The Freelance Vampire Book 1: Vampire For Hire 

Just trying to make a living, Tatiana needs a break to prove her skills.

Tatiana

It was early December in the country’s capital. That time of year when winter hasn’t really settled in, but the air is cold, and night comes early. It was only seven o’clock, but the sky hung dark over the city. I looked at the Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The huge luxury building was prettier than a prison, but that didn’t matter to me. I’d be locked up in it for the next four hours. Three, if I could come up with an excuse to leave early.

“I wish she’d meet someone,” I griped into my phone to my assistant Linda. “At least then she’d have a date for these things.”

“Your mom is the best and sweetest person on the face of the earth.” Linda chomped her bubble gum. A bubble popped in my ear. “She could find a date easy if she tried. She invites you because she thinks you need to get out more. And she’s right.”

The pincer attack. My mom and Linda are on the same team on all sorts of topics, especially when it comes to me. I should cut my hair shorter because it might “lighten me up.” I should try mascara. I should go on a date, for crying out loud.

“I go out.” I smoothed the lapels of my blazer and headed for the hotel’s grand entrance, wary of the lack of security.

The two guards posted by the door were hardly capable. One was a baby-faced twenty-something who looked like he’d spent his life on the couch. The other was older, with a buff frame that was top-heavy in that way gym rats tended to get. Like he spent all his time doing chest presses and bicep curls and no time on his legs and core.

His main problem was his wandering eye. I’d seen a female guest saunter past him unchecked. He was too busy measuring the slit in her dress to verify that she was on the guest list. Amateur.

“Yeah, right,” Linda quipped. “You go out of your way to work all the friggin’ time.” Poof. Another bubble broke in my ear.

“I wish I could claim the title ‘workaholic.’ We don’t have enough business for that.”

“Maybe you’ll land a client tonight. I heard Jasmine Porter is gonna be there, with that stud muffin she’s been toting around on her arm lately. What’s-his-name? You know, the drummer one. Felix or something. She’ll need security on her tour. Why not us?”

“Why not us, indeed?”

That question had been on my mind a lot lately. My private security firm, Sterling Security Solutions, did okay, but I’ve never been one to settle for mediocre.

I had my sights on becoming a top-tier security firm in the Washington metropolitan area. Not because I wanted to bring in big bucks or boast about the accomplishment. I wanted to reach the top because I knew what I and my team were capable of and the good we could do. Also, it would be good to pay my mother back eventually.

As Linda said, my mom was sweet beyond belief. She’d never asked me for a payment on the chunk of cash she had loaned me to start the firm, but I didn’t like being in debt.

I reached the portico and paused to let a gaggle of guests pass. This time, the buff guard let two members of the group pass through without showing credentials. A pedestrian on the sidewalk noted the lapse, tucked his chin, and tagged along. I recognized his profile.

Linda babbled on in my ear. “The rumor is that she’s considering Professional Protection Services. Those jokers barely know how to load their own guns, for Pete’s sake. You were friggin’ Special Ops.”

 “I’ll see what I can do.”

“You’re always saying networking is the thing, so rub shoulders. Talk yourself up. Drum up some business.” She squeaked, then hollered away from the phone. “Whiskers, get away from that copier! That is not your scratching post.”

I fished my invitation out of my purse, then checked my watch. I was three minutes late to meet my mother inside at the charity gala. Other folks might not classify that as late, but I had standards.

Linda hung up so she could fuss at her cat. I regretted the day I agreed to let her bring him to work. At the time, I thought I was being a cool boss. Later, I realized I’d inadvertently signed up for a litter box in the office, plus paw prints on my keyboard. Thankfully, he’s adorable and I actually love him, or I would have taken back the invitation.

I walked past the baby-faced guard and up to the buff one.

He gave me a once-over and frowned. Apparently my blazer-slacks combo wasn’t as appealing as some of the other outfits he’d seen that evening. “Name?” he grumbled, bowing over the clipboard in his hands.

I held my invitation up in his face. “Tatiana Sterling. I’m here as a guest of Amy Sterling. She’s an avid supporter of Metro Music and Arts, and I happen to be her plus one. I am aware of the strict ‘no weapons’ policy for the event, so I left my handgun in my car, along with my concealed-carry permit.”

“You don’t gotta tell me all that.”

I shrugged. “I thought you needed some help. You’ve been so busy scrutinizing women’s outfits that you forgot to watch for concealed weapons like switchblades.”

His cheeks flushed. “You tryin’ to tell me how to do my job, lady? I’m a professional.”

I checked my watch again. “I have a date to keep with my mom, so I can’t hang out and chat. I’m guessing you’re relatively new to the job, but you have enough events under your belt to believe you know what you’re doing. What, one month?”

“Excuse me?”

“Okay, maybe two months on the payroll. You’re brash enough to talk back to the public.”

“What do you know?”

I nodded toward the dark, chilly night. “The new guys always get stuck out in the cold. Seasoned workers get the cushy interior assignments. What you don’t realize is that your role is vital to your team’s functioning as well as to the safety of the guests within the venue. Can you tell me who your supervisor is?”

His face got redder. He was the kind of guy who gets angry fast and can’t keep a lid on it. His fist bunched up. “What’s this, Twenty Questions?”

His baby-faced coworker glanced over. “Everything okay, ma’am?”

I waved. “Great, thank you.” I nodded at the muscular dude, who looked mad enough to spit. “Never mind. I’ll figure that out myself.”

