“We were there about a week when Lord Danika showed up. She bought me and Mason, and Ike for Lance and Sinya. I became her assistant and we formed a friendship. One night she was overseeing appeals and Neeman brought in a rogue vamp. The girl was out of her mind with bloodlust and she grabbed a gun. She pointed it at Danika. I jumped in the way and was shot.”
“Why would you do that?”
He looked over at her. “What?”
“Why would you do that? Save Danika. You were a slave. Were you in love with her or something?”
His gut clenched and he licked his lips. “Danika was the first person since my mom who treated me like I had potential. In the encampment, I was nobody. Danika may have paid money for me, but she did it because she saw what I could become. Did I love her? Yes, I did and I do. But not the way you think.”
“So you were injured and she gave you her blood?”
“We’d not started the bonding process up to that point, so I’d never had her blood before, and she didn’t know how much to give me.”
“You hadn’t bonded?”
His gut clenched and a savage protectiveness ripped through him. “You really do need to give her some credit. She’s not like other Vampires. She didn’t want to bond with me till I was ready.”
Her brows furrowed.
“What about you? How did you get into the slave market?”
She stared at him for a minute before yawning. “You know, I am getting tired.”
She rolled over. It surprised him that she hadn’t yet asked for a shirt to cover up with. He stared at the soft roundness of her shoulder and slender dip of her waist. The indent of her spine just begged to be licked. He took in every inch of her and wondered what had happened to her before she’d shown up at the coven house.
* * * *
Evan stood in the middle of a beautifully decorated room. Cream carpet tickled her toes as the faint sound of classical music poured through the wall of the adjoining room. A beautiful jade green silk bed took up most of the space while expensive dark furniture lined the rest.
She stared at the white door, her heart racing so fast she waited for it to explode. Footsteps moved closer down the hallway. She wiped her sweaty palms on the white sundress she’d been given and tensed as the knob turned.
A dark-haired, tall Vampire with handsome sharp features and an expensive dark suit smiled at her.
“Hello, Evan.”
She wanted to speak but her voice wouldn’t work. She tried to swallow but couldn’t conjure any saliva.
The Vampire closed the door and walked closer to her. His hungry eyes devoured every inch of her before he offered his hand.
“I’m Travis.”
Her limbs shook as she grasped his cool palm. He caressed the back of her hand with his fingers and she pulled away.
He chuckled. “I’m not going to hurt you. You know why you were bought, right?”
“Yes,” she croaked.
He moved closer and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “You are so beautiful.”
Every fiber of her wanted to scream, to run, but she’d never make it.
Travis moved till his body pressed into hers. He leaned in close and sniffed her.
“Please.” An unexpected tear slipped from her eye.
He kissed her throat lightly, making her skin pebble. She clenched her fists tight.
“Don’t worry, Evan. I won’t do anything until we know each other better.”
Evan screamed and shot straight up in bed. Sweat covered her body and soaked through the sheet.
A hand fell lightly on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
She struck out and connected with someone. He grunted and the other bed creaked. She scanned the room quickly and, remembering where she was, took a deep breath.
She turned on the light and rubbed her eyes. “Sorry.”
William sat up. “You had a nightmare.”
She dropped her head into her hands and sucked in several deep breaths. She’d never told anyone about what had happened to her. Her burning shame that scorched her daily with the flames of guilt. It was something she tried to hide deep inside. Locking it away with the memory of so many other things she didn’t want to deal with.
“Do you want to talk about it?” His tone was gentle. Caring even.
She didn’t want him to sound like that. Didn’t want him to be nice to her. She could deal with him being mean, cruel even, but nice was something she couldn’t handle.
“You can talk to me. I’m not as bad as you think.”
Her head whipped up. “Can you stop being so damn nice all the time?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Nice. You’re nice all the time. Why? Why are you nice to me? I’ve been nothing but a total wench and yet you continue to be nice to me.”
He stared at her and blinked several times. “I… I’m nice to you because I know the persona you show isn’t who you really are.”
“How do you know who I am? I could just be this way.” Fire burned in her belly. Anger for the things that had been done to her. For the things she’d allowed to be done.
He sat for a minute and didn’t speak. “I’m a man who was bought by a good and decent woman. She treated me with kindness and respect. But I’m not an idiot. I know that I was one of the few lucky ones. Human women have it much worse. You don’t have to tell me your story. I see the bite mark scars on your neck. That combined with the fact that you’re beautiful can only mean one of two things. You were a blood slave, or a breeding slave.”
“Breeding slave,” she said. “Though I’m not sure I wasn’t a blood slave as well.” She swallowed and stared the other direction.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She nodded, memories bombarding her like an air strike and emotions avalanching down on her till she thought she’d suffocate. She refused to cry and instead stuffed everything back down until all that was left was the ever-present empty hole.
“Yeah. Me too.”
