by S. Coop
Time passed and the cons went on. Lasandro traveled to different cities, scheming and scamming until he became unwelcome in the area. People in Pleasanton, Riverside, and many other towns had run him out on a rail, but that was the nature of the job.
Sun Valley proved to be prime hunting ground for a long-term con. Lasandro was in it to win it and planned to get a take that would last him for a while. Derrick had gotten out of jail and had started a job as a dishwasher at a local Italian bistro. He told Lasandro about prospective targets that would go there all the time, and they became partners in crime again.
One day, Derrick called him with the perfect target: Lily Hackett, and she was filthy rich. She was a well-known fashion guru. Her husband had passed away, so she had been alone for a while when Lasandro “bumped” into her at a local bookstore. She was the oldest one yet, but that didn’t deter him from charming himself into her heart and eventually into her home and bed.
His plan was to get the old bat to invest in a phony business venture, take the money, and run. Sex with her wasn’t so bad, and hell, she rarely wanted sex. She mostly wanted someone to talk to and cuddle with.
Things were going as planned when her daughter Kelly showed up freshly graduated from some prestigious college. Kelly was a real bitch. “Is he the gardener?” she had asked the first time she saw him. When she had learned Lasandro was dating her mom, the real questions began.
Lasandro arrived at the mansion from a fresh workout at a local gym when Kelly surprised him in his room wearing a skimpy mini-dress. He knew exactly what she was doing. He was the professional conman, and her two-bit attempt to play with him was not going to work.
“Hey you,” Kelly said in her most sultry voice.
“Hey,” Lasandro replied with a puzzled look on his face. Walking by her, he opened his dresser to retrieve fresh clothing. “What’s up?”
“Are you really asking me that? Come on, Lando. Don’t act like you’ve forgotten how to be with a real woman.”
Normally Lasandro would have been turned on, but he knew Kelly, and she was an annoying, spoiled brat. He wasn’t getting caught up in her little game. “Look, Kelly, you’re beautiful and all, but I think you should leave now.”
Kelly grabbed Lasandro’s arm aggressively and stroked it up and down. “I know you don’t mean that.” She traced his abs with her fingertip. “Why sleep with an old woman, when you can have me?” Her hands traveled toward his crotch while she stuck her tongue in his ear.
Lasandro shoved her away. “That old woman is your mom. What kind of a daughter are you?”
Kelly squinted. “The kind of daughter that can get your ass put the hell out of here if I want! What do you want with my mother, anyway? I know you don’t love her, you can’t love her!” She stomped out of the room. The noise of her high heels clicking on the floor sounded like drums of war echoing in his ears. “I’m going to find out just what you’re up to, douchebag!”
Lasandro was running out of time. He had to make a move and make a move soon. Kelly was going to ruin everything. It was time to put his plan in motion. He needed his former partner in crime, Derrick, to come and play the part of a representative for the phony company. He called Derrick and gave him the plan.
The next day as Lasandro anxiously waited for Derrick, he needed to get his demeanor together so he headed to the Jacuzzi to unwind. He had a bad feeling, and when he stepped onto the back porch, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Derrick was there already, but instead of doing what they had planned, he was doing Kelly.
“Hey!” Lasandro called, not saying his name, so he could maintain the illusion that he didn’t know Derrick.
Derrick stopped, barely even looking startled. Then he quickly pulled out of Kelly and muttered something to her.
She gathered up her clothes, and with an evil smirk on her face, she scuttled past Lasandro into the house.
Lasandro marched into the house while Derrick followed, and when he heard the shower begin upstairs, he pulled Derrick to the side.
“Bro, what the hell!” he spat.
“Yo, I had to hit that. She freaky as hell, man.” He laughed. “And I’ve been away a long time.”
“That ‘freak’ is gonna get us in trouble, dude. Did you not think it through, or were you too far up her coochie to have any common sense? Everything I’ve done is for nothing if you screw this up!”
