Stolen Sun (The Juliana Lucio Series)

by L. C. DeCarlo

  It was weird seeing William looking like a bad boy and speaking like a doctor to the director. It was a clashing of two worlds to be sure. William played the role so well that I started to wonder what it was that he really did. I knew Ana was really a doctor, I had worked with her, but I just realized that I had no clue what William did when he was out.

  “Wow that certainly is getting things done quickly. I like to hang on to the body a little longer normally, just in case, but if you’re sure we have it all . . .” the director started to trail off.

  “Well doctor, if there’s nothing more.” William said implying that he was holding us up.

  “Oh! Yes, sorry about keeping you. Oh, and ma’am, I believe your stitches are ready to come out, you can’t even see the cut anymore. Have a good night.” He said cheerfully as he strode back into the building.

  I looked down at myself and there was a small gap in the top of my jacket where you could see about three inches or so of the sutures William had put in me earlier to mimic a Y-cut.

  “Get me out of here,” I told him hotly.

  He revved the engine and bolted us out of the parking lot, the roar of the bike drowning out the sounds of his laughter.

  We rode fast and hard through the streets of Chicago taking the scenic route home and turning a ten-minute ride into an hour one. It was a nice distraction for a short time, but that’s all it was. I still had bigger problems ahead of me like what to do about the Retta’s tailing me and my family.

  As William pulled into the drive of the house, I immediately started to feel an intense prickling at the back of my neck. I had gotten used to being around William and Ana so often that they didn’t register a physical response with me anymore; I could still sense them just as strongly however. William noticed them at the same time I did. I realized this because I felt him instantly tense up, the muscles in his arms and back bunching up under his jacket.

  “It’s the Retta’s,” he said on a growl.

  I just about jumped off the bike before he finished speaking, and he grabbed my arm to stop me. This was reminiscent of the first night I met him when he was trying to keep me from fleeing away, this time I wanted to go charging in.

  “Jules, please, of all people to keep your temper in check around, these are them. They will destroy you and your family without blinking an eye.”

  “I don’t care who they are, they aren’t going to touch --”

  He put his face close to mine, our noses touching, his eyes a stormy black, but it wasn’t from desire this time; it was from barely contained anger, and a hint of fear.

  “If I need to tell Ana to compel you to keep your mouth shut, I will. I don’t care how much it will piss you off. If it keeps you alive, I will do it. You will NOT anger them, do you understand me?” He put the full power of his rage behind his words, I wanted to cower back and tell him I would do anything he said. I realized he was trying to compel me himself!

  “Do not attempt to compel me again. You are not my lover, my husband, or my Sire – if you want to remain my friend you will back off now.”

  I gave back to him, with as much power of my own behind it, as much as I could muster; he didn’t cower but did agree to back off.

  We went into the house, with William leading, to find Ana sitting in the library with a short, chubby, middle-aged man and a girl who appeared to be his 17 year-old daughter. At first glance they didn’t appear to be the imposing figures I had been expecting. I wasn’t sure William was right in his assessment outside that the Rettas’ were here. These two were definitely vamps, I was getting that much from them, but I didn’t think these were the death-dealing masters William and Ana spoke of.

  The man was sitting in the leather chair beside Ana; he was wearing a pair of khaki pants, a long white sleeved shirt with a sweater vest over the top of his protruding belly. He had short graying hair, chubby cheeks my grandmother would have loved to pinch, and a friendly, easy smile. It immediately put me on edge.

  Ana was sitting at one end of the couch, her posture perfect, her face a blank slate. Man I wish I could do that. She was wearing a pair of Dolce & Gabbana jeans paired with a capped sleeve cashmere top and stiletto heels that I was just willing to bet were tipped with silver, if I had learned anything this weekend. She looked classy and sophisticated and could stake your ass in a heartbeat if required. I could practically read her mind; she was projecting her feelings onto me so intensely. Basically, it came down to “don’t ‘F’ this up.”

  Sitting on the couch next to her was who appeared to be a 17 year old girl, sitting unimposing in a cute sundress with her legs curled underneath her. She had light brown hair that fell in loose waves to the middle of her back and bright blue eyes on a sweet innocent face any mother would love to see their son bring home.

  “Juliana, I’d like you to meet some old companions of William and I.”

  Ana was holding her hand out to me like one would hold out to beckon a child to them, it irked me for sure, but I was remembering both her and William’s warnings and didn’t want to mess this up, so I went to her. I took her outstretched hand and she pulled me to her and kissed my cheek. As I leaned into the pull she breathed against my ear so I could hardly hear her, “behave.” It was so soft I scarcely heard it, so I knew no one else had, but it still didn’t lack any of the threat implied behind it. After straightening from greeting Ana, I moved to stand at her right side, a little behind her, at the edge of the couch. This left William standing at the entrance dividing the kitchen and library, also very close to the man. It would almost appear strategic–if we had planned it.

