Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 1)

by May Freighter

  His eyes focused on the old Viking who tended the bar. Marcus’ long braided beard reached his chest. His auburn hair cascaded around his shoulders, brushing his brawny arms. He polished a pint glass with a tattered cloth when Lucious drew closer.

  Without looking up, Marcus asked, “What are you doing here?”

  Ignoring the displeasure in the old vampire’s tone, Lucious lowered himself onto one of the available barstools. “You know why I’m here.”

  The bartender placed the glass on the counter. His deep-set, brown eyes seemed to see right through Lucious. “I hope that’s to apologise for leaving a mess in my bar.”

  “They had my human.”

  A cruel smile spread across Marcus’ face. “Since when do you give a damn about anyone but yourself and your dead sire?”

  Lucious’ fingers curled. The old man had a few centuries on him. There was no need to start a scene, not in a place where the odds were against him. He forcibly relaxed. “That is none of your concern.”

  Marcus’ foul breath escorted his spiteful words. “If I didn’t have to clean up my damn bar after you and Alexander, I wouldn’t ask.”

  Not flinching, Lucious returned the stare. “I’m here to get some information.”

  The old vampire chuckled. “I don’t deal in that business anymore. As you can see”—Marcus waved his hands around and in the directions of his customers—“I am an owner of a prestigious bar.”

  Lucious didn’t bother looking. He knew the weakling vampires that dwelled here. Most were discarded by their sires. Others came here to get on someone else’s nerves. Without another word, he pulled out a thick envelope out of his back pocket. He waved it in the air and placed it on the countertop. “I need a name.”

  “I’m not interested in money.”

  Lucious smirked. “Who said I was offering money? Here—” He tapped his index finger on the envelope. “—I have something much more valuable.”

  Marcus raised a questioning brow. Lucious knew he had him the moment the old vampire licked his thin lower lip. Marcus loved secrets and dirty deeds.

  “All I need is a name of the man who set me up.”

  The bartender studied the envelope as if trying to see through the matte surface.

  “Well?” Lucious slid the information away from Marcus who grabbed his wrist with his huge hand.

  “You are good at getting what you want, Lucious. You should come and work for me when this mess is over. If you’re still alive, that is.”

  Lucious found no interest in working for him. Marcus was a good man who never broke any laws on the surface, but there were more important things he had to return to.

  Upon hearing no reply from him, Marcus grabbed a clean glass from under the counter. “Would you like a drink?”

  The corner of Lucious’ lips quirked. “Alright.”

  “Anything in particular?”

  Lucious shook his head. “I’ll leave the choice to you.”

  Marcus made his way to the other end of the bar. He searched for something under the counter and returned with a bottle of old scotch.

  “Are you sure I can’t change your mind?” Marcus poured him a drink, placing something small underneath the glass and slid it across the counter.

  “Quite.”

  He passed Marcus the envelope, taking the piece of paper from under the glass before finishing his drink.

  Lucious left the bar knowing that Marcus was anything but a friend to him. Information brokers did not have friends. They would sell their mother for the right price without a second thought. Lucious’ staying there would only bring him more trouble.

  He crossed the road and glimpsed at the folded piece of paper. One name was written in an almost unreadable handwriting ‘Eliza’. Lucious scrunched up the note and threw it on the ground. Alexander’s hunch was right. This was personal.

  He had no time to pick up his phone. A group of three vampires had him surrounded. They were purposely leaking their energy to intimidate him, which merely annoyed him. Over the years of hunting people down and extracting information from them, Lucious learned that flaunting one’s energy meant one of two things: the opponent was old and powerful, a notion he dismissed, or young and stupid. He stood, unmoving, and observed them.

  The first vampire with greasy hair tied back into an uneven ponytail, spoke in a thick Irish accent that made it hard for Lucious to understand his slurred words. “Yer not going anywhere, fella. We’ve got ya figured out. Yer the vamp who’s got one hundred grand on his head. This is our lucky night, boys!”

  “I suggest that you let me pass before you get hurt,” Lucious warned.

  Their movements were uncertain—nothing a trained group of vampires would display. He mentally calculated their possible ages to be below fifty.

  “Sorry, can’t do that. When we trade ya in, we’re going to party for a long time with the gals,” the self-proclaimed leader jeered.

  The other two vampires laughed while the leader vulgarly thrust his pelvis back and forth in a poor imitation of sex. Grins spread across their faces and their movements became more fluid as they gained confidence in the success of their plan. Two of them flanked him from behind.

  No matter what, Lucious had to vaporise their confidence. “Seriously, mate, if you don’t back off with your pups, I will be forced to ruin my new clothes.”

  The leader burst out laughing and the others joined him, echoing his amusement. “Ye shouldn’t be trying to act tough when yer about to have yer pretty little face broken with me boot.”

  The leader’s eyes lit dark-green, and he cracked his neck and knuckles.

  “Look, Joe, he’s already shaking in fear,” one of them said from behind Lucious.

  He was shaking, but not for the reason they believed. He was trying hard to suppress his anger. Too many things were not going according to plan ever since the elders put a bounty on him. He closed his eyes and took in a calming breath. Without a second thought, he plunged his hand through the leader’s ribcage.

