Summit at Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 3)

by Primo, Jaz

  “Look, this was a mistake,” he insisted. “We don’t have to do this, Paige. We’ll wait to go riding tonight instead, okay?”

  Paige let out a deep breath, shaking her head as she perched her hands atop her hips. “Honestly, Red. You wanna scare the kid by arguing about this?”

  “He should be scared,” Katrina growled as she cast a glare at Caleb. “I vividly recall how painfully the sun burns. Get burned badly enough, and there’s no coming back from that.”

  Her memories replayed the past. It had only been eighteen years since she had tried committing suicide by facing the morning sun. Though she had lost her nerve at the last minute, severe damage had been done to her body. It was only the actions of an innocent, eight-year-old boy named Caleb that had saved her. The momentary recollection almost lightened her mood. Almost, but not quite.

  “I know what I’m doing,” Paige insisted between clenched teeth as she reached out to grasp Caleb’s arm. “Hell, I did something like this a decade or more ago, anyway. And we’ll both be safely back before you know it.”

  “Wait,” Caleb protested, but Paige took his arm in her vise-like grip and pulled him towards the direction of the hallway leading to the garage.

  “Oh, shut up! Honestly, the lengths you have to go to these days just to have some freakin’ fun,” she muttered.

  “Be careful!” Katrina barked with aggravation as Caleb was dragged into the garage. You better be careful, or I’m never going to forgive you, she silently added.

  Paige shoved her helmet over her head and thrust the spare helmet at Caleb. After putting it on, he stared into the charcoal-tinted visor on Paige’s helmet, wondering if she were actually planning to go through with their plan.

  “Do you see any exposed skin?” she asked in a muffled voice.

  She looked almost like a black-clad astronaut in her leather outfit. He scrutinized her closely then shook his head. She flexed her arms and wrists and seemed satisfied. Then she pointed to the garage door and spun her finger in the air. He went to press the garage door button on the wall.

  Paige straddled the cycle and hurriedly waved him to return to her as the door rose. Sunlight permeated into the garage little by little until the garage was illuminated by the ambient glow of daylight. He hiked his right leg over the back of the bike, and she revved the engine.

  She glanced back over her shoulder at him while feeling his arms slip in front of her stomach and tighten around her waist. She took a deep breath as she put up the kickstand, and they lurched out onto the driveway, marking her first journey into direct sunlight in nearly fifteen years. Despite her outward display of confidence, she wrestled with feelings of uneasiness as she realized how vulnerable the sun made her feel. Still, Paige Turner liked nothing better than a challenge.

  As they rolled onto the neighborhood street, Paige steeled herself for any negative reactions. However, the charcoal-tinted visor did its job, and her face and eyes felt nothing more serious than a mild tingling sensation. The complete coverage of the remainder of her body effectively protected her. As they proceeded past the gate and out onto the neighborhood street, her confidence grew by the moment. By the time they were on the county road outside the addition, she once again felt completely in control of her situation.

  However, Caleb was still concerned for his friend and silently berated himself for placing someone he cared about in potential danger for the sake of a spontaneous dare. As they smoothly coasted atop the asphalt, his imagination ran scenarios about what he should do if Paige suddenly found herself in distress from the effects of sunlight exposure. A macabre vision of feverishly trying to bury her body in dirt along the side of the road flashed in his mind. Then he realized that they hadn’t even brought a shovel or any other tool for effective digging. At the very least, he thought, he could drag her into a shaded area and cover her up with something.

  I’m such an idiot.

  However, within ten minutes or so, he began to realize that Paige seemed quite at ease with their circumstances, and a hopeful sense of success crept into his spirit. Before long, a feeling of guarded relief formed, which further tempered his anxiety.

  Half an hour later, he was actually enjoying their daytime ride. He affectionately patted her stomach with his right hand, and she revved the engine in response.

