All Souls’ Night: A Midnight Doms Boxset

by Renee Rose

  I stuff the money from the ATM into my purse, and gather my things. Trying to make sure I wasn’t followed, I took four cars and an hour to reach my current location. I’ll take one more Uber to the Greyhound station, and then we’ll be safely on the bus and out of town.

  Safely out of Armando’s life.

  My phone chimes, and I tug it from my pocket while looking around for the hundredth time. The number on my screen is unfamiliar. Stupid telemarketers. I plan on blocking the number, but Karina’s name catches my attention.

  My mouth drops open.

  It’s me, Karina. Change of plans. Big Tony found me, and I had to take off. I tossed my phone and picked up a burner. Meet me at the TM International warehouse on Euclid Avenue at 7:30.

  What? Running from Big Tony and ditching her cell sounds like something out of the spy novels she reads. We are more familiar with running from an enemy than the average person, but she’s never had to do this before.

  How the fuck did Big Tony—or Phil, for that matter—find her at the bus station? It doesn’t make sense.

  I trust my instincts, though, and type, How did he find out we were going to the airport?

  If this is Karina, she’ll call me on the mistake—airport versus bus station.

  No! He found me at the bus station. You weren’t going to the airport, were you?

  I smirk. No. Just being safe. I’ll meet you at the warehouse.

  Ha! Good thinking. Love you.

  Love you more.

  I navigate to the Uber app and request a ride to the warehouse. The car pulls up fifteen minutes later, and I check my phone to make sure the profile picture online matches the woman behind the wheel.

  I toss my bag in the backseat and climb in. The driver—Michelle—can’t be much older than eighteen. She looks older in her picture, but that is likely the makeup and hairstyle more than anything else.

  “On our way to work?” Michelle looks at me in her rearview mirror with a grin.

  I return the smile and shake my head. “I’m embarking on a new adventure.” Bile fills the back of my mouth. I don’t want to leave.

  “It took me months to get used to working night hours. Of course, it doesn’t help that I work during the day, as well.” I half listen to Michelle prattle on about her schedule and nod my head at regular intervals. The night is dark by the time we reach my destination. Only one streetlight is working when she stops the car near the warehouse.

  My spine tingles, and my broken heart stutters into a gallop. Karina picked the spookiest fucking place to meet up. I thank Michelle and get out of the car. Her engine is the only sound on the street until it dissolves down the road.

  Hefting the strap higher on my shoulder, I take in my surroundings and decide to get out of the middle of the road. The building across the street has a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. The warehouse in question has fenced areas on each side, but the building isn’t shielded, nor is the small parking lot in front.

  I head toward a tree to the right of the glass front door, but freeze at the rustle in the bushes off to my left.

  “Karina?” I hiss with a whisper.

  The building is dark. But there are people present, if the cars are anything to go by.

  I tiptoe to the bush and crouch, looking beneath the shrub. Nothing is visible in the thick mass of foliage. Creeping to the left, I peer down the back of the plant but can’t see shit. Over here, there is little-to-no light.

  Perhaps it was a rabbit. My heart pounds in my ears, drowning out most other noises. Karina must still be on her way.

  I wait in the tense silence.

  There’s the purr of a vehicle approaching, and I duck beside the building near the large bush. When it never passes, I peek around the side to check where it may have gone. The car pulled into the drive of the company across the way and parked behind the closed gate.

  I slide back into the darkness and sit in the dirt. After fifteen minutes, I can barely stand still. My phone pings with a message from Karina’s old number. Why are you still on the other side of town? Are you okay? I’m already at the bus station.

  What the actual fuck? Could Big Tony have grabbed her phone when she ditched it? I take the chance and hit her icon to call, ready to hang up if it’s not her.

  “What’s happening? Where are you?” she says.

  I sigh when I hear her voice. “Karina? I don’t understand. I thought you said you had to ditch your phone because of Big Tony, and we had to meet at the warehouse to regroup.” I glance around. Cold dread settles in my stomach.

  “What are you talking about? I said bus station, seven-thirty.”

