Vlad (Sons of Sangue Book 8)

by Patricia A. Rasey

  Vlad needed to be the one to end Mircea’s life.

  Standing smugly against the farthest wall, arms crossed over his chest, his brother was all but two steps from the cabin’s second exit. Easy access for the coward to flee should things go south. And they would. Vlad would make sure of it. The old wood door imploded to Mircea’s immediate left as Diablo forced his way into the cabin. To his brother’s credit, he didn’t so much as flinch at the newly-turned vampire’s explosive arrival.

  “Glad to see you could make it, Diablo,” Mircea greeted the younger vampire, baring his teeth, though his black gaze never wavered from Vlad. “Who has your loyalty, boy? You best think long and hard or follow this one to a certain death.”

  “Go fuck yourself, Mircea.” Diablo strode to the mattress and scooped Janelle into the cradle of his arms. “I owe you nothing, certainly not my loyalty.”

  “Take her and you’re dead,” Mircea said, spittle flying from his mouth. He took a step in Diablo’s direction.

  Vlad moved at the speed of light, coming between Mircea and Janelle. He wouldn’t allow Mircea to put his hands on Janelle a second time. Failing her again wasn’t an option. “Over my dead body, nenorocitule.”

  “That will be my pleasure, brother.”

  Vlad’s gaze heated. He could feel Janelle close behind him, felt her pain to the marrow of his bones. She had been his weakness, but also his strength. His love for her empowered him.

  “Get her the hell out of here,” Vlad bellowed.

  Mircea’s gaze turned ugly. “When I’m finished here with my brother, Diablo, mark my words, I’ll hunt you both down. For certain, you’ll lose your head while she becomes my bitch.”

  “Like hell, she will,” Vlad growled but stayed his position, not giving Mircea a chance to get to Janelle, not without going through him first. He reined in the fury his brother’s words evoked, needing Janelle free from danger before he squared off against his brother.

  “Good luck with that, asshole.” Diablo smirked, tightening his hold on Janelle.

  Vlad couldn’t help but steal a look behind him, see with his own eyes that she was okay. She curled into the vampire’s hold. To Vlad’s relief, it didn’t appear she had been battered or bruised. Her lids lifted, her eyes now nearly black in color as she was at the very beginning stages of being turned. Her gaze found and held Vlad’s for a brief second before she drifted back into unconsciousness. Lord, he hoped to hell she didn’t hold his brother’s actions against him, even if it was her right.

  Fear and anxiety over losing her nearly robbed him of breath.

  Diablo gave Vlad a brief nod before turning and hightailing it from the rear of the cabin. Their scent dissipated, telling Vlad the two were no doubt a safe distance away. Tension eased from his shoulders. Kane and Kaleb, along with the Sons of Sangue, were no doubt close behind his and Diablo’s arrival. He had to put his trust in Diablo, his only choice, that he’d get her to safety. Once he rid the earth of the scourge that was his brother, he’d hightail it back to the clubhouse and see where he stood. Lord, she had every right to hate him. He had been the one to bring her into this life.

  Becoming a vampire should’ve been her choice.

  Janelle had captured his heart and soul. If she could find it in her heart to forgive him, he’d spend his life making up for his mistakes and the sins of his brother.

  Vlad’s heated gaze turned to the object of his antipathy.

  Mircea stood across from him, unfazed by the fact Vlad had come to take the life he should have forfeited months ago. His smile widened, telling Vlad he had not only expected this confrontation, but counted on it. Mircea wouldn’t have allowed Diablo to leave with Janelle, not without having a plan to turn the tides in his favor. He was too much of a coward to take on Vlad one-on-one. Vlad had already anticipated more turned vampires ready to do his brother’s bidding, which was why Kane and Kaleb would soon be his backup.

  As if on cue, the scent of unfamiliar vampires drifted to his nose as they closed in to outnumber him. The question was, how many?

  If Kane, Kaleb, and the Sons didn’t arrive shortly, he was prepared to take every one of them out. His only fear was Mircea escaping while he battled the others. Janelle continued to be in danger as long as his brother drew breath.

  He flew across the room, knocking Mircea against the far wall just as five vampires entered the cabin, with more no doubt outside.

