Bonded

by Jessie Rose Case

  Luce recognised the voice. ‘Shit, I hope she’s just scared by the noise’, thought Luce as she crept closer. She could hear voices. “There is no need to be alarmed. We have no intention of hurting you at this time.” Fuck. That didn’t sound good and Luce didn’t recognise the voice. Luce held her breath and peeked in the oval window of the double doors. Shit. Two strange vamps were in the kitchens. Alice and Carol were on their own. One was intimidating Carol. The other had his back to her. She was never gonna get both with her gun before they came at her in vamp speed. Luce felt for her Taser. It was always fully charged. She grabbed it in her left hand. She could hit the one in front of her easily even in her left hand, that just left the one near Carol. The gun would handle that if she had the element of surprise. Ok, Ok, she thought. She could do this. Slow wasn’t going to cut it. They’d hear the doors opening no matter how quietly. She’d have to get in fast and start firing, hoping they didn’t move. She needed a distraction. Putting her Taser in her pocket she grabbed her mobile.

  Looking up the kitchen extension she pressed for the call to connect putting it down quickly on the floor and grabbing her Taser. Standing and facing the doors she took a deep breath. Can do this, she told herself. Gun in her right she remembered to take the safety off. Shit. Ok. Ok. The phone started ringing. Everyone in the room would have turned to look at it. She hoped. On the second ring, Luce kicked open the door and fired in both the vamps directions. She dropped the Taser immediately after firing it, it would keep discharging until she unlocked it. The vamp with his back to her had gone down on the first strike and was pulsing on the floor. She looked over at the second vamp putting both hands on the gun barrel. He had a hit in his chest, he looked up confused, Luce fired again, several times and kept on firing at both head and chest untill he went down. “Chains or wire.” She called out to Alice and Carol. She knew the bullets wouldn’t kill him. Just put him out for a bit.

  Both gained their awareness and Alice directed Carol for meat ties. Luce watched as both Alice and Carol secured the down vamp. Luce turned back to the still frying vamp. “More ties over here ladies.” Luce grabbed the Taser and turned it off. Luce put a bullet in his shoulder to make sure he was out. Carol and Alice came round her as she’d fired. “He dead?” Asked Carol. “Nope. Just fried. Wanted to make sure he was out and not faking it.” She told them. “Ok Wire him up ladies.” Both got with it. “Right. Where’s the meat locker?” Luce asked. Alice grinned at her. “Over here.” Alice pointed to a room off the kitchen. “Right we going to move them in there and close the door ok.” Both nodded at her. They dragged them in and shut the door. They were going nowhere.

  “Don’t know about you ladies but I could do with a coffee.” She told them. “How’d they get in?” She asked them. “They came straight in the back door.” Luce moved towards the back door. It was closed. “Got anything we could drag in front of this?” She asked them. Alice nodded. “Butchers block back in that room.” “Ok let’s get that, Carol put the kettle on I need coffee.” Having secured the back door. Luce looked round. “Let’s put that dresser across the kitchen entrance from the house ok. Just in case.” Carol having clicked on the kettle and the three of them pushed the welsh dresser in front of the doors. It was dam heavy and took plenty of effort. “Coffee I think we deserve it ladies. Good team work by the way.” She told them and grabbed a stool from the kitchen Island and perched by the back door.

  Plugging in her Taser to recharge it, Luce thought it lucky she always kept the charger on her and clicked the safety back on the gun, discharged the cassette and slammed home a new one, putting it on the counter. It struck Luce then, where were the human’s security protection. “Where’s your security in case of a breach?” Luce asked them confused. Carol poured water into mugs as Alice brought out some small cakes. “We’ve never had a breach and Pete or Charlee’s team normally come by and check all’s ok.” Luce frowned again. That wasn’t good enough and she’d be having words. This was a soft target proven by those that had got in.

