“Are you moving back to your place when this is all over? Are you going to start working out of your club on Tropicana again?”
“I planned to.” He replied.
“Oh.” I said, realizing I was a little disappointed. “Where do you live anyway?”
“Under the club.” He answered.
“Under the club? As in underground? I wouldn’t have considered you a cave dweller.”
He smirked. “I assure you my dear, it is quite luxurious, modern, and most importantly secure. Besides the human contractors, who I have paid very well for their silence, you are the only person who knows of its existence.”
“How long have you lived there?”
“Since I arrived in Las Vegas. The business above ground has changed many times over the years, but I’ve owned every one of them. There is a hidden panel in my office leading to the stairwell.”
“Why the need for such secrecy? Paranoid much?” I teased.
“You must remember being a vampire is very different now than it was before we went public. We did not have the technologies back then that would allow me to live above ground. Not to mention the fact that I’ve been involved in some….questionable business practices over the years. I needed somewhere to disappear when the need arose.”
“How questionable?” I asked.
“I’ve done many things that I am not proud of. My love, please understand that I am a very different man than I once was. I associated with a lot of dangerous people over the years because it was incredibly fruitful for me. Being alive for hundreds of years really takes its toll on your conscience though. I eventually learned that the wealth was not worth the guilt. I severed those ties and in time, I found ways to make just as much money without sacrificing others.”
“Sacrificing others’ lives?” I asked, my pitch a little higher than normal.
“At times, yes.”
“You’ve killed people? Like, actually caused their deaths?”
He looked away. “Yes.” Wow, I really didn’t know how to process all of this. Leo has always been such a kind and generous man. I can’t stop thinking about how scary he was with that demon though. I can’t help but wonder if that was a glimpse of his former self.
He knelt down before me and grabbed my hands. “My darling, the man you see before you now is the man I have been for a long time. I’ve made it my mission to atone for the sins of my past. You must believe that.” He lifted himself up to frame my face with his hands. “Do you believe me Karli?” He asked.
I focused on reading him. I could feel his regret weighing very heavily on him. I could also feel his worry for my acceptance. When I didn’t answer him, his anxiety started turning into grief, as if he felt he was losing me. I knew then, without a doubt that he was sincere. “Yes, Leo. I believe you.” I said.
“Oh, thank the Gods.” He exclaimed as he was showering my face with kisses.
“Leo, we’re not done with this conversation.” I pulled away from him. “I know you’re a different man now. I really do believe that. But I can’t just ignore the fact that you have taken lives. I’m probably going to regret asking, but I think I want to know the circumstances.”
“Of course, my love.” He grabbed my face and pulled me into a mind-blowing kiss. I almost forgot what we were talking about. Nothing else seemed to matter when I was kissing this man. A knock on the door interrupted us just as he was moving down my neck. As he was walking towards the door he said, “That must be Vance.”
Suddenly feeling very awkward, I stood up to smooth the imaginary wrinkles out of my dress. Vance breezed through the door with no acknowledgement of Leo’s presence whatsoever. He came up to me and pulled me into a tight embrace. As he pulled back, he took in my obviously expensive clothes and seemed to be biting his tongue. A moron could figure out who my benefactor was.
He made a point to softly kiss me on the lips in front of Leo. Man, my lips were getting a work out today. “Karli, you look incredible, as always.” He said.
“Thank you.”
Vance and I sat on the couch, while Leo joined us in a chair. Vance was still ignoring Leo as he said, “So, you remembered something from last night?”
“Yes.” I replied. “While I was being attacked, the demon started shifting into its human form. I only saw a quick flash, but it was enough to identify the unmistakably female body.”
“Did you see a face? Any identifying marks?” He asked.
“No, not really. Just breasts. Very large, very female breasts. I guess that doesn’t really narrow it down much in this town.”
“No, this is really helpful Karli.” He assured me. “It confirms my theory that we are dealing with a jealous woman. Probably one of Chad’s jilted lovers. Crimes of passion are always the most violent.”
“That’s what I was thinking too.” I said. “But one thing about that doesn’t make s