Why didn’t I kill myself when it started?
When the worst of it had passed, she turned over on to her front and pushed herself off the bed. Before she could fall back onto it, she threw her feet to the ground. She rested a few moments, waiting for the nausea and dizzy sensation to subside. She needed to place her head back on the pillow…no! When she stood, she collapsed against her bedroom wall, clawing her way across it until she was at the bathroom door. She grabbed the handle, forcing herself to stay on her feet and enter the bathroom.
She kneeled over the toilet, wanting to throw up. Nothing. She had not eaten since the fever started. All she craved was the taste of…blood?
No. Fucking. Way.
Food…she needed food. She began the crawl of pain, making it through the corridor and into the kitchen. There was a vegetable casserole in the fridge, but it tasted of shit and only made her want to vomit again.
She edged toward the dining table and sat before it, resting her head in her hands as she closed her eyes for a few moments, before opening them to stare around the kitchen. Its windows were broken, dishes smashed and appliances wrecked. That was how most of her apartment looked. A result of her tantrum two days ago. The fever had subsided for a few hours, but an uncontrollable anger took its place. Pissed at what had been done to her and unable to punish the person responsible, she went for the apartment instead. She’d broken expensive appliances, punched her fists through glass and head-butted collectables, only stopping when she passed out. What a way to use the one burst of energy that had ventured her way during the sickness.
There was a hell of a clean-up waiting when she recovered. The place had been fitted with luxury appliances and customized furniture, even though it was in a rundown apartment block in a dodgy part of Manhattan. She could afford to live in a better location—much better—but with her line of work, a low profile was a given.
She left the kitchen and threw herself on the sofa in the living room. Pain. It seared to every inch of her body, sending frustration surging through her veins. The exhaustion returned, and as she became drowsy, she knew that even sleep would not bring relief—because night after night, she saw him in her dreams. The vampire. His touch had been ice and face cold as he sank his teeth into her.
Come to me, Veronica.
She covered her ears to block the sounds, but they continued inside her head. “Leave me alone, asshole!”
She had always been in fucking control. She had to be, after being brought up among the mob. And when she headed out to lead her own gang, she remained a lone fighter who relied on nobody, despite the followers who backed her. She wasn’t one of those soft idiots who needed to belong somewhere. With that attitude, she’d set up her own enterprise, and as its growth brought some stability over the years, she’d hoped that this would bring the fulfillment she craved…and then that night happened…but what the hell had gone down?
She’d been in Rouge bar, a place she and her gang members hung out at when they got the chance. The owner Mike was a mobster and treated her with respect, not giving a damn about her gender or the fact that in her late twenties, she was younger than many of her peers in the business. She was having a drink with him when she received a call, telling her that one of her guys was in trouble with Rasmus’ gang.
Rasmus. A damn werewolf and one of many supernatural species that co-existed with humans in Manhattan. She fucking hated the whole lot of them and would have taken several of them out by now if it wasn’t considered a hate crime by the government. She’d put her damn brain on suspension mode and biked it to a rundown car park, itching to get her hands on the wolf. That was when it became hazy. She was hit from behind by some pussy…she remembered flashes of yellow eyes and dark fur—and then…the vampire.
Bite after bite, sinking into her neck…
When Veronica awakened, something was different. She sat up on the sofa, with no difficulty. The pain was gone, but it was nothing to celebrate, because it was replaced by a more intense desire for blood. When she stood, her body was light, and she didn’t feel the need to fall to her knees.
Have I recovered?
But no, what was wrong with her skin? So pale…and had her fingernails been that long before? She belted it to the bathroom and stood before the mirror, her hands gripping the sink as she kept her eyes down. Heart thumping in her chest, she raised her chin and faced her reflection. And then looked away again. Her eyes…they’d flashed between red and their usual hazel color. She’d been in situations where she nearly died several times, but nothing had scared her as much as those flashes. Come on. You can do this. She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze again, forcing herself to keep it on the mirror.
Fuck.
Her hair had grown a few inches in a few days. Her face…pale and thin. As she inhaled, deep, the flashes in her eyes subsided, coming closer to her normal hazel color…connected to her emotions, somehow? She was looking at a stranger…a monster. She opened her mouth. Please don’t let there be…fangs. Small and sharp, they flashed back at her from the mirror.
Those dreams had not been a hallucination or an effect of the fever. Her fucking transformation was complete.
She fell back against the wall, her face twisting with horror before her. She wanted to look away, but a lurid fascination kept her eyes stuck to the reflection. The bastard supernaturals had a treaty with the government and were not supposed to touch humans, but they had. They had fucking touched her. She was now a damn vampire.
And she hated their kind…the worst of the supernatural species.
SHE IS AWAKENED.
