Blood Lily (Lilith Adams Vampire Series Book 1)

by Jenny Allen

  Once they were inside the complex, Cohen signaled to them and then he disappeared with Whitmore behind a few buildings. It was a good thing that Chance spoke cop sign language. Apparently Cohen and his partner were going to look for a back entrance to try and cover all the bases. That left them with the front doors of a weather-stained office building.

  Ashcroft had to be expecting them. The fire was a way to force their hand, push them into action. It also left them no choice. Either leave everyone to die or show up and risk stepping into a trap. He knew them, knew the family. He’d been researching, tracking, getting information from Spencer. This wasn’t a risky move for him, he already knew the outcome. It was checkmate and Ashcroft definitely knew it.

  Chance took point, motioning for them to stay back. He pumped the shotgun, and held it loose against the fleshy part of his shoulder before creeping towards the ominous, steel double doors of the one story office building. There wasn’t a single window in front and the ones on the side that she could see were small and dark. At least that was in their favor, less visibility from inside.

  Not that she expected Ashcroft to pounce on them as soon as they entered the cinderblock building. He didn’t need to. He knew they’d head right for him and he wanted the audience for his work. More than anything, he wanted to be seen, recognized. Part of his recent plans may have been a result of Gregor’s discussions of going public and possibly the blood sample turning up as well. But she was getting the sneaking suspicion that a big part of his motivations stemmed from the desire for people to know that this was all his handiwork. The staged muggings and car accidents didn’t instill the sort of terror that made his blood sing. Ashcroft liked being a monster, he craved it, craved the violence, the hunt, the fear.

  Behind her, she heard Humphries click the safety off, reminding her to do likewise. Just like in the lab, she kept the gun loose at her side. She’d wait till she had something to shoot before actually aiming. If she made it through this alive she was definitely gonna log more hours in at the shooting range. On the other hand, this trip was the first time she’d ever had to use her gun outside of the shooting range. Hopefully this wasn’t an indication of her life changing in new and violent ways. Considering she’d almost died, several times, she didn’t think she’d actually survive a world where she needed to use her gun on a regular basis. She’d be more than happy to leave that to the professionals and just study the aftermath.

  Chance put his back against the rain-stained wall next to the double doors of the dilapidated office building. Lilith and Humphries followed his lead. The concrete smelled like wet mildew and she could feel the dank cold of it on her back even through the police sweat suit. She wished that she’d had the foresight to grab her green winter coat before leaving the lab when she’d been there cleaning the big bag of clothes. Of course, considering how things went, crashing into a ditch and almost dying, it’d just be soaked in blood and useless anyway. Hell, almost all the clothes she’d brought from New York were covered in blood. She was in loaner clothes from an incubus right now for a reason. God that was depressing.

  The whole place was eerily quiet in the same way that graveyards and creepy houses were, the sinister silence that creeps into the bones and slinks up the spine. It made all the hair on the back of her neck stand up, goose bumps flying over every inch of her skin. Either the office building had excellent sound-proofing or Ashcroft had decided not to play with his new toys yet. Of course if the second was true, that unfortunately meant he was completely healed and didn’t need to carve up his guests yet. Neither thought was very comforting.

  Lilith tried to just focus on the sound of her breathing. She couldn’t think about Ashcroft preparing to carve up any of the people she loved. The last thing she needed to do was drive herself into a panic. Just breathe. It seemed that they stayed that way for a really long time, lined up with their backs to the wall. Maybe Chance was just giving Cohen and Whitmore time to get into position or maybe he was focusing on his breathing, too.

  Eventually, he hooked one hand into the door handle and tried the latch. It wasn’t locked. Of course, why would a supremely powerful monster bother with a stupid deadbolt? She couldn’t imagine many people wanted to break in here anyway. Well, with the exception of teenage Satan worshippers and ghost hunters, of course. Though the sheer size of the place and how remote it was might deter that a bit. When Chance slowly inched the door open, it wasn’t completely silent. There was the low sound of metal on metal that happens with any door, but at least it wasn’t the rust-induced banshee scream she was dreading.

