The Black Rose Chronicles, Deceit and Lies: Book 1 in this suspenseful, action filled, and sizzling paranormal romance.

by A K Michaels

  “Will you be okay with me doing a couple of quick stitches? Or do you want me to numb it?”

  Rose gave her a small smile. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, I’ll be as fast as I can and then we’ll get that arm sorted.”

  As Sue went to work Rose grit her teeth for the pain she knew would hit as the needle pierced her skin. Fortunately the woman’s word was good and she’d finished in only a couple of moments. Rose let out a long breath as Sue binned the needle. “Thank you,” Rose said as Sue came over, a large pair of scissors in her hands.

  “Wait.” Rose held up her good arm, hand forward. “What are you going to do with those?”

  Sue stopped and pointed to her injured arm. “I’m going to cut off your jacket and top so I can check your arm.”

  “No.” Rose forgot about her head as she shook it, bile rising up her throat as soon as she’d moved. “Sick,” she managed to get out and was very grateful when Sue turned quickly and picked up a bowl and held it in front of her.

  She was sick again, her head pounding and her shoulder and arm hurting like a bitch. Sue held out a glass of water and Rose took it, sipping slowly as Sue got rid of the offending bowl. “Sorry,” Rose said as she felt a little better.

  “I’m worried about your head.” Sue frowned as she looked deep into her eyes again. “That was some knock you got and you definitely have a concussion.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Rose said as she struggled to sit forward. “Help me get this off.” She tried to slip her uninjured arm from her prized jacket.

  “I’ll cut it off, Marie, it’ll hurt less if I do that.”

  Rose carried on shrugging the jacket down her good arm. “It’s my only jacket,” she said as way of explanation.

  “I can get you a new jacket,” Sue said as she tried to help. “We’ve got stores in the basement and I’m sure I’ve seen jackets similar to this down there.”

  “Just in case there isn’t.” Rose finally managed to pull her arm free. “I’d like to keep this one, thanks.”

  With a few more wiggles and Sue’s help the jacket was finally off. Sweat beaded her forehead as pain seemed to lance through her entire being and she only just managed to stay conscious. “Fuck,” Rose swore as she sat back in the seat once more.

  “Hell.” Sue gently examined the arm. “This is a mess, Marie, I’m not sure I’m good enough to set this.”

  Rose could feel the breaks within her arm, there were many, and she couldn’t even use a healing spell to help it. “You’re all I’ve got, Sue.”

  Sue bit her bottom lip, indecision on her face. “I’d rather we got someone more experienced to deal with this.”

  “Like who?” Rose asked, wondering if there was anyone else available or if she’d just have to trust Sue to do a good enough job.

  “There’s a human doctor a few hours away..”

  Rose stopped her. “I can’t wait for a doc. Just do your best.”

  Sue nodded and went towards the door. “I’ll be back in a moment. I need some help to hold you down ‘cause this is gonna hurt bad.”

  Rose let out a long breath as Sue disappeared. “Shit,” she mumbled as the pain seemed to intensify and again she fought to not lose consciousness.

  Sue reappeared with a large blond Vampire. “This is Valentine, he’s going to help.”

  “Hi,” Rose said as the man eyed her from top to bottom.

  His blue eyes bright as he spoke softly, “I hear your arm is damaged quite badly. I’ll hold you down as Sue tries to set it.”

  “Okay.” Rose watched as Sue started to pull out a ton of medical stuff and took small shallow breaths to try and stem off the pain.

  “Marie,” Sue said as she came over with a syringe in her hand. “This is for the pain.”

  Rose only nodded as Sue inserted the needle into her skin and emptied the liquid into her good arm. “Try and relax.” Sue patted her thigh as Val took up position to hold her.

  “What the fuck was that thing?” Rose murmured as the drug started to take effect.

  “A fucking Fairy,” Valentine replied as Sue went to work on her arm.

