Taken: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance

by Kim Faulks

  Cars lined both sides of the streets. I skimmed the long line of humans and smiled. Tonight looked to be a busy night. I nosed the car into the back alley and then into the employee parking lot. An empty space dragged my focus as I nosed into the space and killed the engine.

  Lynk’s black Wrangler was missing. I scanned the rest of the cars. The bar manager didn’t know the meaning of ‘time off’. I shoved open the door and climbed out. Confusion mingled with concern to create a noxious cocktail. Something felt wrong.

  I made for the back door and shoved my key into the lock. The heavy beat was mid-pulse, melting with the slam of the steel as I shouldered the door closed. Humans mingled with vampires in the most animalistic of ways. The soft sounds of pleasure echoed along the hall. Strobes of white light punctured the darkness, illuminating the littered hallway.

  The sweet scent of blood mingled with the headiness of lust, creating a volatile combination. Bodies lined the corridor on both sides. I slowed my steps, caught by a human woman pinned by a strange vamp. I could smell the newness on him. His back was to me, head lowered suckling on her neck, but I knew who he was. Most were regulars, coming here instead of roaming the city streets in search for entertainment and blood.

  His head covered my view but the scent of fresh blood was suffocating. My fangs lengthened as her moans filled my ears. Echoes of Nova blended with the lustful sounds of this woman. Movement at her waist drew my gaze. Her short black skirt was bunched, legs splayed wide, and another woman crouched at her feet, her face buried between the apex of her legs. The dark trickle of blood slid along the moaning woman’s pale thigh like an exposed vein.

  I skimmed the wall, stepping around the trio only to bump into another. This woman was naked from the waist up, her large pendulous breasts slick with the smear of blood. A vamp bit deep, savaging her neck in a frenzy to feed.

  I grasped his neck and squeezed. The snap of bone was sickening, tearing the newborn vamp free.

  Wide animal eyes stared at me. Long white fangs were tipped with blood. He lashed out, sharp nails aimed at my face.

  A merciless growl vibrated my chest. “One more fucking move and it’ll be your final death. Look at what you’ve done.”

  Tendons strained, synapses fired. I could feel the last traces of human life slowly ebb and surge in his body. Jesus, he was a frigging kid. Dark strands of long hair hung free around his boyish face.

  I wrenched his face close and stared into his eyes. “Get control of yourself. Now.”

  Recognition bloomed. His life was in my hands. I could end his miserable existence in one blink of an eye. One slow nod and I released my hold. The woman shivered, spellbound by this child’s command and unable to defend herself.

  Humanity leaked into his gaze. He licked his lips, taking the last traces of blood and whispered, “I…I don’t know what came over me. It’s this place…the sex, the frenzy.”

  My lip curled. Disgust filled me. I released my hold and nodded toward the woman. “Heal her, and be careful next time. Learn to control yourself—we’re not fucking monsters.”

  The kid nodded and turned his head. He stiffened at the sight of what he’d done. The woman’s neck was a torn, bloody mess. Flesh carved, veins exposed. Blood trickled from the open wound. The woman grasped the wall. Her knees locked, then released as she fought to stand.

  The young vampire lunged, catching her under her arms as she toppled. Tortured words slipped free. “I… don’t know what to do.”

  I growled. “Bite your damn wrist and hold it to her mouth.”

  The kid lifted his hand, staring at the insides of his wrist. “How much?” he asked shakily. “How much do I give her?”

  “Enough to heal her—but not enough to turn her.”

  He nodded and sank his fangs into his flesh. He lifted his arm and pressed the bite to her lips. Her mouth parted and the corridor was filled with tenderness and sorrow.

  I stepped away, taking one last look before turning. Bitten was a playground for every dark fascination—where fantasy met reality every night of the week, sometimes with deadly consequences.

  I stepped into the lounge. Women gyrated against poles. Vampires watched. The need was what drove them here night after night. This place was usually safe—albeit unorganized. I couldn’t find an admin assistant to save my damn life. But this wasn’t just messy—this was a nightmare. What the hell was wrong?

