Younger, Bree - Burn [All American Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (2 page)

Chapter One

South Mississippi, present day

Ty’s head ached like a son of a bitch, which was strange because vampires didn’t often get headaches. And his mouth tasted like he’d been licking the inside of his own toilet. Good God Almighty, what the fuck had he done last night? He hadn’t felt this bad since that night he had played that stupid drinking game with tequila and AB negative. He must have really tied one on—he just wished he could remember it.

He and some friends had all gone out to a local bar,
The Dark Well
, a favorite hangout of the local paranormal community because it was private and discreet. After they had met up with a couple of werewolves they knew, they’d spent some time just chilling out and knocking back some Red Shots. He’d gotten a couple of phone numbers from some pretty young things and had hit the dance floor several times. Then things got a little hazy. He thought he remembered having some drinks with a hot, red-haired vampiress and shooting some pool, but that was about it. Well, he hoped like hell he’d had fun because he was sure as shit paying for it now.

Slowly, he pried his eyelids open. A night-dark sky filled his vision. He blinked to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. What the hell was he doing outside? Was this some kind of practical joke? He knew the guys had been watching way too much of that damned
Tricked
show. RJ thought that shit was hilarious, but Ty just thought it was dumbass. They’d better not have set him up for some crazy and embarrassing practical joke, or he’d have to kick some major ass.

He tried to push himself up, but his hands wouldn’t move. Looking over to his right, he saw that a chain was wrapped around his wrist and staked to the ground. At first his sluggish brain didn’t seem to register exactly what it was that he was seeing. He tugged again. It wouldn’t budge. “What the…?”

A harsh laugh erupted to his left, and he quickly turned his head toward the sound.
Oh, fuck! This was not good. And definitely no practical joke.
Towering above his prone body was a vamp he’d never seen before. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He tugged futilely at his bonds, but the iron chains held him securely. Even his legs were bound. He raised his head and looked down. They’d stripped him of everything but his boxers and staked him out. And dawn was approaching. He could feel it in his gut.

“Well, lookee what we got here, boys.” The vamp gestured toward where Ty lay, and for the first time Ty became aware of the other shadowy figures standing around. “This pretty-boy vamp seems to have gotten hisself into a bit of a bind.” His laugh turned to a sneer, and he spoke directly to Ty. “You think you’re so smart, don’t ya, sweet cheeks? Well, guess what? You ain’t.” More laughter, this time from the other side of his prone body.

Who the hell were they? Whoever they were, they had a hell of a lot of balls. Neither he nor Quinn were known for their forgiving natures. While the brothers tried to present a civilized front most of the time, those who had tried to take them on had quickly learned that they made formidable enemies. Killing Ty would bring Quinn down on them like a fucking hammer on a bug.

Another vamp stepped up. Only Ty recognized this one. He’d been at the bar last night, sitting at a corner booth and smoking some big-assed cigars. More details of the previous night were slowly coming back to him as the pounding in his head started to abate somewhat. He remembered he’d hooked up with the redhead for more than a drink in the alley in back of the bar. He’d fucked her hot and heavy up against the wall and sucked her blood until they’d both had screaming orgasms.

Afterward, he’d decided to call it a night and head back to their lair, but Mick and RJ had met a couple of wild twins and wanted to stay a little longer. He’d left them there and made his way to the parking lot. Just as he was about to get in his truck, he’d heard a step behind him. And that was it. Nothing after that but a blank wall. Shit, they must have knocked him out somehow and brought him here—wherever the hell here was. Ambushed like some fucking new-turned. If he got out of this alive, and he wasn’t that damn sure that he would, he’d never hear the end of it.

The second vampire approached and knelt down next to Ty. It was obvious just from the way he carried himself and the sharp gleam of cunning intelligence on his face that this was the man in charge. All the others looked like drooling escapees from some zombie movie. The vamp’s gaze traveled up and down Ty’s bound figure. “You’re in a pretty pickle, son. My mistress doesn’t like anybody sticking their nose in her business. You definitely got yourself in a world of trouble. And now it’s time to send a message—loud and clear—to
your
boss from
my
boss.” Ty spat at the threat and looked away, trying not to let his rising alarm and worry show.

