by Holly Hook
I killed Zara.
With a piece of plywood.
I try to grab onto my thoughts. Breathe. Expand your lungs. Take in a breath. Just be careful not to inhale dead vampire ash. Are vampires really that weak in the sun? I couldn't have even impaled a human with that flimsy piece of wood.
“I killed someone.” I let Jeremy whirl me away from the scene and take me to the doorway. The hallway outside is quiet, and Nathan checks it before waving us up the stairs.
Jeremy doesn't speak. He keeps me on his elbow again and marches me up the steps, which everyone seems to have cleared at this point. No one’s here to see us.
Zara's dead.
She was trying to murder me and Silvia all along. She saw us as threats and thought she could get paid to kill us. And then she tried to get Jeremy in deep shit as well.
Bitch.
And to my shock, a smile plays on my lips.
I did the impossible.
“Will they come after me?” I ask.
Jeremy's smiling now too, but it drops away as we slowly climb the steps, well away from the sun. Nathan comes up behind us, panting for the first time as he scales the steps.
“The daylight, sir,” Nathan says. “I must get you into--”
“I know,” Jeremy says. “But we need to keep Ember in line.” Then he leans close to me as we reach the top of the steps and face the closed doors of the dining rooms. “Killing here is normal. You're doing fine.”
And then my grin drops away.
I'm doing fine.
I don't want this.
Even if it was Zara and even if what I did was self defense--
The shock and horror hits me, and I'm never going to sleep again.
My knees buckle, but I force myself to steady my legs. We're about to go back into the dining room with Becky and the others.
And then we do.
Becky is standing and dabbing her lip, hyper-focusing on that. I should hyper-focus, too.
And then, under the gazes of William, Asha, and Wendy, I remember.
“I was just going to the bathroom,” I tell Jeremy. “I'm tired of this possessive bullshit.”
Jeremy pauses like he's trying to come up with a response. “I had to make sure you didn't stray, like you always seem to do.”
Becky just turns away from him, so the explanation must fly. Jeremy went out there to make sure I saw nothing. And it's my hope that it works.
Because what comes next will depend on how complacent we can make the vampires.
“Are we going back to the apartment?” Colleen asks, pushing in her chair. “I want to say goodbye to Ariana before she goes.”
I swallow, wishing I could tell her she's never going to see her friend again. Or care about Ariana for too much longer. How long will the vampire families take to choose their new heirs?
Even if Ariana escapes, she won't dare show her face at the building. And I know she's not stupid.
“In a little while,” Becky promises, her tone froggy. “The vampires will need some time to get sun-proof vehicles out here and coordinate their own trips. Our event ran over longer than we all expected.”
Colleen's not having it. She shifts leg to leg as if she knows something here is not right. Then she plays with her phone, probably trying to text her friend, and I die inside because I know what she's about to go through.
But we're all still trapped, and Colleen will never listen to someone who whores herself out to Jeremy to get things done. Or will she?
How long do I have?
Who's going to choose me?
I'm a predator, like them.
I've survived, but at what cost?
“We need to coordinate your own trip back to your quarters, immediately,” Nathan says to Jeremy in a low voice. “Sir, there is a parking ramp underneath this building. I will take you there, and your human agents will wait to escort you.”
Jeremy lets go of my arm, flicking me aside the way he always does in public, and I want to scream. He can't tell me what tomorrow is going to be like. For all I know, a vampire family could abduct me from my apartment and--
Escape.
That's what matters now.
“My time with all of you is over,” Becky says, turning to face the Housing Panel. “It was wonderful, getting to know you all. Rest up for a couple of days, and then you'll get word of some new opportunities soon.”
* * * * *
I have no one as I rest in my apartment that day, reeling from the events of the last twenty-four hours.
The sun slowly creeps across the sky, exiling the one I need the most to the confines of his quarters and sun-proof vehicles. No one knocks on my door. I hear no screams from Colleen, but I don't dare to check on her, just in case she's being monitored.
Once again, I have to be selfish and think of myself.
The vampires must want that, too.
Even Jeremy has had people killed.
“You made it this far,” I say, wishing I still had a window that looked out on the cityscape. But I don't have that anymore. For all I know, this is one of the last times I can view the city during the daytime.
