Red Moon (Vampire Files Trilogy Book 2)

by RK Close

“Have you taken precautions?” Adam asks, heading to the front door.

  I lift my arm to reveal my dagger, sheathed under my denim jacket. I’m wearing the pendant that helps protect me from evil vampires. I even have a vial of Gabe’s angel blood in my bag, but I don’t mention that to Adam. Touchy subject with him. A girl needs to be prepared.

  He seems satisfied when he leaves me. Opening my laptop, I check my messages and see that Genevieve has replied to my email, agreeing to a meeting.

  Game on.

  ***

  The Phoenix sky is full of stars tonight. It’s harder to see them with the city lights drowning out their beauty, but not this evening. They seem to burn a little brighter. The moon is large and mesmerizing.

  I’m happily humming a song by Drake, on my way to meet Dayna for our much-needed girl’s night. My phone rings and interrupts my karaoke-car session. Pulling over, I answer when I see that it’s from Dayna.

  “Hey, I’m almost there. Order me a margarita,” I say, in greeting.

  “I can’t! I’m so sorry. One of the sales managers went into labor, and I have to take her event tonight. They just called me. I’m turning around and heading back to the resort now. I’m so sorry, Sam. I’ve been looking forward to this for two days.”

  “Noooooo! You can’t do this to me. Can’t you tell them you have plans?” I pout.

  “I would if I could, but everyone else is out of town at a sales event. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me? I promise to make it up to you.”

  “Of course I do. I’m just super disappointed. I so needed a girl’s night and was looking forward to spending some time with you. You owe me, sister.”

  “You got it. Whatever you want. I’ll even drink a Guinness with you. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye.”

  “Bye.” All the excitement just drained out of me. I turn the radio off. The upbeat dance tunes are like pouring whiskey into an open wound.

  My phone rings again, and I grab it, hoping Dayna had a change in plans. I’m surprised to see Chad Taylor’s name on my phone screen.

  “Hello, Chad?”

  “Sam! I thought I’d see if I could change your mind about having dinner with me.”

  Hmm. Is Chad following me or is this just a coincidence? “Why are you calling me now, Chad? Why right now?” No reason to beat around the bush.

  “It’s the only night that I’m not playing a gig. What do you say? I’m buying.”

  I may be getting paranoid.

  “My plans for the evening just changed. If I have dinner with you, will you answer all my questions? And agree that this is not a date?” I can’t believe I’m negotiating with him for information.

  “I’ll answer all that I can, and I acknowledge that you have a boyfriend. How’s that?”

  “Okay, good enough. Where shall we meet?”

  “How about Chang’s near campus?” he asks.

  “Works for me. See you there in thirty minutes?”

  “I’ll be there. Looking forward to it, Sam.”

  “This is not a date,” I say before hanging up. Chad laughs as the call ends.

  19

  Failed Kiss

  Chang’s is a popular Asian American restaurant with good food and a nice atmosphere. It’s decorated in a modern Asian flare with soft lighting. It’s a great place for a date which makes me regret agreeing to meet here.

  Chad’s already sitting in a booth when I arrive. Smiling, he stands to greet me with a hug as I reach the table. My hands rise to block his chest. Rock hard, just as I suspected. He smiles at me, then looks down at my hands still holding him back. He does refrain from the hug, but his eyes take me in with seeming approval. We both sit, and the waitress introduces herself, then takes our drink order.

  Once we’re alone, I give him what I hope is a stern look. “This is not a date.”

  Chad is beyond charming with his messy brown hair, light-brown eyes, and dimples. His charisma reminds me of Sean. It must be a wolf thing.

  “You look beautiful, Sam.” He gives me a melt-your-heart smile as he leans forward. “I’m happy you agreed to have dinner with me, no matter what your motives might be.” Chad’s gaze is admiring as he studies me, in detail. If I wasn’t dating someone and he was a few years older, I could be interested. I’m not dead or dumb. I know a good-looking guy when I see one.

  “I’m pretty sure your eyes were a dark brown. Now they’re light brown. Is that a wolf thing?” I ask, redirecting the conversation.