Damn it, what the hell was this about? Sticking his nose in their business? The only thing he’d been investigating recently had been those drained bodies out in the swamp near the Mississippi-Louisiana border. Quinn had been concerned that a rogue was loose and wanted the matter taken care of before humans got wind of what was going on and started their own investigation. As the Master Vampire in the area, it was Quinn’s responsibility to handle that kind of thing for the Council. Ty, as Council Shield, had gone over to Waveland and nosed around. He’d examined the bodies—what was left after the alligators had finished with them—taken some pictures, asked a few questions, handled the disposal. That was it. Why the hell would anyone give a shit if he tracked down and killed a rogue vamp?

The vampire’s hand reached out and grabbed a hold of Ty’s chin, forcing his face back around. He leaned so close that Ty could see the pores in his skin and smell the stench of his breath. “You ever heard what happens to vamps who die from sun poisoning, boy? It ain’t quick and painless like in the movies where the vamp gets burnt to a crisp as soon as light hits him, with nothing left but a big pile of ashes. No siree. At first, ya know, it just feels like a light sunburn. Just a little tickle. A little irritation. And our natural healing properties, well, they’ll take care of it—at first. But as the sun gets higher and higher, the rays start eating into the skin and your body is less and less able to repair itself, especially if there’s no fresh blood at hand. If a vamp can’t get out of the sun in time...” He let the words hang in the air for a long moment. Then he shrugged. “Well, by the end of the day, he’s dead—and he’s glad of it.”

He released Ty’s chin.

“Who the hell are you?” Ty shot the words at the vamp.

He just shrugged his shoulders. “Can’t tell you that, son. Orders from my mistress. I’m sure you understand.”

Ty pulled against the chains again. “Don’t you think I deserve to know what the hell I’m dying for?”

The vamp just grinned. “You’re a smart boy. I’m sure you can figure it out for yourself. And if you don’t…well, at least you won’t have to worry over it very long.” He stood. “Now, it’s just too bad, son. And that’s all there is to it.”

He gestured to the others, and they began melting away into the darkness. “Much as I’d like to stay and chat more, it’s getting too close to sunrise for my liking.” He quirked his head to the side. “I’ll come back tomorrow night and make sure that what’s left of you gets delivered to the right individuals. We wouldn’t want them to miss out on this important message, now would we? Then this would all have been for nothin’. And that would just be a damned shame.” With that, he turned back around and strode off into the surrounding woods.

Ty could easily hear the men as they made their way through the forest and to their cars. All his vampire senses were on alert as he followed their progress. Eventually, slamming doors and cranking engines echoed, and then the sound of the cars slowly faded away as they drove off. And then there was nothing. Nothing except the natural sounds of a forest at night. He could detect no sign, no trace of anyone else—not human nor vampire. He was alone.

How the fuck was he going to get out of this one?

* * * *

Libby sat in her SUV staring at the cabin in utter disbelief.

Good Lord, this couldn’t be the right place. Could it? It was in even worse shape than her childhood friend Eddie had told her. He’d said it was rustic, but this was ridiculous. Rustic she could do. The shack—she couldn’t bring herself to call it a cabin—was practically falling down. Someone needed to come along and put it out of its misery. She shoved her hands through her short black hair, making it look even wilder than usual, and felt like screaming. “I’m going to kill him.”

Green eyes narrowed to slits, she pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. Boy, was she going to give him a piece of her mind about this great “hunting camp” he’d generously offered to loan her. Libby waited a moment for her call to go through, but nothing happened. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she glanced at the phone’s display. Well, surprise, surprise. There was no signal. She should have known. After all, she was out here in the middle of no-damn-where. Why the hell would there be cell phone service? After closing the phone with a snap, she leaned forward to bang her head on the steering wheel.

