by Unknown
Thank God for cell phones. After they were ambushed from outside with silver bullets, some handy little vampire scout had cut their electricity. If some of the party guests hadn’t called 911 on their cell phones, the death toll would’ve been twice as high.
As it was, there were more dead vampires and shifters than he’d ever seen in one place, and that was saying something. Their entire crew had survived, and everyone at Katya’s table had ducked into a VIP room. But blood ran everywhere, like some apocalyptic nightmare.
“What now?” Eden clutched his hand.
“We get you out of here.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “Sable and Lisa are packing a bag for each of us, and we’re going to swing by the house long enough to pick up our stuff.” He turned to catch her as she swayed. The left heel of her shoe had broken. Shit.
“Then what?” She made a clumsy swipe at her eyes with the back of her free hand.
His jaw clenched. “Then we’re going to haul ass.”
“Oh my God.” Eden came to a dead stop behind him. He paused, turning to follow her gaze to the brick façade of the Sanguine Guest Quarters across from Crimson Hungers.
He would’ve echoed her shocked sentiments, but his voice stalled in his throat. For scrawled across the wall in letters too big to miss was a single word, written in blood so fresh it still dripped in tear-like streams to the sidewalk below.
The word was Eden.
* * *
Eden played with the radio, changing stations restlessly. “Your presets suck.”
Cameron sighed. “Put it on Vampire Radio. Maybe they’ll have some news about what happened tonight.”
Eden echoed his sigh and tuned the radio to the vampire station. The eerie sounds of Nox Arcana drifted through the speakers. She slumped down in her seat and stared out the window of the SUV into the dark night.
“It was nice of Vance to loan us his beach house.” She turned to look at Cameron’s profile. How unreasonable was it that she wanted him to mention what had almost happened between them before the shooting started? With everything that had happened that night, their few minutes of mutual heat naturally wouldn’t be foremost on his mind.
So why was it foremost on hers? She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think of something else. How her people had gone with her to the party to protect her and had almost lost their lives for it. How someone wanted her dead badly enough to shoot up an entire club with silver on the odds of hitting her. Not to mention that little Surrender, Dorothy style message in dripping blood waiting for her when she finally got out of the bullet riddled club.
“This is Penny Dreadful with your KVMP news,” a smooth voice intoned over the speaker. “While tonight’s shootout at local vampire haven Crimson Hungers has left authorities with more questions than answers, one thing is certain -- incoming empress of the Gulf Coast Court, Eden Lockhart, was an undeniable target of tonight’s attack. Calls to Lockhart’s representatives were not immediately returned. Police say she has been taken to a secure and undisclosed location. In other news…”
Eden switched the radio off with a curse. “How long until we reach the beach house?” The deserted highway, shrouded by the looming shape of dark trees, made her uneasy. Without the radio, there was nothing to disrupt the hypnotic hum of the wheels.
“It’ll be another hour or two before we get to Corpus. It takes longer on these back roads, but the fewer people who see us, the better.” He kept his gaze on the endless stretch of dark gray highway ahead of them. “We should be safe there. Vance and Mr. Charles are the only ones who know where we’re going.”
She leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window. “As long as we get there before dawn, I’m good.”
He gave her a brief glace. “We will, I promise.”
She knew he’d keep his promise. It was scary how much she trusted him. But then he’d rolled on top of her, ready to take a bullet to protect her. If that didn’t inspire trust, what would?
“I know one thing.” He continued to stare at the road.
“What’s that?” She turned to face him.
“When we get to Corpus, I’m driving through Whataburger and getting us the two greasiest cheeseburgers in the great state of Texas.” He shot her a grin, and she burst into laughter. She was about to comment that she’d wondered if she’d ever laugh again when the sight of something standing in direct range of their headlights stopped her.
“What the…” She peered out at the creature, noting its height of around four feet and its scaly green appearance before it vanished, rising into the air in the blink of an eye.
“Mother of…” Cameron leaned forward, slowing the vehicle just as the thing slammed into the windshield with a stomach-churning splat.
The vehicle spun as Cameron struggled to control it. The sound of screeching tires mixed with the unearthly scream of the creature, and Eden couldn’t keep from adding her own terrified shouts to the mixture.
The thing had its face pressed to the glass, a trail of slime and blood smearing in the trajectory of its pug nose. Its eyes were pure reptile -- flat, black, and cold.
Cameron pulled to a stop on the shoulder of the road, and the creature slumped against the windshield, gasping. Eden shrank back.
The thing had a mouthful of serrated teeth, like the bastard offspring of a shark and a piranha.
“If anything moves, shoot it.” Cameron took the automatic pistol from his shoulder holster and put it in her lap. “You know how to turn the safety off?”
She stared at him. “What the hell are you doing?”
He took the gun from the back of his waistband and turned the safety off. “Shooting it.”
“You can’t go out there!” She reached for him. “That thing could eat you alive!”
He rolled down his window. “Not if it’s dead.”
Before she could get another word, he fired into the creature’s body. It let out a piteous wail and slid to the end of the hood. He fired again and didn’t stop firing until the gun was empty.
