Something Familiar (The Vandran Legacy Book 2)

by Anna-Louise Dann

  “Patrick is sorting the details out for our flights this evening; unfortunately this isn’t a leisure call, we have a problem. It has been brought to our attention that Jake’s girlfriend Kate is the informant and has now disappeared. She was the one who fed your whereabouts to Will and has been watching and giving information to the traitors within The Domini Bellatorum.”

  She can hear the wariness in his voice. Her heart sinks for poor Jake. What must be going through his mind right now? He seemed to really like Kate and she never gave the impression she was sly, but if she was working with the dicks that were terrorising her family she needed dealing with.

  “So what happens now, Dominic? You don’t think we are in danger of another attack, do you?”

  “I don’t think they’ll be brave enough to attempt an attack on the mansion, I have all my extra security covering the place while I am away. I’ve organised Jake and Iris coming over to stay with you, I want to make sure you and Hope are safe.” He sounds worried.

  “It’ll all be fine, Dominic, please don’t worry about us, just make sure you stay safe.”

  “It is my job to worry about my girls. How’s the little bump doing?”

  “Giving me hell, I can’t wait until this morning sickness passes.” She places her free hand on her still flat stomach, and rubs it gently.

  “I wish I could take your suffering away, my love. I miss you already, my beautiful Tigress, hopefully this should only take a few days, being away from you again is already challenging. This feeling of longing is very new to me as I spent a long time away from that place quite happy not to be there, now I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be than there with you and Hope. I love you, Amelia.” Her heart swells and her eyes fill with tears at his beautiful words.

  “I love you too, Dominic. We’ll be right here waiting for you to come home, hurry back to us.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow once I get a minute,” Dominic tells her.

  They say their goodbyes and he hangs up. She sits on the bed for a while contemplating what would be thrown their way next; this shit was nowhere near to being finished, but whatever it was they had to battle. As long as they all stayed united they would be safe, they were all badass spectrals who wouldn’t back down from a fight if one came.

  She makes her way back down to the entertainment room to fill in Clara and Heather on the recent information. Kate was the informant, she had betrayed them all; she better hope that Amelia didn’t get her hands on her before Dominic did.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Dominic

  “As you are all aware, I have someone I need tracking down, he needs to be brought to me alive and not too beaten up; this one I am dealing with myself.”

  He opened the file on the table in front of him and handed the photographs around.

  “His name is Phil Chandler, he embodies a Panthera Pardus. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our terms that means leopard. He may have a few spectrals around for his protection so be vigilant. I have bought a warehouse on the upper west side of LA, it’s in the Terranway industrial estate, I want him and anyone else you pick up taking there and held until I arrive.” Dominic addressed the meeting room filled with twelve of his most trusted men here in LA.

  “We can cover more ground if you form groups of two or three to go around the bars we know for a fact he’s visited. I need you to find out everything about what he’s been up to while he’s been here. I need to know who he’s fucked, who his friends are, where he’s stayed, you should all know by now what is required. It’s not rocket science, so get to it,” he growled. The men started pulling phones out and organising themselves straight away.

  “What should we do?” Simon said nervously.

  “Try the number you have but for the love of God do not call him from here; if he’s got trackers on you it’ll blow this thing up straight away. See if you can sort out a meeting with him tomorrow night, tell him you’re ready to help him out, you have a place he can hide out for now, tell him you’ve heard on the grapevine I am looking for him and I am not happy. He’ll get wind that my men have been asking questions about him.” Dominic pulled a slip of paper out of the file and Simon’s phone out of the bag.

  “Give him this address as a safe house and please don’t fuck this up, Simon, I need this fucker to pay.” Simon nodded and took the paper and the phone. His face was pale and his hand shook. Dominic could tell he was shit scared, but it was tough he was going to have to grow a pair and get the job done, they had plenty of ground to cover and plenty of heads to roll before they can leave this fucking place and Dominic wasn’t going to waste a moment of his time here. The sooner he could get back to Amelia the better.

  “Colt, you go with Joe, Terrance and Tom to my apartment, I’ll follow shortly when Simon gets back from making contact. I have a few things to sort out here business wise, one of my men will drive you.”

  “Are you sure, Nic? Do you need help with anything here?” Colt asked. He had that worried look in his eyes again.

  “I’m good thanks, just go and make sure these two don’t get into any trouble, I’ll be back soon to sort that other thing out we discussed earlier in Ireland.” An understanding flashed in Colt’s eyes; they still had to find out what Terrance knew. They had thought bringing him to LA before questioning him was a better idea, here he had no way of contacting Kate or anyone else, he had taken all their mobile devices off them before they left Perdition in Ireland. He wasn’t taking any chances of being double crossed.

  Call him paranoid but he had too much at stake now he had Amelia. This time he would gain the upper hand, he was Dominic Bellator for fuck’s sake. It was about time people realised what that name meant in their world.

