Page 15 of The Mermaid’s Bubble Lounge (Sam Quinn #8)

FIFTEEN

And to Think, I Used to Love Churros

Coco made a sound. It was a whine so quiet, I doubt Owen even heard it. Benvair reached out and took her granddaughter’s hand.

Alec, still lost in the memory, stared at the table. “I don’t know what he was.”

“Could you identify his scent?” George’s gaze cut back and forth between his siblings.

They were all trying to pretend like everything was okay. It wasn’t, but just like Alec had tried to normalize Jade’s snarling, George was trying to communicate that remembering was okay, that Alec was safe now.

Alec shook his head. “My nose had been broken. I couldn’t smell anything.”

Coco made the sound again and this time, it broke through Alec’s memories.

He turned to her and gave her a sad smile. “I’m fine now.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Grandfather would have said it was character building.”

Benvair cleared her throat and told him, “No. He wouldn’t have.”

Alec wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood. “I’m going to get dessert. Owen and I made it last night.” He motioned to his sister. “Come help me.”

After they left, we were quiet, lost in our own thoughts. Benvair stared up at the ceiling and blinked before reaching for her wine.

George went to the buffet on the side of the room to retrieve the wine bottle, then filled Benvair’s glass before splitting what was left with Owen.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this.” I’d ruined their evening. I’d expected to see anger or disgust in Benvair’s eyes, but I found neither.

“Nonsense,” she said. “If this creature is here, we must find and destroy it.”

Alec returned, carrying a plate of chocolate eclairs, with Coco behind him carrying the plates and forks.

While she passed them out, Alec said, “Owen knows I love chocolate, so he’s been teaching me to cook desserts.” He glanced at his grandmother. “Don’t worry. I’m starting to learn how to cook real food too, but I prefer the desserts.”

“You made these?” I asked in wonder. “They look delicious.”

“Hope so,” Alec said. “Remember, George, when we were little and Cook made eclairs at the keep?” He glanced at Benvair, smiling. “George and I stuffed ourselves. We must have eaten twenty of them. Cook was so angry when she went into the kitchen and they were all gone.”

George laughed. “Yes. You had us bring the dogs in so we could plausibly blame them for eating all the treats.”

“That was you?” Benvair acted as though she was outraged to have been deceived, but I could see the relief in her posture, in her expression. Talk of the twins and their mischief was far better than picturing Alec stolen away from them, alone, and in pain.

“Owen supervised—”

“Barely,” Owen interrupted. “I sat by the window and read.”

“You helped with piping the pastry,” Alec clarified.

George and Alec ignored the forks and picked up the eclairs, polishing them off in two bites before reaching for seconds.

“Mmmm, heaven. You know,” I said, “if you wanted, you could come to work with Owen. I’m sure Dave could teach you some new recipes.”

Alec nodded and swallowed. “I’ll think about it.”

Good evening, darling.

I looked out the doorway and across the great room to the windows. They were dark, the bridge lit up in the distance. Hey, you.

Are you at Owen and George’s?

Yep. We just had dessert. And I may have learned something about our possible killer.

Good. It sounds like it was a successful dinner. I don’t want to interrupt your evening. I’m just letting you know that Cadmael, Vlad, and I are headed down to the wharf to stake out The Bubble Lounge.

Perfect. Here’s hoping you catch the bastard.

I turned back to my hosts. “Clive and his friends are going to the wharf to stake out the scene.”

“Actually,” Alec said, “I’d like to do that too. I want to see if there’s something there I recognize.”

There was a charged silence. No one wanted to tell Alec not to go, but everyone was worried, especially after that story.

Benvair nodded decisively. “Yes. That’s an excellent idea. I’ll go with you. I want to know what’s going on.” She stood abruptly. “We need to change. I’d suggest all black. I’ll be back in a few minutes and we’ll drive downtown. All right?”

So many emotions played across Alec’s face. He knew what she was doing, and he appreciated her care. “Yes. I’ll get changed too.”

“It seems only fair,” George reasoned. “Grandmother and I gave two of the bastards who were manipulating Fyr the dragon’s kiss. It’s your turn to do violence with Grandmother.”

Benvair’s smile was razor sharp. “I enjoyed that.” She patted her lips with her napkin. “I’ll be back shortly.” She strode out of the dining room and out of sight.

When the front door opened and closed, I slumped in my chair. Owen laughed.

Alec rose and turned to his sister. “Will you be here when I get back?”

She paused, so George answered for her. “She will be. We’re going to make some popcorn and watch a show while we wait for you.”

Coco looked between the twins and finally nodded. “I guess I’m watching a show and eating popcorn.”

“Good.” Alec disappeared, heading down to his floor. Owen, George, Coco, and I cleared the table.

“Do you want to stay, Sam?” Owen asked.

I shook my head. “I want to get changed and head down to the wharf too. I’ll take Fergus with me as cover.”

“Be careful,” George said, leaning over to give me a kiss on the cheek. “The first woman was running with her dog.”

“True, but I have three vampires watching my back. I’ll let you guys know if I learn anything.”

I said my goodbyes, grabbed my handbag, and headed out to my car. Benvair was on her way back, dressed all in black.

“Goodnight and thank you,” I said quietly.

She nodded. “It’s good for him, you know.

” She paused at the garden door and then looked back at me.

