"But when you do-"
"You'll be the first one to know," he cut me off with a rueful smile on his face. His broad shoulders were heavy with tension.
I stared at him for a moment longer before nodding. "Good." I glanced at my watch. "It's getting late, so I've got to head out." My intel on Ripley would place him at a warehouse downtown half an hour past midnight, and I needed to get ready before making my way there.
Sion returned my nod. "Alright, stay safe."
I gave him a nod before turning on my heels and finally making my way out of the office. Winter was in full force, snow falling in thick spades as I walked out. I pulled my blazer closer before making my way to my car.
The drive to my home didn't take long, and I quickly changed into some more comfortable clothes. In the black hoodie and jogging pants, I felt a lot more comfortable than in the pants suits I'd have to start wearing after my promotion. I tucked my gun into the waist of my pants. The tennis shoes that replaced my heels were like heaven on my feet. I took a moment to enjoy the comfortable outfit before I gave another glance at my watch and started making my way out of my house.
I decided against taking my noisy car, knowing the walk downtown wouldn't take too long and not wanting to draw attention to myself.
The snow and cool breeze chilled my skin, but I pushed the feeling to the side as I continued my trek down the dimly lit streets. As I got closer to downtown, the lights became more spaced out, making it harder to see the closer I got to my location.
I stopped once I reached the building I knew the meet would take place. According to my informant, Ripley was supposed to be meeting with a connection for illegal goods. I'd scoped the place out earlier in the day while it was empty and found all the exit pointsI needed to be aware of and a good place to observe from in case I couldn't actually apprehend Ripley.
I kept my steps light as I snuck around to the back entrance. When I'd checked earlier, the lock on the door had been broken, and I knew it'd be the easiest point to enter from.
The door made a small creak as it dragged open. I cringed at the sound, but no other noise came from inside, so I continued in.
The warehouse was almost as cool as it was outside, and I gritted my teeth as a shiver ran down my spine.
I hate winter.
I kept an ear out for any other noise as I creeped around the warehouse, frowning when no sound came from inside.
What's going on?
I pushed through a door, moving to the main part of the warehouse. I glanced around, looking up at the rafters and around the center of the space, but there was nothing, not a single soul in sight and the quietness of the scene was odd.
I know this is the right place, my informant-
A rustling caught my attention, and my head snapped around, looking for movement. but there was nothing but shadows as I glanced around. My gaze fell upon nothing but shadows.
I narrowed my eyes in the direction I was certain the sound came from.....
I crept closer to the stack of crates and boxes the noise came from and peered over them. Nothing.
I kept my back straight and my sense sharp as I moved to the right.
Where is Ripley? He was supposed to be here.
Another sound rang through the warehouse, this one more of a ringing noise, and I turned. Pain shot through my skull, and I staggered back, spots forming in my vision. I squeezed the trigger on the gun, blindly firing as my vision returned.
The same face I'd only been staring at on a piece of paper hours ago appeared in my vision before something flashes in front of my face. And then, the pain in my head intensified before everything completely went blank.
Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO: CROIX
“Sometimes you have to become a monster to kill a monster.”
Those words rang in my head as I slipped through the window and into a living room far more extravagant than the bastard deserved. He deserved death, and that night I made sure he got exactly what he deserved. Every now and then, I could still hear his screams echoing off the walls of his lavish mansion as I carved intricate patterns along his tender flesh. Death didn’t come easy to him that night. No. He’d had to pay for that escape with blood, blood I had no problem spilling on the wood-paneled floors and spattering across the expensive furnishings. I’d bathed the house with his blood much the same way he’d bathed his basement with the blood of his victims, only I was smart enough not to leave a trail behind. At least I’d thought I was. But with the detective following me, I couldn’t be too sure.
I hadn’t meant to knock her out and drag her back to my home, but nothing with me ever went as planned. Shit. Slade was going to have my head for this. I knew it the moment I’d caught on to the fact she’d been following me and I didn’t kill her on sight. Slade hated weakness, something he’d often made clear in the most brutal ways possible and the moment I’d spared her life, I’d shown that weakness. And if I didn’t figure out a way out of this mess, I’d die because of that weakness.
“It’s done,” Todd, a slight ghost of a man, slid into the room, coming to stand beside me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “If you’re having trouble pulling the trigger, I’d be more than happy to…”
I raised my hand to silence him. Of course the fucker wanted to be the one to take the detective down, but there was no way in hell I was giving him that honor. She was my responsibility, and the last thing I needed was him running off to Slade and laying my weakness down at his feet.
Todd gave me a light tap on the shoulder before removing his hand. “So, what’s the plan here?”
“I don’t know, yet,” I huffed out, trying to hide the annoyance in my voice as I felt his gray eyes raking over my features. Fucking humans. Too damn curious for their own good. If he hadn’t proven himself useful to me, I would’ve drained him and left his rotting corpse outside for the birds to peck at.
As if he could sense my train of thought, his heartbeat quickened in his chest before he stepped away from me. “Call me if you need me,” he tossed behind him as he rushed for the door. One day, his ambition would get him killed.
