The Lady Has Needs Read online

  “Is that why you bit me?” Dominick asked.

  At times, Dominick was like a great big old handsome teddy bear with fangs. “No, I needed a companion. I took one look at you on that fishing dock centuries ago and thought he’s the one.”

  Dominick scoffed. “You probably got a good look at my ass and thought hot damn he’s fine.”

  Cyril laughed. Dominick had quite the sense of humor. “It was twelve-hundred and eighty-five. I don’t think he’s fine was in anyone’s vocabulary.”

  “But it’s true, isn’t it?” Dominick asked.

  “Yes, I’ll admit that I was drawn to all your muscles and that nice ass, but you’ve grown on me over the years.”

  “So, you’re not going to interfere in my relationship with Lillian?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Cyril said. “I will not hesitate to take that bitch down if I get one sign that she wants to betray us.”

  “But you haven’t even met her yet, Cyril. Believe me, you’ll like her.”

  “I doubt that,” Cyril said. “You know I’m not crazy about mortals.” He straightened his suit coat and brushed an imaginary piece of lint from the thigh of his trousers. “She’ll be at Julius’s party. I’ll get to meet her then. So, try not to fall in love with her so soon.”

  “I won’t,” Dominick said. “Lillian doesn’t seem like the settling down type.” He chuckled weakly. “She reminds me a lot of you.”

  “You mean she’s a snazzy dresser and knows how to rock your world?”

  “No,” Dominick said. “She knows her way around a man’s body and she’s not afraid to ask for what she wants.”

  “Is that how you see me?” Cyril asked.

  “Not so much now-a-days, but it’s how you used to be. Now, all you care about are the hotels and your other businesses,” Dominick said.

  Cyril turned to Dominick. “Money means power and don’t you forget it. Without it, we’re just like any other run of the mill vampire who is just out to suck the world dry. Money buys respect and there’s not a mother-fucker in Louisiana who is making it rain like us…not even Julius.”

  “But he is the leader of the southern vampire clan,” Dominick reminded him. “That means he’s pretty powerful too.”’

  “Yes, yes, I know this,” Cyril said. “But he’s not my leader or yours. Remember that. He might be ruling supreme in the south, but he’s no match for Giovanni.”

  Cyril got angry just thinking his sire’s name. The vampire was the epitome of evil. Sometimes it seemed like it had just happened yesterday. The two of them had met and fallen in love. Or so he thought. His turning had been quite painful. Cyril had never forgotten or forgiven Giovanni for doing that to him. That wasn’t love. Love was never supposed to hurt. Giovanni had killed Cyril’s parents first because they wouldn’t accept their relationship. Then, Giovanni had captured Cyril, bound him, and then subjected him to every deviant sexual act known to man at that time. He had literally fucked him until his ass bled. Then, that bastard bit him and took his humanity. It wasn’t until Cyril happened upon Dominick several years later that he actually felt happiness again. Cyril hadn’t seen Giovanni in a hundred years, not since Cyril had taken Dominick and left Wales to get away from him. But he knew his sire was still out there somewhere ruining other lives and probably searching for him. Cyril would be ready for him this time.

  The driver pulled over to the curb and Cyril and Dominick got out in front of the Saint Louis Street Hotel that Cyril owned.

  “We won’t be long,” he told the driver.

  He and Dominick entered the hotel and stayed just long enough to find out if the managers needed anything and to make sure everything was running smoothly. After visiting the other two hotels and popping in at the casino, they finally ended up at Club Serenity.

  The night club was jumping as usual for a Friday night. Women literally threw themselves at Dominick the minute he stepped through the door.

  Cyril went to the back office to look over the books while Dominick danced and entertained his guests. This happened every time. Dominick got to have fun while he slaved over the books, took care of the bills, and made sure the bars were stocked. Cyril really didn’t mind. He wasn’t exactly a people-person and he had to fight his natural urge to suck all of them dry.

