a candle from a nearby sconce. "I will show you zhe room."

 

He strolled inside. "It is perfect, n'est-ce pas? Zhere is no way out."

 

Uri walked in and dumped Angus on the floor.

 

Brouchard snickered. "He is a big one." He nudged Angus's kilt up with his foot. "A pity you can only stay one night."

 

"Leave him alone, you pervert," Emma muttered as Alek hauled her into the room.

 

"Shut up." Alek yanked her arms back. "I need some rope to tie her."

 

"But of course." Brouchard exited the room, but Emma could still hear him. "You will tell Casimir I was very helpful, yes?"

 

"Of course," Katya assured him. "You do have a mortal guard for the daytime, don't you?"

 

"Ah, yes. Hubert." The way Brouchard pronounced his guard's name, it sounded like Oo-bear. He minced back into the storeroom and handed Alek some drapery cords. "Will zhese do?"

 

"Yes." Alek tied Emma's wrists together behind her back.

 

"Take her tote bag," Katya reminded him.

 

Emma cursed silently as Alek cut her bag off with his knife. There went her cell phone and stakes.

 

Brouchard giggled. "You have made her angry." He patted her on the cheek. "You must behave during zhe day, ch. Do not make my dear Hubert angry. He can be very cruel."

 

Emma pulled away from Brouchard's chubby hand. "Then maybe you should whip him."

 

Brouchard yawned. "Oh, but I have. No doubt, it is why zhe poor brute is so foul-tempered. Poor Hubert."

 

Alek shoved Emma onto the floor next to Angus. "If you try to escape, Hubert will kill you both."