by T. S. Ryder
In case you think about changing your mind, read the email. He sat on his fancy, expensive chair, staring at the HD display, preparing himself for the worst. The mouse hovered over the attachment.
What could the kidnappers be sending him? His blood tingled in his veins, burning with the desire to find his woman and bring her home. If the kidnappers knew what was good for them, they wouldn't lay a single finger on her. Yet, he had a feeling that they didn't understand how strongly a Vampire could react to seeing someone they loved in pain.
Angelus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened the video. At first, it was dark, but then a light flickered on. Rosa sat on a chair, her large, pregnant belly emphasized by the flowing top she wore. Her eyes were wide and frightened, but she wasn't looking at the camera. They were locked on a man as he walked into the frame.
Her mouth moved. Angelus stared at her lips. Please, Michael.
Michael? Angelus mind reeled in shock. Why would a kidnapper tell her his name? He wouldn't. It was somebody Rosa already knew. A growl rose in his throat. Her stepfather. Michael Jones. It had to be him. The video had no sound, but Michael clearly didn't expect that Angelus could read lips.
Rosa was in the hands of the man she feared most. Angelus had never felt so helpless. This was all his fault.
A snarl erupted from him as the man's hand flew across Rosa's face. Her head turned, her mouth opening in a silent cry of pain. Angelus felt his fingers turning into claws as he clutched the arms of his chair, ripping through the leather. Another slap. Now a full-on punch. Tears rolled down Rosa's face.
Red settled over Angelus' vision. But his mind, rather than consumed by the rage that was usually associated with bloodlust, was focused. He knew the name of the monster that had Rosa. He would be able to find where she was being held, and he would kill Michael Jones. Slowly. By the time he was done, the man would be begging him to end his suffering.
But first, he had to find the villain. It was a good thing that there was a traitorous Vampire in his dungeons who knew where to start looking.
Chapter Eight - Rosa
The tiny cuts stung her face as her tears rolled down over them. Even though Michael had only hit her a few times, her whole face and neck throbbed with pain. One of her eyes was swollen half-shut and a crack in her lower lip still oozed blood. There were more bruises on her arms.
Michael had assured her that he went easy on her because of her pregnancy. And she believed him.
He was always careful not to bruise her mother's face or arms–nothing that would make her wear long sleeves in hot weather, nothing that could be visible in her tank top and shorts. Rosa could remember lying in bed listening to her mother cry, glad that she had remembered to lock her door before going to bed so that he couldn’t get in. She remembered being angry with her mother, hating her for not just leaving and taking both herself and her daughter away from Michael.
Now she knew better. The deep fear that he had already instilled in her had her frozen. With every slap, he told her that it was her own fault for getting involved with Vampires until he had forced her to agree with him. If he had her under his thumb for years, like he had her mother, how long would it be until he had convinced her it was true?
Rosa wrapped her arms around her belly. Helena was kicking strongly. That, at least, was a relief. Even though Michael hadn't gone anywhere near her belly, she had been afraid that the trauma to her body would harm her daughter.
Angelus will find me, she tried to tell herself again, even though she knew that was next to impossible. The city was filled with places where a cop could keep her hidden, and Angelus didn't know it was her stepfather who was holding her prisoner.
The door to her lonely cell opened. Rosa sat up. Every muscle in her body ached and she chewed her inner cheek to stop herself from whimpering. She had been provided with a thin blanket and nothing else. The hard cell floor left her back in spasms, but she struggled to her feet and pressed herself to the wall as Michael stepped through the door. His blue eyes shone with a maniacal gleam, a triumphant grin over his face. He brought a lunch bag with him.
"I thought you might be hungry and thirsty." He held the bag out to her.
Rosa eyed the bag warily. Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. Well, if he wanted to kill her, there would be easier ways than poison. And drugging her? He'd find a way, even if it meant shoving the drugs down her throat. There was no reason for her not to eat or drink. She accepted the lunch bag, opening it to find a sealed bottle of water and store-bought egg salad sandwich. Her jaw ached with the desire to eat. She tore into the sandwich, tucking the lunch bag and water bottle under her arm.
