Frankie strolled off down the street, continuing to take the occasional photo for effect. Her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking. Good thing she’d had the camera to grip. Hopefully she’d managed to hide her nervousness. Nervousness? Hell, terror was a much more appropriate description for it.
As she headed home she reconsidered what she was about to start. It still wasn’t too late to change her mind about harassing the head of the drug ring responsible for the loss of her family. Only it was. Doing so would seem disloyal, as if she didn’t care what had happened to them. No, she had to go through with her plan to force him to admit his guilt. Otherwise she’d never be able to live with herself.
An hour later Frankie was back in the shadows across the street from the same building. This time she really was nervous. Nervous but determined. Finally she was doing something proactive. True, it would never make up for what she’d lost but at least it was something. And in her mind something, no matter how insignificant and lame it might seem to some, was better than nothing. It was his fault and he had to own up to it. Okay, so it perhaps wasn’t entirely his doing but she had to blame someone and there was no other choice. Not one who was acceptable to her.
She almost had to laugh at herself. The time she’d spent choosing the perfect rock for her mission was insane. She shook her head. The truth was the whole thing was beyond insane, as was she. Taking photos of a visiting drug lord, wrapping one of the pictures around a rock to throw through the local drug lord’s window, were not things sane people did. But it didn’t matter. She was all set. Just as soon as the perfect moment presented itself. She took a deep breath. Once begun there would be no going back. She would have to follow it through as long as she could.
Frankie had no idea how long she stood there, motionless, almost afraid to breathe for fear of drawing attention to herself, ridiculous though she knew that was. It felt close to forever but it was probably only half an hour. The men she’d chatted with earlier certainly were diligent. They held their posts like well-trained attack dogs.
She was nearing panic. What if they stayed put and observant all night? She had made up her mind. She was ready. If they didn’t wander off for even a few seconds she wouldn’t have the opportunity she needed. If she didn’t start this now she didn’t know if she’d have the nerve to try again.
Finally she got what she’d been waiting for. They moved off to the side of the building. It was time. Frankie shifted into position. All the hours she’d spent over the last few months, taking out her sorrow and frustration throwing rocks at the windows in the abandoned building near her place, were about to pay off.
With a grunt she heaved the rock with the picture wrapped around it at the window that was most often lit. Her guess was that it was the study or his office. Even if it wasn’t it would surely be the one occupied and her deed would be noticed fastest. When the glass shattered it was all she could do to remember to run. As soon as they saw the photo of the man who had arrived earlier, going around the back of his car with the license plate clearly visible, in front of the historical plaque posted on the brick pillar out front, they would know who had taken it.
Part of her wanted to stick around. At least some of the yelling would surely take place. But it wouldn’t do to be caught red-handed. Not this early in her scheme for revenge. One broken window and one picture weren’t nearly enough. No, he’d caused her more suffering than she ever knew existed. He needed to have some of it returned. And the best way to do so had to be interfering with his business. There was no doubt in her mind that she would die in the end, but if she hurt him in even the smallest way it would be more than worth it.
As Frankie neared home she felt guilty. Not only had she broken what really was a lovely window, she’d more likely than not caused some sort of trouble with at least the first man who she’d encountered earlier if not both. True, they were thugs who obviously didn’t care about the harm they were helping to inflict but they were minor in the scheme of things. The only one she wanted revenge on was the man in charge, the man who made all of it possible.
By the time she let herself into her apartment Frankie was in tears. It was started now. There truly was no going back. Her life was unconditionally guaranteed over. Now if only she knew one way or the other what to do about Kellen. Perhaps it was wrong of her to involve him in her plan but the actual participation required from him was negligible and indirect.
One thing for sure, she certainly didn’t expect to like him as much as she was beginning to. One brief conversation with him had her fascinated. It showed her how wrong many of her assumptions on vampires were. Or maybe it was just he who was the exception to what she’d believed. And she certainly hadn’t anticipated how overwhelming sex with him would be.
When she crawled into bed, exhausted after her adrenaline rush faded, the last thoughts she had were how it had felt coming on his incredible cock while she tongued his fangs, how deliciously her pussy was still throbbing at the memory of being filled with his huge rod, and how much she wanted more of him.
Chapter Two
Frankie drifted through the day in a fog. She had no idea if she actually accomplished anything at work or not. At least she hadn’t gotten fired. Not yet anyway. With all that had happened, destroying life as she knew it, it had become very difficult for her to keep a job. Over the past few months she’d had several, each more meaningless and mindless than the last. Soon it wouldn’t matter now that things had begun.
It was just before dark when she went out to look for Kellen. From observing him over the past few weeks she knew it wasn’t his habit to feed daily in the library, but she sensed he’d be around anyway. For her. She was filled with both anticipation and dread at the thought of seeing him again. There was little chance he’d let her get away without an explanation again. And now that she’d set things in motion she really couldn’t afford a delay. If he refused her, she’d have to find someone else immediately or it would be too late.