“Going out. Confronting what scared him. These are all good signs. Know this, though, I will never let anything like that ever happen again, not to any of them. I’ll burn down the world before I let any of them be hurt like that again. ” Her eyes flashed red in the dark.

“Good,” I answered.

When I got home, I found Fergus lying in his bed as the elevator doors opened. “We never got to exercise this morning. Feel like going for a run?”

He bounded up and was dancing around my feet as I changed out of my fancy dress and into running gear. Once I had my hair up in a braid, I slid my phone into my hip pocket and headed for the elevator.

Fergus liked to sit his butt on the car’s back seat, with his front paws on the floor, so his head could rest on my shoulder as I drove.

When I hit red lights, I’d scratch under his chin.

Vlad had said that the Bucharest killings hadn’t taken place in the same location.

I wanted to check out all the piers, so instead of the parking garage near the wharf I’d used last time, I parked in The Viper’s Nest parking lot with all the motorcycles.

Since I was leaving my car here, I figured I should stop and say hi. The bouncer on the door looked ready to stop Fergus and me but then he recognized my face and waved us through.

The music was loud and colored lights flashed in the darkened bar.

Some patrons were dancing in the middle of the room, a few were making out in booths, but most were standing around, talking and laughing.

I headed to the end of the packed bar, near the rotating pie display case on Stheno’s side.

Some muscle-bound guy was handling the other end of the bar, which made sense, as Fyr was at The Slaughtered Lamb tonight.

Stheno, one of the three gorgons sisters you might remember from Greek Mythology, glanced over. Her initial annoyance at someone trying to order a drink from behind the pies disappeared.

“Hey, kid. What are you doing here?” Her gaze drifted over my clothes and Fergus. “Since when do you run late at night?”

I leaned in and whispered, knowing she’d hear me even over all the noise, “Do you know about the killings at The Bubble Lounge?”

She nodded, pulling a slice of coconut cream pie out of the display and sliding it to where I was standing. She reached under the bar and found me a fork. Two desserts in one night. Score!

“It looks like a vampire killing, but we’re pretty sure it’s not. Clive, Vlad, and Cadmael are down here, staking out the nightclub. I was planning on checking out the area, undercover with Fergus.”

Stheno’s brow furrowed. “The first victim was a woman running with a dog. I don’t like this idea.” She filled a glass with water and put it next to the plate as I took a bite.

“Mmm, Dave is so good at these.”

Some men were waving, trying to get Stheno’s attention, so while she filled drink orders, I finished the pie and then shared what was left of my water with Fergus.

She took the empty plate from me and put it in the dirties tub under the bar.

“Don’t worry. There are three vampires within a mile and a half who’ll be there if I need them.”

“That’s not helpful if he hits you in the back of the head before he drinks your blood.” She shook her head. “As your former bodyguard, I say just go upstairs, lounge on my couch, and monitor the area from there.” She tapped her head. “You don’t need to be in it.”

“I tried that after the first killing. I didn’t see anything problematic and then he killed again a short time later.

And the attacks have been in the wee hours of the morning.

It’s not even eleven yet.” I shook my tense shoulders.

“I can’t see or smell important clues from your couch—though I do appreciate the offer. ”

She tipped her head to the side, her long coils of curly hair seeming to move on their own. “I don’t like it. You’re a grown up, I suppose, so do what you want, but I don’t like it.”

“I can protect myself,” I reminded her.

“Against what, though? We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet.”

“I’m not jumping into a pond filled with piranha. I’m going for a run in an area where there are three vampires and two dragons. Benvair and Alec are here as well.”

She waved me off. “Fine. Go. I’m busy.” She went back to talking with customers and filling drinks.

Fergus got some pets on the way out and then we were jogging through the parking lot and running along the Embarcadero, past the piers.

We passed other dog walkers and couples strolling.

The Ferry Building was lit up, a family on the steps, taking pictures.

Small bars were dotted along the piers, some quiet, others with people overflowing into the parking lot, laughing and drinking.

We passed a man running with his dog in the opposite direction.

His dog pulled to get close to us, but Fergus kept going straight because he’s a good and smart boy.

I had to leap over the top of the damn dog who’d cut in front of me.

The stupid runner was grinning when his dog blocked me and then looked shocked when I kept going.

Geez. Let people run. I’m not out here looking for a date.

I went through a stretch that was quiet. I didn’t see anyone on either side of the road, so I checked and found three green blips and two red ones clustered together. “We have less than a mile before we can take a break, buddy.”

Maybe half a dozen piers later, Fergus slowed, lifting his head to the wind. He’d smelled something. He slowed even more and then stopped near a shuttered churros stand. The tourists were gone for the night, so the stand had been closed up. Something, though, drew him to it.

Clive, Fergus is very interested in a churros stand less than a mile from you, on the Embarcadero.

I’ll find you.

I felt him running, so I pulled Fergus back and took a sniff myself.

Fish, ocean, vermin, cats, and cinnamon sugar.

I wasn’t sure what had attracted Fergus.

A rat ran along the side of the pier building, but Fergus didn’t notice.

He whined, trying to get close to the boarded-up stand.

With a yip, followed closely by a low growl, he strained against the leash.

Clive stepped out from behind the stand. I blew out a breath, annoyed that I’d gotten myself so worked up. He reached out a hand to Fergus, who growled, showing his teeth.

“That’s odd. Dogs normally like me,” he said in a voice that was not Clive’s.