Vampire
in Geek’s
Clothing
~~~
Cassandra Lawson
Copyright ©2016 Cassandra Lawson
All Rights Reserved
Cover Image © Big Stock Photo Inc./Wrangel
Proofreading by Kendra’s Editing and Book Services
This book is a work of fiction. All characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by federal law enforcement agencies and is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Also by Cassandra Lawson
Moon Virus Series
Raven’s Blood (Book 1)
Embrace the Heat (Book 2)
Seducing Death (Book 3)
Shattered Restraint (Book 4)
Moon Virus Books 1-4
Impulsive Destiny (Book 5)
Psy-Vamp Series
Vampires and Vixens (Book 1)
Safe Hex With a Vampire (Book 2)
Vampires Prefer Blondes (Book 3)
The Vampire Will See You Now (Book 4)
Wanton with a Vampire (Book 5)
Psy-Vamp Books 1-5
Spells That Bind Series
Sinfully Spellbound (Book 1)
Acknowledgments
With each book, I am overwhelmed with the support I receive. I want to say a special thanks to my fabulous beta readers, Kari, Levenia, and Ria. Words cannot describe how awesome you ladies are. I am also grateful for the many bloggers who help get the word out about my books and take the time to review each new book. Thank you to everyone who takes time to review my books. It has been a crazy three years since I published my first book, and I truly value all of my readers, old and new. Thank you for taking a chance on me.
Table of Contents
Also by Cassandra Lawson
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About The Author
Prologue
Turning ten is a big deal for all kids, and Phoenix would probably be excited about reaching double digits if she weren’t a hunter. Being a hunter meant she had to start training with one of her family members—training to hunt and kill creatures that posed a major threat to humankind, or so she’d been told. The arrow-shaped mark on her hip meant she was a hunter, and her future had been decided on the day of her birth. Sure, she could have a career someday, but it would be secondary to being a hunter.
“I don’t want to kill people,” she whispered, clutching her teddy bear close. The bear had been with her as long as she could remember, and he was falling apart at this point. A hole under his arm revealed bits of escaping stuffing, and one of his eyes was missing. Still, she refused to get rid of him. Mostly, the bear sat on the shelf above her bed, but today, she needed to cling to her childhood, likely because it was being stolen from her. Just the thought brought the familiar tightness to her chest, and Phoenix had to remind herself to breathe deeply and remain calm. Her anxiety had gotten worse in the last few months.
Phoenix chose to ignore the knock on her bedroom door, knowing who it was. She’d heard her uncle’s car pull into the driveway a few minutes ago, right on time to begin her training.
“Phoenix?” he called out through the door, but she ignored him, instead staring out the window and wondering if she should run away. Of course, she had no place to go, and the other hunters would easily find her.
“Come on, Phoenix,” he cajoled from the other side of her door. “I get that you’re nervous, but this is going to be fun. It’s what you were born for, and you’re going to love it. Just give it a chance.”
“I am not a killer!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, which turned out to be a big mistake. Now, her chest felt even tighter, and her muscles ached from the effort it took to control the shaking.
This time, her uncle just entered the room, dressed in workout clothes with his long black hair pulled back from his pale, angular face. Like all hunters, he remained fit, in full fighting form, despite the fact that they weren’t supposed to kill vampires unless provoked. There hadn’t been any issues with vampires in a very long time. Phoenix didn’t understand why they still trained. Her uncle’s nearly black eyes softened when he saw her, and he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. A hunter wasn’t raised to be nurturing or loving—a fact Phoenix knew all too well. While her parents had never mistreated her, they didn’t offer her much in the way of affection. They’d never stood up for her when her cousin, Hayden, had picked on her, or when he’d touched her in places she knew he shouldn’t. They’d simply told her that a hunter had to defend herself, which might have been good advice if Phoenix weren’t a broken hunter. That was the only explanation for the fact that she struggled to breathe whenever she dealt with any type of confrontation.
“Phoenix,” her uncle began in a gentle voice, “I was also nervous when I started my training, but it’s going to be fine.”
“Please don’t make me do this,” she breathed out softly. “I don’t want to learn to hate vampires.”
“We don’t hate vampires,” her uncle assured her, placing one of his much larger hands on her arm. She couldn’t help noticing the many differences between her and her uncle. Her skin was a soft shade of brown, thanks to her mixed heritage. She had inherited her mother’s small frame and green eyes, while her hair was a silky brown like her father’s. Her hair was cut extremely short at the moment, not by choice. Her cousin, Hayden, had cut a huge chunk of it out with a knife.
