by K. E. Radke
Peeling her lips off me is like fighting off octopus tentacles. Swiftly tangling her rough, blond braids around one hand, I give it a little yank, exposing her delicate neck. My fangs pierce her skin and she lets out a little helpless squeal.
My fingers wrap around one wrist to stop her from moving. It’s the first sign that something is horribly wrong, but she’s dizzy from blood loss and droops against me. Whispered pleas and tears fall silent, and her heart beats one last time as I finish. Her fate was doomed the moment Leonard captured her attention.
I wipe my mouth on her shirt and maneuver her into a sleeping position on the backseat. The elixir of life pumps through my body and numbs the ache on my back and hand. It won’t last long, but I’ll take what little reprieve I can get.
The parking lot is empty except for a few cars, which means most of the hapless victims were driven by their recruiters. People mill around outside near the entrance to the building and I get through the crowd easily. No one tries to stop me from crossing the threshold.
In the anteroom, there are tables with pamphlets about their organization. The walls are a stark, depressing white, void of any decoration. Probably a selling point for the owners. A blank canvas at the renter’s disposal.
Groups of people hover near the walls, and a welcoming committee is immediately dispatched in my direction. She bounces up to me with too much energy. “Hi! Welcome! We have food and drinks back here.”
Directing me further into the building, she leads the way while two other women are at my side to make sure I’m following. One of them asks me a question, but I ignore her and search for Amelia.
A roar of voices greets us in the next room. Everyone is engaged in a conversation and no one is standing off in the corner alone. Several people roam around with trays, handing out finger foods and drinks. Music plays softly in the background and the majority of the people here are women. None of them look over the age of thirty.
Since I’m not chatting up the women forced to keep me occupied, they send a few men my way. His spiel falls silent when I cleave right through the group.
Amelia is near the buffet table, gathering macaroons on a napkin. There’s a hoard of women around her, following her every move. The hardest part will be getting her alone. If only I could throw her over my shoulder, or drag her out of here.
With Leonard nearby, it’s best to not make a scene.
How do I separate her?
And convince her to come with me after our last encounter?
Crossing the room by myself, I walk right up to the buffet table in her direct line of sight and feel her eyes bore into me. In my periphery, she tries to keep up with the conversation, but her gaze always diverts back to me.
She hesitates, but eventually excuses herself from the group. They all gaze after her to see what caught her attention but lose interest when they figure out she’s not headed for the exit.
She ambles up within a few feet of me and almost taps my arm. A slight shake of her head tells me she changed her mind at the last second. I casually turn in her direction and exclaim, “Please don’t tell me you actually fell for this drivel.”
Keeping her distance, she doesn’t answer me until I pin my gaze on her. “Sometimes it’s nice to have someone to talk to. Heidi listened to me. No matter how crazy I sounded. And right now, I feel pretty crazy.”
“Heidi took advantage of your vulnerability. Cults have a knack for accepting people that are unstable until they completely depend on them.”
“Unstable?” The word is repeated offensively. Her face scrunches up in confusion. “Cult? This is a sorority.”
Heads shift slightly around us. In two steps I’m right in front of her because people are listening. “Sororities do not recruit from the Boulevard. Nor do they care to listen to strangers. We need to leave. Now.” She doesn’t step away from me, but I know she’s aware of how close we are.
“I think I’d rather stay where there are witnesses,” she whispers, making it clear my last threat is still fresh in her mind.
Convince her before it’s too late. Leonard’s allure is strong, and it’s burrowing into every person here. The longer she stays, the harder it’ll be to get her out. “You can leave, and I’ll stay right here. I’ll watch you walk right out the door.”
Paranoia seeps into the happy bubble of emotions surrounding her. She changes the subject. “Everywhere I go, you show up.” Suspiciously eyeing me up and down, she questions, “How do you keep finding me?”
Maybe I should go with Plan B and toss her over my shoulder. “Someone looking after you told me to come find something that doesn’t belong here. Now that I found you, it’s time to go. Please.” The last word is more urgent than the others. I gesture for her to lead the way like a gentleman.
“It almost sounds like you came to rescue me…but from what? Because the person I needed to be rescued from earlier, was you,” she points out hastily in a low voice.
Are you being brave because we’re in public?
A wry smile twists onto my face. “If you fear me, wait until you find out what these people have in store for you. This is a slaughterhouse and take a wild guess at what they plan to butcher.”
She examines the room again. “Did you set this up? Is this your butcher house? Are all these people…” The color drains from her face.
“I am only one of the most dangerous things in this room,” I warn in a steely voice. “You should leave now.” Being the bad guy is so much easier than being the hero.
“That almost sounds like a command.” She pins me with her hard gaze, but I can feel the fear rising and wrapping around her like a heavy blanket.
The allure pressures her to obey. “Oh, it is. Because if I left it up to your free will, you would not do it. Because he has you under his spell. Leave. Now.”
“I think I’d like to stay.” She stubbornly stands in front of me and defensively crosses her arms over her chest. The terror exuding from her shifts to bravery. Is she fighting me or Leonard?
