Chapter 3

Wade Reynolds was standing in front of the door to a large pent house suite. He was smoking a cigarette. He ran his fingers through his hair and then knocked on the door loudly.
A few seconds later a curvy blonde answered the door wearing only a man's shirt. She looked at him for a moment, and then opened the door all the way. 
A man was sitting on the couch in his boxers. He was slim and muscular with black hair hanging in his face. He had tan skin and a scar that cut across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were a dark brown. He smiled slightly when he saw Wade.
"Ah what do I owe the pleasure?" 
The man was Johnny Luca, brother of the head of the Luca crime family. He was cruel and unyielding. He enjoyed poking his nose in places they did not belong. He enjoyed chaos and being in power, which is why he was not the head of the crime family. The man was seriously pissed about that fact too. He also was one of Wade's informants.
Wade looked at the blonde silently. 
Johnny smiled at her. "Hey sweetie can you go back in the room? You can keep the bed warm for me. I'll be up in a bit." She smiled at him and then walked away her hips swaying with each step. 
"So what's up Wade?" Johnny asked leaning back on the couch. 
"So you're sending me vampires now?" Wade asked leaning against the wall. "Danny Griffin? Ring any bells?" 
"Ah Danny griffin" Johnny smiled crookedly. "Sexy lil thing ain't she?" "If undead is your kinda thing" Wade stated blowing out a stream of smoke. "Johnny you know I don't like vampires and then you send me one involved with the bloodsuckers? Really man?"
Johnny continued to smile but didn't say anything.
Wade sighed and pulled out a notebook. "Tell me all you know about her"
Johnny leaned back in the couch smiling. "The girls got the moves. She's a great fighter and she's fantastic in bed." "Great fighter hunh?" Wade asked ignoring the second half of the comment. Johnny nodded. "Oh yeah. I once saw her take out like six 
dudes at the same time. She's something else."
Wade frowned slightly. "Was this with or without the rings?" Johnny smiled wider. "how did she tell you the rings were stolen Wade?"
"Leo Bavardi and a few other vamps."
He laughed at him.
"she lies did I mention that?" Johnny added grinning wider.
"what did she tell you?" Wade asked seriously. He shook his head. "sorry buddy, promised not to tell"
Wade sighed and wrote something down.
"what's her relation to the bloodsuckers?"
Johnny laughed. "You obviously don't know the Bloodsucker gang at all do you?" "I already told you I don't like vamps" Johnny was obviously enjoying the situation.
"The head of the Bloodsuckers is Randall Sly. He's been a vampire for a very long time and has no true humanity left in him. He has control over a huge part of the downtown area. All the local gangs, even the human ones, answer to him. He has control over the night world." Johnny leaned forward.
"Now Randy is a very selective person see? He normally only drinks from women between the ages of 18 and 30, though he has been known to drink from very pretty teenage boys here and there. Nothing from the bottle. Always fresh. He kills most of them after having sex with them and the select few become either his bloodbanks or even fewer, become what he calls his children. Now of course they aren't really his children, but he turns them into vampires, a painful process I might add. I think there have only been maybe eleven children created. Two dies in the process though. They weren't strong enough to undergo the procedure." 
"And Danny is one of the nine who survived?" Wade asked completely shocked.
Johnny smiled. "Very good detective." he spoke in an amused tone. 
"She's the newest child. Created only about ten years ago. She's a bit 
of a wild child and doesn't even live with dear old dad" "and how does he feel about that?" Wade asked truly curious. "Not to happy to be honest. He wants her to take her place on the hierarchy but she doesn't want to be involved in the family business." 
"Which is?" "Drugs mostly, and weapons. But they also collect the rent from all the local gangs and businesses. You know, for protection and what not" "So they're rich?" "Loaded."
Wade nodded. "How'd she get the rings?" he smiled. "She didn't tell you?" "She didn't tell me much" Wade stated smiling slightly. "Ha! That's obvious." Johnny laughed. 
"She got them from a witch" "A witch?" "Yup" "What's her name?" Johnny smiled. "Can't say"
He sighed. "She tell you not to tell?"
Johnny smiled but kept silent.
Wade blew out another stream of smoke as he sighed.
"Anything else Wade?" Johnny asked smiling his cocky smile.
"Actually yeah. Tell me Johnny, what happens the 23rd?"
His smile fell. "Why? What did she tell you?" he asked suddenly serious.
Wade raised an eyebrow surprised by the man's sudden change in attitude. "She said she wants the case to be finished by then." Johnny seemed to relax a little. "Oh" though he was still slightly bothered by something. "Well I can't help you with that one Wade. Anything else?"
Wade studied him briefly and shut his notepad. "no that'll be all Johnny"
"Good." he stood up stretching. "Well then Wade, as lovely as this has been I think you should be going"
He smiled at Johnny. "Alright. Thanks for your help" he turned and opened the door. 
