“What if he’s in his hotel room hurt or passed out?” Sami asked. “We need to check everywhere and look at all of our options. Just because his phone is there doesn’t mean he is.”
Dedou shook her head. “You didn’t answer my previous question, which leads me to believe you are not familiar with being out in the forest. If he is there, you’re not qualified to go after him. You’ll need to stay here, and we’ll find someone else.”
In her mind, she was more than qualified, no matter where he was, whether that was lying in the bottom of a dumpster in the city or out in the middle of the woods. Connor was her lover, her perfect match for blood, and her future. If anyone had any reason to get Connor out of whatever danger he’d found, she did.
“No, you’re wrong. I’m the one who has to go.”
Dedou crossed her arms over her chest. “I feel as though you may be approaching this from an emotional perspective instead of a tactical one. You have no idea how to survive the wilderness.”
Of course she was emotional about the situation. However, if anyone had a prayer of finding Connor in the city or the woods, it was her. Her mother had always told her that she always knew how close in proximity her father was because his blood seemed to vibrate within her, as if it spoke to her.
She only hoped it would be the same for her, although she’d never noticed any tremors within her before when Connor was around. Maybe she had to concentrate or something.
As far as surviving in the forest, well, she’d just have to figure it out. She’d download a couple of books and read them on the plane. They would at least get her basic knowledge she could apply to this adventure.
Connor was her everything, and she couldn’t imagine a life without him. As she tried to, a deep ache in her chest took her breath away, and she knew she’d rather die than be without him.
In the end, she realized her feelings for Connor weren’t much different than her mother’s feelings for her father.
“I’m going, Dedou. That’s the end of the discussion.”
Harper spun around in her chair and eyed them both as the standoff ensued.
Sami hoped that Dedou said yes, because she’d really like to have Operation Underworld behind her on this one. She needed Harper’s resources and intelligence, and it always felt good to know someone had her back.
“Very well,” Dedou said. “You will have the full cooperation of Operation Underworld behind you.”
Sami sighed in relief as Dedou left the apartment.
As the door clicked, Harper spoke.
“So, I’ll make the flight reservations to get you out to Seattle ASAP. I’ll need a list of everything you’re going to need while you’re there, especially if you need to go camping.”
Sami sank into the chair next to Harper and grabbed a handful of M&Ms. “I have no idea what I need. I’ve been camping once.”
Harper’s eyes widened. “Well, I’m not sure if you’ve got a big set of steel balls, or you’re just stupid.”
Sami shrugged. “I don’t know, either. I have to go find him, though.”
As she spun around back toward her computer, Harper said, “Let’s go with steel balls. I don’t like stupid people.”
Sami picked out the blue candies from her palm and ate them first. She tried not to think about the fear clawing at her, or the fact that Connor could be dead. Instead, she had to approach it logically and look at the steps she needed to take in order to get him back.
“I’m putting you on a private plane,” Harper said. “You leave it two hours.”
She stood. “Thank you, Harper.”
“I’ll have a rental car waiting for you at the airport. I’ll text you everything else when I have it in place.”
“Okay.”
Harper sighed and rubbed her face. “Now, I just have to figure out what you need for camping. Dirt, bugs, and nature … I feel like I’m sending you directly to the bowels of Hell.”
Sami didn’t answer, but turned to leave. If she found Connor alive, she would be able to go on with her life. If he were dead, she would definitely be in her own private Hell, and the only reprieve she could image would be death.
10
Connor sat on the stone floor, shivering, his knees pulled up to his chest, his forehead resting on his knees. Shutting his eyes, he tried with all his might to block out the screams coming from somewhere in the cave that echoed around like an awesome surround sound system. The pleas for help, the begging of those wishing to have their lives spared, fell on deaf ears. Instead, one by one, they were silenced in a way he felt certain would be horrible and painful.
He wondered who the victims were. It very well may be the people that he’d tried to warn earlier.
Could he have done more for them? He sat up straight and pulled on his chains again. Tyson had attached the shackles on his feet to the chain up to the top of the cave, but allowed him to sit instead of being strung upside down. The restraints didn’t give and only managed to cut his flesh more. He settled back into his previous position, his frustration at his inability to do anything to help only growing.
“Please, please don’t kill me!” a woman yelled, her shaky voice reverberating throughout the cave. “I have a child at home. Please, don’t take away his mama.”
He imagined Selene stalking the woman, a small grin on her bloody face as she tried to escape the confines of the cave.
“I have money!” the woman shrieked. “I can pay you! I can—”
Connor flinched as the words faded into howls of pain and agony. Selene didn’t even put her victims into a trance. Instead, they felt everything as she drained their blood. After a few long, torturous moments, the woman went silent.
When Sami had drunk from him, it had been a special bond, one that had aroused both of them and made them feel close. It didn’t sound like the people with Selene right now derived any pleasure from their time with her. Why was it that for some, having a vampire drink from them was one of the most wonderful experiences in life, while for others, it was a horrible ordeal to suffer through? Was it because they were afraid of the vampire? It had to be. It seemed as if Selene’s victims died scared and in a lot of pain, and it must have been similar to what Sami’s father had gone through during his death.
