Courage Runs Red: Paranormal Romance (Blood Red Series Book 1)

by W. J. May

  Now, if she could stop her brain from focussing on Liam and their date, everything would be perfect. She grew warm as she pictured him bare chested like last night. She couldn’t imagine him looking better with clothes on. Stop it!

  Lisa moved up beside Kallie, slipping her arm into her friend’s as she pointed toward the small coffee shop up ahead.

  “I believe we’re in need of an iced coffee.” Lisa’s dark red hair was brilliant and looked like a flame when under the direct light of the sun.

  Jeanna huffed and moved to cross the small street, shops littering the area around them.

  “I need an ice bath. Why is it so damn hot already? It’s only April. Why in the world doesn’t spring fight back? Grow some balls and fight for its three months?” Jeanna turned and walked backward for the last few steps to the coffee shop, a tall lanky fellow walking out and bumping into her.

  Kallie and Lisa laughed, dodging Jeanna’s swinging bags as she cursed at them for not giving her a head’s up that someone had shown up behind her.

  “You guys suck,” she growled and opened the door, moving back as Lisa and Kallie moved into the stout aroma of the small shop.

  Kallie breathed in deeply, the smell filling her lungs and forcing her to relax. Memories of her father’s mother sitting at the large kitchen table drinking overly sugared coffee and playing cards with her swam in her vision. She smiled and moved to the counter, ordering a latte as Jeanna grumbled about it being too bitter.

  “What’ve you been up to? I haven’t seen you in a few weeks, which is weird. And even crazier, I hardly ever see you anymore. In high school we used to hang out all the time.” Lisa moved in beside Kallie, putting an arm around her shoulder and tugging her into a tight side hug.

  “I want to hear how the hell you got Detective Big Balls to let you interview him.” Jeanna looked over her shoulder and smirked.

  “Have you seen his balls?” Lisa scoffed, totally mocking Jeanna’s word of the week. She rolled her eyes and pointed to a table in the sun just outside. “Let’s go out and relax. The cute coffee boy will bring us our drinks.”

  “How do you know he will? I usually have to wait at the counter,” Kallie asked.

  “His name’s Cliff, and where Jeanna has not seen anything on the lovely detective in town, I’ve seen plenty of Cliff.” She giggle-snorted.

  Kallie laughed, covering her mouth and sliding into the iron chair. “I’ll need the details on this.”

  “First, tell me about the super-hot young cop. I know he hasn’t been there long, but my brother was telling us the other day that he has a huge chip on his shoulder. He won’t talk to anyone, but you got in. Tell me what you gave him to get a few moments alone.” Lisa smiled, her pretty cheeks turning the color of her fiery hair.

  “I didn’t do anything.” She thought about Liam and her dad and then pushed the “v” word out of her mind. She shifted on her chair. “He’s painfully good looking, don’t you think? He said yes to the interview probably because he knew I was from the local college and wouldn’t be a threat of any sort.” Kallie shrugged, looking up as Jeanna walked out holding all three drinks and cursing them.

  Lisa jumped up, as did Kallie. They took their drinks and found their way back to their seats.

  “What happened to Cliff? He always brings me my drink.” Lisa looked over her shoulder back into the small shop.

  “He was flirting with a dude. That’s what happened.” Jeanna sat down as Lisa slapped at her.

  “Liar. You’re such a jerk sometimes.”

  “Yes, but you love me just the same.”

  They nodded, the girls smiling and carrying on with nothingness. Kallie brought the conversation back to Liam, her news burning a hole in her throat.

  “I have a date tonight.”

  “What?” Jeanna groaned. “Cancel it. We were going for happy hour with some cute guys from the rec center and wanted you to come. You have to, Kalls… come on.”

  “Cute guys from the rec center? What about Cliff?” Kallie looked over toward Lisa, as her pretty friend shrugged and smiled.

  “He likes dudes, or so I’ve heard.”

