Kiss of Death (Blood Brothers Book 1)

by Annie Harland Creek

  “You tell Derrick and David. That is what you do.”

  “No. I can’t bring them into this. Torke warned me that if he sensed Derrick or David, Susie would be killed, possibly Derrick and David as well. This is all my fault. I brought evil back to Azure Waters. It’s up to me to finish it before anyone else gets killed.”

  “This is Torke’s fault. He is a greedy, evil creature who covets you because he couldn’t have your mother. He will use you, Anna, your mind and your body. Are you prepared for that?”

  Anna couldn’t suppress the revulsion that sent a tremor through her body. She shook her head vehemently. No, she would not … could not, ever submit to him physically.

  “Sofie, you must promise me you won’t tell Derrick, or David.”

  “I promise Anna, but I’m not happy about this.”

  “I know, and I appreciate your concern Sofie, you’ve been a good friend.” She paused for a moment to consider the consequences of her actions.

  “There is something else you must promise me.”

  “No. I can’t do that. I won’t do it.”

  “Please, Sofie. I can’t become a monster like Torke,” And I can’t guarantee how the change will affect me. “You must find a way to kill me if I’m turned. I don’t want to live like that.”

  “You have such compassion in you, little Anna, you would never become a monster.”

  “There is no way of knowing what I would become. I can’t take the chance when there is the possibility I could hurt innocent people.”

  She hung up the phone before Sofie could respond to her statement. There was no point arguing. She had made up her mind. One way or another. This all ends tonight.

  ****

  The sun had not yet set but Derrick was already pacing the floor in his darkened bedroom, anxious to find Anna. He had barely slept and needed to feed but his energy was not diminished. The tattered remains of his room were evidence to the fact that he could take on a raging rhinoceros if necessary in order to protect the woman he loved.

  His acute hearing told him that Evan was shuffling up the stairs towards his door and for a second he forgot to worry about Anna, his concern for his old friend and servant claimed his attention. Poor old Evan. How difficult it must be for him now to climb those stairs. He deserved a long rest on a tropical island where he could relax and have someone wait on him for a change. Derrick decided that after they found Anna that is exactly what he would do for his faithful friend.

  The soft rap on the door heralded Evan’s arrival.

  “Master Derrick? Are you awake?” His voice came in breathless gasps, the exertion of the stairs obviously too much for his arthritic body.

  “Yes, Evan.”

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but I thought I heard you moving around up here and I have a message for you.”

  “Come in then.”

  Evan switched the light on. His eyes surveyed the trashed room. Derrick knew that, in his temper, he had made a mess for Evan to clean up but the old man made no mention of it.

  “I know that you have had a lot on your mind, Master Derrick. I brought you an early drink.” He handed Derrick the tall mug of warm, sticky liquid. “And some news about Miss Anna.”

  Derrick almost dropped the mug. “What have you heard?”

  “Sofie—the lady from the strange shop in town—called a few minutes ago. She said that she had a phone conversation with Miss Anna who told her that she was going to see that detestable creature, Torke.”

  “Why would she do that? Has she gone mad?”

  The mug shook in his hand. Evan took it from Derrick and placed it on the coffee table. “Sofie said that Torke contacted Anna and ordered her to come to him or else he would kill her friend.”

  “So, Torke does have Susie. I suspected as much.” His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides as he imagined Anna with Torke. “I’ll kill that bastard once and for all … I’ll rip his head off and scatter his ashes all over town to let the others know what will happen to them if they hurt Anna.”

  “Yes … that’s sounds delightful, sir, but don’t you think we could use some help?”

  Derrick studied Evan’s expression and almost laughed out loud. The old man had a way of calming him down and had been successful with his technique for as long as Derrick could remember.

  “Fine, wake David and get him to assemble some of the others. Evan, what else did Sofie tell you?”