  Ever since meeting Katrina, he had bemoaned the fact that his interactions with a vampire were stunted by daylight. It was as if a moat existed between two separate worlds of day and night. Now the chasm had been bridged and realities began to coalesce with one another. However, the new dimension was tempered by the cold realization that if Paige could do this, so could other vampires. That meant his daytime kingdom was no longer pleasantly safe from direct influence by prospectively negative forces.

  But then, it never really was, he rationalized with sober realization. Blissful ignorance.

  Paige peered over her shoulder at him for a brief second, having sensed a subtle change in his body.

  Everything okay back there? she wondered as she reached down with one hand to pat his arm.

  Her concerns were abated by a gentle pat from his palm against her stomach.

  Much better, she thought and once again focused on their enjoyable journey.

  She revved the engine, which caused the cycle to lurch slightly, and Caleb’s arms tightened around her waist. She appreciated the firm feeling of his body against hers.

  The things I have to do for a friendly cuddle, she thought with a snicker.

  By the time they returned to the estate and parked in the garage, both of them were feeling quite satisfied with themselves. When the door finally closed, Katrina appeared before them in a blur, her arms folded before her and a stern expression on her face. However, her visage was replaced with a measured sense of relief upon seeing them no worse for wear and in no distress.

  My two little daredevils thankfully returned unscathed, she silently noted with a quick peck on Caleb’s lips.

  “See, Red? Nothing to worry about,” Paige good-naturedly offered.

  “It was great!” Caleb added.

  “Mm-hmm,” Katrina dubiously hummed as she followed them into the house.

  By evening, it was time for Caleb to make good on his end of the bargain. Paige donned a pair of faded blue jeans, black t-shirt, and black leather jacket, along with her leather boots. She wandered into the front entry room where he was sprawled on the couch with his laptop surfing the Internet and quietly stood in front of him with a smirk on her face and her hands resting atop her hips.

  “Evening’s here, kiddo,” she reminded him.

  A tentative glance up at her was his only response as he closed the various programs in Windows. He still felt a little guilty about their daytime ride together, although he had enjoyed it very much in the end. Despite her virtual anonymity of being clad in leather riding gear and helmet, somehow just being outside with her during the day made him feel happy. However, he regretted the angst the act had caused Katrina. In fact, she had avoided him and Paige for most of the afternoon, remaining secluded in the lower chamber at her computer.

  Paige noted his distracted body language and tried to discern the nature of his mood.

  Her silent query went unanswered as he powered off his laptop, set it aside on the end table, and quietly rose from the couch. He cast an innocent, curious gander at her and asked, “Ready then?”

  “Garage,” she instructed in a resolved tone. “I’ll tell Red we’re leaving.”

  He shrugged and made his way towards the back of the house.

  “Grab a leather jacket,” she added in a raised voice. “There’s an unseasonable chill outside tonight.” That, and Katrina will kill me if I let anything happen to you, including catching a cold!

  He snatched his jacket on the way out to the garage and barely had time to pick up the spare helmet before Paige appeared beside him. He started slightly with surprise, not having heard the door from the house open and close.

  She
giggled in response, happy to have caught him off-guard.

  She activated a garage door remote from her jacket pocket and slipped on her helmet while he peered outside into the night. He noticed a peculiar fog had started to form and zipped up his leather jacket halfway.

  After mounting the cycle, she motioned to him and started the engine. The motor revved to life as his leg swung over the seat.

  Paige felt the satisfying, telltale warmth of his arms as they slowly wrapped around her waist.

  That’s my boy, she admired. Hold on, tiger, she added with a chuckle. Now’s my turn to have some real fun.

  She eased the bike out of the garage and quickly headed in the direction of the addition’s exit. It was a wonderful night for a ride, and she was happy not to have to wear the cumbersome riding gear. She longed to feel the wind whip around her as they rode, as well as the satisfying sensation of Caleb’s arms tightly wrapped around her midsection. By the time they had exited the addition onto the open road her anticipation had grown into a hunger.

