Vampire's Kiss: A Paranormal Romance (After Dark Book 2)

by Sarah Bailey

  They weren’t here for Daisy. Many of them had lived under Raquel’s rule and resented Val’s influence over her. The chance to destroy the werefox was something none of them were going to pass up.

  “All right, boss? Need a little hand,” shouted Neave.

  She caught one of the offending vampires by the arm and slammed him into the wall.

  “Keep them off me. I need to find her.”

  “Leave it to us,” Jack called as he fought with a shifter.

  He was still fending off one of the vampires who had her fangs bared. She uttered a low growl and launched herself at him. He heard further commotion above him, but he didn’t have time to look. He careened into the floor with force as she jumped on him. Her fist connected with his jaw. He grunted from the impact. He threw the female off him before he zipped over to her, stepping on her chest until it crunched underneath him. She screamed in pain. He pulled out a stake from inside his jacket pocket.

  These vampires had allied themselves with Val. They didn’t deserve to live. He slammed the stake down into the female’s heart. She screeched before she began to rapidly age and disintegrate. He picked it up again before turning and throwing it. It soared into another vampire who was coming up behind him, ripping through his chest. The vampire looked down in shock before he began to age and disintegrate too. Fucking idiots!

  There was a loud noise above him and he looked up. Ella was airborne and throwing a shifter into the railing of the mezzanine. She launched the female against a door. She had a staff in her hand. She fended off another shifter on the stairs who was trying to grab one of her wings.

  The door slammed open and there was Val, his flaming red hair shining under the fluorescent lights of the warehouse. He flung the door shut behind him. Val let out an almighty roar before he launched himself at Ella. She hurtled into the ground below the mezzanine, Val on top of her. She blinked, stunned for a moment. Val wrapped his hands around her neck, trying to choke the life out of her.

  “Lukas!” Gavin shouted.

  The other hybrid was locked in battle with another shifter mid-change. The shifter had huge golden paws. How had Val gotten a lion shifter to follow him?

  “I’m a little busy,” Lukas called back.

  “I’ll just go save your mate then. No problem at all,” he muttered.

  Gavin zipped over to where Ella was struggling with Val. He picked the shifter up by his collar and threw him across the room where he landed face down on the floor groaning. Gavin put a hand out to Ella who took it. He hauled her up. She winced a little. The fall clearly hurt.

  “Go find Daisy. I’ll deal with Val.”

  She nodded and lopped off towards the stairs. Her wings hanging limply at her back. She needed time to recover before she could fight again.

  Val picked himself up from the floor and glared at Gavin.

  “YOU!”

  “I didn’t think you’d show your face around here again after Raquel died.”

  Val began to advance on him. There was fighting all around them, but Val didn’t pay any of the others any mind.

  “I’m going to fucking kill you. Then I’m going to finish with your little human bitch.”

  He raised an eyebrow at Val.

  “Oh, she is sweet. Not your usual type, is she? Fire runs in her blood. You know, you should be proud. She didn’t give up any of your secrets.”

  He was trying to keep his anger in check. He couldn’t underestimate the fox’s craftiness. He was going to tear Val to pieces when he got his hands on him, but he didn’t care if he wanted to run his mouth off a little. Val always had too much to say.

  “I wonder what you did to make her so loyal. The little bitch deserves to die for fucking a piece of shit like you.”

  “You were always fond of the sound of your own voice.”

  Val’s face contorted further. Gavin wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of allowing his words to affect him.

  “Fuck you, Gavin. You ruined everything! You made her banish me. She would’ve never died if I had been by her side.”

  “Raquel was foolish enough to mess in Hell’s business. It’s her own fault for going after Ella.”

  “That fucking bitch is going to die too.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Val launched himself at Gavin, his hands shifted into paws, claws extended. Gavin rolled his eyes before he backhanded the fox, sending him flying again. The werefox was no match for him. Blood was dripping from Val’s lip when he stood.

  “She refused to beg for her life, to beg me to stop when I broke each of her fingers.”

  White hot rage consumed him. It was all very well for Val to taunt him, but knowledge of what he’d done to Daisy was killing him.

  “You’re going to fucking wish you never touched her.”

  “It’s too late. She’s close to death now. You can’t save her.”

  He launched himself at the werefox.

  “Gavin,” Ella shrieked from above them.

  Neither of them heard her as Gavin smashed his fist into Val’s nose. The bones crunched, and blood poured from his nose. He didn’t let up, he grabbed hold of one of Val’s arms and wrenched it out of its socket. He tore the limb off and threw it across the room.

  Val just laughed, spitting out blood.

  “Killing me won’t bring her back.”

  “Neave, hold this fucking piece of shit.”

  “Gavin,” Ella shouted again.

  Neave was at his side in a moment. She locked her arms around Val’s torso. The fox didn’t even struggle. He continued to laugh. The sound echoing and mingling with the noise of grunting and fighting.

  “You’re pathetic. You let a human girl blind you. She means nothing. She is less than nothing. Worthless human scum.”

  “I dare you to say another word about her, Val. I fucking dare you.”

  “Oh, you want me to tell you how I mutilated her perfect skin, do you? How I touched her in all the places you have. She was so sweet. Pity, she had to die.”

