Blood Struck

by Michelle Fox

  I didn’t even fight when the vampire dragged me away from the scene. A black limo pulled up alongside us. When the door opened, I was unceremoniously stuffed inside.

  I sprawled on the floor of the limo. It took me a minute to recover because the rapid movement had sloshed my already scrambled brain. It felt like there was a huge bruise inside my skull and it throbbed in pulses of sharp agony. With a groan, I pulled myself into an empty seat and tried to take stock of my surroundings.

  There were three of them sitting on the bench seat across from me. All male vampires. One being the guy who had grabbed me. He was built like a prizefighter with a shiny bald head, bulging arm muscles and large, ham hands that could probably wrap all the way around my neck.

  The second was dressed in a meticulous three-piece suit with fancy Italian leather shoes. He had brown hair and unremarkable features. He looked like a corporate middle manager and reminded me of one of my professors in school.

  The third vampire was Abe Lincoln tall, his knees rising high up past the seat level. His arms were long and thin and he wore black trousers with a black dress shirt and black shoes. The expression on his face gave me a start as he watched me with the intensity of a lion stalking its prey. His dark eyes reminded me of Arlo and made me feel like I was staring down a black hole of nothingness.

  He smiled at me, his thin lips making the expression a threat full of malice. “Hello, daughter.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I stared at the man across from me taking in his narrow face and high cheek bones that were eerily similar to mine. My mouth dropped open in shock and my eyes went so wide I thought for sure they would pop out of my head. “D-d-dad?” The word sounded wrong on my tongue. This was my Dad? Oh God I hope not. Because that would mean my dad hadn’t just missed my entire life to date, he’d also shot Kristos. My stomach clenched. This wasn’t going to be a happy reunion.

  His smile widened, revealing pointed fangs. “Yes, it’s me, your sire.” He waved to the vampires next to him. “These are my associates. Say hello to my daughter.”

  The two vampires gave slight nods of their heads.

  Ignoring the introductions, I kept my focus on what mattered. “Kristos?” I couldn’t keep myself from sounding hopeful. The idea of him gone was killing me.

  At the mention of Kristos’ name Devon’s expression soured and his dark eyes flashed. “He will no longer trouble you, daughter. You are mine, you will always be mine.” His gaze pinned me down then and I froze as the power of his eyes hit me.

  Somehow he was inside my head, rummaging through it like so many dresser drawers. Arlo had invaded me with his thoughts and Kristos had been able to create a common link between us, but we had all exchanged blood. This vampire, my father, was inside my mind easy as a knife cutting butter. I had no resistance to him.

  He caught my thought process and gave a satisfied smile. “You were blood bound to me at birth, dear one. I chose not to invoke it until you were old enough to be useful to me.” He paused for a second and then asked, “But what is this about Arlo? You knew him?”

  He poked around my memories and brought back the night I’d first met Arlo. He winced at the picture of the decapitation.

  “Did you send him after me?” I asked. It took enormous effort for me to speak, the weight of him in my head was suffocating and banging my skull around like a piñata hadn’t done me any favors either.

  Devon shook his head. “No, I set him loose some time ago. He’s no longer mine. Pity he had to die like that, but if you hadn’t killed him I would have.” He leaned forward and rested a long bony finger on my knee. “No one touches what’s mine, daughter. No one.” The pressure of his finger intensified until it dug into my thigh like a hard rock.

  My spine crawled at his touch and all sorts of alarms went off in my head. Devon may be my father but he was no doting parent. In my fantasies, I’d always imagined meeting my Dad to be a joyous moment, but in reality, I was filled with a gnawing fear. The guy was a creep.

  The good thing about our conversation, Devon’s focus on me had lessened. I took advantage of the lull to send out a panicky thought toward the bond I had shared with Kristos. Are you okay? Can you feel me? Normally I would have sensed the connection between us but this time there was only emptiness. The place in my soul that had held Kristos was vacant. My heart sank.