  Chance nodded to Humphries, who nodded back with unified purpose. Huh. Apparently if you gave two enemies guns, dumped them in a mutually threatening position and stuck a girl between them, they’d actually work as a team. Men never made any damn sense. Of course, she didn’t care if they made a play date to bake chocolate chip cookies if it meant getting out of this place alive. Chance slipped inside and Lilith hurried after him with Humphries right on her heels.

  The door slowly shut behind them with a quiet little click that echoed eerily and suddenly, they were in complete darkness. Lilith froze, completely terrified. Her body felt heavy, her chest felt tight, her eyes moved rapidly, trying to find some little pinpoint of light to hold on to. She was panting for every strained breath. She wanted to move, but her body wouldn’t listen. It was like her legs were made of stone.

  Something brushed against her back and she jumped, just barely keeping a scream from actually leaving her throat. She choked on the thick, heavy, stale air while her whole body vibrated with the urge to run but it still refused to respond. It was so hard to breathe. She needed air. Fresh air. She finally started to back up toward the door when a muted flashlight kicked on.

  “Lily,” Chance’s voice was a rushed whisper full of concerned authority. “Stay close.” Her eyes flicked to the side and she caught the highlights of Humphries’ business-like face hovering next to her. That explained the brush against her back. Slowly, her eyes began to adjust and she was able to reign in the panic. She caught herself wishing she was like the vampires in the movies that had super powerful night vision built in. That would definitely come in handy here. Of course so would the all black outfit that turned them into an instant kickass ninja. Deadly and stylish definitely outranked her borrowed Knoxville Police track suit. The random thoughts definitely helped her calm down a little bit, at least enough to actually get her legs to respond.

  Lilith moved up next to Chance, leaving Humphries behind them. She leaned in close and whispered as soft as she could. “Sorry. I just… this place…” Even she could hear the pure terror in her voice as her eyes moved frantically around, her illogical brain certain that the boogey man would start slicing them up any second now.

  He smiled at her and there were so many micro-expressions that she couldn’t really pick them all out. Fear, compassion, desire, those stood out the most.

  “Here, take the flashlight, I can’t hold it and have the shotgun ready at the same time. Just walk a little ahead of me, hug that wall like your life depends on it and don’t point the light any higher than hip level. Keep it as steady as you can. Don’t swing it around wildly if you can help it, ok? Slow and steady.” His voice was soothing like being wrapped up in a warm blanket. It was completely impossible, but she knew in that moment that she loved him. He was right there saying the perfect thing in a perfect way. Not only did he know how to keep her sane, he acted without any hesitation to do so. It brought tears to her eyes and she had to look away.

  She bit her lip and nodded, staring down at the little light in her hands like it was a lifeline. Her hands were still shaking. She closed her eyes for a second, trying to relax, trying to get things under control. Her emotions were spiraling out of control. Where the hell was the calm focus she always had at crime scenes? So much had happened. She’d learned things about important people in her life that completely changed how she saw them, for better or worse. She’d almost
died four times in as many days. She was right to be terrified of what was waiting in the dark for them. It was understandable that she was such a mess, but now was definitely not the time.

  “Lily.” When she peeked open her eyes, she saw Chance staring intently at her. He caressed a hand over her shoulder and it rippled through her body like a warm electric hug. “You don’t have to do this. You can go back to the car. We can handle this.” He wanted her to take the out. She could see that much plain on his face. It had nothing to do with the chauvinistic notions that most people would jump on. It wasn’t because she was a woman. It was because she was the woman he loved and he wanted desperately to keep her safe. Problem was, he was the man she loved and she wanted to do the same thing. If she sat in the car, she’d only go insane with worry about all the people she cared about.

  “We don’t have time to give her a pep talk. The longer we stay here, the longer the Detectives are in the open.” Humphries definitely wasn’t compassionate, he was angry and anxious. His impatience was completely reasonable, but it rubbed her the wrong way. The anger made her feel better. Funny how the first thing he’d said to them all night was completely irritating but exactly what she needed.

