“Are you … are you sad?”
“What do you mean?”
“Sad that you’re a vampire?”
Brock considered. “Do I regret walking into that alley? Of course I do. Do I feel bad that my life as I knew it is gone? You bet. But … there’s something about this – what do you call it, existence? There’s something about this existence that makes me feel divine. I’m still human, but I’m like a super-human. The next state of our evolution.”
“Vampirism?”
“Immortality.”
“I don’t know,” Haley said turning back to their view. “Don’t you want to know what happens after you die? The other world? Heaven?”
“Or Hell?”
“Won’t it be a mystery to you? Won’t you always wonder?”
“It’s not that I can’t die. There are ways to kill a vampire.”
“Oh.”
Brock leaned forward. “Listen, I’m sorry about before. That was mean of me to make fun of you.”
“It’s okay. I walked into it.”
“I set you up. I knew what I was doing.”
Haley glanced at him. “I hope so.”
“It’s funny though.”
“What is?”
“That for moment there, I had you thinking I was your first love.”
“I didn’t think that.”
“Sure you did. Not for long. But I had you there. It was real. It was possible.”
“Pretty far-fetched.”
“On the contrary,” Brock said standing closer. “What if you never really fell in love then? What if the first time you found true love hasn’t happened yet?”
Haley’s eyes drifted up towards the stars.
Brock’s fingers glanced hers.
She held his hand.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
There wasn’t a moment where Haley decided she would. Brock had no doubt decided he would, well in advance. All the jokes, the witty charm, the searching conversations – it had all been part of him persuading her. Haley knew this. As his cold palm touched her cheek, and leaned into kiss her, she did see through what this was. It wasn’t a natural occurrence with the wind, rather, his manufactured creation.
It didn’t worry her. Indeed, she was surprised at the effort he’d made. Why her? Why did she deserve his interest or affections? Yes, she was made up beautiful. Made up to bait the murderer. But it couldn’t be Brock, could it? She didn’t see it being him. Out of all the people she’d seen and met tonight, he seemed like the least likely suspect. And she allowed him to disarm her.
They kissed.
Right there on the balcony.
With the wind moving between their feet, and Brock’s arms rising up her body. She’d hadn’t come here looking for love or desire, but Brock was forcing it upon her. Forcing her to question. She’d told herself she didn’t want or need it. All that mattered was that she succeed.
And now, she’d turned her back on the mission.
She was giving into love.
Brock broke the kiss away, the moisture still brimming on his lips.
“You’re mine,” he declared.
He pulled back her coat, letting it fall to the ground. Then he cut loose the top of her dress, so it came down, exposing her bra. He put his hand to her breasts and massaged them whilst kissing her. Together they both descended on their knees.
Haley turned towards the glowing room beside them, as Brock kissed her neck feverishly.
The soft bed.
The warm carpet.
Above them, it started it rain.
She felt her fingers tearing through his shirt so she could feel his solidified chest. He was completely bare there, not a hair at all. As she felt more of him, his body felt so perfectly designed. Everything felt exactly as she wanted it to feel.
He laid her on the ground, the raining pouring through his hair.
His silver teeth flashed from within his jaw, and for a moment she was frightened, sensing he was about to strike.
Instead, he kissed her again.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said stroking her cheek. “I’m just going to have you.”
He ripped her panties out from under her, and then quickly moved in to fuck her.
Haley’s mind raced with adrenalin. The wrongness of it all. The danger. The pitiful hope…
She couldn’t believe it.
But she was finally having a good time.
Her body shivered, shook, spasmed. She clawed her nails into his back and guided him into her harder, faster. She thought for a moment about protection. Contraception. She wasn’t on any pill and she’d never heard that vampires could be sterile. This seemed like a bit of a risk.
As if reading her mind, he muttered in her ear, “Shall I pull out?”
She didn’t reply immediately, wanting to see his face one last time before it happened.
And then it was there.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Nothing lasts forever.
Not a thought. Not a feeling.
Not a breath.
Outside the dream, the delusion of lust, Haley woke up to find the vampire on top of her, holding her. The harsh winds, and seeping rains kept her frozen and vanquished. In his arms she thought not of him, but of the role she had turned her back on. Suddenly she felt a strong sense of urgency to carry out her mission. In one way, she had been so consumed by fear she’d forgotten that her existence wasn’t the driving factor behind her actions. She had made herself into somebody. A person with purpose.