Tyson shuffled into the chamber toward the area he always went to lift Connor into the air. He didn’t think he could take much more upside down time.
“Tyson!”
The man kept walking, oblivious to Connor.
“Tyson! You don’t have to do this! I can’t go anywhere if I just sit here! You don’t have to string me up!”
He disappeared into the darkness, and moments later, Connor’s legs began to lift. He screamed as the metal lodged into his ankles again, and his head began to throb as he reached for the stone flooring, looking for anything to grab onto.
When he’d been hoisted about five feet up, he used his abs to move himself into an upright position.
He tried to think of a time where he’d been so scared and certain he was going to die, and none came to mind. Even when he’d been pinned down by heavy fire outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, he’d felt like he at least had a chance to make it out alive. Here, he didn’t see a way. He was a mere mortal and didn’t possess any superhero powers, but what he’d give for some laser vision right now to cut through these damn cuffs!
“Look at you, up there,” Selene said.
He opened his eyes and glanced down at her, gripping the chain to hold himself upright. Wet hair hung all around her naked torso. He’d expected to see her a bloody mess after her killing spree, but apparently, she’d bathed somewhere.
Truth be told, he had a hard time wrapping his mind around her complexities. Her dark beauty seemed almost blinding with her long hair, olive skin, and ebony eyes. Yet, beneath it laid Evil like he’d never known.
“And look at you down there,” he replied with more energy than he had. “You say you’re really smart, but that woman was about to give you
money, and instead, you killed her. That doesn’t seem very intelligent to me.”
He should probably keep his damn mouth shut, but he still had a little bit of fire left in him. Some eats would definitely help his energy level and strength, but at least he now understood why Tyson had lost so much weight. The guy barely ate, and he sure as hell didn’t share with Connor, who was so far past hunger, the thought of food made him nauseous.
Selene’s dark eyes flickered with a pass of anger at his remark, but she said nothing as she stared at him.
“Come here, my pet,” she called as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, not ashamed or embarrassed at all about her exposed breasts. Her stare didn’t leave Connor, and he made sure to keep his gaze on her chin so that she wouldn’t be able to put him into a trance.
Tyson emerged from the darkness and walked over to Selene, standing directly in front of her. She looked at him, tracing a finger down the side of his face. After a moment, she stepped up to him and kissed him passionately.
From his view, he could see their tongues dancing together. Selene lifted his hand to her breast, and he gently rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger as she cupped his face.
She slipped her hands up under his dirty, white T-shirt as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer so that their bodies melded together.
After a moment, she broke the kiss and grinned while glancing up at Connor. As her hands lifted to Tyson’s belt buckle, Connor tried to look away, but he couldn’t. His stare had become completely fixated on them while she slipped Tyson’s jeans down his legs.
He stepped out of them, and she gripped his erection, her hand moving the whole length of the shaft in a slow, but steady rhythm.
“Are you ready to please your Queen, my pet?” she asked, her voice just loud enough so Connor could hear her clearly.
Tyson nodded, his face still void of any emotion.
Selene lay down on the stone floor, placed her hands above her head, and bent her legs. Tyson got down on his knees, and Selene’s legs dropped open, revealing her core for both men to see.
Connor couldn’t help his body’s response. His cock engorged, and he shifted his weight to try to hide it from her. He’d seen porn before—was there any red-blooded male who hadn’t? Yet, he’d never seen two people have sex right before his eyes. It both embarrassed and fascinated him.
Heat rose in his cheeks as Tyson lay down on his stomach and began lapping at Selene’s center. The vampire closed her eyes and massaged her breasts as she undulated against Tyson’s mouth.
Truly a sight to be seen, Connor stared down at them. The wet strands of Selene’s hair fanned out around her head, reminding him of snakes. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him, the dark orbs seeming to penetrate his soul. He quickly looked away, but had to glance back at them as Selene began to moan and pant.
Her lips had parted, and she kept her stare on Connor as she ran her hands over her abdomen, over her breasts and neck, and threaded her fingers through her hair, then back down again. Beautiful beyond measure in the throes of her passion, he had to keep reminding himself that the depth of her evil had no bounds.
He didn’t know what her goal was in putting on this display right below him. Did she want him to find her sexy? Did she want him to take Tyson’s place, and she was showing him the benefits of the job?
No, he didn’t understand it, and as his erection throbbed, he just wished they’d finish up.
Selene grabbed on to Tyson’s hair with both hands, her legs wrapped around his neck. She moaned, her breath coming in short spurts. When her mouth opened up in a silent scream, her back arched, and she peeled back her lips to reveal her fangs. She rode out the orgasm while holding Tyson’s head in place, and when finished, let him go.
Tyson got to his knees and knelt before her, as if he waited for a command.
“Come, my pet,” Selene said, crooking her finger to beckon him. As he seated the tip of his cock at her core, she said, “You’ve done well today. It’s now time for your reward.”
“Yes, my Queen. Thank you.”