  Chance threw a look at the Officer that definitely said ‘Shut the fuck up’ and returned his attention to her. Before he could say anything, she spoke up with a lot more confidence. “I can’t do that, Chance. I have to find Gregor. I have to know that he’s okay and I have to make sure you’re okay.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out slow. “I’m all right. I’m just scared.” Actually saying it out loud made her believe it. Right now she was okay. She could do this. She stood a little straighter, held the light with one calm hand as the other gripped her 9mm a little tighter. “Let’s go.” She had just enough time to catch the conflicted look of pride and fear on his face before she pushed in front of Chance.

  Lilith hugged the wall, her heart still pounding. The hallway looked like something out of a creepy videogame or some horror movie, but a million times worse. There was something very real in the dark, real and definitely evil. Even the air smelled like death, decay, pure evil. The ancient linoleum was yellowed and cracked where it wasn’t covered with dirt and chunks of the crumbling drop ceiling. Sickly off-color paint was peeling off the rotting drywall, making the wall rough against her back. It seemed even colder inside the building, like a looming cloud of ice tightening her chest.

  Each time they came across a doorway, she would stop, Chance would swing out with the shotgun while she angled the light around the corner for him and for a few seconds, Lilith wouldn’t breathe. When nothing happened, she’d breathe a sigh of relief and push her body to move forward. They all seemed to be vacant offices, or at least rooms intended to be offices at some point. A few had rusting metal desks or office chairs with moth-eaten seats, but none of them were complete. It was just random clumps of thirty-year old furniture.

  Lilith moved the flashlight further down the hall and caught a glimpse of a heavy metal door covered in rust and curling paint. When she moved the light back to the floor, it glinted against a metallic surface on the floor. She moved a little faster, following the glint, and stooped down. Her fingers brushed over something metal and she grabbed it. When she angled the light at it, her eyes went wide. It was a name badge…a name badge that read Humphries. Wait. That meant that he’d been here…

  A shot rang out behind her, making her jump back against the wall. Blood roared in her ears as she whipped her 9mm around with the flashlight in her other hand. The light caught Chance’s chiseled face and he looked genuinely confused. Had she just been hearing things? She was panicking, yes, but delusional? Chance slowly looked down with that same look of confusion. It was all a matter of seconds, but it stretched out in slow motion.

  Lilith followed his eyes with the light. His black t shirt looked wet. She frowned, completely unable to make sense of what she was seeing. His shotgun clattered to the floor, a sound that echoed in her ears, one of those sounds that you knew would haunt you for the rest of your life. It snapped the spell of denial in her mind as he grabbed at his chest, his eyes meeting hers with shock and despair.

  “No, no, no, no, no!” Her voice trembled. God she couldn’t breathe. Lilith scurried across the floor as Chance sank to his knees and then fell forward on all fours, coughing. She heard the blood splatter across the floor and her heart seemed to shatter. This could not be happening! This was her nightmare all over.

  She finally reached him, and cradled his face in her hands. “No, god, Chance. Please! You have to stay with me!” Blood trailed from his mouth and his eyes were having trouble focusing. He tried to say something but he gurgled and coughed, more blood bubbling from his mouth. Tears stung her eyes as she dropped the gun and flashlight and frantically tried to move him, get him to lie down. He had to have a punctured lung. She had to stop the bleeding and keep him from drowning in his own blood. God, there was so much of it, so much blood.

  Her hands scrambled to put pressure over the gurgling wound on his chest, but the blood just kept seeping through her fingers. No! Not like this!

  The click of a gun cocking rang through her bones like pure ice. She just froze. Very slowly, she looked up to see Officer Humphries pointing his pistol straight at her. Lilith’s heart went into overdrive, pounding furiously in her chest. “He said he was an unnecessary threat. He serves no purpose. You, on the other hand, he wants alive.” There was no southern drawl. His voice was calm, emotionless, dead inside.