  She was on her second coffee when a pounding began on the meat locker door. They could hear the shouts. Luce hopped off her stool. “Carol keep a look out the window for me ok.” Carol came towards her as Luce walked towards the meat locker. “My master is going to kill you.” Came through the door along with the pounding. Luce looked at Alice she’d come with her. She looked scared. Luce gave her her best ‘in ya dreams’ look and rolled her eyes. Alice giggled. “Ya know what vamp”?” Luce called out. “When your massssstttttteeeeerrrrrrr finds out you were bested by three human females, your gonna be the one that’s dead.” She told them grinning. It went very quiet, then increase pounding started along with “We need to get out of here.” Really?, thought Luce. She turned to Alice. “Can we turn the meat locker up to freezing?” Alice smiled at her surprised. “Yes we can.” She told her. “Do it.” “Don’t you fucking bitches turn this to freezing. When we get out of here….” “Yeah yeah,” spoke Luce. “We’re dead.” “Come on Alice, I need a cup cake.” Slipping her arm through her’s, Luce led Alice back to the main kitchen and patting Carol on the arm took her post by the back door.

  The alarm went off. Luce looked up. The kitchen phone rang. Alice went to pick it up. “Hello.” Alice nodded and smiled turning towards Luce. “That was Charlee, it’s all secure, he said to wait here until someone comes over.” She told her putting down the phone. Luce got off her stool. “Well I guess we should move the dresser and butchers block back.” The three of them moved.

  “What do you mean there was a breach at the house?” Alex stood up. His anger rising. He was standing in his temporary base of operations. He listened to the phone in his hand and started pacing. “Arturo?” He asked the other person. He paced and nodded. He stopped. “The house staff?” His eyes flared and he exploded. “Find her.” He turned to his staff. “We’re leaving now. Get the car.” Alex vamped through the building and exited ahead of his staff. The car was waiting and ready to go. The atmosphere was tense. Alex was close to losing his beast. “Move it.” Alex knew he was struggling. Knew the tension in the car was due to his emotions. “Faster.” He growled out to his driver. “Tell um I’m coming we’re not stopping at the gate.”

  Picking his phone up he checked his alerts. Still no message on finding Luce. God dam it. Why didn’t he have her number? He told her she’d get killed. The thought of that possibility pierced his chest and his beast roared. He instinctively rubbed at his chest. “Move this fucking car faster.” He told his driver again. They should not have been so far from the house. He should have been nearer. They were speeding at vamp speed passing impossibly by other cars his driver using his skills to pass other vehicles. He spotted Arturo’s house. They drove straight in the gate and screeched to a stop at the front doors. Alex and his second were out the car before it stopped and heading in the front door. Pierre was waiting for him.

  “The breach is contained. Arturo is meeting with our guests.” He told him. Alex nodded absently. “Where is she?” Pierre looked at this vamp who was close to cracking. “We are searching for her. She was not in her office or Arturo’s. We have checked the basement and doing the grounds but we haven’t found her yet.” He told him. Alex strode round the vestibule. Thinking of the things Luce liked. “Did you check the gun range and gym?” “Yes nothing.” Alex nodded and kept walking. He suddenly stopped and turned to Pierre. “Did you try the kitchens.” Pierre looked confused for a moment. “She’s human.” Alex told him. Pierre looked surprised. “No I don’t think we did.” Alex vamped with his second and Pierre in his wake.

  Luce couldn’t stop laughing. Carols impression of Pierre was blinding. So full of pomp and just so French. She was stuffing another cupcake in her mouth when the kitchen doors crashed open and Alex stood there all avenging god like, in the doorway. The three of them sitting at the Island turned to face him. He stormed in followed by Chris and Pierre. Luce swallowed her mouthful as he approached her. Luce looked up. “Do you not under
stand that we were under attack? It was not an opportunity to eat cake and drink …. coffee.” He told her rising his voice full of anger. Luce stared at him. “Say something woman before I lose it. I thought you were dead.” He shouted at her swinging his arms wide. Luce had to admit he was glorious when mad. She got off her seat and turned to Carol and Alice picking up her gun and sliding it into her pocket. “Thanks for the coffee and cake.” She told them and walked around Alex towards the door. “Don’t you fucking walk out on me Luce, I am this close,” Alex lifted his fore finger and thumb to within half an inch of each other. “From killing you myself.” He shouted at her. Luce ignored him and walked towards Pierre. “Pierre.” She said quietly. “There are two vamps in the meat locker you might want to check out.” He looked shocked at her. She nodded and headed out the door back, stopped to pick up her phone and went to her office.