* * * *
William wanted to comfort her. He couldn’t imagine the horrors she’d endured. If he’d been bought by anyone else the likelihood that he’d be a lowly slave scraping to survive did not escape him.
“Do you have any family?” he asked.
She looked over at him. “An uncle and a couple of cousins. My parents and little sister died soon into the outbreak. My uncle took me in. He and my cousins were real doomsday nuts.” She chuckled. “Who knew they’d been right all along. Of course they thought the zombies would get us, not Vampires.”
William laughed. “I thought it would be zombies too. Man when people were turning into vamps and they started attacking, I was sure they were zombies.”
“How old were you?”
“About seven. How about you?”
“I was seventeen.”
That couldn’t be right. “How’s that possible? That would make you—”
“Twenty-eight.”
His mouth opened and closed. She appeared to be no more than twenty-one.
“It’s the inoculation I received. I age slower.”
“Where’d you get that inoculation?”
“In the encampment my uncle took us too. They have scientists there working on stuff. When they needed volunteers, my uncle wanted me and my cousins to be the first in line. He swore never to allow what happened to my aunt and others they knew to happen to us.”
“So your aunt…”
“She became a vamp.”
“Did she stay with your uncle?”
Evan looked down at her hands. “No.”
He swallowed, remembering the night his mom pulled him out the window.
“My dad died trying to protect us during the awakening. A vampyr broke into our apartment. My mom got me out barely in time.”
Sadness crossed her features. “I’m sorry.”
“We’re not as different as you think, Evan. We’ve both lost people.”
“But you’re not human anymore.”
“No, but from the sounds of it you aren’t exactly human either.”
“More human than you.”
He shrugged. “Only in biology. I still think the way I used to. Still love the way a human would. Still laugh and cry and desire.”
“And kill.”
His spine stiffened. “I’ve only ever killed in self-defense. Are you telling me you’ve never killed anyone?”
“Not a person.” Her words were pointed and cryptic.
Anger flared within him. “So I’m not a person.”
Silence fell between them thick as a storm cloud.
She bit the inside of her cheek. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” As much as William wanted her words not to stab him, they did. A twisting between the shoulder blades, digging deeper and deeper with every syllable she uttered. It didn’t matter what he did, she still saw him as a monster.
He glanced at the clock. “We should try to get a few more hours of sleep before I find you food and figure out what we’re going to do.
“I’m still not taking you to California.” She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. “Damn.”
“Well, then I guess we’re staying here.” He turned out the light and rolled over. He tried to show no reaction to her words. But inwardly he jumped up and down in a flurry of hallelujahs. Finally he had an inkling where they were headed. California was a very big place to search for an enclave. But it was a start.
* * * *
William awoke several hours later and went in search of food. Evan was still asleep when he left, but by the time he’d gotten back from the store, she had showered and now wore one of his shirts tied off at the bottom and a pair of his sweat pants pulled as tight as possible around the waist. He sighed at the site of her skin all covered up, but it was for the best. She wasn’t for him.
He set the groceries on the table. “How’s the leg?”
“Almost healed.”
He pulled a salad, fruit, bread, and cheese from the bag. “I didn’t know what you’d want.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve had to eat just about everything once in my life.”
He had to tread carefully to get her on his side.
“So the enclave where you lived, was it well supplied? We lived in the mountains so we never really had enough.”
“The enclave is self-sufficient.”
That meant it had to be big and in a real building. Possibly one with kitchen access. There would only be a handful of buildings like that. Schools, hospitals, corporations with cafeterias or hotels. And they wouldn’t be in populated areas. They’d have to be out somewhere. Possibly the desert.
“Here.” He handed her the salad and some Gatorade. “You need to keep up your electrolytes.”
She snorted. “Are you a doctor?”
He stiffened. “Or you can not eat.”
Her smile fell. “Sorry. I’m afraid my snarkiness has become who I am now.”
He nodded and pulled a Savor from his bag, popped the lid and took several gulps. Her face held no revulsion, only curiosity.
“What does that taste like?” She pulled the plastic lid off the salad and mixed it with her fork.
He shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. Like blood but without any of the organic nuances. There’s no aftertaste. No lingering flavors from the food eaten or chemicals people come in contact with. It’s hard to explain.”
She ripped open the dressing with her teeth and squeezed it on the lettuce. “So tell me about the demons.”
William stared at her, the bottle of Savor poised at his lips. “What do you want to know?”
“They’re real?”
“Yeah. And they aren’t as warm and cuddly as Mason either.”
“Cuddly isn’t a term I would use to describe him.” She licked her fingers, making his desire stir.
He cleared his throat and tried to focus. “You would if you saw the others.”
She shrugged. “So tell me.”
What could he tell her that wouldn’t scare the crap out of her? Maybe he should scare her. Maybe scaring her was the only way to get her to really pay attention.