The hotel doors slid open and swallowed me. Inside, the east lobby was crowded with folks who were busy shedding their suede or fur coats and exchanging handshakes and cheek-busses, as well as pleasantries about the weather or whatever else high-society people yap about at times like this.

It took me a minute and a half to locate the six guards positioned around the lobby, and another thirty to decide who the supervisor was. Unlike the rest of his team, he’d polished his patent-leather uniform shoes, and his hair had been professionally cut.

I walked up to him. “You should rethink your new hire out there on door patrol.”

He gaped at me, unsure of who I was or what the hell I knew about his staff. I was too short on time to fill him in. “The younger one is decent, but his macho friend should consider a different career path. One that requires less vigilance and focus. Also, I’d tell your interior team to look for an individual by the name of Fredrick Chappell. He goes by ‘Chaps.’ Your new guy out front let him in, and that’s gonna cause problems. ”

He scratched his head. “Chappell, hunh? That name does sound familiar.”

“You might have read it in the police blotter. That was where I learned about him. Last week, he knocked on a door in Stratford Hill and asked for all the money and jewelry in the house. The woman who opened the door didn’t want to give it to him, so he convinced her with his switchblade. My guess is he’s here to pick pockets, and something tells me that won’t go over well.”

He fumbled with his radio. I sensed that he wanted to ask me more questions, but I moved on. My mother was waiting.

I hustled past the coat-check and through tall double doors. The ballroom was a sea of round, white-clothed tables, cushioned chairs, dim lighting, and guests. Lots and lots of guests. A string quartet played in the back left corner of the room, so I headed that way. Knowing my mother, she’d be near the music.

As usual, my hunch paid off. I found her chatting with a few other Mozart appreciators. She broke away from the knot to greet me with a hug. Then she clutched my shoulders and straightened her arms to put distance between us. Her fine brows creased as she surveyed my outfit. “Oh, honey.” Disappointment dripped from each word. “Pants?”

“I didn’t have time to go home and change.” I reached past her to snag a glass of champagne off a passing server’s tray. The first sip was crisp and bubbly, and it sent a buzz through my veins. I realized I’d barely eaten that day. “The meeting with Glacier Cranes went later than expected.”

“How did it go?”

“They declined our services.” I took another sip. Okay, a gulp. “We were close. Really close. I could feel it. But at the last minute, the CEO stepped out to take a phone call. When he came back in, he said another bid came through. Lower.”

Worry clouded her eyes. “Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry.” She pulled me in for another hug. “I can see you’re taking it hard. You prepared for weeks, and your presentation was flawless. I don’t understand why you keep having such bad luck. Businesses should be champing at the bit to hire you. Besides, your rates are competitive. I can’t think of a single security firm in the area that could offer the same quality of service at a lower cost.”

If I’d been home, I would have been curled up on the couch in consolation mode, with a heated-up Lean Cuisine in one hand and the remote in the other. I rarely have time to watch TV, but I did fit it in after receiving a blow like the one I’d gotten earlier today. It was the eighth client in a row I’d failed to land. I was getting tired of the pattern.

Instead of my usual mood-boosting routine, I was stuck in the big, gaudy ballroom, surrounded by the buzz of conversation and triple-meter violin melodies. It was going to be a long night.

I could only think of one thing that might turn the evening around, and it wasn’t booze. It wasn’t even food. It was world-famous singer-songwriter Jasmine Porter. If I could find her, talk to her, and convince her to hire my company to provide security services for her next concert tour, this day would not be a failure but a win. I was due for one of those.

I arched up on my tiptoes to survey the crowd.

My mother snagged a bacon-wrapped scallop off a passing tray. The savory scent made my mouth water, but I ignored my hunger. “There are some eligible bachelors here,” she offered after she consumed the treat.

“Not why I’m searching the room.”

“Are you on the prowl for bad guys? This isn’t a war zone, honey. You should try to relax. It would be good for you. Remember what I was telling you about self-care? Your poor nervous system will get frazzled to a crisp if you never let your guard down.”

I moved my gaze in a grid pattern, scanning for a woman of Jasmine’s height and body shape. The last time I’d seen a photograph of her, she had blonde hair, but I couldn’t take that trait for granted. Celebrities often switched their hair color.

Finally, I spotted her in a tight fuchsia dress. Her cropped hair was auburn tonight. I patted my mother’s shoulder. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. If a tray of shrimp cocktail passes, grab one for me, will you?”

She nodded. “Cocktail sauce or lemon butter?”

I answered over my shoulder. “Your choice. Thanks, Mom.”

As I crossed the room, I thought about how fortunate I was to have a mother who was supportive and caring. Since my dad passed away from a heart attack five years ago, Mom and I have been closer than ever. I’d known since I was a little kid that I’d lucked out in the mother department.

If I could just luck out in the work department, it would be great.

I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin as I approached Jasmine. When I was ten feet away, I did a routine check of my surroundings. That was when I noticed Fredrick “Chaps” Chappell sprinting my way. He had a knife in one hand and a security guard on his tail.

The gala was about to get interesting.

It looks like today is going to be her lucky day! Maybe the fact that the security guards at the gala are so bad it will be what gives Tatiana her big break. Find out on April 15th when The Freelance Vampire Book 1: Vampire for Hire is released. Until then, head over to Amazon and pre-order it today.