  Ana continued her introductions, “Juliana, this is Victoria Retta and her Sire, Nathaniel Retta. Nathaniel, Victoria, this is my child whom you’ve been so anxiously awaiting, Juliana Lucio.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Hello Mr. Retta, Ms. Retta, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. I apologize for having kept you waiting. If William and I had known we were expecting guests, we certainly would have been home much sooner.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Lucio not to worry at all. Your delightful Sire here has been a most gracious host.”

  I gave him a look saying I seriously doubted that one, which just brought on a bark of laughter from him. “Have you been injured? It looks like you have sutures there. That is rather unconventional for a vampire, but I have heard of stranger things.”

  “No, no injuries. William just has a morbid sense of humor and likes to experiment on me; you know sort of like putting your friends hand in a bowl of water when you were a kid.” There was no way in hell I was telling this guy anything about what we were doing.

  “Ha, ha, ha! Oh, Mrs. Lucio, you are delightful for sure. I can see why Ana chose you when no others turned her eye for over a hundred years.”

  I just gave him a tight smile in return and waited for him to say more about why they were so interested in me. When he said no more and instead seemed content to sit and look me over, I decided to speak up.

  “Mr. Retta, I’m afraid I’m new to the vampire scene, so please forgive my ignorance; but do you live in Chicago as well?” In other words when will you be leaving? I asked as I put on my best fake smile for him.

  “Oh, no we are simply passing through. Victoria and I tend to leave a bit of a trail at times, and for that reason, we don’t settle in one place for long. If we find somewhere we truly enjoy, we will try to be a bit more discreet with our killings in order to lengthen our stay, however,” he told me with a predatory glint in his eye.

  God, they sounded worse than Ana and William had told me. They don’t just kill their victims, they enjoy it and do it without caring how many bodies they leave in their wake. There was a stiff pause in which I knew I was being weighed and measured on how I would react to being told point blank that these two were sociopath vampires.

  “And what exactly do the authorities of the places you leave your trail of bodies think about what’s going on? How do you hide what you’re doing?”

&n
bsp; “Hide it, why on earth would we do that? We are the greater creatures. Humans should be afraid of us, cowering from us; I will not hide what I am from them.”

  “Yet you said yourself you run from them, you have no home because you leave a trail of bodies behind you. You say it is because you are the greater being. Is it perhaps because you lack self-control?”

  Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed into angry slits that were gone in a flash. I could feel Ana tensing up beside me. Amusement covered the fury that was simmering beneath his façade.

  “Mrs. Lucio, I can guarantee you I am lacking in nothing, but I appreciate your fire; I can see where young Christian gets it from. I think I understand why my Victoria wants him so badly now.”

  The threat wasn’t implied, it was thrown wide out into the open. The whole world froze in that instant, no one existed and nothing else mattered except the monster posing as a man before me. I now knew who and what he was, he was the Goliath that must be slayed to ensure my family’s safety, but I had a feeling it was going to take more than a sling shot to bring this bastard down. I started to step toward him without being aware of it until Ana’s arm flashed out and grabbed my arm stopping me.

  “What do you want Mr. Retta, why the interest in me and my family?”

  It took all the self-control I had accused him of lacking to keep from slipping into my vampire guise. I knew it would be considered an outward threat, and I was still trying to avoid that at the moment.

  “Cut straight to the point, don’t you dear?”

  “Yes, well I’ve always been a firm believer in ripping Band-Aids off fast and cutting through the bullshit – not sitting around acting like I’m friends with someone who is threatening my son. Now again, I ask you respectfully, what is your interest in him?”

  “I have no interest in him at all, I was merely commenting on your likeness. I came by to meet a dear old friend’s new child, nothing more. I’m sorry if you’re threatened by me.” He said with a smile, which suggested anything but.

  What’s that saying . . . in for a penny, in for a pound?

  “Mr. Retta, my bullshit detector is very finely tuned, and I’ve got to say it’s reading off the charts right now.”

  “Your what? Did you just --” before he even finished his sentence he was up and out of the chair and had me thrown against the far wall, he would have thrown me through it I’m sure, but I caught myself with my hands at the last moment and just ended up pressed against it.

  Ana went to move by my side, but Victoria flashed between us blocking her way. As I went to push myself off the wall, Nathaniel was at my back pressing the bulk of his significant belly into my back. He opened his mouth wide and was baring his fangs; he looked as if he was about to pierce my neck, but I gave him a quick elbow to the mouth instead.

  The jerking motion pulled at the stitches in my chest, and I silently cursed William again. Though, if I didn’t live it wouldn’t really matter. The shock of the blow caught him off guard and gave me a chance to take advantage of his distraction. I ducked under his arm and spun around so my back was no longer to him or the wall. I tensed my muscles to be ready to spring at any moment.

  “Mr. Retta, is that any way to treat your host? Especially considering how she has been so gracious to you. Besides, I hear if you drink too much vampire blood you go crazy, and as a licensed doctor, I think I’m qualified to say you are certifiable enough already.” Was I antagonizing him? Hell yes, I was.

