Phoenix Dead (New Adult Dark Romance) (The Vampire Years)

by Vremont, Ann

  "Lee," he touched his forehead to mine, his grip at the curve of my waist tightening. "I'm saying I want you to move in with me. Danny may not be ready to commit, but I am."

  My head bobbed in a little circle, lost between "yes" and "no." I placed my palm lightly against his cheek, knowing I'd already waited too long to say anything. "I can't answer you tonight."

  "I understand." Chris sucked his bottom lip in, chewed at it. "But before you answer, there's something you need to know..."

  I waited while he tried to push it out, and then his gaze started shutting down. I stroked my thumb along his cheekbone. "Chris, I already know you lost the scholarship. It doesn't change how I feel about you."

  He shook his head. "It's about why I lost it, Lee."

  "Not from anything you did." I tried to hug him but he pulled back.

  "Can we talk somewhere else?"

  I nodded, starting to worry. His body was tight, wary, his expression injured soul deep. This wasn't the Chris I was used to seeing. "Let's go out to the car," I said.

  I had to lead him through the crowd like a sleepwalking child. Every few feet he'd pull back, as if he'd changed his mind about telling me. When I finally had him back at the car, he hugged me.

  I slid my arms around his waist, up under his shirt to where my palms were against his lower back. "Quit stalling, Kennedy," I said, my voice gentle.

  "Give me a second." He threaded his fingers through the back of my updo and tilted my head back so that I was looking up at him. "I'm afraid you won't look at me the same - that this is my last chance to hold you, to ..."

  Chris dipped his head, covering my mouth with his. I could feel the tug on my hair, forcing me to arch into him. His tongue parted my lips, gently probing. Licks became small bites. His free hand dropped to my bottom to press me close to him. Bending over me, curving me closer to him, his hand cupped lower, between my thighs so that I could feel the pressure of his fingers against my cunt.

  Slowly we started to rock against one another, our worries melting away for the moment. All of me felt like it was melting, evaporating. I was wet, close to coming, my senses in a spiraling plummet.

  I tightened my grip on Chris. "I'm dizzy..."

  "I've got you," Chris promised.

  "No." I clutched at him, panic setting in. "I'm falling..."

  Chapter Seven

  I landed on my hands and knees, my skin and clothes bathed in red light that dissolved to black nothingness a few feet from me. I could still feel Chris's arms holding me, hear the faint, urgent strains of him calling my name. Concentrating on his voice, I tried to find my way back to him, but my head and spine felt like giant hands were wrapped around them to hold me in place.

  "You want to fight me, Lee, you need to feed more." The circle of red expanded its borders far enough to show me a silhouette of Oscar.

  Beyond him, I could hear ragged, wet breathing.

  "The dying are so distracting, aren't they?" Oscar's silhouette moved, taking the light with him.

  Slowly, the darkness faded. I could pick out the shape of pews next to me and the progression of carpet up to a small set of steps half covered with a crumpled shape. Dropping down to his haunches in front of the shape, Oscar came fully into view.

  "Me," he started. "I've fed three times today. I think you remember that jiggly little blond from Blush and, of course, you are intimately familiar with this one..."

  My chest seized as he reached forward, grabbed hold of the shape and lifted. Bullet vest strapped around a tight, muscled body. Dark brown hair, face battered, the eye swollen shut, lip cut and bleeding.

  "This one thought he could show up alone and take me. You should have seen his face when he emptied his clip into me."

  I couldn't look at Danny. If I did, panic would take over and I'd be stuck in Oscar's grip. I let my anger and adrenaline take over instead, fueling my strength. "I'm going to kill you, Oscar."

  He laughed softly at the idea. "Maybe. One day. If I let you live long enough."

  He let go of Danny and I heard the impact of Danny's head on the carpeted step. Like a snake, Oscar slithered to where I was still pinned on my hands and knees. He wrapped his hands around the sides of my head and his gaze bored into my skull.

  "I could hold you here while I kill him. But I won't. I want you to come to me - try to save him, Lee."

