Guilty Pleasures

“How do I know you’re not just telling me that?” I asked.

“You will just have to trust me.”

Now that was almost fu

She pulled my wrist closer to her body and me with it. Her hand was like fleshy steel. I couldn’t pry her hand off, not with anything short of a blowtorch. And I was all out of blowtorches.

The top of her head fitted under my chin. She had to rise on tiptoe to breathe on my neck. It should have ruined the menace. It didn’t. Soft lips touched my neck. I jerked. She laughed against my skin, face pressed against me. I shivered and couldn’t stop.

“I promise to be gentle.” She laughed again, and I fought an urge to shove her away. I would have given almost anything to hit her, just once, hard. But I didn’t want to die tonight. Besides, I’d made a deal.

“Poor darling, you’re shaking.” She laid a hand on my shoulder to steady herself. She brushed lips along the hollow of my neck. “Are you cold?”

“Cut the crap. Just do it!”

She stiffened against me. “Don’t you want me to touch you?”

“No,” I said. Was she crazy? Rhetorical question.

Her voice was very still. “Where is the scar on my face?”

I answered without thinking. “Near your mouth.”

“And how,” she hissed, “did you know that?”

My heart leaped into my throat. Oops. I had let her know her mind tricks weren’t working, and they should have been.

Her hand dug into my shoulder. I made a small sound, but I didn’t cry out. “What have you been doing, animator?”

I didn’t have the faintest idea. Somehow, I doubted she’d believe that.

“Leave her alone!” Phillip came half-ru

Nikolaos didn’t even turn around. “Willie.” Just his name, but like all good servants he knew what was wanted.

He stepped in front of Phillip, one arm straight out from his body. He was going to stiff-arm him. Phillip sidestepped the arm brushing past.

Willie never had been much of a fighter. Strength wasn’t enough if you had shit for balance.

Nikolaos touched my chin and turned my face back to hers. “Do not force me to hold your attention, animator. You wouldn’t like the methods I would choose.”

I swallowed audibly. She was probably right. “You have my full attention, honest.” My voice came out as a hoarse whisper, fear squeezing it down. If I coughed to clear it, I’d cough in her face. Not a good idea.

I heard the rush of feet swishing through the grass. I fought the urge to look up and away from the vampire.

Nikolaos spun from me to face the footsteps. I saw her move, but it was still blurring speed. She was just suddenly facing the other way. Phillip was standing in front of her. Willie caught up to him and grabbed an arm, but didn’t seem to know what to do with it.

Would it occur to Willie that he could just crush the man’s arm? I doubted it.

It had occurred to Nikolaos. “Release him. If he wants to keep coming, let him.” Her voice promised a great deal of pain.

Willie stepped back. Phillip just stood there, staring past her at me. “Are you all right, Anita?”

“Go back inside, Phillip. I appreciate the concern, but I made a bargain. She isn’t going to bite me.”

He shook his head. “You promised she wouldn’t be harmed. “You promised.” He was talking to Nikolaos again, carefully not looking directly at her.

“And so she shall not be harmed. I keep my word, Phillip, most of the time.”

“I’m all right, Phillip. Don’t get hurt because of me,” I said.

His face crumbled with confusion. He didn’t seem to know what to do. His courage seemed to have spilled out on the grass.

But he didn’t back off. Big point for him. I would have backed off, maybe. Probably. Oh, hell, Phillip was being brave, and I didn’t want to see him die because of it.

“Just go back, Phillip, please!”

“No,” Nikolaos said. “If the little man is feeling brave, let him try.”

Phillip’s hands flexed, as if trying to grab on to something.

Nikolaos was suddenly beside him. I hadn’t seen her move. Phillip still hadn’t. He was staring where she had been. She kicked his legs out from under him. He fell to the grass, blinking up at her like she’d just appeared.

“Don’t hurt him!” I said.

A pale little hand shot out, the barest touch. His whole body jerked backwards. He rolled on one side, blood staining his face.

“Nikolaos, please!” I said. I had actually taken two steps towards her. Voluntarily. I could always try for my gun. It wouldn’t kill her, but it might give Phillip time to run away. If he would run.

Screams sounded from the direction of the house. A man’s voice yelled, “Perverts!”

“What is it?” I asked.

Nikolaos answered, “The Church of Eternal Life has sent its congregation.” She sounded mildly amused. “I must leave this little get-together.” She whirled to me, leaving Phillip dazed on the grass. “How did you see my scar?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Little liar. We will finish this later.” And she was gone, ru

I knelt by Phillip. He was bleeding where she had hit him. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes.” He managed to sit up. “We have to get out of here. The churchgoers are always armed.”

I helped him to stand. “Do they invade the freak parties often?”

“Whenever they can,” he said.

He seemed steady on his feet. Good, I could never have carried him far.

Willie said, “I know I don’t have a right to ask, but I’ll help you get to your car.” He wiped his hands down his pants. “Can I catch a ride?”

I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Can’t you just disappear like the rest of them?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know how yet.”

“Oh, Willie.” I sighed. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

He gri

There were screams from the house. “Somebody’s go

He was right. I’d never be able to explain it. I grabbed Phillip’s hand and steadied myself while I put the high heels back on. “If I’d known we’d be ru

I kept a grip on Phillip’s arm to steady myself through the minefield of acorns. This was not the time to twist an ankle.

We were almost to the gravel drive when three figures spilled out of the house. One held a club. The others were vampires. They didn’t need a weapon. I opened my purse and got my gun out, held down at my side, hidden against my skirt. I gave Phillip the car keys. “Start the car; I’ll cover our backs.”

“I don’t know how to drive,” he said.

I had forgotten. “Shit!”

“I’ll do it.” Willie took the keys, and I let him.

One of the vampires rushed us, arms wide, hissing. Maybe he meant to scare us; maybe he meant to do us harm. I’d had enough for one night. I clicked off the safety, chambered a round and fired into the ground at his feet.

He hesitated, almost stumbled. “Bullets can’t hurt me, human.”

There was more movement under the trees. I didn’t know if it was friend or foe, or if it made a hell of a lot of difference. The vampire kept coming. It was a residential neighborhood. Bullets can travel a great distance before they hit something. I couldn’t take the chance.

I raised my arm, aimed, and fired. The bullet took him in the stomach. He jerked and sort of crumpled over the wound. His face held astonishment.

“Silver-plated bullets, fang-face.”

Willie went for the car. Phillip hesitated between helping me and going.

“Go, Phillip, now.”

The second vampire was trying to circle around. “Stop right where you are,” I said. The vampire froze. “Anybody makes a threatening gesture, I’m going to put a bullet in their brain.”