Vlad (Sons of Sangue Book 8)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
VLAD
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
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COPYRIGHT
VLAD
A Sons of Sangue Novel
Book 8
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
PATRICIA A. RASEY
© 2020 Patricia A. Rasey
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (v1)
Cover Art © 2019 Croco Designs
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DRAVEN
PREACHER
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RYDER
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VLAD
Sons of Sangue
Vlad Tepes, king of the vampires, has a problem on his hands. His brother is taking out humans at an alarming rate and drawing unwanted attention, threatening exposure for their entire race. Vlad needs to stop Mircea before that happens, even if it means taking his head. In his mission to hunt Mircea down, Vlad encounters a stunning special agent who’s out to stop a killer—namely his brother. Vlad’s inability to hypnotize her presents an entirely new dilemma, putting the beautiful law officer in harm’s way.
Special Agent Janelle Ferrari chases bad guys for a living, with a little help from her strange gift of psychic visions. That is until a sinfully sexy man, claiming to be the ancient, blood-drinking Romanian ruler steps into her office. Plunged into a secret society of vampires and a mounting war between immortal brothers, Janelle’s visions suddenly go quiet, leaving her vulnerable and placing her in the crosshairs of the killer she’s determined to take down.
Vlad and Janelle must join forces to stop the psychotic vampire before more humans perish. But when Janelle becomes next on Mircea’s hit list, will Vlad be able to protect the woman who’s captured his long-dead heart?
~*~
Reviews of VLAD
“I had been waiting for this story and just loved Vlad. I read this in one sitting, just could not put it down.”
—Malisa, GoodReads
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“If your looking for a good book to curl up with and a new Book Boyfriend I highly recommend Vlad and the entire Sons of Sangue Series.”
—Desiree, GoodReads
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“Vlad’s story didn't disappoint. I found it wonderful and loved his and Janelle's chemistry and their journey to love.”
—Merianne, GoodReads
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“The shock and awe within the pages had my jaw dropping. WOW!! Holy Hot Hunky Biters!!”
—Trudy, GoodReads
~*~
“I devoured this book in 3 hours. That should say how much I liked this book.”
—Karen, SiKReviews
Dedication
To those of you waiting for VLAD—
This one’s for you!
Thank you to my editor for her fast turnaround! I owe you!
Prologue
The mattress dipped as the six-foot-four man standing next to her bed placed one knee beside her hip and looked down upon her. The sheer size of him made Janelle draw in a sharp breath. Eyes black-as-coal, irises nearly swallowing the sclera, set deep beneath his prominent brow. His unnaturally high cheekbones spoke of something inhuman. Bluish-black hair floated about his shoulders like Dracula’s cape, cloaking some of his facial features in shadows.
Oddly, she wasn’t frightened.
He stepped back and shucked his leathers, wearing no boxers or briefs. His overly large erection jutted from his abdomen, a small bead of moisture decorating the tip. Good Lord, the man’s stance spoke of his intention to impale her.
Janelle licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry as the Sahara. Her gaze slowly traveled over his muscular chest and abdomen, then followed the descending trail of hair to his swollen cock.
Wetness pooled between her thighs, dampening her panties. This man was certainly fuckable, but Janelle was never one to crawl into bed just for a good lay. And yet, her hands moved of their own accord.
Reaching for the hem of her threadbare tank top, she discovered it already missing. In fact, her flannel shorts were nowhere to be found either and yet she couldn’t remember removing either of them. Even though winter had long set in, she was far from cold, even with her thick down comforter pooled at her feet, leaving her nearly bare for his appraisal. The heat rising from her could have easily melted the icicles hanging from the eaves outside her opened window.
The man moved back onto the bed, capturing both her wrists in one large hand, drawing them over her head. His heated gaze held hers captive as firmly as his grip on her hands. He crawled between her thighs, easily spreading them. Sliding his free hand beneath the silk of her panties, he rent the fabric, tossing them aside. The head of his cock nudged her opening, finding her wet and bringing a satisfied smile to his full red lips, nestled amongst the dark growth of his close-shorn beard. She couldn’t help but find his lips pleasing. Until he parted them, revealing a set of large, razor-sharp fangs.
A scream seized her throat as his cock breached her opening. Pushing forward, he fully seated himself inside her. Lowering his head, he snaked out his overlong tongue, licking a path up her neck to just below her ear. Fangs penetrated her skin with a soft pop, sinking deep into her throat.
A gasp left her lips. Janelle sat up abruptly, trying to draw a breath, her hand covering her neck. Dear Lord. That vision had been all too real. Her heart beat laboriously; her pulse roared. As he sank fangs deep, drawing from her throat, she hadn’t been afraid but had almost climaxed upon penetration.
