In Her Blood

by Janice Jones

  “He’s going to kill you anyway after he finds out you set him up,” she stated.

  His leathery face twisted as he rolled his eyes toward her again and hissed, “I . . . no set up!”

  “Then what?”

  “Ex-girlfriend.”

  “Yours?”

  He tried to smile and the creases around his mouth opened and bled slightly. She could hear him pull in a sharp breath. “His.”

  She wanted to laugh, but it wasn’t funny, not really. Jason kind of struck her as the kind of man who’d have psycho exes. “Name?”

  His head rolled left to right again, only a little quicker. Again, his face contorted and his body shuddered at the pain.

  The cold stung her skin as she pulled her ungloved hand from her pocket. Her fingers slid over the supple plastic tubing that hung over Oren’s head and lead into his body. The clean human blood it carried to his heart and other organs was stopped when she pinched the tube between her thumb and index finger.

  Oren’s body bucked hard inside his plastic crate. He pleaded with his eyes for her to stop. She did and repeated, “Name?”

  “You don’t understand,” he coughed. “I can’t!” She stopped the flow again and he practically screamed. “Kit Blaze!!!”

  Chapter 41

  “So, we’re all agreed then?” Alex asked softly as she pointed at the screen.

  “She’s the hooker, right?” Kai replied. “Why would she want to blow up Stavros?”

  “Maybe he’s a bad tipper,” David laughed and the others joined in.

  “We don’t have time to figure it out,” Sebastian replied. “We’ve got bigger problems, remember?”

  Alex tapped the computer screen again. “He’s right. If Coop’s still alive, then so is Ben. His cabin may have been torched, but he wasn’t in it.” She looked up to see Creed headed in their direction. “Get back upstairs and make sure you’re packed and ready to go. I’ll see you in my room in one hour.”

  They passed Creed on their way out.

  “Did I interrupt the Boy Scout meeting,” he sneered as he sat down and gave the waitress his order: steak, rare, and runny eggs with a Bloody Mary.

  “Did you find her?” Alex sneered back.

  She hated to trust Creed with this, but he had the inside track in the world of paid escorts. And he’d done some work with her in the past that had turned out. According to Sebastian’s contacts, Creed would throw clients her way when he was ‘overbooked.’ Alex shuddered at the thought, but he was their best shot to get Kit alone so that she could interrogate her.

  Creed pressed his lips together, unfolded the linen napkin and placed it gently in his lap. “Not exactly,” he replied as the waitress placed his drink in front of him. “But I’m close.”

  “Close,” Alex giggled. “I’m close to dropping a dime on you and your creative bookkeeping.”

  “Oh, calm down. She’s in the D.R. right now,” Creed answered. “Some girlfriend experience for a private client. Just give me a week and I’ll deliver her to you personally.”

  “One week,” she said. “And don’t tell her anything. Just make the appointment at the hotel I gave you and get lost.”

  “Alex, please give me some credit,” he sighed. “I know how this works.”

  “Good,” she replied as she packed her things. “I’d hate to have to refresh your memory the hard way.”

  “Yeah, I remember how you hate doing things the hard way,” he chuckled with quick glance at her over the rim of his glass.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Jason said as he suddenly appeared at the table. “Meeting ran long. What’d I miss?”

  Creed smiled when two plates appeared. Raw steaks and runny eggs ready to be devoured. “Not much. I was just explaining to the lovely Ms. Stone that my sources are a little reluctant to talk right now. But I’m confident I’ll have something for her in a few more days.”

  “One week,” Alex replied as she pulled the bag to her shoulder as she stood. Creed stood too as he smiled at Jason. “Don’t play games with me, Mason. You won’t win.”

  “And if I can’t deliver what you want,” Creed sneered down at her. “Are you going to spank me and send me to bed without supper?”

  “If you don’t,” Alex whispered. “The next time you open your eyes you’ll be on fire.”

  She kissed his cheek and disappeared through the doorway.