  Gavin had heard enough. He stepped towards Val and put his hands on his head before he twisted. The sound of his head ripping from his shoulders was sickening. He threw the werefox’s head across the room where it splattered against a wall.

  Neave let go and his body fell to the floor.

  “I always fucking hated that guy,” she announced.

  “Gavin!” Ella screamed.

  He whipped his head up towards the mezzanine.

  “I can’t… She’s… You need to come now.”

  He looked at Neave.

  “Deal with the rest of them as you see fit.”

  She gave him a nod and sped away. He was up the stairs within seconds and through the open doorway. He faltered as he took in the scene. Ella was behind him in moments, her eyes bloodshot. She’d been crying.

  There was blood everywhere. Daisy’s blood. The smell assaulted his senses. She was on the floor in front of a metal chair. Beside her was a table full of tools, blood coating many of them.

  He took slow steps towards her and knelt beside Daisy, paying no mind to the blood sticking to his knees. He lifted her into his arms. She was limp but alive. He could see her fingers were at all sorts of angles and wrists broken. The sight of her destroyed him. She had so many injuries, he couldn’t even begin to count them.

  “Is… is she dead?” Ella asked.

  “No. Not yet.”

  He stroked her hair out of her face. His sweet, innocent Daisy was brutalised almost beyond recognition. There were bruises all over her face and one of her eyes was swollen shut.

  “Ella?”

  Gavin heard footsteps behind him.

  “Oh, Lukas!”

  He turned his head and found Ella had thrown herself into Lukas’ arms, sobbing on his shoulder. He was staring at Gavin and Daisy with a horrified expression on his face.

  “Is she alive?”

  “Just,” Gavin said as he looked back down at her.

  “Can
you save her?”

  “I…”

  Before he could finish his sentence, Daisy’s good eye fluttered open.

  “Gavin,” she croaked. “Is it really you?”

  “Yes. I’m here.”

  A tear leaked from her eye. She took a shallow breath.

  “I hurt everywhere,” she whispered.

  “I know. It’s going to be okay.”

  She tried to move, but he held her tighter.

  “No. Don’t move, please.”

  “I need to say something.”

  He needed to give her blood. It was the only way to save her life. The longer he waited, the less likely she’d survive.

  “What is it? We don’t have much time.”

  She gave him a very weak smile.

  “I’m dying. I know I am. I don’t want to, but it’s okay.”

  She knew the gravity of the situation.

  “No, Daisy. I’m not going to let you die.”

  A wave of emotion crashed down over him. He couldn’t live without her. Without his Daisy.

  “I… I don’t want you to turn me.”

  “Daisy.” His voice broke on the word.

  “No. Please, don’t make me become like you. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be a vampire. If you can’t save me, then let me go. Promise me, please. Promise me.”

  “I can’t promise you that. I can’t.”

  He felt something pricking at his eyes. He couldn’t lose her. Not now he’d found her. Not when she was the most important person in his life. Not when he loved her with a fierceness that consumed every inch of him.

  “You can. You have given me so much happiness. You are everything to me.”

  There were tears running down her face. It was breaking him apart watching her like this. Hearing those words.

  “Gavin, I love you. I love you so much it hurts. I didn’t think I get a chance to tell you before I went but I love you. I need you to know that.”

  “Daisy,” he whispered, bloody tears fell down his face.

  He cupped her bruised cheek, careful to be gentle. His heart was in his mouth.

  “I love you, always. Promise me you won’t turn me.”

  He couldn’t deny her anything. He’d never really been able to. He hadn’t cried since Yvonne had turned him one hundred and fifty years ago. The thought of losing Daisy had well and truly broken him inside.

  “I promise, Daisy. I promise.”

  She closed her eye as she began to drift away. His chest constricted. She loved him. He didn’t deserve her, but she loved him anyway. And now she was fading.

  “No!” Ella cried. “Gavin, do something. Please!”

  He froze in place. He didn’t know if he could save her without turning her and he’d just promised he wouldn’t.

  “Ella, sweetheart,” Lukas said.

  “No! I don’t care what she said. Save her! He has to save her. Please, Gavin. Save her life.”

  Chapter Twenty

  This was the hardest decision of his entire life. Ella was screaming at him and yet he didn’t know what to do. Daisy was so horrifically injured. He didn’t know how much blood it would take to keep her alive. She would never forgive him if he turned her. Never. No matter how much she loved him. He couldn’t do that to her.

  “Please, Gavin. Keep her alive long enough for us to get her to a hospital. Please!”

  He could feel her heart slowing. He was running out of time. His own selfish desire to keep her alive was overriding his promise to her.

  He would try.

  He would try to save her without turning her into a vampire.

  He bit down on his wrist and held her mouth open. The blood dripped down sluggishly. If he could give her enough to heal her internal injuries. Allow her to rest. Maybe he could heal her completely. Maybe he could keep her alive without turning her.

  When the wound on his wrist closed, he didn’t attempt to re-open it. He had to be careful about how much he gave her. Her breathing wasn’t as shallow. Her heart beat a little stronger.