Blood smeared all over the windshield and the hood of the SUV. Eden closed her eyes and said a prayer.
Cameron rolled up his window and pulled into reverse, turning them slowly back onto the highway. The creature rolled off the hood of the car with a thud.
“An honest-to-God Chupacabra.” He stared out into the darkness. “I’ve lived in Texas almost all my life, and that’s the first one I’ve ever seen.”
“Do they travel in packs?” She rubbed her head with her hand. A few hours ago, had she actually been on the dance floor with this man’s arms around her? It had begun to feel like another lifetime.
Before he could answer her, a small herd of the creatures appeared in the headlights of the car.
“Holy fucking shit.” Cameron swerved the car around and took off in the opposite direction. Another handful of them waited on the other side.
“What now?” Eden clutched the gun in her lap with a sweaty hand.
“We run ‘em down.” He sped up, plowing through the mass of screaming Chupacabras like a super-charged bowling ball mowing down a rack of pins. Their shrieks reverberated through the air, and she could feel the sickening sensation of their scaly green bodies beneath the wheels like so much roadkill.
“They didn’t move or try to save themselves.” Cameron shook his head. “Whoever’s after you obviously can call the Chupacabra into service.” Reloading, he rolled down the window, shooting one particularly determined little monster clinging to the outside mirror. The creature’s head exploded in a red splatter.
Eden winced as a gob of gore slid down the vent window like a slug. “That’s a scary thought.” She turned away and scanned the road ahead. “What now?”
“We get the blood off the windshield.” He turned a control that showered the glass with streams of wiper fluid. “And we can’t go to the beach house, not after that. Our bad guy planted his little friends in our path to intercept us.”
“Where else can
we go?” She glanced at the sky. Dawn was drawing closer… she could feel it.
“A safe place.” He gave her a quick look. “Trust me.”
The funny thing was… she actually did.
Chapter 8
“Who’s Allison Curry?” Eden checked the name on the black mailbox at the end of the sidewalk as Cameron turned onto a paved driveway in front of a tidy Craftsman bungalow.
“My stepsister.” Cameron pulled to a stop and opened the driver side door. “Be right back.”
She watched as he went to the garage door and unlocked it before raising it manually. It was the first time he’d mentioned anything about his personal life, other than an offhanded comment about having lived in Texas most of his life.
A week ago, she would’ve thought him too cold and soulless to have a family. Now, she wasn’t so sure… of him, of her feelings, or anything else, for that matter.
He climbed back into the SUV and slowly guided it into the garage, pulling them to a stop. Eden could make out a bicycle, some gardening tools, and a few boxes marked “Xmas -- Misc” among the neatly organized contents of the small enclosure.
“Is she expecting us?” Eden twisted around in her seat, looking for a door leading inside. “I didn’t see you call anyone.”
“She’s not home.” Cameron shut down the engine and took the keys from the ignition. “Won’t be back for a week.” He opened his car door again. “Stay here while I lock the garage door and check out the house.”
She waited until he returned and had given her the all clear signal before she climbed down from the vehicle.
“Don’t walk around the front unless you want to see Chupacabra guts plastered all over the grill.” He opened the rear door of the Tahoe and removed their bags.
He led her to a small flight of steps that ended with a door, which he opened with a key dangling from his own keychain. He and stepsis must be close, she mused, or he wouldn’t have carte blanche to come and go from her house as he pleased.
Cameron Zane, super chummy with his family. Who’d have thought?
The door opened, revealing a cheerful yellow kitchen. Eden wandered in, touching the Formica countertops and retro dinette set, running her fingertips over the banded leather and chrome chairs. A vintage soda machine occupied one corner, and Bakelite cookware gleamed glossy jade green behind the windowed cupboard doors.
“She has good taste.” Eden wandered to the window where a trio of African violets rested on the sill, their leaves edged with brown and their blossoms wilted.
“She’s kind of… New Age, I guess.” Cameron disappeared through the kitchen door with their bags and came back empty handed.
“Not good with plants, though.” She held her right hand over one of the violets and gathered her energy, forcing it out through her palm. The little plant responded instantly, turning lush and green as if it had just been transported from some mythical paradise.
“How did you do that?” Cameron’s voice held a note of awe.
She shrugged. “I control the element of earth, remember?” She moved her hand to the other two plants, restoring them to optimum health within seconds.
He leaned against the soda machine, arms folded over his chest. “I forget sometimes that you’re not quite human.”
She let out a rueful laugh. “I figured you had a hard time remembering that I’m not one hundred percent vampire.”
His gaze fell on her with such intensity that she looked away. “Of all the things I think of when I look at you, your vampire side is the least of them.”
The room went spotty suddenly. Eden clutched the edge of the countertop to keep her balance.
“What’s wrong?” Cameron caught her by the arm to steady her.
“Dawn is coming, and…” She so didn’t want to say what she was about to say and spoil the moment, but… “I guess Allison doesn’t have any synthetic blood stashed in her fridge.”