  They were soon racing down the asphalt county roads.

  I could ride with him across the entire state tonight, she happily mulled.

  As for Caleb, he eased into a state of appreciation rather quickly, and he took the time to survey the subdued landscape they passed. The foggy evening inspired ominous feelings within him, though he enjoyed spending time with Paige.

  It looks kind of creepy outside tonight. Classic vampire weather.

  Paige continued to increase the cycle’s speed as they proceeded through the cool, foggy evening. They parted the moist air as they pressed forwards, creating a wispy swirl of fog in their wake.

  There were few cars on the semi-rural county roads, and they only passed three after leaving the neighborhood. Caleb thought that the dark, oppressive conditions seemed to thwart his awareness of their velocity as they sped along. It was as if they floated on a dark sea of mist, partially illuminated by the fuzzy halo of an occasional street lamp.

  Suddenly, the headlight on their cycle went out, plunging them into near darkness. Caleb’s arms immediately clamped around Paige’s body like a vise, and he thought that he felt her body momentarily vibrate somewhat.

  Is she laughing?

  The vampire took great pleasure in switching the headlight off and heartily laughed at Caleb’s instantaneous, nervous reaction. Of course, her vision was well-accustomed to seeing in darkness, so she had no trouble viewing the road or surroundings around them. However, it had to be terrifying to the human melded to her back.

  Now comes the payback, she resolved with satisfaction.

  But even in her sense of retribution, she also felt the purely invigorating feeling of the young man’s body pressed against her back. It made her feel needed and powerful. She grinned to herself despite his obvious alarm.

  “Paige!” Caleb shouted after what felt like an eternity in darkness with the feeling of swift motion almost causing his stomach to feel queasy. “Stop!”

  She glimpsed the view via one of her side mirrors and noticed what looked like another motorcycle shadowing them; one with its headlight likewise extinguished. Her mind raced with the possibility that another vampire was likely trailing them.

  Surely that’s not Katrina.

  She hadn’t recalled seeing another bike in the estate garage, merely Katrina’s and Caleb’s vehicles. She instinctively increased the speed of their cycle, concentrating her attention on putting more distance between them and their mysterious follower.

  Caleb’s heart caught in his throat as he heard the engine revving into a higher gear and felt their velocity increase.

  “Oh shit!” he barked and concentrated on keeping his stomach in check.

  “Hold on, tiger!” Paige shouted, uncertain if he would be able to understand her.

  She expertly maneuvered their cycle around slight curves, while concentrating both on their balance and the topology of the road. In a split second, she observed a sign on the corner of a gravel road they passed in order to mark their current location and immediately noted another small sign indicating that a scenic turnout was coming up.

  Their cycle continued up a sharp incline as the turnout loomed ever closer. Her eyes darted to the side mirror, and she quickly estimated that a greater distance had formed between them and their pursuer.

  Paige wheeled the cycle sharply to the left and into the shallow parking area that was bordered by metal railing. The bike skidded to a halt as she killed the engine, and Caleb practically rolled himself off the back seat while yanking the helmet off his head.

  He staggered slightly off-balance, cursing. “Dammit, Paige! What the hell are you trying to do, get us both killed?!”

  But she ignored him for the moment and stared off to their left towards the small entrance through which they had just passed. As she deftly removed her helmet, she heard the faint sound of another motorcycle engine gearing down and then idling in the distance. She perched her helmet on one the handlebars and focused on Caleb.

  He loosely held his helmet in one hand while staring back at her incredulously. His eyes were wide with a mix of excitement, fear, and angst.

  “Well?” he demanded in a strained voice as he steadied his still-queasy stomach. “What’s your friggin’ problem? Is this ‘scare the crap out of Caleb night,’ or something?”

  “Oh, stop being so dramatic,” she admonished with annoyance and turned her attention back towards the turnout entrance.

  “Dramatic?” he irritably countered.

  “Shhh,” she insisted with a quick wave of her arm.