  My spine tingles. Oh, fuck! I’m in deep shit. “Later, I got a text message from an unknown number. It said Big Tony found you and you had to toss your phone, so you got a burner.”

  “Get out of there, now! That wasn’t me! Zoe, run!”

  “Oh my God! Okay!” Something hits me from behind and sends me tumbling forward. Somehow, I manage to catch myself before I fall, but my cell is across the blacktop. I whirl, and the blood drains from my face. My hearts skips several beats.

  Phil grins maniacally, a gun held loosely in his hand. He stomps on my phone, crunching the glass under his heel. “I hate to do this, but it seems you’re more trouble than you’re worth. Too bad. You used to be my favorite, Zoe.”

  I try not to flinch when Phil waves the gun around, but I’m not successful. “How the fuck did you manage this? Oh God. You’d better leave Karina alone!”

  “You should be worried about your own ass, honey. But if you’re really concerned, Big Tony’s taking good care of your friend.”

  I cover my mouth and sob.

  Phil kicks my broken cell with his expensive Italian shoes. “Nice trick, huh? I have friends who developed a nifty little device to clone your phone. I just needed to get near you at your club. You and Karina’s text messages gave me everything I needed to know..”

  Bile sits bitterly on my tongue as I realize he’s bested me this time. And this will be the last time. No more running. There is no obvious way out of this. Regrets pour through my head. I should have done more to protect those innocent girls from being victimized. It didn’t matter that the police were paid off. I should have tried harder. I should have convinced Karina we had to leave as soon as she was hurt.

  “Damn, Zoe.” He shakes his head, like he’s disappointed. “It’s a real shame it had to come to this. My clients loved you far more than any other in my employ.”

  I clench my fists, fury building and tears spilling over my lashes.

  “Aww, Zolita.”

  God. I’ve always hated that pet name. As if I’m his Lolita. Never!

  The bastard smiles and slowly stalks forward, his gun still trained on me. “Is that what this is all about? You didn’t want me to share you with my customers?”

  Huh? I retreat as he picks up the pace, and collide with the building. Nowhere to go.

  Phil closes his hand around my throat, pinning me to the wall, and caresses my cheek with the muzzle of his firearm. The frigid metal sends ice-cold fear spiking down my limbs.

  “Baby, if you wanted me all to yourself, why didn’t you just say so?” He presses his mouth hard to mine, forcing his tongue between my lips. Revulsion roils in my gut. This man has a gun and he is determined to have his way with me.

  I’m tired of running.

  There is no way I can see myself walking away from this.

  If he’s going to take me out, I’m going out fighting.

  I bite down, the coppery taste of blood filling my mouth as his screeching fills my ears. The jarring blow to my head sends me reeling, and I hit the ground with a grunt. On my hands and knees, I spit his blood onto the blacktop.

  Phil grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks me to my feet. “You fucking cunt!” He grinds the muzzle against my cheek, the sight notch digging into my flesh. “You wanna play rough, bitch? You got it.” He drags me to the building and slams my face agains
t the brick.

  More blood fills my mouth and I cry out.

  His forearm presses hard across my shoulder blades, holding me against the wall, and he tugs at my jeans, my belt buckle biting into my stomach.

  “Hey! What are you doing to her?”

  Phil is off me and two shots explode near my head, deafening me.

  I spin in time to see the stranger fall to his knees, clutching his shoulder.

  A long howl pours from my mouth, interrupted by two more shots Phil pumps into my chest before he dashes off into the night.

  I can’t breathe.

  My knees crash to the pavement and I collapse, trying to gasp for air. The stranger who tried to save me fumbles with his cellphone, bloody fingers smearing the illuminated glass.

  I flop onto my back, hot tears streaming into my hair.

  I want to see Karina… Armando… just one more time to tell them both how much I love them. And how much happiness they brought to me.

  Many exist without ever forming true connections. I’m suddenly grateful for the love I’ve had in my life.

