Vlad (Sons of Sangue Book 8)

by Patricia A. Rasey

  “Who should I call? What hospital is near here?” Janelle asked.

  Alexander turned his head, giving her his brief attention. “We don’t need a doctor. I’ve delivered babies before. We can’t chance they’ll run tests on our DNA. Do me a favor and get me some towels and hot water.”

  “What? You can’t think to—”

  “Towels?” His curt reply put her in action, looking for the nearest bathroom.

  “I don’t know where they are. I’ll get Gabby.” Janelle was about to look for her when Gabby and Adriana came running into the living room from the outside deck, out of breath. Adriana’s complexion had drained of color as if she had seen a ghost.

  Alexander looked up as India’s pains seemed to momentarily subside. “What’s up?”

  “Adri thought she saw Mateo,” Gabby said. “There was a huge yacht just offshore and she was positive it was the one belonging to her ex.”

  “You want me to have a look?” Alexander stood. “Someone needs to stay with India, but I’ll go check it out.”

  Gabby’s mouth dropped as she looked to India. “You’re in labor?”

  “I was having pains, but they’re gone for now.” She gripped Alexander’s hand. “Go. See what’s going on. I’ll be fine.”

  Alexander held her gaze a moment longer, then headed out to the deck followed by Janelle. “You should stay indoors. Vlad will have my ass if anything happens to you.”

  “It’s Adri’s ex, so that’s the immediate concern. Not Vlad’s brother.”

  Looking offshore, there was a mega yacht moored several hundred feet away. It wasn’t close enough to be troubling at present, but it was there just the same.

  “Should I call someone? Maybe alert the DEA if you know for sure it’s cartel-related?”

  “Until I see the bastard, I’m not sure he’s of concern.” Alexander ran a hand through his hair. “Gabby and Adriana were careful not to publicize where Adri was living. They didn’t want Mateo finding her. So unless the bastard steps on the grounds, I can’t be sure he knows she’s even here, nor do I want to alert him of her whereabouts. Let’s get back inside and lock up, just in case.”

  Janelle followed Alexander back into the living room. He turned and closed the glass wall of doors and slipped the lock. “Gabby, make sure all the doors and windows are secured, just in case the bastard comes this way. Unless we know he’s aware of Adriana’s whereabouts, we can’t be sure he’s here for her.”

  Adriana nodded. “I agree. I might be overreacting.”

  Alexander laid a hand on her shoulder. “You need to tell us when you suspect anything. I don’t want to be caught unaware, Adri. It’s better to know than be left in the dark.”

  India cried out again, both hands on her stomach as she bore down. Alexander looked at Gabby. “Towels? Hot water?”

  She ran off to do his bidding while Adriana paled again. Alexander knelt at India’s feet and spread her thighs. “My baby boy is on his way.”

  Chapter 18

  Gabby returned quickly, handing Alexander the requested items, and none too soon. India cried out again, bending forward and bearing down. Sweat beaded her brow and upper lip. Alexander looked up at his wife in adoration. There was no doubt this man loved his mate heart and soul as he soothed her with whispered words of encouragement.

  The birthing process seemed to progress at a rapid pace, more so than humanly possible, probably due to their vampire genetics. Good thing they hadn’t been en route to the nearest hospital. Surely, they wouldn’t have made it out of the driveway.

  “I see the head, gattina. One more push.”

  Janelle stared in awe. Gone was all thought of Adriana’s ex possibly being in the vicinity as they witnessed the small miracle of a baby being brought into the world. It amazed Janelle how much these paranormal creatures were still human.

  India did as instructed and moments later the tiny infant slid into Alexander’s capable hands. Gabby handed him a pair of scissors that had been sterilized with a good dose of whiskey to cut the umbilical cord. Janelle assumed the cord would easily heal itself since the baby had his parents’ DNA, nor did Alexander bother with clamping it off.

  It wasn’t long before the infant was wrapped in a small blanket and placed into India’s arms. Tears gathered in India’s dark eyes as she looked upon her wailing baby boy. She cooed and whispered to the child, soothing him with her voice. The calmed infant nuzzled against her chest, closed his eyes, and made a sucking motion with his lips.