"And Wade?" he looked back at Johnny. "Don't come back until the case is solved." Wade studied him silently, nodded, and then shut the door behind him.
-
Vauxhall was tall and willowy. She had cold eyes that burned a deep crimson and were surrounded by thick lashes. She had long straight black hair that stopped at her waist. She wore a super tight black dress that showed off every curve and made her look extremely sexy. She had on tall stilettos. Her skin was a pale white but it had a reddish tint to it She had on black lipstick. She was leaning against a silver metal desk playing with a glass of clear liquid.
The room was large and silver. It was cold unlike the rest of the club and smelled like ice.Behind the desk however, there was char marks on the wall.
The demon brothers led me in smirking slightly. "Just remember" Set stated smirking. "We tried to warn you" And with that, a cup flew past my head shattering against the wall.
"Holy s**t!" I screamed ducking behind Alva who started laughing before Set pushed me in front of him. "You wanted to see her."
Vaux was pacing back and forth with her hands behind her back. "What the f**k do you want Griffin?" she hissed stopping to glare at me.
I smiled hesitantly. "Um let's start with a peace treaty cuz I'd hate to have to watch my back with you" I hesitated "again."
"Again! That's right! So you do remember!" She growled her eyes seeming to burn holes into my skulls. 
"Actually I uh don't know why you're so mad at me this time" I said smiling sheepishly.
One of the demon brothers made a 'tsk' sound. I spun to face them alarmed. They simply smiled at me.
I turned around quickly to see Vaux standing only inches away from me. 
"Are you mocking me?" she said in a soft dangerous tone. One of my eyes twitched. She smiled softly and that scared me more than ever.
She touched the side of my cheek lightly. My skin burned where she touched me. "So you didn't send me a lovely letter?"
"No Vaux. I haven't sent you anything" I was having a difficult time keeping my voice steady.
She stepped away from me and walked around her desk slowly. She sat down in the chair and folded her hands in front of her. 
"So you don't recognize this?" she asked picking up a folded sheet of paper.
It was off-white with neat slanted black writing. I shook my head. "Never seen it before."
She pressed her lips together tightly though she seemed a lot calmer than before. "Why?" I asked now extremely curious. "What does it say?"
She motioned for me to look at it and I did.
"Dear Vaux, after reading this, one of us will surely be dead." I paused and looked at her. She was leaning her head against her hand looking deep in thought. I continued.
"After our last mishap I've decided that we have too many differences. Also the fact that you slide your way out of paying rent for owning a club in the Bloodsuckers territory adds to the complication of things. I'm sorry Vaux but after much consideration you can no longer exist. With all my love, Danny Griffin" I stopped and looked at her.
"Flip it over there's more." she stated waving her hand.
I did. "p.s.-yes that is a bomb"
I looked at her. "There was a bomb?" she smiled slightly and pointed to the wall behind her. The char marks suddenly made sense now. "Oh."
I set the letter down on her desk. "Well it obviously wasn't me" I said smiling. She simply looked at me. "I mean it says a bunch of crap about the Bloodsuckers which I personally don't give a s**t about"
"Isn't Randall your father?" she asked calmly. I sighed. "Well I guess that's what he says isn't it." Vaux studied me and shrugged.
"Any idea who sent it?" she asked me softly. "Not really. I mean probably someone in the Bloodsuckers who wanted me gone. Perhaps a sibling?" I scratched my neck. "Yeah maybe Charlie or Lydia," I laughed. "Or any of them really, I always was father's favorite, and that pisses them off so badly."
Vaux was staring at me with this calculating gaze.
"Or it could be someone from another gang or even the Luca's for that matter. Ya know trying to start a war, or get the demons mad at the Bloodsuckers or getting father mad enough at me to actually kill me." I shrugged. "But I don't know honestly."
Vaux nodded. "Alright" she leaned back in her chair. "Now what is it you wanted?" 
I smiled at her. "Does the name Allen Smith mean anything to you?"
There was silence in the room for a moment, and then she smiled slightly. 
"Why? Diamond finally kill him?" 
"Nope. That would've been me" 
She laughed. "I thought that jacket looked familiar. But what does that have to do with me?"
"He was involved in the theft of something from me." I paused searching for even a flicker of a reaction from her. She gave me none. "Something very valuable" She didn't move. "With the help of Leo Bavardi." 
Vaux looked past me at the demon brothers. She looked back at me. "Ah yes Leo. I always hated that a*****e" I smiled. "Me too." 
She ran her hand across her jaw line. "Hmm. So I suppose youre going to ask what I know about it correct?" I nodded. "How did you know?"
She looked at me and smiled. "I'll tell ya what Danny. If you figure out who sent the bomb, I'll tell you what I know about this whole mess." I looked at her. She was staring at me with that cold smile. "Deal?" she asked sticking her hand out towards me. 
I stared at it for a brief second and then shook it. "Deal."