Let There Be Blood

by Tina Traverse

  Let There Be Blood

  By

  Tina Traverse

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  LET THERE BE BLOOD

  First edition. December 1, 2013.

  Copyright © 2013 Tina Traverse.

  ISBN: 978-1310246289

  Written by Tina Traverse.

  Also by Tina Traverse

  Scarlet Desire

  Scarlet Desire: Covet

  Impulse

  Standalone

  Forever, Christian

  Let There Be Blood

  Watch for more at Tina Traverse’s site.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Also By Tina Traverse

  Dedication

  Let There Be Blood

  PUBLISHED BY: | Tina Traverse | Let There Be Blood | Copyright 2013 by Tina Traverse

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One: Reunion

  Chapter Two: Reconnected

  Chapter Three: Suspicions

  Chapter Four: Sunshine and Rain

  Chapter Five: Lies of the Sun

  Chapter Six: Bitter Sweet Memories

  Chapter Seven: Unexpected Passion, Unexpected Love

  Chapter Eight: Shadow

  Chapter Nine: Betrayed

  Chapter Ten: A touch of blood

  Chapter Eleven: Dreams

  Chapter Twelve: The Vampire Disclosure

  Chapter Thirteen: Let There Be Blood

  Chapter Fourteen: Macabre Consciousness

  Chapter Fifteen: Katrina’s Awakening

  Chapter Sixteen: A Forbidden Craving

  Chapter Seventeen: Flight or Fight

  Chapter Eighteen: Despair

  Chapter Nineteen: Uncovered

  Chapter Twenty: Revelation

  Chapter Nineteen: The Follower

  Chapter Twenty: Dark Love

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Demon or Angel?

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Nightmare

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Lost and Found

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Katrina’s Banishment

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Darkness

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Escape

  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Savior

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  Further Reading: Scarlet Desire: Covet

  Also By Tina Traverse

  About the Author

  Dedication

  I wish to thank the following people who have supported me to make this book, my dream, possible.

  Michelle Browne, my patient, knowledgeable and trusted editor. Thank you for all your patience, advice and understanding. You are the best!

  Simon OKill: For proofreading this little baby and helping with formatting.

  Ida Jansson of Amygdala Design for designing the breathtaking cover

  Christy Foster who helped me organize an amazing Facebook release party to introduce this work to the world!

  My friend Evie who helped me craft some of the steamier scenes when my mind went blank!

  Natasha Johnstone who took the time to help me organize a blog tour to spread the word.

  To all members of the ASMSG (Author Social Media Support Group) who took the time to help me promote Let There Be Blood and who supported me in every way.

  My entire family who has supported this project from the very beginning I love you all!

  To you, my reader, who humbly honored me by purchasing this book. You are the most important person in the entire process of making my dream a reality. Without you, the audience, my dream would have disappeared with a whisper. I thank you for your purchase and I hope I have weaved a tale that you can thoroughly enjoy.

  * * * * *

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Tina Traverse

  Let There Be Blood

  Copyright 2013 by Tina Traverse

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Cover Design Copyright 2013 Ida Jansson: Amygdala Design.

  http://www.amygdaladesign.net/

  Edited by: Copyright 2013 Michelle Browne: Magpie Editing

  https://www.facebook.com/MagpieEditing

  A little treat. Let There Be Blood video teaser:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU5Q1tjWFU8

  Acknowledgments

  I wish to thank the following people who have supported me to make this book, my dream, possible.

  Michelle Browne, my patient, knowledgeable and trusted editor. Thank you for all your patience, advice and understanding. You are the best!

  Simon OKill: For proofreading this little baby and helping with formatting.

  Ida Jansson of Amygdala Design for designing the breathtaking cover

  Christy Foster who helped me organize an amazing Facebook release party to introduce this work to the world!

  My friend Evie who helped me craft some of the steamier scenes when my mind went blank!

  Natasha Johnstone who took the time to help me organize a blog tour to spread the word.

  To all members of the ASMSG (Author Social Media Support Group) who took the time to help me promote Let There Be Blood and who supported me in every way.

  My entire family who has supported this project from the very beginning I love you all!

  To you, my reader, who humbly honored me by purchasing this book. You are the most important person in the entire process of making my dream a reality. Without you, the audience, my dream would have disappeared with a whisper. I thank you for your purchase and I hope I have weaved a tale that you can thoroughly enjoy.

  Chapter One: Reunion

  It poured down on him like rain. His own blood flooded his mouth and choked him. Unbearable cold washed over his bruised, burned body. He was naked and unbearably exposed, dangling from the ceiling like the prize catch from a hunt, waiting to be gutted. Voices taunted him, cackling evilly. A clammy hand grasped his head and drew a six-inch blade across his neck.

  “Nooo!” Aaron Brooks woke from his nightmare in a cold sweat.

