Something Familiar (The Vandran Legacy Book 2)

by Anna-Louise Dann

  If this was what he suspected, it was bigger than they first thought and there could be a lot more people involved.

  He just prayed he was wrong.

  Chapter Ten

  Dominic

  The dimly lit club was filled with the scent of sweat and blood. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt down as he pushed his way through the groups of suited-up dickheads waving handfuls of money around, placing their bets on who they thought would succumb to the ruthless battles ahead.

  The atmosphere in the room was electric. The bystanders had bloodlust in their eyes, eager to witness the carnage he was about to unleash on his unsuspecting opponent.

  He hadn’t been here for months but tonight his only need was to rid himself of the ball of anger which had been eating at him all day. This was his outlet, his therapy for the evil that lurked inside of him, better this than what he would become if he let that darkness surface.

  He caught a few gasps from some spectrals in the crowd who recognised him but were too afraid to acknowledge who he was.

  He removed his top revealing his bare muscular chest underneath, throwing it to the side of the steps as he ascended them ready for his fight.

  A cage door was opened; he entered the circular ring pacing up and down waiting for someone to ring the familiar bell, so he could hurt someone.

  The tough-looking guy opposite stood staring him down, trying to intimidate him with his steel glare of hate. He would have laughed out loud if he could even crack a smile. Something inside him had broken after Amelia left and this poor soul was about to feel the brunt of his shitty day.

  The sound of the bell rang out and the guy became more active as he lunged towards Dominic taking swing after swing. Dominic kept his fists down for a few blows, wanting to feel the sharp crack of pain that came from the heavy punches this guy was throwing. After the first few hits everything just felt numb.

  To the crowd he probably looked like he was taking a beating from this idiot. He could hear cries of, “Hit him back!” but he was just biding his time. Once he unleashed the turbulence that was rattling around in his gut this guy would feel like he’d been hit with a truck.

  The bell rang out for the end of round one. His opponent retreated to the other side of the cage to wipe his face off and rinse his mouth out, he was looking cocksure and arrogant as he waved his arms up in victory.

  Not for long, dickhead.

  Dominic began pacing again awaiting the next round, someone offered him a towel which he took, not even acknowledging their attempt to converse with him. He used the rough grey material to wipe the sweat off his face, chest and neck, not surprised at the evidence of blood; licking his bottom lip graced him with the familiar metallic taste. He could feel the swelling in his cheekbone but shrugged it off, this was nothing compared to the state he used to leave this club in. He’d had much worse coming here over the years. In the beginning after his mother had died he’d had to find a release for the darkness, cage fighting had been a welcome refuge for controlling his demon.

  It gave him a purpose and made him focus.

  Suddenly a vision of Amelia with a terrified look on her face flashed into his brain and he roared, making his opponent’s eyes widen and the crowd go wild.

  This was it.

  The bell rang for the second round.

  The guy came at him again and tried to sweep his legs from under him. Dominic was faster and tackled the guy to the floor, landing on top of him. He slammed his clenched knuckles into the guy’s face before he had chance to cover himself.

  He felt the bone crunch under his fists and the guy tried but failed to protect himself before Dominic landed another blow. Dominic had the upper hand, he felt the guy go limp, but adrenaline was still pumping through his veins, spurring him on, and he threw in punch after punch.

  He didn’t know how long he had been pummelling the guy’s face and torso, next thing he knew he was being dragged off and pulled into a standing position with one of his arms raised above his head in victory. Just like that it was all over.

  But the emptiness inside remained and the image of her face, petrified and alone, burned into his brain.

  He had to find her.

  Emmie

  Hope had finally settled. She was exhausted from crying and throwing tantrums all day, sobbing herself to sleep this evening after begging her to return them to Dominic’s house for a solid hour and a half.

  Emmie felt dreadful for dragging her away and uprooting her again. She wouldn’t be winning any awards for mum of the year, she thought as she rummaged through the suitcase Colt had dropped off for her earlier; she needed some pyjamas.

  She was shattered, but sleep was the last thing on her mind.

  She had spent the best part of the day regretting her decision to leave while trying to calm an erratic four-year-old.

  The ache in her heart was only growing more intense with each hour that passed. She cursed her weakness and her inability to stop caring.

  She needed to pull up her big girl pants and work on getting over this infatuation. Being with Dominic was a beautiful dream and not an option for her if it meant they would always be looking over their shoulder.

  She wouldn’t apologise for putting her daughter’s safety first even if Hope was just as attached as she was; only her little girl was a lot more vocal about her feelings.

  She knew Dominic would have protected them with his life; but he shouldn’t have to carry that burden around. He was someone of importance, a lot of people depended on him, they lived in different worlds, worlds that had no right colliding.

  She had tried to tell herself it didn’t matter that he was so attentive with her child, that being with him made her feel indestructible. It didn’t matter that he was the best sex she had ever had, just thinking about the way her body responded to him the night before sent tingles right through her.

  Who was she kidding? She was ruined for anyone else, not even her own husband had been able to satisfy her the way Dominic could, he was embedded into her soul.

