by Kim Faulks
The air left my lungs.
Pieces of me were scattered on the highway, my fight, my heart.
The detective slowed the car, and steered the car onto the off-ramp. I was already dead—all that I needed was my soul to catch up.
We left the traffic behind, taking the corner with squealing tires. “Then give me your gun,” my voice turned cold, “and I’ll save you the problem.”
He tromped on the brake. I flew forward smashing against the barrier. Smoke and rubber filtered through the vents as he turned. “You’d do that?” His face was stunned—and a little afraid. “You’d kill yourself?”
I shoved my hands against the seat and pushed backwards. “You’re not listening to me, Detective. I’m already dead.”
A horn blared behind us. He checked the rearview mirror, then stared into the distance. I followed his gaze. Somewhere down there my captors waited.
“Please don’t do this,” I begged. “Please don’t do this.”
“Jesus.” He dragged a hand over his face. “What have I done?”
No matter how hard he scrubbed his skin he’d never be rid of me. I leaned in closer.
“Just open the door, say I feigned a heart attack and got free. Shoot me if you want, if that’s going to make your story credible. If you hand me over to them, you’ll never see me again. I won’t live long enough to harbor hate for you, but you’ll have to live with this for the rest of your life.”
The motion stilled. He covered his face.
My chin trembled, stuttering my words. “You’re a good man, Detective. I can see that. You’re only trying to protect those you love. I’d be torn too, if I was in the same position. But we can’t give into these monsters. We can’t give in.”
The faint buzz of a phone sounded, and I flinched. He reached for his pocket and dragged it out.
He didn’t sound like the same man as he answered the call. “Hey, baby, what’s up?”
A child’s voice echoed from the speaker. “Daddy, there’s a man here to see you. Says he works with you at the station.”
The detective gulped. “Put him on sweetheart. It’s okay, just put him on.”
There was a scuffle, then the snap of the lock. I pressed my hands against the screen as my heart clawed its way into my mouth.
“Don’t let her open that door, detective. If he’s a vampire he can’t get in, not unless she invites him.”
He jerked his head toward me. “How do you know that?”
“Because I’m in love with a vampire, damn it. Tell her to stop. Tell her to lock the door and back away now!”
His voice shook as he dragged the phone to his ear. Desperation filled through with a tremble. “K—Katie honey? Katie, can you hear me? Don’t open the door sweetheart. Katie… Katie?”
The child’s voice murmured, talking to someone out of reach.
The creak of a screen door filtered through.
Heavy footsteps resounded.
A cold male voice snaked through the handset. “Detective. I’m just dropping by to make sure your little one’s safe.”
His tanned skin turned ashen. The sound of a broken man filtered through the plastic barrier. “Don’t hurt her. I’m doing what you asked, just don’t hurt her.”
“I’m not going to hurt her, detective. Can’t you see I’m protecting her? You never know who’s lurking in this neighborhood and little Katie here looks so vibrant and fresh.”
The detective whimpered and covered the phone. “I’m doing it, okay… I’m doing it. Just don’t hurt her.”
The tips of my fingers slid over gouges in the screen as I leaned close. “Don’t do this, Detective. Please don’t do this.”
He pocketed the phone. His shoulders bowed. I caught his tremble. It felt like forever until he lifted his chin. “You heard him,” he said in a hard voice. “I have no choice.”
Tears carved a warm path down my cheek as the car inched forward. I slipped from the seat, my knees hitting the floor. Behind me the figurines clinked in my bag. The only thing I had left of my mother.
He pulled back onto the road. A helpless anger swallowed me. There was nothing more to say. Hell, if she was my child I’d do the same. I turned my head, catching a break in the suffocating clouds. A thin ray of sunshine spilled over depilated buildings and for a second God came to mind.
Was He waiting for me?
Was this the end?
