When a Vamp Falls (War of Blood and Bonds Book 1)

by A. M. Griffin

Alex smirked. “Throw the dog.”

  “Wh—” Bride didn’t have enough time to get out the question before she tossed Libby to the side.

  Dani whipped around and caught Libby mid-air. Bride glanced down, pulling her eyebrows together in confusion and focused on her outstretched hands. “Why did I do that?”

  “Angelina promised me you. But I think that I might indulge and keep you both.”

  Dani shook her head. She had to get her sister out of this. “Please, Alex,” she begged. “Please let her go. If it’s me you want then you can have me.”

  Alex glared over Dani’s shoulder at Bride, who was still trying to figure out why she’d thrown Libby. Dani stepped to the side, blocking his view. “Please.”

  He pulled his hungry gaze from Bride to look at Dani. His eyes roamed over her body, intrusive and needy. He violated her without removing a piece of clothing. “You didn’t want me before. Now you’re dying to be mine?”

  She nodded. Anything to save Bride.

  He threw his head back and laughed again. He sure was cracking himself up. “You only want me because I’m a vampire now. Look at you jonesing for me to take you.”

  She nodded vehemently. “I do. Anything you say. I want it.”

  “You know that I could get any woman that I want now.” He brought his hand up and picked at his nails. “I could’ve before, too, but for some reason, I always wanted you.” He blew at his fingers, pretending that they were having a normal conversation and he didn’t have murder in his eyes. “Maybe because when the other nurses were vying for my attention, you never gave me a second thought. You were something to be conquered.”

  “I-I wasn’t in my right mind before.”

  Bride pressed against her back. “Dani, what is he talking about?” she whispered.

  His playful grin dropped and turned to something sinister. His teeth grew, stabbing him in his bottom lip. “I tried to give you the opportunity to get a sample of what you were missing, but you acted like I was bothering you.” He snorted and watched her like she was the crazy one. “Me! Bothering you! Can you imagine how that made me feel?”

  She shook her head. “I’m so sorry about that.”

  “And then your boyfriend came, thinking he was all better than me. Ha!” Alex clapped, a loud thunderous sound that made both her and Bride jump and Libby cower in her arms. “But now I’ll show him. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he sees you following me around like the little bitch that you are.”

  She continued to shake her head. “H-he won’t care. He’s married to Angelina.”

  Alex pushed out his bottom lip, giving her a pitying look. “I know, baby, and Angelina wants him back. She’s an old as dirt vampire, and she needs my help to get Ramsey back.” He threw his arms out to the side. “Can you imagine? She needs me.”

  “Why would you even associate yourself with someone like her?” Dani couldn’t help asking. The disgust rolled off her tongue.

  “Why?” Alex leaned forward and laughed again. “Because she gets me and she appreciates who I am. I mean who I really am.” He poked out his chest. “I don’t have to pretend that I’m a good person in front of her. She knows that I used to steal narcotics from work and take them to the junkies and have them work off their payment.” He bit into his lip and thrust his hips out. “Or that I’ve been having sex with the coma patients at work.” He balled his fist and humped the air. “Do you know how much ass I’m going to get with my new abilities now?” Blood trickled down his chin.

  “What new abilities?” Bride asked. “What’s all this talk about vampires? You sound crazy as fuck.”

  Dani backed-up. “Bride, no—”

  “Drop to your knees.”

  Bride fell to her knees. Her bones cracked as they hit the floor. Bride’s face contorted and turned red. She opened her mouth wide and roared in pain.

  “Shut up,” Alex said.

  Bride immediately pinched her lips closed.

  “Alex, please. Stop,” Dani begged. She hovered around Bride, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

  Alex ignored her. “Come here.”

  Bride crawled to him. Dani jumped in front of her, trying to block her way, but Bride fought to get around her.

  “Alex, you don’t have to do this,” Dani cried, pushing Bride back. “I’ll go with you. Anywhere you want.”

  Bride stopped in front of Alex’s crotch. Tears streamed from her eyes.