Glancing around the room, she found herself alone. Her gauzy curtains fluttered in the cool winter breeze from the gaping window she couldn’t recall opening.
How the hell?
More importantly, why was she completely naked with her night clothes strewn across the floor?
Janelle got up from the bed, noting her panties were still in one piece. She quickly dressed, then padded across the carpeted floor to pull the window closed and secured the lock.
A shadow of a large man disappeared into the shrubbery at the far end of the lot her cabin sat on, a cabin few knew about. Janelle blinked to clear the vision. Surely, the man was a remnant of her dream. Pulling the curtain closed, she turned and headed back for the bed and yanked the comforter to her chin.
Vampires weren’t real.
But Vlad Tepes the man was real, and her vision had just conjured him up.
Chapter 1
Vlad Tepes circled the small area in front of the altar. Two humans lay nea
r his feet, legs and arms askew. Large holes gaped from the carotid which once pumped their blood. Very little had spilled onto the red carpet beneath them, telling him what he already feared. This was the work of his bastard brother.
Waste not want not.
Or at least that’s what he thought went through his brother Mircea’s minuscule mind as he’d attacked these poor mortals. Normally, Vlad might have agreed but not when it came to a human life.
Never take more than needed.
A vampire did not need to drain a human to sustain life. Which was the exact reason Mircea needed to be stopped. His brother had lost his damn mind. This was the second such occurrence from the reckless fool. The first happened months ago, when Mircea and his sidekick Nina took the lives of four Mexican cartel soldiers. Vlad hadn’t been overly concerned with those killings, as he’d thought the world had been done a favor.
But this time?
Christ Almighty. The Lord himself would likely want penance. These two spent humans lay at the altar of a Catholic church, one of the largest in Eugene, Oregon. The man at Vlad’s feet wore a blood-stained collar, labeling him a priest, the woman a nun’s habit. These two didn’t deserve his brother’s rage or revenge against Vlad. They were innocent, for God’s sake.
Mircea had sent him a text only moments ago as to where to find his latest carnage. Vlad wasted little time in arriving, though he had falsely hoped it was nothing more than Mircea’s shenanigans. If Vlad was a gambling man, he’d bet law enforcement had already been dispatched. Mircea no doubt hoped Vlad would be standing over the bodies upon their arrival.
Janelle Ferrari came to mind.
Fuck, that woman had wet dream written all over her. She’d been on the earlier case; one he had successfully convinced her was the work of a rival cartel and not the work of a blood-thirsty vampire. The case remained unsolved. This crime scene, though, wouldn’t involve the DEA, Drug Enforcement Administration, and would be left to the locals. Too bad. He wouldn’t have minded running into the stunning brunette again.
His mind traveled back a couple of months, when he had followed the special agent to a little hideaway in the woods. Like a thief, he had snuck in through her bedroom window while she slept. But instead of searching her cabin for files on her previous case concerning the dead cartel soldiers as intended, he’d stood rooted to the floor. She dreamt, moaning like she was in the throes of passion. Hell, he could still recall her scent and her naked image had been burned into his corneas. Vlad, jealous of her fantasies, had slipped back through the window before she woke.
He shook his damn head. Getting women into his bed had been as easy as a snap of his fingers. Never had he needed to crawl through a window unannounced, nor stand over their sleeping form like a pervert of the worst kind, wishing he’d been invited into the bed she had stretched out upon.
So what made her different?
Vlad was pretty sure should he suggest they get horizontal she’d shoot him down faster than a gossip spreading juicy news. Janelle Ferrari was now and forever off limits. He should’ve known from the get-go she spelled trouble when he had been unable to hypnotize her.
Sirens in the distance, in all probability headed his way, caught his attention and brought him back to the calamity at his feet. It would do no good to remove the poor humans from the scene as he didn’t have time to clean up after his brother. He hoped Mircea was smart enough not to leave behind DNA, or Vlad would be taxed with making the evidence disappear.
Mircea needed to be found and stopped before the fool exposed the reality of vampires. Humans would never understand or see them as equal. Vlad had seen human nature at its worst. There would be no stopping them from eliminating the threat until the last of his kin breathed their final breath.
Vlad’s acute hearing picked up squealing tires, car doors being slammed, and feet pounding the cement as they thundered up the church steps. Using speed undetected by the human eye, he turned and exited through the rear of the church before any law enforcement could circle the building. He didn’t stop until he was safely miles away from the bloody corpses.
Pulling out his cell, he tapped a quick message to his brother.
You killed for the last time.
Little dots appeared on the screen before Mircea’s reply appeared.
