Crimson Vengeance

by Sheri Lewis Wohl

  “You mean people like Riah.” Her voice was low and steady as she gripped the almost- empty mug.

  Her words seemed to hit home and he had the grace to look a little surprised. Across the table, he studied her face for a long moment. When he spoke again, his words were slow and measured. “Ivy, you’ve got to cut me a little slack. I’ve spent the better part of my life chasing these things down and destroying them. Though they were once human, what they’ve become isn’t right. This,” he waved his arms as if to encompass the world, “is for the living.”

  “Why, Colin? Why are you so certain they’re all bad?”

  He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he closed his eyes and Ivy wondered what was going through his mind. Opening them at last, he met her gaze once more. “Because, I’ve yet to meet a vampire who possessed a single redeeming quality. At least, in the existence they now possess. Whatever they might have been in life, they’re evil in undeath.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  Colin probably had very good reasons for his strong beliefs. She couldn’t begin to imagine the things he’d seen or the evil he’d confronted through the years. It didn’t mean he was right.

  Since Riah’s confession to Ivy a decade earlier, her own world had been colored something completely different. Still, none of it changed the hard facts. Riah Preston was a vampire, and Riah Preston was a good, kind person. Never once had Ivy thought of Riah as a thing, a creature or a monster. Humanity continued to exist inside her.

  Colin pulled one of Ivy’s hands away from the mug, taking it into his own. It was large, strong, and warm. “Maybe,” he said softly.

  She gazed back at him and tried to read his face. He needed to understand or they could never work together. “She’s not evil.”

  He stroked the soft skin on the top of her hand. “Forty-eight hours ago, I’d have vehemently argued the point.”

  “And now?” She didn’t pull her hand away.

  He met her eyes. “Now, I’m open to the idea maybe things aren’t as cut and dried as I’ve always believed.”

  It wasn’t exactly what she was hoping for. “A bit ambiguous, don’t you think?”

  He shrugged and smiled. Tiny lines crinkled around his eyes and softened his face. “Old dogs, you know.”

  Even the slightest hint of a smile made him very sexy. “You’re not old, not a dog, and I bet you can learn all sorts of new tricks.”

  “Well.” He let go of her hand and sat back in his seat. “The way things are going, we might very well find out.”

  “Maybe.” In the back of her mind she wished he still held her hand.

  His voice lost its teasing quality. “So, back to our vampire.”

  “Yeah,” she muttered. “The vampire.”

  Colin pulled a folded map from his back pocket, sat next to Ivy, and spread it on the table. He’d used a red pen to make X’s across much of the map. They appeared to be randomly spread across the East and Midwest.

  As she sat next to him, heat from his body wrapped around her. She caught a hint of what? Cologne? A vampire hunter who wore cologne? A man of many surprises. She liked it—a lot.

  “Here are her movements over the last year.” He pointed to a spot on the map halfway across the country. “See the pattern?”

  Ivy traced the same path his finger had followed a moment before, then stopped. Her hand was a breath away from his, the heat of his skin touching hers.

  Though she’d thought initially the marks were random, the pattern became clear once he pointed it out. “It’s a spiral,” she said under her breath.

  “Exactly.”

  Something tickled the back of Ivy’s mind, though she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. What was she missing? What was the pattern trying to tell her? Something very important was staring right at her.

  “She’s heading toward Spokane,” Colin said as he tapped the big black dot that indicated it on the map.

  Holy shit! All of a sudden the pieces clicked together. She grabbed Colin’s hand, her own shaking. “I know what she’s after.”

  *

  Riah destroyed the empty packet once she drained the blood. It tasted bitter and plastic. She hated it just as she hated what she was. That she couldn’t survive without blood was the worst part.

  She could never completely atone for her three centuries at Rodolphe’s side, though she kept trying. For more than two hundred years, she’d survived without a single drop of human blood, and she’d continue to do so until she no longer walked the earth. She’d made a vow the day she stepped on the soil of the New World, and she’d keep that vow whatever the cost.