Something in his expression told her that the moment had crashed to a halt, just as she’d feared. “No, I don’t think she does.”
Eden nodded slowly. Of course, she could feed on him, either through blood or energy, but she didn’t think that offer would be forthcoming. Well, there was always the little trick Master Cain had taught to all of his fledglings. “Does she have any candles?”
“She’s a massage therapist.” Cameron’s face relaxed. “She’s got candles, oils, sounds of whales making love…”
Great, a nice hot rush between the legs was not what she needed just then. “I can feed on the candle flames and get by until you can run out to the grocery store and get a case of Vlad’s for me.”
He raised his brows. “Would a fireplace be better?”
She had noticed a chimney outside. “Yes, if you’re sure a fire won’t make it too hot in here for you.”
“That’s what air conditioning is for.” He beckoned to her. “Come with me.”
She followed him through the small living room decorated with shabby chic furnishings to a bedroom. A fireplace with a marble mantle graced the wall opposite the queen sized bed.
“I’ll have one going in just a minute.” He gestured to the bed. “Make yourself at home.”
Eden eased down on the edge of the bed and watched him make a nest of small logs from the wood box beside the fireplace. “Tell me about Allison.”
He turned the gas control on the hearth and struck a match. “Not much to tell. When my mom married her dad, I was ten and she was fourteen. She was a good big sister.” He stepped back, eyeing the small blaze cracking before them. “Still is.”
“She won’t mind you bringing me here?” She held her hands out to the fire, letting its energy seep into her body, drawing it in with every breath.
“I’ve crashed here before, when…” He stopped, shoving his hands into his pockets. “When I’ve hit a rough patch.”
She wanted to ask more, but he made a move for the door. “Dawn’s coming… you better get ready for bed.”
Why did every moment between them have to end that way? Either her nature, or his past, or the danger of their situation barged in like a vengeful intruder every time they got close to the edge.
“Yeah,” she sighed, admitting defeat to herself. It didn’t matter how much she craved his attention and wanted him. Something would always be in the way. The right time didn’t seem to exist. “Thanks for everything.”
“No problem.” He gave her a look, and for a moment she almost thought he was going to do something, anything, to bring the everlasting dance between them to its logical conclusion. But then he headed for the door. “I’ll be right outside on the couch if you need me.”
“Okay.” She nodded, and watched as he closed the door on her and what could’ve happened.
She needed him, all right. More than she’d ever hoped or feared possible.
Chapter 9
It was full dark when she woke up. The sound of the fire crackling reminded her where she was.
And why she was there.
She stirred under the blanket, rolling over to look at the fireplace. Someone had kept a low fire going while she slept, and it blazed red and gold, sending its energy out in waves. She sat up on the edge of the bed and held her hands out to it.
“Sleep well?”
She looked up to see Cameron framed in the doorway. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans that were tight without being too tight. His usual array of weapons was missing. She could detect only one gun, an automatic pistol tucked into the waist of his jeans. The knife sheaths were nowhere to be seen.
“Like the dead.” She grinned at him, letting her fangs show. He chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed. A week ago, any reference to her vampire side and a show of fangs would’ve elicited a derogatory remark from him.
Maybe she wasn’t the only one who’d begun to question their differences and the feelings those differences aroused.
“I need to make a run to get you some Vlad’s and those cheeseburgers I p
romised you.” He stretched his arms over his head, and a wave of dizziness washed over her.
God, she wanted him. She could admit it now, no more hiding behind flimsy excuses and dismissive thoughts. She wanted him so much she ached with it.
“Just send out for pizza.” She threw the covers off, warm from the fire and her own heated emotions. “I can go without the Vlad’s until we find a store that delivers.”
“It’s not good for your health to go for a long time without feeding.” He leaned back on an elbow to look at her.
“There are other means of feeding, remember? We talked about it that night at the chapel. There’s fire, for one.” She gestured to the fireplace. “Energy. Synthetic blood is better, but fire and energy can get me through for a couple of days.”
“You can feed off human energy without taking blood, right?” He raised an eyebrow.
If there was ever a time to tread carefully, it had arrived. She took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s perfectly safe for the donor.”
She watched his mental wheels turning. Finally, he sat up straight. “Let’s try it.”
She blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Couldn’t be more serious.” He beckoned to her with his hand. “Come on.” When she hesitated, he scowled. “What, am I not a suitable food source?”
Was St. Germain a vampire? “Of course you are.” She rose to her knees and positioned herself behind him, drawing a slow, cleansing breath as she placed the palms of her hands against the bare skin of his back. His muscles were knotted with tension. “Just relax, all right? It’s not going to hurt, I promise.”
“If I’m tense, it has nothing to do with the feeding and everything to do with you in a nightshirt.” He made a sound deep in his throat.
She froze. “Be serious.”
“Once again, I’m being serious.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “For God’s sake, Eden, what’s it going to take to make you realize how much you turn me on?” He shook his head. “Do I need to hire skywriters? Do you want it written in blood?” He held up a hand. “Wait, don’t answer that part.”