  “Was it something I said?” Creed continued to grin at Jason.

  “More like something you didn’t,” Jason replied as Creed took his seat again. “She doesn’t like you very much. And I don’t think I want to know why, but you need to get on the stick or I’ll let her kill you.”

  “She won’t kill me. Too much history, I’m afraid.”

  “Ancient history, Creed, and I wouldn’t depend on anything that was said in the heat of the moment.”

  “She’s not much of a talker,” Creed smiled. “Not in the heat of the moment, that is.”

  Jason waved for another glass of champagne. “You would know wouldn’t you?”

  “I held the title until you came along.”

  “I’m not apologizing for taking your crown, so . . .”

  “I wouldn’t ask you to, Jason,” he purred. “Although I was kinda getting used to being the only member in the Alex Stone Club.”

  Jason laughed with him and they toasted. “I don’t think we’ll be comparing notes.”

  “Then, why am I here?”

  “To discuss one of your private clients,” Jason replied.

  Creed covered the plate with his napkin and stirred his drink watching the celery stick spin in the wake. “Which one? My calendar’s pretty full right now, so you’re gonna have to narrow that down for me.” He adjusted his cufflinks then closed his mind as he felt Jason try to enter it like Alex had done a few nights ago and failed.

  “Ms. Rose,” Jason hummed.

  “What about her?” Creed smiled.

  “My sources say she’s been on your calendar for quite some time now. Did you know about her connection to Alex before or after you decided to make her a private client?”

  “After,” Creed replied.

  “And what does she know about your relationship with Alex?”

  Creed stared at the glass next to his hand. “Nothing.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Then why ask?” Creed sneered at him. “So what if I knew about her connection to Alex before, why do you care?”

  “Because I know you two are up to something,” Jason growled then licked his lips. “And when I find out what that is, I’ll ask again. Next time you should consider telling the truth or I’ll let Alex ask the questions. We’ll see if she can do it without drawing blood.”

  “This may be your town, for now, but things may change soon,” Creed replied as he stood. “Be careful of the threats you make, Jason. They may come back to bite you.”

  Jason pushed the plate away and smiled at Creed. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as he stood, arms wide open.

  When Creed stood he felt every muscle in Jason’s body as they embraced—Jason’s anger wrapping around him like bandages. They’d been friends, once, good friends. Jason’s rise up the ranks required him to make different friends in different circles. Unless Creed decided to change his line of business, Jason had to keep his distance. But when he needed a favor that required Creed’s abilities, he always called. He paid well, so Creed ignored the lack of respect he was shown in the interim. Until now.

  “Make sure you’re on the right side, Creed,” Jason sighed in his ear. “Once the shooting starts, friend or not, if you betray us, I’ll pull your heart out myself!”

  Jason smoothed his tie as he backed away with a smile.

  Creed sat back down and ordered another drink. This playing both sides against the middle was hard wor
k. He smiled to himself as the thoughts of watching Tristan burn down the current regime played out in his head.

  Chapter 42

  Creed could hear the screams as he rolled up the driveway.

  He’d never been able to hear from this far away before, but now he could hear everything, everywhere. Whatever this guy dosed them with, it was fantastic.

  He rang the doorbell and waited for the tiny footfalls to reach him.

  “Good evening, Mr. Creed,” she smiled and bowed as he entered. “He’s been waiting for you.”

  Creed followed the small woman down a long hall and she opened the door with another bow. It closed behind him and he heard her shuffle away as he descended the basement stairs.

  Dark and dank, Sasha stood over a man tied to a steel chair in the center of the space. A small table in one corner and a bucket filled with water in the other, he rounded a worktable to see his new Sire sitting on a stool, drink in hand as he watched the show.

  “Nice of you to join us,” he said, still focused on the action in front of him.

  “Sorry,” Creed bowed, “I had another meeting.”

  “Mr. Stavros,” he chuckled, “What did he want?”

