Barbie- The Vampire Hunter Boxset

by Lucinda Dark

  Was it because we weren’t physically touching? Because this was a dream?

  Whatever the case, when his fingers closed around my wrists and pulled them both out and forward until he yanked me, ruthlessly against his chest, it didn’t hurt. And the shock froze me long enough for him to pull me into his arms and surround me with his scent. Torin’s head came down alongside mine and he inhaled deeply.

  “When you run, it makes me want to chase you,” he whispered, his voice deepening.

  I stiffened and tugged at the wrists he still held in his firm grip. “I’m not running from you,” I lied.

  “Oh no?” His head lifted and red eyes met mine. They weren’t completely overtaken by the crimson but edged in the bloody hue. Like Vampire-Torin and the normal Torin were both watching me from the same eyes at the same time. “Then you don’t mind if I come over tomorrow?” Torin rubbed his cheek against my jaw and for the first time in a while, I felt pleasure without the responding pain.

  “No, you can’t….” I trailed off as his lips pressed against my neck, just like he had before. His tongue touched my flesh and I trembled under his grip.

  “If you’re not running away, then stop avoiding me,” he replied.

  I gasped as his words puffed breaths of hot warm air over my skin. Jerking my hands from his fingers, I shoved him back and shook my head. “You’re distracting me,” I accused.

  “I’m touching you, Sweetheart,” Torin—or rather Vamp-Torin—replied as the red of his irises overtook the hazel. His eyelids lowered, the beams of bright blood red color in the depths of his gaze moving over me from my feet back up to my face. “A vampire is supposed to touch his mate.”

  I shook my head. “You keep calling me that,” I said. “What do you mean? Mate?”

  He was silent for a beat and then he moved. Even in this dreamscape, he moved with the speed, grace, and agility of a supernatural being. Vamp-Torin had me up on the bed in the span of a millisecond. His body came down over mine, his legs encasing mine as he arched down in my space. His lips parted and I stiffened when the whites of his fangs became visible.

  What bothered me the most, however, wasn’t the fangs themselves, but the fact that seeing them sent a wave of desire sliding through me. I rubbed my thighs together and hoped to fucking Jesus he couldn’t tell how much he affected me. A moment later, those hopes were dashed as he groaned and rubbed himself against me.

  “I can tell I arouse you, Barbie,” he whispered. “Why do you fight me so hard?”

  I turned my face away, a blush creeping up my cheeks even as I balled my hands into fists. “You haven’t been acting like yourself lately,” I said. “I mean, the human Torin hasn’t been … acting … Can you stop?” I finally snapped as he licked a path from one side of my neck to the other. “I can’t think when you do that.”

  “That’s the point,” he replied. “You’re not supposed to think about anything in my presence—well, anything other than myself, of course.”

  “What’s going on with you?” I demanded. “Tell me the truth.”

  “Hmmmmm,” he rumbled against me, leaning back and dragging the shirt he wore over his head, revealing long, lean lines of pale skin, a six-pack abdomen and an Adonis belt that would rival a Greek statue’s. I swallowed roughly. For fuck’s sake, there was only so much resistance in the world and I did not have a monopoly on all of it. “What will you give me in return?” he asked.

  I groaned and thumped my head back. “Why can’t you, just once, answer a question without turning it into a game of restrictions?” I asked. “You tie my hands and expect me to trust you.”

  I had no time to react. The hue of Vampire-Torin’s red eyes dispersed. The room changed. The bed falling away. If it weren’t for Torin’s arms closing around me as he rolled to the side, I would have landed hard on cold concrete. Screams echoed in my ears. Familiar screams. An image of Torin—Vampire-Torin?—bound and trussed up with metal bands around his arms, legs, and even his throat appeared for a split second—his eyes fully red, his fangs longer than I’d ever seen them as he bellowed with rage.

  And almost as quickly as it had come it was gone and the bedroom was back. Slowly, half expecting the world to tilt again, I sat up and looked around. My gaze went back to Torin beneath me as he threw an arm over his face, covering the upper half.