  They broke with laughter again, Kallie sitting back and waiting no more than a few minutes for the questions she knew would come.

  “Okay, so who’s the date with? Please tell me it’s the hot cop.” Jeanna turned toward Kallie and pretended to beg.

  She grinned, knowing her stupid smile spread from ear to ear. “I would hate to disappoint you. Yeah. He’s taking me dancing, but not until ten or so. I could grab a drink with you guys and just meet him there.” Kallie shrugged as her friends cheered like kids scoring an extra scoop of ice cream.

  “Be sure and tell us about his balls.” Jeanna shrugged, pretending to be all innocent. “Find out if he plays tennis, or soccer, or ping pong. What kind of balls does he like?”

  Lisa snorted into her drink, a big bubble popping up through the straw into the iced coffee. “Let’s hope it’s not the same as Cliff the coffee guy.”

  Kallie rolled her eyes, picking up her iced drink, and enjoying the solace found in the moment.

  Chapter 9

  The rest of the afternoon sped by, spent walking and shopping through various stores, Lisa and Jeanna buying everything their fingers brushed by. Kallie simply became a walking buggy, her arms extended as loads of new clothes and accessories piled high on her. They joked and make fun of one another until the sun began to set behind the edge of the world. With bags in hands, they made their way to the car and dropped everything off.

  “I need to go change for drinks and you certainly need to get ready for your date tonight.” Lisa looked at her watch and then back up. “Let’s meet at La Tachera at six? Which gives us two hours to get ready at our own houses and then come together?”

  Kallie rubbed at her eyes, sleep tugging at the corners. She yawned loudly as Jeanna stuck a finger in her open mouth. She pretended to bite it and growled playfully at her friend.

  “No biting. That’s just for vampires.” Jeanna wagged her eyebrows.

  Kallie’s smile stumbled as she questioned whether her friend was joking or serious. They parted ways, her two friends laughing at the simplistic silliness of the unknown. “Not sure that’s at all something you’d want nibbling at you.” Kallie got in her car, her thoughts restoring back to the horrible image of her father. His body broken and bruised. Had they made him strip before them? Hot fear rolled over her, tears filling her eyes as she pulled out of the small strip center. Those bastards physically hurting her dad was almost too much, but the idea of him being humiliated seemed much worse.

  The fact that he’d shared his situation with her spoke volumes. She wanted to rush out and save the day, give him a different way of life and yet he knew that she’d be smart enough to figure it out before acting. She pushed her shoulders back and focused on the positive.

  Liam would come over tomorrow night, Saturday, and once the two men met, she was sure they would realize they could be in the same room without killing one another, and would start making plans. Getting out of town seemed the best bet. Or… they could try and find help from another Red Blood, or a Blue Blood. Maybe Liam knew a bunch and could convince others to help. From what she could gather from the conversation with him the day before, the Blue Bloods were more calm, rational and helpful to humanity.

  It seemed the Red Bloods seemed to bleed aggression, dominance and hate. Her father remained far from all of those things, but if he were not only fighting the need to feed, but those personality traits as well, it was a wonder he hadn’t exhausted all his resources all the time. He spent most of his waking hours at night with her mom. As a nurse she was rarely there at night when Kallie was young, but after the accident, the hospital let her trade shifts to be home with the family during the darkest hours. She once told Kallie that she’d told her staff chief that Frank, her dad, had night tremors from the memory of almost dying.

  No one had the nerve to really question the la
ck of hospital records or anything else from the accident, and she made sure to cut them off quickly if they did. Kallie loved her mom, but honestly couldn’t see a future where the beautiful woman didn’t get hurt - horribly.

  Would Liam be able to do anything to help them?

  If not, her next stop would be to find another pure-blood Red Blood, if one even existed. If they were a virgin as well, then maybe there were more of them. What were the chances she could fine one? Maybe she’d have better luck winning the lottery. One new vampire couldn’t really fight off the older vamps who acted like parasites, but a large group of them? Yes. That would work.