Why her? Why did stuff like this always happen to her? Sitting up, she again studied the rickety structure in front of her with a jaundiced eye. It looked so bad she thought that a stiff breeze would probably send the whole thing collapsing into a heap on the ground. No way could she spend the night in that. “Wonderful. Just wonderful.”

Now what? She sat there for another few minutes, letting her gaze travel beyond the cabin to the surrounding countryside. Well, she was here. She might as well at least check the area out since she’d driven all that way. Although the whole thing was probably pointless.
Always look for a silver lining, Libby
. She could just hear her mother reciting the mantra of perpetual optimism she’d used to breeze through life.

Unfortunately, Libby had a streak of pessimism a mile wide. The glass was
always
half empty. She’d been trying to be more positive, though. She really had. Only these days, the well was starting to run a little dry. Okay, a lot dry. Her ex-boyfriend had shown up and tried to borrow money from her. Her water heater had died, and she’d had to take a cold shower that morning. And now this. Shrugging, she pushed open the door and stepped out.

She stretched and took a deep breath. Silver lining. Remember. Silver lining. Okay. At least it was a gorgeous day, if that was any consolation. The sky overhead was a deep azure blue that made her hands itch to get her camera bag out of the SUV to try and capture its flawless perfection. She was taking a photography class at the junior college, and the most recent assignment had been to do some studies of wildlife native to South Mississippi. And when Eddie had told her about his cabin deep in the woods of Pearl River County, she thought the assignment would be a breeze. She grimaced. Big mistake.
Silver lining, Libby
.

She opened the back door of the SUV and leaned in to get a bottle of water from the ice chest she had packed for the weekend. After taking a long gulp, she twisted the cap back on and looked around, studying what she could of the surrounding countryside. Okay, so the cabin was a disaster, that didn’t mean that all was lost. According to Eddie, these woods were full of deer, raccoon, and any number of various animals and plants that would make good studies for the assignment. It wouldn’t hurt to look around a little since she’d come all this way. It was over an hour’s drive back to Biloxi. Maybe she’d luck out and get some good shots. Then, before it got dark, she could head back. It wouldn’t be the weekend she had planned, but it would have to do.

Decision made, she grabbed her camera case and took the Nikon out. After slipping the camera strap over her head and settling it against her chest, she stowed the case on the floor of the backseat and headed out.

The woods weren’t too overgrown, and Libby was able to keep up a pretty good pace. She photographed a few birds and interesting trees she spotted and even a rabbit she had startled into sudden movement. The day was starting to warm up as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, so she took off her light jacket and tied it loosely around her waist as she continued on, much more comfortable in just the plain white T-shirt, khaki shorts, and hiking boots. Taking several more shots, she made her way leisurely through the woods.

She’d been walking a while when she thought she heard the gentle trickling of water. Confident that she must be close to a creek, she headed toward the sound. There was bound to be an abundance of wildlife in the area. When she entered another clearing, she surveyed it with her usual thoroughness. A cry high above her head reached her, and she glanced up to see a hawk circling above. In a single movement she’d raised the camera, zoomed in, and snapped several pictures of the majestic creature. Then it darted down toward the trees and disappeared from her view. That would be a great shot, she thought jubilantly. Maybe this was going to work out all right.

She started forward again, searching for something else to photograph. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. Swinging her camera up, she peered through the viewfinder, hoping she had stumbled onto something interesting, maybe a doe or a fawn.

As the scene came into focus, she froze in disbelief.

Oh my God. Oh my God
, she thought. A body was sprawled on the ground in the center of the clearing. The camera dropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers to dangle uselessly from its strap, and she barely managed to squelch the scream that trembled on her lips. For several moments she couldn’t move, shock robbing her of thought. Then she sprinted forward, the camera banging against her chest with every stride. As she got closer, she could see that it was a man, and he had been staked out like some kind of ancient sacrifice, his arms and legs spread-eagle on the ground and held down with heavy chains.