Blood of the Nile Read online

  Quickly, Ramses powered down his laptop and placed it inside its carrying case, then hurled the bag over his shoulder. Maliyah moved around the room in a blur gathering up her belongings and shoving them into the tote she’d stored underneath the bed. She flung the red paisley necktie at Ramses, the one he’d purposefully draped over the chair. Much to his disappointment, they hadn’t been able to put that article of clothing to good use. At least, not yet.

  Once they finished packing, they got dressed and headed to the center of the train car, ready to disembark. It was barely five o’clock in the morning and while the sun hadn’t risen, the heat of the desert hit Ramses like a wall of sweltering flames. His body remained mostly covered up, including the turban that sheltered his face. Still, he knew that if they didn’t hire a barge and get to Elephantine soon, his sensitive skin would be temporarily ravaged with blisters.

  So far, Ramses had been able to keep his true identity under wraps. But Maliyah was smart. Her relentless attempts at seduction, coupled with his own overactive libido, wouldn’t allow Ramses to keep up the charade for long. He had no doubt she’d soon uncover the truth. After all, what excuse could explain away the emergence of a vampire’s glowing red eyes and sharp, serrated teeth? Ramses knew better than to pretend that their playful ministrations wouldn’t provoke the beast lying in wait. Maliyah, he discerned, was his weakness. His ultimate prey.

  As they stepped off the train, the sights and sounds of a bustling city came into view. Even in the early morning hours, vendors had begun set up shop in the marketplace selling their wares. Everything from silk tapestries to livestock was on display. About fifty meters to the east, a small group of fishermen and merchants made preparations for the day. They did so next to an assortment of vessels and barges that sat anchored to the pier, eager to set sail. Hefting his luggage over one shoulder and Maliyah’s tote over the other, Ramses headed toward the docks.

  But soon an angry scowl overshadowed Ramses’ face as onlookers stopped to gawk at Maliyah’s luminous bare skin. The people of Aswan certainly weren’t accustomed to seeing people sporting her immodest western style of dress. In the more modern city of Cairo, it was frowned upon to flaunt one’s body, but not entirely uncommon. Americans, as well as Europeans, vacationed during the cooler months sporting the latest fashion trends. Yet here in the much smaller, more traditional town of Aswan, indecent dress was virtually unheard of. The spaghetti straps of the knee-length sundress she wore elicited more than a few impudent stares from passerbys. Although Maliyah took the entire scene in stride, sauntering across the wooden planks with her nose turned up in the air.

  A gutsy broad if I ever did see one.

  “Grab onto my arm and don’t let go!” Ramses turned and whispered hoarsely into her ear. His dark orbs had narrowed into barely visible slits, underlying the seriousness of his command. “That is, unless you’d like to get us both killed.”

  Maliyah must have sensed the eminent danger in their midst. Peering from left to right, her green-gold eyes seemed to recognize the nature of the men’s purely sexual intent. The women’s discontent, on the other hand, proved even more flagrant. In fact, their indignant glowers and sly remarks were hard to ignore.

  Once they’d made their way through the small crowd that had gathered in the marketplace, Ramses approached an older gentleman who sat huddled on the docks. His weathered countenance and frail composure appeared the least brutish and intimidating of the bunch that worked busily beside the pier. The man reached out and opened up his bony fingers, accepting the quantity of one hundred Egyptian pounds Ramses offer for safe passage across the river.

  Ramses guided Maliyah onto the small vessel and sat her next to him on a bench that was made out of what appeared to be waterlogged wooden palettes. Already, he could feel the sun’s rays rise above him. The skin on his forehead, right below the banded ridge of his turban, began to burn and sting as tiny boils formed. He shifted the headpiece a bit lower, praying Maliyah wouldn’t notice.

  “So we know that Anat is holed up somewhere on the island with an accomplice,” Maliyah said, breaking the silence. “What are we planning to do once we find them?”

  “You mean what do I intend to do with them? You, my dear, won’t need to worry your pretty little head about that,” Ramses replied, reaching out to cup his lover’s cheek in his head. “It’s bad enough I had to bring you along in order to draw them out. I made a vow to keep you safe. I intend to honor that promise.”