  Gabby and Adriana took the soiled cloths from Alexander and helped him quickly clean up the mess. Janelle, however, couldn’t take her eyes off the child. He was perfect, right down to his ten little fingers and toes and rounded head. He seemed human in every way. It was a ridiculous notion that the baby might come out sporting fangs, even if Janelle fought the urge to look.

  Alexander stood and circled the chair. Placing a hand on India’s shoulder, he stared in wonder at the tiny baby.

  Suddenly, Janelle felt as if she was intruding on their private moment. “I’m going out to the deck to give you two some privacy.”

  Glancing at her, Alexander said, “We’ve secured the house and I’m pretty sure Gabby turned on the alarms. It’d be best if you stayed inside.”

  “Then I’ll join Gabby and Adri in the kitchen.”

  Janelle just missed getting hit by the swinging door as the women came running through, skidding to a halt. Gabby damn near screamed the word, “Smoke.”

  Alexander’s nose tipped up. “Jesus.”

  He left India’s side and ran toward the kitchen and pushed open the door. The acrid smoke rolled through the opened doorway, stopping him from entering. Turning, he headed for the other side of the house. Thick black smoke already billowed down the long hallway, blackening the white walls.

  Janelle’s eyes burned as the rapidly spreading fire trapped them in the living area, giving them only two ways to exit. Janelle guessed it to be Adriana’s ex, Mateo, and his men, orchestrating their moves. Should they leave the house from either direction, surely they’d be ambushed.

  “Christ! I fucked up!” Alexander moved from the hall to the glass wall looking out onto the deck, staying just out of sight.

  Janelle knew the rocky oceanfront couldn’t be seen without standing on the edge of the deck and looking down. There was no way to see who waited at the bottom of the steps.

  She needed to think quick before the entire house went up with them in it. Janelle turned to Gabby. “Is there another way out, other than the obvious?”

  “Yes.” A smile appeared on her face, one Janelle was surprised she could muster with her multi-million dollar home burning down around them. “There’s an underground pathway that goes to the guesthouse where Adriana stays.”

  “Seriously?” Alexander helped India to her feet, not bothering to question the logistics of a tunnel or the need for one. “Show us.”

  “Follow me.” Gabby turned and headed for the basement stairway.

  The strong scent of gasoline mixed with the stench of smoke made seeing and breathing more difficult by the second. They quickly took the stairs down. Being the last through, Janelle closed the door behind them.

  “Why in the world is there an underground tunnel to the guesthouse?” Janelle wondered aloud.

  “Well, thank the good Lord there is one,” India said, cuddling her baby close to her breasts.

  They made their way to the back wall of the basement. Gabby reached behind a stack of books on a shelf, pulled a lever, and the built-in bookcase slid quietly open. The cement underground tunnel automatically illuminated. Once they were all safely tucked inside, Gabby pulled another lever on the wall and the case slid shut behind them.

  She turned and led the troop through the tunnel. “Rumor was the man who built this house had it put in so he could visit his mistress while his wife slept. Apparently, he was dicking the nanny. It was never discovered until he died of a heart attack in the nanny’s bed. The woman was so d
istraught she confessed everything to the wife. The previous owner had the entire place renovated, but left the tunnel. He related the tale to Adriana and me when I was house hunting.”

  “Well, thank fuck for his insight,” Alexander growled.

  Reaching the end of the corridor, Gabby pressed another button that swung open the door at the end. The five of them and the baby quickly passed through and traveled up the steps.

  Alexander stopped at the entrance to the guesthouse. “Stay here until I see the coast is clear. These fucks likely already scouted this place and found no one to be here, but I don’t want to take the chance they’re watching the place.”

  He slipped through the door, letting it close softly behind him. Adriana’s hands trembled as she tried to maintain a semblance of calm. Her face paled whiter than a sheet.

  Tears streamed down her face as she worried her lower lip. “I should try to talk to Mateo since I’m the reason they’re here.”

  “What? No!” Gabby swung around to meet Adriana’s gaze. “You can’t be serious?”

  “My God, Gabby! They’re burning down your house. Don’t you see? Mateo will stop at nothing to get me back. He’ll kill all of you if he has to. I should’ve stayed in Mexico. I’m so sorry.”

