Bad Boys of the Underworld Box Set

by Jacey Ward

  William pressed the doorbell button and waited patiently for the front door to open. Ava was blown away when they were led into a tiny, windowless area and then the door was immediately closed behind them as soon as they stepped inside. There was yet another closed door in front of them and as soon as the windowless door behind them closed, the second door opened.

  “Welcome, Detective,” said a pleasant, inviting female voice. “Please, come in. Ms. Veldessare will be right with you.”

  A tall, elegant-looking woman came into view from behind the open door. She was thin and graceful, though, to Ava, she looked to be closer to her father’s age than she was to her own. Her long, jet black long hair was held back away from her face by a dark-colored headband, and it hung loosely down her back, almost reaching her waist. She was wearing a long, dark gown that looked like as if it belonged at a ball of some type and her skin was quite pale, as if she’d never been in the sunlight in her entire life. The woman’s dark, enchanting eyes moved from William to Ava and then back to William as she motioned for them to enter the home.

  After William and Ava entered the giant home, the olive-skinned woman who had opened the door closed it behind them.

  “Hello, Evangeline,” Detective Hartzman said. “I do apologize for showing up at this inconvenient time, but it’s very urgent that I speak with you immediately.”

  A puzzling look appeared on Ava’s face, as she didn’t understand why her father was apologizing for showing up at 11:00 a.m. and referring to the time as “inconvenient.”

  Ava followed her father into the house and greeted the woman with a smile. A thin, equally tall male met them just inside the home and approached them with a warm, welcoming grin.

  “Ahh, Detective!” he said, extending a long, large hand out to William. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?” His dark, inviting eyes met William’s.

  “Vincent, again, I apologize for showing up so unconventionally, but it’s urgent that I speak with you, immediately,” William explained as he vigorously shook the man’s hand.

  Just then, a third party entered the room and Ava’s eyes lit up in surprise. He was almost as tall as the Vincent character, but he looked much younger and was more muscular. His hair was as black as the woman’s and styled in a neat crew cut. His eyes were a bright blue color and they glistened brilliantly in the dim light of the room. He was wearing a tight blue expensive looking shirt that accented his buff, brawny upper body and showed off the definition in his arms. When he lifted his head, his eyes met Ava’s and they locked, both trapped unexpectedly, resulting in a long, intense stare.

  Ava felt her heart skip a beat. Who was this enticing, dark-haired stranger who held her gaze with an intensity that made her temperature rise and her heart rate increase? She couldn’t seem to break their contact.

  He appeared to be right around her age, and yet she was certain she had never seen him before, although she had grown up in Mountain Crest. He came over to her and extended his hand, as if drawn towards her. Ava instinctively held out her hand and allowed him to take hold of it and shake it slowly, his eyes never leaving hers in the process.

  “H-hi,” Ava stammered. “I-I’m Ava.”

  “I’m Chase,” he replied in a deep, sultry voice.

  Ava was instantly smitten by him, and try as she might, she could not avert her eyes from his piercing gaze.

  “Come! Join us in the study, please,” Vincent requested as he led William and Ava into the next room. Ava kept her eyes on Chase’s muscular back and wide shoulders as they entered the study and sat down at the long table.

  William cleared his throat before speaking.

  “Vincent, this morning, the body of an eighteen-year-old girl was found just outside of the Hendricks Recycling Plant,” he announced solemnly. “Her body had been completely exsanguinated and there were two puncture wounds in her neck.”

  Vincent’s face became slack at the news.

  “I see. I supposed that you’re wondering if anyone from our community had anything to do with this tragedy,” he stated quietly.

  William nodded. His body language gave away how blatantly uncomfortable he felt relaying the information to Vincent.

  “I assure you, detective, that none of us would dare violate our sacred truce. However, I will make it my top priority to question every resident about this calamity and to report any information that arises back to you, immediately,” Vincent promised.

  “Thank you, Vincent,” William replied, completely unaware that his daughter and Vincent’s son were still locked in intimate eye contact throughout the entire conversation.

  **

  “Dad, how long has the community of Lexus been a part of Mountain Crest?” Ava asked on the ride back down into town.

  “It’s pretty much always been there,” he replied pensively.

  “Why do the city council leaders think they had something to do with that girl’s death?” she asked inquisitively.

  William shrugged, not wanting to have to explain to his daughter that the residents of the community were actually hundreds-year-old vampires.

  “I never knew anything about it,” Ava stated softly, allowing a dreamy smile to play at the corner of her lips. “And who was that Chase guy? I grew up here and I’ve never seen him before in my life.”

  Noticing her tone, her father suddenly looked over at her with a stern expression on his face.

  “You should stay away from him, Ava. Those Lexus folks are trouble,” he stated firmly.

  Ava wasn’t exactly sure what her father had meant by that, but at 25, she was no longer a child and had no intention of heeding his warning. When she’d laid eyes on Chase Veldassare, she had felt an instant attraction. She was drawn to him in a way that she had never been drawn to any other man before, and somehow, she just knew that he’d felt it , too. She already knew that there was no way she was going to be able to stay away from him—period.

