Bloodline World Seven Book Bundle: 7 Books from the Bloodline Awakened Series and Scarlet Dragon Saga

by J. P. Rice

  Our phone call had gone better than expected and he hadn’t been mean mugging me or anything like that, which surprised me a bit. He told the person on the other end to stop by as soon as they could and hung up the receiver. He stood up and walked around his desk. He lingered for a few moments, gazing at Guernica by Pablo Picasso on the wall.

  I had prepared my magic on the way in because I wasn’t sure how Jonathan would react. His ominous silence would normally cause my hands to sweat, but for some reason I felt comfortable in the vampire stronghold. Right at home. However, I’d be a damn fool not to stay alert.

  As he stared at the painting, I tapped the toes of my shoes on the ground and prepared to jump up and fight if he came at me. I’d seen the wild side of the six-hundred-year-old vampire and remembered how he had struck with the quickness of lightning.

  How far did saving a man’s life go? Time to find out. Jonathan couldn’t deny that I’d saved his life. Actually, since I’d found out he was a liar in the last week, the stock of his word had taken a hit. I needed to be careful with how much I trusted him. The days of blindly following him were fading from the rear-view mirror as I pressed on the gas and hauled ass down the road with my new life heading in the opposite direction.

  Life had the innate ability to come at you so fast you never even realized something of import had happened. I’d wanted to take a step back and spend time with the family but I’d convinced myself that I needed to go with the vampires to get the portal so that I could rescue Alayna. Those decisions could come back to haunt me if the cross-state vampires knew me or found out who I was.

  “So.” Jonathan turned to me. “We are now merely business associates. The days of friendship are over. You saved my life in Philadelphia and for that, I owe you a huge debt of gratitude. That is the only thing saving your life right now.”

  I shifted around in the chair, keeping my magic ready to go. I just wanted to ask if Reg was all right.

  He continued, “You made me look a fool in front of my clan. Several. Times. Repeatedly. So I know it wasn’t just a mistake. I chose to believe you over my clan members. I don’t have to tell you how weak and utterly stupid that makes me look. I trusted you and I shouldn’t have. And for that, our friendship is over.”

  He moved over and leaned back against his desk. He folded his arms over his chest in a defensive manner. “We can remain business associates, but don’t expect any more gifts. In fact, my associates will be coming by your house to pick up any gifts that you’ve forfeited with your deceit. You even called me complaining with your sanctimonious horseshit about my men being on your land. You don’t have any more dead vampires on your property, do you?”

  That was rich coming from the guy who had been lying about the shifters and the vampires from Philly. I blurted out the real question on my mind, “Is Reg okay?”

  He stared at me for a few moments, brooding, but it almost seemed like an act. “I’ll get to that later. There’s an important matter we need to discuss. I was just talking to our doctor friend. And I told him about your symptoms.”

  He turned around and shuffled some of the papers on his desk. He came across as nervous, and although I was the one who normally avoided eye contact, he stared down at the floor. “He thinks that those bullets that hit you were doused in vampire blood.”

  I was confused. “Come again? What are you trying to say?”

  “The doctor thinks your blood stream may have been tainted with some vampire blood.”

  “But. Then. That would make me a vampire.”

  Jonathan looked up from the floor and confirmed my suspicion with a silent look.

  “How does that even work? Wouldn’t the blood have dried? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Mike. How many things have you seen in this business that make perfect sense? We live in the world of imagination. If someone can think it, it can happen to us.”

  A glaze of sweat formed over my body and the fiery sensation of anger swept from my heels to my head. I couldn’t be a vampire. Could I? When I thought about all my symptoms, it made perfect sense now.

  “How can we change it? I mean, how can I go back to normal?”

  Jonathan didn’t say a word as he walked around and sat down in his leather chair. “I’m afraid there’s no going back from here. I’ll try to find out whatever I can, and I will help you with your transition. As a business associate, of course.”

  My association with Jonathan had somehow gotten more complicated than it already was. As I sat in the chair with sweat running down my face and collecting in the stubble on my chin, I felt like I’d been run over by a train. My world had been rocked.

  “We have a few other things to talk about when you are ready,” he said, trying to change the subject to get my mind off accepting the fact that I was a vampire now.

  Stunned, I said, “Go ahead.”

  “As far as our adventures go, the clan from Philly isn’t going to do a damn thing. However, if you see any of those Larimores running around Pittsburgh, be sure to alert me. The shifters are going to be a bigger problem. They seem set on starting a war.”

  “Why don’t I go talk to them?”

  “Do you know Octavius?”

  “I know of him. His assistant seemed pretty nice when I set up a meeting with him. But I’ll just do what I do. The same way I got you and Glenda to squash your beef. I think peacemaker might be my best attribute. I’ll set up an appointment and go talk to the guy. It can’t hurt.”

  Jonathan studied me. His wry grin suggested he was impressed that I’d taken the initiative to set up a meeting, but his eyes questioned my true intentions. “Tread lightly. And if he demands anything excessive, tell him to fuck off. Do not, I repeat, do not, and I cannot stress this enough, do not make any sort of deal without conferring with me first. Got that?”