  His words made it through to her brain and she was just about to correct his misconception when Sue started to work on her arm. Pain like nothing she’d felt before encompassed her and she let out a moan as Valentine’s hands held her firmly in place. As Sue moved her fingers over her skin, realigning broken bones, Rose felt herself falling into darkness. For once she welcomed it as the pain intensified and she shuddered for a brief moment before she fainted.

  “Is she going to be okay?”

  Rose heard Valentine ask as her eyes opened slowly. Her arm in a sling with a new cast set on it. “I’ll be fine,” she mumbled as Sue rushed over.

  “How’re you feeling?”

  “I’ll survive,” Rose said as she sat up straighter in the chair.

  “I wish you would’ve waited for the doctor,” Sue said worriedly. “I’ve done the best I can but there were multiple breaks.”

  “Yeah.” Rose gave a lopsided smile. “I know. I felt them.”

  Sue held out her hand which held a small bottle of pills. “The pain should ease now it’s in the cast but here’s some meds to take if it starts to hurt again.”

  “Thanks.” Rose took the bottle and slipped it in her jeans pocket.

  Valentine stood with his arms crossed. “If you’re up to it the boss would like to speak to you.”

  “Sure,” Rose said, sliding off the chair and gaining her feet which were a little unsteady.

  “She’s got a concussion too, Val, so she needs to take things easy,” Sue told the Vampire, her tone firm as she started to tidy up.

  “I’ll let him know,” Valentine said as he walked away.

  Rose followed behind, admiring the view of the large Vampire. Wide shoulders tapered to a slim waist and his jeans hung tight to his ass. A very fine ass, Rose thought as she walked behind him all the way back to the reception desk and off to the right and a bank of elevators.

  “These work?” she asked, never having ridden in one before.

  “Of course.” Valentine hit the call button and turned to stare at her. “So just who the hell are you?”

  Rose gave a small smile, totally in character as she spoke, “I’m Marie O’Connell. I’d applied for a job and thought I’d come in person to try and get ahead of any other applicants.”

  “A job?” Valentine frowned as he glared down at her.

  “Yes.” Rose gave him another smile, even though they didn’t appear to be working on him. “I’m good with technology, computers, that sort of thing.”

  “I see.” Valentine ushered her inside the elevator when the doors pinged open.

  She went in slowly, looking all around as he joined her and hit a button that had the doors closing and the small tin can moving upwards quickly. “Shoot,” she let out as her stomach appeared to have been left on the ground floor.

  “First time?” He raised an eyebrow and she nodded.

  “Yes.” She looked all around again. “Seen them but never been in one that I can recall. Maybe as a kid but I don’t remember being in one.”

  “If you get the job you’ll be using them all the time.”

  Rose shook her head slightly, mindful of how it made her want to puke, again. “Stairs are fine for me. They’ll keep me fit.”

  “Whatever.” Valentine shrugged as the carriage stopped and the doors opened at a plush hallway, where two large guards were on duty outside a set of double doors.

  “On you go.” Val pointed. “I’ve got stuff to do but the boss is waiting for you.”

  “Okay, thanks.” She gave him another smile as she walked slowly toward the doors. “Game on,” she thought as one of the guards pushed open the door for her and she got her first glance of an impossibly lavish apartment.

  “And now it starts,” she thought as she straightened and walked inside.

  As she entered the large space she took in the deep, l
ush cream carpet, sofas dotted around the space with several comfy looking, oversized armchairs in a dark red velvet. A bar was to her left and she noticed it was stocked with the very best of liquor brands. What she wouldn’t do for a good shot of a single malt right now.

  On the wall opposite the sofas, a large oil painting hung, dark and brooding. The subject being a rather creepy castle set high above a forest that seemed just as dark as the building dominating the picture. A shiver ran through her as she looked at it. Although beautiful in a way, it gave her the chills and she couldn’t think of a reason why anyone would have it on display.

  “Through here,” a voice shouted and she turned her head, seeing an open door to the left of the bar.

  Rose loosened her body as she walked towards the voice, wanting to appear weaker than she truly was. As she felt as if she’d been through a wringer that wasn’t hard to pull off. Her head kept spinning and she focused fully on putting one foot in front of the other. When she reached the door she peeked inside and saw the Vampire from earlier. The one whose shoes she’d puked on. Great!