A smirk played on my lips as I sauntered toward the only bedroom in the building, stopping just outside of the door. Her scent hit me first, a rich blend of lavender and rosemary, an earthy scent that had my fangs dripping with venom. That scent had followed me for weeks as she trailed me far too close to go undetected. Even without my enhanced senses, I would have discovered her by her proximity alone. It was that damn scent of hers that called to me far before I’d even laid eyes on her. And when I’d finally gotten a good look at her, I couldn’t stop the indecent thoughts that ran through my head. She was fucking gorgeous with rich brown skin, standing around five feet, six inches dressed in dark joggers and a black hoodie that did little to hide the gentle curves of her slender frame beneath them. Her dark curls were slicked back into a ponytail, and her equally dark eyes belied the delicate features of her face. Those eyes spoke to the darkest parts of my soul, revealing a darkness she, herself, possessed, and fuck if that didn’t have blood racing to my cock.
It would be easy to come up with excuses for why I didn’t kill her, but the answer was simple. She intrigued me. I wanted to know everything about that darkness she kept hidden away beneath a badge and her sense of duty. I wanted to know what drove her to the worst parts of Hell’s Points, seeking out criminals far more dangerous than she could ever imagine. Did she know the beast she’d been following? I shook my head at that thought. Of course she hadn’t. If she’d known what I was, I doubt she would have followed me so closely. Or would she have anyway?
It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered now was she was here, tied to my bed, and not in a way I would have enjoyed.
I opened the door, and immediately regretted it when her scent washed over me. I hadn’t fed in days, and I could feel that hunger pulling me towards her. I stepped forward, my lips parted as my fangs descended. My eyes
swept over her face, taking in the delicious curve of her full lips and traveling down to land on her throat. I could see the vein pulsing there, ever so slightly as she slumbered. I could feed from her, take in her beautiful essence and heal the wound before she awakened. But even as the thought propelled me forward, I knew I wouldn’t do that to her. I may have had to become a monster to kill monsters, but there were some lines I refused to cross. Taking blood from unwilling innocents was one of those lines.
Tearing my gaze from her, I left the room, closing the door behind me. If she was going to survive the night, I needed to feed before she woke up.
Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE: TORRENCE
My eyes opened slowly, finding nothing but darkness surrounded me. A groan passed my lips as the throbbing in my skull registered.
I tried to move a hand to touch the side of my head where the pain was the worst. My hand barely moved an inch before coming to an abrupt stop. Sharp pain shot through my wrist.
My heart rate picked up as I pulled my hand and it jerked to a stop once again. I tried the same thing with the other hand, meeting the same resistance.
Fuck, I'm tied up, what happened?
I racked my brain, trying to remember how I ended up tied up in the dark in an unidentified location.
And the pain? Where did that come from?
It all came back to me in a sharp flash and my body jerked. My breath left my lungs a bit quicker as the first bouts of real panic hit me while I pieced together everything I needed to know.
Ripley LaCroix caught me, and now he has me tied up God knows where. And no one knew I was coming after him. Even Sion had only known that I'd been up to something, but not what. No one was coming to save me.
The darkness was thick, but I knew without looking that my ankles were tied, just like my wrists. And from the way the bounds dug into my skin, rough and jagged, I knew it had to be rope keeping me in place.
And if the knots are tied by a vampire, the odds of me getting out of them quickly is extremely low.
The throbbing in my head became more than just from being hit as I tried to figure a way out.
Don't panic, Parker, you can get out of this. You just need to think.
I took a couple of deep breaths, letting the air fill my lungs before slowly blowing it out. My heart rate began to return to normal as I forced myself to regain my composure. I closed my eyes, since I couldn't see anything anyway, trying to focus on my other senses.
Anything to figure out where I am.
I took a long whiff of the air, my brows pulling together as a thick, musky aroma filled my nostrils. The smell seemed to ring a bell, but no matter how hard I tried to concentrate, I couldn't figure out what was familiar about it.
Move on. What do you feel, Parker?
The thick rope binding my wrists was itchy and uncomfortable, tight but not unbearable. I had no doubt it'd leave a temporary bruise, but it wasn't cutting off my circulation, as if someone had carefully knotted them together instead of just tying them as tightly as they could. From the angle of my hands, I knew they'd have to be pulled above my head, tied to something hard and heavy.
I shifted my body as best as I could, registering the softness beneath my body. It wasn't a surface I'd expect to be lying on as a captive, considering how cozy it was.
A bed?
It seemed odd, but I knew it was what I had to be lying on.
This is Ripley LaCroix’s idea of a kidnapping? The same man who disfigured and maimed a politician so bad his family had to hold a closed casket funeral? No, there was no way...
A long creak met my ears, and as light flashed against my eyelids, I let them open.
With light now shining into the room, I could see the plaster of a creamy ceiling above me. And turning my head to the side, I could see silky, blood red sheets, confirming my suspicions that I was in a bed. My eyes trailed along the rope tied to my wrist, tracking the other end to the black steel bed post it was tied to.