"Everything is going exactly as I planned," Michael said, watching her every movement. "And I'm glad that it's you, Rosa. I was always fond of you."
Her stomach churned and Rosa suddenly found it difficult to swallow. She backed away from her stepfather, eyes widening.
"Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. You've been defiled by a Vampire. Why would I taint myself with you?"
Rosa wanted to point out that there was nothing flattering about rape, but she kept quiet. It was the one thing she had never feared from her stepfather, but her circumstances had changed. She knew she couldn’t trust him, and he seemed to be alone with her here. There was nobody who had a shred of human decency around to stop him if he decided that was what he wanted.
"You asked me what I wanted from you," he continued, walking to the wall and leaning against it. A small smile was still on his face.
"Money," she said. "That's why you demanded a billion dollars for my safe return."
"Money? No. It will be nice to take a good chunk of his money, but that is certainly not what this is all about. I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out already." Michael chuckled softly. "I guess I'm not really that surprised. You were always a stupid girl."
Rosa bristled, though she forced herself to keep her mouth shut. That was exactly the sort of thing he used to break her mother. Calling her stupid. Insinuating that she wasn't good enough for anything except the treatment that she received.
It won't work on me.
Rosa slopped water down her front as she attempted to drink a mouthful of water to wet her dry throat. Was this a game he liked to play or did he have plans for her future that included having her hate herself so much that she would let him treat her this way?
"Vampires are very protective of their family, or so I was assured. Angelus even more so than others. Did you know that he slaughtered whole villages for killing people he cared about in the past? No? In any case, once he drops off that money and I send a video where it appears that you're dead and the child with you, he'll come after me. I'll be ready. The Angel King will die, and I will have his child."
Rosa forced herself to remain still as Michael drew near and rested his hand on her belly. She wanted to punch him in the face, but the door was closed. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to escape the beating that would surely follow if she dared to raise a hand against him.
"What do you want with my baby?"
"His baby. The Vampires have a strong monarchy. Those that are loyal to Angelus Rex will be loyal to his child, the new Vampire ruler. She will be my puppet to control. Once I have all of the Vampires under my thumb, I will destroy them."
Was he serious? Rosa's jaw dropped. How did he think something like that would work? "Vampires aren't cattle, they would never—"
A hand cracked across her face, making her cry out. The bottle of water fell to the floor, splashing every which way. Her bruises throbbed as she raised her arms, shielding her face.
"You have better watch it. I don't need you, Rosa. The only reason I am not going to kill you the moment this baby is born is because it would be good for my cause to have you condemn Angelus and Vampires in general when the time comes to exterminate them. You'll have to lose weight first, though. I need a pretty, delicate damsel in distress to really sell it. Nobody would care about you looki
ng like that."
Angelus loved her curves. Rosa bit her lips shut, focusing on the throbbing of her cracked lip to stop herself from snapping back. She had to stay calm, to stay alive until Angelus could find her or she found a way out of here.
"What would your mother think of you if she could see you now?"
Anger flared. Rosa clenched her hands, forcing herself to stay still. He was goading her, looking for an excuse to hit her again. I am stronger than him, I won't let him provoke me.
Michael's mouth was twisted, sneering at her as he stepped ever closer, invading her personal space. "Nothing to say? You know she was such a devoted Catholic mother, always wanting you to be a good girl. What would she think, seeing you pregnant with a Vampire's baby? Do you think she would be proud of you? Or do you think she would turn you out herself for being such a—"
Rosa's hand flew, striking him across the face, hard. The slap rang through the room. Michael's eyes darkened and he grabbed her shoulders, pushing her against the wall. His eyes narrowed. A fist raised and Rosa threw her arms over her face. She braced herself for the blow—
An alarm started blaring. Michael let Rosa go, stepping back. His eyes widened. She slumped against the wall, panting as adrenaline coursed through her. Her stepfather grabbed his cellphone and flipped it open.