“Man, it’s cool. I got this under control. Don’t worry. I even called Dana in on it. She’ll be here any minute.”
“Dana? As in my ex Dana? You called that Dana! No, no, man screw that!”
Derrick shook his head. “Relax.”
“She’s fucking nuts, man!”
“Yo man, I told Dana if she messed this up, I’m gonna mess her up. Don’t worry, Dro. We gone do this thang good, I promise.”
“It’s not Dro, dude. It’s Lando, as in Star Wars, so get your facts straight! You’re going to blow this whole thing.” Lasandro sighed loudly. “I regret asking you to do this.”
“But I’m your boy, Dro.”
Lasandro shrugged and sighed. “All right. Don’t mess this up, Derrick, I’m serious, man.”
“I can see that.”
Lasandro cringed. “And dude, why the hell are you hard right now? That shit is really disturbing.”
“Why you lookin’, Dro?” Derrick smiled. “Might as well finish. You know.” Derrick chuckled and ran upstairs to finish what he started with Kelly in the shower.
From that moment on, Lasandro knew the con was doomed.
Dana didn’t show up, and Derrick got sprung on Kelly and told her everything. Having all the information she needed, she told her mom all about “Lando”—and that’s how Lasandro landed in Sun Valley.
Chapter Seven
Bon Appetite
Morgan had been by Lasandro’s side for seven days after his encounter with Marcus, he was finally starting to wake up. She was relieved, excited, and famished but took great care to hide those feelings.
“About time,” a familiar voice echoed in Lasandro’s ears.
“Hey,” Lasandro replied in a low raspy voice. “Wow, I feel like shit.”
“You look like shit, too,” Morgan replied.
“Thank you. Your bedside manner is so comforting.” Lasandro let out a little chuckle. “By the way, what the hell happened?” He groaned as he sat up in the bed.
“You’re still weak, Lasandro. You need more rest.”
“I’ll be fine, and don’t avoid the question. The last thing I remember was you being attacked by some guy in the yard. Who was that jerkoff?”
Morgan leaned back in her chair. “That was Marcus.
“Okay? And?”
Morgan shifted uncomfortably. “Marcus is my Maker.
“So that guy is your Maker? Why is he here, and where has he been?”
“He was here, because he sensed you, he knew I had turned you. We can talk about this later. It’s all really complicated, and you wouldn’t—”
“Don’t do that,” Lasandro interrupted. “Don’t treat me like a kid. You’ve made me into a vampire. I think I can handle whatever it is you don’t want to tell me.”
Morgan stood and paced back and forth in the dimly lit room. She considered not telling him anything, but that would not be fair to him. She decided to tell him the whole story. As she spoke, she saw his eyes narrow when she recounted the brutal way Marcus had turned her. Then she went on to tell him of the events of the day Marcus almost killed him. “I should have never put you in that situation. I am so sorry.”
Lasandro blinked rapidly. He had never seen that kind of emotion from Morgan. Could it be that she actually cared for him? “So judging by how I feel, that guy beat my ass pretty bad. What was he, some kind of bionic vampire or something?”
Morgan chuckled. “No, he is not extra special, just very old. So when I saw you come to my rescue, I was afraid for your life.”
“I wish you would have told me that before
I got my ass handed to me. So is there anything else you need to tell me?”
There’s so much more, she thought, but you can’t handle it right now. “No, that’s about it.” The story went much deeper then what she told him, but what she told him was already too much for him to handle. He now knew more about her than anyone else ever had.
Lasandro painfully got up from the bed and stood face to face with Morgan. “I am sensing … doubt. Are you sure you’ve told me everything?”
“Look, you are very weak. Human blood contains more healing properties than animal blood. Animal blood will not do you much good at this point, so I need to tell you a few things about feeding on people. You must be gentle. One bite to the palm should be enough, and do not suck for too long. Listen to the heartbeat. As I explained to you before, there are dire consequences for taking too much.”