  The vampire screamed in agony and confusion.

  To contrast the panicked man, Lucious was returning to his old self. He regained the control he felt slipping these past few weeks. His fingers broke through the lung as he searched for the most important organ.

  The leader clung to his arm in a desperate attempt to halt the process.

  With his hand locked around the heart, Lucious flattened it. Cool liquid travelled up his sleeve. He jerked the fool’s heart out.

  The vampire’s surprise showed on his face, and he began ageing. The other less brave souls remained silent with petrified faces. Their eyes were glued to the remains of their friend who was turning into a leathery corpse at Lucious’ feet.

  “I suggest you leave before you meet the same fate. Your friend here should be a good example as to what may happen when you do not heed my warning.”

  “W-we were about to leave,” said a short, redheaded vampire.

  Lucious could almost taste their fear which they were no longer able to hide. “Be on your way then.”

  Their heads bobbed at his instruction and they disappeared in the opposite direction of the bar, leaving their leader’s body behind.

  “Pathetic.” Lucious spat on the corpse and threw the shrivelled muscle in his hand on the ground before wiping his hands on the vampire’s poor choice of clothing.

  A week passed and there had been no news from his blood-brother and sisters. Lucious’ patience was wearing thin.

  Where could they have gone? Their silence meant many possibilities, some of which he did not want to entertain. He drummed his fingers on the metal desk he found in one of the warehouse’s offices.

  A ringing sound from a laptop Alexander had provided brought his attention back to the bright screen. Finally, he received word from Alexander’s informant in Europe. As he read the message, his lips forged into a grim line. The vampires Anna had sired were missing. It was as if they were in hiding or worse. The thought of his famil
y’s death brought an ache to his heart.

  Lucious slammed his fist against the table. The shock of the impact sent a black line across the laptop’s screen. The elders had to be involved in their disappearances, too. The frustration of not knowing what was going on was driving him mad.

  “Damn them to hell!” he shouted.

  A knock on the door allowed him to be distracted long enough to push back the vile images. He took in a calming breath. There was still time. After all, the elders must have missed something.

  “Come in,” he said.

  The door opened, and Andrew walked in with a piece of paper in his hand. His accusatory expression made Lucious lock his emotions away and display a bored look on his face.

  Andrew marched up to the desk. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Lucious eyed the letter he was holding. “Tell you what exactly?”

  “That Helena left for Scotland. You even let her go with the bastards that kidnapped her in the first place.” Andrew’s shoulders shook. His body trembled with his rage and, although he was a newborn, he had been growing in power much quicker than most.

  Lucious decided to keep watch over the development of his childe. Andrew was becoming accustomed to his new life without any visible trouble faster than anyone he’d ever met. Alexander sang praises of the boy’s self-restraint, but Lucious feared that he would soon overpower him.

  “I have told you this before. This has nothing to do with you. I hope she had mentioned in her letter that she was not forced to go. She could have taken her freedom there and then.” Lucious shrugged. “Helena chose to go with them.”

  Andrew rolled his eyes. “You can’t expect me to believe that!”

  “It is the truth, I assure you. She sacrificed herself to keep Alexander and me alive. Something I never thought I would witness.” Lucious let bitterness show in his words. He couldn’t pinpoint why she did that for them. Her sacrifice prevented him from hating her.

  Andrew’s expression softened. “We have to get her back.”

  “And how do you propose we do that? She is in the possession of a vampire that has been alive longer than Christianity. He can command you with his voice alone.”

  “There must be a way, something we can do to get her back!”

  Lucious made his way to his agitated childe and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do you honestly believe I wouldn’t have kept her here with us if there was any other way? She saved my life, and I was unable to protect her.” His words rang true even in his ears. Had he begun to care for her since her sacrifice?

  The boy’s shoulders slumped, and Lucious watched a battle of emotions fighting on his defiant face. At last, he was drawing close to getting Andrew to let the matter go.

  “If there was a way for her to remain here with us, I would take it. In the end, it was her choice to save our lives.”

  Andrew glanced up. The young man’s eyes were red from what Lucious assumed was crying. Is she that important to him? He could never understand human love or the need to sacrifice oneself for it.

  “I could go alone,” Andrew mumbled.

  Lucious snorted. “And do what exactly? Even if you did somehow get past the guards and Vincent, which you will not, you will be her worst immediate threat. We can do nothing but wait, for now.”

  Andrew grimaced as if remembering something painful. He took in a shaky breath. “You’re right. As much as I hate to admit it, right now I can’t protect her.”

  Lucious fought the urge to clap his hands together. Finally! “Let it be. Nothing has happened to her, otherwise, we would know about it. Let us wait for things to play out.”

  He decided to keep her repeated agitation that leaked through their connection out of the conversation. There was nothing to worry about because it vanished as soon as morning arrived. He had dismissed it as night terrors. She was around vampires and was bound to be frightened.

  Although reluctant, Andrew allowed the conversation to drop. He clutched the letter in his hand and left the office without another word.

