Twice Bitten Read online

  A Total-E-Bound Publication

  www.total-e-bound.com

  Twice Bitten

  ISBN # 978-0-85715-307-4

  ©Copyright Kris Norris 2010

  Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright October 2010

  Edited by Christine Riley

  Total-E-Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom

  .

  Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-melting.

  Dark Prophecy

  TWICE BITTEN

  Kris Norris

  Dedication

  To my mom, Lee. While fleeting in my hands, you’re forever in my heart. Rest. I’ll see you on the other side.

  To my kids, for everything.

  To Claire, Nicki, Heidi and the TEB gang…you rock.

  To Chris… just for being you. Love ya honey.

  Chapter One

  “Fuck, Rafe,” slurred Alexander. “Fuck him and his holier than thou attitude.”

  Gabe glanced at the bar, his fist clenched around the glass, as he watched the bastard down another drink, tipping the bottle back, exposing his throat. What Gabe wouldn’t give to curl his fingers around the creep’s neck and tear off his arrogant head.

  “Easy, brother,” warned Mathias, nodding towards Alexander. “He’s not worth a scene. Not this close to sunrise.”

  Gabe uttered a hushed growl, turning back to his drink. He tried to lose himself in the cool feel of the smooth glass against his fingers as he thumbed the lip, wishing the liquor would wash away the twisting feeling in his gut, once and for bloody all. But it didn’t help. Nothing did.

  “I had him,” ranted Alexander, the alcohol threading all of his words into one long, garbled syllable. “He wasn’t even fighting back, using the last of his strength to beg his whore of a human to toss him the pendant. Everything was going perfectly until she destroyed the damn thing…bitch! If it hadn’t been for her, I’d be king of this fucking realm by now!” He wiped at the series of small scars etched across his cheek. “My only consolation is that they both probably died along with the talisman. A fitting end for a poor excuse of a vampire. I suppose what they say is true. Once a preacher’s son…always a preacher’s son.”

  Gabe felt Mathias tense, and grabbed his brother’s arm before the man stood up and started a war they couldn’t win. Alexander never travelled alone, preferring to send his minions out to test the waters. There might be only a handful of them in the bar, but Gabe knew there were dozens waiting in the shadows. And getting killed before their talisman was found, wasn’t part of the plan.

  “Relax, Mathias. He’s just showboating. Give the bastard five more minutes, and he’ll stagger back to his rock for the day. You were right. No sense starting something we can’t finish.”

  “But he’s determined to claim one of the remaining talismans. If we eliminate him now, it’ll be one less to face later…if there even is a later.”

  Gabe sighed. There was no mistaking the desolate tone to Mathias’ voice. After searching for centuries, neither maintained much hope that they’d find the mysterious pendant they’d been created to protect. Even knowing Rafe had finally discovered his, wasn’t enough to stay the sombre mood. No one had heard from Rafe, or the human girl since, and that didn’t give either of the men much comfort.

  “Another vampire will simply take his place, and if it’s all the same, I’d rather face an opponent I know…and Alexander’s greatest downfall is his predictability.”

  Mathias huffed, pressing back on the chair as if the damn thing could bring him some form of peace. But Gabe knew there wasn’t any to be found. He turned to watch his drink swirl around in the glass, reflecting pools of light onto the table, when Alexander stumbled across the floor, stopping close to the table.

  “Well, well. I’ll be damned. If it isn’t the illustrious, Sir Gabriel, and his simpleton of a brother, Mathias. After all that’s happened over the last year, I never expected to see you two around here…not without your own army.”

  Gabe’s lips twitched into a smile as he faced the bastard, shrugging his indifference. “Didn’t know we needed one.”

  Alexander laughed, washing his foul breath across Gabe’s face. “Only if you hope to stay alive.”

  Mathias scowled, glancing at Alexander over Gabe’s shoulder. “Bugger off. Your breath smells like cheap beer and we’re really not in the mood.”

  “From what the ladies say, you two are never in the mood. But that doesn’t surprise me. Denying what you are only makes immortality a waste…just like your buddy Rafe found out when he chose to stand between me and what I want.”

  Mathias raised an eyebrow. “From the sounds of it, Rafe won.”

  Alexander growled a moment before his face shifted into the hideous beast hiding inside him. He lunged at Mathias, only to end up with his neck curled into Gabe’s hand.

  “Separating your head from your shoulders would bring me a rare pleasure I haven’t felt in centuries.” Gabe pulled him closer. “But it won’t serve my purpose.”

  Gabe glanced around as a dozen vampires shifted into view, their fangs gleaming in the strained light. He tightened his grip, trying to ignore the drop of dark blood that welled from beneath his thumb as he sank his nails deeper into Alexander’s neck. A roll of nausea washed over him, and he tossed Alexander across the room, grinning when the bastard bounced off the far wall.

  Another vampire rushed him, but Mathias stepped in front of him, deflecting the man’s attack and sending him careening into a nearby table. Gabe sensed his brother shift into his vampire form, their connection so strong Gabe’s teeth lengthened in response. He tugged at Mathias’ shirt, silently warning his brother to back off, as Alexander strutted back over, blood still dripping down his neck.