  “Torin?”

  He grimaced, the tips of his fangs sliding against his lips as they twisted. “I’m sorry,” he apologized gruffly. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

  “What was that?” I asked. His arm lowered, and he looked at me from slitted eyelids, lifting his head slightly as his lips parted. “I swear if you fucking say it was nothing, I’m not going to be responsible for my actions,” I warned him before he could speak.

  He sighed, letting his head drop back down on the bed. “There’s a lot I have to tell you,” he finally admitted. “And what you saw … it’s only a small part. As much as I hate that you made a deal with a demon, I’m relieved that you’ll have more power at your disposal.” Pushing up onto his forearms, Torin leveled me with a serious look. “Do what your demon suggested,” he said. “You need her power and you can’t be in pain every time I touch you.” Torin lifted his hand and cupped my cheek, shocking me with his gentleness. “I won’t tell you everything in here,” he finished. “I want to do it face to face.”

  “We are face to face,” I said quietly.

  His lips quirked and my eyes were drawn to them, wanting to touch them, wanting to feel his fangs against my tongue. “In the real world,” he corrected himself.

  “Then why did you come here in the first place?” I asked.

  Torin moved forward and brushed his mouth over mine. I froze, letting it happen. “Because, Barbie, it doesn’t matter where you go. Wherever you are is exactly where I want to be. That’s what I mean when I say you’re my mate. You’re mine. You’ve always been and always will be.”

  When his tongue pushed lightly between my lips, asking instead of demanding entry, I let mine part. I accepted his kiss and I kissed him back. My fingers sank into his hair and held his head captive as his mouth consumed me. I licked at one of his fangs, making him tremble under my grasp and before I knew it, I was throwing one leg over his and straddling his lap.

  His naked chest against me, his cool, perfect skin, was pure art. I pushed back slightly, letting our mouths part as I reached down and ripped my own shirt over my head.

  “You’re not going to resist it anymore?” he asked as his fingers brushed the undersides of my breasts.

  I arched my back, granting him access. “I’m fucking tired of resisting,” I replied a bit breathlessly. “At least, in here.”

  He chuckled, the sound just as much of a turn on as his thumbs rubbing over the tight buds of my nipples. “And in the real world?” he inquired lightly as I moaned against the ministrations of his hands.

  “We’ll … cross that bridge…” I gasped as his thumb and forefinger moved together to pinch down. “When we come to it.”

  I tipped my head down, and slid my hand back into his hair, pulling him forward. My lips were just about to meet his when a thumping noise sounded at my back. The both of us paused and he groaned, his hands falling away. The thumps sounded again, repetitive and unrelenting.

  “What?” I asked. “What is it?”

  “You’re being called,” he growled, his hands moving to my hips, gripping them hard.

  “I can stay asleep,” I said quickly, sliding myself forward, closer to his chest. The movement unintentionally rubbed me against the solid erection in his lap.

  Torin’s lips thinned as he released a dark hiss. The thumping continued. “Next time,” he promised with an angry curse. He lifted his head and before anything else could disrupt it, he stole another kiss. One as hard as the cock pressing insistently against my pussy. I groaned into it, both excited and defeated.

  “Next time,” I repeated quietly as his mouth left mine and the dreamscape around us s
lowly began to dissolve. The image of Torin faded more and more with each corresponding thump, but not once did his eyes shift away from mine.

  I had a feeling that even when my eyes finally opened, I’d still be able to see those twin pools of ruby red in the back of my mind. They were stamped there. Ever watchful.

  A memory and a promise.

  Chapter 22

  Barbie

  It took several minutes for my body to wake from the dream, but when I did, I realized that the thumps were, in fact, someone repeatedly knocking on my bedroom door. With a frustrated groan, I threw back the covers and stomped across the room. I grabbed the knob and yanked the door open. Maverick stood there with one fist raised as if he’d been planning to continue knocking forever. I arched an eyebrow at him and he lowered his fist.