Leke sat in the underground hall of his mansion, surrounded by his horde of vampires. A bunch of twenty hardened assassins trained in all espionage skills imaginable. Most of them were in leather jackets, like himself, but a few of the males were in two-pieces and a couple of females wore flowing dresses. He had led them since before non-humans were exposed by the state. When their kind still lived in secret, Leke’s horde made tons of money carrying out assignments for non-human agencies and by settling disputes. And when supernaturals were uncovered and subsequently settled among humans, Leke added government contracts to his line of specialized work. As well as the routine spying and assassinations, his horde investigated rogue supernatural elements.
He didn’t do it just for the money. He’d made enough of that, and being a partner in one of Manhattan’s most successful social venues, Eclipse, meant he would never be out of pocket. It was for the thrill of it. The adrenalin rush of a dangerous investigation and the satisfaction of bringing a difficult task to completion. True to his meticulous nature, every job had been perfectly executed.
Until Veronica.
“How long before the government contact gets over what happened?” Fry was unable to conceal the nervous twitch at his throat, just above where his tribal tattoo began—a permanent design that each member of their horde sported. The vampire would not usually question Leke on matters of business, but the authorities were pissed off big time.
How the hell did I mess up?
His government contact had called him a few days ago, and the brief was clear. Go to Veronica’s location and end her. It didn’t get more straightforward than that, did it? But he fucked up. “You should have finished her.” Fry held his hands behind his head, his muscled chest set off by a black tee shirt. “It would have been a blessing for her.”
It wasn’t the kind of job Leke liked, taking out a female. But Veronica was trouble. He didn’t care if her current disputes were limited to the wolf shifter Rasmus, who many supernaturals didn’t get on with. Since she started out with her own gang four years ago, her enterprise had grown fast. And she hated all non-humans. If she got any more powerful, she might have become a danger to even the ones who kept out of her way. So he’d accepted the assignment. But he arrived at that abandoned car park to find her covered in blood. Someone had got to her before him. Had to be a beast, because her shoulders and stomach were covered in bites…i
t wasn’t the most honorable thing he’d done, but he placed his hands on her neck, intending to twist it and free her from her misery.
But hazel eyes had peeked out from among the red splatters…
For the first time, he had hesitated during a mission. It was a strange sensation…being unable to let someone go. If he couldn’t do it himself, he could have left her there. With her injuries, she wouldn’t have lasted long. Instead, he kneeled by her and lifted her upper body into his arms so her head fell back and exposed her neck. He sank his fangs into her, ignoring her screams as he took enough blood to ensure she would turn…and then he’d teleported her to her apartment, leaving her in bed to heal during the transformation…
“Leke?” Fry’s voice forced his attention back to the table. The vampires’ eyes were on him, waiting for an answer to whatever question had been asked. “How many of us do you want going in?”
“Five should be enough.” Stealing secret files from the Association, the strongest human agency in Manhattan, was not a job to be taken lightly. But they’d already checked out its headquarters and carried out dummy assignments in the underground training center next to the hall. The sessions had included cracking security systems. It was a straightforward job, as long as nobody did anything stupid. “The main thing is that nothing leads back to us, Fry.”
He glanced around the hall. Swords, shields and guns lined its walls, so his horde was always ready to defend itself against assault. Not that many would consider launching an attack on Leke. He had a rather undeserved reputation as a ruthless vampire, one who beheaded first and asked questions later. On second thoughts, judging by the number of his kills, it perhaps was deserved. He did not fear supernaturals becoming a threat, apart from that crazy werewolf Rasmus, but powerful human agencies were another matter, especially after that escapade a few weeks ago. Leke had joined Blade—his friend and a co-owner of Eclipse—to attack one of the most powerful mob bosses in Manhattan. As it was, local mobsters weren’t enamored of Leke, claiming that the jobs his vampire horde carried out for the government were stolen from them. Sooner or later, there would be repercussions. Hence, all entrances to Leke’s mansion featured a strict security system. And if anyone did get through, his horde was always hankering after a good fight.
“Whatever happens, the Association can’t know supernaturals are involved.” His words were directed at Fry. He trusted that vampire more than any of his horde when it came to such jobs. “We’re still waiting for local gangsters to react to what went down at James’ place, and we need no more powerful assholes on our back.”
In some ways—make that many—the Association was worse than the mob. At least with the thugs, you knew what you were getting, and few cried over their deaths. But the Association hid behind God. It was the strongest religious organization in the world today, because under the guise of unifying beliefs, it had sucked in members of different faiths and brainwashed them into walking its path. And like many who followed religion blindly, you could tell its members all you wanted about how they were being exploited, or how the Association had close connections with criminal elements around the world, but it would make no difference. Leke did not fancy getting on the wrong side of the organization, and the only reason he had taken the job from his government contact was to make up for his misdemeanor when it came to Veronica.
“The job won’t be traced to us,” said Fry.
“Great. Choose four other guys and set out tomorrow morning.”
“Sure, sire.” When Leke frowned at the old way of address, Fry grinned. “I mean, Leke. Anything else?”
“Be careful. There has been no fallout from when we attacked the mob boss’s mansion, but I get the feeling there will be sooner or later. There were many who wanted to see that bastard go down, but there are those who have lost out because of his disappearance.”
“Any idea where he’s got to?”