  “Juliana Lucio, I thought I might try to woo you to my side, I thought perhaps you might be smarter than the scab traitors you have been forced to live with, after all, you didn’t choose your Sire. I was sure you were smart enough to see that we are the better creature and can do what we please to whom. I see I was wrong, you are just as blinded as they are. I think instead of taking you under my wing I’ll just take you instead. I’ll take you so you can watch my little Victoria drain your Christian dry, and at the last moment I’ll decide whether to turn him or not. It was your refusal to let go of him in the first place that led her to his beauty. Know this before I take you that his death in any form I grant it will be all your doing – if not for you leading us straight to him, Victoria never would have found him.”

  “Tell me Nate, have you spent all of your existence running from the humans you deem beneath you, and trailing after teenagers? Is that how you stay feeling young? It must be hell to be trapped in the body of a fat, old man.”

  He lunged for me like I knew he would, I was waiting for it and dodged him at the last second. As I was spinning away from him, his hand caught my hair and yanked me back toward him.

  Ana and Victoria were still facing off with each other but not engaging one another. They were crouched low, fangs bared and arms up ready to attack, they were shifting around, but neither was making a move on the other. I couldn’t see William, but then my focus was on the vampire trying to rip my head off my shoulders by way of my hair. As Nathaniel pulled me backward, I fell to the carpet; he spun around and was now in a low crouch over me, looking me fiercely in the eyes. I could now see William out of my periphery poised and ready to attack.

  That would not accomplish what I needed desperately to get done. I was hoping I was right, and really, really hoping I didn’t get myself or anyone I loved killed in the process. I gave William a shake of the head telling him ‘No’. Nathaniel, arrogant bastard that he was, probably thought I was begging him not to do anything to me.

  “Juliana Lucio, look at me.” I did, but mostly out of curiosity.

  “You will stop fighting me, right now.”

  I let go of him, I did it on my own, but there was a slight tingle in the back of my mind that was telling me this was a good idea. He was trying to use compulsion on me. I thought about putting my hands around his neck, and when I realized I still could if I wanted to, it was incredibly hard not to smile.

  “You will come to me and revel in the blood or I will give your son to Victoria. It’s that simple. I would give you the world for your beauty, but for the chance to see you turn into the monster you are meant to be, for that I would give anything.”

  “Tell me Mr. Retta, what good would the world do me if I lose my soul trying to take it?”

  “Oh, you are a delight. One week Mrs. Lucio, one week to come to me or I will be taking your son, while making you watch. Let’s go Victoria.” He abruptly let me go and turned to leave the house. Victoria followed him just as quickly without ever having said a word.

  As soon as the door shut, both William and Ana turned on me.

  “What part of ‘behave’ do you not understand?” Ana yelled at me from across the room.

  “I told you he would turn on you! I told you he would take your family in a blink! Were you trying to antagonize him or does it come naturally!” Apparently it was William's turn to yell.

  “Yes.” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

  “Yes? Have you lost your damn mind?” William looked furious and scared, “He could have killed you or he could have compelled you to walk right out the door with him. Don’t you get it?”

  He was pacing the living room now. I was still sitting on the floor and Ana was looking like she was meditating. Huh?

  “Why are you so giddy right now, did you not hear what he said? He is going to kill you or your son.” Ana was talking to me between deep breaths.

  I jumped up, getting a little angry that they thought me so inept, so I did end up on my ass, so what!

  “Yes, I do get it. Better than both of you apparently. He was going to go after Christian no matter what, he just wanted to come here and flaunt it before me to see what kind of reaction he could get out of me first. He is an f’ing psychopath; no amount of groveling at his feet is going to stop him from trying to take Christian, or me. But I did find out something useful.

  I can see him coming; he isn’t any faster than William is, who I can hardly ever see coming. I can block his blows and dodge his punches, and most importantly, which is why I d
idn’t want you to attack him, William is he can’t compel me. Everything he told me to do, I did of my own free will.”

  “You did all that on purpose?” Ana asked, but it came out as a strained whisper.

  “Hell yes! I was antagonizing him for a reason; you think I would endanger my family for nothing?”

  “Why, why do you need to know all that? How did you know you couldn’t be compelled?”

  “I thought it might be possible because both you and William have both tried it on me, but William tried it with his full power, and it still didn’t work. I needed to know if Nathaniel was powerful enough to do it, I needed to know how quick he really was. I know he’s older so he’s supposed to be more powerful, but I had to find out because you two will be teaching me to fight him.”

  “Fight him! Jules, you can’t fight him.” William was pacing again, “you don’t know that he was even using his full power tonight. You can’t risk it!”

  “I will be going after him with or without your help. He will not touch my family, and I plan on staking his fucking ass.” I told them both with all seriousness. They just looked at me with blank stares then William said in mocked shock.

  “Jules just swore, like with real swear words.”

  “Oh, shut the hell up!”

  Chapter Thirteen

  I had turned to go into the kitchen, just as I was about to reach the coffee pot, I felt William coming up behind me. “Jules, you can’t do this. We need to contact him, you need to apologize. We’ll figure something out about Christian, but you can’t fight Nathaniel.”