  “Will do. It will be nice to get a close look at the werewolves. I feel like there’s so much I haven’t seen yet.”

  Jonathan laughed. I asked, “What?”

  He said, “You know very little of the supernatural scene in Pittsburgh. Think of it as a luscious tit. You’ve only scraped the nipple of the massive iceberg. Get my drift?”

  I nodded, and he continued, “Did you know that Thor has been spotted in Pittsburgh? Did you know that two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse just caused a scene at one of the bars on the Southside? Did you know that the Greeks and Norse have many members in Pittsburgh?”

  I just knew about the Celts and I’d traveled to the Greek hell, but I didn’t know all this had been going on in Pittsburgh. “What does it all mean?”

  “Isn’t that your job to figure out? Obviously, something big is going on if the horsemen were here. With June coming back, I’d bet she has a wicked plan up her sleeve.”

  “June?”

  “Never mind. I’m flooding your brain with too much information that you can’t use right now. If I find out anything, I will alert you as a business associate would do.”

  “What if we set up a Supernatural Board of Pittsburgh? Everyone gets a seat at the table and we could set some guidelines and laws. It would help us keep the Red Cavern in line if we had a coalition. They might go against us individually, but they wouldn’t if we banded together.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. I think you should explore it more. I’ll surely represent the vampires’ interests.”

  That gave me something to work on. Bringing peace to Pittsburgh was the reason the Celtic Gods had appointed me in the first place.

  We said our quick goodbyes, not as friends, and I turned to leave his office. As I passed the chairs, someone knocked on the door. I couldn’t help thinking that I was forgetting to ask Jonathan something when Lexis popped her head in the door.

  She said, “Jonathan. Gale is here to see you. She didn’t have an...”

  Jonathan cut her off. “Send her in right away.” Then he mumbled, “I just talked to her.”

  Lexis’s head disappeared, and a tall red head sashayed i
nto Jonathan’s office. She didn’t look like a vampire, but she didn’t look like a normal human either. There was something magical about her, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. She reminded me of Burn.

  “I’m glad we can still work together. Let me know if you hear anything else I might need to know,” I reminded him, but his attention was glued to his new guest.

  I nodded and exchanged a quick hello with the redhead as I left the office. I opened the door and almost forgot to say goodbye. “I’ll talk to you later, Jonathan.” The vampire who was big on courtesies barely heard me because he was focused on the woman.

  I kept thinking there was something I was forgetting as I walked to the lobby. As I headed for the front desk to pick up my car from the valets, I still couldn’t grasp the fact that I was a vampire. To distract myself from that, I thought about Jonathan’s words and how there were so many entities in Pittsburgh that I didn’t know about.

  Lexis saw me coming and picked up the phone to call for my car. I nodded my thanks and spun around to head outside. I stopped dead in my tracks as my best friend stood in front of me, amazingly alive.

  “Reg. I’m so sorry.” I wanted to reach out and hug the man, but like Alayna, he didn’t seem ready to forgive me just yet.

  “Hey, man. I think you and me need to have a little talk.”

  I couldn’t gauge his emotions. He appeared calm and cool, but he could just be hiding his anger. He gestured toward the hallway and started to lead the way as I followed him in silence. Even if he were to end our friendship, I was just happy he was alive again.

  Alayna and Reg were safe again.

  I’d scored the redemption I had been seeking. Now I could concentrate on family life with Burn and Dante unless something new popped up.

  The Scarlet Dragon Saga

  Books 1-3

  J.P. Rice

  Copyright 2018-2019 by Jason Paul Rice

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All names are made up and used fictionally. Any resemblance to real people is completely coincidental. Any resemblance to real events is only part of the author’s imagination.

  Cover Art by Ljiljana Romanovic

  Ginger Storm

  The Scarlet Dragon Saga

  Book 1

  J.P. Rice

  Copyright 2018 by Jason Paul Rice

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All names are made up and used fictionally. Any resemblance to real people is completely coincidental. Any resemblance to real events is only part of the author’s imagination.

  Cover Art by Ljiljana Romanovic

  Chapter 1

  The dark blood inside me urged me to kill this guy and take his gold, instead of going through with the shady deal for Merlin’s staff. I resisted my destructive instincts caused by the stolen black magic running through my body. I was trying to be a better person.

  I wiggled my nostrils, took a quick sniff and didn’t detect any magic coming from the client. I’d thought he was hiding it behind the heavy layers of cologne, aftershave and deodorant, but he was clean. Confident the man wasn’t setting me up, I opened the door wider.

  “Get in here. Hurry.” I grabbed the tanned man by his right shoulder and pulled him into my balcony cabin. With a look of concern on my face, I peeked out into the hallway of the ship, popped back in and closed the door. “Were you followed? Lock that door.”

  “Nobody followed me.” The man turned around and swung the latch over to lock it.

  I performed a cursory scan and detected no weapons. Knowing I could kick the shit out of him or kill him if it came to that, I remained calm. He whirled back to face me and extended his arm for an introductory handshake.