  She considered being turned herself as a last resort. If it means saving my dad, I’ll do whatever it takes. If she could go away and learn to be strong, then when she came back she could take care of the situation herself.

  However, where would that leave her and Liam? Her being a Red Blood and him a Blue? She let the thought dissipate, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. She wasn’t going to let anyone change her and there was nothing more than a budding friendship between her and Liam. Tomorrow night would be telling of the future. Would Liam attack her father or could they be together without harm? Would she be able to have both of them in her life? If not, the decision was painful, but more than clear. Courage seemed to be something she never had in abundance these days.

  Whatever was happening between her and the cop would be over after tonight. Her family came first. A small frown touched Kallie’s face at the thought. Sacrifice was never easy.

  Dressed in a tiny black dress with gorgeous red heels and earrings to match, she got back in her small Honda, her mother having replaced it with a new one - different color - just after the accident. It was a much newer version and her parents had the maintenance done on it far too often, but paranoia had given them a new life, one they were happy to have at any cost.

  She would need more than one drink with her friends to calm her nerves, the thought of going dancing with Liam causing her stomach to turn. She’d been a dancer all her life, her mom and dad putting her in ballet, acro and tap classes from the time she could walk. Her movements were fluid and she was pretty sure she knew how to use the dance floor to bring a boy to his knees. She had a feeling with what he was, he wouldn’t have a problem keeping up. She grew nervous because suddenly she had someone who knew her secrets and she could honestly see becoming a part of her life.

  “So many things left open. So many things unknown.” She turned on the car and left as the moon began its ascent in the sky, only half of it illuminated. She glanced around, the uneasy feeling of someone watching her creeping across her skin. She shivered, buckling up and pulling out onto the quiet street in front of her house. She sent Liam a text that she could meet him at The Roxy, the music that night a mixture of hip hop and slow stuff. Meeting him there gave her the freedom to leave alone if she needed to.

  The drive to La Tachera took no time at all, the silence in the car left her at ease. Maybe I’ll see if my friends want to come to the club with me. They most likely would. They were easy going and the three of them had known each other since they were in grade school. It was time she started spending more time with them again, especially if something happened to… She quelled the thought and refused to finish the sentence.

  Kallie parked the car and got out, walking quickly across the street and thanking an older male who held the door open, his smile kind and cologne yummy. She looked over her shoulder and smirked at him as he chuckled. Funny how you didn’t have to be a werewolf at all to notice the slight attraction of another. Just had to keep your eyes open.

  Approaching the small table near the back where her friends sat, Kallie took notice of the guys with them. One was sitting close to Jeanne, his muscles bulging as if he’d eaten a steroid steak before arriving. The one close to Lisa was handsome and looked like a swimmer. A lone boy sat to the side constantly roaming the crowd. She realized all of a sudden that their “drinks” were more like a triple date. Not good.

  No chance of escaping. Lisa waved her over when she spotted her. They know I have a date after this. I’m going to kill them! Instead, she walked up and extended her hand to “Muscles”, introducing herself. Lisa’s guy stood and introduced himself too, his eyes running over her inoffensively. Guys had no sense of stealth. It proved to herself that only women would make effective ninjas. You could read men like a book… most men.

  She turned to the last boy, who stood from his seat, his hand extended. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, the dark orange of his eyes giving him away. Strong facial features and long eyelashes had her staring a moment too long, his looks so similar to Liam and yet nothing like him. He was just slightly taller than her, his body strong beneath the thin cotton button down he wore. He smiled and damned if she didn’t see the tips of his fangs, the world left to wonder as she watched all the time for what most didn’t believe to exist. Did Liam warn her that Red Bloods were dangerous? What was he doing here, with her friends? She should have asked Liam how to properly kill a vamp. That should have been her first question to him last night. Idiot!

  Another thought made her blink. What if those guys after her dad had sent this vamp to keep an eye on her? They had threatened her father, maybe now they were checking what liabilities her father had.