Even though she wasn’t entirely sure he’d be around two days in a row she headed back to the library entrance. It was as good a place as any to wait while she pondered what she might say. There was so much rolling around in her mind that she didn’t notice him approaching until he was right in front of her.
“Heavy thoughts?” he asked almost cautiously, as if he wasn’t sure he should intrude.
“What?” She was slightly startled by his appearance even though she’d been hoping for it. “Oh. I guess.”
“You’re frowning. What’s going on, Frankie?” Apparently he’d decided on the direct approach. “You are waiting for me. Aren’t you?”
“Well. Yes,” she admitted, reminding herself there was no turning back.
“Come on.” He took her hand but paused, giving her the chance to refuse.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Someplace more comfortable so we can talk.”
“Okay,” she agreed. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy telling him all she needed to. She hadn’t really spoken to anyone about any of it yet. Perhaps sitting on open steps where anyone could listen in wasn’t the best location for it.
Frankie was once again lost in her thoughts. When Kellen stopped she realized he’d brought them to a nearby park. It was a place she’d walked through many times without really seeing. Now that she took a moment to look around she discovered it was nice. Peaceful almost. A good choice as a place to sit and talk.
Taking a seat on the closest bench, Frankie sighed. “I suppose I owe you an explanation.”
“You owe me nothing. Although I admit I am curious.”
“Why are you being so kind?” she blurted.
He smiled. “I have a sense about you. A feeling deep in my gut. I can’t explain it. There’s just something about you. I don’t know. It’s as if you’re totally self-contained to the point of isolation. It’s fascinating. I have no idea what’s going on but I think you might need me somehow. Do you, Frankie? Need me?”
She studied him in the half-light and nodded slowly. “I think so.”
Kellen sat and waited for her to continue. It was as if he sensed how difficult explaining would be and intended to give her all the time she required.
“My sister was nine years older than I am,” Frankie said before falling silent.
After a minute Kellen took her hand. “Was?”
“Yes. Was. Kate.” Another pause. “Her daughter, Amber, was nine years younger.”
“You said ‘was’ again,” he observed.
“Yes. They’re both gone.” Frankie fought back a sob. In all the months since they’d died it was the first time she’d said it out loud. It was even more awful than she’d anticipated.
Kellen pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her. He didn’t speak but seemed to want to offer comfort with his nearness.
“My parents died when I was not quite eight. Car crash. Kate pretty much raised me even though she had just turned seventeen. She was wonderful. Strong. Clever. Didn’t even hesitate to fight when they tried to take me away from her. She convinced them she could handle it and she did. She filed the petition to become an emancipated teen and won. Then she got custody of me. She even graduated early so she could go to work full-time.”
“Wow. Seems that she was something special.”
“She was. She was the best. The absolute best. With me anyway. But she wasn’t so good when it came to guys.”
“Oh?”
“No. She had a knack for choosing the wrong one. Even when I was a kid I could tell they weren’t going to be good for her. That they’d end up breaking her heart sooner or later. Amber’s dad was the worst. He was hateful. Took off as soon as Kate realized she was pregnant, but not before saying all sorts of horrible things to her.”
“I’m sorry, Frankie.” He brushed away the tears she hadn’t known were falling.
“Me too,” she said, trying to pull herself together. “Amber was a beautiful baby. So tiny. Such a sweet, funny kid. She was my niece and my little sister all at once. Just as Kate was my sister and my sort-of mom. And they were both my best friends. I helped as much as I could. Tried to do well in school. Spent most of my free time at home so Kate didn’t have to worry. She was still mostly a kid herself, but she worked and took care of me and Amber, so she was very tired. It was the least I could do.”
Frankie stopped to look at him but Kellen merely waited. He didn’t seem to mind that she was taking the long way, leading up to what she wanted. But it was necessary for him to understand everything before she got to her request
“The one argument we had was about college. I wanted to go to the local community college so I could live at home. Kate refused. See, I’d gotten a full scholarship to the state university, which was almost three hours away.”
“She wanted you to have the best opportunity possible,” he commented.
“Yeah.” Frankie sighed. “In the end she won. After the first year I didn’t get home all that much on weekends. Then I got an incredible internship offer for the summer before my senior year.”
“So you weren’t home at all?”
“No.” She sniffled and Kellen tightened his arms. “It wasn’t until Christmas that I figured out there was something wrong.”
“What was it?”
“Amber. She’d started using drugs.”
“Ah, damn.”
“And she had been for some time. Kate never told me. I would have talked to her when it first started. She was so young. I would have tried to help. Gotten her to see the danger she was putting herself in. I don’t know. Done something.”
“Don’t do that to yourself.”
“What?”
“Blame yourself. I can tell you are. Your involvement sooner may or may not have made one bit of difference. You can’t torture yourself.”
