Forbidden Days (The Firsts) (20 page)

Bernie put down an enormous cinnamon bun.  “I know I’ve been difficult.  This has been the nightmare no one could ever have dreamed of.  But…I’m okay now.  It’s going to take some time but I’m okay.  I know you’ve only been trying to help me.  None of you are the bad guys.  Speaking of…what did Bas mean when he said there was going to be a war?”

“The guys that hurt you…they’re coming for us all.  Not just us, but the entire vampire race.  It just looks like, right now, we’re on the front line.  I guess they’re going to train us to defend ourselves.  I’m human, though, so if they get to me, well, I’m done.  But you’ll have a chance now.”

“Nah, I’ll take care of you.  I think I owe you.  I think I’ll owe you for the rest of my life.”

“Bernie, when we met in the diner that morning, we both felt something, a kinship.  I’d like to think we can keep that and become friends.”

“So you’re staying?  Even though you’re not a vampire, you’re staying?”

“I hope to.  Bas and I have something…I’m not sure, but we have a relationship I hope to continue.  So yes, I hope I can.”

“I’d like that.  I need you here, if I’m starting my new life with these people.  They’re all men.”

“Oh, there’s a female vamp.  You’ll meet her soon enough. She’s a hard ass compared to the men.  Right now, she’s bringing someone else over, like you just went through.  He nearly didn’t make it.”

“God.  Do they do this all the time?”

“No.  From what I understand they prefer not to.  It’s just that he was dying like you.  Same assholes.  It’s going to be an ugly fight.”

“Well, I guess we better learn to fight.  Let me kill a few more of these amazing cinnamon rolls and I’ll be ready.”

Even Bas wanted to hold his nose when he entered the cell just recently vacated by Bernie.  It smelled like death and shit on steroids.  He couldn’t help but smile that this was exactly where Park’s “mother” belonged.  More important, though, was that he hoped to finally get some answers.  Jake was on one of the concrete benches, an earpiece obvious in one ear, a tablet computer on his knee.  He was earnestly talking with someone as he glanced up.

“Gotta go, boss is here for some torture and interrogation.  Just get that done and I’ll check in later.”  He touched the tablet and got up.

“Here’s your toy, Bas.  I have her personal effects here for you, and I sent Quincy to the rathole apartment she was staying in to get her other things.   There wasn’t much.  I didn’t tell her anything.  She’s all yours.”

“Thanks, Jake.  You can go if you need to.”  Jake nodded and walked out.

She hung from the cuffs with her head down.  She was skinny, emaciated really, but Bas knew that was common for drug addicts.  Park had mentioned that there was always money for drugs….it was apparent that hadn’t changed.  He walked over to her, wondering if she was awake, but then she lifted her head sharply, piercing blue eyes stabbing him as he moved to just inches from the cuff’s maximum reach.  Her skin looked like old beef jerky.  The smeared blue eye shadow and red lipstick didn’t help.  She was wasted flesh and rage in cheap clothes that smelled like she hadn’t had a bath in months.  It struck him that the smell in here might not be too much worse than she was used to living with.

They stared at each other for several minutes without speaking, and he couldn’t help but feel she knew exactly what she was here for and exactly what he was.  And she did.  Moments later she licked her lips and spoke.

“Well, fuck me to dawn.  I guess you found her.”

He acted clueless.   “Her?  Found her. Who do you mean?”

She laughed bitterly.  “I might not be the smartest bitch around, but I ain’t an idiot.  I can smell her on you.”  She sniffed like she had a whiff of something rank suddenly.  “I could
always
smell her.”  She snorted.

Fuck, he wanted to hit her.  So hard she would never wake up.  But…

“You think you know why you’re here?”

Another gruff snort.  “I fucking
know
why I’m fucking here.  The little whore sent you for me.  A little revenge on mommy dearest.”

He lost it.  “Don’t call yourself that!  You’re not her mother.  You’re just the cunt that bore her.”

“Well, now you’re getting real.  So.  She found your little cocksucking nest.  Figured she would.  Figured it would end up this way.  Soulless bitch.”

Bas tried to stay calm.  He had a goal.  He could always kill her slowly later.

“Park is one of the most beautiful souls I’ve ever known.  But you should know soulless, you hag.  In spite of your criminal parenting, she turned out incredibly.”