  She moved in a blur, only to reappear at the side of the county road to stare into the distance.

  Just who the hell is following us? she wondered.

  He fell silent as he watched her obvious distraction at something further up the road. He thought they had come from that direction, but it was quite dark, and he actually had no idea where they were.

  He inspected his surroundings. He didn’t think he had ever been there before, and he stared across the cliff-like view into the fog beyond the metal railing before him. The mist parted slightly in places, and he speculated that the few fuzzy orbs of light in the distance might be from some local town.

  Caleb moved closer to the railing and tried to see into the darkness below. It seemed they must be some height up, though he couldn’t see the bottom of the drop-off. Then he started with surprise as Paige reappeared to his right and firmly grasped his upper arm with an iron-like grip. She pulled him back away from the railing in a steady manner.

  “It’s a nasty drop, kiddo,” she quietly warned. “Let’s get you back over here away from the edge, okay? You’re kind of accident-prone.”

  He rolled his eyes, but retreated back in the direction of the cycle. She released his arm and pulled her cell phone out with a fluid motion. He started to ask her something, but she began speaking.

  “Red? We’re at a turnout off the Russell-Brasstown scenic route,” she said in a quiet voice. “Pretty sure that we’ve got a visitor. I’m headed back with our boy. Meet me en route?”

  Our boy? he wondered. Just who came up with that little nickname?

  She snapped the phone shut and neatly slipped it back into her jacket pocket before he even saw her move. “Back on the bike, okay, kiddo?” she suggested while reaching for her helmet.

  But he backed away from her. “Yeah, right. That little stunt was enough for me.”

  “Oh, grow up, Caleb,” she tersely admonished. “I was just having some fun. Like I’d do something to endanger you.”

  Her chastisement caught him off guard, and he stared back at her in bewilderment. “So, that’s your idea of fun?” he countered.

  “We’re being followed by someone. Back on the bike,” she ordered. “Now, Caleb.”

  He hesitated, wondering what was going on. “Really?”

  She loudly snapped her fingers and pointed to the cycle seat. “Do as I say.”

  He blinked at her sudd
enly demanding attitude and walked over to the bike as he slipped his helmet on. She moved in a blur, reappearing in the driver’s position while straddling the cycle. The engine roared to life a second later, and she turned her head to peer at him over her left shoulder. She revved the engine once as if to punctuate her demand.

  Paige hasn’t acted like this before, he noted with alarm. So serious.

  It seemed completely out of character for her, but he decided that, at the moment, the better part of valor was to comply. He hiked his leg over the back seat, and his arms slowly enveloped her waist.

  But rather than a gradual start, Paige gunned the cycle, and they lurched into movement. Caleb noted that at least she had turned on the headlight. His arms tightened around her, but instead of feeling her softer body as he had earlier, it almost felt as if his arms were enveloping the trunk of a statue.

  The county road seemed deserted as they accelerated through the fog. However, Paige once again noted the pursuing cycle in her mirror. The dark-clad figure appeared to be deliberately trailing them from a distance with their headlight off.

  Less than twenty minutes later, Caleb saw an approaching set of headlights and fog lamps in the distance. And while he realized that they were traveling at a high rate of speed, the oncoming vehicle seemed to also be approaching them at a fast rate.

  Is that who’s been following us?

  Only seconds passed when the vehicle appeared to slow, pull to the side of the road, and then stop with its hazard lights flashing. As they drew closer, Caleb finally recognized the Audi and saw Kat standing with her arms folded before her chest in the bright luminance of the headlights.

  Paige slowed the cycle and stopped a mere foot from the front of Katrina’s car. Her arm reached back around Caleb’s chest and rolled him off the back of the bike with a swift motion. He had barely set his feet onto the pavement before Katrina’s arm protectively wrapped around his waist and drew him before her.

  “I’m going back to check out our visitor,” Paige said in a raised voice that Caleb was able to understand over the purring of the motorcycle’s engine.