  Oscar released me, sent me slamming back into my body in the hotel parking lot. I was sprawled on the ground, Chris leaning over me. He had pulled out his phone and was dialing while he shouted for help.

  I snatched the phone from Chris, cancelled the call and dialed Danny's cell phone, praying that Danny was anywhere other than dying on the altar steps at St. Vincent's.

  The phone rang, followed by dead space before I heard the voice on the other end.

  "Don't make me wait too long, mija."

  I hung up and shoved the phone at Chris. "Give me your keys."

  Reflexively, he reached into his pocket before he caught himself. "You don't have a license, Lee."

  It was true. I'd never even driven on black top - just back roads at the lake and in the mountains. But I had to get to Danny and keep Chris out of danger.

  "I've got to borrow your car. Now!"

  "Nuh-uh. Wherever the hell you think you're going, I'm going with you."

  I reached for the hand still in his pocket, ready to wrestle the key from him. He scrambled back.

  "Bullshit, Lee. You just fainted. Tell me what's going on or you're not going anywhere!"

  People, probably from his earlier shout for help, were starting to make their way over to the parked Mustang. I didn't need a crowd - or a line of police cars chasing me as I inexpertly drove a stolen car. If I could get Chris to take me most of the way without knowing where we were going...

  I jumped up, circled the front of the Mustang until I was in front of the locked passenger door. "I need to go home, now."

  Chris was slow to get up, his expression confused but sliding towards angry. I knew I had some time - Oscar wanted to make a game of it. I just didn't know how many players he was hoping for or how much punishment he would deliver to Danny in the time it took me to reach them.

  "Chris, please. I can't explain right now."

  "Fine." He unlocked the driver side door and popped the lock for my side. As we both slid inside, he caught me by the arm. "I'm talking to Danny when we get there."

  I nodded - anything to get the car moving. I gritted my teeth while we backed out of the spot and moved through the parking lot and our milling classmates at a slow pace. Out on the street, I wanted to shout at him to go faster. Instead, I played the word over and over in my mind while I stared at Chris, hoping whatever allowed Oscar to worm his way into my head was something I could use to coax Chris to pick up the speed.

  If anything, he drove slower and I bailed out of the Mustang a few blocks after he turned east onto Thomas and was slowing for the right onto 48th Lane. I heard him shout my name, followed by the squeal of tires as he slammed on the breaks, but I was already on my feet and running. There was a parking lot for some dentist and I ran through it, doubling back behind an apartment complex. And then I was running through yards, security lights coming on, dogs barking.

  "Lee!"

  Fuck! I could outrun Chris, wide receiver or not, but I couldn't do it quietly. He didn't have to match my pace, he just needed to follow the lights and noise of my wake.

  I hit a high fence between the houses and another apartment complex, scaled it and prayed I'd left Chris behind for the night. From there, I ran through the complex and a small shopping center's parking lot parallel to 51st Avenue. Two blocks later, I calmly crossed 51st Avenue, walked the perimeter of the church grounds and found a tree covered spot to jump the fence.

  Adoration would have ended at seven, with the staff leaving shortly afterwards. The parking lot was empty except for one car - Danny's personal vehicle, parked as out of view from the passing traffic as possible. I crossed over
to the building door nearest Danny's car, discovered it unlocked and went inside.

  I found myself in what looked like the parish offices. Carried through open doors was the pale glow of lit candles and I followed their light until I was in front of the big double doors with the pews and altar beyond them.

  Oscar had Danny propped up against the side of a pew. His gaze flicked towards me in acknowledgment and then he gave Danny a rousing slap. "Paging Officer Cholo, you still in there?"

  Danny answered with a fist to Oscar's crotch. Oscar hissed and backhanded him. Pulling a long-bladed knife from his jacket, Oscar grabbed the lower half of Danny's face and forced him to look in my direction. In the extra time Oscar had to play, he'd slashed Danny's cheek, leaving a fat ribbon of blood just next to his mouth up to the hairline next to his ear. Blood crusted along his throat and I couldn't tell if it was from the cut to his cheek or if Oscar really had fed from him.