  “No!” Anger flared in Gabby’s eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for. This is the bastard’s fault, not yours. You’re safe as long as you’re with us. Alexander is capable of getting us out of here.”

  “He’s one man against an army. It’s hard telling how many men Mateo brought with him.” Adriana gripped Gabby’s hands. “Let me go to him—”

  Alexander opened the door, blood dripping from his hands and forearms. His shirt was splattered in crimson. “Let’s go.”

  Adriana dropped Gabby’s hand and covered her mouth at the sight of so much blood. Her eyes widened in shock, rendering her immobile.

  Gabby gripped her shoulder, shaking her and getting Adriana’s attention. “Let’s go, Adri. Look at me, not Xander.”

  Adriana slowly nodded.

  Following Alexander into the guesthouse and out the back door, the five of them stole through the woods. Alexander brought up the rear, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Thankfully, they had managed to clear the guesthouse undetected. Janelle counted three dead cartel soldiers lying face down in the dirt near the exit. Their death they deserved, but she shuddered nonetheless. What seemed like an hour later, they came to a clearing in the forest where a roadway parted the trees.

  “I’ll call Wolf. He can come to get us. We need to stay out of sight until he gets here with the box truck.” Alexander stepped over to India, placing a bloodied hand on the crown of his son’s head. “Are you both okay?”

  “We’re fine. I had faith in you.” She smiled, despite the discord her baby had been born into. “I think I have the perfect name for him.”

  Alexander leaned down and placed a brief kiss on the baby’s forehead. “What is it, gattina?”

  “Chase,” India said. “Since he was born amidst the cartel setting us up.”

  One side of his lips curved up. “More like chaos.”

  India laid her free palm against Alexander’s cheek. “You can use Chaos as his biker name should he stay in the life. But I think I like Chase better.”

  “Oh, he’ll stay in the life.” Alexander chuckled. “I have no doubt. As for Chase, it’s perfect.”

  * * *

  Mateo took hold of the stainless-steel ladder and climbed aboard his anchored mega yacht from the tender they had used to go ashore. His anger simmered beneath the surface as they set to pull the anchor with three fewer of his men. Christ, their murder had been brutal even for his standards. He wasn’t sure what the son of a bitch used to tear out their throats. Or how he had managed to get to all three without one of them firing off a single round, alerting the rest that there had been a problem. It was as if the phantom killer wasn’t human but some kind of fucking ghost.

  Hell, Mateo hadn’t had the time to check to see if the occupants, more specifically Adriana, had made it out alive before sirens sounded in the near distance. He’d bet they had all survived judging by his fallen soldiers, though he had no clue as to how they had managed the feat. Mateo and his men had covered all possible escape routes and yet the five occupants had fled without further detection.

  His men had barely enough time to round up the corpses and throw them into the tender. Leaving the bodies behind wasn’t an option as it might have given the authorities enough evidence to suspect the cartel. Enough accelerant had been used to warrant an arson investigation, proving it was no accidental fire.

  The last of the bodies had been hoisted up and loaded into the stern of his yacht. Mateo wasn’t happy having to bring them along. Blood and filth now marred his deck. He detested disorder and foul matter, ensuring a trip to the marina for a good scrubbing once they returned.

  Motioning for the captain of the boat to start the engines, Mateo planned to be far offshore before the fire department arrived. They’d be too busy trying to extinguish the flames to note a yacht out to sea. His men raised the anchor and the engine came to life.

  Within short order, they were headed away from shore … without Adriana.

  Fury over leaving without his absent fiancée licked up his spine, just as the flames had climbed the walls of Gabriela’s estate. The bitch was at fault. She had convinced Adriana to leave Mexico and him behind; Mateo had no doubt. He’d see Gabriela paid for her slight. But first, he needed Adriana by his side. Either willingly or kicking and screaming the entire way, he didn’t care.

  Heads would roll for this fuck up.

  Mateo wasn’t known for being forgiving.