  I was alone and my ‘Dad’ made an angry cobra seem safe.

  Putting on a brave front, I said, “Where are we going?”

  “I’m taking you home, dear one. Where you belong. I would have come for you sooner, but it took time to make suitable arrangements for your care.” The limo lurched to a stop as he spoke and the two vampires at his side, quickly exited the vehicle. Devon motioned for me to go first and I stepped out into the frigid winter night, my feet unsteady and my spirits failing.

  Devon poured out of the limo in a smooth, graceful motion. Standing, he towered over everyone, confirming my first impression of his height. He nodded at the prizefighter vampire who went to a manhole cover in the middle of the street and lifted it up.

  “What’s down there?” I grimaced, picturing rats and raw sewage. I could believe a vampire like Devon would live in a filthy dark void.

  “The city beneath the city.” Devon walked to stand at the edge of the manhole and beckoned to me. “Come.” His gaze tore through mine again and I stumbled forward, compelled.

  The corporate looking vampire was the first to go down, his designer shoes clanging against the metal rungs of the ladder. Devon made me go next with a pointed look and a brusque motion of his hand. He didn’t even have to talk to elicit my full cooperation. My hands gripped the cold steel ladder and my feet felt their way from rung to rung. It was colder too, the temperature dropping as the blackness below New York City swallowed me up.

  Once everyone had come down, someone grabbed my elbow and guided me down a long corridor. Apparenlty, they could see in the dark with their super vamp eyes, which left me solely dependent on their guidance. On the upside, even though I tripped and bumbled about, at least Devon couldn’t focus on me with his eyes. My head cleared somewhat as a result, but that wasn’t much of an improvement since I ended up obsessing over Kristos. Was he really dead? I couldn’t bring myself to believe it, yet I’d seen him fall.

  We walked for quite some time, silent except for the occasional ‘this way’ or ‘over there’ comment. At last we emerged in a dimly lit underground cavern about the size of a grocery store. Exposed bedrock made up the ceiling and rows of string lights provided dim illumination. The floor underneath was dusty concrete. A tow motor sat in the distance next to several large propane tanks and disorderly rows of steel barrels.

  The most noteworthy features of the subterranean landscape consisted of two construction trailers to my right. A string of construction lights hung above them, but they weren’t on. As Devon thrust me in that general direction, I saw that someone had broken the light bulbs.

  “Welcome to your new home,” Devon said as he pushed me inside one of the trailers. The other two vampires followed and we all crammed into the small space. To my relief, someone turned on a light, allowing me to orient myself. I’d been afraid they lived like bats down there, hiding from all and any light.

  On the outside the trailer had the dilapidated look of an abandoned construction site, but on the inside it was furnished with sleek leather furniture and ornate rugs. In the back, there was a bed with a crimson duvet that had the sheen of silk or satin. A chill went through me when I saw the walls, which were decked out like the torture chamber I’d found in Kristos’ apartment. There were whips and floggers, chains and other things I didn’t recognize although I knew what they were for: Pain.

  Devon waved to the bed. “Chain her there.”

  The prizefighter vampire grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me toward the bed. I dug in my heels, which didn’t deter him in the least. In fact, he laughed at me. A human trying to fight a vampire probably was funny...if
you were the vampire.

  Whether I liked it or not, he deposited me in the middle of the bed’s too soft mattress. The prizefighter then yanked my arms overhead and secured them in place with chains that wrapped around and through a metal ring in the wall.

  Even though I knew it was no use, I pulled on my chains anyway. On the off chance the steel was defective.

  Devon came to stand at the end of the bed and gloat. He looked at me with calculated glee. “Franklin and I are going to run some errands,” he said indicating the vampire in the suit. “Until then, Ivan here,” he pointed to the prizefighter, “will keep an eye on you.”

