Red Knight Box Set (Books 1,2,3): Contemporary Vampire Romance

by L. C White

  “You want to talk about last night.” This is so fuckin difficult.

  “No,” she says, holding in her hand a tiny bottle.

  “What’s that?” I ask, knowing full well what it is, vampire repellent tonic.

  Jeez, she has never known about the world she has been brought up in. She’s slap-bang in the middle of it. Her own father is a vampire, and she has no idea.

  She shakes the green fluid around.

  “It’s a vitamin drink. Force of habit,” she replies, bending to pick her clothes up from the floor. “Dad started giving them to me after my mum died.” Her eyes close with sadness. “I think he was paranoid I’d get sick and leave him too.”

  Shit, I have to keep my mouth shut. I’ve been open about who I am, but bringing up her own family issues, will only fuck-up this uncomfortable conversation more.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  It’s gone so quiet and tense. She said she had no regrets, but that’s clearly bullshit. I’m avoiding eye contact, hanging on for a few seconds more as my pride shatters apart.

  “I’m going to leave.” I walk to the door.

  “What exactly are you?” she snaps. “I’m just not seeing it, Daniel. I mean what the hell do you want from me?”

  “Oh god,” I say as I turn to her. “You still think I want to hurt you?”

  “Well, do you… do your parents?” She rolls her eyes in disbelief that Liz and Adrien had a hand in my existence.

  “Okay, the truth,” I say.

  I make my way closer to her. She backs up clumsily and drops down to sit on the mattress.

  “When I met you, I wanted to do some pretty dark things to you.” I crouch down in front of her knees. “This thing I am, is complicated. I’m a container for something ancient that could only be born through Liz, and just lately it’s been messing with my head. I can’t tell you every detail, because I still don’t know myself.”

  “Dark things?” she asks, worried.

  “Yes, but not to hurt you. Like your pictures Maeve. You’re like a magnet, a force that pulls me in. It’s like your energy belongs with mine, and it’s the fuckin strangest thing I’ve ever felt. Gwen called you a Muse, and I think you are my Muse.”

  She chuckles quietly, then stops sharp. “You seriously believe that?”

  I’m going to have to just spell this out as simply as possible, even though it’s the most complex situation of all time.

  “Tell me you don’t feel it.” I take her hand and place it on my chest. “In here, the electricity. It happened the moment you stumbled up onto that road.”

  She pulls in her bottom lip, her wide bright eyes gazing at me. “I can’t be sure. And I didn’t stumble into you, you made me crash my car, for crying out loud.”

  I smirk, holding her fingers tightly in mine. “You want to take a walk on this, then that’s your decision. I’ll let this slide.” I inhale and blow out, annoyed. “Maeve, I’ve only known you for a couple of days for fuck sake. This isn’t the normal kind of attraction. Jeez, do you think I’m the kind of guy who just falls for girls in the blink of an eye. Because I can tell you, I am not. You made me feel pain, but you’re healing me.”

  She goes mute on me, her eyes bouncing around the room, away from mine. I see the hint of tears coat her pupils.

  “This is so ridiculous,” she grumbles under her breath.

  “Maeve, look at me,” I demand. “I eat, sleep, and take a leak. I have dreams, think, and I feel everything you do. I’m pretty sick at bike tricks.” I’m boosting my own ego here. “I love rock music, reading, drinking alcohol, and love to party. I just have a real fucked-up family, and some crazy issues going on right now.”

  I can’t put my case across anymore. I’m not begging her. Maybe I’m the only one with these stupid feelings, because what’s inside me is from the beyond. I want her to stay for my own selfish benefit. She’s made me see myself as a solid human being. Not some half-breed, or whatever the fuck I truly am.

  I release her hand in irritation and walk to the door, watching my bare feet move across the grey carpet. She’s right to want me out of her sight. She doesn’t know me, so how can she trust me. I’m pissed-off with the fact I’m being desperate. Before the side-effects of my Dhampir started to emerge, I had a period of blissful ignorance. I didn’t care for anything other than enjoying life. I had the same sensation last night with Maeve. It was wrong but right, human instinct at its very fuckin best.