  Chapter 22

  Lilith scrambled for the gun, but her hands were slick with blood and it just slid through her fingers. A hand dug into her hair and pulled her back hard enough to make her scream. Chance’s eyes widened and he tried to move but violent coughs racked his body with more blood gurgling from his mouth. Lilith reached up and clawed at Humphries’ hand while her feet kicked uselessly in front of her, slipping and skidding in the blood on the floor. Scratching at him didn’t seem to do anything, he didn’t even wince. It was like he was running on autopilot.

  The officer flung her against the wall shoved his gun against her head. “Stop resisting. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.” His voice held a dangerous edge that was a million times scarier than Spencer’s had ever been. He was completely calm and completely serious. She couldn’t goad him into mistakes like she had with her cousin. She didn’t care. She was a ball of blind rage and desperation.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” She could barely see through the tears in her eyes. Lilith slapped his gun away and flung her fists out with everything she had. One shot landed on his thigh and Humphries stumbled backward. Lilith took the opportunity to push off the wall and skid across the floor to get back to Chance. Her fingers brushed against the gun on the floor but she couldn’t get a hold of it before Humphries’ strong hands dug into her hair again. He pulled her to her feet before slamming her against the wall. His arm pressed against her throat hard enough to make her choke. His body pinned her to the wall. She couldn’t kick, couldn’t throw punches. She tried to pull and claw at his arm but nothing seemed to affect him.

  “He’s going to die! Please, let me help him!” She pleaded desperately, throwing everything she could into it, willing him to take pity. She wanted to empty every single clip into him for what he’d done, he needed to die, but she was powerless. All she could do was try to reason with him

  “Ashcroft wanted him out of the way.” Humphries jerked his arm a little harder against her throat and she gasped, her vision going blurry for a second. “Now settle the fuck down.”

  “He’s out of the way. That doesn’t mean he needs to die. Please, just let me stop the bleeding.” Her voice croaked out around the lump in her throat.

  “You won’t care for long. You’re expected.” Panic seared through her whole body. She couldn’t let it happen like this. She didn’t care what Ashcroft did to her, she was going to make sure Chance had a shot at surviving. With blazing clarity, she remembered Chan
ce in the parking lot. She’d taken his hand for strength and he’d gotten dizzy. Cohen said that you could seriously harm someone if you drew on their energy. Well she needed strength right now more than ever.

  Lilith wrapped her fingers around Humphries’ arm, closed her eyes and concentrated. Some more religious types, might have called it prayer, but to her it was just screaming out to the universe that she needed this to work. She felt a surge running through her body, lighting up every little nerve ending. When she opened her eyes, she saw Humphries hard face, covered in fine wrinkles, staring at her in confusion.

  That second of hesitation in his eyes made her stronger. Anger and hatred consumed her. She wanted him to suffer. Her nails dug into his skin as she thought about ripping away every bit of strength he had left in him. Suddenly, his skin seemed ten shades paler. His arm loosened against her throat and he stumbled. Lilith used the wall to push off and knocked Humphries to the ground. Her nails were still dug into his arm and she pinched them harder, drawing blood.

  Lilith pinned him to the ground and hammered her fist against his face. The first shot knocked him out cold but she just kept punching him. She was a ball of rage and tears, screaming with every hit that connected. Her knuckles burned but she could feel the abrasions healing as soon as they happened. She felt strong, powerful and no one was going to take that away from her again. She was tired of being everyone’s fucking punching bag.

  She was just about to swing again when a gurgled scream sounded behind her. “Lily. Stop.” Chance’s voice cut right through the red haze of fury in her eyes. She looked down at Humphries face, a mass of bruises and blood and was horrified. Her fist fell limp at her side as she thought about Miriah’s face after Spencer had finished with it. What the hell was she doing? Chance…he’s the reason she needed to get away from Humphries and now she was sitting here pounding in Humphries’ face while Chance was bleeding to death?