  My eyes widened at the mention of Ivan. Wasn’t that the name of the vampire that Jacques had been so terrified of? Was it possible they were one and the same? I shot a quick glance his way and he leered at me as he leaned against the wall, one hand going to caress one of the whips hanging there.

  Oh god.

  I closed my eyes and screamed at the connection I shared with Kristos. I poured everything I had into it, hoping to raise a response of some kind, but I sensed nothing. No one was listening on the other end of the line.

  Shit.

  I bit back a sob and willed myself not to cry.

  Devon’s face assembled into expression of mocking concern.“What’s wrong, daughter? Is not the bed soft enough? I have prepared for your every comfort.”

  I rattled my chains, using the tension to pull myself upright. “Then let me go.”

  “And have to hunt you down again? That’s a messy business I would rather not repeat. You could get hurt.” He sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand up my thigh. “You are the future of the world, Myra. Together we will create a new race. You must be protected for your own good.”

  I couldn’t keep the horror from my face. Together as in me and my father? “I don’t want to make a new race.”

  He shook his head in disappointment. “Then you are thinking small, dear one. You are the human side of my DNA and we have the ability to do what has never been done. I will breed in you a new kind of vampire.”

  I recoiled at his words, wincing as their meaning hit me. A sick dread turned in my stomach. My father wanted...I couldn’t even complete the thought.

  Devon chuckled at my reaction. “Ah modern sensibilities are so delicate. Incest is an age-old tradition and has been used for centuries to secure a power base.” His hand lingered on my thigh. “I was in Egypt when brothers married sisters. My plan is not original, I’m afraid, although my take on it is certainly unique. I think you’ll find it bearable.”

  I made the mistake of making eye contact and his gaze caught me. The memory of Kristos using his during our lovemaking came to mind. Devon could force me to find anything enjoyable and I wouldn’t be able to stop him.

  Why hadn’t I let Kristos turn me when I had the chance? How could I have been so stupid? The recriminations burned through me. If I got out of this alive, if I ever saw Kristos again, I would not hesitate. I couldn’t afford to be human any more.

  He squeezed my thigh and then stood up. “I’d like to stay and chat, but I have some business to attend to. Preparations must be made.” He gave a wicked grin. “We’re going to need a nursery down here.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Devon was gone for a long time. Ivan never stopped molesting me with his eyes. The only time I got a break was when he escorted me outside the trailer to a port-a-potty that appeared to be new and unused. I assumed its presence had been arranged with me in mind.

  Ivan was a devious bastard. He kept my hands chained in front of me and seemed to enjoy shoving me ahead of him so hard that I stumbled. Then he would feed out lengths of chain to give me enough room to walk only bring them up short with no notice. The first few times he did this, I went sprawling in the dirt. He thought this was hilarious and guffawed loudly. I quickly caught onto his game though and was able to anticipate him and keep my feet under me.

  He didn’t like that and instead of staying behind me, matching my pace, he zig-zagged around me with vampire super speed. At one point, he wrapped the chain around my feet until I tripped.

  “Stop it,” I yelled at him, pushing myself up on all fours.

  He just laughed some more and smacked me on the ass. Sick bastard.

  Well two can play at this game, I thought grimly. Instead of standing I stayed on my hands and knees and crawled toward the port-a-potty. Now it was harder for him to trip me up although I would have preferred a position with more dignity.

  Odd to think the last time I’d had much dignity was back before I’d become a blood courtesan. Ever since I started hanging around vampires, my life had gone to pot.

  Pushing the thought away, I stood at the door to the port-a-potty, waiting.

  “Go.” Ivan gave the chain an impatient jerk.

  I shot him a quick glare, careful not to look into his eyes long enough to be captured. “I can’t do anything with my hands tied like this. Unless you want to pull down my pants for me, I suggest you untie me.”

  Ivan growled as he released the lock holding the chains around my wrists. “Don’t try to run.”

