Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Just a Little Taste Book 2)

by Scarlett Jade

  “What's the plan for tonight, guys?” As the dusk deepened, the vamps loaded on their stolen bikes and they took off down another small road. As Jeremy gunned the engine, he prayed to any God out there that would listen. He prayed that tonight would be the night he'd find Sasha, and that she'd be okay.

  They barreled through several small towns and rode along the coast of Portugal. In the time they’d been looking, they’d found twenty hidden compounds through Spain and Portugal and had wrecked each one as they went. Soon they’d be looking in the rest of Europe. If Claudio tried to use them again, he'd find them burned to the ground and the mark of their rebel band on trees in the vicinity. News stations and the police were calling their rogue band the Flames of Hell, and it fit. They were all damned to Hell for their deeds anyway and they burned everything they found of Claudio's.

  As they pulled to the side of the road, Jeremy prayed harder that tonight would be the night they would find his mate and daughter. He breathed deeply of the salt air and sighed.

  Victor touched his arm. “Don't lose hope. We’ll find them.”

  Jeremy shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “I just worry it’ll be too late, Victor. What if even now she carries Claudio's child? What if he’s enchanted her and turned her against me?”

  The normally stoic Victor squeezed his shoulder and Jeremy swore for a moment there were tears in the vampire's eyes. “You know it will not be so. A mate cannot forget a mate. No matter how strong the curse.”

  They eased closer to the old house in the quiet little field and Jeremy fought against a little voice that had been pestering him now for weeks. I'm losing my mind. They rushed into the place, guns at the ready, and the vampires went room to room.

  Illysia, one of their band came back into the room, shaking her head, her blonde hair falling around her shoulders as she sighed. “Nothing here.”

  Jeremy pulled a lighter from his pocket. “Then who has the gasoline? Let's burn this shit to the ground.”

  He yanked an old curtain from a window and smiled as Victor passed him a small can of gasoline. They left him as he doused the building with gas and flicked his lighter. He stood, mesmerized as the fabric suddenly became engulfed in flames. As the flames licked up the walls, he stood transfixed. I’ll never find her, he thought sadly as he turned, walking back out into the cool night. They all stood together and watched as the building caught fire then hurried back to their bikes as the sound of sirens filled the air again. The Flames of Hell had struck again.

  Another five weeks passed, and Jeremy was fighting despair. It had now been almost twelve weeks since he'd laid eyes on his daughter and the love of his life. The vampires were edgy; they wanted Claudio's blood and they wanted it now. Nothing was happening quickly, and all of them were getting pissed off. This was one of the last compounds they had to check before going to Italy. The places for him to hide were becoming far and few between. It was in the middle of nowhere in Switzerland, with majestic mountains in the distance.

  They kept coming up empty. The heady smell of summer flowers hit his nose and he smiled sadly. He was having these crazy dreams that his daughter was talking to him. He didn't mention it to the vamps, of course. They'd say he was losing it from lack of blood, when, really, he was doing better than he ever thought he would. He was becoming a better tracker now that he was off of blood as sustenance. He'd partake of a little on the next full moon just to quell the desire, but he was in control. He cracked his neck slowly, breathing in the muggy air of the summer night.

  Victor patted his arm. “Maybe this will be the one, Jeremy.” He shrugged, his eyes glowing in the low light.

  Jeremy nodded and clenched his jaw before responding. “I hope so, Victor. God knows, I hope so.”

  Victor nodded. “We can sense humans have been in the area. I can smell it. It's recent too. Let's be optimistic, man.”

  Jeremy scrubbed a hand over his face and whispered, “Victor, what if they’re dead?”

  Victor shook his head and tapped his long white finger on his chest. “Man, you'd know if they were dead. You'd feel it deep inside. There would be a gaping, empty hole that nothing could fill if your blood mate was dead. I promise that.” He looked off into the dusk and Jeremy watched the muscles in his jaw play as Victor obviously fought emotions that roiled through his heart.

  “You lost your mate?”

  Victor turned back to him, his amber eyes glistening. “Yeah. Three hundred years ago. Her name was Thalia. She was…she was my everything. I promise, you'll know if your mate is dead.” He stood abruptly from the packed dirt they sat in under the old oak tree and dusted off his dark jeans. “Let's go.”