  I try to gasp but cough, red splattering onto my face. Huh. That’s my blood. As it fills my lungs and darkness closes around me, I cling to the vision of Armando’s handsome face hovering over me, while my tears bathe my cheek like sweet rain.

  “Armando.” Roxy pokes her head into the coatroom, worry creasing her brow. The vampire holds the cordless phone of the Club’s LAN line out to me. “It’s Karina. Zoe’s in trouble.”

  I shove off the back wall of the coatroom, my dead heart racing in my chest.

  I grab the receiver. “This is Armando. Where is Zoe?”

  “She’s at a warehouse just a few blocks from Club Toxic. Give me your cell number and I’ll text you the address. God, I think Phil’s caught up with her.” The fear in Karina’s voice is tangible. I rattle off my number, and she hangs up.

  Fuck! A potent cocktail of emotions overwhelms me. It takes several seconds for me to work through the rage, worry, disbelief, and determination currently mixing through my frenzied mind.

  Goddamn it! The love and affection pouring from her when we made love earlier this evening. That was her goodbye to me. Bullshit.

  My phone dings with a message. It’s the address from Karina.

  “Roxy! Tell—”

  She points toward the exit. “I’ll deal with Theo and Alex. Go get our girl.”

  I blur out the back door so fast, none of the humans see me move.

  I take a second to pull up the directions to her location, and memorize the route before I take off. Nausea burns in my gut as I rush through the night.

  I will walk into the sun if anything happens to her. Zoe is the light to my dark. The only person who makes me truly smile. I can’t be too late. There are too many adventures and experiences we have to share.

  If I hadn’t kept what I am a secret, she would be safe at my house right now, trusting me to protect her and ensure nothing happens to her. I’m a fucking coward. I allowed my fear to keep me from telling her the truth, and it might cost her everything.

  I race like the wind through town, praying for humanity’s sake I’ll make it to her in time to save her.

  Chapter 9

  My heart shatters before blind rage takes over. My beautiful Zoe is lying in the dirt in a dark pool. She sputters, blood splattering her precious face. I blur to her side, skidding across the blacktop on my knees.

  “No, mi cielito. Don’t die on me. I can’t live without you.” My tears rain on her face.

  “Ar…man…”

  “Shhh. Don’t talk. I’m going to get you help. Alex is a doctor. He can help.” My eyes dart around for a solution. No. It’s too far. She won’t make it. My mind whirls as I try to remember the nearest hospital.

  She tries to lift her hand, but it falls back down and slides off her stomach. My heart stops completely when I see the ragged, bloody holes in her abdomen. “I should’ve…trust…you.” Her words are barely audible, but I catch every syllable.

  “Hold on, baby!”

  “I…love….you.”

  I am not going to lose the only woman I have ever loved. I need to turn her. A million reasons why I shouldn’t race through my head. She’ll hate me. She won’t survive. Lucius will kill me. But none of them matter. The only thing that does matter is that she lives.

  Turning a human is never something to be taken lightly. I’ve been warned by other vampires who love their human that I need to get permission from Lucius first. Caring for her and living by her side until she dies isn’t an option. That’ll be in about ten seconds flat. And I refuse to lose her.

  I’m willing to face whatever bullshit I have to with Lucius. There is no way I am taking the time to call him and get permission. I know the process takes three blood exchanges. I’ve drunk from Zoe plenty of times, and given her small samples of my blood to help heal my bite marks. It has to be enough for a base for the process.

  She’s close to death, which is the vital step, and will allow the vampire virus to take over her body. I know the blood directly from the heart is the most powerful. I slice through my chest with my nails.

  Cradling my Zoe in my arms, I lift her to my chest and let my blood flow into her mouth. I repeatedly claw into my sternum when the wound seals over. Damn vampiric healing!

  She has to take in enough blood. I slash at my chest again, feeding her until I’m dizzy. Most humans do not survive the turning process, and it’s hard for me to stop giving her my blood.

  “Please, Zoe.” I rock her limp form in my embrace. “No te mueras mi pequeño cielo!”

  Sirens wail.