  Chapter Five: A Night at the Bar

  “Come on, bitch! Let’s get wasted! We’re celebrating, damn it!” exclaimed Jocelyn Greer, Ava’s closest friend and confidante.

  It was Friday night and Jocelyn had finally finished her very first week of work at the Mountain Crest Journal. Her first story assignment had been based on the new factory that had just opened up downtown and had provided hundreds of jobs for the city’s residents. She was slightly disappointed that she hadn’t been assigned to report the murder—especially since she just happened to be the daughter of the police chief. But—life goes on, right?

  Ava and Jocelyn were at the Beering Hole, a local Bar and Grill in downtown Mountain Crest. They were celebrating Ava’s first week of work at the local newspaper. Ava knew that her friend never really needed a valid reason to get drunk, but she went along with it anyway.

  They ordered a couple of shots of vodka from the bar and downed them quickly. Ava had just set her empty shot glass down on the bar when she stopped dead in her tracks.

  There he was, Chase from Lexus. He had just walked into the bar and his eyes were locked directly on Ava. Caught in his captivating gaze, she quickly nudged Jocelyn and nodded towards where Chase was currently standing.

  “Oh my God, Jocelyn, there he is!” she exclaimed. “The guy I told you about from that neighborhood up in Lexus!”

  Jocelyn turned around and saw the tall, pale, mysteriously handsome character who was staring her best friend down as he made his way toward the bar, accompanied by a slightly shorter, stocky blonde-haired guy with eyes that were almost as blue as his. Both young men were approaching the area of the bar she and Ava were currently sitting at.

  **

  “There she is,” Chase stated as he nodded over toward the area of the bar where Ava and her friend were sitting.

  Chase’s best friend, Nicholai shook his head in disapproval.

  “Are you crazy, man? She’s a fucking human! That shit goes against everything we’ve been taught!” he exclaimed contemptuously. “Besides, aren’t you su
pposed to be mated to Azalea in less than three months?”

  Chase shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, paying no attention to his friend’s curtly spoken words. He was completely mesmerized by the beautiful, enthralling redhead, though he couldn’t quite explain exactly why.

  A few days ago she had walked into his house behind her father and he’d felt an instant attraction to her that he didn’t really understand; but, it had been the strongest, most intense feeling he had ever felt in his ninety-nine years on this earth. He’d known Azalea for nearly an entire century and had never felt anything even remotely close to what he’d felt the moment he’d laid eyes on the stunning Ava.

  He went over to where she was sitting and approached the bar, stepping between her and her blonde-haired friend.

  “Ava, right?’ he asked, staring intently into her entrancing green eyes. Ava found herself almost at a loss for words as her body temperature began to rise.

  What the fuck is wrong with me? She wondered silently.

  “Uh…yeah,” she replied, trying hard not to stutter. Her heart rate sped up. “Chase, right?”

  He nodded and raised his hand to signal the bartender.

  “What are you drinking?” he asked in a sensual tone of voice. The tone sent chills up Ava’s spine.

  “Umm…Absolut and cranberry,” she said, trying hard to keep her voice steady. What was it about this mystery man that made her feel like a gushing schoolgirl every time he was around?

  He ordered her another drink and a martini for himself. Ava watched his every move with growing fascination. He looked to be in his mid- to late twenties, but his demeanor suggested a confidence and wisdom far beyond that age.

  Jocelyn noticed her friend’s obvious infatuation with the handsome young man and made her way over to another part of the bar to observe them from afar. She’d noticed the blonde-haired companion who had entered the bar with Chase, but he seemed completely uninterested in mingling with any of the other patrons.

  The bartender brought the drinks back over to Chase and set them down in front of him. After paying, Chase turned his attention back to Ava, who thanked him with a bright, inviting smile.

  “Have you lived out in Lexus your whole life?” she asked him, before taking a sip of her drink.

  Chase nodded slowly, while keeping his eyes locked on Ava’s. A part of her wanted to look away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

  “Before I went away to college, I lived in Mountain Crest my whole life, but I’ve never seen you before,” she noted.

  “Yeah…we uh, tend to get home schooled,” he replied solemnly.

  Across the bar, Jocelyn eyed the couple and she could tell that her bestie was indeed feeling a deep connection to the mysterious, good-looking stranger. She made a point to stay in the background and allow them the opportunity to converse with one another for the remainder of the night. She also noticed that the pale-skinned, blonde-haired guy who had accompanied Chase had all but disappeared over into a dark, quiet corner, avoiding everyone in the bar.

  “You know, my dad told me to stay away from you. He told me that you were bad news. But there’s just something about you…I don’t know, just something so different from other guys I’ve met,” Ava said slowly.

  If only she knew, Chase thought to himself as he downed the last of his drink. He raised his hand to signal the bartender again.

  “Did he tell you why you should stay away from me?” he inquired, cocking his head slightly to the side whilst continuing to hold her gaze.

  “No, actually. He just seemed really adamant about it,” Ava confessed. “But I’m a grown woman, so I get to decide.” She raised her left eyebrow and flashed him a grin.

