CRIMSON HUNGERS
By Alecia Monaco
ISBN:1-59596-542-4
Changeling Press
Release Date: October 2006
Copyright ©2006 Alecia Monaco
Agent Katya Stern is a gifted energy reader with the world famous lethal Texas Slayer Squad. She's on the trail of a killer, tracking energy signatures at every vampire hangout in Houston.
When her quest leads her to Crimson Hungers, a metaphysical accident binds her to sexy vampire cowboy Rex Fontainebleau, the bar's owner. Katya and Rex's new metaphysical connection gives them each an insatiable hunger...for each other's bodies!
The sex between Katya and Rex smolders...but what happens when the magic ends? Is it enough to keep a slayer and a vampire together, or will their connection fade when their hunger ends?
“Sorry, we don’t open for another hour.”
The burly security guard stood in front of the blood red velvet rope, thickly muscled arms crossed in front of his chest. A black T-shirt with the words Crimson Hungers in a font styled to resemble dripping blood strained to contain his bulk.
An intimidating figure, but for one thing… a tattoo of an eight-pointed star emblazoned on one broad bicep, marking him as one of the good guys. The star was the symbol of the Church of St. Germain, the de facto religion of choice for vampires who wished to be law-abiding citizens. But at the moment, all he was to Katya was six foot four inches of undead annoyance.
She tried for a friendly tone. “I understand that you won’t be open to the public for another hour, but I’m here on official business.” She put a smile into her words that she was far from feeling.
He raised a thick eyebrow at her. “Define official.”
Katya sighed. She hadn’t wanted to do this, not before even getting through the front door. Reaching inside the pocket of her black leather jacket, she retrieved her badge and held it up for his inspection.
He bent his hulking form to study the contents of the small ID case. “Texas Slayer Squad?” His attitude decreased by a few notches.
“Yep.” Katya kept her face utterly expressionless.
“Who do you need to see?” He unhooked the velvet rope.
“The owner. I assume he’s risen for the night?”
“Just one thing.” The security guard regarded her with something edging on respect. “No guns inside the club.”
She stifled a sigh of annoyance. “I’m law enforcement.”
“Yeah, but you’re not police.” The security guard matched her scowl for scowl.
“This isn’t an actual firearm.” She showed him her holster. “It’s a tranquilizer gun. Liquid silver, in case I run across a vampire predator.”
“I guess I can let that slide.” The security guard nodded. “Right this way.”
Katya followed him through the steel and glass door. The theme of the bloody font from the security guard’s T-shirt was repeated on the entrance door. Crimson Hungers in dripping red script, followed by the slogan Whet Your Appetite beneath it.
Katya grimaced. She could only imagine the kinds of hungers that were sated in the VIP rooms of this place.
As they crossed the threshold into the coat check area, Katya blinked. The contrast made by the red and purple flashing overhead lights inside the otherwise dark interior of the bar was enough to give any human pause, even with supernatural abilities like Katya’s.
The security guard led her past the coat check area and into the main part of the bar. A large dance floor occupied the center of the massive room with small tables flanking the edges. Two mahogany bars stood at opposite ends of the room, with stools lined up as neatly as soldiers in formation.
From a set of speakers cleverly hidden somewhere in the club, Bauhaus droned the words to “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” playing on Vampire Radio, but the volume was low enough that Katya could still hear herself think.
Excellent. Thinking was exactly what she needed to do. Think, daydream, whistle along with Peter Murphy, whatever. Anything to keep her Psionic sense from kicking in before she had time to assess the situation.
She followed the security guard to the far side of the room, where a vamp wearing a black cowboy hat stood polishing the bar with a soft white cloth. She didn’t have to use her abilities to know that he was no garden variety vampire. She could sense his age like a trickle of electricity crawling up her spine.
He was a master vampire, and a powerful one at that.
He raised his head, peering at her with impossibly light blue eyes from beneath the low brim of his hat. “Yes?” His gaze darted from her to the security guard and back again.
“Agent Katya Stern is here on official business.” The security guard cleared his throat. “Texas Slayer Squad.”
“I’d like to speak with the owner, if that’s possible.” She tried not to let the vamp’s penetrating stare unnerve her, with little success. She could feel him watching her with every fiber of her being.
She shook her head, trying to shake off the sense of confusion that accompanied his presence. What was up with that? She’d been dealing with master vampires since the day the Slayer Squad had recruited her. Usually her own highly refined abilities made her immune to all but the most powerful of mind games. But the sensation in question didn’t feel like glamoring, not quite. It was a form of energy she hadn’t tasted before, pressing against her like a force field.
The vampire interrupted her train of thought. “That would be me.” He spoke in perfectly unaccented English, a rarity among the truly old ones, who came from the Old World. He folded the polishing cloth and placed it somewhere under the bar. “Rex Fontainebleau.”
CHANGELING PRESS
|