  Jeremy hauled himself from the ground and touched his hand to Victor's dark dress shirt. The vampire turned slowly with a sad smile. “Hey, I'm really sorry.”

  Victor shrugged sadly. “Me too, Jeremy. Me too. Let's prevent another tragedy in this world for one of our kind, shall we?” He smiled awkwardly, his white teeth flashing between his full lips.

  Jeremy nodded. “Let's go.”

  The band of vamps came from the forest, wiping their mouths. They were filling up on animal blood before each compound bust, to prepare for possible action. A willowy redheaded vampiress touched his arm. She was beautiful, no doubt, but she'd never be Sasha. He smiled tightly. “Yeah, Gena?”

  Her beautiful eyes twinkled. “I wish you the best of luck tonight.” Her full, ruby lips tipped up and she smiled widely.

  He nodded curtly. “Thank you.” He shrugged her hand off, watching her features tighten in anger. She smiled and bowed.

  “You got it, boss.” She turned and swaggered away in fury. Victor caught his eye and sighed.

  They paced through the forest, slipping unseen from tree to tree. The house was coming into focus and Jeremy's heart slammed against his chest. The vampires would go first; he was too much of a liability these days, being off blood. They slipped through the dusk and he heard the crack of wood splintering. Gena had busted in the door. She was pissed and really liked breaking shit. He ran across the grass and stood near the door.

  There was silence and his heart fell. Victor yelled out, “Jeremy, bring your ass, there's nothing here.”

  He walked in the house and the cloying smell of cleanser hit him in the face. Underneath it all, he could smell a poopy diaper and even deeper he could smell Sasha along with the scent of two other humans. One smelled very, very familiar but he couldn't place exactly who had that particular fragrance. His heart drummed. “They were here!”

  Victor nodded. “Very recently, I believe. I smell two men too.”

  Jeremy clenched his jaw and sat on the worn couch in the living room. He dropped his head into his hands. “So do I. Will we ever find them, Victor?”

  Victor leaned back against the chocolate-brown wall and nodded. “We'll find them, Jeremy. This is the first hot lead we've had. They've been here in the last twelve hours, easily. You know how scent fades. We just need to figure out the most likely course they've taken.” The vamps were filtering back into the living room from the rest of the house. Gena came in holding a pair of handcuffs. Jeremy could see dried blood on the metal hinges and his stomach clenched.

  “Looks to me like she's been locked up. There's a bed back there that's caged, and blood on the sheets.” She tossed the cuffs to Jeremy and he caught them, the cold metal squeezing into his palm as his long fingers closed.

  “God damn it! I swear if he's hurt her…!” He stood, his body vibrating in anger, and paced the floor like a caged tiger.

  Victor pushed himself off the wall. “You gotta calm down and think, Jeremy. You can't go in there hell-bent for leather and try to blow up the fucking place, man. You have to go in there with a calm, cool head.” He pointed to one of the vamps and wiggled his fingers. “Give me the map.” It was tossed over to him quickly and he walked into the kitchen, spreading it out on the counter. He pulled a pen from his back pocket and scratched an X on the house they current
ly stood in. Victor tapped the pen on the map, his brow furrowed in concentration. “You know, Jeremy, I think I know where they are.” He glanced up quickly, his amber eyes sparkling.

  Jeremy's heart pattered. “Do you?”

  Victor nodded. “There are three places that are a good possibility. We can drive as far as we can tonight and find a safe place to sleep for tomorrow.” He jammed the pen back into his pocket and began folding the map.

  Jeremy leaned back against the counter. “How far is it to get to the first house?”

  Victor shrugged. “We can get to Florence in six hours.”

  Jeremy slapped the counter. “Then we attack tonight.”

  Victor shook his head. “There won't be enough time, Jeremy.”

  Jeremy shrugged. “Fine, I’ll go alone.” He turned and pushed through the vamps before walking through the gaping door.

  Gena caught his arm. “Don't be stupid. She's not worth it.”

  He growled low in his throat and peeled her fingers off his biceps. “She's more than worth it, Gena. She's my mate.”

