Unfamiliar (The Vandran Legacy Book 1)

by Anna-Louise Dann

  “Hey guys,” Clara said as she walked in.

  She was welcomed with a unison of, “Hey,” from Danny and Jake. Colt stood and walked to her, kissing her on her head lovingly. “Hey beautiful, are you feeling any better now?” he said into her hair.

  “I am, I am glad to be in clean clothes... Where’s Sarah?” she said, looking from Colt to Jake and Danny. “She went straight to her room after Jake left to get food and hasn’t been down since,” Danny said, looking worried.

  “I’ll take her some pizza up and see if she’s ready to talk. She’s got to be hungry now,” Jake says, plating up two slices and filling a glass with juice.

  “I hope she doesn’t bust your balls, Jakey boy, that girl’s got her mother’s temper,” Danny says jokingly as Jake leaves the room.

  “Me too, Dan. Me too,” Jake replies, chuckling to himself.

  Jake Jake took the stairs two at a time, eager to reach Sarah’s room and find out what the hell had gotten into her. He knew there was something bothering her, she was hiding behind her pissed-at-the-world façade, but he had seen the devastation in her eyes. She might have the rest of them fooled but not him.

  He reached her door and knocked twice loudly... There was no answer.

  Maybe she’s asleep or showering.

  He knocked twice more. “Sarah it’s Jake, can I come in?”

  ...Nothing... Something didn’t feel right. He opened the door slowly, expecting to see her asleep – his heart sunk. Sarah wasn’t there and her bed was still made. He placed the pizza and juice on her bedside table and opened the bathroom door. The bathroom was empty apart from some writing on the bathroom mirror in Sarah’s lipstick.

  “GUYS, GET UP HERE NOW!” he roared. He started to shake, his palms became sweaty, his beast wanted out, but he couldn’t allow that right now.

  Colt was the first to burst through the door looking ready for battle, followed by Clara who surprisingly looked just as pissed as Colt.

  “What’s happened, Jake?” Colt growled. His eyes had turned amber, he was also trying to prevent his beast from making an appearance.

  Jake slumped on the end of Sarah’s bed and looked at Colt’s menacing stance.

  “She’s gone, Colt. Sarah’s gone back to Dominic.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Clara No, this wasn’t happening, this wasn’t real. Why would Sarah go back to him after everything they had just been through, after everything she had seen Dominic do, and what he was capable of? It didn’t make sense.

  She tried Sarah’s phone again... no answer. It had been an hour since Jake had found her note on the mirror, and headed straight out with Colt to look for her. She read the words on the mirror for the hundredth time trying to understand why she would leave.

  Gone back to Dominic please don’t follow me S

  She knew something more was wrong with Sarah. She should have pressed her earlier, this could have been avoided. They needed her and putting herself in harm’s way was foolish.

  “It’s no use, girl, she won’t answer, she made up her mind,” Danny said from behind her, looking forlorn. “But, I don’t understand why she would go back there after everything he’s done,” Clara said.

  “She’s a stubborn one, when she gets something into her head,” he says, looking guilty. “What? Did she say something to you, Danny? What do you know?” Clara says, feeling a little annoyed that he is only choosing now to say something.

  “She was talking earlier, about earning Dominic’s trust back. I thought she was just venting, I didn’t actually think she would leave,” he says. Was he serious?

  “You should have spoken out before Jake and Colt went out searching for her... I’m going to call Colt.” She could feel herself getting more wound up, and she didn’t want to lose it with him. She marched from the room, pushing past him, and ran down the stairs. She stood in the big hallway pressing call on Colt’s number. Danny followed her down and walked past her to the kitchen, keeping his head bowed. She was glad he didn’t try and talk to her again at this moment in time – she was ready to snap.

  Colt answers on the second ring. “Hey beautiful, any news?” He sounded tired. “Yeah, Sarah said something to Danny earlier. You need to get back to talk to him and find out what he knows. I don’t like this, Colt, I think she’s gone to earn his trust and get back into the club. She can’t take him on by herself. If he realises she’s playing him

  – Colt, I’m worried for her.”