  “I don’t usually do this, you know. Approach women out in public like this,” Chase said to her. “I usually don’t even leave Lexus except to go away on visits to members of my…family in other areas of the country.”

  He realized that he had almost uttered “species.” It was obvious to him that Ava didn’t know he wasn’t human—that he was actually an immortal creature; and he wasn’t quite ready to reveal his true identity to her just yet.

  “You sound like a shut-in,” Ava replied. “So what made you come out here tonight, then?” She slid in just a bit closer to him as she spoke.

  “You promise you won’t turn around and run away if I tell you?” he inquired, raising his dark, sexy eyebrows at her, and leaning in close to her ear.

  Ava leaned forward and smiled flirtatiously.

  “I kind of…followed you here because I really wanted to see you again,” he confessed. His deep blue eyes glistened in the dim light of the bar and Ava became completely lost in them.

  Her heart leapt inside of her chest. She silently wondered what it was about this mysteriously attractive man that made her body react to him this way. Just being in his presence and looking into his eyes caused her to feel emotions that she had no control over whatsoever.

  Is this what they mean by love at first sight? she pondered.

  The bartender brought over another round of drinks and Chase handed Ava her glass. Their fingertips touched in the process, and just from the brief skin-to-skin contact, Ava inhaled sharply at the jolt of electricity that shot up her arm.

  Apparently, Chase felt it, too. He paused for a moment, and then quickly downed his drink. Ava felt herself shudder slightly when his pink tongue emerged from his mouth and licked away the residual liquid from his lips. She felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him, but held herself back. What was wrong with her? She never acted this forward with strange guys.

  Perhaps it was the liquor doing a number on her, or maybe it was her growing attraction to him. Most likely, it was a combination of the two. But, whatever it was, she honestly didn’t care at that moment. The only thing she wanted to do was feel his sexy, soft-looking lips against hers.

  Ava rose to her feet and closed the short distance between the two of them, pressing her body closer to his. As if mesmerized, she stood up on her tiptoes and raised her face up to meet his. She closed her eyes as her lips met his and her entire body reacted to the kiss.

  Chase felt an electric jolt go through his body. The chemistry between them was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Almost immediately, he felt his fangs punch out of his gums, and his eyes turn red. For the first time in his life, he couldn’t control the reaction. He quickly backed away from her, keeping his head lowered. He mumbled an excuse about how he never should have come and then he turned and left.

  “Chase, wait! What’s wrong?” she called out after him as she attempted to follow him out of the bar.

  She threw open the door and stepped outside. Astonishingly, Chase was nowhere to be found. She looked to the left and to the right and there was no sign of him anywhere - just the dark, empty street with a light mist coming down.

  Chapter Six: A Killer is Free

  Nineteen-year-old Melissa Matthews opened her eyes and tried to adjust them to the darkness that surrounded her. She immediately realized that she’d been stripped completely naked and tied to some kind of hard, cold contraption. Also, her hands and feet were tightly bound with a dark-colored ropelike material.

  She attempted to call out for help and struggled to move her extremities; but, the more she tried to move, the tighter the ropelike material became around her ankles and wrists.

  The last thing she remembered doing was taking her bike out for a late night ride while listening to her favorite playlist on her portable pink MP3 player with the matching ear buds. She had just turned onto Oak Street when she saw someone or something lying in the street, causing her to slam on her brakes and come to a sudden stop just before she’d collided with it. Had the person or thing gotten up off of the ground? Everything had happened so fast that Melissa couldn’t quite remember anything past that particular moment.

  “You’ve finally awakened, young one,” a gruff, evil-sounding, raspy voice stated from over near the left side of her exposed body.


  Melissa quickly turned her head toward the voice and immediately, tears of pure terror began to stream down her face. She tried hard to scream at the top of her lungs, but the gag across her mouth muffled the sound completely.

  A scaly, scratchy hand reached out and stroked the side of her face, causing her to shriek beneath the gag. Her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably with extreme fear. She closed her eyes and started to pray.

  The creature laughed a loud, malevolent, wicked laugh and then slapped the young brunette across the face with such force that her bottom lip split open and began to bleed.

  “Your meaningless rhetoric is futile! Your God cannot save you!” it roared.

  In one swift movement, the creature closed in on her, sinking its long, razor-sharp fangs into the flesh at the base of her neck. Melissa let out a muffled cry before finally succumbing to death, the life literally drained out of her as her blood filled the creature’s mouth.

  **

  “I fear we may have a serial killer on our hands,” Detective Hartzman noted as he covered the sunken, pale face of the second blood-drained murder victim.

  “Her name is Melissa Matthews,” Deputy Long said somberly. “She’s the youngest daughter of Pastor Matthews, a preacher at the Mountain Crest Baptist Church.”

  He lowered his head, looking as if he, himself, was close to tears.

  It had barely been a week since the first young woman had been slaughtered, and now, they had a second one. She had the exact same puncture marks on her neck and her body and had also been completely drained of blood. William knew that he was going to have to get to the bottom of things—and fast.

  Members of the city council were already starting to point fingers at the vampire community and the last thing William needed was for the two entities to turn on one another—especially with the Mountain Crest Summer fair coming up next week.