  Pierre turned towards him. “Did you hear that?” Pierre asked him. “Yes” Alex was confused and dam angry. He turned to the two human women. “What the hell happened here.” Alice stood to her full height of 4ft 8 inches and pointed at him. “You are an arse.” She told him. “That’s what’s going on and if you had bothered to ask her or us in an appropriate way, then maybe she would have told you. Your manners stink.” That got through the fog in his mind. He took a deep breath and blew it out. “I apologise. Would someone tell me what is going on here.” He asked them again. “Well the alarm went off and then two vamps who are not house Arturo came in the back door and it got kinda scary. Said they wouldn’t hurt us for now. We were here alone for some time. It seemed like ages but probably no more than minutes. One was being, threatening.” The young woman told him. He could feel her fear as she spoke. “Next thing, it was amazing.” The girl became animated.

  “The house phone rang and we all looked over at it. At the same time Luce came kicking the door in and used her Taser to take one down who had his back to her and shot the other, not once but several times till he went down. She told us to get chains or meat ties, which we did and tied them both up. Then she asked about the meat locker and told us to help her put them in there. She got us to barricade both doors and she sat on guard. About 10 mins later one or both must have woke up cos he was banging on the door and making threats about what his master was going to do.” The girl laughed. Alex frowned. “That was funny?” She girl shook her head. “O no. Scary as hell but Luce went over and mimicked what he said in a funny voice about his master and that made him think twice about that, having been caught by three female humans you see, well Luce really, and that shut him up and he started to panic about getting out of there.

  Then Luce asked Alice if the meat locker had a freezer mode. When Alice,” She turned round to indicate Alice who had told him off earlier she waved. “Told her yes, she told her to do it. The vamp went mad but soon quietened down.”

  Alex stood looking at one then the other of the human females and back again. He felt his second and Pierre come to him. Turning he looked at Pierre. Not sure what to say. “Let’s check the locker.” Pierre told him. Alex still not sure he could believe what he had heard nodded and walked with Pierre to the store room. There stood a large double doored stainless steel butchers meat store seven foot tall and six foot wide. It had a secure locking handle on it. Alex turned to his second and nodded once. They took out their weapons. Pierre pulled on the door and it pulled free. No one moved towards the door. Pierre pocked his head round the door and looked in. He turned back to Alex and grinned. “Your gonna eat shit for months Alex.” He told him. Alex walked forward, passed him into the meat locker, his second Chris coming with him. There in the corner were two vamps. Frozen but alive. One a mixture of fire and freezer burn the other had several bullet holes in his clothes. Alex raised his eyebrows. “Welcome to house Arturo.” He told them. “Get them out, I’m sure Artruo would like a word.” He told Chris as he walked back out into the kitchen. He had a moment of absolute clarity. His woman was a badass. Alex grinned and headed in her direction. O yeah, he was gonna eat shit for months and love it.

  Fucking male. Thought Luce. So dam angry. Who the hell did he think he was shouting at her. Fucker. Slumping into her chair. Turning she leaned down and picked up her lap top from behind the wall unit. Opening it she plugged herself in and up loaded. As the screens came on line she checked how well her software had worked. It was good. It had saved today she thought. Fucking male. Shaking her head she brought up feed from the grounds and the house and checked for any more breaches. Looks like they were ok she thought. Fucking male. Her shoulders dropped and she felt immensely sad. He hadn’t had any confidence in her. Hadn’t seen what she could do. Hadn’t even given her a moment of his precious time.