  The line is quiet for a few seconds, like he’s trying to process what she has just told him. “Fucking Danny,” he says, exhaling. “We’ll head back now, beautiful, see you soon.” He hangs up. He sounds pissed, so God help Danny when they get back. But the look on Danny’s face as he stands in the kitchen doorway tells her he’s already realised what a huge mistake he’s made not telling them earlier.

  “I’m sorry, Clara. She always vents when she’s in that kind of mood, this is the first time she’s actually gone through with it,” Danny says. The look of anguish on his face pulls at her heart strings.

  “It’s alright Danny, we’ll come up with a way to get her back,” Clara says, feeling sorry for him. It must be killing him that she’s run away.

  “I just pray he doesn’t hurt her,” Danny says. “Oh God, what have I done? I’m so sorry, Sarah, please be safe.” His big shoulders shake, realisation finally setting in.

  “Hey, come on, it’s going to be ok,” Clara says, walking over to him and wrapping one of her arms over his big shoulders. “Sarah’s a tough cookie and she’s a smart girl, she wouldn’t have done this if she didn’t think she was capable.” She leads him to a chair at the table, and he sits with his head in his hands.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Danny says through sobs. “I knew her temper and stubbornness could land her into trouble one day, I just didn’t think she’d be this stupid, this careless.”

  Colt and Jake enter, looking ready to murder someone. Clara puts her hand up to stop them in their tracks. “Not now, guys, he’s beating himself up enough without you two coming in here and throwing your weight around,” she says, looking between them both sternly.

  Jake huffs and walks back out muttering something she didn’t quite hear, but she can imagine it’s not very gentlemanly. Colt walks towards her. His face softens slightly; amusement and adoration replaces the anger in his eyes.

  “I leave you for five minutes and you reduce the guy to tears. What the hell, Clara?” She can see the smile pulling at the side of his mouth.

  “It’s the first time Sarah has done this, Colt. It’s normally just her venting, she’s never ran away like this before, and it’s not Danny’s fault. Sarah’s an adult,” she says.

  “Me and Jake are going to Perdition tomorrow night to talk some sense into her. What? Don’t look at me like that, we’re only going to scope the place out, see if Sarah is there, and if she is we’re bringing her back,” he says at Clara’s raised eyebrows. Her mood darkens again.

  “Colt, you can’t, it’s too—” “Clara, I can and we are. I am not getting into an argument with you over this. Jake’s adamant he’s going and I won’t let him go alone.”

  “Fine, well I am coming too then,” she says defiantly. “I need to see what I am up against.” “No way, Clara. Not happening. Are you out of your mind? What if someone recognises you?” Colt says, looking annoyed at her even suggesting that.

  “I’ll take my chances,” she says. “And besides, I doubt Dominic will be there, it’s the funeral the day after tomorrow.”

  “One of his goons might recognise you, Clara. I won’t let you put yourself in danger,” he growls. “Sarah is my friend too, Colt, and it’s my fault she felt like she had to leave. All of this shit is my fault,” she snarls back.

  “Clara, none of this is your fault, you need to get that idea out of your head now,” Colt snaps. “I’m going, Colt,” she argues, meeting his glare with one of her own. “No, you’re not.”

  Yes, I—”


  The phone in Clara’s hand rings, cutting her off. She looks at the screen. Sarah’s name flashes across it. She hurriedly answers.

  “Sarah, where are you? What happened?” she says abruptly into the receiver.

  Danny and Colt are both on high alert looking at the phone pressed to her ear. “Put Danny on the phone.” A deep, smooth male voice speaks into her ear and her heart sinks. She’s heard that voice in her nightmares... it’s Dominus.

  Clara looks from Colt to Danny who are both frowning. She is frozen to the spot, sheer terror grabs her gut, she needs to get away, escape, has he found her? She can’t go back to that place, she can’t think straight.

  “I won’t repeat myself again,” he purrs down her ear. “H -he wants to talk to you,” she says, thrusting the phone at a confused-looking Danny. He looks at the mobile like it’s an alien object, and he can’t figure out what to do with it.