  The club was packed as usual; Dominic made his way through the crowd looking for Harry. A few of the women he brushed past tried to rub against him, their faces full of primal desire. They were eager for a taste of what he had to offer; he wasn’t interested, there was no comparison with these desperate women and the gorgeous blonde waiting for him at home. The thought of touching anyone but her turned his stomach. There was a time when he had his fill of women, taking a new female home each night, he was the ultimate rich playboy who fucked and fought his way through life not giving a shit about anyone until one day he realised he was slowly turning into his father. A big slap of realisation was enough to wake him from his dick wetting and drag himself out of his father’s shadow.

  He started using his brain instead of his cock to run his life; this club and the start of the expansion for the Perdition franchise had been his baby. Putting his inheritance to good use, he bought this huge building and renovated it, expanding the place into three floors. Each floor held exotic, burlesque and pole dancers both male and female – even the mention of male dancers had sent his father into a rage, especially when he had told him about his idea for the second floor. The homophobic arsehole nearly had a heart attack at that suggestion. He believed in equality and wanted his clubs to showcase diversity, making it available to every walk of life; he was sick of stereotypes and old fashioned homophobic, racist has-beens dictating the running of his businesses.

  Only the Ireland Perdition still housed female dancers and was predominantly aimed at business men, but he had plans for that to change after he finished his build in Amsterdam. The company needed a massive turn over, his business had to move with the times.

  The lure of his birth right and who he was drew in curious clientele at first who were hungry to cast eyes on the Bellator golden boy but that soon faded; now the company’s success spoke for itself.

  At twenty-one he had built himself a solid investment that kept him in the life he had become accustomed to; twelve years and a lot of growing up later that investment had expanded into different Perdition nightclubs opening all over the world.

  Scanning the crowds, he spotted Harry in a dark corner of the club having a heated discussion with one of the security. He pushed his way through the
customers dancing until he reached him.

  “Everything alright, Harry?” he shouted over the deafening music, startling Harry from his chastise of the security guard who looked like he was about to shit his pants. He knew Harry could be a scary fucker when it came to club security.

  “Yeah, just a few issues to iron out, it’s his second night,” Harry said, his scowl softening and a grin appearing. He slapped Dominic on the shoulder and shook his hand. “How are you doing, Nic?”

  “I’ll be better once I’ve sorted the shit out here and I can get back to Amelia, are you free now to discuss club business? I’ve got a few ideas I want to run by you,” Dominic said, knowing Harry would be more than happy to join him.

  “Of course, I’ll meet you in the office in five, I’ll just finish up here, boss,” Harry said, tilting his head towards the forlorn-looking security guard, an amused glint in his eye. Dominic nodded, chuckling to himself, and made his way to the offices.

  ***

  “She’s pregnant… Shit, man, bet you were over the moon with that revelation,” Harry said, laughing, knowing his past views on reproducing any offspring.

  “No, I wasn’t, not at first, but everything happens for a reason, right? I don’t know, H, I think I am actually looking forward to settling down. Amelia is unbelievable, and her daughter Hope is just the most adorable thing.” Dominic was unable to wipe the smile off his face when he talked about his girls.

  “Wow, so the big bad Dominic Bellator has been pussy whipped, and by a Vandran as well, I never thought I would see the day you settled down. Oh well, more women for me now, I don’t mind picking up your workload,” Harry said, laughing and taking a sip of his scotch.

  “You’re welcome to them all, when you meet Amelia you’ll see exactly why I am so done for.”

  A knocking at the office door silenced their conversation.

  “Come in!” Dominic yelled. Simon walked in with a smug grin on his face.

  “I got through to Phil, he’s meeting me at nine tomorrow at the address you gave me,” Simon exclaimed proudly.

  “Good work, Simon, let’s teach this mother fucker what real pain feels like,” Dominic growled.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Dominic

  His fist connected to Phil’s cheekbone; he felt it crack underneath his knuckles. Pummelling this arsehole brought a great feeling of satisfaction. He grabbed both sides of Phil’s head in a death grip, chanting the memoria spell as he tried to channel his thoughts. Images of him snorting cocaine off the back of club toilet cisterns and fucking random whores flashed into Dominic’s vision, it was all recent memories, there was nothing else other than this bastard’s seedy little adventures over the last few days. Phil’s mind had been wiped clean or his older memories had been hidden; whoever he worked for had known Phil would be caught and wouldn’t be able to suppress his jaw from flapping. He had to do this the old-fashioned way, with his fists and some sadistic spells he had been privy to in his younger years.

  “Where is Will?” he roared, taking another swing at Phil’s already battered face and connecting hard. “Start talking, or I will make sure your suffering goes on for days.”

  The fucker actually started laughing at him through his blood-covered teeth. Red saliva dripped off his chin and onto his cheap suit.

  “What’s so funny, Shit Head?” Dominic growled.

  “You’ve fell for our plan, I was convinced you wouldn’t but Will was right. You disappoint me Dominic, I thought you were smart. Will and his men should be paying the lovely Amelia-Jane a visit about now, it’s a shame really, she was a nice piece of pussy and as I remember from the beating I gave her she was pretty feisty too.”

  Dominic punched Phil again, a red mist was descending over him at Phil’s admission; had they known he was coming? Had he left Amelia exposed and in danger?

  Rage like nothing he’d ever felt before simmered to the surface as Phil sat there laughing hysterically, goading him further. He could feel the darkness seeping through his body; his core came to life.