  Chapter Three

  Oh my gawd, I’m so sore. Lillian sat up in the bed when the alarm went off. It was Saturday morning already and she had a thousand things to do before attending the annual spring ball given by the illustrious and utterly boring Julius McMahon. She hated the man with a passion because he never did anything to improve the conditions of his people. His entire world revolved around him and he didn’t even seem to care that his folks were breaking the rules and still biting and creating more vampires. If something wasn’t done soon Louisiana would be overrun by blood suckers. That was one of the reasons behind her creation, New Life. If the vampires had a more readily available supply of synthetic blood then they would leave the humans alone. It was logically possible for them to co-exist in the world with mortals if they stopped biting them. Of course, they still would not be able to go out into direct sunlight without turning into a crispy critter, but they would no longer have the urge to attack unsuspecting citizens.

  Lillian touched her neck. It had been a week since she’d been bitten by Dominick and she hadn’t seen or heard from his ass. Since then, she had dug around to try to find out as much as she could about him. So far, she had learned that he wasn’t part of Julius’s clan. That was a plus in his favor. And that his partner Cyril Kent lived very close to her in eastern New Orleans. Both of them apparently kept a low profile and had a decent relationship with her good friend Jonathan Meyers. Lillian liked Jonathan. He was a good guy even though he was a wolf. But he was having a bit of trouble controlling the younger wolves because drugs were so accessible and some of the wolves were not only using them but selling them too. But she couldn’t fight all the battles.

  The serum she’d developed only kept the Loup’s from turning into wolves during the full moon, but it wasn’t enough to fix stupid.

  The cologne from the guy she was with last night was still in her room. Nice. But not better than Dominick’s. The vampire had more of an earthy scent, but Max’s, or whatever his name was, cologne smelled more like a rainforest. Max had a big dick though that scratched her itch, but he had the personality of a dead horse.

  The house didn’t like Max either, even though it didn’t toss him from the front porch. It did rattle and make settling noises the entire while Max was there. Lillian had no doubt that the house wouldn’t give Max a second chance, so she just added another notch to her one-night stand calendar of forgotten men.

  Lillian finally got out of the bed, pulled the linens off with her, and walked through the house naked to toss the sheets into the washer. She kept her drapes drawn most of the day so her noisy neighbors wouldn’t look in. She already knew that they were curious about the parade of guys she’d brought home over the years when her father William and her brother Devon weren’t around. She knew they thought she was a slut, but she really wasn’t. She just liked sex and had a very active libido. One of these days she was going to find Mr. Right, and then the parade would end. Until then, she would just keep looking.

  Lillian showered, put clean linen on her bed, and then went into the kitchen to fix herself some breakfast. Autumn had arrived so Lillian ate oatmeal, waffles, and bacon, and drank a cup of tea. She tried to have a cup of hot tea at breakfast and cup at night before bed to help her relax. She didn’t get around to drinking some last night with Max there, but she would make up for it tonight because there was no way she was going to meet anyone remotely pleasant at Julius’s party. She was so glad she was going to be masked and in a costume and hopefully Julius would not even recognize her. She’d been surprised when the invitation arrived since he didn’t like her either. Usually, their meetings ended in an argument with him threatening to bite her and turn her into a vampire a
nd her threatening to lob off his head and dick with a sword.

  But he claimed that he was interested in her synthetic blood. He had extended the olive branch and wanted to serve it at his party. She would kick his ass if he was lying to her and just invited her there to try to humiliate her. He was shorter than her and she had a black belt in Taekwondo. Her father didn’t raise a fool. He’d taught her and Devon how to defend themselves in case there was a zombie war or if one of the many preternatural beings in the world decided they had a death wish and wanted to mess with them.

  Lillian grabbed her purse and headed to her stylist to get her hair done, followed by a visit to the nail place for a manicure and a pedicure, then off to her godmother’s to check on her.

  Summer Breeze, a middle-aged voodoo priestess, was one of her mother’s closest friends. Summer still blamed herself for not being able to get to Lillian’s mother in time to protect her from the rogue vampire who had killed her. Lillian only blamed the vampire.