  Danny coughed, spitting out blood, and then his right eye fluttered open. I saw the flare of recognition in his gaze. His lips, swollen, tried to shape a warning.

  "She won't run," Oscar said, stooping down. "She thinks she can save you...like you thought you could protect her."

  I had been creeping toward Oscar as he put on his little play. Hearing a door slam in the building, I stopped dead in my tracks.

  Oscar lifted his head, drew in a deep breath through his nose.

  "Who's that?" A cruel smile shaped the words and he scented the air again. "My friends or yours?"

  Either way, it wouldn't be good.

  He took another sniff and chuckled. "Hmmm...smells like I'm outnumbered." Standing, Oscar flipped the knife in his hands a few times. On the last time, he caught it and swung his arm in a downward arc, the blade piercing Danny's shoulder to pin him to the pew.

  Oscar retreated up the aisle, onto the steps where he waited, arms crossed, hip canted. "Come forward into the light," he murmured.

  I dropped to the floor next to Danny, my hands quickly running over him to find the damage. I thought I detected broken ribs beneath the protective vest. Shallow stab wounds dotted the back of his other shoulder, not enough to make him bleed to death - just enough to torture him. More cuts bloodied his arms.

  I reached for the blade handle and hesitated. Would pulling it out make the bleeding worse?

  Danny stopped me before I could decide.

  "You've got to run," Danny managed to push the words past his swollen lips. "Call the cops."

  That earned another chuckle from Oscar. "Show him your teeth, mija - I bet they're all out and ready to slash through me."

  It was true. I'd smelled Danny's blood the minute I'd stepped into the building. That, and my rage, had caused my blood fangs to descend.

  "Show him, mija. Show him how you're just like me."

  When I did nothing, Oscar pounced forward, hissing. My response was immediate and feral. Hissing back, I lunged at him. He easily dodged me, his hands coming up to catch the lapels of my jacket and fling me against the opposing pew.

  "Gonna stay in the shadows all night?" Oscar was looking at the double doors.

  Chris stepped over the threshold, his cell phone in one shaky hand. I heard the electronic beep of the numbers being dialed.

  "Won't work," Oscar warned him. "Church has a little box to jam the signals. Can't have you texting your girlfriend or finding God on Google, can they?"

  Oscar caught me trying to circle behind him. His arm shot out and grabbed hold of my hair. Yanking me to him, he captured my wrists and locked them tight behind me with one hand while the other kept hold of the handful of my hair.

  "You got a choice, mija. They're gonna die. I promise you that." He stroked his fingers along my chin as he nuzzled my ear. "Choice is how painfully they die and whether you spend the next month locked in a room with nothing to feed on but little dead bits of your ex lovers passed through a slot."

  "Let them go and I'll stay."

  "No." Three voices in near unison.

  Danny was trying to pull the blade from his shoulder and Chris, instead of having the good sense to run, was walking down the center aisle.

  "You disrespected me, Lee. You need a hard lesson so that never happens again."

  "I'll be your enemy for as long as I live," I warned him.

  Oscar growled and I didn't know if it was at me or Chris, who was bending over Danny. Oscar hissed and I knew that time it was for Chris - a show of teeth, the vampire's battle puffery. Chris's hand wrapped around the knife's handle and he yanked it. A blood splattering moan escaped Danny and then he sank forward. I caught Chris's gaze for an instant, tried to communicate to him that he should get Danny out.

  "Whoo, fuck!" Oscar was laughing, blood lust making him manic. "They're both ready to die for you, Lee. C'mon - make it easy for them."

  Unthreading his hand from my hair, Oscar reached around me to lift my top up, his fingertips digging under the band of the sheer black bra to expose my breast. Glaring at Oscar, Chris froze.

  "You actually get to see this when you were sucking on it?" Oscar's other hand released its death grip on my wrists and clamped onto my crotch. "Or this?"

  With my arm free, I swung an elbow at his face. It loosened his grip for half a second, long enough for me to turn in his arms, clawing and biting at him. A second later, wood was splintering around me as I crashed through a pew.