  Chad’s facial expression morphs to one of shock but quickly changes to cautious. No need to worry about Chad hitting on me tonight. He might not stay long enough to eat dinner.

  “You are full of surprises, Sam. I knew you were involved with a vampire, but I didn’t believe you knew what he was. You deal with dangerous secrets, girl.” He leans back and studies me with a new gleam in his eyes. I’m not sure what to make of it.

  “It makes my job much easier to know who and what I’m dealing with. Your secret’s safe with me,” I say, taking a sip of water. Our waitress shows up and takes our order, then leaves again.

  “Unfortunately, it’s not only my secret you hold. Tell me, Sam, what attracts you to a corpse? I’m just curious.” His charismatic charm just took a nose-dive. Maybe he has more in common with his sister than I thought. His question is like a slap in the face. It’s understandable that I’ve surprised him, but I don’t deserve to be treated that way.

  Leaning forward, I fix him with a hard stare. “Are you looking for a fight, Chad? Because it sounds like you are.”

  Chad softens his bitter look and relaxes his body language. “I’m sorry, Sam. Jealousy is getting the best of me. You may not know this, but wolves and vamps don’t play well together.” He’s back to the Chad I thought I had figured out. His apology seems sincere enough.

  “I’m learning. Do you know why your parents hired me?”

  Because I’d like to know.

  “They’ve exhausted all of our resources, and we still can’t find her. Other complications are arising from Maddie’s disappearance. She needs to be found. They’re hopeful that someone outside the pack can piece together the puzzle, or at least discover something that will lead us in the right direction.”

  “The complication you refer to, does that have to do with the war brewing between the Luna and Mojave packs?” I ask.

  Chad looks surprised but grim. “You really are sitting on some serious intel, Ms. Chase.”

  I’ve finally found Chad’s serious side. I was beginning to think he didn’t have one. He’s concerned for the pack. His sister is just the catalyst in this unpleasant situation.

  “How did they expect me to not discover their secrets?” I ask.

  “They knew there was a chance you might stumble across our true nature, but most humans don’t see what is right in front of them when they do. Their minds will erase certain details or alter them enough for a logical explanation to take hold.” A server brings our meals and asks if we need anything more. We both decline and once again we’re alone.

  “And if I did discover their secret?” I ask before digging into my lettuce wraps.

  He pauses before taking a bite and gives me a thoughtful look. “You would disappear.”

  I suspected as much, but hearing him say it out loud is another thing entirely.

  “So what will happen now that I know?”

  “I don’t know. If it were me, I’d let you live, but I’m not the alpha, Sam. My voice is only one. I don’t think my parents are aware that you know. I would have heard by now.” He continues eating his meal.

  We are discussing my potential death. My appetite doesn’t seem to be affected. Interesting. We finish our meal in silence.

  “I’m meeting your mother tomorrow evening. My plan was to tell her that I know. Should I expect to be murdered on the spot or should I wait for it?” I’m feeling a little snarky. The more I think about the Luna Pack pulling me into their problems with the intent of disposing of me like a piece of garbag
e, the worse it gets. If I back out now, they’d most likely kill me anyway. This needs to be played carefully.

  “If my mother decides to kill you, then you’re as good as dead. You won’t see it coming,” Chad says, before taking a sip of beer.

  He’s had four throughout our meal. That many drinks would put me under a table or on it. Neither is a favorable outcome for me. Chad seems unaffected.

  “Good to know. Were you aware of all the extracurricular activities your sister is involved in?” I ask, changing the subject.

  “I tried to warn you that she was no angel. My sister has control issues and a sociopathic personality. That’s a dangerous combination. No one means more to her than her own objectives. I don’t know everything she’s into, but I know what she’s capable of. I don’t care about the rest.” Chad seems resolved to his sister’s issues.

  My suspicion is that Madison somehow destroyed her and Chad’s relationship a long time ago. How I’d love to read a psych-evaluation on Madison Taylor. That would be some interesting bedtime reading.