  She huffed as he stalked across the yard. Victor streaked through the door and caught him by the shoulder. “You need to stay calm, damn it. You’ll fuck us all if you don't.”

  Jeremy crumpled. His voice came out harsh and tight, barely above a whisper. “God damn it, Victor, if it was your mate, wouldn't you do the same?”

  Victor's face went tight. “I did, and it got her killed.”

  Sasha groggily opened her eyes and took a deep breath, hearing these funny beeps in the distance and smelling some kind of cleaning solution. It stung her nose a little. Blinking a few times she tried to clear her head. Everything felt like it had been a horrible nightmare. She lifted her head from the soft pillow and looked around, noting that she was lying on a bed, covered by a pale brown blanket. Her right arm was handcuffed to the rails that surrounded the bed.

  Her brow furrowed as she tried to sit up. She hissed at a burning pain along the backs of her thighs, but ignored it as she scooted up to a sitting position. Her whole body ached and her left arm was in a cast that extended up past her elbow. She swallowed and her throat rubbed together as if it was made of sandpaper. “Hello?” she whispered softly. “Is anyone there?” The white door slowly opened and in walked a face she instantly recognized. She broke into a smile and let out a sigh of relief. “Trevor, I'm so glad to see you.”

  He was carrying a small baby with the most mesmerizing eyes she'd ever seen. The child's eyes were an unusual shade of green, luminous and achingly beautiful. She felt as though she'd been pushed off a precipice and was drowning in a sea of emotion looking into that child's face. Trevor was smirking. “Sasha, dear, where do you think you are?”

  She shook her head in confusion. “I don't know. The last thing I remember is being pregnant and in Paris…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced down at her flattened stomach. Her brow furrowed as she looked back at him and the baby. “Is – is that my baby?” She whispered.

  He grinned widely. “Yes, isn't she lovely?” She watched as he lowered his fingertips to the baby's leg and pinched her skin hard enough to make her scream.

  “Don't hurt her!” she screamed furiously, trying to shift up to her knees and get out of the bed. “Trevor, why are you hurting her?” She felt a curious hum in her core. It was like a pot of water that had been simmering on a stove, the bubbles growing wilder and hotter as her daughter screamed. Trevor simply stood and held the screaming baby. His eyes narrowed as he watched her face grow aware. She slammed into reality like a semi hitting a concrete wall at a hundred miles an hour and she gasped, remembering everything. She beat against the sides of the hospital bed with her cast, wincing at the pain that jolted through her. “God damn you, Trevor. Why would you do this to Jeremy? Don't hurt Onyx, please! Let me out of here.” Tears filled her eyes as he turned to walk away. She beat the bars harder. “Don't fucking ignore me! Bring her back to me. Please.”

  Trevor closed the door to the room behind him and smiled wickedly. He walked down the hall, depositing the wailing infant into Billy's waiting arms. “She's ready,” he whispered, his voice full of malice. Billy shivered involuntarily as he cuddled the baby.

  “What are you going to do?” he whispered, holding his little princess tight. She’d found her thumb and was sucking it as she dozed.

  “Call the master,” Trevor murmured silkily as he opened his phone and dialed. “Master, she’s ready for you. We’ll bring her to you tonight.” He paused and listened for a moment. “Yes, I think you’ll be pleased, sir.” He flipped the phone closed and slid it into his pocket. He turned to Billy with a gleam in his eye. “Billy, go enchant her. Enchant her like your life depends upon it. We move her tonight.”

  Billy swallowed nervously and nodded. “Yes, sir.” He stood, placing his little princess in her frilly pink bassinet and walking to Sasha’s room. This would be their second move; taking her to a compound deep in Italy. They'd had to bring her to Switzerland for a doctor to bring Sasha back from near death just five weeks prior. Claudio hadn't liked waiting, but there’d been no other option.

  As Billy opened the door, he watched Sasha warily. She was wild—large dark circles under her eyes, her skin ashen and pale. Her hair stood out from her head at awkward angles making her look like the poster child for the Bride of Frankenstein. His stomach turned as he smiled beautifully. “Hello, Sasha.”