  “You dare to cross me, you pitiful fool. I have held back from who I am for too long. You will now face my wrath for all the pain and suffering you have caused, you and all of those who have conspired against me will suffer. This is for my Amelia. I hope you rot in hell, you sick bastard.” Dominic lifted his arms to begin chanting his ancestors’ death spell.

  Phil’s eyes widened in terror; he began struggling against the bind that held him in place. It was just as Dominic thought, he’d underestimated him, they had all underestimated him. The red glow beginning in Dominic’s eyes made Phil face pale, a dark patch appeared on the crotch of his jeans soaking the seat beneath him.

  “Please, no!” Phil shrieked. “I’ll tell you everything, I’ll give you names, please, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  “Start talking or so help me,” Dominic spat, feeling the vibrations inside of him. His dark magic wanted to inflict some torture of its own, it was taking everything inside him to hold it at bay.

  “My phone… all the information you need is in there, please, I’m sorry. Juliet made me do those horrible things, I didn’t want to hurt anyone, please, you have to believe me,” Phil snivelled, pleading through teary eyes. Yeah right. It was all a farce, this fucker wasn’t in the least bit sorry, he had enjoyed every blow he inflicted to Amelia’s body, even the needle he had pushed into Simon’s skin. Dominic could see right through him, all the snivelling in the world wouldn’t save him now.

  “Too fucking late for your apologies,” Dominic snarled. He’d heard enough, the redness in his eyes growing more intense; just this once he was going to let the darkness win and destroy this bastard.

  “Wait, please, it was Patrick, he’s been feeding Will information, he’s the ones you want.” What? “He was getting backhanders from Juliet for information on you for years, please, everything is on my phone, I’ve emailed everything to myself as leverage against them, I don’t want to die.” Genuine fear passed across Phil’s face as he pleaded for his life, but Dominic was too far gone. A distant voice echoed inside Dominic’s head chanting a spell he wasn’t familiar with; he knew the voice, it was the same voice he used to hear as a child when he inflicted pain for his father’s pleasure; but this time he wouldn’t fight against the familiar beckoning to unleash the darkness within his soul, he would embrace it; he was going to enjoy making this vindictive prick suffer.

  “Why couldn’t I read your memories?” Dominic spat, circling Phil, the evil beginning to burn through his veins, taking him over.

  “One of the coven members performed a spell on me two days ago to block the memoria spell. Patrick had sent word to Will that you would be coming to LA, when I got the call off Simon last night I knew you were coming for me. I was told you were weak, that you would be easy to manipulate, I didn’t know, please, you have to believe me.”

  Dominic looked upon Phil with a bored expression on his face. He was tired of being fed the same bullshit, he would show them all. He hadn’t allowed the darkness to take over for a long time, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still festering away ready to be unleashed. It was time to unlock that box and see what all the fuss was about. A sinister smile appeared on Dominic’s lips; something dangerous had just been released from within and he was powerless to hold it back any longer.

  “I will deal with Patrick as soon as I am back in Ireland, if Heather and her girls haven’t already dealt with him themselves. Thank you for your co-operation, Phil, it’s been highlighting to say the least, but I still need to address the matter of you kicking shit out of the woman I love, plotting against me and hurting innocent people in yours and my sister’s sick and twisted little games,” Dominic hissed, circling him again like a predator about to pounce. His face was still contorted into an evil smile, the deep pit of rage in the centre of his gut was at boiling point. This was it, time to end this sorry bastard’s life.

  “No, please, no, no, no!” Phil begged. “I’m a bad person
, but I can change, I can follow you, my Master, please.”

  “Yes, you are bad and you underestimated me, because Phil, I am your worst nightmare and you are on the top of the list for my first act of vengeance. No more people will suffer at your hands, the souls of your victims will all rise up to smite you.

  Et pro peccatis suis facere licitum vitam,

  Drain this life away, make him suffer for his sins,

  For what he has given out let it comeback tenfold,

  Inflicto.”

  Dominic yelled ‘inflicto’.

  Shadows appeared from different corners of the warehouse and entered Phil’s body; he began convulsing, the screams of agony that left his lips were the cries of excruciating pain being inflicted on his spectral form. Bones began cracking out of place and more screams left him; skin began to peel off his body, exposing the epidermis and then the muscle underneath; the blood poured from the wounds, dyeing his skin red; his screams turned to gurgled cries as blood oozed from his mouth, his insides being crushed. Dominic remained still like a statue, his eyes red with his arms held out as he inflicted his punishment long after Phil’s lifeless body slumped over in the chair dead. The shadows left Phil’s body having had their vengeance, but one remained, this one that hadn’t been summoned by his ancestors’ death spell; it was an entity that had been trapped inside Phil’s body until now. Like the other spirits it was only visible to Dominic. The red-eyed shadow demon stalked around him, smiling slyly before charging. It passed through his body, creating a cold chill to form at his core, weakening his restraint, creating a rebirth of a warlock he had managed to keep buried within the confinement of his soul for all these years. The shadow demon exited, casting one last grin of victory before fading into nothing.