The car turned into a narrow alleyway. Dank warehouses crowded the car like monsters on either side. I caught movement and lifted my gaze. An enormous roller door climbed as the car moved closer. Shadows waited. Shadows and death.
Darkness swallowed me. Brakes squealed as the car pulled to a stop. A second later the engine died. The ticking engine mapped my frantic pulse. I closed my eyes as the snap of the lock sounded, and the driver’s door opened.
Movement at my door. I skidded across the seat and pressed my spine into the opposite door.
“Come now, Nova. We’re not here to hurt you.”
The deep baritone voice filtered through the door. Shadows moved behind me. I spun, grasping my bag. The billowing soft sides were little comfort.
“There’s no need to be afraid, my dear. Don’t make me come in there and get you.”
The door to my right opened. Ceramic rattled against my chest as he reached for me. A solid gold ring glinted from the interior lights. The pale skin of his hand shone like moonlight. The vampire leaned in. Dark eyes found me.
I blinked. He could’ve been Kol’s twin. Tight blond curls and perfect red lips. But there was something different about him—something that made my skin crawl and my heart clench with fear.
“My name’s Isaiah Holland. I’m not going to hurt you, Nova. If I wanted to, I could’ve done so at any time. Please, come, you must be out of your mind with worry….”
Don’t listen to him! A voice inside my head screamed.
But another… a quieter voice whispered the cold hard truth….
Fight, don’t fight—it’s pointless either way.
Go with him and I might have a chance.
But not if I stay here.
Not if I piss him off.
His outstretched hand never wavered and neither did his gaze. A cruel smile twisted his lips. My heart was thundering, filling my ears with a deafening roar. I searched those cold, bottomless eyes. Inside I was falling, clawing at whatever I could to find to save me. I met his cold-blooded stare with my own.
There was no Kol this time.
There was only me.
I dragged my bag with me and slid forward.
One mortal woman against a family of murderous vampires.
I wasn’t sure how, but I would survive.
But I loved Kol too much to fail now.
Kol
My thumb trembled as I swiped the screen, then the phone was ringing. Silence answered. I waited for Rurik to answer before I spoke. “They have her. They have Nova.”
“We don’t know these vampires, what they’re capable of.”
I stared at the club through the windshield while my mind struggled to catch up.
The detective.
Lynk.
The fire.
They were connected, I knew it. I just had to see how. That was the way to Nova. “The detective… Manning. He said his name was Manning.”
“Probably fake. You sure he was a cop?”
“Yeah. He moved like one, smelled like one. I’m pretty sure he was the real deal.”
“I’ll only ask this once. I want you to think hard before answering. Is she worth risking your life for?”
I scowled. Pain tore through my veins like liquid fire. I looked beyond the anger, and the hurt. I looked beyond me…. She wasn’t just a human, she wasn’t just a woman. She was more than that, more than my feeble mind could understand—but my heart understood all too well. I didn’t know why she’d been pulled into my vampire world—but she had, and by my own damn hand. So, she was my responsibility—and my love.
I would not fail this woman. “Yes,” I said without hesitation.
Rurik hissed. He knew me better than anyone. He knew the monster inside me—a monster he’d used time and time again to get what he wanted. And now this monster wanted something in return—Nova Flynn.
“Then we use the information we have. I’ll make some calls, see if I can track this Detective Manning down. We’ll find her, old friend, we’ll find her.”
I gripped the phone and listened to the empty silence. A frigid wind swept through the hollow part of me where my soul had once lived and a numbness settled deep.
She was gone, just like that—in the blink of an eye.
Dark thoughts crowded my mind, blood blended with her screams.
They wouldn’t kill her, not at first—they’d hurt her and they’d want me to watch. I could use that. I had to.
My phone vibrated with an incoming call. Raymond Burrow flashed across the screen. My teeth cracked, my jaw popped. I pressed the button. “What?”