  Chris raced to me, leaving Danny slumped on the ground. I was on my feet before Chris could reach me, my heart sinking as Oscar grabbed hold of Danny by one arm and started dragging him toward the altar. A thick smear of blood marked the drag path.

  I grabbed the collar of Chris's shirt and yanked him to me. "Leave, Kennedy."

  "I'm not leaving either of you." He gently wrapped his hand around my wrist and squeezed softly. "You wouldn't leave me and you'll be dead before the cops get here."

  "Damn it, Chris, so will you!"

  He shrugged and offered me his easy-going-no-problem-babe smile that had so captivated me at the beginning of the school year. Still smiling, Chris wrapped his other arm around my waist. I felt the slide of steel against the small of my back as he tucked the knife between my belt and the band of my pants.

  Stepping around Chris, I bent to pick up a long jagged piece of the broken pew.

  "A stake? Really, Lee." Laughing and shaking his head at me, Oscar bent over Danny and put his ear to Danny's mouth. "Maybe too late for this one."

  I tightened my grip on the wood. It was a prop, to keep him distracted from the real weapon. I didn't hold much hope of actually killing Oscar. I only wanted to make him retreat so that I could get Danny and Chris out of the church alive.

  As I came closer, Oscar lifted his head. He looked at me, his gaze going soft, losing focus. His nostrils flared and I realized I had started to sweat blood.

  "Fucking intoxicating, Lee. You always are." He stood and stepped over Danny's body. "From that first mouthful of Army's blood carrying your memories."

  He stepped up to me, momentarily casting his gaze to where I could hear Chris breaking another pew to fashion his own sharp stake.

  "You know what it is?" he said, forgetting Chris and sniffing at my skin. "All those years of fear and sexual tension, bracing for an assault that never fully culminated."

  He wrapped one hand around my stake wrist and, with the other, he cupped my mound. "Tell me the truth, Lee. You went around with a very wet pussy all those years, didn't you?"

  I hissed into his ear, snapped my jaws at him.

  "Protesting a little too hard, I think." He squeezed between my legs. "Lee, mija, I know everything about you. More than that, I understand. You think Chris or Danny will ever understand...ever accept?"

  I understand...

  "I can make your fears reality or transform your nightmares to passion." His mouth dropped to my neck. "I can fuck you like you want to be fucked, little girl. How you've obsessed for years."

  Oscar was starting to lose control, his voice rough over my ski
n, his grip on my stake wrist almost absent as his other hand rubbed and kneaded the outer flesh of my pussy. He seemed not to sense how close Chris had gotten to us.

  "You understand?" I asked and brushed my lips against the crown of his head. There was something in there, in the words, but I couldn't quite reach it.

  He responded in a string of Spanish, his hands grabbing my hips as he nipped at my flesh. Yes, little girl, I understand. I understand.

  Entiendo, mija...

  Entiendo...

  A wave of memories washed over me. I saw boys, young men, mestizos, mulattos, Spanish. None as beautiful as Oscar. Tears, blood, whipped backs and thighs, blood on the hand that reached out to stroke my hair or backhand me...

  "Sandalio."

  Oscar stiffened against me. His fingers brushed my lips, as if warning me not to repeat the name. I wondered about the memories our blood carried - the ones we tried to keep even from ourselves. Were they more elusive or did they float as freely as the other memories?

  Dropping the stake, I reached up to stroke his hair. With my other hand, I reached behind me for the knife tucked into my belt.

  "Sandalio." I whispered, sliding the knife out.

  "Careful, mija," he growled along my throat.

  I rested my chin against the top of Oscar's head, my gaze on Chris. He was about five feet away, both hands wrapped around the raised stake. Tightening my grip on the knife, I mouthed "Do it."

  Chris charged, yelling. It was nothing for Oscar to deflect him, his arm swinging out with an almost mechanical speed, his hand closed in a fist as it struck Chris's elbow. I had expected as much, but I needed the distraction. I brought the knife down, burying the blade in his upper shoulder in the soft spot behind his collar bone.

  Roaring, Oscar reached for the handle. I kept a tight grip on it, felt him bury his teeth into my hand. Chris was picking himself up off the ground and I screamed for him to get Danny and go.