Okay I ran into writer's block again on the last story I was posting, so as usual, I started on a completely different one and may be gaining momentum there? I'm odd that way x.x this one is a bit darker themed than others I've submitted, so it'll have a different feel to it. anyway, story below:
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In the dining room of an illustrious, three-story manor sat a woman slowly sipping a red drink from the wine glass she held. She had short black hair, reaching just past her ears in the back, but with locks on the sides that dropped to her shoulders. Her skin was pale as though she did not get much in the way of sunlight. Her eyes were sharp and red, lips and nails painted the same. She wore a black robe with red inner lining.

A tall, pale man dressed in the manner that would be expected of a butler approached the woman. "Madam Valerie, the sun has set," he informed her.

"Thank you," replied the woman, Valerie. She stood and tossed her robe to the butler to take, not concerned with the fact that she only wore black lingerie underneath. As the butler departed with the garment, Valerie headed to one of the three master suites present at the manor. There, she got dressed, putting on a black strap top with red trim, a black leather mini-skirt, and black stiletto boots. She pulled out the top drawer of one of her dressers. It was lined with organized rows of expensive jewelry, each item in its own clear case. She picked out a pair of red pendant earrings and hung them from her ears, closing the drawer before heading out.

As she exited the manor, the butler from earlier was waiting for her beside a black Lincoln Town Car. "Where to, Madam?" he asked.

"Anywhere in town should be fine," came the reply. Her tone was entirely devoid of any real interest.

The butler nodded in acknowledgment and opened the back door for her. She got in and he closed the door after her, getting into the driver’s seat afterwards. The car’s interior was luxurious with lush, leather-trimmed seating and a glass mini-bar filled with various expensive wines and champagnes.

A little over ten minutes had passed before they arrived in the downtown section of the nearest city. The car stopped near a five-star hotel. "This will suffice," Valerie plainly said, not really even taking much time to examine the area before making this assessment.

"Very well," replied the butler. "Will there be anything else this evening?"

Valerie shook her head. "No, thank you."

The butler opened the door for Valerie once more so that she could depart. He then re-entered the vehicle and drove off. Valerie walked along the streets, past the hotel, looking around as though she was in search of something. She travelled a few blocks before something unusual caught her attention. "What do we have here…?" she asked herself.

Valerie was looking up at the water tower as she noticed someone perched on the walkway. Her senses were very keen, especially at night. She could spot the figure had a feminine form, dark hair, though the exact shade could not be determined from this distance. The woman held a rifle of some sort in her hands, focused on a target somewhere. Valerie searched around for this potential target. Before she could track the victim, she heard a feint sound of gunfire. She saw a figure fall in the distance. As she observed the scene, she began to wonder if she could take advantage of the situation somehow.

She looked back up. The sniper was apparently satisfied with her shot, as she had already begun to leave. Valerie decided to head over to the victim’s dying body. She found a heavyset man in a tan business suit with a white, collar shirt and brown tie.

This will not be high quality, but I suppose it will do for now, she thought as she knelt down beside the man.

Unbeknownst to Valerie, the shooter was coming to check on her victim. She readied her gun, pointing at Valerie’s back. "Step away from that body," ordered the woman.

Valerie rose from her position, crouching beside the fallen body and turned around, licking her lips. She could see the woman had dark brown hair, barely shoulder length with bangs sweeping over her left eye. Her uncovered eye appeared grey in the darkness. Her face was stern and she was dressed in an all-black bodysuit.

"What the hell were you doing...?" the gun-wielder asked.

"If I told you, you most likely would not believe me anyway," Valerie stated plainly.

The woman's eyes narrowed and she dared, "Try me. Without some kind of an explanation, I might just have to put a bullet in you too."

"Well that would be rather unpleasant...but ultimately useless to you," Valerie declared in a unconcerned manner.

“Do you have a death wish or something...?” the woman asked, her annoyance clearly building in her tone.

Valerie smirked slightly at this. "It’s a bit too late for that, my dear. I imagine you are here for this body. You are welcome to it. I have no use for a heart that no longer beats."

The comment left the woman perplexed. Valerie took this opportunity to simply walk off. The sniper looked as though she was about to stop Valerie, but instead focused her attention on her target.

Valerie continued to make her rounds until about midnight. She found a lot more people going out early this evening. Satisfied with her results, she returned home to the manor. As she arrived, her butler greeted her, "Welcome back, Madam. How was your meal?"

"There was a good haul tonight, though privacy was more of an issue. I think starting closer to this hour would be a better middle ground in the future," she reported.

The butler nodded and replied, "I will take note of that. While you were gone, a man visited with a business proposition. He left his card."

"You can dispose of that," Valerie instructed without hesitation.

"You do not want to find out what he wants?" the butler curiously questioned.

"I am not interested in doing business."

"But it is a rather simple and highly beneficial arrangement. Your father engaged in these arrangements many a time. You can obtain sustenance and make some money as well," he attempted to point out.

Valerie dismissively replied, "I am not my father. Besides, what need would I for the money of a dirty businessman?"

"You do not know that he is dirty," the butler suggested in a manner that almost sounded lecturing.

"He wants someone eliminated. There is typically something foul involved somewhere in that," Valerie explained.

The butler sighed, slightly frustrated that he was not convincing her. "Well money is money. It does not matter where it comes from. While your assets are great, the inheritance will not last forever. It would be wise for you to at least build favorable relations so you can conduct business if you ever need it. There can be benefits to having the capability of buying out certain organizations as well."

"So just call this person and politely decline to remain on good terms?"

The butler nodded. "At the very least."

"Fine. Let me see that card and then have a bath drawn," she said, holding out her hand.

The butler handed it to her and she made her way towards a phone. She dialed the number on the business card and waited for an answer.

A man's voice answered on the other end, "Hello?"

"Am I speaking to Gustav Brinkerhoff?" asked Valerie.

"Yes, you are. From my Caller ID, I am assuming this is the lady of the Bloodworth residence?" said the man.

"It is. I heard you had a business proposition."

"Yes, you see, there’s a shady fellow who made crooked deal. He cheated me out of a rather large sum of money. Now the money isn’t even my biggest concern. I just don’t like being double-crossed. I’d like you to send a message not to mess with me," explained Gustav.

"Sounds a bit mafia for my tastes...." Valerie informed him, trying to emphasize her distaste for the arrangement in her voice.

"Believe me. I do not operate in that fashion. If I did, I would have my own men for the job."

"It sounds like a bit of a hassle to track this guy down for you. What kind of compensation are you offering?"

"I have a fair amount of stock in the local blood bank here. I imagine having an emergency supply would be beneficial?"

She paused for a moment at this. She had never considered this possibility. "Now you have my interest. Do I get to pick the type? I don’t care much for 'A' blood."

"We can work that out if you successfully complete the task."

"All right, so who is this guy you want me to get?"

"If you meet with me, I can provide you with all the information you need. My address is on my card."

Valerie glanced over the card in her hand before replying, "Fine, I can be there."

"It is getting late for me now. Can you come by tomorrow?" Gustav requested.

"I’m a night person, as I am sure you are aware. Does ten o’clock work for you?"

"That’s acceptable."

"In that case, I will see you then."

"Great. I look forward to doing business with you," he said. She could hear that he was happy with how this conversation went.

As Valerie hung up, a woman dressed in a gothic maid uniform was standing beside her. She had long, liquorish black hair that contrasted with her pale skin, much like the rest of the staff at the manor. "Mistress Valerie, your bath is ready," said the maid.

Valerie nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you." She then headed over to the largest of the three bathrooms at her residence and prepared to unwind.