  “Hello,” she said quietly as she stepped inside the room. Another large space which was an office, a huge dark wood desk dominating the corner and floor to ceiling windows along one wall. The view was magnificent, looking out over the city and with Central Park so close you could almost touch it.

  “Come in.” The man behind the desk motioned with his arm. “Take a seat. I understand you were hurt quite badly earlier so sit down, relax, and we can talk.”

  “Thank you.” Rose sat gingerly, her entire body now protesting about her earlier encounter.

  “I’m Cassius Allarde and this is my little slice of paradise.” His hand moved around, taking in the area outside. “We’re working hard to make this a safe place so what happened to you upsets me greatly. My apologies for that and I’ll ensure no further harm comes to you while you’re here.”

  “Is my bike alright?”

  Lifting his head his eyebrow rose. “Your bike. That’s what you’re worried about?”

  Rose shrugged. “It’s my means of transportation and if I don’t get the position I was coming to see about, then it’s my only way out of here.”

  He laid down the pen he’d been writing with, sat back and crossed his arms. “What position may that be?”

  “My name’s Marie O’Connell. I heard you needed someone with computer experience, an all-round tech geek. I sent you my information with references but as I was at a loose end I thought I’d come by personally and see if the job’s still available.” Rose gave him a practiced shy smile. “There’s not a lot of work out there for someone with my expertise so I’m hoping it still is. Available that is.”

  She fiddled with her cast, moving from side to side in the chair as she portrayed a nervous geek. His eyes seemed to see all the way inside her and soon her portrayed nerves were real. Her head banged and for a brief moment she felt as if she was going to throw up again. God, she hoped she didn’t make another disgusting mess in front of this man.

  “I’ve seen your application and it’s a rather glowing CV but there are others in the running, Ms. O’Connell.”

  Rose sat forward, making sure her face looked intense and a little scared. “Please. I really need this job. My last appointment ended rather abruptly. I refused to continue to work for the asshole when I found out he was trafficking kids. I only barely got out of there in one piece and I sure as hell didn’t get paid. Let me work for you free of charge for a week and if by then you don’t think I’m right for the job then we can part ways. No harm done and no ill feelings. What do you say?”

  Allarde sat back scrutinizing her as her head started to spin again. “That’s some proposal, Ms. O’Connell.”

  “Marie, call me Marie.”

  “I think we have a deal.” Allarde gave her a tight smile. “I wouldn’t be a very good businessman if I passed up the chance of having someone work for free, now, would I?”

  “Thank you.” She nodded and immediately regretted it.

  “Your bike and possessions are perfectly safe. Again, I apologize for the attack on you.” He looked out the window briefly. “My guards are out hunting the Fairy down as we speak and I can assure you he will not get away with it. If needs be I’ll clear the Park of all of them and..”

  Rose’s good hand shot up as she remembered she hadn’t told anyone that the perpetrator wasn’t a Fairy. What it was she wasn’t sure but it damn well wasn’t a Fairy. “No, wait . . .”

  No more words came as her head spun violently, pain completely overtaking her skull, as she toppled forward and into darkness.

  Basilius smiled coldly at the lesser Demon before him, still in the form he’d instructed it to take earlier. “You performed your task?”

  “Yes, Master,” it answered, bowing its head low.

  “Good.” Basilius rose from behind his desk, striding around to stand before the much smaller being. “I expect you want your payment now. Is that right?”

  “Please.” The Demon groveled.

  Basilius cocked his head to the side. “I’m not sure I can trust you to keep your mouth shut.”

  The being before him started to shake, fear pouring from it as it blustered. “I will. I always keep my promises. I won’t say a word to anyone.”

  Basilius stared at it, shouting out, “Orthon, get in here.”

  His assistant appeared in the door, looking between him and the other Demon. “Come in,” he ordered and Orthon entered, closing the door behind him. “Orthon, I need your opinion.”