  “What do you want?” I snapped.

  “Are you done sulking?” he asked.

  “I was fucking sleeping,” I said. Among other things…

  “You’ve been hiding out in your room all fucking week. I’m heading out to check out that warehouse. Are you in or not?”

  I jerked my head back. “I haven’t—” I paused when what he said finally caught up with me. “Wait, what? You’re going to check out the warehouse? You can’t go by yourself.”

  “Hence the reason for my standing here,” he replied sardonically as his gaze spanned down to my chest. “I’m giving you the option to not make me do it by myself.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and hunched forward. Even if my mind knew I was awake now, my body was still in the throes of remembering being in bed with Torin. My stiff nipples rubbed against the sleep shirt, begging for attention, and far be it from me to be convenient and wear a bra to bed. Who fucking did that? “And if I don’t go?” I challenged, trying to distract my thoughts.

  “Then I guess I’m going alone whether you like it or not,” he replied.

  “What about Torin?” I asked. “He’s not going to like this.”

  Maverick’s impassive expression morphed into something darker. His lips curled down into a scowl and his eyes grew cold. “I’m not Torin’s fucking lapdog,” he snapped. “And this needs to be dealt with. If you’re not going, fine. Stay here. I’ll be back later tonight.”

  Maverick spun around and started off down the hallway so quickly that I was left with a very small window to make a decision. “Wait,” I huffed out. “Let me get fucking dressed. I’ll meet you out by the truck in thirty minutes.”

  “Make it fifteen,” he called over his shoulder.

  Backing into my bedroom, I slammed the door and cursed beneath my breath. “Asshole.” I detested being left with little choice, and knowing Maverick, he’d go and get himself killed out of spite.

  Quickly dressing in a pair of dark jeans and combat boots, I threw on a tank top and a black jacket and headed downstairs. All of the lights were already turned off and the clock in the hallway wall read just past midnight. It didn’t surprise me that Maverick had chosen to go out later, but it did shock me to know how long I’d slept. I felt like I’d only been asleep for the span of an hour or two, but I knew I’d fallen asleep sometime in the afternoon. Now, I was wide awake.

  Maverick was already in the truck when I got outside. I slid into the passenger seat and checked the back to make sure my swords were still there. He put the truck in reverse and backed out of the driveway as I reached down for my cell phone.

  “Shit,” I said, finding it missing. “I forgot my phone.”

  “It’s fine,” he said, not stopping as he turned out onto the road. “We’re together, we won’t need it.”

  “I wanted to tell Torin where we were going,” I said. “Give me yours.”

  “Why? So he can come and stop us? No.”

  I frowned. “The fuck is your problem?” I asked. “What bug crawled up your ass and bit you?”

  “A big one,” he replied without humor. “A blonde bug named Barbie.”

  “Cute,” I said dryly. “Very cute. Give me your phone.”

  He kept his eyes on the road and his hands on the steering wheel, but the more I looked at him, the further away he felt. “I’m not giving you my phone, Barbie,” he said.

  “Maverick. This is dangerous,” I insisted. “Please just let me text him our location in case anything happens.”

  He was quiet for several long moments, and then with a small sound of annoyance, he jerkily reached into his back pocket, shifting up and forward as he drove to retrieve his phone. Tossing it in my lap, he returned his scowling attention to the front of the car, staring ahead and completely ignoring me. I huffed out a breath and grabbed the phone.

  Flipping through the contacts, I sent a text to Torin, letting him know that we were doing reconnaissance on the warehouse. I winced as I sent the text, knowing how he’d feel. I was still furious with him about the blood. But the dream had made me crack. And that crack widened with each thought of him that went through my mind. Torin wasn’t bad. He wasn’t cruel or mean. He just wanted to protect us. It had saved me.