  Humans lined the bar. Waitresses moved at a feverish pace, pouring, smiling, yelling over the heavy beat. The till was overflowing, bills stuck out of the edges as the tray slammed close.

  One waitress turned, her smile froze on her face. Her dark-lined eyes widened. I followed the ripple of muscles along her throat as she swallowed.

  A patron turned, giving me her best fuck me now expression and crooned, “Hello there gorgeous, you hungry tonight?”

  I clenched my jaw, refusing to look at her. Instead I focused on the woman in front of me and barked, “Where the fuck is Lynk?”

  She shook her head. “He didn’t show. I tried the number we have for him, but no luck.”

  “Shit. Have you got this covered?”

  She nodded, turning to the five deep customers waiting in line. “I called in Bethany and Monica. They’re on their way. As soon as they get here, I’ll take over running the till. I don’t know about the”—her gaze dropped to my lips—“the other patrons.”

  “I’ll handle them,” I snapped as the horny human slid her hand over my thigh. I yanked my head upward meeting her hopeful gaze. “Call me the second you hear anything.”

  I was gone before the waitress responded, leaving the human in my wake. The growing sense of unease spread as I strode through the dance floors and rear bar. Every vampire turned toward me as I passed. Eye contact was a dangerous thing, but good. A slight nod of acknowledgment was met with the steely stare of my own. There’d be no more problems tonight. Not now I was here.

  I shoved the key into the lock and shoved open my office door. The overhead light flickered and then brightened. The cramped space was more suited to a broom closet than an office. A filing cabinet took up one corner, and a desk sat in the other. A red light blinked on the answering machine. I crossed the space and punched the button.

  Silence filled the speakers in a low hiss, severed by a crackle. I stilled, then leaned in. An icy touch trailed its way along my spine, until the recording ended with a click and the next recording played. The ominous sound of silence filled the air. One recording was a mistake, three were a taunt.

  Lynk was missing and now this. I delved into my pocket, yanking my cell phone free and scrolled the numbers.

  The phone rang once. “Kol,” said Rurik.

  “We have a problem.”

  “I’m listening.”

  I inhaled, filling my cold dead lungs. “Lynk didn’t show up at the bar tonight. His car’s gone—no one’s heard from him. There’s three recordings on my private line of nothing but silence. Three staff members have that number and the only one who ever calls is—”

  Rurik answered for me. “—Lynk.”

  “Yes.”

  “It seems your friend Devlin Holland was quite the player in Seattle. From what I gather the four Holland brothers control the entire West Coast from the border all the way to California. They call them the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and from what I’ve found, they’ve earned it.”

  Rurik’s words hit me like a blow. Devlin Holland reaching over her… his hands in her panties, looming like conquest itself. I raked my fingers through my hair. “Jesus.”

  My oldest friend waited. There were no kind words of comfort. I’d fucked up.

  “Have you heard from them? Did they made any demands?”

  The voice on the other end of the phone hardened. “Not yet.”

  His tone implied he expected them to. “I couldn’t leave her, Rurik. Not with him—not like that.”

  “I don't blame you Kol. What’s done is done. We’ll wait and see. I’ve re
ached out to an old friend in the area. He knows the brothers, knows where they live—knows where they go. For now it’s business as usual, so that’s exactly how we act—cool, calm and collected.”

  I shook my head. “I’ve brought you into this. I’m so sorry.”

  “You’ve gone to battle for me a thousand times. Don’t you think it’s about time I do the same?”

  “This is different. This is my doing. My blatant disregard for the rules we live by. I was the one who killed another unlawfully. The contract was valid. But I couldn’t let him have her. The human is mine.”

  “And so she’ll remain. They’re businessmen, if there’s a problem, that’s how we’ll deal with it—just like any client and any other transaction.”

  “Call me the moment you hear from Lynk.”

  I closed my eyes, listening to the beeping of the ended call.

  Lynk was missing. In my cold, dead heart I knew what that meant.

  At my hand, four Holland brothers were now three.