  A tear rolled down her cheek and she brushed it away angrily.

  She hadn’t even found out properly what The Domini Bellatorum had said to him, all she knew was that someone had lied to them and they hadn’t known Clara had a sister.

  She had just run away again without waiting around to hear him out. He wouldn’t understand, he probably hated her for leaving again and she wouldn’t blame him.

  She pulled out a pair of leggings and an old t-shirt from the case and took them into the bathroom with her. Throwing her hair into a messy bun on top of her head, she turned on the shower, stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the warm spray, welcoming the stream of flowing water as she lathered up the sweet-smelling lemon bodywash that filled up her senses with its citrus fragrance.

  Fighting the emotions became too much to bear and she allowed herself to let go of everything she had bottled up all day. She sobbed uncontrollably for the life she nearly had and for the difficult path ahead for her and her little girl. The spray of the shower carried the tears that she cried down the drain, along with a piece of her broken heart.

  What had she done?

  Chapter Eleven

  Emmie

  Dominic’s tongue made circles around her hardened nipples and she cried out, needing more. This was sweet torture. Her whole body was alive with need for him. She could feel the wetness from her pussy soaking her throbbing folds and she rubbed her thighs together, needing to feel his mouth at her sensitive bud between her legs while she came undone. He didn’t use his mouth, instead he trailed his large hands down her flat stomach. Reaching her dripping centre, he rubbed her clit with the pad of his finger, nipping at the flesh on her breasts. She was so close. She whimpered as he pushed two fingers into her dripping entrance, playing her like an instrument, plucking at her strings and driving her towards the climatic finish.

  Emmie sat upright in bed sweating and breathing heavily from the delicious dream she h
ad just been torn from. She looked at her surroundings, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness of the unfamiliar room. There was a noise outside like someone was trying to get in. She flung the covers back and walked to the window; she couldn’t see anything or anyone, she knew better than to open any doors. A cold shiver travelled down her spine causing the hairs on her arm to stand on end. Something didn’t feel right.

  Her beast was alert and ready for battle, whoever this was trying to break in was in for a world of pain if she got hold of them.

  She tiptoed across the big landing to the room where Hope slept, pushing the door slowly so she didn’t disturb her. Her eyes went straight to the bed, where her daughter lay, spread out in a starfish position in typical Hope style. Her little snores filled up the dark room. Something pulled Emmie’s focus away from Hope as the bottom of the closed curtain wafted up as if a draft had caught it.

  The window had to be open, but she knew she had closed all the doors and windows in the house, checking everything was locked before retiring for the night.

  Fear built inside her as she quietly made her way over to investigate; something was definitely off in this house.

  Her beast clawed at her flesh, seeking release. She fought against the growing change, she didn’t want to scare her daughter. Hope wasn’t ready to see what her mother became, especially not in a situation like this, she wouldn’t understand.

  She got to the window, sure enough it was wide open. She quickly pulled on the handle, closing it tight. She looked at the glass of the closed window wondering what or who had opened it. Suddenly a face appeared in the clear pane, startling her. She couldn’t look away as recognition of who it was sunk in; this had to be a dream, she would wake up. The smile that appeared on the ghostly features was one she knew so well but it was distorted with a sinister curve of his lips. No, it couldn’t be. She whipped her body around expecting to see him standing behind her, shocked to find the room as it had been before, except for Hope who was sitting up in bed staring straight at her. Her face was pale, and her big green eyes were wide and emotionless, she had a haunted expression like she had been possessed. The air in the room grew heavy.

  “Daddy’s back Mummy, you’ll be sorry Mummy, you’ll be sorry, you’ll be sorry. He’s coming to get his girls. You can’t hide, Mummy, he’ll find us,” Hope chanted, it was the most terrifying thing Emmie had ever seen. Hope stared right through her for a few more seconds before she laid back down and closed her eyes, her snores filling the silence. The air became lighter. Whatever it was had left for now.

  Emmie fell to her knees shaking uncontrollably, her legs were unable to hold her up anymore, the magnitude of what she had just witnessed pinned her to the spot.

  This had to be another spectral, trying to frighten her. Will was dead. This had to be the work of another Cailleach or warlock who had it in for them, but how had they found them so fast?

  Gaining her courage, she crawled to her sleeping child and brushed some of her unruly hair from her perfect little face. Hope was fast asleep and unaware of the horrors that had just unfolded.

  Emmie breathed a sigh of relief that the ordeal was over for now, but her senses were on high alert. There was no way she was sleeping anymore tonight, she would sit up until morning and then she needed to speak to Clara. She had to go back and come out of hiding, she couldn’t face this alone.

  “I promise you, sweetheart, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are safe,” she whispered. “No one will hurt us, Princess, no one.”

  Clara

  A mobile phone ringing woke Clara from a deep sleep. She lifted her head to check the time, it was half past six. She groaned, reaching for Colt. His side of the bed was empty, Colt must already be up and helping Iris with something. Who the hell would be calling him at this time anyway? Realising it was her ringtone, she cursed and hurriedly got out of bed to retrieve the dammed thing expecting to see Heather’s number, knowing her mother so well. Emmie’s name flashed on the screen. Shit.