  “The only one of us dying today is you, my dear brother.”

  Vlad snarled. “Not likely.”

  His brother steepled his hands and brought them up swiftly with great force between Vlad’s arms, tearing his grip loose. Mircea quickly spun away as five minions pounced on Vlad. Fangs bit and tore chunks of flesh from his arms, neck, and shoulders. Vlad easily whipped the vampires to the side, sending them flying against the cabin walls, the foundation shaking from the impacts. With quick work, he easily tore off three of the five’s heads while two more opponents entered the fray. Rushing him before he could shake off the other two motherfuckers, Vlad spun quickly, sending two of them crashing against Mircea and knocking him to the floor. Within seconds, he had ripped two more heads off. Five down, leaving two more minions in the cabin to go.

  Vlad dove at Mircea and the other two vampires as they scrambled to their feet. Before they could sink in their fangs and do him more damage, both heads hung from his fists. He flung them to the floor, leaving them to roll across the filth. Snagging Mircea by the shirt just before he could reach the door, Vlad pulled him up short.

  Beyond the scent of splattered and spent blood, Vlad caught a whiff of Kane and Kaleb. The cavalry had arrived. Vlad threw his brother against the old creaking wood. The walls shook and termite-eaten boards tumbled to the ground. He saw Kane taking the last of the vampires’ heads just outside the dilapidated cabin walls, the sickening crunch of vertebrae separating from the neck carrying to Vlad’s ears.

  Mircea scrambled back to his feet and lunged, his claw-like hands aiming for Vlad’s neck. He couldn’t move aside fast enough as Mircea shoved him against one of the cabin’s studs. It cracked beneath his weight, the roof threatening to cave in. Mircea reared his ugly head, fangs drawn, and sank them into Vlad’s shoulder, tearing another large chunk of flesh.

  Gripping Mircea by the biceps, he sank his thumbs through flesh and muscle until his brother was forced to release his hold with an anguished cry. The sounds of battle outside the walls died, telling Vlad that Mircea was the last of his crew. His heart panged as he looked at his defeated brother, no longer looking like the crazed monster he had become.

  Mircea was beaten. He dropped to his knees before Vlad, his gaze beseeching him for mercy … mercy Vlad didn’t have to give. For too long he had allowed his brother’s crimes to go unpunished, all for the sake of his love. But no longer. This ended here.

  “You’ve won, brother.” Mircea raised his hands together as if expecting Vlad to tether them. “Take me back to your island and put me back in my cell. I promise to adhere to your rules.”

  Vlad frowned, his heart already aching with the coming loss. “That’s more than you deserve.”

  “You name my punishment—”

  “Death.”

  Without allowing for a response, Vlad grabbed his brother’s head and gave a mighty twist. Every evil deed his brother had been guilty of flashed through his mind like a horror flick, only worse because it had been real life. As deserved as Mircea’s execution was, Vlad’s own cry of anguish traveled through the forest as he completed what he’d come to do, sending birds and animals to flight. Mircea’s body dropped to his feet while his head still dangled from Vlad’s fist. Vlad tossed it away in distaste as he turned and left the cabin. He wasn’t even aware of the tears dropping from his lashes, tears his brother didn’t deserve, until Kaleb gripped his shoulder and stopped him.

  “You okay, Grandpa?” Kaleb asked, the term of endearment no longer unpleasant. The twins were the last of his immediate family.

&nb
sp; “I will be.” Vlad cleared his throat. “Clean this mess and torch the cabin.”

  Kane nodded. “Go back to the clubhouse. We’ll meet you there once we finish here. Diablo is there with Janelle.”

  He rubbed his beard, feeling the filth left from the battle. His wounds had already begun to heal. “I think maybe first I should shower.”

  “Yeah.” Kane chuckled. “We could all use one.”

  Vlad glanced around at the brave men, the Sons of Sangue, who stood beside him, battle-scarred and bloodied. His heart swelled. These vampires were men of honor. Not only were they Kane and Kaleb’s brethren, but they were now also his family.