  She heard Jeanna hiss, “Stop staring!”

  “I’m Caleb. I hope you like Cherry Coke.” His voice sounded huskier than she expected. He winked and pulled her chair out for her. She slipped into it and looked over at her friends as Caleb sat down beside her, his hand moving to the back of her chair almost protectively.

  “You guys told him.” Kallie shook her head at her friends as the whole table erupted with denial.

  Lisa sat back and picked up her own drink, the yellow tint to the liquid giving way to it being something fruity. “We didn’t! We told him a little about you and he called it. Honest to God.”

  “Let’s leave the big man out of this.” Caleb leaned in, pressing his forearms to the table and looking over at Kallie. “You’re far more beautiful than their pictures did you justice.”

  Kallie was unsure what to say, but swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She had a hard time believing this guy was here to watch her. She felt this instant attraction to him, and he obviously noticed it as well. Maybe it was a vamp thing. They created this sexual tension-lust. Three years of not seeing anyone worth dating and in the last week she lays eyes on two of them!

  Good thing Liam got there first. Caleb seemed dangerous, like a bad boy lay deep in his skin and wanted so badly to get out. The thought made her shiver, a nervous laugh leaving her. “So my friends told you my favorite drink, and then showed you baby pictures?” Kallie looked up as the waiter returned, thanking him for her drink and turning her attention back to Caleb as Lisa and her date got up to walk along the open terrace just outside. Caleb’s attention on her caused her stomach to tighten, his eyes boring into her. He was wickedly handsome, his lips curving up into the most sensual turn as he smiled. She quickly looked away, reaching for a maraschino cherry inside her drink and trying to remind herself that she wasn’t starving for attention.

  “You have baby pictures? I’ll need to check those out.”

  His comment made her tingle – the good sensation kind. She glanced over at him. “Only if I get to see yours first.”

  He leaned in and she backed up a little, his confidence stifling. His eyes glowed a little deeper, the hint of crimson rimming the large orbs that beckoned her to move toward him. “I’ll show you anything you want, you just have to return the favor.” He smiled and moved back.

  Kallie nearly tipped her chair over when she jumped up. She snorted in a shaky breath. “I, uh, just need to run to the lady’s room. I’ll be right back.”

  His eyes moved up from her thighs to her stomach and finally to her eyes, the expression on his handsome face making her feel far more beautiful than she was. He simply nodded and sat back.r />
  She knew his eyes stayed on her as she turned and walked away. Hand on the bathroom door, she paused before going in and looked back toward their table, Caleb still very much focused on her.

  He was a vampire no doubt – a Red Blood. Was he the one that turned her dad?

  She stood at the sink, questions slamming into her left and right as she tried to make sense of them. It was useless. She would simply have to ask him, but now wasn’t the time. She would need to be alone with him. She couldn’t risk her friends’ lives on the unknown. She desperately wanted him to be something else, something good. What were the chances of two beautiful men becoming interested in her? And both of them end up being vampires, while her vampire father stayed hidden at home?

  A few more minutes of staring at the wide-eyed shocked girl in the mirror and she made her way back to the table, a large plate of nachos having arrived and everyone at the table digging in.

  She sat down and picked up her plate, smiling over at Caleb before offering him some of the food. He declined, his excuse that he’d already eaten. She took several small bites, the conversation around the table fun and light hearted. The only pressure she felt was in the small glimpses toward the intimidating man beside her. He focused on the others at the table and yet the sinking suspicion that he wanted to get her alone, to talk with just her, sat heavy on her shoulders.

  She checked her phone an hour or so later and stood up, excitement and sadness taking turns for dominance in her chest. Caleb stood instantly beside her.

  “I have to go. I’m meeting a… friend.” Why couldn’t she just say Liam’s name? Why hide it in front of Caleb? From the smirks on her friends’ faces, they thought the same thing. “This was fun. Thanks for inviting me.”