  “Wait!”

  She jumps up from the bed and comes to stand before me. She smiles and rises up on her toes to kiss my cheek.

  “You’ll have to take me out on a proper date.”

  I laugh and lift her waist so her nose is pressing against mine. “Okay… where?”

  Her smile grows. “Well, that’s your decision.”

  I let her body rub down mine as her feet land on the floor. Holding her in my arms, teases my cock; again that awesome turn on humans take for granted. I narrow my randy eyes, biting down. Her brow creases into a sexy frown.

  “No, not now,” she snaps. “You’re just going to have to wait. As hard as it is, I’ve had the practise. Last night was too fast and bizarre.”

  “Bizarre?”

  “Yeah. Great bizarre,” she smiles. “Think of this as a cooling off period. You’re on probation.”

  I wiggle her waist closer to mine, trying my luck. “You sure you want to pass then?”

  “Positive. If you’re going to struggle, I can loan you some of my drawings if you like.”

  “I think I’ll wait for the real thing.”

  “Well, I’m free next Saturday.”

  “Okay, McDonalds?” I laugh.

  “I don’t mind a big mac.”

  I run my hand down her arm, and bring her fingers up to kiss her knuckles.

  “Okay, Miss Maeve, I will make the arrangements.”

  ***

  I make my way into the kitchen to see Liz sitting on a stool, her eyes glued to her laptop. She’s worked as a freelance editor for as long as I can remember. As she home schooled me, she’d always have her iPad or laptop to hand.

  I pull my bike keys out of my pocket, and hear her making one of those obvious phony coughs to get my attention.

  “How’s Maeve?” she asks as Adrien comes through the bi-folding doors, bending over to basically suck her neck.

  I grumble under my breath. Vampires are obsessed with touching each other. I used to find it creepy, but now it just pisses me off.

  “How’s Maeve?” Adrien asks me the same question.

  “She’s fine.” I have no choice. I need some advice on this. “Is there somewhere near this dump that does good food?”

  Wow, what a weird picture. Cheek to cheek, they both fuckin beam at me with wide eyes, and curiosity.

  “You’re going out on a date?” Liz asks.

  “No, I’m just real hungry,” I say, sarcastically. “Why can’t you just answer, without being weird and nosy about it?”

  Adrien straightens up. “You want to impress her, you could take her to the annual ball at Fonab Castle next Saturday.”

  I laugh out. “The place you two got married… a ball?”

  “We’re going,” Liz says.

  “Well, that’s a definite no then,” I say.

  Maeve, bounces toward the kitchen, then notices the room is full of otherworldly freaks. She fumbles on the spot, smiling nervously at me.

  “Have you ever been to a ball, Maeve?” Liz asks.

  Oh for fuck sake. She just had to go and do it didn’t she, interfere. I’m not going on a date with my vampire parents.

  “No,” Maeve replies with a squeak.

  “Maeve doesn’t want to go to a ball,” I say, pissed-off with myself for asking for advice.

  “I might.” Maeve fuels the fire; a fire that’s now completely out of control.

  “That’s settled then,” Adrien slams his hand down on the work surface. “I’ll co
ntact the coven.”

  “The coven are going?” I nearly squeal.

  “Yes.”

  This is just great. I want to know everything about Maeve. I’m not going to find out a thing, with the goddamn blood sucking groovy gang grilling her.

  Chapter 10: Counsel

  Maeve

  I am so fuckin late. It’s pissing it down with rain, and all the paperwork on the Knight’s house is drenched. I told my dad I’d drop it off on Monday. But oh no, he wants it in his office on his frigging desk, thirty minutes ago. He’s calling me right now, as I run down Regent Road with my sodden hair stuck to my face. I have exactly twenty minutes to get to Queen Street to meet up with Liz, and I don’t need this right now.