As terrible, and menacing a foe the vampiress Madame Nightshade had been, Haley should not have been so surprised when she gained the upper-hand. Her role in life was to protect others. To seek out and stop those who meant the innocent harm.
How had she been reduced to this?
How had she been tricked by this creature?
Brock had climbed off her. He gathered up his scattered clothes and pushed open the door back to the bedroom.
Haley gradually rose to her feet.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her.
“Nothing,” Haley said and ducked inside.
Once there, she spied the bathroom. Her eyes searched around for her handbag and realized she left it where they’d sat and talked.
Brock moved in behind her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Can I have my bag?” she asked him, turning. “I need something from it.”
“I’ll fetch it for you.”
He left the room.
Haley stood by the bathroom door, waiting.
“Fresh towels are in there,” Brock said pointing as he returned with the bag.
“Thank you,” Haley said and closed the door behind her.
She took a moment to correct her breathing, then dried herself off as best she could. She fumbled around the handbag searching for the earpiece, but for some reason she couldn’t find it.
“Shit!” Haley cursed.
“Is everything alright?” Brock called.
“Yes, thank you.”
She looked again but still couldn’t find it. She wondered how it had gone missing…
A minute later she walked back in the bedroom to find Brock sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Listen, I –”
“Sit down,” Brock instructed.
Haley walked over and sat beside him. “Listen –”
He placed the earpiece into her hand.
“Oh shit,” Haley muttered.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
“I saw that man give it you,” Brock confessed. “He did it in such a way as to make sure I didn’t see, but alas I did. I knew there was something going on with him, but only now do I realize what it was…”
“Are you going to turn me in?” Haley asked, trembling.
“Why would I do that?”
“I – I –”
“Because vampires only look out for each other?”
Haley
shrugged.
“I want you to trust me,” Brock said. “Confide in me. Let me help you.”
“Help me…?”
“Yes. What are you really doing here?”
Haley touched her forehead. “Oh my God. Oh my fucking God. You can’t be him, can you? You haven’t just been messing with me this whole time?”
“Be who?”
“I told you, before, about the girl I found. Who’d fallen off the –”
“Yes, yes.”
“Well, there are other murders. One of the vampires here has been killing the girls he’s been dating. I’m supposed to find out who he is. There. I said it.”
“I see. Wow. No wonder you’ve been so stressed out.”
“Yeah.”
“I promise you, it’s not me you’re looking for,” Brock said sincerely. “Even though I may be your only suspect.”
“There’s one more. I didn’t spend much time with him but – well, his name is Cyrus. He has longish black hair –”
“Yes, I know him,” Brock said. “A very sinister character I would say.”
“So … maybe its him. I don’t know. Maybe it’s no one. Maybe the killer didn’t come out tonight.”
“Well. Do you really still think it might be me? Even … even after we …”
Haley shook her head. “I really hope not.”
“Well, as a show of good faith, I won’t be turning you in. I mean … I want to see you again. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“Do you reckon we can get out of here?”
“You mean, now?”
“Yeah. Before they…”
“Before what?”
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
They both sat up in alarm.
“Shit,” Haley whispered.
“Just a minute,” Brock called, standing up. He turned to Haley. “Get in the bathroom. Hide in the shower.”
Haley fled, closing the door behind her.
She pulled the shower curtain back and sat down in the cold, damp corner.
Then she waited.
And waited…
And waited.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
It took all of twenty seconds before the shower curtain was pulled back and Haley was taken hold of the burly guards. Brock tried to reason with them, blocking the door to the bedroom, but was swiftly reminded that they were acting on the Count’s orders.
“But what does he want with her?” Brock demanded, stepping aside. “What has she done?”
“Madame Nightshade is dead.”
The guards barred Brock from following them any further and she was escorted out into the hallway. They marched past the Count’s study and made a right before they reached the stairs. Three or four doors along they opened one up and it led out to a small room with a metallic ladder leading up.
“On you go,” one of the guard’s advised her.
Haley climbed the ladder by herself and pushed the hatch up when she reached the top. She then climbed out and stepped out onto the roof.
Rain ripped through her face, and wind almost pushed her off her feet.
“Hello?” Haley called.
“Over here,” a quiet voice called out to the left.