  Lucious waited for him to be out of hearing range and contacted Alexander. “It’s me. I have a favour to ask.”

  “I should buy an event planner for the favours you owe me. Go on.”

  “I would like you to stop playing postman between the saint and the newborn.”

  “Any particular reason for that?”

  “Just do as I ask.”

  Alexander sighed. “Alright, but when they find out about this, I am feigning ignorance.”

  “You have my gratitude.”

  Alexander chuckled. “Don’t I always?”

  Lucious hung up. He continued to hear Alexander’s laughter even after he had stashed the phone back into his jacket pocket. He reached for the laptop and his whole body froze. There it was. An unmistakable presence in the air of someone he had not seen in over a decade. Someone he wasn’t ready to see again after she decided to return and serve the American Council.

  Facing the doorway, he found what he expected. His Mexican beauty stood there, casually resting her hip against the doorframe.

  “You’re as beautiful as I remember, Zafira,” he said.

  She smiled, revealing her white teeth. She brushed her hand through her long black curls that trailed down to her waist. “I thought instead of waiting for you to come to me, I should come visit you.”

  Zafira started towards him, swaying her hips from side to side like temptation itself. She watched him with those hungry dark brown eyes that could get a hold of his soul if he were not careful enough. Yet, he was certain that he did not have a soul as he never loved anyone. He respected people and cared about them enough to not kill them. She was probably the closest he had come to loving someone.

  She stopped a few inches away from him and pulled him in for a kiss. Her soft lips caressed his as she deepened their contact. The smell of spice and summer heat—a combination he had grown to crave and despise because of her comings and goings—filled his nostrils. He groaned in anticipation.

  When she pulled away, Lucious fought the urge to hold on to her. He slid his hands into his pockets to keep from running them all over her. There was more to this visit than a mere need to see him.

  “I have definitely missed your greetings,” he said, scanning her face for anything that would tell him her real reason for crossing the Atlantic.

  Zafira’s laugh was a rich, musical sound that always made him warmer on the inside. Yet, he was certain it was not love. Desire? She always walked into his life at the most unexpected times and left without as much as a goodbye. It drove him mad.

  “You have? I heard from Alexander that you’ve become fixated on a human female. Almost a child at that! I thought you liked them older.”

  Lucious retreated, struggling not to be swayed by the appeal that was growing harder to fight.

  She placed her slim hands on her hips and pursed her lips together. The light in the room made her bronzed complexion shine while she studied him.

  Lucious lowered his voice. “He was merely teasing you, my dear. I am interested in that particular girl for a reason.”

  A knowing smile spread across her face. “I see. Love was never the cause you found a woman interesting. She must be something special to get your attention.” Zafira dropped her hands to her sides. Taking the liberty, she glided over to the door and closed it with a loud click.

  Lucious sat on the desk. His fingers dug into the metal to keep him in place. “Is she the reason you’re here?”

  “Oh, darling, when I heard you are being chased by the selfish European Council, I rushed right over.”

  He snorted at her attempt to act selflessly. “You are the same as me. Nothing you do is without a good reason. So, why are you truly here?”

  Her finger found a lock of her hair, and she toyed with it. Zafira knew the effect she had on him. With heat in her eyes, she drew closer. “We both know how things with the elders turn out. So far, you have been lucky. I’ll have you know, th
ere is no ulterior motive behind my visit but an honest concern for an old friend’s wellbeing.”

  There was no way he was going to get any information out of her without force, and that was not something he wished to use. “Did you have another vision?”

  A dark look fleeted across her face which she covered up with a smile. “You’re too smart for me. I have come to prevent a certain event from happening, yes.” She grinned. “Enough talk!”

  At an excruciatingly slow pace, Zafira trailed her tongue over her plump red lips. She ran her hands up his chest, pulling the shirt he wore apart in one strong tug. Her soft hands travelled over his abdomen muscles, and he couldn’t help but close his eyes to enjoy the sensation fully.

  “I’ve missed this,” she said.

  Lucious opened his eyes. “You’ve missed my chest?”

  A fire burned in her eyes. Her fingers wrapped around the material of his ruined shirt, and she pulled him in for another kiss. This one was no longer a greeting.

  He pressed her closer to him, enjoying the feel of her body. She was not the only one who had missed their time together. What irritated him was that he couldn’t keep her to himself for more than a month. Zafira was a woman who preferred multiple partners, sometimes at the same time. The reason their relationship worked was because he didn’t dare try to possess her.

  He picked her up and seated her on the desk.

  Zafira pulled away and took off her blouse. She tore off the remnants of the shirt that clung to his shoulders. Grabbing his face, she continued the kiss with more skill than any woman should possess.

  “Make love to me like the time we were in Venice,” she breathed against his lips.

  Lucious’ restraint crumbled. He grabbed a handful of her hair, forcing her to remain in place as he devoured her mouth.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned. His hands ran up and down her slim back. When his tongue brushed her fangs, she bit down.

  He grunted, tasting his blood in her mouth. The brief pain dissipated and enhanced his pleasure in their kiss. He slid his hands under her lace bra—damned things were always in the way—and played with her full breasts, summoning more eager moans from her.