“Fuck knows.” Again, he wondered if it was a mistake leaving the mob boss alive. James had deserved what they did to him. The sadist had been about to release a bunch of crazed gangsters on Alyssa, Blade’s female. They’d put him in her place to experience the torture. But perhaps they should have ended him… “There’s no point worrying about that when there’s plenty of other work to be getting on with.”
His horde of twenty stood and, one by one, exited the hall. Some of them behaved like downright animals in the training center or when faced with aggression, but in this hall, they were always on their best behavior.
Once they’d gone, Leke didn’t head for his quarters upstairs or his nearby office. He leaned back in the chair, swallowing as he closed his eyes. He saw her again. Veronica going through all that pain, expelling her rage on her home…smashing the mirror after seeing her new reflection…and in between those angry flashes of red, there was hazel, the only part left of the human she was days ago.
Time had passed since he drank from her, which meant that soon these visions would cease. But it did not feel like a release, because the images of her were the only connection he had with her. A connection…now why would he want to hold on to such a disruption?
He only hoped she would get over her trademark stubbornness and come to him, soon, because following her transformation, she would need guidance. Leke was one of the supernaturals who had the gift of longevity. He was not an immortal, but he would live long enough if someone didn’t get to him first. Over the long years, he had developed skills and strength that surpassed those of many other vampires; he did not become the leader of this horde for nothing. Some of those abilities would pass on to Veronica. She is no longer human. She would resist, as newborns did. But one day, she would come looking for him, because everyone—human or supernatural—needed somewhere to belong.
And he was impatient for her arrival.
CHAPTER TWO
* * *
VERONICA HAD SAT IN THE courtyard of the apartment building for an hour, in direct sunlight…but had she disintegrated? Fuck, no. She was as whole as she was when she’d walked out of the communal entrance doors on her suicide mission.
The kids played around her as she sat in the sun, and they were careful to keep enough distance that their soccer ball didn’t come anywhere near her. And they knew her too well to come out with any of the insults they bombarded other residents with. The first day she moved in here, an older kid asked how he could get inside her leather pants, and she’d paraded him around the block with a bloody nose. Nobody in the building dared speak to her after that, not even to say hello. There was only one way to survive in this fucking world—make it clear you were someone not to be messed with.
After an hour of sitting in sunlight, she was still pale as fuck, but that was not an unusual sight around here with all the meth addicts. She had worn sunglasses to hide her eyes from the losers who surrounded her. She had better control over the flashes now, but the odd red glare appeared unexpectedly, especially when she got pissed at her situation.
Wasn’t she supposed to have sizzled away by now? Bloody stupid myths and legends. The damn garlic had not helped, either—it made her insides twist, but she was still here. And all that pain she went through after impaling herself on a cross was for nothing, too. She lifted her sunglasses for a moment to check her arm. Tanning was off the menu, too. How much worse could life—or death—get?
It had always been her motto to never forgive or forget. She should go after that fucking tattooed vampire…instead, all she wanted was to get out of this sorry existence.
Her mobile rang. Enzo, one of her gang members. Her body might not have sizzled under the sun, but heat flared between her legs when his name came up on her phone, images of the thug’s muscled body flashing through her mind. Another side effect of this transformation? She was horny as hell. And then she licked her lips…craving blood. To hell with that. Instead of relying on messages to keep her followers away, she picked up the phone for the first time since this started. If they didn’t hear her voice, one of her gang
members would eventually head over. “Hi. Enzo?”
“Thank fuck, Veronica. The rest of the guys are wondering where you are.”
“Like I mentioned in my messages, Enzo. I am fine, just been down with a fever.”
“Should I come around?”
Yes, please. But she pushed away images of being pulled up against his strong chest. “No, Enzo. I only need a couple more days of rest, and then I’ll be in touch.”
“The gang’s getting edgy over here. We’re losing out on jobs. And word on the street is that Rasmus is up to no good. Not a good time for our leader to be down—”
She had fucked Enzo plenty of times, yet when they spoke outside the bedroom, it was strictly business. And of course her guys would be edgy. Being a leader of any gang meant you had to constantly prove you were capable. The bloody pressure never stopped. “Give me a couple of days.”
There was an edge in his voice. “A couple of days. And then you show your face.”
She hung up on him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. As if life was not messed up enough. She stood, her leather pants melting against her thighs. Her cleavage spilled over the low neckline of her gray tee shirt, but not one of those punks dared look at her. But what difference did it make now, who cowered before her?
All those years spent cementing her status as a hard-ass…all fucking wasted.
It hadn’t been easy getting to her damn position. Before she split from him, her distant uncle James ruled their family business, and when Veronica’s elder brother Paul was old enough, he was given a small group of his own thugs to lord it over. But she was told to keep out of mob matters by James, because she was a female. Instead, she spent years salivating over dreams of having a position such as that of her elder brother. She’d been bored shitless, desperate for her life to have meaning…but her asshole uncle wouldn’t allow her anywhere near the worthwhile jobs.
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