Says you. Oh, and don’t bother using this number again. This phone will be destroyed following this conversation.
Lord, he wanted to throw his own phone against the nearest thick oak and watch it shatter into pieces. His anger would do him no good.
Why the priest and nun?
Gritting his teeth, he impatiently waited for his brother’s reply, a reply that did not come. He supposed the phone had already been crushed beyond use and tossed away. His question would go unanswered.
Why the hell would Mircea go after two so undeserving?
When he found his brother, he planned to beat that very answer out of him. Right before he ripped his head clean from his shoulders. For now, there was nothing more he could do. He needed to look up his grandsons and make them aware of Mircea’s latest devastation. Hopefully, Mircea had momentarily shelved the hunt of Kane and Kaleb Tepes, giving them some needed time to find the son of a bitch. Vlad wasn’t foolish enough to let his guard down, though, not where his kin was concerned. Mircea had made the threat to take his grandsons out and Vlad knew his brother too well to hope he had given up on that quest. Mircea’s antics were no doubt done in hopes to flush them out.
It appeared Vlad would be spending a lot more time in Oregon, at least until he could find his brother and stop him from taking any more innocent lives.
* * *
The work cell on her desk chirped, illuminating the screen with the name Eugene PD. Janelle couldn’t help but wonder if Detective Barker and his team of investigators had turned up a lead regarding a past case concerning the murders of Joseph Flores and three other cartel members.
Something about the incident hadn’t set quite right with her, even if conceivably it appeared to be the actions of a rival cartel quarreling over territory. All evidence indicated that to be the case. And yet, she hadn’t been able to let it go. Her conscience warred against the obvious choice of suspects. To date, Janelle hadn’t found one scrap of evidence linking the case to one of the rivaling Mexican cartels. In fact, if her informants were to be believed, she had been told to look outside the box on this one.
Grabbing the cell, she slid her thumb across the screen and put it on speakerphone. “Special Agent Ferrari.”
“This is Detective Barker.”
Wonderful. She could barely stand the man. Barker had an ego the size of Mount Rainier and an exclusive membership to the man club, meaning he didn’t believe women could do his job. He barely tolerated her on a good day, which meant the phone call must be of some importance. Janelle supposed it was better than a house call. Could she possibly hope for a break in the case?
“What can I do for you, Detective?”
“We have a new case that might be of some interest, as much as it pains me to say. The chief asked me to contact you regarding it.”
Janelle shifted in her seat. This had to be good if Detective Barker was following orders from Chief Jennings concerning her. No way in hell Barker would call her on his own.
She hadn’t heard of any new developments concerning any cases within Eugene the DEA needed to look into. “Want to fill me in?”
Detective Barker cleared his throat. “We have nothing new to report on the Joseph Flores case and his three minions. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a dead-end. Let the cartel kill each other and do the world a favor.”
Figures the ass would give up easily.
“About four hours ago, we got a call of a double homicide over on the corner of Cross and Main. The city’s oldest Catholic church occupies damn near the entire block.”
“The case, Barker.” It was hard not to get annoyed with the blowhard. “I assume it has something to do with the Flores case or yo
u wouldn’t be calling me.”
“Right.” Janelle could hear the chief’s robust voice in the background, no doubt issuing orders. Him she liked. “We have a dead priest and nun on our hands.”
“And this would interest the DEA why?”
“Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered calling you. But this isn’t a normal murder, Special Agent. No gunshot wound, no stab marks.”
Her breath caught in her throat, recalling too easily the Flores case and what was left of the men’s throats. “Are you saying it’s the same MO?”
“Possibly, though the choice of victims this time makes no sense. Where the last scene was brutal and we had blood all over the goddamn place, here it appears the blood was drained from the bodies via neck wounds, leaving very little to soak into the carpet beneath them.”
“The victims killed elsewhere and dumped there?” she suggested.
“The fixed lividity suggests otherwise.”
“You said these weren’t knife wounds.”
“No, Special Agent Ferrari. It appears someone tore out the throats of the victims, using God knows what, and then drained them. Which is reminiscent of the Flores case in that the victims were left devoid of blood.”
She swore beneath her breath. “Do you still believe this is the work of a rival cartel? If so, what purpose would they have for killing a priest and nun?”
“We don’t know that to be a fact yet. We’re trying to make a connection, see if the church was involved in any illegal activities we may not have known about.”
“The crime scene processed? What about the bodies?”
“The bodies are at the morgue. We did process the scene but we’re leaving it closed off to the public until you guys sign off on the case. We figured you might want to nosey around.”
Janelle smiled. “But you’re hoping we’ll sign off.”