“No, I suppose not. But I still feel guilty.”
“Frankie, don’t.”
“I know. It isn’t my fault she eventually overdosed.”
“I’m so sorry,” he soothed.
“Thanks,” she finally said after composing herself. “Amber was extremely pretty. Damn gorgeous actually. She looked much older than she was. I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the line she convinced herself that a pretty face was all she was. That she had to use it so people would like her. It was ridiculous but nothing either of us said made any difference. Kate and I would talk until we were blue in the face, but Amber would go right back out without hearing a word.”
Kellen seemed a little confused by the direction she was going but still he let her continue without interrupting. He must have decided she’d get around to tying it together sooner or later.
“She had been a party girl for years before Kate figured out she wasn’t at the mall with her girlfriends the whole time she was out, as she claimed she was.”
“Ah.”
“In the end she was going to fancy parties at the big drug dealer’s place. We tried to keep her home, away from there. We even sent her to one of those places for teens who need more help than their families could provide for a while. No matter what we did she always managed to find a way out. Kellen, she was trading herself for, for the drugs.” She broke down again.
Kellen held her silently. His hand caressed her back as if trying to soothe her since he seemed to sense no words could.
“They found her lying in a ditch. Naked. She must have died at a party while she was, well, doing whatever, and they just tossed her out. As if she was trash. Disposable.” The fury surged through her once again.
“That’s horrible.”
“Isn’t it? I never thought I’d hate anyone but I do. I hate that man more than I ever knew possible.”
“Understandably.”
“She was only fifteen when she died. Too young to really have begun to live.”
Again all he could say was, “I’m sorry.”
“It broke my sister. Kate lost all will to live after that. She blamed herself. It wasn’t her fault either. I do know that. But it killed her. I couldn’t help her just like I couldn’t help Amber.”
“What happened?”
“Amber had been found near the State Street Bridge. Kate was in the habit of walking there and sitting at that spot. One afternoon, on the way home, I guess she couldn’t handle the grief or the guilt anymore so she jumped off the bridge. It had just stormed so the river was wild. They found her downstream all broken up. The drugs killed both of them. Not Kate directly but they did. If Amber hadn’t started using then they’d both still be here.”
“Aw, Frankie,” Kellen began. “I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry.”
“There is nothing to say. Or do. I lost my entire family and both my best friends. I’m completely alone.”
He sat quietly, holding her while she pulled herself together. “No, you’re not. You have me now.”
Frankie smiled sadly. “Thanks, but that’s not what I had in mind.”
“No? What is it then?”
“I want you to turn me into a vampire.”
Kellen almost choked. Her request didn’t seem to be at all what he was expecting. “You want what? Why?”
“Look, my life is over. But I’m not going without a fight. I want that bastard who tossed Amber in the ditch to pay.”
“Frankie.”
“No, listen. He got away with it. He killed her. Or his drugs did. Okay, yes. She could have gotten them anywhere, but she didn’t. She was an addict and I do know addiction is a disease but she was at his place. He is ultimately responsible and he has to pay. For Kate too. I want him to admit that he caused them to die.”
“Frankie, be reasonable.”
“Fine.” She huffed, trying to stand. “If you won’t help me I’ll find someone who will.”
“Now wait a minute.” He tugged her back down onto the bench. “I didn’t say that. I just don’t see how making you a vamp will solve anything.”
“I’ve been watc
hing him. Seeing how I could hurt his business. Last night I took pictures of one of his associates clearly going into his place. Then I printed one out, tied it around a rock and threw it through his window.”
“Holy shit, you have balls.”
She smiled for real. “Thank you. I have a bunch of things planned to mess with him but I know it won’t be all that long before he finds out who I am and has me killed. I don’t want it to end that fast. I want to be around long enough to force him to confess his involvement.”
“You want to be a vamp so you can continue with your crusade,” he concluded.
“Yes. Can you see the look on his face when he thinks he’s gotten rid of me and I come back?”
“Yeah, I can but you seem to be overlooking one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Vampires are damn near immortal. What happens when you’re done with him? You’ll have all of eternity in front of you.”
She studied him for a moment. “Um, not necessarily.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“You can destroy me. When I’m finished. You’re a vampire yourself so you know how, right? You can turn me into a vampire and then get rid of me once this is over. That’s all I’m asking of you.”
“Yes, I do know how but I couldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“That’s asking too much, Frankie. I like you. I can see us becoming friends. I don’t kill my friends.”
“But you don’t know me. And you don’t have to. Just bite me, or whatever you need to do, then I’ll find you once he’s ruined and you can kill me.”
“Frankie.” He sighed.
“Okay. Fine. Sorry I bothered you.” She started to leave but again he prevented her.
“Where are you going?”
“You won’t help me so I’m going to find someone who will. There’s that kind of smarmy, dark-haired guy who hangs out near the waterfront. Maybe he will.”
“Justus? You’ve spied on him?”
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