  “So, you still don’t have any ideas about what happened to your sister?”

  He shakes his head.

  “You’d be the first to know,” he says, starting to look bored with the topic.

  “Did you know she dated Sean O’Donnell?”

  Chad’s face goes hard for just a second. Most people wouldn’t even notice the subtle change in him. Good thing I’m not most people.

  “I knew she hooked up with him. Rumor was he dumped her quick. That was big news in the circles I travel. It’s old news, as well.” He raises his hand to signal the waitress for our check. I reach into my bag to grab my wallet.

  “I’ve got this, Sam. It was my idea, remember?”

  I give him a lopsided smile and put my wallet away. “It’s still not a date.”

  Chad laughs at me and leaves cash for our meal.

  “Can I walk you to your car at least?” Chad asks as we head for the door.

  My car is parked in an overflow lot behind the restaurant. There aren’t many people out, even for a Sunday evening. I’ve already made a mental note to postpone or change my meeting with his mother. I’ll be looking over my shoulder more than normal.

  “Sure, I’d appreciate that,” I say as we make our way out of the restaurant. We silently walk around the building, passing several alleyways and parked cars as we go. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I look around nervously. Chad catches my anxious glances and stops, causing me to do the same.

  “What are you so jumpy about? I’ll protect you,” he says, sliding an arm around me.

  I try to brush it off, but he turns me around and holds me by my shoulders. “Sam, what is it that you don’t like about me?”

  His question and our closeness take me by surprise, and I hesitate a moment too long. Chad misreads this as an invitation, and a second later his lips are on mine. I push at his chest, and he breaks our kiss to look at me questioningly.

  Before I can say anything, I hear a growl that sounds unbelievably close. It didn’t come from Chad. Seconds tick by and Chad’s no longer holding me because he’s sailing through the air like he’s attached to strings. I scream in horror as I watch him land on a car. The entire top of the car caves in with the impact, but Chad crawls off shaking his head as if it’s nothing. I stop screaming and stare at Chad and the car.

  A few more seconds tick by, as if in slow motion. Chad drops to a fighting stance and his eyes light with a golden glow. He roars in fury and begins to charge. I believe he’s coming for me until he collides hard with a black shadow, the impact setting off several car alarms. Movements are so fast. I can’t tell what’s happening until the black mass goes rolling down the pavement. When it stops, Adam springs to his feet, and I cover my mouth to keep from screaming again.

  Neither of them looks much like a man as they face off. Chad now has way more body hair than before, and his face has changed to something more animal, than human. I’m as intrigued as I am horrified by this.

  Adam’s gone full vampire as his lips peel back from sharp canines, and his eyes are glowing blue flames. They circle one another, and my heart feels like it may burst from beating so fast.

  Not knowing what else to do I run in between the two “men,” and hold my arms up as if that alone has the power to keep them apart. This is so not how I want to die. “Stop! What are you doing?”

  “Move, Samantha,” Adam growls.

  “No! What are you doing, Adam? Nothing happened. It was a misunderstanding,” I plead.

  “Let him come. I can take this blood bag any day.” I have to look at Chad because his words sound so guttural I can barely make out what he’s saying. My morbid curiosity screams for me to ask Chad if I can touch his face, but this is so not the time for that.

  “No, Chad. There is nothing to fight for here. I don’t even know what has gotten into the two of you. Do you even know each other?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips, annoyed that I’m refereeing two grown men while they have a spat on the playground.

  Slowly the power level that’s buzzing in my ears and making me itch eases a bit, and I realize I can breathe a little better. Both men straighten up but never take their eyes from one another. I glare at Adam first because he apparently started this fight. And where the hell did he even come from?

  And then reality hits. I was supposed to be out with Dayna, but instead, he finds me with Chad, a werewolf no less. And maybe if I had reacted faster, Chad may not have gone for that failed kiss, and this might all have been avoided. Adam thinks I’m cheating on him with Chad. If the tables were turned, I’d be the one angry for sure.