  “Help.” The weak voice draws my eyes to the door several yards across the lot. “Help…is…is on…the way.” The wounded man grunts, clutching his shoulder as he struggles to sit up. “I called…nine-one-one.”

  Fuck. They will take my Zoe from me. I have to get her to safety.

  Lifting her in my arms, I blur from the parking lot and dodge the approaching ambulance and police cars.

  I’m running out of night hours. I blur to the club and approach the back door. Tiberius opens it and gapes at the woman in my arms. “Did you kill her?”

  “Here, hold her legs for me.” When he slips his arm under her knees, I smack the vampire upside his head and snatch her back. “Asshole. Of course, I didn’t kill her. She’s my everything.”

  I carry Zoe to the office upstairs where Slash is at Lucius’s desk, gazing intently at his laptop, his cell phone to his ear.

  Lucius enters the room a moment after me. “What is this about?”

  I back against the massive desk and flinch under the king’s demand. Drawing Zoe closer to me, I square my shoulders and meet Lucius’s glare. “Zoe was dying, sire. She’s had a stalker for years, and he found her.” I fight past the grief clogging my throat. “He shot her.”

  Roxy bursts through the door and halts behind Lucius. “Is she okay? What did that asshole do to her?”

  Lucius holds out his arm, stopping Roxy from advancing. “Armando was just explaining why he has turned one of our bartenders without permission.” The growl in the king’s voice resonates through the room. Roxy and Slash tremble.

  I stand my ground. “I had no time to ask permission, your grace. Nor could I take her to a hospital. She was seconds from death. She’s my everything. I stand by my decision. I take full responsibility for her, including her hatred if she doesn’t like what I did.”

  Lucius’s expression softens, but only minutely. “What do you need from us? I assume you need something, since you came here.”

  I nod toward Slash. “I need to find the bastard. I only know his name is Phil and he owned a ritzy spa in New Orleans.”

  Slash holds up his finger and says into his cell phone, “Hold on a second, Theo.” His hands fly across his keyboard. “Armando, Theo and Roxy got Zoe’s old boss’s information, and I’ve tracked him down. Give me a second.” He resumes his conversation on the phone while typing
.

  Lucius crosses his arms. “And just what do you intend to do?”

  I meet the king’s eyes with no fear. “I’m going to make the motherfucker pay.”

  He considers my poor Zoe before he nods. “Make sure you kill him as far from Club Toxic as possible.”

  The tension leaves my shoulders. “I have no intention of him ever being found.”

  Slash grabs a sticky pad, scribbles across the paper, and grins. “I can create a will that leaves Phil’s company to Zoe.”

  I smirk. “As tempting as that is, I don’t want any connection between that jerk and my Zoe.”

  “Here.” Slash rips the square page from the pad and hands it to me.” He’s in Drexel Heights, at the edge of Tucson Mountain Park.”

  “Thank you. I need to take Zoe home first, then I’ll head over.”

  Roxy shakes her head and reaches for Zoe. “I’ll take her to your house, and stay with her until you get there.”

  I reluctantly place Zoe in Roxy’s arms and plant a kiss on Zoe’s brow. “I owe you one. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  I race down the stairs and out the back door, almost running into Liam. “Where are you going?”

  “To kill the human who hurt Zoe.” I march toward my truck.

  Liam catches up to my side and grins, rubbing his hands together. “I’m coming with you.”

  At this point, I don’t give a shit. My inner demon is barely hanging on. I need to tear that fucker’s throat out, and bring Zoe his head. My fangs are long and ready for action. I jump in my truck while Liam gets in his car.

  I tap the address into my GPS, and rev my engine.

  I run every red light in my way, and don’t slow down until we are on the street in question. Parking three houses down, I get out of my truck. With Liam at my side, I head down the street. “He’s in there.” I point to a gray, two-story house.

  We blur to the address and peek into the windows.

  Liam jerks his chin toward the door. “I sense more than one human inside.”

  “Me too. But I don’t sense any kids.” Children’s hearts usually have faster rhythms. If there are kids, we’ll have to erase their memories. But adults are fair game.