  Dark clouds gathered.

  It wasn’t just a storm on its way—it was the Holland brothers.

  Nova

  I woke to sunlight streaming through the window of the lounge room and rolled toward the light. The early morning air nipped at my toes. I pulled my feet under the blanket and drew the comforter tighter, listening to this strange old home. The house was silent. No soft footsteps in the rooms above. No clang of saucepans in the kitchen. There was only the slow creak of an old house and memories from last night.

  My heart sped. My body warmed. Close your eyes and lay back.

  His voice filled my head, followed by the brush of his lips, and the way he filled me.

  And then the lies.

  I stilled, sure that Kol was hiding something. And with the doubt, horror crept in to stain my world. The sun lost its warmth and the blanket its soft touch. Jared filled my head. The one man I tried to love, and the one man who had never loved me.

  Guilt smothered me. If only I hadn’t been so naive. If only I’d tried to love him a little harder—if only….

  I clutched the edge of the comforter and pushed myself to stand. If only haunted me, if only was a cruel beast. Yet if I’d done all those things—if I’d forgiven Jared, if I’d been used by that vampire, I never would’ve had Kol. This moment would never have existed—this, what we had would never have existed.

  The timber floor was icy on my feet. I clenched my toes and made my way from the lounge room. A slip of white caught my eye. My name elegantly etched. I picked up the paper and read the message.

  Normality moved in like an unwanted guest. Kol was running the bar, and I was here, locked away in this cold, quiet old house in the suburbs—waiting.

  My fingers slid along the bannister as I climbed the stairs. Floorboards creaked underneath me as I reached the top and moved to his bedroom. The man hardly slept, always working, always worrying. I caught glimpses of the human under that cold, hard exterior—the man he hid from everyone else but me.

  Shopping bags littered the floor, underwear, make-up, even books. Designer dresses hung at the end of the wardrobe—as if I’d moved in and started a new life. But my old life was still waiting. It seemed so easy, move out of one place and into another.

  A new house.

  A new boyfriend who was generous with his money.

  A new life.

  Which was real?

  I grabbed a bag from the floor and rummaged through lace and satin, dragging a pink lacy thong and matching bra free. I didn’t want to go back home—I didn’t want to see what I had, and what had been stolen from me, but I needed to finish it and close the damn door behind me for good.

  I shivered, dropping the comforter onto the bed and made for the bathroom. The reflection caught my eye: dark hair, pale skin. I wasn't used to being cooped up, wasn’t used to hiding from the police either. The taps squealed as I twisted. A fine jet of hot water hit the bottom of the claw foot tub. I dragged my hand behind the black shower curtain and waited. When steam billowed, I stepped into the tub.

  The hot water hit my chest and ran down my body. I moved under the spray, soaking my hair before reaching for the shampoo. I washed, scrubbed, and dragged a razor over my legs. The hot water eased the soft ache in my body. It was an ache I could get used to—a remnant of Kol’s desire. I probed tender flesh and dropped my head under the water. The ache felt good—and alive.

  Kol was a master at desire, twisting and turning, exposing me one layer at a time—but he was also keeping me at arm’s length. The real man was there, hiding in plain sight. But I could never quite reach him…

  “Enjoying your shower?”

  I jumped at the sound of his voice. The conditioner slipped from my hand, clattering to the bottom of the bath. The curtain parted, blue eyes found me as Kol stepped into the narrow space and dropped to one knee. The way he knelt created visions of battle that rose in my mind. Had he been a warrior—a knight of some kind? Had he been a boy, begging for scraps on the street? Or had he just been a vampire, combing darkened street corners for sex and food?

  The spray soaked his curls as he picked the conditioner from the floor and rose gracefully back to his feet. Water cascaded in rivulets down his shoulders and over his stone-hard chest. I lowered my gaze, taking in his sleek skin, wanting to touch the tight muscles of his stomach.

  I waited for a smile, or a kind word—something to indicate this was the man, not the monster. His icy stare slid over my body, lingering on the swell of my breast. My body came alive, tightening, hardening under the heat of his gaze.