  “Is that the best you can do, Gabriel?” Alex wiped at the thin, red line. “How on earth do you plan on destroying us and protecting your precious talisman if you can’t even stand the sight of blood?”

  “You won’t be bleeding when I shove a stake through your withered heart.” Gabe cocked half of his mouth into a smile. “I don’t mind fire and ash in the least.”

  Alexander laughed, glancing around at the increasing number of vampires. “What makes you think we won’t simply kill you both now?”

  Gabe snorted, patting Mathias on the back, as he nodded at the circle of men. “Even you aren’t stupid enough to start a full-fledged fight with dawn already huing the sky. Besides, we both know only an enforcer can activate the talisman. Kill us, and your cherished trinket becomes nothing more than a worthless piece of spun glass.”

  Alexander growled, dragging his gaze along Gabe’s skin before nodding at his men, smirking as they drew back, fading out of sight. “Your time is coming to an end, Sir Gabriel…” He took a step
back. “Make no mistake. I won’t be denied again.” A dull, grey light illuminated the man’s silhouette as he opened the door and disappeared into the fading shadows.

  “Damn.” Mathias nodded at the windows. “We don’t have much time. The sun’s rising.” He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. “We should have left before that asshole saw us.”

  Gabe huffed. “I won’t crawl away like a frightened rat.”

  “No one is questioning your honour. But that little show may have cost us far more than preserving your pride.”

  “There’s always a dark place to weather the day. Some are just worse than others.”

  Mathias sighed, and Gabe could feel the man’s frustration. Mathias always saw the positive in a situation, while Gabe preferred to see the world for what it was…a hollow, self-serving place where evil hid at every turn, determined to lay claim at any opportunity.

  Gabe raked his fingers through his hair, wondering if they’d have to spend the night in the sewers again, when a man moved across the floor, stopping to lean against the bar.

  “Still nauseated by the sight of blood? Not a fitting trait for a vampire, let alone an enforcer.”

  Gabe sneered at the man. “If you’re here to make sure we didn’t trash your bar, Sirus, don’t bother. The place isn’t worth the effort.”

  “Yet, for the past year, you and your brother are here every other night.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s just…convenient.”

  “And seeing as I cater to your kind, it makes matters easier.” Sirus stepped forward, jingling a keychain in his hands. “You’ve cut it a bit close, haven’t you?”

  “As I was telling Mathias. There’s always a place to hide.”

  Sirus smiled. “Why hide when you can sleep in peace?”

  He tossed the key at Gabriel, chuckling when Mathias materialised in front of his brother, snatching the offering out of the air.

  Mathius held the key up. “What’s this? I never took you for the generous type, Sirus.”

  “Consider it a smart business venture. Hedging my bet, if you will.”

  “To what end?” Gabriel moved beside his brother. “We’re not Rafe. If you’ve made some questionable deals, we aren’t going to save your ass. Rafe was much more of a giver.”

  “You two are more like Rafe than you want to admit…I suspect all enforcers share certain traits. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been chosen.” Sirus nodded at the door. “Let’s just say my motivation lies closer to home. I have no desire to see Alexander get his hands on one of those pendants. As crappy as you seem to think this place is, I assume it far surpasses a hell dimension.” He headed for a back hallway. “You’ll find a suite downstairs in the basement. It used to be my accountant’s office, but it’s mostly a storage room now. There’s a large couch and some other necessities. The doors to the bar open at sunset. You should be safe until then.”

  Gabriel watched the man disappear down the corridor, his voice fading into the first rays of light. A gnawing feeling rumbled through his stomach as the faint tingle of metal filtered through the air. He looked at his brother, watching the man stare at the shiny offering in his hand.

  Gabe nudged Mathias, nodding at the key. “Well? What’s it going to be? You want to take a chance that Sirus isn’t out to kill us, or do you want to spend the day in the sewers?”

  Mathias screwed his face up into a ball as if he could already smell the rotting stench. “You actually asked me that as if I was going to consider it.” He shook his head. “The news on the street is that he helped Rafe escape, which is part of the reason we’ve been coming here. He can’t be that dangerous.”

  “For all we know, he was also the one who told Alexander where to find Rafe. But with the sun already rising, we don’t have much of a choice.” He gave Mathias a shove forward. “Just try not to snore once we get down there. I’ve never put much stock in vampires not needing any sleep. And quite frankly, I’m beat.”

  * * * *

  “I realise you’re in a bit of a bind, dad, but if I don’t finish the Stephenson account today, I won’t be able to file it on time.” Ripley cursed under her breath as the mountain of receipts tipped off her desk and fluttered to the floor, scattering a week’s worth of work across the hardwood. She clenched her jaw and tilted her head back, closing her eyes as she attempted a soothing breath. “You know how nasty Mr. Stephenson gets if his accounts aren’t all nice and tidy by Friday morning.”