  And that image of him that I’d seen…

  My heart thudded against the inside of my ribcage. It’d only lasted for a brief moment. I’d only caught a glimpse, but that had been all I needed to feel rocked to my core. I didn’t know much but I knew this—whatever had happened to Torin in England hadn’t been good.

  Maverick and I sat in silence for the rest of the drive. Neither of us even reached for the radio. Instead, I turned and searched the back, pulling out the holy swords Torin had given me and holding them in my lap. I’d said we were going to do reconnaissance, but I knew myself, I knew the truth. The dashboard clock clicked past 1 a.m. by the time we got close to the warehouse and I was tense. My muscles bunched. The darkness outside of the window seemed to come alive with threats and warnings.

  Humans, despite being the weaker species and mostly ignorant of the supernatural creatures that lived in the night, were naturally built with warning signals. That moment before an attack when a person’s senses suddenly heightened, the rush of adrenaline amped their nervous system, and the bone-numbing brought a person’s chances of survival rocketing up from nil to almost hopeful. But against creatures such as vampires, it was so rarely enough.

  They underestimated you because of what you were.

  Satrina’s words echoed in my mind. What I was, what I had been. Human. I wondered if I still smelled human to them. Torin’s vampire had been close when he’d said my scent had changed. It wounded my pride to be underestimated, but at the same time, it gave me a better chance for survival. If vampires were going to be stupid enough to underestimate my abilities, then they’d know soon enough when my blade pierced their cold, dead, unbeating hearts.

  Maverick pulled the truck up to the curb across from the warehouse and killed the lights. Unexpectedly, it looked worse in person than it had in the grainy black and white photos. The roof was caving in. Numerous windows were either completely shattered or cracked and grimy. I turned and looked back over my shoulder through the back window of the truck. There were at least two street lights on this road that weren’t working, leaving less than a handful of working ones that were either too dim to be of much use or blinking on and off.

  “Do you have the file?” I asked.

  He nodded and reached into the back, withdrawing a manila folder of the papers he’d shown me before. I flipped the file open and perused the information. A click of a magazine being loaded made me lift my head.

  “What are you doing?” I snapped as Maverick reached for the door.

  “I’m not sitting here for shits and giggles,” he said. “I’m going to check it out. Get your swords and let’s go.” Before I could say anything, he pushed the driver’s side door open and slammed it behind him.

  Cursing him, I snapped the file shut and threw it to the floorboards as I hurried to follow. Maverick was already across the street and creeping along the side of the building by the time I got out of the car. Silently threatening to
disembowel him, I strapped one of the swords to my back and booked it towards him with the other clutched in my hand. When I reached him, I turned and let my back slide up against the brick exterior of the warehouse, peeking around him to the side entrance.

  “I’ll go in first, you follow,” he said.

  “Not a chance in hell,” I replied. “I’ll go in first—I have the most experience. You can provide backup if I need it.”

  “Barbie—”

  “You have a long distance weapon,” I cut him off. “It’s better this way.” Then, without waiting for what I knew would be another argument, I slid around him and headed for the rusted metal door hanging slightly ajar.

  Curling my fingers around the edge of the door, I inched it open, waiting for the inevitable moment when it would creak or moan. Thankfully, it did neither of those things as I made the opening just wide enough for my whole body to slip through.

  The interior was even darker than the street, but from what I could see, the warehouse had no second floor. Instead, it held a massive open space littered with the remains of whatever had once been stored within its walls. The row of windows we’d seen from the front of the building cut across the upper half allowing the muted glow from the working street lights to intrude, casting shadows in every direction.

  My senses were on red alert as I walked on silent feet across the concrete flooring. Crumbling boxes, old metal machines, and wooden pallets were littered everywhere. I scanned the space, searching for some sort of entrance to the basement Maverick had found on the blueprints.

  I stopped when my eyes paused on a darkened doorway several yards from the entrance and I headed straight forward. In the open expanse of the room, I felt vulnerable to attack. Keeping to the side of the room, I crouched and hurried along until I came to the doorway. I paused and listened intently.