  Chapter 23

  A week of hell. Janelle remembered very little, other than the excruciating pain and the comfort of Vlad’s arms. Thankfully, the arduous effects of her turning had mostly alleviated. Lord, there were times she had prayed for the Grim Reaper. Had it not been for Vlad holding her through most of it, taking away some of the agonies, she might’ve pleaded for the black-cloaked ghoul with the scythe to take her.

  Janelle was now immortal, a heady notion.

  Not that she had asked for it, of course, but thrilling nonetheless.

  The idea of drinking blood was no longer repulsive as she had once speculated. After all, Vlad tapping her vein had been downright pleasurable. But drinking blood herself? Janelle needed a little more time to get used to the concept. Her entire existence had been transformed due to a psycho’s need for revenge. She had been more than a little elated to overhear that Vlad had ended the son of a bitch’s life. Janelle couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been for him to do, no matter that Mircea got the justice he was due.

  Melancholy settled in at the notion she might not be able to return to her job. She loved being a special agent and had been damn good at it. But being a vampire, one who craved red blood cells for lunch, might not fit into her career at the DEA. What if the scent of blood at a crime scene made her accidentally transform?

  Her gaze traveled to Cara Brahnam who sat across the room on a barstool talking quietly with Suzi Stevens, neither woman aware she had awakened judging by their whispering. Although, due to her newly gained vampire hearing, Janelle easily picked up every word said. She sniffed the air. Her sense of smell had also improved, detecting the different pheromones of the two women and the child napping across from her.

  Where was Vlad?

  Janelle wasn’t sure what she would have said had he been here, other than to thank him for his care over the past week. What must he think of her? Killing his brother couldn’t have been easy. Surely, he mourned Mircea’s death, even if it was well-deserved. But had Janelle not come snooping into his life, Vlad might’ve had a shot at redeeming the bastard, or at the very least imprisoning him again.

  Did he blame her … even the tiniest bit?

  Sitting, she tested her legs. The wobbliness was gone, her body now feeling stronger than ever. Recalling the speed with which Vlad and Ryder had traveled when they each had carried her, Janelle wondered if she too could run as fast. Lord, she hoped her vampirism would curb the damn motion sickness that had come with it. Otherwise, she was opting to trek by car.

  “You’re awake,” Cara said, rising and waddling over to her. “How do you feel?”

  “Fantastic actually.” Janelle stood and stretched. No aches or any pain remained. In fact, she had never felt better. “Maybe a little hungry.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Suzi chuckled, walking over and joining them. “It’s been a week since you’ve had anything.”

  “You’ll need blood to complete the turn,” Cara said.

  Could she do this? “I’m hoping one of you will teach me the ropes.”

  “Absolutely.” Cara smiled. “As a matter of fact, Viper and Hawk went to the Blood ’n’ Rave to secure you a donor.”

  “A donor?”

  “A human who knows about vampires and is a willing host,” Suzi said. “Draven created a secret society of donors who make sure we get the sustenance we need. Feeding is easy. The scent of human blood will help aid you in turning into your vampire form the first time. After that, it will become second nature.”

  Steak and lobster, a burger and fries.

  Would she ever be able to enjoy human food again? Janelle fidgeted. Food was the least of her worries. She couldn’t help wondering where Vlad had disappeared to again. Maybe she was too painful of a reminder of the brother he had been forced to kill. Not to mention, said psycho brother’s blood now ran through her veins.

  Janelle took in a shaky breath. She needed to know where she’d now stand with him “Viper and Hawk gave you their blood, making you their mates. That makes you a mate for life, correct?”

  Suzi nodded. “There is no such thing as divorcing a vampire.”

  Cara swatted Suzi’s arm with the back of her hand. “Janelle is not mated to Mircea.”

  The short brunette’s eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, no. You may have ingested Mircea’s blood, but he’s dead. That means you’re open to mate yet with someone else.”

  “If he were still alive?”

  Cara grimaced. “Then yes, you would be his mate.”

  “Even though I didn’t ask for his blood?”

  “There are times it can be set aside.” Cara recounted the story of Rosalee and Kane’s dissolved mating and how her actions had caused the death of their son, Ion. “Viper had asked Mircea to set aside his mating to Rosalee so Kane and I could be mated.”

  “Why ask Mircea and not Vlad?”