The corners of my mouth can’t help themselves when they turn upward. “While I love your feistiness, and would like to explore that in the near future, it will get you killed. It would be a shame if I never have a chance to enjoy it.”
Her pulse quickens. “Are you flirting with me?” she asks skeptically, feigning disgust. And if I was anyone else, I would believe she wants nothing to do with me. But I can feel the lust growing inside of her.
Leaning forward, my lips are at her ear to give her an offer she can’t refuse. “I am. I promise I will answer all your questions about my world if you turn around and walk out that door. Right now.”
Leonard is close. The tension in the room is charged and ready to explode. Everyone’s attention is turning in one direction and the crowd parts for him.
“Whatever happens next, do not interfere,” I murmur so low, I don’t know if she hears me. “Leave. Now.” It’s the last command I can give her without singling her out.
Turning to the nearest person on my left, I whisper in her ear. Small compliments. Questions she can shyly nod or shake her head to. The next lady I whisper to blushes and giggles. It’s the sort of attention they’ve probably never received from their leader because there are too many of them.
Leonard approaches like a lion ready to defend his pride. He doesn’t make a spectacle, claiming what is his. Instead, he silently waits for me to notice him with a strained, peaceful expression on his face.
Retaliation will come in a matter of time. He has the patience of a true angel. But the longer it takes, the more brutal he will be. The more attention I get from the lady next to me, the angrier he becomes.
Ignoring his presence isn’t a matter of if I know he’s standing there. The second he stepped out of hiding put my senses on alert. Vampires are extremely aware of one another because we’re territorial over our prey.
Just my lingering scent would have been a challenge to him, but he probably would have ignored it and carried
on with his charade. Standing here is a direct threat. And not acknowledging him in his domain is insulting.
A meeting with him should have been requested. It must be difficult to constantly contain the amount of rage boiling inside of him. To stay on course as a man of peace and love. A compassionate leader that welcomes everyone into his community.
He can’t ask me to leave or kick me out. To everyone in this room, I’m another recruit. And as long as their eyes are on me, Amelia can escape unscathed.
The only sound in the room is my whispers in the lady’s ear next to me and the sound of his throat clearing. My mouth twitches upward automatically.
Next to me, the woman’s gaze flickers between us. The attention from me distracted her, and now she doesn’t know what to do with everyone’s eyes on us.
I meet his glare with one full of mischief. He assesses me silently, lingering on my wrapped hand before staring straight into my eyes.
“It’s not often I get this much attention, but by all means, tell me what I did so I can do it again.” A lazy smile spreads across my face.
Tension cascades over the room. I shut out the drumming heartbeats and focus on Leonard.
With a flick of his hand, two muscular women leave his side and the people surrounding us are mingling again. I hold my ground and stand to my full height when he approaches.
Greek features adorn his face, and he often compares himself to Adonis. I’m almost certain I’m looking at the man that inspired the myth.
He’s barely a foot away.
“You’re encroaching,” Leonard says politely enough to trick a human’s ears. But I can hear the slight growl of dominance. The way an alpha would defend his females in the wild. His words are so low, they should be lost, but I can hear him perfectly over all the chatter.
“Your flyers said everyone is invited. Word travels fast on Sunshine Boulevard. I thought I’d come by and tell you who else might want to stop by,” I say casually in a way that also suggests he needs this information.
“Do not threaten me,” he answers disdainfully with a teasing lift to his lips. Anyone watching will think the conversation is going well. That he’s showing me a kindness, taking an interest in me. If only they could hear his tone.
As the spectacle in the room, and everyone still pretending to ignore us, Amelia has a chance to leave without being accosted by Leonard’s flock.
“I should be on my way then.” I shrug nonchalantly.
“Why are you here?” He growls the question with disgust and shame because I got him curious enough to ask.
I tsk at him with displeasure. “Such gratitude for my help. Maybe I ought to let him kill you. Do you know what plagues Sunshine Boulevard?”
“I’ve heard rumors.” There’s a slight hint of intrigue in his voice, but his expression reveals nothing.
“When you come face to face with those rumors, be sure to send my regards.” Neither of us dares to look away. “Maybe it’ll save your life.”
Nothing can save him now. But watching him beg for his life using my name as leverage would be priceless. The power it would give me. Demons will wonder if I have the shadow man for an ally. Or a claim as his master. It will make them think twice before they cross me.
Slowly, I take a few steps forward as a show of strength. To prove there’s truth in the lies I’m spinning. He scrutinizes every movement with calculating eyes.
A masculine woman appears at Leonard’s side. Muscles ripple over her uncovered skin and she’s a second away from shielding him with her body. Dying for him is her only purpose. The greatest honor to her menial life.
“Your human bodyguards are quite cute.” I wink at her and watch a vein pop out from her neck. “Very tempting.”
No retort for my audacious remark. It’s the first sign something is wrong. My eyes flicker back to him and I realize I stared too long at his bodyguard.
A wicked grin spreads across his face. He’s done listening to my warnings. And from the look on his face, he thinks I’m bluffing. “I’ve truly been blessed with new and old friends today. Celebrate with me! Let’s make this night unforgettable.”
Cheers and squeals of delight echo his happy speech.