  As much as she hated the thirst, she also hated the memories. The thirst, she could work around. The memories…not so much. Most of the time she managed to keep her mind focused on the here and now instead of the past. She didn’t want to go there now either. What happened today had nothing to do with her or Rodolphe. It was ancient history. This was new and something she didn’t quite understand. Yet.

  With everything put away, Riah didn’t need to stay. The antiseptic cleaner she’d used to wipe everything down permeated the air. Nothing waited for her in the cooler that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. If anyone needed her, they’d call.

  At the security office, Riah waved to Brett, who was back on duty. She wondered how his head felt. He didn’t look too bad, only the hint of a bruise on his neck. She smiled as she walked by. If she knew him as well as she thought she did, his pride hurt far more than his head. Guys like Brett, in any century, didn’t take well to being blindsided.

  Outside, she ducked into her car. She liked a number of things about the twenty-first century, and one was the incredible cars. Her father had been a very wealthy man in his day and she’d had the finest carriages at her disposal. All things considered, she’d had a great deal of freedom in those days. Compared to the Jag she drove now, however, the carriage might as well have been made in the Stone Age.

  She was tempted to go by Adriana’s house. Just the thought sent a rush all the way to her toes. It wasn’t fair, though, not to Adriana. Riah couldn’t give her what she wanted or deserved. In the end, she’d deliver heartache. Only a cold-hearted bitch would use someone as great as Adriana and then just leave her.

  Still, as Riah waited at a red light, she closed her eyes and thought about the silky feel of Adriana’s breasts against her palms. She breathed deeply and recalled the sweet scent of her perfume as she’d kissed Adriana’s silky smooth neck. She shivered.

  “Enough,” she muttered, and opened her eyes. Time to go home—straight home.

  Once there, Riah powered up her laptop. She had a desk full of reports she needed to finish. Time to concentrate on business and get caught up.

  Instead, her hands lay motionless on the keyboard while she thought about the things Colin shared earlier. Only three of her kind left in the world? Certainly, large numbers of them had never existed, but no matter where she’d traveled, she’d always found another night creature such as herself.

  True, she’d been alone in the Northwest for many years and until recently was forced to travel all over to collect the samples Adriana needed for her research. The nearness of the recent kills was frightening for a couple of reasons. She hated death that those who embraced the darkness caused. They fed off innocent victims without regard to the lives they destroyed. If she had the power to change their behavior, she would. It also threatened to expose her. Since coming here, she’d lived in relative safety, and for the first time since she’d been turned, she had a sense of belonging. She hated to see one greedy vampire who couldn’t get enough human blood force her to pack up and disappear.

  Riah sighed and gazed down at her unmoving fingers. It was silly to sit here and just stare at the computer. She powered it down, pushed away from the desk, and went to her bedroom. From the back of a drawer, she pulled out an old, thin leather-bound book. How many years had it been since she last opened it? Five? Twenty-five? A hundred?

&n
bsp; She took it back to her office and began to leaf through the pages. Some entries were simply names. Some had addresses, some addresses and telephone numbers. All the names were familiar and she could recall every face.

  Riah took a deep breath and picked up her phone. For a full minute, she simply stared at the handset and listened to the buzz of the dial tone. It was silly to be afraid. These were friends. With trembling fingers, she started with the latest name and telephone number entered into the book.

  Two hours later, Riah trembled as she set the book on the desk. It couldn’t be. She was tempted to pick up the phone and start over again. Dumb idea. Just wishing something would turn out different didn’t make it so. She walked away, her legs shaking.

  At the large picture window in the living room, she stared into the night. Stars dotted the dark sky in a canopy of twinkling lights while the moon hung large and bright. Behind her, classical music, Chopin, played low and beautiful. The air carried the faint scent of cinnamon from the candle she lit before she hunkered down at her computer. All around her, things were lovely and peaceful. Her own special sanctuary. Yet inside, she felt cold as ice.