  “Not much, Master Derrick, she was sobbing, poor woman. It seems she made a promise to Miss Anna that she wouldn’t tell you or Master David, that’s why she called me. Although technically she didn’t break her promise, she still feels like it was a betrayal. She didn’t get an address but she sensed it was in an abandoned building somewhere in the industrial area on the other side of town.” He hesitated for a moment before relaying the rest of the information. “Master Derrick … Miss Anna made Sofie promise something else...”

  “Well, spit it out.”

  “If Torke turned her into a vampire, she wanted to be destroyed.”

  “Thank you for your honesty, Evan. I know that would have been hard for you to tell me. It’s all right, I’m a big boy … I can handle the truth. Please go now and tell my brother I will discuss our plan of action with him after I finish my drink.”

  He picked up his mug and feigned interest in the blood. His only source of nourishment for many, many years, suddenly made him feel sick to his stomach. Anna would rather end her life than spend eternity with him. Whether she lived through this or died a vampire, they would never be together.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Anna drove to the designated spot earlier than Torke had demanded. She had plans of her own and wanted to be sure Susie was still alive before diving headlong into disaster. She parked her car a block away and walked to the abandoned construction site, conscious that Torke may have protected the area with human guards. Her sneakers assured her of a quiet entrance as she carefully opened a side door and slipped into the abandoned factory. The hard financial climate had forced the owners to abandon their plans mid-way through construction and no one had shown any interest in completing the project. Despite being unused, the interior smelled of decay and rotting food. Anna cringed and wrinkled her nose as she forced herself to venture further into the building. Darkness was creeping across the floor and she suspected that below her, Torke would soon be rising from a shallow grave.

  She glanced up at a high window and noticed to her horror that the sun had almost set. She hadn’t anticipated taking so long to finalize her plans and now she would be walking into Torke’s trap without any real assurance that Susie was still alive. Anna shook her head. It didn’t really matter if she was sacrificing herself for nothing. Fate brought her to this moment, there was no escaping it. If it was her destiny to die at the hands of Torke, it was better this way, before anyone else that she loved was killed. Of course she realized that she might become a killer like Torke and go after the very people she wished to protect, so she hoped that Sofie would keep her promise to find a way to kill her before she caused any harm.

  Funny, really. Her rejection of Derrick had been based on her aversion to becoming a vampire and now she would die without the benefits of spending eternity with him. Tears burned behind her eyes as she wished she had been able to see Derrick, just once more. She wished that she could confess to him that she loved him with all her heart. Her body longed for his touch, her whole being ached to be with him despite her reservations about his lifestyle.

  Muffled voices attracted her attention back to reality. They were coming from behind a door to her left which appeared to lead downstairs. She could distinguish two male voices: one was definitely Torke—she could tell by the way it turned her stomach—the other was too whispered to identify, but decidedly male. A female voice called out in protest to something the males had said.

  “No! You can’t do that! I’ll warn her.”

  Susie. Anna wasn’t sure whether to laugh or c
ry. Susie was alive but obviously in trouble. Anna pressed her ear against the door as Torke ordered the other male to gag her friend.

  “Leave now. Anna will be here presently and …. ah. I do believe my little Anna is early.”

  Anna took a deep breath and opened the door, realizing that her presence was already known so there was no use putting of the inevitable. Hurried steps crossed the room and a door slammed as someone left the room from the other side of the building. The sight that greeted her eyes filled Anna with a mixture of revulsion and anger. Susie was chained to a wall, her beautiful features beaten and bruised, her hair matted and caked with her own dried blood. Puncture marks in the shape of teeth dotted her arms, legs and neck. The bastard had used her as food.

  “You animal!” She rushed to Susie but Torke suddenly materialized in her way, halting her action. Anna took a step back, not wanting to be close enough for Torke to reach her although she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him if he chose to. “I did as you asked, I’m here alone. Release her now.”

  “Take off your bracelet Anna.”

  Anna shook her head defiantly. “Not until you release Susie.”

  “It appears we have what you call a Mexican standoff my dear. I will not release her until you take off your protective amulet.”