"What's going on?" he snapped.
Rosa didn't hear the reply, but Michael's face paled. Her heart lifted. Somebody was there. Somebody was coming for her. Angelus? Could he have found her? She glanced at the door: still shut. She strained to listen. Was that gunfire she was hearing?
Her heart plummeted. Her assumptions were wrong. Michael wasn't here alone. How many others were there? Was Angelus even going to make it to this cell?
Michael barked out some orders and turned off the phone. He was clearly agitated but pretended to be the opposite as he smiled at her. His eyes glittered dangerously. "Well. It seems that my plans have to be accelerated. Who knew that all it would take was to slap you around a little to bring the Vampire King to me? Don't look so worried, Rosa. I'll protect you from the big, bad Vampire. I'll make sure he never touches you again."
He advanced, his teeth bared in a snarl. Rosa pressed herself against the wall. I can't let him hurt Angelus. I can't let him.
But what could she do?
Chapter Nine - Angelus
Silver bullets didn't kill Vampires the way they would kill a werewolf, but they still hurt like hell.
There were fewer humans in the building than Angelus expected, but that was probably a good thing. With the bullets tearing through his flesh, scorching him like brands of pure fire, if there were any more of them shooting at him he'd probably be overwhelmed. He charged into the hail of silver, grunting as his body was pumped full of the toxin.
A human ran at him with a wooden stake. Angelus caught the man, twisting his arm behind him. A snarl ripped through the Vampire's throat as he used the man as a human shield from the silver bullets that now tore through the dead body.
They didn't care about their own people. They were more dangerous than he anticipated.
Angelus threw aside the corpse as he came on the group of shooters. He tore into them. Despite the red hazing his vision, Rosa's living scent in his nostrils stopped him from killing them all. It would be easy. It would be faster. But even in these circumstances, he couldn’t bring himself to break his unspoken promise to her to avoid violence as best he could. She was alive and well, so he merely rendered first one, then another unconscious and continued along. The burning silver inside him slowed his healing and made him limp, but he ignored the pain.
It was nothing compared to how his heart would break if he wasn't successful here. The humans were fleeing before him now, their shouts interrupted by bursts of gunfire. He smiled. When he first arrived at this building, he wondered if he should have brought Morgan and a few of his guards for backup. It was better this way–more personal. The survivors would know that he wasn't a weakling to be trifled with and they would share the tale of his triumph.
Angelus followed Rosa's scent, his slow-beating heart speeding up as he approached. Her scent was almost overpowering when he finally stopped. He was in a long corridor, perfect for an ambush. Yet, the humans who had been firing at him before were all gone. They had broken off in another direction to lead him away from something, but then they had just abandoned pursuit.
Every fiber of Angelus' being trembled with conflicting desires. He wanted to rush in and find his love, to gather Rosa into his arms and flee this place as quickly as his feet would take him. But it was a trap, and he needed to be careful. It wouldn't help either of them if he tripped a wire or stepped on a mine and blew them both up.
Angelus scanned the corridor. It was empty, bare. He inhaled. There were two humans, male, with Rosa. If he strained his hearing, he could hear their heartbeats. Rosa's was hard and fast, the other two slightly slower, but not by much. She was alive, though.
A man appeared in the doorway. He was an ape of a man, his upper body as muscled as a gorilla's. His pale skin gleamed with sweat, and he gave the King a vicious smile. It wasn't the man who had beaten Rosa. That man had been much more slender. Angelus strode forward, noting the leather armor the man wore and the silver sword in his hand. He came prepared for hand-to-hand combat against a Vampire. With all the silver already riddling his body, Angelus would have a hard time defeating him.
The gorilla man retreated back into the room. The Vampire King narrowed his eyes. What were they planning? To kill her in front of his eyes?
If they hurt her, they will know true pain before their end.
When he stepped into the room, he froze. Rosa was there, all right. A blond man stood behind her, a knife pressed into her neck. Tears were rolling down Rosa's face as she wrapped her arms around her belly. Her hands kneaded her shirt, as though she was fighting not to attack the man that could easily kill her.