  I put my hands up. “No names. It’s better that way.”

  The client shrugged. Dressed in a light beige suit with a loud purple T-shirt underneath, Miami Vice style, he looked like the typical mid-forties South Beach business asshole. He chewed his gum forcefully and bobbed his head around. I assumed he was trying to come across as a hard-ass, replicating the actions of his favorite movie gangsters.

  Ray-Ban-style shades sat atop the frosted peaks of his heavily gelled hair. He scratched the fine dark stubble on his left cheek and shifted his weight uncomfortably from leg to leg.

  My plan to put him on edge seemed a success, but I couldn’t get cocky. I needed the money from this deal so I could remain in Hilton Head and avoid returning to Pittsburgh. Too many beings wanted me dead up north.

  I could see his tough guy routine was an act. His fear was palpable, hiding behind the thin veneer of machismo, trembling uncontrollably and praying that no one would notice.

  Being a veteran of these tense negotiations, I remained silent and enjoyed the gentle ocean sway of the ship as I watched him squirm. I had the balcony shades drawn, closing off the view of the crashing waves, but I could still hear the cascading melody of the sea. I could have offered him a seat on the couch, or at the table, but I’d rather he stood on the shimmering carpet that resembled sapphire scales.

  The long black and white art deco clock on the wall caught my attention. The hands were stuck at 10:37. It spurred a gentle reminder of how my life had stopped ten years ago when I’d walked away from the murderous business I’d involved myself in.

  My mind drifted and a hazy vision took form in front of my face. It was my father, my husband and a young boy with red hair. The boy had his back to me, and as he started to turn around, the illusion dissolved into nothing.

  The client finally broke the silence as a burst of words sprang from his mouth. “You got it, or what?”

  “Oh, I got it all right.” I tipped my forehead toward the bed. “But first. You wearing a wire?” I knew recording devices could be the size of a pinhead these days. This tactic was aimed at keeping him off guard and letting him know I was in control of this deal. Besides, now he could feel like a real gangster.

  He pursed his lips and rolled his eyes as he shook his head. “What? Are you serious, lady?”

  “Totally serious. Now, let’s go, Don Johnson. Show me them chesticles.” I did miss screwing with these kinds of guys. That part of the job had been fun.

  “Is this for real?” he asked, craning his neck to peer around the room.

  “Stop wasting time,” I said and gestured with my hands for him to untuck his shirt. “Lift up that pretty T-shirt and prove that you aren’t wearing a wire.”

  Exasperated, he huffed, and a fiery red glow began to build under his stubble, quickly spreading to his nose and wrinkling forehead. “I could ask you the same, you know? Guess you never heard the phrase, never trust a soulless ginger.”

  “No offense, but I don’t exactly look like a cop.” I tugged on my red Iron Man T-shirt. “You do. Plus, as the seller, I’m taking a much bigger risk than you in this equation.”

  He shook his head, mumbled ‘stupid bitch’ under his breath, and reluctantly lifted his shirt. “Happy?” he grumbled with the pomposity of a spoiled brat who’d finally finished all his vegetables at dinner and wanted an achievement award.

  As he tucked his shirt back into his beltline, I instructed, “Now drop your pants.” This was my second strategy to keep the client off guard.

  “What? What kind of operation are you...” He stopped short when he noticed the smirk on my face.

  A few months ago, I’d overheard this guy’s friends in a bar. They were talking about acquiring the Spear of Destiny and I had seen it as a way to make some easy money. I’d told them about an artifact I could find for them and they’d hooked me up with this guy.

  Now that I had his mi
nd racing, it was time to get down to brass tacks. “You got the money?”

  He tapped his hip pocket, and I heard the sweet clank of gold coins colliding with each other. The solid thunk of the precious metal awakened the dragon blood inside me. The sound made me envision a giant pounding on my inner dragon’s front door, inflaming my fire-breathing spirit at the prospect of collecting and hoarding twenty beautiful one-ounce gold coins. Paper money just didn’t do it for me.

  His eyes lit up when he noticed me grinning. “All right. Let me see it,” he demanded, chewing his gum with even more intensity than before.

  I went over to the bed, lifted the maroon comforter and grabbed the black leather bag. The gold zipper slipped from my fingers, so I grabbed it again, yanked it open and walked up to the client. He gravitated closer as I opened the bag and released a plume of sparkling azure enchantment. The tiny blue bits danced around his face before fading into dust. I warned him, “Pick it up, but be careful. It has to feel comfortable with the holder.”

  With his eyes about to bulge out of their orbits, his arm moved robotically, extracting the broken piece of Cherrywood from the black leather bag. “It better be from Merlin’s staff. I have people waiting on our first island stop in the Keys. They’re experts and can tell me if it’s fake.”

  His so-called experts had no way to verify the fragment. Balor had eaten Merlin’s original staff in the epic battle at Machu Picchu in 1865. Only a few humans knew the story and I doubted his experts were in that circle. “Look at it. Does it look real? How does it make your hands feel? Are they tingling with anticipation, yet?”