Author: catstark

From The Grey House:

Natalia turned and walked away, leaving Vincent to answer his phone. She walked to the end of the deck where a set of stairs led to the parking lot. She heard the car before she saw it. There was a short limousine idling at the bottom of the steps, with the back door hanging open. A woman was leaning against the car, ready to close the door for Vincent. Very convenient for Vincent, very inconvenient for her. She nodded to the driver as she maneuvered around the car. Natalia was almost around it when she was whipped back around. Her bag banged against the trunk of the car as Vincent trapped her against the side.

“I thought we were done.” Her voice mirrored excitement and a tinge of anger.

“Come with me. Someone will drive you to your appointment later.”

Her hand was in his hair, massaging the back of his neck. “Vincent, do you have a car a waitress could afford?”

His hands were massaging her back under her backpack. With the door hanging open, it would be sinfully easy to throw her inside. “No, I don’t suppose I do.”

Natalia removed her hand from his neck, placed both hands on his chest and pushed him back. He did not resist, although she knew he could have. She had that determined look again.

“My appointment is at a church in Oakland. It would raise a lot of questions if I arrived in a limo, or a fancy sports car or whatever it is you own. I’ll meet you here on Friday.”

He grabbed her to him one final time, giving her a crushing kiss. When he let her go, they were both breathless. “Don’t disappoint me.”

“Have I yet?” She gave him a smile and slipped away.

From The Grey House:

Joseph had lifted her up. He used the wall to support her and trailed kisses and nibbles down her neck to her chest. He gently bit her breast, drinking her sweet blood. He pulled away, retracting his fangs before she could see them. She smiled an absolutely evil smile and showed him her fangs, asking ‘Isn’t it polite to ask before you take another vampire’s blood?’ She took his blood then, but not as gently. When Joseph told Vincent, his boss laughed, not in the least bit surprised.

Fro The Grey House:

Richard hovered nervously just behind Vincent’s right shoulder. The manager/maître d’ of The Ocean’s Edge was always fidgety, but when Vincent was around, he was ten times worse. The man had heard the entertaining rumors regarding Vincent and his lot and believed them. Vincent smiled remembering the first time someone accused him of being a mobster. He enjoyed the rumor; it kept the truth hidden.

From The Grey House:

She gave a short, humorless laugh. “Other than the time your man took my blood as a warning?”

They stared at each other for a moment before Vincent answered. “Yes.”

“Three times that I know of.”

It was his turn to frown. He held out his hand to her. She took it and willingly sat in his lap when he pulled her closer. “Donald took your blood, yes?”

“Yes.” She wondered how much Vincent knew about her. That was a discussion for another day.

“Who else?” He guessed from the police reports that Donald took her blood. She never stated it explicitly, but then, no one could really tell the police about vampire attacks and be believed.

From The Grey House:

Vincent put the papers he was holding down on the large oak desk and turned to Richard. The tall thin man always seemed smaller whenever he was being scrutinized. Richard ran a shaking hand through his blond tipped black hair. His wide eyes were showing off the bright violet contacts. Vincent had no idea what the man’s real hair and eye color were. Richard knew his job, and the customers loved his flamboyant attitude, nothing else mattered.

From The Grey House:

Charlie gave her one last look, then left the van. She watched him run inside, then carefully slumped a little bit. She laid her head on the headrest and took deep breaths, trying to relax. Her shoulder hurt. The doctor had offered her painkillers, but she refused. She still didn’t like to use any kind of drug. Natalia learned how to control her pain with breathing techniques, but sometimes it wasn’t enough. She wished she had told Charlie to get her some pain relievers.

From The Grey House:

Vincent peered down the beach, trying to see what the screens could not catch, but there was still no sign of her. He made himself comfortable, looked down the beach, and waited for her to arrive. A minute later he picked up her backpack. Inside the main pocket was clothing, a notebook with a pen in the spiral, and a hand towel wrapped around a sheathed knife. Frowning, Vincent unsheathed the knife. It was a hunting dagger, quite sharp, too. Vincent brought the blade to his nose and sniffed. He turned his head away; she probably cleaned the blade with garlic infused oil. Not a half bad idea.

From The Grey House:

The front door was in direct line with the dining room, which, as far as Natalia knew, had never held any furniture. It was a large open space, good for weapons practice. Now it made a great space for actual fighting. Natalia’s position lined her up perfectly with the door, and therefore Vincent. He was dressed in hiking boots, faded jeans that hugged his lower body well, a tight black cotton t-shirt and a dark green button up shirt. He locked eyes with her, as if holding her up. A small shudder ran through her as she saw her feelings mirrored in his eyes. She would be in his bed by morning.

From The Grey House:

Vincent stepped back and allowed Rebecca to hold onto Keith, then led the way to the last cell in the dungeon. This was where most of the stench came from. The door was already open; another guard opened it after the mage had been led upstairs. As the entourage walked closer, Keith started to struggle. The wolf had one arm around his torso, pinning Keith’s arms, and the other was holding his head to her chest. Rebecca was being very careful. Vincent had warned that Keith’s premature death would not be treated kindly.

From The Grey House:

The stairs were well built, with reinforced walls on both sides. They were soundproofed, as was the door. At the bottom of the stairs was another locked door. After checking the monitor above him, Vincent punched in a code and the metal door before him slid open. He stepped into the closet sized chamber, and the door closed behind him. He checked the next monitor as the large fans above played with his hair. All was normal therefore he typed in his code into yet another keypad, and the second metal door slid open.