  He watched in disgust as her layers of fear peeled back. Her eyes softened and went bright and her beautiful mouth tipped up in a smile. She looked at peace; a complete contrast with her surroundings. His stomach roiled and he felt like the lowest of low. She smiled and murmured, “Billy. You've come back for me.” Her voice was breathy and soft and he fought to keep the fake smile on his face.

  “Of course I did, love. I'm here for you. It's time for us to take a little trip. Will you come with me?” He unlocked her handcuffs and slowly lowered the railing on the side of her bed. She swung her legs over the edge of the worn mattress enthusiastically but when she stood, her legs gave way, her body crumpling to the floor. Billy caught her around the waist. “Easy, Sasha.”

  ***

  Sasha's mind felt like a veritable soup of confusion. A piece of her was screaming that she should run as fast as she could, yet Billy’s eyes told her to stay and be with him. She pushed against the warm fuzziness he offered, but the satiny cocoon wouldn't budge. She acquiesced and took his hand, wobbling out of the room on gangly legs.

  She smiled, seeing Trevor. “Hello, old friend.” He smiled cruelly, not that she noticed since her mind was on the man who held her hand. He led her down the hallway and out the door. Her bare feet skirted the rough wooden planks of the porch and she winced as she got a splinter in the bottom of her foot. The grass was delicate and cool to her skin and she relished the feeling. He led her to a black car and put her inside. She smiled at Billy as he buckled her in. He closed the door and she sat in the quiet interior. A few moments later, he came back with her daughter and buckled the baby into the car seat before sliding in beside them and closing his door. Trevor took the driver's seat and the car started with a smooth purr.

  The baby looked at her with glistening green eyes. They were hauntingly beautiful and she felt as though she was drowning. She watched the beautiful child coo and gurgle and she suddenly heard a soft voice in her head. “Mommy, they will hurt you again.”

  She shook her head and jammed a finger in her ear, thinking something was stuck. The little voice was persistent and repeated the statement. Her eyes went wide as she felt the warm cocoon of Billy loosen. The little girl's voice broke through again as her eyes wandered. “Mommy, you have to listen to me. The man driving, he's going to hurt you. They’re taking you to a very bad man.”

  Sasha shifted in the seat and opened her mouth to speak. The little voice came into her head again. “Please don't say anything, Mommy. You have to trust me. Please listen to me. I'm trying so hard to break through to Daddy, if only he
’d believe, he could hear me. He keeps ignoring me; saying it isn't real. Ask to hold me when you get out of the car, Mommy, so I can see the house. I’ll be able to show it to Daddy, and maybe, finally, he’ll listen to me. Please, Mommy, you have to, or they’re going to hurt you for a very long time. I heard the man say so.”

  Sasha shook her head and thought, This is absolutely crazy. I've lost it. My kid is tiny and I'm hearing her talk to me like she's walking around.

  The little voice sighed. “Mommy, I'm real. I’m using my mind to talk to you. Just let me see the house. You can't let them know you hear me. They still think you’re under their control. Please, Mommy. I need you to focus. I need you to fight the man who is nice to me. Just with your mind. Keep listening to me. Please.”

  Sasha tipped her chin quickly in agreement. She wasn't sure what was going on, but her little girl needed her, and she'd do all she could to try to do what her baby asked of her. She dozed off in the car as they rumbled down a dirt road.

  Sasha woke abruptly to a hand on her shoulder. The car had stopped and Billy was smiling down at her. She fought to focus on the little voice in her head. Finally, she murmured, “Billy, can I hold her, please?

  Billy's eyes went panicked, but he nodded quickly. Sasha stood from the car on shaky legs and he handed her the little girl, who was rejoicing very loudly in her brain. As they turned toward the house, she shifted the girl in her arm and listened to her yell, “I can show Daddy!” Sasha stumbled on a rock in the drive and almost lost her footing.

  Trevor grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her to standing. “Take the fucking baby, Billy. What the hell is wrong with you? No attachment, remember?”

  Billy took her daughter from her arms and Sasha felt the cocoon of him tighten on her will. She sighed happily as she was led up the path to the door. The door opened and there stood a man with a smile that made her skin crawl, even in her fuzzy state.