  Orthon looked startled for a moment before he stood a little taller, nodding furiously. “Of course, Master. How can I help?”

  “This scrotum here did a job for me.” Basilius pointed at the cowering beast. “A very secret one. One that nobody can know about.” He looked over at Orthon. “Now, what do you think, can he keep it quiet? Or, as I suspect, will he spill his guts if he’s ever caught?”

  Orthon came nearer, poking the quivering Demon with his pen as he walked around it. “He’ll talk.”

  “No! I won’t say a word to anyone. I promised.”

  Basilius laughed as Orthon poked it again, snarling. “You will. You’re weak willed and not much more than a simpleton. You’ll talk the first time anyone questions you. Or,” Orthon nodded, “You’ll boast about it to make yourself look more important than you are.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Basilius concurred, stepping forward he grabbed the Demon by its throat, hauling it off its feet. “But, as you carried out your mission as you were supposed to I’ll show you kindness.”

  The Demon now struggled violently, kicking out and trying to dislodge the fingers that dug into his throat. Basilius laughed again. “I won’t take my time with you for my own pleasure,” he said as his fingers lengthened and wrapped all the way around the neck in his grasp. “Thank you for your service.” He grinned as his grip tightened an audible crack breaking the silence as he dispensed with the being as easily as tossing scrap paper into the garbage.

  Releasing his fingers the body thudded to the floor. “Take out the trash,” he said as he made his way to his room and the fresh female that awaited him.

  “Certainly, Master,” Orthon replied quietly.

  Brendan O’Connell slipped through the dark alleyway, alert and aware of the dangers all around. It was one of the most dangerous places he’d had the misfortune of encountering but it would be worth it if his tip paid off. He’d do anything, go anywhere, if it meant he got answers that could keep his daughter safe. He longed for the day he could visit her without the fear of him being tracked and his little Rose being taken by those that wanted to make her species extinct.

  The scents that assaulted his Wolf nose almost had him gagging, disease, death, and a host of others that filled this ruined city. He was fortunate to have his enhanced senses as there was no power and no lights to help him find what he sought. Few were out on the streets now and even fewer in the alleys that he’d bee
n stalking through. Anyone he encountered would not be out for an evening’s stroll. No, they’d be lying in wait for easy targets to either steal from, kill, or just have some evil fun with.

  He was so far removed from an easy target that he’d already taken care of two morons who’d tried to rob him a few streets back. The shock on their faces as he decimated them brought no joy to Brendan. He hated violence, always had, but it was a necessity in this desolate and ruined world they now lived in. His only purpose to protect the only family he had left: Rose and Seth.

  Seth may not be his blood but he was as close to family as anyone. He’d kept his daughter safe for over twenty years and Brendan looked on him as a brother. If he could get to the bottom of the Witch-hunt that destroyed so many lives then maybe, just maybe, he could keep his daughter safe. The tip he’d acquired almost a week ago brought him here, to the streets of what was once LA but now housed so many degenerates that even daytime wasn’t safe in most areas.

  Brendan pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket, checking again on the directions he’d been given. He looked around and saw the ruined store front over the street from the alley he was in. It looked as if it had once been a fancy dress shop but only a dirty and broken sign above the door gave any indication of what it had been. Now it was like most of the other buildings, run down, boarded up windows and a make-shift metal sheet covering the front door.

  He checked the street both ways and didn’t see or hear anything, so he darted across the road as quickly as possible. Snaking around the edge of the building and heading for the back door. He could feel the broken glass and god knew what else as he tried to tread lightly down the alleyway that led to the rear of the building. No easy feat for a man his size. His Wolf sight picking up a slight easing of the pitch blackness around the boarded up window in back. Candlelight. The flickering of the dim light letting him know someone was in. Resources were never wasted, a candle would not be burning if nobody was home.

  He just hoped it was the person he’d come so far to find.

  Brendan eased up to the reinforced door and knocked lightly then waited. His ears picking up movement inside as someone approached the door. “Who is it?” A soft, melodic voice asked and surprisingly there was no alarm or fear in the tone.