  He was dead now too. Her father had hunted him down and sliced off his head and tossed it and the rest of him into the swamps to feed the alligators.

  “Come on in,” Summer said to Lillian. “I like your hair.”

  Summer was from Jamaica, like Lillian’s mother. Summer came from a long line of Voodoo priestesses and Lillian had grown up attending many of their rituals. Summer wasn’t wearing one of her colorful bandanas or the white long skirt and blouse she normally wore when entertaining the tourists. Her thick brown hair had been braided and pulled to the top of her head in a fashionable bun.

  “How’s Jelly?”

  Jelly was Summer’s pet python.

  “He’s fine. My husband took him to the pet store to get him some nice fat mice.”

  Lillian turned up her nose. She liked Jelly but could do without the rodents.

  They walked through the shotgun house until they reached the kitchen. Summer had baked Lillian’s favorite date nut bread. Lillian sat down at the table.

  “How’s your papa?” Summer asked as she sliced off two pieces and put the bread on saucers.

  “I guess he’s okay,” Lillian said. “I haven’t heard from him or Devon for a while. He’s hunting in Africa and my brother is in Australia.”

  “And they left you alone again.”

  Lillian nodded. “I’m used to it.”

  “A pretty girl like you should be married by now,” Summer said. “What’s wrong with you?”

  Lillian shrugged. “I’m still looking for Mr. Right.”

  Summer laughed. “There’s no such man, child. And you’d probably have to kiss a lot of frogs until you find a decent one.”

  “I thought I found one last week,” Lillian admitted.

  “Oh, you mean the vampire,” Summer said as she placed the bread and a cup of tea in front of Lillian.

  “You know about him?”

  Summer nodded. “I saw him in a dream. He’s a big strapping guy with blond hair and bedroom brown eyes.”

  “That’s him,” Lillian answered. “His name is Dominick…”

  “Rathbone,” Summer finished for her. “I know that too.”

  “He saved me after I was kidnapped by some wolves.”

  Summer sat down at the table chuckling. “How many times has that happened to you in thirty years?”

  Lillian felt embarrassed. She did get taken a lot. “Too many.”

  “You better start carrying that gun in your hand instead of in your purse when you leave the lab.”

  “Probably,” Lillian said sampling the bread. “Ooh, this is so delicious, nanny.”

  “So, is this Dominick taking you to the party tonight?” Summer asked.

  “No,” Lillian answered. “I haven’t heard from him since the night he saved me.”

  Maybe the anal probe had been a little too much. But he seemed to enjoy it.

  “Don’t worry, he hasn’t deserted you,” Summer said. She raised her cup and sipped some of her tea. “Just don’t let him turn you.”

  The last thing she wanted to become was a vampire. She liked the daylight and food. “I’m only trying to help them,” Lillian admitted.

  “I know, child, but sometimes you have to look out for number one. The reason you can’t find a human man is because you hang out with the preternaturals,” Summer said to her.

  “I can’t help it if I like a little monster in my man,” Lillian said. She had an insatiable appetite for sex and only the creatures of the night could satisfy her.

  “And be careful tonight. Julius McMahon is a snake and can’t be trusted.” She got up and pulled a silver chain and cross from her pocket and handed it to Lillian. “It’s a new one. I had it blessed by Father James. He even dipped it in holy water as a precaution.”

  “Thanks, nanny,” Lillian said as she rose and hugged her godmother.

  “You’re welcome, child. Evelyn would have been so proud of you continuing her work.”

  Lillian’s mother had lost her life trying to tame a renegade vampire with the synthetic blood she had created. But it didn’t work. Lillian had taken up the struggle when she graduated from college, but she’d tweaked the formula and had tested in on a couple of vampires and werewolves she’d slept with to see if it worked. So far, she’d gotten positive results and was ready to mass produce it.

  Summer and Lillian finished their treat.

  “Dance a little at the party and have fun,” Summer said to Lillian as she walked her to the front door.

  “I will,” Lillian promised. She hugged her godmother. “Thanks for the date nut bread and the cross.”