“Should you really be the one teaching me this? As I recall …”
Morgan scowled. “That was a mistake, Lasandro, and I am sorry and always will be sorry, but we are done discussing it. It’s just really easy to lose control, and that is why I’m trying to guide you, so that hopefully you won’t kill anyone.”
“Um …” Lasandro scratched his head. “It’s kind of, um, too late for that.”
“What do you mean?” Morgan asked, getting frustrated, thinking he was being a smartass again. “Look, I’ll be back and don’t forget what I’ve told you!”
“Moderation,” he teased.
Morgan rolled her eyes and left the room.
“She likes me,” Lasandro said. “I know she likes me. Something about the way she rolled her eyes.”
Lasandro sat on the edge of the bed. He got in a comfortable position and thought about everything Morgan had told him. Marcus, huh? Just happened to make a visit, did he?
This can’t be good.
While he was deep in thought, Morgan found herself in the finest bar Rolling Plains had to offer. To put it lightly, Rolling Plains definitely was not known for its nightlife. She sat and ordered a drink and tried to calm down from the talk she had with Lasandro. Sometimes he can be so frustrating! Lasandro always had to point out what she had done to him, no matter how many times she apologized. She brushed the confrontation to the back of her mind when she noticed a young gentleman at the other side of the bar eyeing her. He stared a bit longer before he approached her.
“You come here often?” he asked, spewing the oldest pick-up line in the book.
Morgan rolled her eyes and considered walking away, but his smell was extremely pleasing to her and she was starving. It also helped that the guy was gorgeous. He was about six-two with olive skin and hazel green eyes, but somehow it was hard not to think of Lasandro. His body was laden with tattoos and piercings, and she could tell the guy was no stranger to the gym. “No, my first time,” she replied.
“Well, I’m Dex, and this …” He pointed to a thin framed woman with freckles and purple dyed hair. “This is Selena. We’re in the band Wild Intensity. Have you heard of us?”
“Can’t say that I have,” Morgan responded blandly.
Selena eyed her. “What’s a girl like you doing here all alone?”
Morgan forced a smile. “Looking for some fun, how about you?”
“Sweet,” Selena replied. “Looks like we have the same interests.”
Morgan had heard enough so she invited the two back to her house.
Lasandro was resting on his bed when he heard the front door slam along with chattering. He wondered what was going on. He knew it was Morgan, but there were others with her. He could smell them and they smelled amazing. He went to investigate.
When he walked into the living room, he saw Morgan and a man standing close to her. He could see Morgan charming him and how he ate up every word that came from her mouth. Lasandro remembered when he first met Morgan and how he probably did the same thing. He felt a pang of jealously rouse inside of him while he watched the man enjoying his euphoric state. He thought about breaking up the two and possibly breaking his neck. But acting like a fool to mess up Morgan’s game seemed silly, especially when Selena came and hugged him from behind.
“Let’s let those two have fun.”
Lasandro could feel her bare breasts brush against his back. Without so much as a glance in Morgan’s direction, he led Selena to his bedroom.
Selena stood in front of Lasandro in a provocative pose. She had undressed down to her thong. “Marly told me you were handsome, but I never dreamed you’d look like this! Don’t be shy. I’ve been waiting to find someone like you.”
Selena gently pushed Lasandro down on the bed and continued with her seduction. Lasandro sat up to face Selena while she crawled toward him on the bed like a slinky cat.
Is she kidding? If she purrs. I swear I’m killing her right now! He got a glimpse of her eyes. They were drawn low, and she reeked of alcohol, which tainted the smell of her blood. He could tell that she was completely wasted. He kept watching her as she put on her best sexy act. Lasandro considered himself the master of seduction so watching her “try” was entertaining.
She straddled him and grinded on him.
“You’re not saying much with your mouth, but Mr. Winky seems to approve,” Selena growled, and she grabbed his crotch violently and hungrily stroked back and forth.