  It was all Mr Knight’s idea, a bit of girly shopping for the ball tonight. And he’s the kind of guy you can’t say no to. He has this charismatic stern charm that freaks me out. Nothing ruffles him at all. Come to think of it, Liz is exactly the same, all dreamy and gracious. A definite vampire characteristic. If Daniel was the same, I wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole. But he’s not. He’s kind of a polite bad boy with some major issues. He has hefty baggage. But still, I can’t shake him off, and I need to do this tonight.

  I’ve not seen him since I left last Saturday, when he kissed me goodbye against the boot of my new car; the same make as my Beetle, but a newer model. I wasn’t going to take it. I wanted to sort it out with my insurance company. But like the unwanted shopping trip I have got to get to, Adrien Knight insisted in a manner that could not be refused. Daniel did warn me silently not to argue, but I had to try, even though I was evidently pissing off a vampire.

  All week I’ve been swinging back and forth, in a mood with myself. My emotions have been bouncing around all over the place. He’s constantly in my head, and my thoughts have been loud on weighing up the pros and cons, of going to the ball with him. It was last night the decision was set in stone, when I received a text message from him. It was one a.m, and after I read it I couldn’t sleep. He told me he couldn’t wait to see me, and that he’d been thinking about me all week. I may be stupid for forgetting about what he is. But what he told me, about that electric sensation circulating around my body, is true. I felt it, still do. If I don’t go through with this, I’ll never know. Perhaps it’s the feeling you get when you’re falling for someone. Perhaps it’s magic. Whatever it is, I know I have to see him again. I have to have his hands on my body, doing only what he can.

  I leap up the three steps to the tall gothic office block, twisting the large brass doorknob to push open the heavy door. Gasping and juggling with files and loose papers, I nearly skid, losing balance on the cream marble floor. These damn floors are always the same, over-polished; on my dad’s orders of course.

  Water drips from me as my pumps squeak toward my dad’s office. I rotate my body and thrust open his door with my ass.

  “Maeve, what the hell.” I breathlessly turn to see him rushing out from behind his ornate desk.

  Why does he work on Saturdays anyway? He’s always working, morning, day, night, here and at his home. He’s only a very young looking forty-eight, but has put in the same lifetime hours as a seventy year old. He should retire. Maybe he just has too much energy. He’s too youthful for his age. Come to think of it, the only thing I’ve ever noticed change in him, is his hairstyle.

  I tramp right up to his desk, drop the details of the survey, the measurements and boundaries, and over-extortionate agreeable price tags, on his desk. I puff out, wiping my hair from my face, watching as his pin-pointy angry pupils look down at the unorganised chaos I’ve made.

  “This is what I have to work with?” He lifts up a piece of soggy paper.

  I really don’t give a shit what he wants to do with it. If he wants to use it as toilet paper, then that’s fine with me. I need to go, because I’m super late.

  “Sorry.” I dash over and kiss his cheek. “I have to go Dad.”

  I head toward the door when I hear that low growling breath he uses before flipping his lid.

  “Wait right where you are,” he calls.

  Cringing, I turn to him. “Dad, it’s all there.” I bob on the spot. “I have to go.”

  “Where’s the fire. Thought we would do lunch.” He grabs his jacket from the coat stand. “I’ve not seen you all week.”

  “I can’t, I’m going shopping.” Bit by bit, I move to the doorway.

  A very annoyed baffled mutter exits his mouth. He’s making me feel guilty, and I have done nothing wrong.

  “Shopping for what?” he queries.

  “I’m going out tonight… need something to wear.”

  “Where and who with?”

  Is he seriously going to do this now; be the overprotective father? He’s always been a little overbearing paternally, and I’ve always put it down to the fear of losing me, like he lost Mum. I can totally forgive that. But I’m not liking his reaction right now. He’s going too far.

  “Dad, I’m just going out with friends.”

  “And I asked where and who with,” he states. “You seeing a boy?”

  Oh my frigging god. I’m going to tell him to piss-off any second.

  “Yes!”

  “Who?”

  I growl out, tapping my foot on the floor in a huff. With my hands on my hips, I scowl right at him.

  “Not that it is any of your business, because it is not,” I bark at him. “I’m going to a ball with Daniel.”