  “I’m not stupid,” I said. “You could outrun a car, what chance do I have?” My head held high, I entered the port-a-potty. In the process of pulling down my pants, my hand grazed the handle of the dagger. I froze for a moment. It was just me and Ivan, but was I fast enough to take him? And, if I was, would I be able to find my way out of my subterranean prison? Further, once I got out, how long could I run from my father? We had a bond that would make it easy for him to track me down again.

  I fingered the dagger, debating my options.

  None of them looked great. Lots of steep downsides and very little upside.

  Ivan banged on the door, making the entire port-a-potty shake. I jumped and quickly finished up, yanking the jeans back over the dagger.

  I quickly washed up and then stepped outside. Ivan made to put the chains back on me, but I held up my hands. “I thought we established those weren’t necessary?”

  He thought it over for a second and then shrugged, casting the chains to the side. “You run, you try anything and I’ll—“ He raised his fist in a threatening gesture. Charming.

  I cut him off. “I won’t get away, I got it.” I gestured to the underground cavern we stood in. “Why don’t you show me around? I could use some exercise.”

  He bent down and snagged the chain. For a second I thought he had changed his mind and was going to restrain me again, but to my relief, he just coiled the chain around his forearm. “After we walk, I will chain you back to the bed.”

  I kept my face neutral not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing my panic. I had hoped he would abandon the chains altogether, which would give me more time to formulate a strategy. Now I had to figure something out on our little walk. Was I going to make a run for it or not? Time to decide was running out.

  Ivan let me lead and I slowly ambled around the perimeter of the cavern. “What is this place?”

  “New York underground,” he said his voice short.

  Well, duh. Undeterred by his lackluster response, I kept trying, “How long have you lived here?”

  “We’ve been preparing for your arrival for the last two months.”

  That brought me up short. All this had been in the works long before I’d gone to Madame Rouge. My dad had known about me all this time? “How did he find me?”

  “He’s been watching you since you were born, waiting for you to be old enough to claim.”

  The idea of Devon lurking in the shadows of my life made me shiver. “Why now?” I asked confused. He could’ve taken me years ago.

  Ivan gave me a cocky half smile. “You forced his hand by becoming a blood courtesan.”

  I grimaced at his answer. It made sense. Daddy Dearest wanted to build a new master race with me and it wouldn’t do for some other vampire to knock me up. With horror, I realized I had set this mess in motion. “So what happens next?” It was
optimistic of me to ask, but I figured it didn’t hurt to try. Maybe Ivan would tell me something useful.

  “We bring in more trailers, then the doctors and then the surrogates.”

  I looked out into the empty cavern, confused. “Doctors? Surrogates? Down here?”

  Ivan reached out and grabbed my hand. With one tug he spun me back against him. “We’re going to make lots of babies, girl. Devon has promised that some of them will even be mine.” Keeping a tight grip on my wrist, his other hand roamed my body, tracing the outline of my breast and then down and around to squeeze my backside.

  I gave a little squeak of horror.

  He smiled and pressed his lips against my throat, tongue flickering out to stroke my pulse. “If I could, I would take you to the trailer and make you bleed for me, but Devon has forbid it.”

  “Just like you did to Jacques?” I asked, unable to stay silent. There was no way there were two repulsive vampires named Ivan in existence. This had to be the same guy.

  Ivan chuckled. “Oh you know Jacques, do you? He was a lovely morsel but weak. His flesh was wonderful, but his spirit didn’t hold up. He only lasted one night with me.” Ivan kissed his way down to the hollow of my throat, his tongue applying light pressure against my windpipe. His other hand was fisted in my hair now, painfully holding me still and at his mercy.

  “Something tells me you would be more fun than Jacques. You’re stronger just because of your father’s blood, yet still innocent enough to scream so prettily. I would break you in very quickly.” He wrenched my head back even further and rested the tips of his fangs along my pulse.

  My breathing quickened and I tried to push him away, but he was immovable. “I don’t think my father would approve of you feeding on me,” I said keeping my voice mild.