  Eyeing the clock on his nightstand, Aaron jumped out of bed. 4 AM. He was going to be late on set, again. The producer was going to kill him. Aaron threw on his clothes and ran out the door. As he rushed into his jeep, he was grateful that he only lived a couple miles from the studio.

  Avery Evers greeted him as he finally arrived on set. “Where have you been, man? James is seething. You know we can’t film this battle scene without you, and James says that every second we get behind...”

  “Costs the network a month’s worth of our paychecks. I know, I know. I just slept in, that’s all.”

  Avery noticed his trepidation. “Did you have that nightmare again?”

  “Yes, and it was more intense this time.”

  “Aaron, I wish you’d let me help you. You can’t keep pretending what went down last Halloween didn’t happen.”

  “I know, Avery, but what choice do I have? It’s only mid-season. We have February sweeps coming up. I don’t have time to get a proper rest, let alone seek therapy.
Now, we better get going. I’m sure James is ready to fire us.”

  Aaron stared at his face in his bathroom mirror and moaned.

  Tonight was Valley Halley High School’s fifteenth annual charity ball. When the request came in from the mayor of the town to book a cast member of the students’ favorite TV show into the network, his agent was the first to volunteer him.

  Aaron stood in his black Armani tuxedo and sighed. He wished he were with Avery, answering questions from a dozen screaming fans at the Stakes, Blood and Sun vampire convention in L.A., instead of going to this stupid dance. Being the prize for a silent auction and having a few awkward teens stutter over him, compared to hundreds of people worshiping him...he took a deep breath.

  “Here goes nothing,” he whispered to himself. Aaron gave himself a once-over and then stepped into the limo the town had sent for him.

  Aaron stood on stage next to Mayor Camille Jones, burning alive under the hot lights and the lustful stares. He kept a smile plastered on his face, waiting patiently for the torture to be over. He dreaded the thought of his teenage prom date—some poor child. Aaron set aside his boredom, cursing his agent, and brought forth his charming side.

  They plied him with endless questions and requests for pictures and autographs. The commentary on his character’s actions and direction came like bullets. Young guys pretended he was their best friend. Their fathers quizzed him about sports teams and politics, puffing their chests out as though his presence would grace them with the same prestige. They were interrupted only by an endless stream of women flocking to Aaron.

  Aaron could put up with the throngs of teenage girls screaming his name and swooning over him, but their mothers were a different matter—grabbing his ass, breathing in his ear, slipping their numbers seductively into his back pocket.

  One woman had pulled him into the dark stairwell and kissed him breathless. She clutched his balls, forcing his hand up her skirt. She wasn’t wearing panties.

  “There, golden boy, have a taste of a real woman. That was just a sampling, gorgeous. If you want more, call me. My husband is away so I’ll be looking for someone to play with.” With a quick nibble of his ear and a slap on his ass, she was gone. It was a strange, violating encounter, but Aaron was used to them. It came with the business.

  Still a little stunned, the actor walked away from the stairwell and onto the stage. He stood waiting to see which young girl’s dream was about to come true.

  “And the winner is... Katrina Murphy!”

  With the sound of the mayor’s voice, Aaron snapped out of his trance and back to the present. He scanned the sea of people to find Katrina Murphy, but he was unprepared for what he saw. As the mayor escorted her across the stage, he shielded his eyes from the lights and flashing cameras.

  The high school senior was a vision.

  Her fiery red curls cascaded down her back, stopping short of her narrow waist. Katrina gazed up at him for only a moment, just long enough for Aaron to see that her lapis lazuli eyes matched her off-the-shoulder satin gown. The young woman’s alabaster skin was so fair that she appeared to glow under the fluorescent lighting.

  Aaron offered his hand to Katrina, and she accepted it, pressing her soft hand in his. Katrina smiled shyly at him, averting her gaze from his as she shook his hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Katrina.”

  “Nice to meet you, Aaron. You’re my favorite actor. I love your show!” Her voice was so soft that he barely heard her above the applause and catcalls.

  “Thank you, Katrina. Would you like to go somewhere quiet after our photo session and talk?”

  “Actually, my Mom was wondering if you’d like to escape to our house for a cup of coffee.”

  That set off alarm bells in Aaron’s head. He prayed that the beautiful girl’s mother hadn’t been the same woman who’d practically raped him in the stairwell.

  “I, ah...”

  “Tell him that I also make a mean apple crumble. I know that’s his favorite. At least, it was when we were in high school. Or are you all health conscious now, Aaron Brooks?”

  Aaron’s breath caught in his chest as he followed the voice. Then he saw her. Her auburn hair was longer and her figure was softer, but she was still the most stunning woman he’d ever known. Aaron’s heart skipped a beat for more than her stunning beauty. It stopped because he was scared. He prayed she wouldn’t remember him from the nightmares.