“If we don’t hate them, why learn to kill them?�
� she asked, glad the tightness in her chest had finally eased some.
“They’re dangerous,” he explained. “We’re the only defense humans have against vampires should the vampires go on a killing spree.”
“Has that ever happened?” Phoenix asked. “Not before our truce with the vampires, but since then?”
“On occasion,” he replied with a shrug. “In all honesty, the fact that they have the ability to drain energy from humans and control their minds makes vampires too dangerous. While other territories feel we need to live in peace, we don’t agree with that here. It would be best if we put an end to their species before they can do too much damage. The smart thing to do would be to kill every male so they can’t produce more of their kind.”
Phoenix’s anger suddenly outweighed her nerves. “We’re dangerous to the vampires. Do you think that gives them the right to hunt us down and kill us? Or, do you just think it gives them the right to hunt down all the breeders so our line will die out?”
Her uncle chuckled at her outburst. “Don’t say that around the other hunters in the area or you might find yourself in serious trouble. Listen, I realize that you’ve been hoping to get out of training, but you can’t. You were born for this, and it’s time to accept that.”
Phoenix wanted to cry again, but she fought her tears because it would do her no good. While her uncle might pretend to care about her, she knew it was just an act. No one in her life cared about anything other than the stupid mark on her hip. “I wish my mark was on my arm,” she muttered.
“Why is that?” her uncle asked, sounding only vaguely curious.
“Then I could cut my arm off and be free of you all,” she told him, aiming an angry glare his way.
Her uncle sighed. “Let’s go start your training. I was going to start here, but now I’m thinking it would be best if we went back to my place. I’ve got a studio we can use.”
Phoenix stood on wobbly legs. Looking down, she saw her teddy bear, still grasped tightly in her left hand. With one last shaky breath, she released the bear and let him fall to the ground, before following her uncle out of the room without another word.
Two hours later, her uncle finally gave up on teaching her to fight. At first, he’d looked angry and frustrated. Now, as she studied him from the passenger seat of his car, he looked tired. They hadn’t spoken in more than ten minutes. For her part, she was still recovering from the crushing pressure in her chest that had nearly caused her to black out.
“How long have you been having the panic attacks?” he finally asked.
She shrugged, still refusing to look at him because she didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes. “As long as I can remember, I’ve felt like it was hard to breathe when I’m really upset or excited. Now, it’s getting worse, and it happens for no reason at all sometimes.”
“We need to get you out of the area,” he stated after a long pause.
Phoenix sat up in her seat and just stared at her uncle.
His lips curled up into a hint of a smile. “Did you think I’d throw you to the other hunters like some sacrificial lamb?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “I’ve always been told that I have to become a hunter.”
“If our bodies could handle the medication they give humans for anxiety, I’d say the same,” he began, sounding frustrated and sad. “Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do. I’m going to work with you on some breathing exercises. While I’m doing that, we’ll pretend you’re training, and I’ll arrange a safe place for you and your parents.”
“Won’t the other hunters find me?” she asked in a small voice.
“I can get a witch to put a spelled tattoo over your mark,” he assured her.
“A spelled tattoo?” she asked. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“We use it for retired hunters,” he explained. “It’s not something your parents would know about.”
Phoenix felt hope blossom for the first time in many months. Her uncle was going to help, something she’d never have expected. She should have known at the time what a mistake it was to believe there was an easy escape from her life. When a hit-and-run driver ended her uncle’s life two weeks later, Phoenix lost her only ally.
Chapter One
Twelve Years Later
Things had been much messier than he’d anticipated, but overall, Hayden was proud of how his first vampire kill had gone. While he’d made a few mistakes, that was to be expected. It’s not like he’d been offered the same training as others in his family. Since he hadn’t been born with the right mark on his body, he’d never been given the opportunity to learn to kill. Only one child in each family had the mark of a hunter—a fact Hayden had resented since early childhood. Those antiquated rules were the reason his older brother was dead. Hayden had never been able to get past his resentment of his brother—the golden child destined to be a hunter. His older brother had technically been his first kill, but he didn’t consider it a real kill since he’d used poison. No one had ever suspected his brother had been murdered.
He’d just made it back to his family’s home and tossed his bloody clothing into the incinerator, a useful thing to have in a family with a hunter. After years of being angry about his lack of hunter’s mark, Hayden had decided to say fuck fate. That bitch could suck his dick.