  The plan had been to get in, burn the fucking house down, and drive the occupants out via the front or back of the estate where he and his men waited. Once they had Adriana in hand, they were to eliminate the others. Since his informants had reported that Adriana had been staying in the guesthouse, the now-dead soldiers had been ordered to watch the exit. He had hoped to catch her coming out of the residence once the smell of acrid smoke reached her.

  The fact all the home’s occupants had been in the guesthouse had not been anticipated. Mateo’s gaze traveled to one of his men, now overlooking the horizon. Joseph had overseen scoping out the houses before the crew had arrived. It had been his job to report back how many were in residence and where they congregated. No one had been seen leaving the main house in favor of the guesthouse, telling Mateo that Joseph’s report had been false.

  Mateo gritted his teeth, seething because of his man’s fuck up. Joseph was the reason Adriana was not currently at his side. To let it go unpunished showed weakness.

  Taking the steps to the bridge, Mateo found his captain behind the panel of instruments. Mateo strode forward, stopped in front of the bank of windows and took in the vast ocean. They were alone; no other boat could be seen for miles. Whitecaps topped the waves but the boat barely swayed as it easily cut through the water. Within moments, they’d be far enough out from the west coast that the boat would no longer be visible to the naked eye. His mega yacht could travel at speeds of seventy knots, about eighty miles per hour, covering a lot of water in short order.

  Mateo clasped his hands behind his back. “Once we get far enough offshore, and the coast is no longer visible, stop the boat but don’t cut the engine.”

  The captain nodded his affirmation. “Would you like me to have the men drop anchor?”

  “No.” Mateo smiled. Delivering due diligence pleased him. “Let the boat coast for a bit. I’ll let you know when we can head back down the coast.”

  Mateo felt the yacht pick up speed as he turned and headed back down the stairs to the stern where several of his men now lounged, Modelos in hand. Christ, he had a notion to throw the whole lot of them overboard. The three corpses lay to the opposite side of the boat, waiting to be tossed over for shark chum.

  The men talked and laughed among themselves as if they hadn’t just fucke
d up their boss’s plan to get his fiancée back, further agitating Mateo. He ignored the men, stood at the back and watched the coast disappear. A smile pulled up the corners of his lips as he felt the boat slow. Soon, they coasted on the waves of the Pacific.

  Mateo turned and looked at Joseph. “Toss them overboard.”

  “Seriously?” The man didn’t bother rising from his seat. “We could take them home, give them to their families for a proper burial.”

  Mateo closed the gap, grabbed the man by his collar, and yanked him to his feet. “I gave you an order.”

  Joseph’s gaze widened, obviously realizing his faux pas. “I was just—”

  Mateo’s backhand jerked Joseph’s head to the side. Blood splattered from his nose. “Toss the hijos de puta overboard.”

  “Sir.” He nodded, grabbing the feet of one of the corpses, struggling to do as he was told.

  One of the others quickly jumped to his feet to assist but Mateo held out a hand. The son of a bitch would wrestle the bodies on his own. It was Joseph’s fuck up, so it was his to fix. The fool grumbled beneath his breath as he tussled with the heavy weight of each corpse but eventually managed to throw the last body over the rail with a final splash.

  Blood marred the once pristine surface of the deck.

  “Clean up the fucking mess.” One of his men quickly jumped to his feet. Mateo caught him by the forearm and whispered into his ear. “When I go to the inside to the bar to get a tequila, toss Joseph over. Tell the captain to head south until I give him further instructions. The rest of you may then join me once the deed is done”

  The man only nodded, keeping his opinion wisely to himself.

  Mateo turned and headed through the sliding glass doors. He heard the scuffle behind him, and the final cry as Joseph was tossed overboard. A smile lit his face as he reached for the bottle of Patrón and poured himself a shot.

  Chapter 19

  The clubhouse buzzed with activity and conversation as Vlad and his twin grandsons entered. Irritation and outrage sluiced through him at not finding Mircea yet again. The nenorocitule had become a specter, one that was bent on agitating him to no end. He wasn’t about to sit idle long, not when he needed to get back out there and hunt the rat bastard down. Mircea’s luck couldn’t hold out forever. Hell, Vlad would still be in pursuit had the news of Gabriela’s house burning down, the exact one he had dispatched Janelle to, not been relayed to Kane.