Haley walked slowly in its direction to find Jason kneeling by the roof’s edge, seemingly distressed.
His face, his clothes, his whole entire being –
Was drenched.
“I’m really sorry,” Jason whispered. “They found me.”
“Who did?”
Jason closed his eyes. “He said – he said if you admit what you are, he’ll let us both live.”
Count Echo stepped out from the shadows.
His face was twisted with anger, his eyes radiating a wild red light.
“Please,” Haley said. “Don’t hurt us.”
“Is his story true?” the Count asked. “Are you an undercover operative?”
Haley winced. “It’s true.”
“You see?” Jason exclaimed. “I told you that’s why I was here!”
“To solve the murders.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Listen,” Haley said. “We don’t want any trouble. We’ll go back home and tell everyone the case is solved. We’ll figure it out. We’ll make it so no one else comes back here.”
“It’s an enticing sentiment,” the Count murmured. “After all, you were just trying to protect people, weren’t you?”
“That’s it!” Jason exclaimed. “We’re not against your agency! We’re not against vampires! We just needed to figure out who was killing those women.”
“Was it Kendra who sent you?”
“Uh, yes,” Jason blurted out. “How did you know?”
“Once upon a time, we were old friends,” the Count said. “And supposing one … or both of you had come to see me during the day today, I may have granted you special permissions to carry out your investigation.”
“So you do understand?” Haley said hopefully.
“It would seem that way,” the Count replied.
“Are you going to let us go then?” Jason asked.
The Count bowed his head.
Jason twisted his head around. “Did he…”
“Yes,” Haley said helping him up.
“So we can go then?” Jason asked.
The Count waved.
Jason and Haley grabbed onto each other and set foot towards the hatch.
“One thing though,” the Count said behind them.
They stopped.
They turned.
“Which of you was it who killed my beloved daughter, Arianne?”
CHAPTER FIFTY
Oh, Haley. My dearest, dearest Haley. If you see what I’m seeing now.
We both know what the night feels like, but I don’t think I could ever imagine the emotions inside you that have brought about such a pathetically terrified face.
There’s light on you.
Moonlight.
Where I am, you’ll never really know. I could be there with you. Standing in front of you, staring eye to eye. But then perhaps I’m not there. Perhaps I’m not on the roof at all. It doesn’t change anything. Because from where I am, I can see you so clearly.
I think to myself, how I’m going to experience your death.
Your time is short, but it is also long.
Of course, when morning comes, they will find your corpse in one place or another. But that is so far away. I don’t want to rush this. I want you to be whittled down to the bone.
It is so beautiful that you are searching for me. You have no idea how it made me feel inside to know you know that I’m watching you. That I want you, in all the worst possible ways. I think at first, I just wanted the prettiest flower in the room, so I could crush it. But there’s so much more to you. You really don’t deserve to die. In a way, my instant attraction towards you, now wishes to grow into something else. I want to think of you, as my new girlfriend. If you knew that, you might laugh at me, and call me names. Which would make me feel bad.
I want to draw you. You’re so perfect in this moment. I’ve got to cherish this. In a few weeks I won’t even remember what you look like. The love will be all gone. That’s why I’ve got to take it now.
Haley.
Are you listening?
I hope so.
I hope your heart can hear this.
I am going to strip you to nothing, my disgusting little flower. I am going to own you in every fucking way you can think of.
I am your enemy.
As you are mine.
Are you ready for this?
You won’t win. You can’t win.
But to make things interesting…
And to make this night be as wonderful as it can be…
I hope you try.
THANKS FOR READING. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY, PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING ROSETTE OUT AND LEAVING A REVIEW.
COMING SOON: “VAMPIRE DATING AGENCY II”
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BOOKS BY ROSETTE BOLTER
Shared By The Dragon Clan
(Paranormal Saga Book 1)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SLD54G8
Badass Dragons
(Paranormal Saga Book 2)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WJ2760O
Worshiped By The Bear Kings
(Paranormal Saga Book 3)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YYS6B4I
Engaged To The Vampire Twins
(Paranormal Saga Book 4)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VGU2LTQ
Stepbrother Bear
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011VCY204
Vampire’s Valentine
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BSL9HD0
Rosette’s Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosette-Bolter/291036691093985
Email: [email protected]
Vampire Dating Agency Page 10