  She connected the call straight away.

  “Clara, thank God, listen I need you to come and get me, something weird happened last night and I don’t think we are safe here, please Clara, please hurry.” She sounded like panic had set in.

  “Whoa, Emmie, calm down. Breathe, lovely. Now tell me what happened,” Clara said, trying to calm her.

  “A noise woke me about two o’clock this morning, I went to check on Hope and the window in her room was open. I had closed them all, Clara, I swear I—” Clara could hear the tears in her sister’s voice now, it broke her heart that she wasn’t there to comfort her.

  “I know what you’re like about safety, Emmie, go on.”

  “When I went to shut the window, I saw – I saw Will’s face in the glass. I turned around thinking he was there and Hope was sitting up in bed telling me Daddy is back and he’s coming for us. She was possessed, Clara, whoever it was used my baby for their fucking sick message. I’ll tear them apart, Clara, no one is going to come near my baby.” Anger had now replaced the panic in Emmie’s voice.

  Clara knew how dangerous Emmie could be when it came to protecting family, they had all witnessed it first hand with Juliet and the carnage she had left behind. They needed to get to her fast. She could imagine how hard it must be for her sister to fight against her beast, especially in the fragile state of mind she had been in before all that shit happened last night.

  Clara went cold as what Emmie had just said sunk in. Will?

  “Someone will be with you within the hour, Emmie, I promise. Get your things together,” she said. “I am calling Dominic as well, we never should have taken you away from him.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Dominic

  “She needs you, Dominic.”

  Clara’s words played over in his head. Amelia was in danger and she needed him, something about her husband and Hope. Wasn’t her husband dead?

  He had spent the best part of the night fighting with himself over what he was going to do.

  He had come to the decision around five o’clock this morning after downing a bottle of scotch, that if she wanted to walk away then he would let her. The more he battled with his emotions the angrier he had become that she would just leave without hearing him out. He didn’t want or need her. He didn’t chase after women and he certainly didn’t beg. He demanded, and they obeyed him. Feelings just made you weak.

  Amelia had been the exception, he had wanted to give her the world, he would have happily sacrificed everything if it meant she was his. Not anymore, he would hear whatever she had to ask and then he was done with that entire family.

  He clenched his fists, causing the bruising on his knuckles to sting. The pain felt good.

  “Understand this, Mrs Brooker, I will send someone to retrieve Ms Stewart and her daughter as a good will gesture and I will answer her questions but, after that she needs to stay away from me. She has made her choice, I don’t like being deceived. I went out of my way for her and her child. I am a busy man with better things to do. This is the last dealing I will have with your family, our business is finished after today.” He probably sounded like a petulant child who had lost their favourite toy, but he didn’t care anymore.

  “OK Dominic, if that’s what you want, but you have to realise she was just protecting her daughter. Emmie has been through a lot and has always been very independent. She is terrified of opening herself up to anyone again after what Will and your sister did to her.” Clara’s voice was soft, so full of concern for her older sibling. He didn’t want to hear it.

  “He had an affair, and got himself killed, not exactly horrifying,” he said sarcastically, regretting it straight away. He was fully aware of what she had been through at the hands of Juliet and her vendetta.

  “You really are a cold-hearted son of a bitch, aren’t you?” she snarled. “He made her fall for him when they were kids; he knew who and what she was, it was all so he could spy on her for your fucking sick bastard of
a father. He had countless affairs including the one with Juliet and he helped that sick bitch kidnap their daughter. To add insult to injury, the last time she saw him he tried to rape her. So yeah, Mr Arrogant, it’s not exactly horrifying but enough to make someone lose trust in love.”

  He could hear Clara breathing heavily to try and calm herself after her outburst.

  His temper was bubbling at the surface at what Clara had just said. He hadn’t known the extent of what that bastard had put her through. Guilt gnawed at his insides.

  “Where is she?” he asked, unable to say any more for fear of losing it completely. If he’d only known that sick arsehole had put her through years of heartache and then tried to rape her.

  Clara seemed to sense his change in tone.

  “She’s in Dundrum, in a little cottage just off Kingston Street, it’s about a mile from the town centre, you—”

  “I know the place.” He cut her off abruptly. “I’ll go myself.” He took a breath, she didn’t deserve his arrogance, even if she had been an accomplice in Amelia’s escape. “I apologise for my childish outburst before, please put it down to lack of sleep and my inability to think clearly when it comes to your sister, Mrs Brooker.”

  “It’s fine Dominic, I know your pride has probably been hurt so I’ll let you off, this time,” she joked. A smile tugged at his mouth, easing the fire building in his stomach slightly. “Just be careful with her, she is more fragile than you think. And call me Clara, for God’s sake, Mrs Brooker makes me sound old.” He could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Let her know we are on our way. Goodbye for now, Clara,” he said before disconnecting the call and scrolling to Patrick’s name.

  Patrick answered straight away; he didn’t wait for him to speak. “Get the helicopter ready, I need to get to Dundrum as soon as possible.”