  She sits on one of the kitchen chairs, her face ashen. Jake appears at the doorway; his normally olive complexion is white as a sheet, she can see the fear in his eyes. She feels Colt’s big hands cover hers as he kneels at her feet to comfort her but she stares straight over his head to Danny, who puts the phone to his ear and answers.

  “This is Danny,” he says. She can hear the shake in his voice. “Yeah, sorry, it was, er, just my cousin Beth, she answered the phone before I—”

  He’s interrupted.

  “That’s right, I did tell her that.”

  He nods. “Umm hum... Because she’s my daughter and she was scared over something and she wouldn’t tell me why or what had happened to rattle her so badly, still hasn’t. Wouldn’t you do the same if it was your daughter?”

  She can hear the muffled sound of Dominic talking, he sounds like he’s snarling something at Danny.

  “Yeah, I know, I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. Is she alright? Can I speak to her?” Danny says, sounding desperate. His eyebrows suddenly shoot up. “Sarah, baby, are you ok? I was so worried when I couldn’t find you. I called your cousin Beth to see if you had gone to her house, she’s just turned up now.”

  She hears Sarah say something but it’s too muffled to understand. “Oh, baby, you know I hated you working there before. Please keep yourself safe and call me soon, ok?” he says, going along with whatever Sarah is telling him. “I love you too, speak soon, bye baby.” Danny hangs up and sits back down in the chair and looks straight at Colt.

  “She’s in,” he says. “He thinks I forced her into running away from him, he is absolutely insane. He’s just told me if I ever try and take her away from him again, he’ll do more than send his men around,” Danny says.

  “His men must have lied to him about the beating I gave them. Ha, pussies probably thought I was you,” Colt spits out.

  “Yeah, probably,” Danny agrees.

  “Is she ok?” Jake says, looking like his whole world has just ended. “She’s a tough one, Jake. She’s managed to convince him she wants back in and he’s taken the bait. She’ll be watched for a bit but I am sure she’ll manage to gain his trust again, she was too valuable for him to just dispose of,” Danny says.

  Clara pulls her hands out of Colt’s – she needs some thinking time.

  I just bring trouble for everyone. “I thought – it doesn’t matter what I thought. I’m glad she’s ok, Danny. I am going to call it a night. I need to try and contact Emmie first thing, let her know what’s happened.” She walks around Colt and heads towards the stairs in a daze. She didn’t notice all the worried eyes on her, she is mentally exhausted from everything. It was one step forward and two back and she was fed up of everyone getting hurt because of what she was. It had to end.

  “Clara,” Colt says from the bottom of the stairs. “What do you want, Colt?” she says, looking at him through tired eyes. “Think we’ve both said enough to each other tonight, and I am really not in the mood for round two,” she tells him.

  “Please don’t shut me out, I am here for you,” Colt says. His voice quivers and she is sure she can see tears glistening in his eyes, but she can’t do this now, she can’t reassure him when she feels empty inside. She has to put a wall up, it’ll be safer for him if they aren’t together anymore, it’ll be safer for everyone.

  “You’re here for Heather, not for me, Colt. I think it’s best if we stay friends from now on. I don’t want to bring you or your family any more trouble,” she says, surprised at how harsh but steady her voice is.

  “Please don’t say that, Clara. You know you’re my everything, I love you.”

  I love you too, Colt. She had to break his heart. This was the hardest thing she would ever do, but she had to protect him from himself. He couldn’t die because of her, no one else would die or get hurt because of her.

  “I don’t feel the same way, Colt, I’m sorry,” she snapped and carried on up to her room, too afraid to look back, knowing if he saw her face he would be able to tell she was bluffing.

  She heard the front door slam and knew Colt had left. Her heart broke, knowing she had hurt him. She fought the urge to chase him and tell him she didn’t mean it.

  It was only when she locked the bedroom door and lay on her bed did she allow the grief of the last few days to swallow her whole, making herself a promise.