  Creed pulled a stool next to him and sat down. “Nothing really.”

  “It must have been important or you wouldn’t have been late.”

  “He knows about Ivy,” Creed replied.

  “So,” Tristan chuckled. “Why would he care about a client of yours?”

  Creed turned his attention back to Sasha with a shake of his head. “She’s Alex Stone’s partner, for one. If he gets too suspicious, he’ll tell Alex and then we’re all in trouble.”

  Tristan turned his head toward Creed. “Then you make sure he doesn’t, Mason. I don’t want her to know about Ms. Rose until it’s necessary, do you understand me?”

  Creed gave him a quick nod as Sasha landed a solid right cross to Ben’s jaw. The sound of air as it left his lungs filled Creed’s ears, and the smell of his blood filled the room. Then Ben spit on the floor with a laugh.

  His face was all bruises and cuts because Sasha could hit him faster than he could heal.

  And the sweet smell pushed the oxygen out of the space. Not that they needed much, but a little would have been better than the awful smell of melting candy.

  “Tristan,” Creed cleared his throat as it tingled. “Maybe we should pace ourselves. Give him time to heal and he might be more forthcoming with the information you need.”

  Tristan stood and his shadow covered Creed in cool darkness. His smile filled him with more darkness and fear.

  “He can’t take this forever,” Tristan laughed. “Sasha doesn’t tire, not easily anyway.”

  “I’m sure, but letting her turn his face to hamburger isn’t really going to help either,” Creed sighed.

  “He’s right,” the voice echoed around them. Behind every tap of the cane was a muted grunt of pain as he took the stairs one at a time. Ben’s senses may have been scrambled by the drugs and his missing more than one round of the supplement, but he could still smell Coop’s awful cologne from a mile away.

  Coop, with the dark wooden stick in hand, descended the stairs slowly. At the bottom, he hung it on the rail and stepped in front of Sasha before she could land another blow.

  He bent at the waist, picked up Ben’s head and wiped away the blood and sweat.

  “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

  Ben’s eyes fluttered open and he laughed again.

  “I should have known. What’d you give up first, me or your soul?”

  Coop laughed as he held the bottle to Ben’s lips. He took two short sips and jerked his head out of Coop’s grip. He spit on the floor again and winked at Sasha.

  “Come on, Benny,” he smiled and took the stool Sasha brought to him. “You don’t wanna go out like this. If they don’t kill you, Tristan’s gonna let Sasha keep you as a pet! Just tell ‘em.”

  Ben shook his head and could have sworn his brain moved.

  “I’ve got nothing to say to you or them.”

  “You got a name. Just spit it out and you’ll be back in your own bed when your eyes open again,” Coop stated.

  “They burned my bed! They burned my house,” Ben growled.

  “Oh, sorry,” Coop replied with a chuckle. “But still, you’ll get to live.”

  Ben dropped his head back and laughed.

  “As what, a lap dog? No thanks.”

  Coop moved closer, leaned in and sighed.

  “I can talk to Tristan, ask him to make you one of us.”

  “Ben the Bloodsucker,” he laughed. “That does have a nice ring to it, but I’m gonna have to pass.”

  “If you don’t give it up, they’ll go after her,” Coop hissed back. “You want that? Matt found out the hard way that staying loyal to her only gets you dead.”

  Ben pulled at the handcuffs, but he didn’t have the strength to break them anymore.

  “You miserable piece of shit. You’re dead! If the Pack doesn’t get you first, I’m gonna hand her your head!”

  Coop stood tall and put his free hand in his pocket. Pushing the stool back, he stretched.

  Although his body still ached from the process, he knew in a few hours he wouldn’t feel it anymore. And after his first kill, he wouldn’t feel human pain ever again.

  “Don’t be a hero, Colonel.”

  “Go ahead,” Ben continued to laugh. “I dare you to go after her.” Coop turned and headed for the stairs again. “After she’s done wiping the floor with these guys, she’s gonna kill you slow! I’m gonna help,” he yelled at Coop’s back.