  Looking at him more closely, I see he’s the picture of composure now. He’s still scowling at Chad, but he’s more than just mad. He’s hurt.

  “Chad, will you be all right?” I ask without looking at him. “I’m going home with Adam now.” I don’t wait for a reply as I begin walking toward Adam. He finally allows his gaze to leave Chad and rest on me. Guilt makes me unsure, but I continue to move closer.

  “I’m sorry you saw Chad kiss me, but I was pushing him off. I could have handled it. This isn’t my first rodeo, you know.”

  Stopping in front of him, I look for signs of softening. Seeing none in his cold eyes, I reach for his hand. His clothes are a mess, and his perfect hair looks more like mine in the mornings. For some reason, this makes me smile. Adam narrows his eyes at me.

  “Dayna canceled on me at the last minute. I needed information from Chad, and he happened to call at the right time. I would have told you, but it happened last minute, and I didn’t think it mattered. I told him I had a boyfriend. That kiss was just a misunderstanding, nothing more. It meant nothing to me.” I’m still holding his hand, and he hasn’t pulled it away yet. That’s good.

  “It meant something to him. He wants you.” Adam’s eyes are still lit from within. Reaching up, I place my hand on his cheek.

  “It doesn’t matter what it meant to him,” I say, considering his eyes. He reaches for my hand, turning my palm to press his lips to it. My stomach does a flip, and my body feels warm.

  Suddenly, he swings me up into his arms, cradling me as he kisses me deeply, right there in the deserted street. It can only be assumed that Chad has left. I’m only aware of the man who holds me in his arms and takes my breath away.

  At some point we arrive at my car, and I regret having to leave his embrace to drive home. It feels so right, being in his arms. He tells me to wait before driving home. While I’m sitting there basking in the feelings of our previous moment, Adam pulls up on a motorcycle that I recognize as Zac’s. I didn’t realize he had it. He looks good on it. Giving him a sly smile, I start my engine and follow him home.

  20

  Deadly Secrets

  Last night could have been much worse. Jealous boyfriends are not my cup of tea, but I feel butterflies in my stomach at the thought of Adam fighting for me.

  Does that make me shallow?


  A month ago I would have said yes. Now, I’m not so sure.

  My day is jam-packed. I called Juliet to arrange a visit. She was too busy to meet me at her apartment but gave me permission to use the key I still have. She didn’t bat an eye when I told her that the Taylors had provided me one. After a little research, I knew why. Juliet doesn’t pay rent to live there. She’s got a pretty sweet deal rooming with Madison, and she’s not about to offend her benefactors over a key.

  Once again, I head over to Madison’s apartment. There is no sign of Creepy Stalker Guy as I make my way into the building and then the elevator. Even though Juliet told me she wouldn’t be home, I knock before letting myself in. The place is immaculate. I try not to be too freaked out by the fact that the remodel looks exactly like it did in my dream.

  I make my way to Madison’s bedroom, my dream playing like a movie in my mind. Looking around the room, now fully restored, I stare at the spot where Madison stood in my dream.

  She was standing next to the dresser and in front of the closet. This is where I focus my search. Starting with the closet, I move boxes and look for hidden places along the wall. This girl must own a hundred pairs of shoes. After searching along the floor, I remove all the shoe boxes from the upper shelf and carefully place them on the bed, out of the way. A chair from the desk helps me reach eye level so that I can inspect the walls.

  Frustrated over finding nothing in the closet, I replace the unlimited size seven shoe boxes. Sitting at the desk, I study the room while reliving my dream. A detail that I hadn’t thought much of comes to mind. At one point Madison had her hand resting on the dresser. It seemed unimportant as far as details go, but now I consider the chest of drawers.

  When last I saw it, all the drawers were on the floor, and a couple were destroyed. It appears to be the same piece of furniture, meticulously restored. I begin to rifle through each drawer but find nothing of interest. Another thought comes to me, and I remove each drawer and place them on the bed. After inspecting the inside of the dresser, I look under each drawer. I’m close to giving up when I find a small envelope taped to the bottom of the last and largest.