  All of a sudden, Maliyah shot up from her location on the planks. Her arms were crossed defiantly over her chest. Ramses could see her angry expression in the reflection that bounced off the water’s edge.

  “Stop treating me like a child!” Maliyah reared on him, her penetrating stare burning a hole through his already sweltering skin. “No matter what you believe, I’m no longer Anwar’s helpless daughter. I’m a capable woman and I deserve to be treated as one.”

  Treating her like a woman was exactly what Ramses intended to do. If only, she knew. But with the old man’s eyes boring into them, Ramses had to think fast.

  “Shh.” Ramses rushed to Maliyah, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and drawing her back down into his lap. The fingers on one hand gently massaged the arch of her spine, while his lips grazed the fine baby hairs along her brow. The series of soft caresses served as an urgent plea for his companion to remain calm and collected. “Okay, I’ll tone it down. But you need to relax. Causing a scene will only make things worse.”

  Instantly, Ramses felt the woman in his arms surrender. Her muscles relinquished their rigid control. She took in several deep, measured breaths, no doubt meant to help still the burning rage that roared to life inside of her.

  Damn if Maliyah wasn’t a hothead. But truth be told, her feisty temper proved to be one hell of a turn on. With their bodies melded together so close, Ramses could already feel a partial erection coming on. Maliyah’s stubborn pigheadedness, combined with the vampire prowling below the surface of his human exterior, proved highly combustible, like a pile of dried brush in the middle of the desert.

  For the time being, Ramses had to keep his cool. Although once they’d settle into their hotel and had a chance to review any new leads on the case, all bets were off. He’d have no choice but to blow off some steam. After years of pent up sexual frustration, the petite brunette would finally experience his wrath.

  “How much longer until we arrive at our hotel?” Maliyah asked as she turned to face him. Her beaded nipples pressed against the thin fabric that covered his chest. Her eyes screamed defiance but her body seemed to yearn for something else entirely. Heat from the sun forced the sweet aroma of her sex to permeate the early morning air. The addictive scent rose up, causing his nostrils to flare. If Ramses wasn’t mistaken, Maliyah was almost as eager as he was to explore their undeniable chemistry.

  Let’s just hope my body doesn’t simultaneously combust before we reach our destination.

  ***

  The moment the door to the hotel room closed, Maliyah expected their mutual passion to kick into high gear. Ramses had unceremoniously kicked it shut, then tossed their belongings onto a nearby chair. The room was a suite, with a small sitting room that opened up into a larger bedroom with two queen-size beds. Maliyah leaned against the threshold of the door, waiting for Ramses to advance on her. Unfortunately, he just stood there staring at her as if dumbfounded.

  What the fuck?

  Maliyah was the first to make a move by removing her clothes. She reached down, peeling the sweaty sundress from her torso, leaving her in nothing more than a pair of scant undergarments. The scorching heat had caused a layer of natural moisture to form on her skin.

  Ramses’ eyebrows rose expectantly as she reached out, forcing the turban that covered his head to fall to the floor. His gaze danced over her naked flesh, while his tongue darted out to wet his sexy bottom lip. Still, he hesitated. His fingers flexed toward her bare skin, but their approach stopped short. She had n
o idea what had caused her lover’s sudden trepidation. Whatever it was, Maliyah realized she’d have to be the one to take their relationship to the next level. Blatant sexual bravado wasn’t her style, but with Ramses, the need to touch him had reached an unnerving crescendo. After all, she’d been harboring desire for this same man since she was a pre-pubescent girl.

  Maliyah stepped closer, draping her arms over her lover’s broad shoulders. She leaned in for a kiss, though before their mouth could make contact, Ramses turned his head away.

  “We. Can’t. Not. Yet,” he said, grinding out each syllable as if it had caused him great pain. Eventually he sighed, and glanced at Maliyah out of the corner of his eye. “Sorry, habibti. There’s work to be done.”