  Dani tried to push her body in the small space between them. No. No. No. This cannot be happening.

  Alex turned his glare to Dani. “I can make her suck me off right here if I want to.”

  Dani’s vision clouded with tears. “Please,” she begged softly. “Don’t.”

  “You’ll be mine?”

  Dani nodded as tears fell down her face. “All yours. Only yours.”

  “The moment I get tired of you I’ll come back for her.”

  Dani clutched her hands together, begging. “You won’t get tired of me. I promise.”

  “Let’s go.” He turned and strutted to the front entrance.

  Dani helped Bride stand, then pressed Libby into her arms.

  Bride heaved and cried. “Dani, I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I can’t let you leave with him.”

  Dani hugged Bride and kissed her on the cheek. “You have no choice. I love you.” She ran down the hall and stopped before stepping outside. “And tell Dad that I love him, too.”

  Dani stepped over the threshold, into the cool night air and took Alex’s hand in hers.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ramsey’s phone rang. He already knew who called and didn’t bother answering. The phone stayed on his nightstand ringing away. He blocked it out of his mind and stared at the ceiling. Nadine had contacted him multiple times first through the mind-link—he shouldn’t have told her about that. He ignored her. Then via the intercom. He unplugged that. Then on his cell phone. All the pestering was to remind him to pick up candy, flowers, and a car from the dealership before going to Dani’s house to grovel for her forgiveness. She’d wanted him to get up and go as soon as he woke. Three hours later and he hadn’t made a move to get up or head to Dani’s.

  What if Nadine was wrong and Dani really didn’t want to see him? A few trinkets wouldn’t change her mind. He could get everything Nadine told him to without a problem, although he wasn’t sure about buying Dani a new car. He had the money, that wasn’t the issue, but a niggling feeling told him that Dani might appreciate a triple chocolate cake instead.

  But what if Dani wants a cake and a car?

  Ramsey glanced at his watch. 10 PM. Clearly too late for a stop at the dealership, and Drenda, no matter how much she liked him, wasn’t going to make a cake after hours.

  Hm. He could get the cake tomorrow. But what about the car? He could have it shipped. That was always an option. That arrangement might take some time. Of course, he would have to wait until after she received the cake and car before he sank to his knees begging for her forgiveness. Or maybe just wait until after she received the cake?

  Ramsey grumbled under his breath. What was he expecting anyway? He hadn’t talked to Dani in so long. She’d probably moved on with her life by now. His chest tightened with the thought.

  Send her the gifts then wait to gauge her reaction. If she contacted him, she was open to forgiving him. If she didn’t… His chest tightened even more.

  I am a coward.

  Correction. He was a procrastinating coward. Afraid that the woman he loved didn’t love him back.

  Instead of taking the chance of getting his heart ripped from his chest again he planned to stay in his room until he forgot how she looked.

  How she smelled.

  The sound of her voice.

  The touch of her skin.

  Her.

  “Since when did I become a moody teenager?” Ramsey mumbled under his breath. He sighed and rolled to his side.

  The ringing stopped.

  Good.
The noise was irking his nerves anyway.

  The phone rang again.

  If he had the energy he would crush it. But he’d used all his energy to turn to his side.

  The ringing stopped.

  He closed his eyes. He was so tired. So tired of everything, of life.

  The lock on his door clicked open. That caught his attention. Marcos was the only other person who had the combination to his cellar room. He had strict instructions never to enter unless it was an emergency. In all these years Marcos had never unlocked his door.

  Marcos breezed through the door with Nadine fast on his heels. Marcos turned on the switch, and even though Ramsey didn’t need the light to see, he was greeted with a very worried looking pair. “If this is a welfare check, I can assure you that I’m—”

  Marcos wrung his hands together and rushed to Ramsey. “No time for your wittiness, sir.” Nadine followed so closely that she stepped on the back of Marcos’s heels.

  Something is wrong.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Dani has been kidnapped.” Nadine held up her phone. “I-I was trying to get in touch with her to let her know that you were going to stop by, begging for forgiveness, and she didn’t answer.”