  Anna noticed that behind Torke, Susie was shaking her head vehemently, warning her that trusting Torke was not such a good idea.

  “No. How can I trust that you will let her go?”

  “I am losing my patience, Anna.” Torke’s complexion turned grayer than usual. He bared his yellowed fangs threateningly and hissed. “Be warned, I am not a forgiving man.”

  “You’re not even a man!” Anna spat back at him. “You’re an evil monster. My mother should have killed you.” She instantly regretted her insult as Torke backhanded Susie’s bruised face. She groaned beneath the gag before her head lolled forward.

  “Bastard!” Anna rushed at him but he dematerialized before she reached him, re-emerging behind her as she felt for a pulse on Susie’s wrist.

  “This is your fault Anna. I have no desire to hurt your friend but as you refuse me, I have no other choice.”

  “Liar!” Anna fought to control her temper. “Inflicting pain is all you desire. You would hurt her anyway, just because you like it.”

  Torke laughed. His cackle nauseating and filled with menace. “Yes. You are so perceptive, Anna. You will be the only one of my subordinates I can trust to always tell me the truth. You are already my favorite and when my looks are restored, you will willingly become my lover.”

  Anna shook her head. “Not even if you looked like Brad Pitt.”

  There was a shuffling sound outside the door and Anna turned her head towards the sound, giving Torke the opportunity to move closer. Her hand shot up to protect her nose from his foul breath that was inches from her face. He grabbed her by the shoulders, preventing her from backing away although, by the way he grimaced, it was obvious the action caused him pain.

  “You see, Anna, I am still able to touch you. Years of enduring torture at the hands of my enemies have given me a high pain threshold so, as you refuse to take off the talisman, I will do it for you.” He released one shoulder and using a razor sharp fingernail, hooked a link in the bracelet and broke it, scratching the delicate skin inside her wrist in the process. Blood trickled down to her fingers, the sight of it inciting Torke into a feeding frenzy. He lunged for her wrist, sinking his teeth deep into the veins. Anna cried out in pain as she fought with her free hand to beat him off.

  There was a loud crash. Torke momentarily lifted his head from the blood. A trickle of the thick liquid dribbled down his chin as he bellowed towards the door. “I told you! Wait until I have turned her, then you can do what you want with the other woman.”

  Anna was horrified, but not really surprised that Torke had lied. She was ashamed to have been foolish enough to hope that he would keep his promise and even more regretful that her stupidity was about to get her friend killed. If only she had gone to Derrick, at least she might have saved Susie.

  She tried to pull away but Torke grabbed her again, this time going in for the carotid artery, his fangs aimed at her throat, his vice-like grip holding her helpless against his assault. She reached into her jacket, her fingers fumbling through the pocket until they touched wood. Fisting the wooden stake, she raised her hand behind Torke’s shoulders and drove it into his neck.

  “I’ll consider that foreplay,” he told her through clenched teeth before resuming his attack.

  Just as she felt the pain of his fangs penetrating her skin, Anna heard the crack of splintering wood. The door came off its hinges and sailed across the room. Torke lifted his head, eyes blazing as he prepared to punish someone for the intrusion. His expression changed from anger to shock before he was propelled back against the wall by some unseen force. Anna gasped. Torke’s appearance was changing before her eyes. His dried skin was softening and plumping. He looked more youthful. Even his hair thickened and became blonder and she could see the yellow of his teeth whiten. He had told her the truth when he said that the antidote was in her blood. His looks were improving. He was almost handsome. Almost.

  “Get out of here, Anna.” Derrick suddenly appeared at her side. His clothes disheveled and spattered with blood.

  “No. I won’t leave without Susie.” Anna hurried to her friend’s side to untie the gag that dug into the sides of her mouth.

  Torke rushed at Derrick with extended arms. His claws curled, his lips pulled tautly back revealing his newly whitened fangs, his eyes blazed with hate. Derrick side-stepped and used Torke’s momentum against him, directing him into the wall on the other side of the room with such force, that the bricks split in two, leaving a crater.