“Hey, I didn’t drown her when she was a baby.  Give me points.”

God help him get through his.

“You tell me what she is and you may live to walk out of here.” 
No she wouldn’t.

Now the woman pulled back.  Shock on her face.  Suddenly she smiled and laughed.

“You don’t know what she is.  You found her, but you don’t know what she is.   Oh, that is fucking rich.  That is fucking justice.”

“What is she?”

“If you demon monsters don’t already know, I sure the fuck ain’t telling you.  It’s better if you just put her down like a fucking dog.  I should have done it when I had the chance.  I was just too fucking scared of
him
!”

“Who?  Who were you afraid of?”

“I told you, I won’t tell you anything.  I’ll take it to my fucking grave!”

“That’ll be today if you don’t start talking.  Tell me what I need to know!”

“Compel me if you want to know!”

He’d thought about it, but he needed her sharp.  Sometimes people would get confused with compulsion and not able to remember things.  Compulsion did have its limitations.

“Yeah, I was hoping not to, but it appears that I’ll have to.”

He moved closer and trapped her eyes with his.  She stared at him and he used his ability to control her will.

“Now, tell me all about what Park is and who her father was.”

She let herself go slack and dropped her arms.  “She’s an alien from outer space and her father was the fucking Easter bunny!”   Then she laughed uproariously.

What the fuck?!  She couldn’t be compelled either?

“What are you?  What is Park?  I swear, you bitch, you
will
tell me!”

Nearly on the floor, her guffaws were choking her up.  “That was fun!  Better than sex!  I think I need a cig!”

He’d had it.  Something was so wrong here.  He left the room and started back up to the main floor when Eugene texted him.  He wanted to have all the vampires meet him and Cherise in the study.  What the hell?  Eugene didn’t call meetings.  Bas didn’t need this with all the other craziness right now, but Eugene had to have a reason and it had to be important.  He texted him back a time, then texted Jake to have everyone attend.  He needed a shower after that visit.  He’d leave her there, alone, no food or water, for the night and see how she felt the next night about answering him.  After this meeting with Eugene, he’d sit down with her personal items Jake and his men had obtained to see if there was anything there that could help him.

144

Chapter Fourteen

Alvin drained another woman.  She’d been tasty, which had been nice, but mostly it was because he was going to turn two more men tonight and he needed the excess to feed them and maintain his own strength.  His current soldiers had put the scare into the vampire community, but he really just wanted to get to the payoff now.  He needed to ramp up the conversion and get this battle won.  He was tired and he wanted to go home to her.  To Lucille.  Where he would take his place beside her when this was finished and rest for eternity with his beloved.  He truly believed there should be no vampires.  This
did
include him.  So once he killed them all, his own converts as well, he would take his own immortal life and leave the earth clean.  Reaching for a moist wipe, he wiped the blood off his chin.  Ugh, always hated that, the blood everywhere after a vigorous feeding.

Dropping the now pink colored wet wipes, he picked up some photos Shanks had just dropped off.  Long range digital images of two young women, both lovely.  One had long red hair swinging from a ponytail.  Bas’s girl.  Alvin smiled and his heart skipped a beat in excitement.  Oh, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her.  He’d feed, of course.  He’d been shocked when Shanks made it clear to him…she was not vampire!   Bas’s girl had not been brought over.  This was going to be much, much more satisfying than he’d ever imagined.  He actually felt himself salivate at the prospect of feeding on her with Sebastian for his audience.  Shanks had assured him that securing her and Sebastian would be the first thing he did when they breached the stronghold.  Oh, goody.  Let the fun begin.

Vaz waited, surrounded by his favorite weapons for his two students to show up.  He was early, and pissed at himself for it.   He hadn’t seen Bernie in two days and was completely pissed at himself for missing her like a fifteen year old human with a crush. Fuck!  He might as well have someone castrate him right now.  He’d turned into a girl!  Then he thought about his leader, Bas, and his behavior around the little titian haired human.  He grinned to himself.  Yeah, they were both fucking pitiful.  Well, there was nothing he could do about it….he really was looking forward to seeing her, to working with her.   He knew…Bas had told him…she’d requested not to have to work with him.  He’d find out what the fuck that was about and fix it.  He thought it couldn’t be because she didn’t like him or think he was attractive.  In two hundred years he’d never had to compel a female for sex.  No woman had ever refused him.  He knew…he was what women these days called a stud.