Walking past his parents’ bedroom, he experienced a moment of regret. Even though they were assholes who’d refused to see him as more than a breeder, he almost regretted what he had to do. Standing naked just outside their bedroom, he watched them struggle to free themselves. In the immaculate bedroom, with its pristine white carpets, and hideous flowery bedspread, his parents sat waiting for him, both tied to chairs. The smell made him wrinkle his nose. At least one of them had pissed themselves in the time he’d been gone.
“Just give me a minute to grab a knife,” he told them with a smirk.
His mother whimpered behind her gag, probably having realized these were the last moments of her life. Walking back to his bedroom, he began to feel a little creepy about killing his own parents while naked, especially if he ended up getting as hard as he had when he’d killed the vampire. Who would have guessed that killing could be such a big turn on? With the information he’d gotten from the vampire’s home, he now had more than one kill to look forward to. He’d wipe out the vampire’s entire family, but that would have to wait a little longer. His parents’ deaths would help him gain the support of the hunters in tracking down his whore cousin.
Slipping on a pair of jeans, he found himself wondering what kind of asshole would get hard killing his own mom. That shit seemed almost as fucked up as what his whore cousin had done. As much as it pained him, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy this kill. After dressing, he gathered up what he’d need. He’d have to leave most of his belongings behind to make his story look convincing to the hunters. On the way to the back door, he dropped several lit matches. Sadly, he didn’t have any gasoline to splatter around. There was a small chance the fire would be put out before his parents died. Still, the estate sat far enough from the road that no one would see the flames until it was too late, so the matches should do the job. He’d already taken time to disable the security system that would alert someone from the fire department.
As he climbed into his car, the flames were just starting to take, and Hayden could see the smoke through the windows. Even though he really wanted to see the house engulfed in flames, he couldn’t stay to watch. Pulling his checklist from his pocket, he grabbed a pen from the console. He believed in being organized. Frowning, he noticed that he hadn’t put his parents on the list, an annoying oversight because he couldn’t check them off now. With a sigh, he crossed out the first name.
“Andrei Draksel—check.” Next on his list he’d written The Whore. Once he found her, he’d spend weeks making her beg for death.
Chapter Two
There was no getting around it; Isaiah was stalking a woman. That was the only explanation f
or his presence in this little coffee shop when it would be much smarter to work out of the busier mainstream coffee shop down the street. There was also the fact that he’d finished the daytime surveillance he needed to do on the building well over a week ago, and he was still showing up at this coffee shop nearly every day.
His problem had started three weeks ago when, instead of doing the smart thing with the large chain coffee shop, he’d picked the one where a beautiful woman by the name of Nikki brought coffee and a pastry to his table each morning. Some days, he even stayed long enough for her to bring him another coffee and a sandwich at lunch time. The coffee made her even more attractive to him, no matter how strange that might seem to most people. It was phenomenal coffee, and since he’d given his cousin his favorite espresso machine, he’d been missing good coffee.
The biggest reason it was stupid coming here was that he’d lost his anonymity by becoming a regular who awkwardly flirted with Nikki. Luckily, no one was likely to recognize him with his hair dyed black and the brown contact lenses. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, he could easily pass as your average college student. Since he’d developed a reputation in corporate security over the last decade, he needed to go unrecognized. His fake ID claimed he was Jordan Isaac Drake, age twenty-five. He had plenty of experience assuming false identities, and he’d never made a mistake. That is, until the day Nikki had asked him his name, and he’d automatically replied Isaiah. He’d told himself he couldn’t come back to this shop, but he’d been back the next morning, forcing him to admit that he was both an idiot and a stalker.
“How’s that Master’s thesis of yours coming along?” Nikki asked when she set his latte and pastry on the table. It didn’t matter how many times he saw her; he still couldn’t stop himself from drinking her in each time. Her caramel skin was clear and free of makeup, and her eyes were a pretty shade of green, ringed with gold. Today, her rich brown hair was secured in a high ponytail with a few escaped strands framing her face. As for her body, she had a deliciously curvy frame, with full breasts, shapely hips, and a round backside. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Isaiah reminded himself that he could not get involved with this woman, not even for a night. Just thinking about a night with Nikki brought images of tangled sheets and his hands gripping her round ass as he slammed into her body.
Vampire in Geek's Clothing (Psy-Vamp Book 6) Page 1