  Ramsey jammed his hand through his hair. “Nadine, I don’t need you playing matchmaker.”

  “I know. I know. But I couldn’t get in touch with her.”

  “So how do you know that she’s been kidnapped?”

  “When I couldn’t get in touch with her I reached out to her sister, Bride, on Friend Book and left her a message to have Dani call me.” Nadine frantically waved her phone in the air. “She just called and told me what happened.”

  Ramsey launched himself off his bed. “Does she know who took her? Was it Angelina?” He would kill her.

  Nadine shook her head. “No, Bride said that a guy she worked with—Alex—busted into her house and threatened to take Bride if Dani didn’t leave with him.”

  Alex? Ramsey thought he’d seen the last of that creep. He curled his hands into fists, anger surged through him. “I’m going to LA.”

  Marcos put a hand on his chest, stopping Ramsey from leaving. “That’s not all, sir. Bride said that Alex was ‘wearing freaky fake vampire teeth’ and that he possessed her mind to do whatever he told her to.”

  Ramsey stared dumbfounded. “He’s a vampire?”

  Both Marcos and Nadine nodded.

  Since when? Alex had been human. Ramsey sank to his bed. Who’d turned him?

  “What are we going to do?” Marcos asked.

  “Unless I can find out who turned him, I don’t have a way to track him down.” The name of every vampire on the west coast popped in Ramsey’s head. He would have to visit them all to find out who’d sired Alex. That could take days, and by then Alex could’ve done unspeakable things to Dani.

  Ramsey clenched the side of his bed. His fingers dug through the mattress to the springs and stuffing. With a feral yell he pulled everything in his grasp and threw it. Nadine cowered against Marcos, holding tight to his arm as stuffing rained down on her. Ramsey knew what he looked like. When angry his features distorted and his muscles bulged. His fingernails resembled claws, and his canines elongated. Nadine had never seen him as he was now. Marcos had on a few occasions. But Marcos also knew that Ramsey would never turn his anger on them. Marcos brushed stuffing from his head and shoulders.

  “But what if we can track her?” Nadine asked.

  “How?” It took every ounce of self-control not to rip his mattress apart in frustration. This was just another example of him not fulfilling his promise to protect her. Every muscle in his body coiled, ready to spring.

  Nadine held out her free hand and wiggled her fingers. It didn’t appear as if she planned to let go of Marcos anytime soon. “Give me your phone.”

  Ramsey pulled one hand out and tossed Nadine his cell phone. He didn’t want to get any closer to Nadine. She was trying her best not to run away from him as it was.

  She caught it with one hand. “When I set-up your phone I asked Dani to share her location via an app.” She scrunched her eyebrows as she worked on his phone. “Ah, ha!” she said, satisfied with herself. “And lucky for you she accepted.” Nadine tossed his phone back. “See?”

  He grabbed the phone mid-air. There was a map, and in the center was a red dot. He studied the location. This had to be wrong. “Antarctica?”

  Nadine nodded. “If she has her phone on her that’s where Alex has her.” She shivered and hugged closer to Marcos. “I’m sure she’s warmer in Antarctica than we are in here.” She rubbed her hands over her arms. “It’s freezing.”

  “You can go upstairs,” Ramsey said. “I’ll handle it from here.”

  Nadine blew out a cold breath. “It’s okay. I want to help any way I can.”

  Marcos’s phone rang. He took it out of his jacket pocket and looked at the incoming call screen. “It’s Angelina.”

  Ramsey held out his hand. “Give it to me.” He had two people on his hit list now. It didn’t matter the order that he killed them in.

  Marcos handed him his phone. Ramsey accepted the call.

  “Hello, honey. Is your grandfather up yet?” Angelina cooed.

  “It’s me, Angelina,” Ramsey ground out. “Where are you?”

  Angelina giggled. “Wouldn’t you like to know? I heard you’ve been on a rampage trying to find me.” She tsked. “We haven’t been together for a long time, love. You don’t know me like you used to. You’ve no clue where I hang out these days.”