  During the last two hours, Riah had made twenty-seven calls. And twenty-seven times she received the same news. Dead. Dead. Dead.

  Every vampire in her leather-bound book was dead.

  Chapter Nine

  What was it about this place that made people want to live here? Destiny couldn’t imagine one good reason. She stood on the gravel shoulder of I-90 gazing at Sprague Lake, a small body of fresh water in the middle of the flat, brown landscape. In the darkness, it was a blob in the center of nothing. To say it was unattractive was being incredibly nice, as far as she was concerned.

  No matter. She wouldn’t be here long enough to ask, let alone try and understand. She had places to go and people to kill.

  Shifting from foot to foot, she looked around. She was very hungry and didn’t think she’d make it without a snack. All she needed was a bit of patience. Her plan was simple, and since she’d done it a million times, she knew it would work.

  She fluffed her blond hair, adjusted her breasts so they looked nice and plump in her tight top, and waited. The gods were with her tonight. In the eastbound lane of I-90 red and blue lights flashed in the grill of a black-and-white Washington State Patrol cruiser. Perfect.

  The trooper who got out made her tingle all over, even go a little wet. She did like her men tall, strong, and handsome, and this guy was all three. It was gonna be a hat trick for girlfriend tonight.

  “Is there a problem, ma’am?” The trooper adjusted his hat as he climbed out of the cruiser, one hand holding a flashlight, the other resting on the butt of the gun at his belt. His blond hair was short and his eyes were almost as green as hers. His voice was deep and rich. A real man.

  She batted her eyes and smiled. “My car just stopped and I don’t know why.” She didn’t miss the way his gaze drifted to her exposed cleavage. Never failed. Though she had a great ass, her factory-model boobs were her best feature.

  “Did you call for help?”

  “I feel so stupid, my cell battery is dead.” She held the phone out for him to see.

  “I’ll phone for a tow.”

  “Thank you.” She put a hand to her breast. “I really appreciate your help.”

  “No problem, ma’am.” He turned and started back in the direction of his car.

  Just the move she’d waited for. With fangs bared, Destiny was a flash of lightning. She wrapped an arm around his head and yanked it back, exposing his long expanse of white neck. His hat fell to the pavement and rolled into the dry grass and tumbleweeds of the shoulder. Strong, he put up an impressive struggle. His sad luck…Destiny was stronger.

  She sank her fangs into his neck and sighed as warm blood flowed down her throat. When his struggles ceased, she let go. He slid to the ground in a heap of blue uniform and white flesh. He wasn’t quite dead yet, his breath still coming in tiny gasps. He sounded a little like a goldfish out of the bowl.

  What a shame she didn’t have more time. He was a fine specimen, as far as men went. She preferred something a little different, but they could be fun now and again. Riding a thick, hard cock until a big, tough man screamed for release could be quite empowering. Alas, not tonight. Time was growing short and they were alongside the freeway—not exactly the best place for a little fuck and suck. Those games would have to wait for another man, another night.

  The others waited as well and she’d promised to be right along. To stop long enough for a meal was okay, but that was all. She didn’t want the kids to get restless.

  Destiny ran her tongue over her lips to wipe away the last of the blood. Tasty. Oh, what the hell. She bent down, picked up the trooper, who hung from her hands like a rag doll, and sank her teeth in one more time. No sense letting a good man go to waste.

  *

  Colin jumped when Ivy grabbed his hand. It was like a woman had never touched him before. Granted, it didn’t happen often, not in his line of work. Most women cringed when, or rather if, they found out what he did. What he was. All that aside, he wasn’t even close to virgin territory. His focus on the hunt hadn’t been quite that strong.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she snatched her hand away.

  Great, not only did he make himself look like a jumpy geek, he now managed to make her feel bad as well. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” He took her hand again. She was cold and shaking. “Tell me what she’s after.”

  For a moment he thought she’d pull away again. Her dark eyes studied him and then she relaxed. “She’s after Riah.”