A scream filled my ears, followed by the boom of something crashing to the ground. “You fucking sonofabitch,” Raymond squealed. “I pay you good money to protect me. I don’t pay you to sit back and watch these fucking bloodsucking animals tear my home apart!”
My stomach clenched. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about vampires, you idiot! They’re tearing my place apart, telling me Rurik’s finished and the Holland brothers are taking over. They threatened my family for God’s sake! Jesus…. Jesus, no, no!”
An explosion ripped through the handset. I wrenched the phone from my ear and stared at the screen as an old chill swept through me. I pressed the phone to my ear, listening to the human’s pathetic whimpers.
“Burrow, where are my men?”
Sobs turned to drivel. The phone cracked as I waited. “Burrows, answer me. Where are my damn men?”
“I don’t know! I don’t fucking know. Your men are supposed to be looking out for me, not the other way around you goddamn bloodsucker.”
The sound of gunfire filled the air. I should end the call and let the Holland bastards have the slimy sonofabitch, but it was Rurik’s name they were running into the ground and my men they were killing.
I fought the blast of automatic gunfire. “Burrow. Burrow!”
“What?”
“Find my men and stay with them. I’m sending a chopper.” I pressed the button, ending the call. Two seconds later my pilot received his instructions and was on his way. Within an hour he’d be onsite. I only hoped my men could last that long.
Next, I called Richter. No answer. Hell. My team commander could already be dead. I sent a quick message to the rest of my team: Help is on the way.
First he killed my staff, then he kidnaped my woman. Now he was waging war on me and Rurik.
I couldn’t wait to meet Isaiah Holland.
My phone vibrated again. I stared at the number and my stomach sank. Hell. Why was the head of the Italian mafia calling?
“Sergio, how can I be of service?”
“I just had an interesting visit, Kol,” he replied in his thick Italian accent. “It seems there’s a new enforcer in town—one who’s ready to step into your shoes.”
I snarled. “It seems Isaiah Holland’s had a busy fucking day.”
His low chuckle didn’t make me feel secure. “I had a feeling I wasn’t his first visit.”
“And? Is this a courtesy call to let me know my services are no longer needed?”
“I’ve dealt with my fair share of bullies.” His husky growl filled the phone. “Hell, I used to be one. But I’m old. I’m old and I have no time to deal with bullies who have no sense of honor—trying to muscle in on business like that. Makes me wish I was twenty years younger. I might give those vampires a run for their money.”
An image of Sergio Barzetti flashed into my mind. He swiped blood splatter from his face and lifted his foot to rest on a pile of vampire bodies. His two-toned shoes shone, not a thread out of place on his three-piece suit—not unlike the first day I had a run in with Barzetti on the Seattle docks.
“I think I would’ve liked that. I might even stand beside you.”
“You got problems? I know some people. I can make a phone call—just say the word.” If only Isaiah Holland was that easy to take care of. “Nothing I can’t handle, Barzetti. But I appreciate the heads up.”
“Hey, you saved my bacon more times than I can count. You’re part of my family—and a family to me means everything.”
He ended the call, but it wasn’t long the phone vibrated yet again. I thumbed the screen and stared at the list of Rurik’s clients—my clients.
I blew out a breath and made one last call. It was a call I’d hoped I’d never have to make—but this was vampire business and unlike the Hollands, there was honor here.
“Kol,” a soft, sweet voice responded. “I’ve been expecting to hear from you for a thousand years, but I never thought it would be because of another woman.”
I scowled. I had no time for Angelique’s games, not today. “There is no other woman. There is only my woman.”
“Tsk, tsk. A human woman, Kol, how could you?”
“Please Angie, not today. I need help—”
“No. What you need is someone to step into the ring with you.” Her tone drew blood. “I have no fight with the Holland brothers.”
“Yes, you do. If you think he’ll stop after muscling Rurik out of the game, then you’re fooling yourself. Why do you think his brother was here in the first place? It was only a matter of time before they forced their way into our turf. That’s what a nest like the Holland brothers do. They’re a disease, Angi. And I need your help to cut them out—otherwise we’re all dead.”