Slowly, night arrives.
And as soon as the light turns purple, Jeremy knocks.
I let him inside, and Nathan also enters. Jeremy tilts his head. “Good evening, fine lady.”
“Isn't it risky for you to visit me so soon?” I ask, super relieved that he's here. “And what's with the polite, Victorian era act?”
Then he lifts an eyebrow. “What kind of monster do you think I am?”
I snort, glad that he's here and I won't have to face these thoughts alone, at least for a few minutes. “And you're here because--”
“I thought I could take you out for a celebratory dinner. I'd say drink, but you're not twenty-one yet. Congrats on destroying two sphincters in one go. Now we have a bit more freedom to have some fun. Of course, I could have done better--”
“Sphincters?”
Jeremy pats me on the head. “It's a medical term for asshole. In politics, you learn to insult others using more covert means.”
I jerk away from him, stomach turning. “I'm not planning to get any further into politics. My plan now is to get the hell away. My brother. They still must watch him. Right?” My heart pounds as I wait for Jeremy's answer.
He nods. “They'll watch him until they're convinced that you don't want to get away.”
Until you're turned. The meaning hangs in the space between every word.
“Now what?” I stand there, watching Jeremy's expression.
“What happens now is internships,” Jeremy says. “Directors, lawmakers, and lobbyists are all looking for assistants. At least, that's the story. You'll start getting letters in a few days, and you'll rotate around as different lawmakers get a feel for how you operate.”
“So they can choose us,” I force. My mind goes to all the Senators and Reps we've spoken to over the last month. The bitten assistants. The spies and the backstabbing. For now, this is my world.
Jeremy nods. “Some lawmakers have already chosen their heirs, but they never speak their plans out loud.”
“Do you know if anyone has their eyes on me?” My heart thuds as I search Jeremy's green eyes for any clues.
But he offers none. “If they do, they've remained quiet. You are my claimed, and if you're turned, my blood will bind us together.”
He does not smile.
This is serious.
I'm a target, and they'll never let me go.
“And,” Jeremy says, “we don't know when Beatrice will get released, so we need to be on guard. She might not have been the killer, but she's no less dangerous than her mother.”
“We have enemies.”
“Her, and Warrington. I've passed the Panelist program, or they would have sent fake agents to take me away. But she will not stop. Warrington has been looking to get a stab at the Spade Party for decades.”
I shudder and take Jeremy's arm. “She's horr
ible. Jeremy, no offense, but I don't want anyone to turn me.”
He seizes my shoulders. “It won't be easy, but I'll do everything I can to find you an escape from this hell.”
I swallow as I stare into the eyes of Justin Loftis, who is just as much a prisoner as I am. My cage is this apartment, and his prison is blood.
“Ember,” he says slowly, “Remember when I told you about the new political party?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“I think you should meet us soon. The vampires take months to choose their heirs, and the new party might help you get out of here. I'm not the only vampire who dodged his kill, and even some higher-level humans in government aren't happy with being the token mortals.”
“I can meet them?”
“There's a meeting in a few days. We always meet on the weekends. Where do you think I go much of the time?”
I smile for the first time in ages. There are others who can help?
“Yes,” I say. “I'd like to meet them. I think Silvia would approve, and so would Mike.”
“Then the time is set,” Jeremy says with a wicked smile. He's the dark, refined beast that sets my body on fire with just his trailing gaze. “In the meantime, what would you like to do? We can't go too far, of course, but I've been an ass to you. So, I owe you a favor.”
My heart flutters as Jeremy holds me there and Nathan, for once, leaves the apartment to stand in the hallway. “A favor?”
“Yes,” he says, licking his lips and closing in. “I am at your command.”
END OF BOOK ONE
Thank you for reading this ARC of Presidential Vampire! This book will be released on March 15, 2021. I’ll email you when it releases with instructions on how to review. This book will release with updated back matter and links to my other novels, as well as with a recently-changed cover. You do not need to do anything until March 15th. Thank you so much for being on my Team!
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—Holly Hook
Holly Hook also has several other series available! Titles range from paranormal romance, to fairytale, to urban fantasy and to science fiction. Find your next read below or by visiting the Holly Hook Amazon Page.
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