  Coop turned and he saw Ben recoil at the sight.

  The sharp teeth cut through his virgin gums for the first time. His vision changed almost as quickly as everything else.

  Ben’s strong, steady heartbeat and the sound of his blood as it rushed through his veins excited Coop. The heat of his body felt like being in a sauna.

  “She’s going to be my first,” Coop growled. “And I’m gonna let you watch me bleed her dry! After I make her one of us, she’s gonna devour you, Ben, at my command, her new Sire!”

  Ben mustered a loud howl and tears fell from his puffy eyes. The salt stung as they rolled down his cheeks.

  “You’re a joke to them, Coop! You didn’t have what it took to be one of us. You were a glorified errand boy for Dr. Carlisle! You played fetch for the program until they ran out of better recruits! You got lucky getting assigned to that team. My team! Tristan wants the identity of the Dagger, you idiot, not you!”

  Sasha caught Coop before he slashed through Ben’s neck with razor sharp nails.

  Ben just laughed as she practically carried Coop upstairs and didn’t stop until the roaring stopped and the door slammed shut.

  Creed smiled down on him. Ben smiled back.

  “You’re really smarter than you look, Colonel,” he said as he adjusted his cuffs.

  “Too bad Coop’s not, but I’m guessing that was what you were hoping for,” Ben replied.

  “Yes and we weren’t disappointed.”

  “You didn’t really think he could deliver the Dagger to you, did you?”

  “No,” Creed shook his head. “We wanted him to lead us to you and he did.”

  Ben tried to move away, but the syringe pricked his upper arm anyway.

  Tristan’s wavy image appeared next to Creed and the sound of the cuffs falling to the floor reached his ears as two men pulled him to his feet.

  “One of you will tell us what the humans are hiding,” Tristan said in a voice distorted by the drugs. “If I have to violate her in front of you to get that information, I will and I will enjoy it! What I won’t enjoy is putting her and you to death. That weapon belongs to me for the pain and suffering I was subjected to over the last twenty years. Give me w
hat I want and you’ll live. Deny me, and a long, painful existence awaits you both!”

  “Do you always talk like some cheesy comic book villain?” Ben coughed and laughed.

  Tristan laughed with him as his hand locked around Ben’s neck, cutting off his air. “I don’t think you’ve quite grasped your situation, Colonel Palmer,” he smiled as Ben’s eyes closed. “But you will.”

  Ben felt weightless as cool fresh air hit his face and entered his lungs.

  Back in his room, the air felt stale and heavy. They tossed him on the bed and left.

  In the dark, he could hear voices all around him.

  The first shot of pain came to his wrist, the other his neck, and the last, inside his right thigh. Their low moans left vibrations in the air as they fed from him like wild animals. He couldn’t move and soon he was glad for the blackness when it came.

  _______________

  Tristan had memorized the stolen data over the three years he’d been free. This Dagger person was a born hybrid! Dr. Carlisle’s experiments yielded a creature far superior to the soldiers of Night Command and later the Tracker program. The Dagger not only had strength almost equal to a born vampire, but was the catalyst for the supplements they still used today. There was no mention of a physical description of this person, but Jesse Cooper assured him Colonel Palmer and the woman, Alex Stone, knew the identity. If he was right, he’d be rewarded. If he was wrong, Tristan would drain him dry.

  For their part in his captivity, both Benjamin and Alex would be subjected to some experiments too. Tristan’s imagination could be very horrific and he was ready to try out some of those musings on human subjects. As for the Dagger: a weapon of that magnitude would come in handy when his war against the Council began. Once they were brought to their knees, the humans would fall easily.

  Chapter 43

  Sebastian held the door as Jason’s people rolled their luggage outside. Everyone else waited for Alex to appear from her room. When she did, Kai took her suitcase and placed it on one of the carts. The silver case, the one she got from Lucas a few days ago, stayed with her.