“I—”
His phone rang on the dresser. She looked up from her salad, and he put the lid back on the Savor. He grabbed his phone.
“Hello?” He looked to Evan and then headed out the door, closing it behind himself. It was probably better to not scare the crap out of her right then. He needed to be more strategic in what he told her.
“William, you didn’t check in.” Danika’s voice held an urgent, strained edge.
“I’m sorry. There’s been a bit of a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
William thought it best if he tried to sound as casual as possible.
“Evan was injured and crashed the car. I got her out and she’ll be fine, but she won’t tell me where the enclave is.”
“You need to get her to tell you.” Panic laced her voice.
“I know. I know. She did say that the enclave was self-sustaining though and that she was going to California. Maybe check for buildings like that that might be used for an enclave?”
“In California? That would take years of searching.”
He blew out a breath. “How are things there? How’s Neeman?”
“Neeman will survive. As for the rest of us… that is becoming unclear. The waves of attacks are getting worse. It’s only a matter of time till Mason’s father comes through. Honestly at this point, I don’t know what he’s waiting for. We spotted Melton this morning.”
“Really? He was in Chicago?”
“He was outside the office building.”
“What was he doing there?”
“I am assuming he had something to do with the top three floors being blown up today.”
“What? Is everyone okay?”
“No.” Danika’s voice cracked and she sniffled. “Lance is dead. Ike too.”
William’s heart sank and he slid down the wall of the motel. “Poor Sinya. I’m so sorry, Danika.”
Silence stretched out as William tried to hold it together. The sounds of Danika’s anguish from the other end of the line made him want to get in his car and head back to Chicago. Neeman was injured and Lance and Ike were dead. How many more would die before this fight was over?
He held back tears and coughed, trying to clear his throat. “I’ll find the enclave and talk to them. I promise.”
“I trust you, but things have changed. Now we need any and all nuclear weapons they might have. We need an advantage in this damn war. We can’t lose any more family. I can’t lose any more.”
He nodded at the words she didn’t say. “I understand. I’ll call you later.”
“Six hours. You call me in exactly six hours.”
“Six hours.” He hung up the phone and leaned his head back against the wall. His stomach flopped at Danika’s words. Their family was dying. It was all on his shoulders to keep the demons from destroying everything he cared about.
How in the world was he going to get Evan to tell him anything?
Chapter 8
Evan spent the next twenty-four hours trying to figure out a way to get to California without William. He’d been unusually sullen since his conversation on the phone. She hadn’t wanted to pry, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. An attack in Chicago had killed a vampyr and human William knew. The news made Evan more anxious than ever to get back to her enclave and away from the Vampire infighting for dominance.
The next night when William got up, her skin prickled and she couldn’t seem to get comfortable.
“You don’t look so good,” he said.
“I don’t feel so good.”
He stepped toward her but she jerked away.
“I just want to feel your head. To see if you have a fever.”
“Trust me, I have a fever.”
“What about your leg? You said it was healing.”
He looked at her. “You should check.”
“I said—”
“I know what you said, but you should check it anyway. I’ll even leave so you can do it without me.” He walked into the bathroom.
She moved her leg and pain shot up through her hip and down to her knee like a lightning bolt. She stood on her good leg and slid down the sweats. Her entire thigh was bright red. She removed the bandage and discovered the wound had re-opened. It was crimson and oozy.
“Crap. William!”
He was out of the bathroom in a flash. He knelt by her leg and inspected it. Fear trickled through her like a ghost.
“I thought you said it was healed.” His face held concern.
“It was. Now it’s not.”
He shook his head and sat on his mattress still looking at her leg. “You have an infection. Maybe something lodged inside the wound, or it could have gotten dirty… There’s any number of things that could have happened. We need to get you to a doctor.”
She broke out in a sweat and her head grew dizzy. She sat shakily on her bed. “I told you, no doctors.”
“I get where you’re coming from, but you have three choices right now. We go back to Chicago and I take you to Doc to fix you up. If we do that though, you’re right back where you started. I can find a hospital and take you there or… I take you where you want to go.”
Evan closed her eyes and swore. None of those three things were what she wanted. But dying from sepsis wasn’t what she wanted either.
“All right. You can take me to my enclave. And in return I’ll get you a meeting with our head guy. But you have to let me do it my own way.” If Norman, the leader of their enclave, was the same guy that he’d been before, he wasn’t going to be easy to convince.
“Fine but you have to take one of my phones. Keep it on you the whole time and call me when I can come in. I won’t leave until I’ve spoken to him.”
The whole thing was a gamble. She was putting the enclave in jeopardy. William would know where they were. But a piece of her trusted him. “You promise not to call in backup and try to overrun the place?”
“Even if I did call for backup, there is none. They need every body they can get where they are.”
Vengeance of the Demons Page 6