  “Daniel?”

  “Adrien Knight’s Brother,” I say, knowing that is so far from the truth. “Are you going to give me a curfew now?” I add, sarcastically.

  “I don’t want you around the Knight’s,” he yells.

  “Are you kidding? I’ve just stayed in their home for three days. I’m not a child dad!”

  I see he’s overthinking. He’s quiet now, and I need to get out of here before that furious vein pops out on his forehead. I swiftly march through the door.

  “Maeve, be careful.” His voice echoes through the unmanned reception hall.

  I wave the back of my hand at him. “I will Dad. Love you. Bye.”

  ***

  I’ve made it by the skin of my teeth, after abandoning my car in the nearby supermarket carpark. I’m wet, sweating my tits off, and everyone seems to want to walk in front of me today.

  I spot Liz. Why does she always look so fantastically beautiful? She’s standing in front of the shop window of a designer boutique with her red umbrella, wearing a beige raincoat, looking like a modern day Audrey Hepburn.

  I jog toward her, trying to straighten out my ratty hair. Her perfect eyes land on me. I grin, trying to hide how bad my day has been.

  “Maeve, you came.” She rubs my arm to greet me.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” I ask, confused.

  She completely ignores my question, and turns to walk through the shop door of: Katrina’s Trends.

  This place is so shiny and cold. The walls are white with a tone of blue you’d see in an iceberg. The floor is covered in hard black rubber, (which is good on shitty wet days like this) and the clothing rails are spaced out, minimalistic. I mean, there are hardly any outfits in here. I’d say on the twelve stainless steel rails, there are only three garments hung on each. And in front of each rail, stands a headless gold mannequin, dressed in clothing you’d see the celebs wearing. Fuck, this is not my scene. I love clothes, but I’d like more to choose from without a price tag that would sink a small ship.

  I examine the most atrocious orange jumper. It only looks half knitted. It even has holes in it. Two-hundred and fifty euro the shop wants for it. Jeez, I might see if the lady shop keeper wants to sell some of my laddered tights. I could quit working for my dad.

  As I frown at the tatty jumper, Liz calls me over, but I’m so amazed this shop sells items like this, I kind of block her out. If I have to choose anything to wear for the ball in this shop, I think I’ll choose the nearest exit.

  “Maeve.” Her tone has become
snappy.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I make my way toward the counter where she waits.

  “We have a room in the back,” she says, smoothly.

  I laugh out loud. I don’t mean to, but she said that like she wants to get it on with me.

  “Fine, lead the way.” I smile politely as she walks behind a thick black drape.

  I follow her through a black padded door with diamanté studs in the tufts. Wow, this is much nicer than the shop. It’s a bright room with a large comfy corner couch, and on a small glass and gold table, there’s a bottle of white wine with two glasses.

  Liz unties the belt on her raincoat. She slides it from her shoulders like a professional stripper. God, I feel like a lost cause here. She looks great in her green wrap around dress, with her super slim waist, and fabulous hair. If she caught me on a good day, I’d have been okay. I keep reminding myself that she’s a vampire; that she doesn’t age. But that doesn’t explain why the gale-force winds and cold rain showers, don’t seem to touch her.

  I curse under my breath, trying to yank the wet sleeves of my grey wool coat down. The blasted things are stuck to my arms. After huffing and puffing, sweating like a nun in a brothel, I manage to rip my coat free from my body. Stressed, I toss it over the back of the couch, then artfully run my hands over my hair, like I’m totally enjoying myself.

  Liz holds out a glass of wine.

  “Where do you want to start?” she asks.

  I take the glass as my eyes find a tall clothing rail, home to many different style of dresses.

  She starts to chuckle at me. I don’t know why. Maybe that waterproof mascara I have on, isn’t waterproof, and has run down my face.

  “You remind me of someone.” She takes a sip of her drink.

  “Who?”

  “Me.”

  She places her glass on the table and walks across to the dress rail. Her head slants as she slides the hangers apart to inspect each dress.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, wondering if I’m more vampire like than human.