  “A vampire could break in here and see you like this. Any man could be me right now, staring at your breasts, how your skin is flushed under the heat of the water. Any man could take you right now, drop you to the floor of this bath, and spread those legs wide.”

  My heart sped, filling my ears with thunder. His cold tone filled me with ice. My fingers clenched, gripping nothing as the spray flattened my hair over my shoulders. Strands danced under the cascade, tantalizing my hardened nipples. “It’s day time. Vampires are asleep.”

  “I’m not asleep.”

  I flinched with those words. Fangs peeked out from blood red lips. I sucked in the air as I whispered, “No, you’re not.”

  He stepped closer. There was no kindness in his eyes this morning and no tender words. Heat bloomed between my thighs. I cowered as he lifted his hand toward me. His fingers skirted my chest, casting my hair over my shoulders.

  Fangs scraped his lips as he spoke. “Any vampire could take you.”

  I shuddered under the water. I couldn’t get warm, couldn’t feel the heat. “Yes, any vampire could—but I’d fight, I’d kick and scream. I never want them—I want only you.”

  He jerked with the answer. His lips curled, flattening over those wicked fangs. Satisfaction sparkled in his eyes as he grasped my arms and dragged me closer. “The thought of you with anyone else—you have no idea what that does to me. I want to fucking kill anyone who looks at you.”

  My feet left the bath. I hovered in Kol’s arms until he turned and lowered me to the bath. I blinked under the spray and hissed as I met the icy surface. He crouched between my legs, sliding one hand along my calf and lifted, placing the heel of my foot against the rim.

  I was open, exposed to his gaze as his other hand mirrored the path, grasping, lifting. His weight pressed my spine against the iron tub. I was ready, panting as his cock probed my entrance.

  His voice turned fierce. “Promise me you’ll be careful. That you won’t go anywhere without me.”

  I arched my back, ready for him to fill me. Ready to melt the ache away. He slid his hand around my neck, angling my head upwards.

  His blue eyes were almost black as he growled. “Promise me, Nova.”

  “I promise.” I whispered, dropping my gaze to where our bodies met. “I promise, Kol.”

  He entered with a brutal thrust, scattering my thoughts—wiping away my senses. His ass clenched, drivin
g deeper. He grasped my hips with one hand, his other still holding my nape as he slowly withdrew and began the assault all over again. There was nothing soft today, nothing like the seductive man he’d been last night. In this moment his body was a weapon, and he used it well. I jerked under each invasion, sliding my hands flat against the sides of the bath as he eased out, then buried his cock once more with unmerciful skill.

  Something dangerous came to life under his fierce possession. Something that shoved aside hearts and flowers for the animal Kol was.

  “You are mine, Nova Flynn. Mine to possess, mine to fuck—mine to love. You belong to me. Do you understand this?”

  The dark narcotic power in his gaze consumed me, whispering secrets. I was so close… so close to understanding this man, to unravelling his secrets. I clenched my thighs, drawing in the muscles around his shaft as he thrust. “Yes.”

  A hiss escaped his parted lips. His dark need matched my own. My climax came in drugging waves, pulling me into the maelstrom of his gaze. I was his and his alone. The intensity sparked and flared like lightning in his eyes. His hand tightened around my nape, his thumb gently pressing against my throat as he drove inside me.

  Heat and power radiated, sending sparks through my body. His movements slowed, became longer, harder. My head butted against the end of the tub, but I barely noticed it.

  My eyelids fluttered, whimpers turned to a moan as the storm broke. A bolt of energy ripped through me as he rose, thrusting once more and came with a cry of release. I sucked in the air and tried to find my scattered thoughts.

  His hand left my throat, moving to the edge of the bath. My body ticked and shuddered as he leaned in, brushing his lips across mine and whispered, “I’ll take you to your apartment if you like?”

  I managed a nod as he leaned backwards under the spray. His body glistened. Deft hands moved quickly over his chest, then his stomach to run along the length of his softening cock.