"Michael Jones," Angelus greeted, forcing himself to stay cool.
The man's eyes widened. "So you know who I am? It was that slimy Vampire who handed my stepdaughter over to me, wasn't it?" He chuckled. "Yeah, she's my stepdaughter. Did you know that?"
"The traitor told me where to find you, but yes, I already knew who you were."
Angelus moved to one side, keeping an eye on the gorilla with the sword. Jones was perspiring. He hadn't planned on this. It didn't mean he couldn't destroy Angelus' world with a single swipe. Given all the silver in his body, he wouldn't be fast enough to stop him from cutting Rosa's throat.
"Rosa told me about you," the King continued calmly. "And I have to say, if you were under my jurisdiction, you would be dead. There is no excuse for what you did to her mother."
"I don't care about your morals," Jones replied. "But you appear to actually care about my stepdaughter… so either kneel before me so my companion can take off your head, or she dies."
Rosa let out a cry, but there was no hesitation on Angelus' part. He dropped to his knees at once. The gorilla took a step forward, raising the sword.
"No!"
Everything stopped at Rosa's cry. In a single breath, Angelus' eyes met Rosa's. They were wide and wild, desperation and determination warring in them. He realized what she was going to do between the beats of his heart. A wordless scream tore through his throat. As he lurched back to his feet, reaching for the hand that held the knife, Rosa threw herself forward.
The blade sliced neatly into her throat. Red blossomed against her skin as if through a crack in a dam. A single gasp came from Jones. The gorilla exhaled. Both were still alive. Rosa looked in his eyes, pain crossing her features. Each beat of his heart was loud in his ears as she slowly crumpled to the floor, her hand going to the cut in her throat, uselessly trying to stem the flow.
The scream turned into a howl. Jones and his gorilla tried to run, but before they had gone two steps Angelus was on them. He couldn’t see, blinded by red, the smell of Rosa's blood in his nostrils. He grabbed them both, one
hand crushing the gorilla's windpipe before discarding the man. He threw Jones to the floor, fangs dripping with the desire to bite, to kill. He snarled and smashed his fist into Jones' face.
A rapid heartbeat from behind him stopped the second blow. Rosa was still alive, but her heart was going so fast he knew she wouldn't stay alive for much longer. It was pumping her blood out of her body. He threw Jones against the wall and rushed back to Rosa's side. Blood continued to flow. The knife wound wasn't deep, but it cut the arteries there. The wound was fatal. He gathered Rosa into his arms, desperate.
"Rosa! Stay with me. Stay with me."
Rosa's normally glowing skin was rapidly losing its color. Angelus held her tighter with one arm, reaching for the fallen knife with the other. There was only one way to save her, but would it take hold in time? A human body could bleed out in sixty seconds. One minute. That was all it took. How long had it already been?
"Angelus." Her voice was weak. "Save our baby. Please. Save her."
"I will," Angelus gasped as he laid her down on the floor. "I'll save both of you. I love you. I love you!"
"I love you."
He stabbed himself in the wrist, dragging it through his flesh. His red-black blood oozed from the wound. He needed to stab deeper, get more blood. Ignoring the pain, he pushed the blade deeper. More blood now. It would have to do. Rosa's eyes were rolling, her lids fluttering. Her heartbeat was slowing.
Angelus bent over her, sinking his teeth into her already wounded neck. The taste of her blood was euphoria, like the decade he had spent with a heroin needle in his arm, only this high was pure joy and the feeling of utter belonging. It was so exquisite he almost forgot to put his wrist to Rosa's mouth. Still gently lapping at the blood pouring from her, he massaged his arm, forcing his blood through her lips.
Her heart stopped and Angelus knew it had failed. But as he withdrew, a howl of pain on his lips, it started again. The beating was stronger. Her scent was changing, the new blood still coming from her wound tinged with death. A Vampire's blood. A Vampire's heartbeat.