  Maliyah let her arms fall to her sides. Her ego bruised, she turned her back to him. Gathering her dress off the floor, she slipped it over her head and paced toward the window; the one that overlooked the hotel’s luxurious salt water pools. She pushed open the window coverings, letting light filter inside the room. After Ramses’ rejection, she needed something to brighten up her somber mood.

  “Fine. How can I help?” Maliyah asked as if unaffected by the blow to her confidence. She returned her attention back to her companion. For some reason, Ramses had shrunk back against the wall farthest from the window, shielding his eyes. As she walked toward him, she noticed a spatter of faded red blotches that appeared to mar the skin above his brow and along the flank of his exposed wrist. Although after a while, the marks seemed to miraculously fade.

  “Can we close the drapes? I’m sensitive to the sun.”

  “Of course. I never realized,” Maliyah said as she rushed to pull the heavy shades shut. “Too bad though. It’s such a beautiful day outside.”

  Before long, they’d hunkered down next to one another at the table. Ramses turned on his laptop and got to the task at hand. It seemed a lot had transpired since the night before that he hadn’t had time to share. The private detective he’d hired had been able to pinpoint Anat and her accomplice to their exact location. Ramses had photographic evidence of their presence in Elephantine. Neither of them recognized the man in the picture. He was an older gentleman, probably in his sixties, with grey whiskers and wrinkly, sun-ravaged skin. In the still image he brought up on the computer screen, the man sat with Anat on the porch of a simple abode nestled by the sea, sipping on an ice-cold refreshment. They seemed completely unaware of the fact that Ramses and Maliyah were on their tail. Soon, all that would change.

  In addition to the photographs, there were blueprints of the house where they were staying, including several accessible inlets that surrounded the secluded shack. They spent quite a bit of time poring over the documents so they could easily find a way in and out of the area without the risk of being caught. To her surprise, Ramses was a natural at covert planning and reconnaissance. And she thought his only talent had been wooing women.

  By all accounts, the two of them would have to remain on the island for an extended period of time in order to flush out her father’s killer. According to Ramses, they needed to stake out the place for a few days and learn the killer’s daily routine, before they could attempt to apprehend him. “There’s more. Your father has friends visiting the area. They have agreed to help us catch this bastard.”

  “Friends of my father’s? Who?”

  Ramses’ fingers glided across the keyboard until an image appeared on the screen, this one of two men standing tall and proud. They shared similar features and Maliyah could tell they were related, possibly father and son. Both of them had dark skin, the same squared jaw line, and broad, sturdy builds.

  “This is Aristotle Kristopolous and his son, Andreas,” Ramses said, pointing to the men in the photograph. “They own AK Oil International, an oil refinery and shipping/receiving company that Anwar often did business with. Look familiar?”

  Maliyah squinted, scratching her right temple with her index finger as she studied the image. “Vaguely. They don’t appear to be Egyptian, though. Where are they from?”

  “Athens, originally. But nowadays their company is headquartered in New York City.”

  “That’s where I’ve seen them!” Maliyah slammed her palm on the small, round table as she finally put the dots together in her memory. “Before I moved to Italy, I attended some fancy soiree with my father at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. These two fellows were there. They’re big time benefactors of the arts.”

  “That’s them. Anyways, Andreas and his new bride, Eva, are in town on their honeymoon. At first, I wasn’t sure if we could trust them. But after doing some digging, it looks like they might be able to help with the investigation.”

  “How so?” Maliyah asked, her voice giving away a hint of hesitation.

  “Andreas’s wife Eva works in law enforcement. She’s got connections that will come in handy if we need them.”

  Suddenly, Maliyah grew quiet. She bit the inside of her cheek, not wanting to think about the words that were fighting to slip from her lips. Could they trust these people? To her, they were virtual strangers, it didn’t matter that one of them happened to work in law enforcement. What if the Kristopolous family turned out to be behind her father’s murder plot? As Ramses and her cousins had quickly pointed out, her father’s business associates were at the top of their list of suspects.