  Tomorrow she was going to embrace her birth right and sort this shit out once and for all. No one else would suffer because of that bastard.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Colt

  She was calling his bluff. He knew Clara hadn’t meant a word; the sheer despair he had seen in her beautiful green eyes told him she was conflicted about all this shit, but her saying she didn’t love him had shattered something inside him.

  He had driven around for hours trying to shake the hollow feeling in his gut. In his fucked-up state he had ended up parked across the road from Perdition. He was currently contemplating tearing some throats out to make himself feel better.

  He was feeling reckless and he needed a drink or five.

  He got out of the van and made his way across the street. He told himself he would stay an hour and scope the place out, he had to see what this fucker’s deal was.

  The two doormen who blocked the entrance eyed him as he approached. They were both impeccably dressed in black tuxedos and had ear pieces in.

  “ID,” the biggest one of the two said, puffing his chest out to make himself seem stockier.

  Please.

  Colt took out his wallet and handed over his fake driving licence. Tonight, he was Tommy McEwan. Surprisingly they seemed satisfied with his fake identification and handed it back, ushering him inside. It all seemed too easy but he was past caring.

  The entrance to Perdition was all very high-class and reminded him of some swanky high-brow hotel. There were red and black leather couches situated around with a few couples sitting on them. There was a reception desk with a beautiful dark-haired woman standing behind it taking payments; she was a spectral but not a very strong one. Her tits were pouring out of the top of the tight black dress she was wearing. She looked bored with the attention she was receiving from a drunken business dick in an expensive suit.

  Colt walked over when he saw the dick lunge. “Just one little kiss, Princess, and then I’ll leave you alo—” “You’ll leave her alone now, if you want to keep that hand,” Colt snarled at the fucktard who was about to grab the receptionist’s arm over the counter.

  Business Dick turned around with a cocky smirk on his face which soon dropped when he caught sight of Colt, who towered over the weasel-looking asshole.

  “I -I ddon’t know w-who y-you think you are tthreatening, but I am a loyal customer here. M-me and Princess, we’re just talking,” Business Dick stuttered, obviously not used to being pulled on his behaviour.

  Colt looked at the girl behind the counter who now had her full attention on Colt. She was giving him her best ‘fuck me’ stare.

  Not tonight, Princess.

  “Was this business dick bothering yo
u, Princess? Is that your name?” Colt asked. “He was, but now you’re here I am sure he’ll leave me alone.” She actually purred at him and leant forward on the desk, making her already visible cleavage a lot more prominent.

  Shit. “Don’t you know it’s not polite to muscle in on another man’s catch?” Business Dick huffed at him, not impressed about the attention Colt was receiving from the receptionist.

  Colt grabbed him by the front of his shirt and spoke quietly so only he could hear. “I think you’ll find there is nothing to be caught here. You’re starting to piss me off, I suggest you walk away now,” Colt growled at him, his eyes showing a hint of amber. He let him go. The fear on the guy’s face was priceless, when he realised what Colt was.

  Business Dick apologised and scurried off. Colt chuckled to himself and turned back to Princess who watched him with a lust filled gaze.

  “Sorry about that. Hate seeing rich dicks who think their money give them a right to take what they want... Are you alright? Princess, wasn’t it?” he said, flirting with her.

  “Princess is my club name, my real name is Daisy. That guy’s just lucky my boss isn’t in tonight, he doesn’t take to kindly to guys manhandling his girls,” she said, running her eyes up and down Colt’s body. “I am sure I could make an exception with you though, I’d let you manhandle me anytime.” She licked her lip like she was envisioning his hands all over her.

  Fuck, this girl was forward. A few months ago, he might have taken her up on her offer, but this attention didn’t even get a reaction out of his dick. There was only one woman he wanted to bury himself in and she had just told him she didn’t feel the same way.

  His mood darkened again, thinking about Clara. “Not tonight, Princess.” She looked stunned and then disappointment washed over her face. She obviously wasn’t used to being rejected. “How much is it to get into this place?” he asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

  “Twenty -five euros for entry. The price lists for the dancers are inside, just order them at the booths. I’m available for a dance if you change your mind later, handsome,” she said and winked at him.