  “Go!” Derrick ordered Anna again. “Leave here now.”

  “No!” Anna shouted back at him despite her shock. In truth, she didn’t know if she had the energy to stand let alone run and besides, she would not leave her friend behind.

  Torke seized on the opportunity to attack, sinking his fangs into the back of Derrick’s neck. Anna screamed but Derrick calmly twisted around, driving his elbow into Torke’s forehead with enough pressure to crack his skull. Torke pulled back in agony, holding his head and shrieking in a pitch so high, it hurt Anna’s ears. She held her hands over her ears and she too began to scream. It all seemed so surreal—the sounds, the violence, and the blood.

  ****

  After slamming Torke onto the floor and wrapping his fingers around the vampire’s throat, Derrick took a second to check on Anna. Somehow, she had overcome her fear and untied Susie. The women were making their way towards the broken door, albeit very slowly. His heart felt full to bursting with pride. Her courage and compassion astounded him.

  “Do you think you can make it to the hospital?” he called to her as he tightened his grip on Torke’s throat.

  “Don’t worry about us,” she told him. “Just make sure you kill the bastard.”

  Derrick used his telepathic link to contact his brother. Anna’s on her way out, make sure she has a clear path to her car.

  On it. David answered. I’ve already delivered them to the car. There are at least three vamps I have to deal with.

  “The woman belongs to me, Corel!” Torke could barely manage more than a whisper, Derrick’s grip on his throat crushing his larynx. “You are as incapable of protecting her as you are of leading the coven.”

  “Anna is mine!” Derrick increased his grip and felt his nails cut into the flesh of Torke’s neck, blood began to run beneath his thumbs followed by the sound of bones crunching. “You will never touch her again.”

  A twisted smile curled the corner of Torke’s mouth allowing a steady stream of blood to trickle down his chin but—defiant to the end—he pushed Derrick’s patience further. “I will do a lot more than touch her, young friend.”

  Derrick lost control. His grip on Torke’s neck tightened as his fangs lengthened in
preparation for the kill. He thought of Nigel and Isabelle and how he had not been able to defeat the men who beat him almost to death. This time he would protect the woman he loved, even if it cost him his own life. He concentrated his anger on Torke’s throat as the ancient clawed at his skin. He was consumed with hatred. Hatred of all men who abused women. Using his rage to fuel his strength, he barely noticed as his fingers tore completely through Torke’s neck, severing his head from his body. The evil skull hit the floor of the basement and rolled towards the door, its mouth still trying to form words. It took Derrick a few moments to realize it was over.

  He dropped the twitching, headless body and walked, trancelike, to the head which was now face down on the ground. Unceremoniously, he kicked it towards its body and began searching for kindling. When the funeral pyre was fully stoked, he lit the old newspapers that he had placed under the body and waited until the rogue vampire had been fully consumed by the flames and reduced to a stinking pile of ash before he left the building.

  Chapter Twenty

  “You should go home and rest.”

  Anna opened her eyes and realized that she had fallen asleep, her head resting on the hospital bed beside Susie’s legs. She stretched and turned to the night nurse who was checking Susie’s vital signs.

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “I think you should go home. Your friend is in good hands here. Her condition is stable and there is nothing more you can do for her tonight. Get some sleep and come back in the morning.”

  Something wasn’t right. Anna had been assured that the danger had passed but … no, something was amiss. A loose end. But what?

  “I can’t go until she wakes up. What if she needs me?”

  “She’s heavily sedated. I doubt that she’ll wake up until mid-morning. Come back then.”

  Anna checked her watch. One a.m. Derrick would probably be wondering where she was. She rose from her chair, gently kissed Susie’s battered cheek and after a quick nod to the nurse, left the room. As she walked down the corridor towards the elevator, her phone rang. She checked the caller I.D.