  Just for an instant back there she would have jumped in his arms and hugged him so happy to see him ok and coming for her. But no. He’s got to be a complete arse and start in at her. A whooshing noise brought her head up. Before she knew it she was lifted from her seat and was sitting on a lap. Luce looked down at the arms around her pulling her into a hard chest. She felt no malice or threat. It nuzzled in behind her and breathed in her scent. Her body tingled, her nipples pearled. She couldn’t be bothered to speak. He didn’t deserve them. Words were not needed. He was apologising and they both knew it.

  Alex felt the second Steven entered the room and stand the other side of the screen. If he was needed he’d tell him. Right now, the only person that he cared about was in his arms and he was going nowhere.

  Luce couldn’t’ stop herself from sighing. It just felt so right. She leaned back into his body and placed her head on his chest and looked out the darkened window. His hold on her tightened. Not painfully, just a bit possessively. She wasn’t sure she liked that but she wanted his arms round her so one came with the other. She’d fight her battles another day. Today, she just wanted a time out. Time became unimportant for them. Just the two of them in their own private world. Neither speaking or demanding. Just accepting of what was offered. Luce ran her hand along his arm and over his hand linking her fingers through his. She thought she heard him growl. She smiled.

  Her computer eventually pinging broke the silence. Luce leaned forward and he let her. “Meeting in 10 minutes.” She told him quietly. “Good then we have 8 more.” He told her pulling her back to him. “I should do some checking for the meeting.” She told him. “Not today.” He told her pulling her into him. “My need is greater than theirs and I have a feeling they will know all they need to.” She nodded. She didn’t want to move. It was just too…. Nice.

  With a couple of minutes to go she felt him move. He lifted her and placed her back in her chair and knelt down in front of her. Taking both her hands in his he looked into her eyes. “I will never again forget that you can kick arse. But if you scare me like that again, I will take action to make sure it does not happen again.” He told her in all seriousness, then grinned and winked. Luce rolled her eyes. “You are going to eat shit for a month.” She told him. Luce watched as he grinned back at her. “I know.” He told her still holding her hand and staring at her. “Ok, I forgive you, stop the begging it’s embarrassing.” She told him.

  Alex burst out laughing. Grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her in for a hard kiss half raising from the floor. His lips were like silk and delicious. Luce wanted more. Forcing his tongue between her lips he explored her. Pulling apart at last he placed his forehead on hers, still holding on to her. “I would beg for the rest of my life if you did not place yourself in any danger ever again Luce. My beast nearly lost it.” He whispered to her. Luce lifted her free hand and caressed his face. “I did not mean to worry you.” He kissed her lips swiftly and rose to his full height. With one final glance, he left her. Luce wasn’t sure what had just happened but it felt monumental.

  Picking up her lap top she unplugged it and came around the screen to find three vamps she recognised waiting for her. Luce frowned. Why were Alex’s staff still here? She asked herself surprised. Then it dawned on her. “I did
not agree to this.” She shouted down the corridor after him. She could swear she could hear his laughter. Fucker. She looked around her. No way of getting out of this. “Look,” she told what appeared to be her new security, “I appreciate the effort boys, really I do but I don’t need it and its taking you away from more important work. This is over kill. You do see that right?” She asked them. “If your ready My Lady.” Chris asked her indicating the hallway. Bill and Ben were edging the room. Luce narrowed her eyes at them. Right she thought and sighed. And walked right by them towards the meeting. She never doubted they wouldn’t follow.

  Chris vamped past her in the corridor before she got to the meeting room. God forbid she got there first. He came back to the door and waited for her. As she approached he led the way back in and took a position behind Alex and indicated a vacant chair. Luce took one look at that and moved away to where Pete was sitting and sat behind him. Her other two security ‘Bill and Ben’ decided they should take up position behind her. She looked over at Chris who didn’t appear to know what to do. She raised an eyebrow at him. Then lowered her gaze to Alex retaining the raised eyebrow. He looked annoyed but smirked telling his guy something before he moved off to come to her side. Pete turned around to her. “Annoying the neighbours?” he asked her. Luce huffed. “More like he’s annoying me.” Pete smiled and turned back to Valentina who blew her a kiss. Luce grinned. Vamp politics. Who knew it was such fun? Opening her lap top she got to work.