Gynn Mysteries - The Romeo Effect (On Hold)

Chapter 16

The room was a den of iniquity. The flickering of lights from overturned lamps in the darkness made the shadows on the walls dance. The walls covered in all sorts of body matter. Curtains ripped to shreds.The embers of fire left in the fireplace sparked and crackled as it died out. The air was thick with a metallic taste. Death was in the room and it was greedy for more.

Vlad shoved the woman to the side, panting. He rose, looking down and through her. A low, odd, guttural clicking screech of a sound came from him as he swayed from side to side. His head twitching. Every sound making him salivate as his eyes darted about. Red hot with the rage. He walked over the body as he wiped his bloody mouth with the back of his palm.

His mind was walled up. He was thirsty. The bottle of scotch he held to his head, draining it could not satisfy the unquenchable thirst. The bloodrage burned. It burned through him wanting more. Wanting more.

Shay was coming out of her office and watched as Craig with yet another body slung over his shoulder carried it down the stairs. She was not surprised he was coming from the direction of Vlad's suite.

"Sorry. Yes. Yes Mr. Seraphim, I'm here. I'm listening. Yes -- yes...I ...I understand."

His tone remained low, but Shay found she couldn't release the doorknob, "Yes. We'll pay for the poor boy's medical...yes."

Bruce was not amused and his cold words came as slaps to her.

"Look. Please...yes I understand it is dangerous...Mr. Seraphim. Language, please."

He finally stopped interrupting, and Shay took the opportunity to speak, "I understand having such items is hard on the security of your hotel. I will make arrangements to have them removed. How about we discuss this in person? I'll come by first thing in the morning. I'll gather the Heads and speak with them...yes. Well, of course. I'm sorry she spoke to Ms. Gynn that way. I'll have a special word with her patriarch and..."

He hung up. Shay held the phone out, "Rude."

Lambert was suddenly standing next to her. His brooding attitude could almost squeeze the air from around her personal space out. It was stifling, his presence.

"Yes Lambert?"

"He's getting worse."

Shay moved pass the broody vampire guard, walking down the hall. She didn't knock before entering. Lambert slipping in too. Vlad was pacing and muttering. He was twitching and snarling at some invisible foe. There was a shrill sound reverberating from his chest and he was clicking his tongue.

"Fu--"

"Do something," Lambert hissed.

Vlad spun round, eyes blazing red and fixating on them. Shay held her breath, trying not to move a muscle. Lambert was like a statue. Vlad took a few steps forward but altered his course as the fireplace crackled.

Grabbing Lambert by the wrist, she pulled the man back outside and away from Vlad's earshot, though she didn't believe he was even in any frame of mind to care or understand.

"What should I do?" she asked, "What exactly do you think I can do?"

Lambert glared at her, "We can't keep sending innocents to slaughter. We are not lowly, common nightwalkers, by Dracula, we are better than this."

She couldn't decide how to take that,  "He's just blowing off steam."

"Steam?"

"Goddamn Lambert, Ava's death has created a hiccup in the deal. He will lose that territory now. Her death was quite inconvenient. This is how he is processing it."