He laid down on top of her, resting most of his weight on his elbows. His hips surged forward as her legs wrapped around his waist.
Selene laid one hand on his lower back, the other on the nape of his neck. Tyson grunted and moaned as he rutted on her, but Selene only stared up at Connor.
“That’s it, my pet,” she said, loud enough for Connor to hear, but too loud for the situation. It was as if she wanted to include him in her erotic display, and a chill went down his spine. Tyson truly couldn’t make a decision for himself because the man Connor had known would never participate in something like this.
Selene bared her fangs and then sank them into Tyson’s neck. She suckled on him with greed, each pull causing Tyson’s hips to pound into her harder, his moans of pleasure becoming louder and louder.
A sheen of sweat formed on Tyson’s back, his buttocks pinching and thrusting. He came on a strangled cry, and Selene released his vein.
Tyson immediately got to his knees while Selene moved to her feet. Connor hoped this debacle would be over soon as his arms and torso were now trembling from the exertion of holding himself upright. No, food didn’t sound very appetizing right now, but if he were given some, he’d eat just to try to keep his energy up.
“Leave me, my pet.”
Tyson stood, grabbed his clothes, and disappeared into one of the caverns.
“I would love to give you the pleasure I give him,” Selene said as she stared up at him.
“Not interested, but thanks for the offer.”
She arched her eyebrow and smiled. “Based on the condition of your impressive manhood, I disagree.”
He ignored her. “Wouldn’t want to take away Tyson’s position. It looks like there is only room for one pet.”
She tilted her head to the side, but said nothing. Instead, she turned as if to follow Tyson.
He watched her walk away, her hips swaying as her hair caressed her shoulders.
When he couldn’t hold himself upright any longer, he slowly lowered himself back down, and came to a conclusion.
He’d rather die than become Selene’s ‘pet,’ and he shut his eyes, imagining all the ways he could kill himself before she got her claws into him.
11
Sami landed in Seattle mid-afternoon to a bit of drizzle, her fear completely gone, and more determined than ever to find out where Connor had gone.
Checking her phone, she found a text from Harper with information on which rental car vendor to use. As she followed the signs to the bus that would take her there, she also scanned another text from Harper telling her where to pick up her equipment.
I did some research, and where we located his phone is about four miles in from the trailhead. If you end up going out there, I think you’re going to have to stay overnight, so call me if you decide you do need supplies and I’ll get everything arranged. TTYL.
As an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach, she tried to push it aside. Spending the night out in the wilderness on her own didn’t sound like any fun, and actually scared her a bit. However, the way she looked at it, she had no choice. She had to find Connor. Not only did his life depend on it, but she felt like hers did, as well. She couldn’t imagine going on without him.
There was no need to go to baggage claim because she’d only brought a couple pairs of jeans, underwear, two turtlenecks, and a sweater, and it all fit nicely in her duffel bag. She didn’t have a rain slicker, but if need be, she’d pick one up or ask Harper to add it to the list of things for the dreaded camping trip that she hoped never happened.
The bus ride to the rental car garage was uneventful, and she had her keys in no time. After entering the address to the hotel where Connor had stayed, she pulled onto the freeway and wondered if there was a time of day that Seattle traffic didn’t consist of stop and go brake lights.
An hour later, she reached he hotel and went to the f
ront desk. It was of the upper-middle grade variety—white marble floors, some sleek red and black furniture, and a promise of ‘the best rest you’ve ever had!’ with a picture of a bed layered with white fluffy comforters and pillows. She had to admit, it looked absolutely decadent, and she longed to bury herself in all that freshness and sleep away the troubles from her soul. The stress was draining her, but there wasn’t time to be tired. She needed to push on.
She wanted to take a look around Connor’s room to be certain he wasn’t there and to see if she could find any clues to where he’d gone. Yes, his phone was up in the mountains, but that didn’t mean he was. If it weren’t for Dedou’s visions, she would explain the whole situation away by saying that he had dropped the phone on his hike. However, she trusted Dedou and accepted that he was in trouble.
“Hi,” she said to the older gentleman with the grey hair and thick glasses behind the counter. “My boyfriend is staying here, and he’ll be back later tonight. I just flew into town and was wondering if I could get into his room and surprise him?”
Her cheeks burned at the lie, and she knew by the eye roll the employee gave her that he thought she was full of it.
“Sorry. It’s against hotel policy,” he replied with a kind grin. “You can wait here in the lobby for him. There’s complimentary coffee over by the closed restaurant, or you can get a glass of wine in the bar.”
She frowned, knowing she’d been made, but still pressed on. “Please? I haven’t seen him in so long.”
The man stared at her a beat, and to her surprise, tears welled in her eyes. She had missed Connor, but to actually cry about it in public seemed ridiculous.
He shook his head. “Honey, I’m sorry, but I can’t. If I get caught, I lose my job.”
The tears fell, and she swiped them off her cheek. So far, she had been a failure in tracking Connor.
She nodded then turned back toward the lobby and pulled out her phone. Harper would be able to do something.
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