  “At the time, no one knew where Vlad was. He tends to disappear for long periods of time.”

  “Don’t forget Brea,” Suzi added. “She was Kinky’s mate before he was killed. Now, she’s mated to Draven. Death negates a mating if the living mate chooses.”

  “But am I still considered Mircea’s mate?”

  Cara laid her hand on Janelle’s forearm. “Technically, but only until you decide to take another.”

  Janelle frowned. “And how does that happen?”

  “Someone, like Vlad, can give you his blood.”

  Janelle quickly blinked away the moisture gathering in her eyes. Vlad would never want her as a mate, not with Mircea’s blood running through her. “I would be nothing but a bad reminder of his brother. I can’t … I won’t do that to him.”

  “You can stay here at the clubhouse for as long as you want.”

  “I can take care of myself.” Janelle couldn’t take Cara up on her generous offer, not with Vlad coming and going as he pleased. She couldn’t take the heartache of seeing him and not being able to be with him. “I have a place.”

  “Viper would insist. He’ll want to see you’re taken care of. You’re now part of our family.”

  “Thank you, Cara. I appreciate that but I prefer to stay at my own place.” Janelle would be damned before she became someone’s pity mate, least of all Vlad’s. “Speaking of Vlad, where is he?”

  Stefan picked that moment to wake up from his nap. He rubbed his little eyes, then ran up and circled Suzi’s legs. She scooped him up and placed him on her cocked hip. “He’s back at the penthouse. He said he needed to have the door fixed, clear his things, and turn in the keycards.”

  An ache shot through her heart, not all that different from the agony of her past week. The news debilitated her, though his leaving shouldn’t have been a surprise. Of course, he’d think his job here was finished with his brother being dead. Janelle didn’t want to be more of a burden, the reason Vlad stayed if moving on was what he truly wanted. Vlad owed her nothing.

  “How soon is he leaving?” Janelle masked the pain of him not telling her his plans.

  “Viper wasn’t sure.” Cara rubbed her distended belly, grimacing. “Oooh…”

  “Are you okay?” Janelle asked, concerned. As large as Cara was, surely the babies were due at any moment.

  “Just a couple of restless boys. I’m only eight months along.” She took in a deep breath, licking her lips befo
re continuing, “I think Vlad is more comfortable hiding away on his island. We never know when he’s going to pop up in the States.”

  “I can’t imagine he’d leave you behind,” Suzi quickly added. “He seems pretty protective when it comes to you.”

  “Because he felt responsible for putting me in danger.”

  “Maybe…” Suzi drifted off with her response, saying nothing more.

  Janelle looked at Cara, eager to get the conversation off of her and Vlad. “You’re in law enforcement. How do you handle that, being a vampire?”

  “We’re still human.” Cara shrugged. “You separate your two selves. In my case, the sheriff knows about us, but the rest of the force doesn’t. It might be a bit tricky once he retires the first of the year and my partner, Joe Hernandez, takes over. But I’m sure not much will change. I’ll still go to work and fight the bad guys.”

  “So, I can continue doing my job?”

  “Heck, yes, girlfriend.” Cara smiled. “It might even be beneficial. Never hurts to have someone on the inside looking out for our interests. Please know, Janelle, we will always be here for you. As I said, we’re family.”

  The door opened and Ryder and Gabriela strolled into the room. “We have a problem.”

  “What’s going on?” Cara asked.

  Gabby’s eyes were red and swollen, obviously fresh from tears. “I got a text from Adriana. She’s gone.”

  “To where?”

  “Mexico with her asshole of a fiancé.”

  Suzi gasped. “With Mateo?”

  “Adri said she missed him. Oh, and he’s sorry for burning down our house.” Ryder rolled his eyes. “My ass.”

  “Adri wired my bank account enough money to rebuild,” Gabby said. “No doubt, Mateo’s money. She doesn’t have that kind of funds.”

  “You think she did this of her free will?” Cara asked.

  “She made her decision,” Ryder grumbled.

  “How can you be so damn cynical?” Gabby’s voice raised.

  “She could’ve come to us for help and she chose not to.”

  “Because she didn’t want to involve the Sons, not after costing us our house. Regardless, she’s my best friend, Ryder.”