  “Make sure you put the chain on with your costume tonight,” her godmother said. “It will do you no good in a jewelry box.”

  Lillian had learned from experience that a blessed cross only protected her against some vampires. The older, more powerful ones were immune to it. That’s why she had to carry stakes and holy water where ever she went.

  Lillian and Summer stepped out of the door and onto the front porch. Lillian’s husband Vincent had returned with Jelly.

  “Hey, baby girl,” Vincent said to Lillian.

  “Hey, Uncle Vincent,” Lillian said. She stroked Jelly’s head. The python looked up from his position around Vincent’s neck, hissed, and then lowered his head again. “It’s nice to see you again, Jelly. “

  Lillian continued down the stairs and walked to her car. She waved goodbye to Vincent and Summer, got into her car, and drove away. She had to get to the dressmaker to pick up her costume for the party. She would be attending the event as Cinderella.

  Chapter Four

  What is taking him so long? Cyril was worse than a female when it came down to getting ready for an event.

  Dominick was already dressed. He was going to Julius’s party as Prince Charming.

  Cyril was going as a Disney prince too….Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid.

  Dominick had snickered at first when Cyril told him about the costume and he couldn’t wait to see his positively staid sire in something bright and cheery.

  “I’m ready,” Cyril said from behind him.

  Dominick turned around. “Damn, you look good.” Cyril wore light blue trousers and black knee boots. The costume came with a gray coat with tails, a white shirt, and a red tie. Cyril didn’t have to wear a wig because he had dark hair like Eric. He just styled it a bit differently than he normally wore it…a little long in the back with a part on the right.

  “Do I really look okay?” Cyril asked.

  The man had an ego as big as all outdoors and wouldn’t leave the house unless he looked perfect.

  “You look amazing,” Dominick said.

  “You do too, Prince Charming,” Cyril said walking around him. “Although Prince Charming has brown hair. The blond does work though.”

  Dominick’s costume came with a light gold jacket with dark gold applets on each shoulder and a dark gold belt for his waist. The pants were a deep red color with a dark gold stripe down each leg.

&nb
sp; “I suppose you will be fighting ladies off you all night,” Cyril said.

  His sire had always been jealous of all the attention Dominick got. Dominick couldn’t help the way he looked. Cyril was handsome too, but he was so damn arrogant that women found it hard to warm up to him. “I’m only seeing one young lady tonight,” Dominick answered. “Miss Lillian Moreno.”

  “How will you find her in a masked crowd?” Cyril asked. “You mess with so many females. Do you even remember what she looks like?”

  “Yes, she’s five feet eight and approximately one-hundred and forty pounds. She has shoulder-length auburn hair and green eyes.”

  Cyril headed for the door. “That description could fit thousands of women.”

  Dominick followed Cyril. “There’s only one Lillian Moreno. I can’t wait for you to meet her. She could be the one.”

  “The one what?” Cyril asked.

  “The future Mrs. Rathbone,” Dominick said as they stepped outside.

  Cyril laughed as they got into the car.

  “Maybe I should take my car,” Dominick said.

  “No way,” Cyril answered. “You’re not leaving me at the party with a bunch of bores if you get lucky. We’re going there together and leaving together.”

  “What happens if you get lucky?” Dominick asked.

  Cyril chuckled wickedly. “Then you’ll have to find somewhere else to stay for the night.”

  The driver drove away from the curb. Julius lived across the Mississippi River on the west bank side of New Orleans in Belle Chasse. The streets were busy with traffic.

  Julius’s mansion was located past the Naval Air Station on a private road in what people referred to as a rich neighborhood. Julius had no close neighbors, which probably worked out well for him since he was so obnoxious. The driver let them out of the car once they arrived and went off until Cyril would need him.

  Cyril and Dominick showed their invitations to the vampire at the door and got admitted. The music was loud and there were people in costumes everywhere from the foyer to the grand ballroom. Cyril had a ballroom built in their home too, but so far he had given zero parties. The man’s only acquaintances besides the people who worked for him were Jonathan and his wife Magda.