A soft sound came from in front of me, and I knew that it had to be coming from what must be an open doorway because the actual lights in the room were still off.
I composed my face, making sure to keep my heartbeat steady as I turned my head.
A figure stood in the doorway, the bright light blending and meshing their features together.
I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better view, even if I already had a feeling I knew who it was.
The sound came once again from the doorway, and for a second, I think maybe it sounded like a laugh. And then the figure was stepping into the room. The click of the door closing behind them moved through the room before the room was once again cast in shadows.
I didn't allow myself to panic, knowing that the monster I was in the room with will look for any signs of weakness. If my heart rate kicked up even in the slightest, he would hear it. And he could smell my fear.
I remained as still as possible, just waiting.
Light flooded the room, and I found brown eyes staring right into mine from not even a foot away. A thick, jagged scar cut across caramel skin, stopping right at the corner of full lips that spread into a maniacal grin.
"Hello, Detective Parker. I believe you were looking for me. I'm Croix."
Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR: TORRENCE
I'd looked into the eyes of many monsters before, but there was something different about Ripley LaCroix. His brown orbs were piercing with little flecks of a honey brown that seemed as bright as the sun against the chocolate brown pupils. His gaze didn't waver as he continued to hover far too close to my face than I would have liked. I took note of the fact his pupils were blown.
Taking a whiff of the air, a metallic taste filled my nostrils.
"Yes, I know who you are, Ripley LaCroix. I can smell your last kill on your breath, so step back," I clipped out.
Ripley's eyes widened the smallest fraction before the corner of his lips twitched. He pulled away, moving out of my space but still staying in my line of vision as I stared up at him. "I didn't kill anyone."
"You killed Mayor Jenson," I corrected him.
A muscle jumped in his jaw as he folded his arms over his chest. They were coiled with muscles that I couldn't help but to watch as they flexed. When my eyes returned to his, I couldn't read the look in them.
But I didn't miss that the man didn't deny my accusation.
"You could end this all right here-"
"By killing you?" he asked, raising a dark brow.
"By turning yourself in." I ran my tongue along my teeth as I tried to carefully pick out my words. "You could untie me now and let me take you right on down to the station."
He let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. His hair moved with the motion, bringing my attention to the crimson red tips at the end of his black locks. "Does that actually work on any of the other people you pursue, Detective Parker?" His tone carried a hint of amusement, and when I took in the way his posture relaxed, I knew he wasn't taking this seriously.
"Ripley-"
"Croix." His voice dropped an octave lower, and I didn't miss the way some tension returned to his body.
"Ripley," I continued, not liking being cut off. "All the evidence points to the fact that you murdered Jenson. We aren't even looking at any other potential suspects, we're so sure you did it. So, you have two options here. You can either go in now and get your sentencing. Or you can continue to hold me here, add the charge of kidnapping onto your list of crimes, and do even more time."
Ripley's lips pulled into a thin line.
My mouth almost fell open when, without another word, Ripley turned around and began to walk away from me. He didn't offer me any response to my statement or even a backwards glance.
"What are you doing?" I asked him, reigning in the anger that threatened to overtake me as the man continued his march away.
Silence. Again.
I watched Ripley's broad shoulders as he pulled the door open. He stepped back
out of the room just as quickly as he appeared in it, pulling the door shut with a resounding thud.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I muttered to myself, shaking my head.
Fine, if the asshole doesn't want to come willingly, that's fine. I hadn't counted on it anyway.
Thankful that Ripley hadn't turned the lights back off before he left the room, I was finally able to get a better view of the ropes keeping my limbs bound.
And they might be tight, but they're not impossible to get out of.
I pulled at the rope on my wrist first, noting the tension in them before calculating how tight the one on my ankles were. I found more give in the one around my wrists.
Inclining my head back so I could see better, I continued to pull at the rope. I ignored the pain that shot across my skin as I continued to wriggle my wrists around, looking for any give. A whisper of breath left my lips when I could start to feel slack in the binds. I continue to wriggle, moving even quicker as the pain in my wrists, and now my shoulder, worsened.
"Fuck." I closed my eyes and grit my teeth as I gave a harder pull. The rope ran across my skin, and from all the constant friction, I knew they had to be battered, but I ignored it as I felt the rope finally give.
Ha, bet they didn't expect a human to get free this easily.
I rolled over, using my free hand to untie the other. Once it was done, I moved onto the rope at my ankles. I cringed once they were free and I was able to study the newly exposed skin.
It could be worse, I thought as I stared at the scraped and scratched skin.
No time for that now.
I cursed as I got to my feet, taking in the fact that my tennis shoes were gone. I looked around the room, but there was no sign of them.
Cursing, I grabbed the rope, since my gun was also gone. If push comes to shove, maybe I'll be able to get the rope around Ripley's neck and pull until he passes out.
I knew the odds of it actually happening with the man's vampire speed were low, but I didn't give up on the idea.
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