  Once again, Maliyah faced a difficult dilemma. In order to uncover the truth, she had to put her faith in others, something she’d never been accustomed to. Even as a child, she was weary. Trust proved to be a character trait she often lacked, particularly after life as she knew it had been torn apart by her parent’s divorce.

  That singular tragedy had changed her life completely and helped to shape the person she had become. Stubborn, strong-willed, and fiercely independent, she hated to rely on others. Over the years, she avoided anyone or anything with the potential to hurt her. Instead, she became utterly self-sufficient. Relationships, especially romantic ones, were a casualty, with which she refused to waste time or effort.

  But now that her father’s fate hung in the balance, she couldn’t let fear paralyze her. Still, her gut feeling told her not to let anyone else get too close. She felt compelled to once again cover up her self-doubt with sarcasm and sharp-witted banter. Although she knew that she had to be truthful and let Ramses in on her reservations. If the Kristopolous family was allowed to assist them with the investigation, and they turned out to be the ones responsible for her father’s demise, Maliyah would never forgive herself. It’d be like fraternizing with the enemy.

  “I’m not so sure I like this idea,” Maliyah said, rubbing the suddenly stiff muscles at the base of her neck. “How do you know we can trust them?”

  “Maliyah, the same could be said of me. Like I said, I’ve done my research and I’m very thorough. They’re good to go.” Ramses reached around from behind the chair where his companion sat, drawing her close. He grabbed her hand, the one that clasped behind her neck, and entwined their fingers. He squeezed lightly. “Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to you, habibti. Trust me.”

  “So said the spider to the fly,” she replied with a mischievous grin.

  “Very funny.” Ramses released her hand and stood, mussing his hand in her hair as he stepped away from the table and stretched. “I’m spent. Unlike you, I didn’t sleep well on the train. Mind if I take a nap before scoping out Anat’s hideout?”

  “Not at all. I think I’ll head down to the pool and catch some rays. Unlike you, I’m not afraid to tan my backside,” Maliyah said, feeding into their playful exchange.

  “Aint nothing wrong with your backside, sweetheart,” Ramses said as he smacked Maliyah gently on the rear. He sauntered into the adjoining bedroom and flopped down on one of the two mattresses. “Fine by me. As far as I can tell, no one else knows we’re here. But be careful.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The Heat

  Ramses’ eyelids twitched as light from the hallway spilled in
through the open door. In the faint shadows, he could make out Maliyah’s unmistakable silhouette. She tiptoed softly into the hotel room, trying her best not to make a sound. She wore a white one-piece swimsuit with gold metallic accents and a matching wrap that hugged her thighs just below the waist. Her long, golden-brown tresses fell in flowing waves past the arch of her spine.

  Ramses groaned as he glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand a few feet away, and read the time. It was still afternoon – barely five o’clock. Too early for a vampire to rise. But with a tempting morsel slinking onto the mattress of the bed adjacent to his, he didn’t have a chance in hell of falling back to sleep.

  Maliyah must have sensed him stir. She turned to face him and propped her head up on one elbow. A beaming smile spread across her sun-kissed complexion.

  “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  “Hey, gorgeous. Did you enjoy yourself at the pool?” Ramses asked as he braced his palms in the center of the mattress and lifted himself up off the bed. As he did so, he watched Maliyah’s eyes roam over the rippled muscles of his bare chest. He slept in nothing more than a pair of loose-fitting gym shorts. Ramses stood abruptly, then walked over to the table in the far corner of the room. It’d been a while since he’d fed and he needed something moist to coat his scratchy throat. He dropped a few ice cubes and poured some bottled water into a glass, chugging the contents in a single gulp.

  “Yes, but it’s scorching hot outside. I’m burning up.”

  As he set the glass back down on the table, the ice cubes inside swirled around the bottom of the glass like a pinwheel. A wicked grin formed on Ramses’ lips as an idea began to take shape in his mind. He grabbed the bucket of ice, pivoted on his heels and headed back toward the bed where Maliyah sat. She’d shifted into a sitting position, cushioned by a half dozen fluffy pillows.

  “I think I found the perfect solution,” Ramses said.