Despite managing the Lily, Martin was still living out of the same motel room, the garbage bags still taped over the window, still awakening each morning to the cold porcelain of the tub against his skin. Soon, he ought to have enough money to get a proper haven.
Soon, he ought to have enough money to really get started.
But first things first: feeding. He'd put so much time into the club, and getting Joey to work for him, and investigating those damned caverns under the city, he had let the blood fall to the wayside. The most important thing, and he had gotten lazy with it; the Beast inside shrieked its fury at being ignored, and demanded slaking.
He'd been doing this quite a bit lately. Martin worried about his lack of focus.
Again he went to the Avalon, moving through the dancing crowds, looking for likely targets. It was maddening—even over the music pounding in his ears, he could hear their hearts, smell their blood just waiting to pour down his throat. It mesmerized him, it enraged him. He came to, realizing he'd been staring at a knot of dancers. To their eyes he probably had looked like a strung out junkie; he felt shame, and embarassment, and then the rage again.
No no NO
He felt the Beast wanting to rise and he tamped it down. Martin didn't dare let it out, not here, not like this. Just focus, just find some food, just go
"Hey!" some girl yelled in his ear, smiling wide; on autopilot he smiled back, wondering if he knew her. "Good to see you again!" she said, giving him a quick hug, and he vaguely remembered her—the last time he'd been here, he'd grabbed her and a friend of hers.
"Hey," he said, not remembering her name. That's fine, whatever. "How you been?"
They made small talk, and he wasn't really listening; he was just wondering, has it been long enough? Does she have enough that I won't kill her? But she was with friends—the one from before, and a new one. Well that was just dandy; with three, he shouldn't have any problem at all.
He joined the three young ladies for drinks, which he gladly bought. Already he was formulating the Words in his mind, to make them take him home with them. So he could take, and take, and take.