Bernie followed Park through the twisted corridors, certain she’d never learn them.  They were both dressed in really nice workout gear, designer sports bras and shorts, athletic shoes she would never have been able to afford on a waitress’s salary.  As they’d dressed, giggling about how Bernie’s breasts seemed bigger and firmer, she had to admit…she was looking and feeling amazing.  Her skin practically glowed and her hair was now down to her waist.  It hadn’t been two weeks ago she’d had her short spike cut that she loved.  But the long soft honey colored hair was fuller and shiner than it had ever been and would barely fit in a large jaw clip Park gave her.  And even though Bernie had always worked out, she’d never been this cut.  This morning, before going to bed for the day, she’d looked herself over, naked, in the wall of mirrors inside the large walk-in closet in her room.  She had to admit…she was rocking this vampire thing.

Her elation waned as they reached the courtyard where she saw the blonde Adonis sitting with his back to them.  And wasn’t sure she could face him.  God.  Her face flamed.  What she had done.  How she had been with him…watching her every moment.   She remembered it all…sexual act after sexual act, trying to tempt him to fuck her.  She remembered trying desperately to reach him with her own fingers up her, moving herself to orgasm after orgasm.  Worse yet, she still wanted him, so badly she wanted to do the same thing again.  This was unhealthy for her. He’d refused her every time.  And now she was going to have to spend the night with him.  She hadn’t told Park why, but Park knew she didn’t want to train with him.

Although she’d straightened Bernie out.

“Look, you’re a supernaturally strong ass vampire now.  You can do anything.  Don’t let him get to you.”

Bernie had said, “Yeah, you’re right.”  She’d meant it then.  Now, she just had to believe it.

He was stunning.  He turned to them and smiled.  It made her melt and it made her pissed.  There wasn’t anything about him that she didn’t think was perfect.  Floodlights lit the area, the deep shadows highlighting his muscles, bunched enticingly under the tight white tee as he slid off the bench he was seated on and started toward them with a sword in his hand.  He looked right at Bernie the entire way.

Park noticed.  Something was definitely going on with these two. The sexual tensions that rode between them was palpable, but there was something else she couldn’t determine.  As they met, Park stepped up and smiled at Vaz.

“Hi.   Thank you for agreeing to stay to train us.  Bas told me you were leaving.”

That got Bernie to finally look up at Vaz.  Their eyes met and she froze, not allowing herself to look away.  Park knew it was going to be an interesting night.  Hand to hand was first.

Initial sparring went well.   Vaz started with Park since Bernie hung back.  She did well, and while she had only human strength, she was able to master several of the techniques he taught her that would give her a chance against a stronger adversary.  They’d donned boxing gloves to work on power, Vaz allowing her to punch him fully. 

“Use all your strength, Park. We want you to know what it feels like to hit as hard as you can.   Bring the anger, punish the bastard who wants to hurt you.”   Park let fly and tried to splatter him.  Vaz tried to act like it hurt him, but she saw the little smile around the edge.

“Okay, I’m a weakling.  I’m not taking down any vampire.”

“Not with your fists, but with the proper weaponry, maybe.  This is just to give you a chance.  Against a human, I think you could hold your own with a little more training.”

Bernie watched, her eyes missing nothing, and when it was time for
her
one on one lesson, she stepped up, boxing gloves on, hands up.  “I’m ready.   Let’s go.”

Vaz started to go over method and she shook her head.

“I already got it.  Let’s go!”

She perfectly repeated everything she’d watched him teach Park.  Vaz couldn’t land a blow on her, and after a few minutes he realized she’d kicked it into a competition and started landing harder and harder blows on him.  He tried to take it easy on her and step back, but she refused to relent.  She kept pushing him and pushing him.   Until he pushed back.  With patience and a hard punch, he tried to end the session.  But she kept going.  So the next time she came at him with an aggressive roundhouse kick, he shifted his position, she missed, he pulled her down and laid his entire weight on top of her.  Angry, she tried to get free, but couldn’t budge him.  He leaned down a little harder and trapped her tighter against his body.   All the wriggling and teeth gritting growls didn’t phase him. Their faces were within inches of each other, his warm breath fanning her loose hair.