  “Why are you stopping?” Ella asked.

  “Because he can’t give her too much. He gave her his word,” Lukas responded for him.

  At least one of them understood what he was trying to do. Lukas knew a vampire’s word meant something.

  “I don’t care about that shit. If she has to be a vampire to live, then so bloody be it.”

  Ella was distraught at the prospect of losing her friend. It killed Gavin, but he had to keep his emotions in check. He couldn’t fall to pieces when Daisy was so close to death.

  “Ella, sweetheart. Do you really want to force your best friend to turn against her will? To be something she doesn’t want to be?”

  She was silent for several moments.

  “No.”

  He picked Daisy up, turning to the two hybrids.

  “I need to take her to rest.”

  Ella tried to step towards him, to take Daisy, but Lukas held her shoulder.

  “No, we’re going to take her to a hospital.”

  Gavin shook his head. That couldn’t happen.

  “And how exactly are you going to explain what happened to them?”

  She faltered. It was clear that she didn’t have an answer to that.

  “I’m going to try to save her. Please trust me. I want her to live as much as you.”

  She stared at him for several moments.

  “I didn’t realise she loved you. She didn’t tell me. I can’t believe I didn’t know, that I didn’t see it.”

  “I didn’t know either.”

  He knew of her affection, but love? It was far more than he ever hoped for. Ever deserved from Daisy.

  “Do… do you love her, Gavin?”

  He didn’t know how to respond to that. He did. He loved her so much he felt like his chest was going to explode. Lukas gave him a little nod as if to say, ‘go, you don’t need to answer that right now’. He looked down at the bloody girl in his arms. Several of the cuts on her body had closed. She was healing, slowly. He closed his eyes for a moment. She wasn’t out of the woods yet, but he’d given her a fighting chance.

  When he opened them again, he looked at Ella again. He gave her a small smile.

  “You’ll have to ask her if she survives the night.”

  He stepped into the shadows, leaving the hybrids staring after him.

  When he stepped out, he’d brought her somewhere he’d never taken anyone. His daytime resting place. He didn’t know how long it would take for her to heal. He needed to keep an eye on her. He couldn’t do that at his flat if the sun came up. Dawn was many hours away, but he wasn’t going to take any chances.

  He carried her into the bathroom and placed her on the floor before he took her ruined clothes off. He would throw them away later. He took her into shower and turned the water on, not caring that he was still dressed. He washed her with care. Her bones were still broken. He was going to have to give her more blood at some point if she was going to have any chance of them healing.

  For now, she needed to rest. Her body could only take so much vampire blood at one time. He wrapped her up in a towel and placed her on his bed before stripping out of his wet clothes. He dried her and dressed her in one of his t-shirts and some boxer shorts.

  She looked so pale and fragile. He couldn’t think about how much pain she’d been in. How much she’d suffered. He needed to be strong for her. He put his own clothes on before he sat beside her, watching her chest rise and fall. Listening to her heart beating in her chest.

  His phone rang.

  “Yes?”

  “You alright, boss?”

  “Not particularly, Neave.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know if she’s going to be.”

  “Well, shit.”

  Well, shit indeed. Neave certainly had a way with words. He almost smiled. She had more than proven her worth to him.

  “Have you dealt with the stragglers?”

  “Y
eah. I’ve called in the clean-up team. It’s a fucking mess. Shifter bits everywhere. Why can’t they be more like us when they die? At least we just turn to ash. Now we’re going to have to dump a bunch of body parts and that’s always such a fucking hassle.”

  He rolled his eyes. Neave liked to complain, but she was smart and always did what he required of her.

  “I’m sure you’ll manage. Is Jack with you?”

  “Yeah. You want to speak to him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oi, Jack, the boss wants you.”

  There was a muffled response and a few minutes of silence before Jack came on the phone.

  “What’s up, Gavin?”

  “I’m going to need you to look after things for a couple of nights.”

  “How badly did Val fuck up your human?”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  “All right, I’ll keep an eye on things.”

  Gavin knew he could rely on Jack to keep things under control in his absence whilst he tried to keep Daisy alive.

  “I need you to do something else for me.”

  “Anything.”

  “I need you to find out what happened to someone who went missing fifteen years ago.”

  Jack was silent for several moments.

  “Is this for her?”

  “Her brother disappeared in Peru. Find out what happened. I’ll text you the details. I know you have contacts there.”

  Even if Daisy never woke up, he felt as though it was the least he could do for her. She would never be at peace completely until she discovered what had happened to George. He didn’t much care about her parents. Perhaps Daisy could rebuild her relationship with them when they all got some closure.

  “All right, but Gavin, just what is going on between you and this girl?”

  He almost sighed. Jack knew him far too well. After their maker had turned Jack, he’d stayed with Yvonne and Gavin for ten years. Then they’d all gone their separate ways. Gavin had spent time on and off with his maker throughout his life until her final death.

  “She’s important to me.”

  “Yeah, I gathered that, but it’s more than that, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t make me come beat the shit out of you for asking too many questions.”

  Jack laughed.

  “No need to be so touchy.”

  “She’s not just another human to me. She is everything. And don’t fucking blab that shit to Neave.”