BOTS 2: Jeannie Holmes

When you work with the best, who needs the rest?
by Alexandra Sabian (written by Jeannie Holmes)


I’ve worked with a lot of people—vampires and humans alike—in my twenty-plus years as an Enforcer with the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation. Some were great and others were torture. But of all the people with whom I’ve worked, despite our differences and rocky past, I have to say my best partner has been Varik Baudelaire.

Yeah, Varik’s an ass, and there are times when I’d love to shove his head in a toilet and flush—repeatedly—but I know he’s got my back when it counts. Professionally, I trust him with my life. It’s when our lives cross over from professional to personal that things get messy. Overall, he’s a good guy to have around then the crap hits. I mean, think about it. He’s a vampire who hunted vampires. He knows his way around guns and hand-to-hand combat. He’s smart—hell, he’d have to be to last as long as he has in this business—and not afraid to get his hands dirty.

First of all, Varik joined the Hunters in 1853, so he’s being doing this for over a hundred and fifty years. He was one of the youngest to ever be inducted into the Special Operations unit, and even I don’t know the details regarding his assignments during that time.

There are times when I want to tie him up and question him about what he did, but we share a blood bond so I can see some of the things in his head from time to time. Let’s just say there are dark places that I don’t want to go near. Yeah, he drives me insane with his secrets but if I did tie him up and question him, I doubt I’d get straight answers…and honestly, I’m not sure I want to know the answers.

In addition to the equivalent of a walking deadly weapon, Varik has a few other traits that make working with him easy. (Well, maybe not easy, but at least interesting.) He’s the classic tall, dark, and handsome guy. Not bad. His sense of humor is a bit dark, but I don’t mind since mine is as well. He can cook, which is a major bonus in my book. He also has other…uh…attributes but those are far too personal.

So why do I think Varik is the best partner? Because I know him, respect him, trust him…and love him, and he reciprocates those feelings. We’ve been together for a long time and not a day goes by that he doesn’t surprise me. Varik and I work in an uncertain environment and we both know that today could be our last and having the person you care about the most by your side is priceless.