Lasandro focused on her neck. The veins there seemed to be pulsating, and he realized his blood hunger seemed to have a direct connection to his hard-on. Oh, this foreplay is a waste of time! He threw her onto her back.
Selena hollered, “Take me, you beast! Take me now!”
Lasandro stopped for a second and looked at her. She had her eyes closed and her mouth open anticipating what she thought was to come. Her chest was heaving rapidly, as if she expected him to turn into some kind of animal for her. This is ridiculous.
“You want this?” Lasandro teased, pressing his body against hers.
“Yes! Do me like you’ve never done anyone before!”
A maniacal look crossed his face when he showed her his fangs. His eyes flashed blood red when he addressed her. “If you’re looking for death, I will gladly kill you just to shut you up.”
Selena changed from hot and bothered to scared shitless. “Wait!”
“Foreplay is over.”
Lasandro bit down on her neck so hard and fast he was sure everyone in the house heard it. He sucked her blood hungrily and viciously while she weakly beat on his back. He could hear her protests weaken, her voice becoming ragged and barely above a whisper. He pulled back reluctantly, enjoying at least the quiet, and covered his face, wiping the blood away.
“Get out of here!” he ordered.
Selena jumped up from the bed and bolted out of the room clutching her neck.
Lasandro watched her run away panting and crying. “That … that was a rush. Whoo! I almost feel alive again.”
Meanwhile in the living room, Morgan was moving in for the kill. I like this one, Morgan thought when Dex kissed her hand. Such a gentleman.
“I can be everything you want me to be.” Dex begged for her closeness, and she willingly obliged. His seduction was more than clumsy, but Morgan was amused.
Morgan pushed Dex onto a chair behind him and ran her hands down his bare chest, outlining each firm muscle with her index finger while he licked his lips and waited for them to make contact with hers.
“Kiss me, baby,” he begged.
Morgan gently grabbed him, stared into his eyes, and lowered him to the floor. The veins in his neck looked so bulging and juicy. She wanted a taste of the sweet nectar that she smelled earlier. He was compelled and ripe for the taking. I so enjoy a passive, willing—
Selena bolted past them screaming, blood spattering the air as she ran through the front door and out into the night.
Oh shit, Morgan thought. I hate when my guests leave in such a rush like that. She gazed down at Dex, who didn’t seem fazed that his girlfriend ran past him in only a thong with bloo
d pouring down her back. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
“I won’t,” Dex said dreamily. “Hurry back.”
Morgan raced outside and caught up to Selena before Selena could reach the porch. “Going somewhere?” Morgan grabbed her by the throat.
Selena cried hysterically, while Morgan started compelling her. “Shh, shh, there, there,” she cooed. “We can’t have you go running through town screaming about a vampire. Your date made an amateur mistake, didn’t he?”
Selena’s sobs became little sighs.
“You’re fine, sweetie,” Morgan crooned. “This was just a crazy night with too many drugs and way too much alcohol. You really shouldn’t mix mushrooms and tequila. You don’t remember anything clearly, do you?”
“I … I don’t remember,” Selena stammered. “What am I doing here?”
“You’ve had a bad mix of drugs and alcohol, so go home and get some rest.”
Selena stared at the blood on her hands. “Um, how … how …”
Morgan sighed. “You cut yourself shaving your back.”
“Oh,” Selena said. “Yeah. I’ve done that before.”
Gross! “If anyone stops you or asked what happened, what are you going to say, sweetie?”
“Never mix mushrooms and tequila.”
“Good girl,” Morgan said. “Now off you go. It was so nice to meet you. I’m glad you had a real good time.”
“Yeah. I had a real good time.”
While Selena waltzed drunkenly home, Morgan went inside to find out what happened with Lasandro before she finished what she had started with Dex.
As Morgan entered, however, a sweet and innocent chimed through the air like a bell. “Hello there!”