Reunions and Accusations

Sebastian made his way over to the bar. Though the bartender noticed him immediately she waited a few moments before sauntering over.

'I'm surprised you're still here.'

'And why's that?'

'I just assumed you'd have moved on by now. Keep people from getting suspicious. Hasn't anybody noticed you haven't aged in the last fourteen years?'

'Oh honey please. You got sixty year olds out here looking like they're twenty. Some of them look better than I do for God sake.'

He gave her body an appreciative glance. 'I find that hard to believe.'

She raised an eyebrow at him and poured him a drink. 'Still a charmer.'

'If I didn't know any better, I'd think you set down roots here.'

She shrugged. 'Perfect place for a vampire to hide. Everybody is so into themselves they don't pay attention to anyone else. Even when they do they don't care.' She smiled and winked. 'I've had a lot of work done.'

He knew that wasn't true but he supposed it was a safer explanation than the truth. Besides that it wouldn't be hard for people to believe with her looks. He still remembered the first time he had ever seen her. He had called her perfection personified. He'd earned a dazzling smile and a free drink for that one. He'd also earned her friendship though that had taken longer.

'True.' He said referring to her comment about hiding. 'Plus, a failed actress or two goes missing who's going to notice?'

She froze mid way through wiping the bar and fixed him with a glare.

If looks could kill... He thought sipping his drink.

'You can't possibly think that has anything to do with me.'

'The thought crossed my mind.'

'Back room. Now.' She walked away, not waiting for him.

He got up and followed while a few patrons watched him curiously and one leaned over to whisper to another. He didn't bother to listen to what the man was saying, he could guess and it was about as far off as you could get from what they were actually going to do.

She rounded on him the second he closed the door. 'So you came here to drink my liquor and accuse me in my own bar?'

'Vera, I'm sorry but we both know-'

She cut him off. 'Know what? I don't kill to feed Sebastian. I haven't in over a hundred years. The humans I feed from are well cared for. I never take more than a blood bank and I compensate them financially. Not to mention the other perks they get.' She let the end of her sentence hang in the air.

He already knew everything she was saying was true or had been fourteen years ago when he'd checked on her. She'd had a nice little operation set up. The humans left satisfied and with more money than they came with. All it cost them was a little blood and an hour or two they couldn't remember.

'I had to check Vera. Word is the girls that went missing were last seen here. You can't blame me for thinking maybe you'd gone back to the way things were.'

'And you can't blame me for getting angry at your accusation. I don't know anything about the girls. People come and go all the time. It's a public bar! They could have been tourists or girls who thought they could make it big, failed and went home.'

Sebastian fixed her with a sad stare. 'One of them turned up dead last night. Drug deal gone bad.'

She froze. Any vamp around here knew what that meant. It was code for having your throat ripped out. 'Dammit.' She sighed. 'What about the other one?'

He shook his head. 'No word yet but I wouldn't be surprised if she turns up. Someone might be using the bar as a hunting ground.'

'I'll keep my eyes open.'

Sebastian went to open the door then stopped to look over his shoulder. 'Be careful.'

She smiled. 'Always.'