Her silence was deafening. At last she said, “You have proof of this?”
“Devlin Holland was here on our shores. Did you receive a courtesy notice? I sure as hell didn’t. Any vampire who drops into another’s territory unannounced is only there for one thing. If you think otherwise, you’re a damn fool.”
Her inhale was sharp. “I’m no fool, Kol. You’d best keep that in mind.”
“Then make the right decision. You take care of Rurik’s clients and I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” she snapped. “You’ll get yourself killed?”
I squared my shoulders. “If necessary.” She blew out a breath. “Damn you, Kol. Don’t you dare leave me. Who else would I hate and love all at the same time? Who else would drive me wild with the thought of us together?”
My lips curled. Angie had always been dramatic. “And while you’re waiting for me to come to my senses, you can shoo all those men from your bed.”
“Boys, all of them boys… but I’ll do it, I’ll do it for you. Don’t you get yourself killed, Kol, or I’ll unleash a rage this century’s yet to see.”
Good. I ended the call.
Word would get around, Angelique Harmon was now in charge. Blood would be spilled—and it wouldn’t be just ours.
I twisted the key and shoved the car into gear. Tires kicked up gravel. My resurrected heart struggled to find a beat as I wound through the streets.
The Dorchester Police Headquarters hunkered like a lone soldier, all sandstone and glass standing lonely at his post on the corner. I skidded to a halt and raced for the front door. Nova filled my mind. I prayed to whatever dark gods there were that I would be in time. Glass doors parted as I ran up the front steps. In the foyer, humans crowded around the front counter.
I went straight to the front of the line, cutting off a jumpy addict.
The desk sergeant frowned at me.
“Detective Manning,” I snapped.
The foyer turned silent. Heartbeats quickened.
“Wait there,” growled the sergeant, lifting his head.
I slapped my hands on the counter. “Detective Manning. Now.”
An icy chill settled deep. The cop was terrible at hiding emotions. “You’re a day walker.”
<
br /> His scowl tried to hide the flash of guilt. He glanced from me to the stairs. He thought his small little world was safe, protected by the ball of light in the sky—but not anymore.
Hell. I didn’t have time for this. Every second she was with them was a second too long. Inside my head I heard her screams of pain, scouring the edges of who I was.
“Look, I’m not here to hurt anyone. I just need to ask him some damn questions.”
The officer lifted a trembling hand to the stairs. “Third floor… on the right… s-second office.”
Hope took flight inside my chest. “Thank you.”
I turned and raced for the stairs. Papers fluttered as I passed the slower humans.
Hold on, Nova. I’m coming. Just hold on….
The steps were a blur. I slowed at the third floor and turned, finding Manning’s name on a plaque on an open office door. I clenched my fist and strode into the office. The hunched figure at the desk raised his head in surprise.
“Can I help you, sir?”
I stared at the boyish face, then growled, “Fuck. You’re not Manning.”
Nova
My captor’s heels echoed in the cramped hallway. I turned my head and glanced over my shoulder. Detective Manning lingered at the car, watching me fade one slow step at a time.
Shadows crowded the edges of my view, forcing me back to the lone figure in front. Icy fingers trailed their way down the back of my neck, turning my insides to water. Isaiah Holland carried himself with purpose, striding out with long legs, poised to perfection.
Ceramic figurines clashed in my bag. I glanced to the open zipper. They wouldn’t be whole—they couldn’t be whole. Not after today. They’d be chipped ballerinas. They’d be broken things.
I knew this with every beat of my fragile human heart.
My mother’s voice filled my mind.
Fight. Survive.
Whatever it takes.
Darkness crowded, leaving me to place my feet carefully. A faint orange hue licked the walls. The color brightened as we reached the edge of the doorway. I tracked the light to the flickering glow of a candle as we entered the warehouse.