  Her father answered with a sigh, followed by a raspy cough. It was only a matter of time before he started moaning. Ripley pulled the phone away, shaking her head as she stared at the receiver. No matter how old she got, her father could still make her feel guilty with nothing more than a few sound effects.

  “Fine. I’ll drop by the bar and grab those folders for you. But I’m not doing any more work for Sirus. I left that life behind two years ago, and I’m not going back.”

  Ripley hung up and tossed the phone on the couch. It seemed her efforts to leave behind the shady remnants of her past failed every time she started to get ahead. It was like trying to break free of gravity. Just when she thought she had enough speed, something got in her way and pulled her back down.

  She huffed, balancing on the wall as she tugged her suede boot over her calf. “Not this time.” She’d be damned if she’d get mixed up with Sirus and his business again. She’d simply grab the files and walk right out the door. As long as she didn’t make too much noise, he’d never know she was ever there.

  Ripley marched to the door, grabbed a set of keys off the hook and stuffed them in her purse. Why the hell she didn’t just tell her father to do his own dirty work was a mystery to her.

  Because he’s your dad and the only family you have left.

  She sighed at the thought, snagging her coat off the bench and putting it on, tossing her bag over her shoulder as she pulled open the door and stepped into the sunlight. The winter day was clear and bright, but a sharp chill bit the air, and she turned up her collar hoping to keep the chill off her neck. She should have worn her scarf, but she’d been too irritated to think clearly. Hell, she hadn’t even bothered to do her hair or her makeup. She was supposed to be spending the day at home, working…like she always did.

  She cursed quietly to herself as she headed down the street, her warm breath trailing behind her like a wispy cloud. Though the bar was a good thirty-minute walk, she didn’t bother trying to hail a cab. At this time of day, she’d be halfway there before one streaked down the street, and with all the bars closed until well after sunset, she’d be lucky to get one to stop.

  Ripley quickened her pace, squinting at the bar’s silhouette as the sun rose behind it like a halo of gold. But there was nothing holy about the building, and she couldn’t shake the ripple of fear that rolled through her stomach as she stared at the dull brick. She hadn’t told her dad the real reason she didn’t want to venture to the bar today—he’d only laugh and tell her to stop living in a world of make-believe. But even as she tried to convince herself there wasn’t anything to be afraid of, a stark chill wove down her spine. It was as if the shadows were darker here, and the air just a few degrees colder.

  She’d heard stories, though she was positive they were just that—elaborate stories. There were no such things as vampires or werewolves and standing there freezing her ass off as she decided whether it was safe to dash down the alley and slip in the rear entrance, was only delaying her task. If she didn’t hurry, Sirus might venture out from his suite to play in one of his fantasy rooms with one of the maids.

  Ripley’s nipples tightened, and her pussy clenched at the image that formed in her mind. Though she’d never admitted it, more than a few of the rooms had tempted her imagination. While she’d had her share of sexual experiences, they’d all been ordinary, like vanilla-flavoured ice cream. She’d often considered sneaking into one of Sirus’ pleasure areas and experiencing something far more wicked. But she’d never had the nerve…or a pa
rtner she’d trusted enough. And she wasn’t about to put her faith in a stranger.

  Or two…

  She smiled at the lingering thought. Of all the rooms in Sirus’ place, the doubles area was by far the most intriguing. She’d witnessed a few of the ladies from the bar indulge in multiple partners, but had never accepted any of the offers to try the pleasure for herself. To feel twin tongues caressing her body or have one man lick her while another rode her to completion. Since she’d stopped being Sirus’ accountant two years ago, she’d been lucky to score a date, let alone a night of wild passion.

  A sharp gust of cold air startled her from her thoughts. She pulled her collar tighter as she neared the door, avoiding the collection of trashcans piled beside the small set of stairs. She grabbed for the railing and stepped up when one of the lids from the cans clattered to the ground, sending a harsh tone echoing down the alley. Ripley screamed and jumped, clutching her chest as a black cat jumped out of the wreckage and scooted down the street, its claws making faint scratching sounds along the cement. She closed her eyes, trying to calm the pounding in her chest as she forced her legs forward, promising herself she wouldn’t be bullied again. This was it…her last favour.

  The keys jingled as she shuffled through them, looking for the small brass oval. The fact she’d kept her set told her more than she wanted to know. A depressing gloom settled over her as she slipped the key into the hole, the familiar sound of the lock tumbling inside the door lighting the cold air. She gave a shove, cringing when a loud creak filled the silence. God help her if Sirus decided to investigate the sound. The man had a way of breaking through her defences until his wish seemed to have been her idea.

  Ripley took a deep breath, the cold air tingling the inside of her nose. She held her head high and pushed open the door, stepping into the scattering of shadows laced along the hallway. She’d half expected Sirus to be leaning against the wall, his usual cocky smile curving his lips, and was relieved to be greeted by nothing more than an empty hallway. She headed off to her right, taking the basement steps two at a time. The quicker she found the files, the quicker she got back to her mundane life.