His assessing eyes linger on my wrapped hand. A visible weakness. This is a battle I will not win, and it takes all the evil courage I have to stand there without flinching. The wounds on my back sting to remind me they haven’t healed. A mocking pulse screams at me to back up. Flee to survive.
Muscular women flank Leonard and their rapid heartbeats prove they’re human. Purely decorations. A false pretense to ease the flock’s worries. One gesture makes the bodyguards stay where they are when he takes a step closer to me.
Without severing eye contact, he waves his hand toward the small atrium at the entrance. The bodyguards shadow him and he allows me to go first. Nervous voices and whispers follow us out of the massive room. Everyone lingering in the small space is forced into the main room by the muscular women.
The doors connecting the two areas aren’t completely closed when his hand flashes in front of me and wraps around my burnt hand. Twisting to rip off my fingers, the pain is excruciating and I collapse to one knee.
I’m dragged and thrown at the closed door, making the entire building shake. The tile cuts off my agonizing yelp as I land face first. His hand is curled in my shirt to pull me off the ground. Slithering up to protect me, and absorbing all the violent energy, I release my demon half and rip my shirt to get out of his grasp.
On the ground, I swipe my foot under his and miss. It gives me the few seconds I need to roll to my feet. Ignoring the pain, I don’t give him a chance to strike. The skin on my back is pulled taut with every punch I throw. And he dodges every single one.
A table is pushed at me and I snatch a pile of pamphlets, jumping on top of it. Running across the surface, I fling them at him. The distraction allows me to kick him in the face. Sliding strategically off the table, my fist smashes against his side.
The noise sounds like a wrecking ball slamming into a building.
Hands seize my wrists on either side of me, and I sigh with irritation. A little too late. Leonard needs better guards. Preferably ones I can’t swing like paper dolls. Pulling my arms together in front of me, both muscular women slam together. Leonard flinches at the grotesque sound of bodies breaking on impact.
Dark rage engulfs him. He peels his eyes away from the twisted, broken pile of limbs on the floor.
Horror chokes me, causing me to stumble backward. I’ve been fighting him with my demon side. And he just released his.
I feel the power of his fist against my ribcage. A barrage of strikes leaves me helpless on the ground. Fingers wrap around my throat and he lifts me off the floor by my neck. He’s so fast, I barely comprehend I’m flying until I crash right through the door.
Rolling onto my side, I attempt to locate him so I can defend myself against the next attack.
I’m going to die. The truth burns through me like sunlight.
And for what?
A human girl.
Manic laughter spills out of me at the same time a vicious battle cry rips through the quiet night.
“You dare laugh at me?” Leonard violently stares down at me on the pavement. He doesn’t pound me into oblivion while I’m down. He wants me to get up. It’s the fight he craves. The pleasure of beating someone through skill and agility. Leonard will throw me around for hours to prove he’s more powerful than me. Better in every way.
He intends to rip off my head—when he tires of showing off.
I hiss between my teeth when he kicks me to roll onto my back. The wounds sizzle against the ground.
“Get up,” he demands and gives me room to stand.
“I’d rather stay where I am,” I reply in a raspy voice. If I’m going to die today, I’ll do it on my own terms. An inhuman growl pierces the night and I’m in the air again, his fingers around my neck.
He lets me go and I drop to my kne
es, unable to stand. The dark is my only companion.
Sometimes the dark has claws.
“Get up and die with dignity,” Leonard demands icily.
Leaning back on my heels, I peer up at him. “The Boogeyman has spent too much time with humans. It appears he’s been plotting.”
At the mention of the hitman’s name, Leonard’s eyes flicker over the area, searching the shadows for movement. He realizes his mistake and steps in the circle of light provided by a lamppost closest to the building’s entrance and drags me along with him.
One hand is loosely wrapped around my throat and I don’t bother to fight him off. Disappointment leaks into his question. “Where is your friend? If he protects you?” Leonard is probably dissecting the information I gave him earlier. They always say there’s a little truth in every lie. If he kills me, is there a chance he’s bringing something else down upon his head?
Not to mention I got him outside. Without dragging him out of the building. He beat me so easily. Is it because he’s better, or simply a ploy to get him out of the light?
“Oh, he’s not coming.” My tone is so convincing as I weave my lies. “He’s waiting for you to kill me first.” I can’t help laughing at the ridiculous situation. The shadow man sent me on a suicide mission. And I obliged. For a human.
“Why would he want you dead?” Leonard asks.
“There’s only one way to find out. But it might be the last thing you do,” I threaten cryptically. “Because once he gets what he wants, there’s nothing to hold him back from killing you.”
Leonard suspiciously narrows his eyes at me. “Do not threaten me.”
Under the protection of the street lamp, Leonard calculates each hit to make sure I never leave the circle of light. Every blow is countered by another to keep me right in the middle. A new, fun challenge for him.
I can barely lift my arms to block his attacks. I don’t know which way is up or down. Blood leaks into my eyes and I can feel myself falling. Or am I being lifted? The demon cowers and withers under the agonizing pain. It releases me to my human form to hide and lick its wounds.