  “It could be coincidence.” He didn’t believe in coincidences.

  Ivy shook her head, dark hair swirling around her face. “No.”

  “How can you be so certain?” The spiral was headed toward Spokane, which was Riah’s home, but he wasn’t so sure it was all because of Riah. If he didn’t know about Riah before this, how could Destiny? She was a lone vampire and he had the power of the church at his disposal.

  “Here.” She pointed at the map with her free hand. “Each of these locations is where you found a victim, right?”

  He nodded. He could recall every one. With each death, his resolve strengthened. The bitch left a long and bloody trail, and his inability to stop her frustrated him immensely.

  “I’ve been friends with Riah long enough to know some of her past.”

  “And that means what exactly?”

  “Riah worked in each of these places before she came to Spokane. I’m telling you, Colin, this vampire is tracking Riah.”

  Son of a bitch. “You’re sure Riah was in each of these cities?”

  Ivy nodded. “Crystal.”

  “So why?” he murmured. Now that she’d pointed it out, it was clear. What bugged him was finding himself this far behind the destructive vampire. He should have seen the pattern himself and, more important, sooner than tonight.

  Ivy studied his face, her dark eyes unreadable. “You’re the hunter, what do you think?”

  Damned if I know. This new piece to the puzzle threw him. He shrugged. “I don’t know. From what you tell me, Riah’s pretty quiet. She works, keeps a low profile, and doesn’t feed off humans. It doesn’t seem like she’d be an obvious target, vampire or not.”

  Ivy was adamant. “But she is.”

  “I’m inclined to agree.”

  “So, what can we do?”

  That was the rub. Destiny had managed to stay one step ahead of him. Even with this new information, would she slip through his fingers yet again? He’d like to simply kill her and be done with it. Not likely to happen right away.

  “Warn Riah and wait.” It was the best option he could see.

  She pulled away, her eyes full of fire. “That’s it! With all your training and experience, that’s the best you can come up with? Some kick-ass hunter you are.”

  What exactly did she want from him? A miracle? He still wasn’t quite sure what t
hey were up against. Destiny was an old vampire, and why she’d be so intent on this Riah was anybody’s guess. Oh, it bothered him all right. Something was at work in the dynamic with the bitch he needed to understand. He just didn’t know what it was and didn’t believe Ivy did either. Riah was a different story. He had a pretty damn good hunch that Riah held back.

  “Yes.” He touched her hair. “It’s the best I can do until we know more.”

  She let out a breath and her shoulders sagged. “Shit.”

  He laughed. He expected more of a fight. “Shit, indeed.”

  “Come on.” Ivy took his hand. “Grab your map and let’s get out of here. This place is too noisy and I can’t think. Let’s go somewhere quiet and try to puzzle this through. Maybe together we can come up with something brilliant.”

  He folded the map, stuck it in his pocket, and followed her out. “Where to?”

  She didn’t even pause. “My place.”

  “Okay.” It was all he could think of to say.

  Once they reached Ivy’s house, she left him in the entryway while she disappeared into the kitchen, only to reappear a minute later with two bottles of beer. She handed one to Colin.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m not quite done drinking yet. Beer’s all I have.”

  “Beer is great.” He took a big swig from the ice-cold bottle. It did taste good. Even better than at the bar. Or maybe the surroundings and the company that came with it made the difference.

  Ivy took a sip from her bottle, then licked her lips. “I better call Riah.”

  It was hard to pull his gaze away from her mouth. “Yeah, you better.” God, his own mouth felt dry even though he’d just taken a good long pull off the beer. It was like a flashback to junior-high school—sans the beer.

  Colin waited on the leather love seat in the front room while Ivy made the call in another room. An office, maybe? The house was nice, a brick two-story with big windows and tall ceilings. The walls were painted a pale shade of yellow with a collection of black-and-white photos on the far wall. He stood and walked over to the pictures. Family and friends, he guessed, relieved to see none of Jorge.