  “Martina Murphy! It’s so good to see you!”

  “Likewise. Well, handsome, are you just going to stand there and pretend you don’t know me, or are you going to give your best friend a hug?”

  “Of course! How neglectful of me.”

  He pulled Martina into his embrace. It felt so good to be in her arms again, feeling her warmth, breathing in her delicate honeysuckle scent. When she pulled away, he felt strangely empty.

  “I believe my girl invited her favorite star to our house for coffee, so how about it? Do you want to get away from this crowd?”

  “Do I ever! How do we leave without someone noticing us?”

  “I know a way out through the kitchen. That should keep you away from the zealots! Follow me.”

  Martina’s home was a cozy cottage overlooking the ocean.

  While Katrina went upstairs to change out of her dress, Martina and Aaron sat in the living room and enjoyed a cup of coffee together.

  “When I saw you were being offered up as some lucky girl’s prom date, I knew I had to bid on you for Katrina. She adores you and Avery.”

  “You didn’t have to bid on me at some charity event, Marty. All you had to do was call me. I’d have come running.”

  “I know, but you aren’t exactly an easy person to contact, Mr. Vampire. You’re a big-time actor now. Everyone wants a piece of you.”

  “Then let me correct that, and give you my personal cell phone number.”

  Martina reached over and accepted it. “Thank you. I promise this will stay private.”

  “Mom?”

  Aaron looked up from his cup to see Katrina in her pajamas, her red hair swept high in a ponytail.

  “Yes, Katrina?”

  “I’m so wasted. I wanted to come down to say goodnight and thank you, Aaron, for being my date for the prom. I’m so stoked!”

  “Well you won me, fair and square. I’m looking forward to escorting you. I’ll stay in touch over the next couple of months so we can talk and go over some details, okay?”

  “Okay! Thank you, Mom for making my dream come true.” Katrina kissed her mother on the cheek and hugged Aaron, who kissed her on her cheek in return. Blushing furiously, she bounded upstairs to her room.

  “You just made a teenage girl very, very happy.”

  “She seems to be a very special young woman. May I ask how old she is?”

  “She’s sixteen.”

  “Sixteen? Katrina’s graduating early.”

  “Just by one year. She’s a very intelligent girl. She has a grade point average of 4.0, and was put a year ahead back in the fifth grade.”

  “Very impressive. What are her plans after high school?”

  “She’s just been accepted into UCLA. She wants to be a special needs teacher.”

  “That’s very admirable. I see that she inherited her intelligence from her mother.”

  “You flatter me, Aaron.”

  “No, it’s just a simple fact. So what does her father think of her success?”

  “Katrina’s father died when she was just a little girl.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “That’s all right.”

  He stirred his coffee, which had gone cold. “May I ask if you have someone special in your life?”

  “Well, not right now, no. How about you, Aaron?”

  “No, my schedule doesn’t permit much of a social life. I wish it did.” He turned a bright smile on her. “Martina, would you like to go out to dinner sometime?”

  “Why, Mr. Brooks, are you asking me out on a date?�
��

  “Yes, Ms. Murphy, I am. Will you accept my invitation?”

  “Where are you going to take me?”

  Aaron chuckled. “Did you ever hear of a restaurant in the East side of LA called Tremors?”

  “Tremors? That’s an unusual name for a restaurant.”

  “I know. I’m tight with the owner ... he has a twisted sense of humor. The restaurant’s in the middle of an earthquake zone, but the food melts in your mouth.”

  “That sounds perfect. When?”

  “Are you free this Saturday? I’ve a rare break in filming.”

  “Pick me up at 7.”

  They chatted a little more, finalizing a few details. Soon, Aaron glanced at his watch.

  “I should probably head back.”

  “Okay, how are you getting home?”

  “I... wait...I don’t know. I guess my limo is no longer available, since we slipped out...”

  “Do you want me to drive you, or would you like to stay the night?”

  “Stay the night?”

  “Yes. I have a spare room, and can bring you home in the morning, if you’d like.” She saw him hesitate, and rushed ahead. “Say yes, Aaron. I know you want to. In spite of the time apart, we’ve known each other for so long. Come on. We can have a very pleasant night together catching up. I’ve missed you so much.”

  Aaron held his breath as Martina moved closer to him, pressing her lithe body to his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, nuzzling her neck.

  “I missed you too, Marty...Martina. I’ve ached for you for the last 17 years.”

  “Then why didn’t you try to contact me? I didn’t disappear!”

  “I know, Martina, but ever since what happened after graduating high school...” A sob caught in Aaron’s throat as one of the painful memories of his youth rose to the surface.

  “But you’re back, and that’s all that matters. Aaron, please stay. Come to bed with me.”

  Martina took Aaron’s hand and led him upstairs to her bedroom.