  Ramsey jumped from his bed to pace his room. “I know you,” he growled. “In fact, I know you better than I did before. Tell me where you are,” he said each word in the last sentence slowly.

  “Tell me where you are,” she mocked. She giggled, high-pitched and full on crazy. “You only want me when I do something drastic to get your attention. Why do you make me behave this way?”

  “What way? Like a psychotic lunatic? You attacked an innocent woman and almost killed her for no reason at all.”

  “Are you really in a position to call me names? I’m the only person standing between this fragile human and my new pet, Alex.”

  Ramsey skidded to a halt.

  “Do you remember Alex?” she continued. “Because he remembers you. In fact, he’s holding quite the grudge against you. He wants to kill you.” She laughed again. “Children. Ah, to be young and stupid again.” Angelina let out a whimsical sigh.

  “Bring her back to me. Now.”

  Angelina laughed again. “I might be a little crazy, but I’m not stupid. Do you still plan on killing me, Ramsey?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Well, at least you’re being honest. I think that I’ll let Alex hold onto her until you get a grip on your temper.”

  He took a few deep breaths. “Let Dani go—unharmed—and I won’t kill you.”

  “You’re so violent. I like that. Have you gotten into spanking? BDSM? It’s all the rage now. We should try it.”

  He scrubbed his hand down his face. It was impossible to have an intelligent conversation with her. She always veered off into the nonsensical.

  “Angelina. Let. Dani. Go.”

  “I’m not the one holding her captive, dear.”

  “You’re not fooling me. You’re the one pulling the strings here.”

  “What?” She acted surprised. “You know how newbies are. They’re so unpredictable. You couldn’t think that I knew that right after changing Alex, he would kidnap your pet, did you?”

  “Should I ask how you met Alex anyway? Was it a coincidence?”

  “Very much so. I saw him. He saw me. It was fate.” Angelina let out a whimsical sigh.

  “Take her home. Now.”

  “Like I said. This isn’t my doing. I just so happened to be in the middle. A neutral party. Like Switzerland. But, what I can do for you is try to persuade Alex to release your pet.”

  “Do it.”

  “Nuh-uh. Not until
I get some assurances that you won’t try to hurt me anymore.”

  There was no way that Angelina was innocent in this, but his options were limited. “I give you my word.” He wouldn’t harm her, but Alex was a different matter entirely. Ramsey planned to stake him in the front yard and let the sun greet him.

  “You always were good at keeping your word. Now, if you want her to return home unharmed we’ll have more negotiating to do.”

  “Angelina,” he ground out. “I already said that I wouldn’t hurt you if you made sure that she got home.”

  “Yes, I can make sure that Alex sends her home. But what time frame are we talking about? Tomorrow night? Next month? Next year?”

  Ramsey growled low with irritation.

  “And what condition will she be in, hm?”

  “What. Do. You. Want?”

  “I want to rule at your side.”

  “Rule at my side? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You’re an Original—a leader, and you’ve been shirking your duties for far too long. You need a strong vampire mate by your side, and I want that position. I should have that position. You owe me.”

  “Angelina, remember we talked about this. Sometimes you don’t understand things correctly.”

  “Oh, shut up. I understand just right. It’s you who doesn’t understand. I think that it’s high time that you took a mate. You have all that power and yet you don’t do anything to access it. You need me, Ramsey. With me by your side we could be a formidable team.”

  “Is this why you called me to your house?”

  “Of course. Why else would I need you?”

  Even after all these centuries she hadn’t changed a bit. “And if I let you become my mate again?”

  “I’ll send your pet home.”

  “Unharmed?”

  “Well, partly unharmed. I did promise Alex that he could have his fun with her first. I do have to keep my promises. You understand, don’t you?”

  He bit his tongue to stop himself from threatening her again. That wouldn’t get him anything. “Send her home and I’ll think about it.”

  “No. No. No. That’s not how this is going to work. I have something that you want, and you have something I want. We are exchanging.”