A Vampire's Touch (The Red Velvet Trilogy) (8 page)

“You smell delicious.  What cologne do you use?”

He smiled, clasping my hands in his.  “I haven’t put any on yet.”

Jax

After another dose of warm O-Positive to settle my urges, we hopped in my hot rod and started toward the city.  A quick call to Cade confirmed what I already knew.  Our mystery caller might very well be on site. The same vampire fitting the description had already made an appearance at my club and had now been spotted at
The Red Velvet
.  Glancing at Sienna, I tightened my hold on her hand.  I hated that she was about to be hurled into my chaotic world but it was her world too. 

Our species had managed to exist among humans for thousands of years. Turf wars had existed back then and continued to exist now.  It was through careful manipulation we continued to coexist.  In the past, people lived a more simple life with fields of land between them.  Wars were bloody and superstitions more easily explained. If a body turned up with wounds to the neck it was attributed to acts of witchcraft or evil arts.

As time progressed, it became more challenging to shield our race. Forensics came into play and questionable murders where investigated, in most cases, leading to dead ends. Vampires on both sides of the war followed one rule; Do whatever necessary to insure we were not discovered.

At my club this was pretty simple.  It was geared toward those who wanted to role play with vampires.  The only caveat, they were getting the real thing.  So if strange happenings were witnessed, it was attributed to the “show” we put on for our guests.   
The Red Velvet
was another animal all together.  Humans frequented as much as Vampires.  They just had an extra check point added in with the ID, a retinal compulsion to forget anything out of the ordinary that happen in or around the club.  Every human entering the place got one.  Sienna would not.  I didn’t know if it would work on her.   “You’re very quiet.” She said.

I gave her hand a squeeze and changed the radio station.  The George Washington Bridge was still crowded at this time and it was nearly twelve thirty.   This is why I lived in the wooded area of New Jersey.  I loved the city but the privacy of being in your own home without hearing the blaring horns of taxis or bumper to bumper traffic
? 
Wouldn’t trade it. 

“We’re almost there.”

“Just where are you taking me?”

I winked at her.  “It’s a club.  You’ll like it.”

She gaped at me.  “Clubs are not really my thing anymore.  College burned me out.”

“I want you to meet my brother.  He practically runs the place.”

“Don’t tell me you own this place too?”

I loved her quirky smart mouth.  I could think of plenty of ways to put it to good use.  I cursed at my cock as it rose to attention.  Moving in my seat, I adjusted the discomfort.  Served me right for letting my thoughts travel down that gutter. 

“There are four others, including Cade .”

She reached over and brushed my hair back.  I loved when she did that.  Leaning into her touch, I kissed the inside of her hand. 

“I would love to meet your brother.”

Cade waited for us up front.

“Sienna, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  Cade was a flirtatious cad.  I glared at him over her beautiful red hair.  He smirked and winked at me. 

“I hope our drinks are ready in the V.I.P lounge?” I asked, sarcastically.

“Onyx is all over it.” He answered.

Sienna glanced at me and raised an eyebrow.  “Who is Onyx?’

Before I could answer, Cade swept in and took Sienna from my arms.  I was seriously going to have to kick his ass.

“Only the best bartender on this side of
Manhattan
.
  I’ll take you over to have a chat.” 

I glared after him as he walked over to the main bar. Sienna looked back at me and smiled reassuringly.  Throwing both hands in the air I followed like a petulant child. 

Watching Onyx work was always a joy.  She was professional and an expert at creating original drinks.  It’s what kept people coming back.  That and the show she put on.  Two bottles went flying in the air landing right at her hand by the neck. 

“Love the hair.” She quipped, looking at me.  I nodded my thanks.

She flipped the bottles over and poured two more drinks as she spoke. 

“He looks even hotter now doesn’t he?”  Onyx yelled at Sienna over the Techno music.  I cringed slightly.  Onyx was her own island and you had to know her to understand where she was coming from.  She was blunt, crass and honest.  I loved her.

I
peaked over at Sienna to ga
u
ge
her
reaction.  I think I slipped down the love slope when she smiled.  Wide.

“I think so too.” She held her hand out. “Sienna.  Pleasure to meet you.”

Onyx looked down at her hand and I hesitated.  She didn’t do the touchy feely thing.  With anyone. 

“I’m not into hand shaking, no offense.  Cool to see Mr. Sparky here with a date.  It’s a very rare occasion, isn’t it Cade?”

I rolled my eyes.  Cade’s snarky comments weren’t what I needed right now.  He must have seen the warning in my scowl because he shut that big trap of his but the twinkle in his eyes promised future torment.

“I think I’ll pass on making any comment at this time.  Onyx, can you keep Sienna here company while I speak with my bro?”

“Sure deal.”

I kissed Sienna at the temple then followed Cade over to an alcove where she was still visible.

“Stop freaking.  She’s being watched from every direction.”

“Where the fuck is he?”

Cade looked past my shoulder.  “Right next to her.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Don’t even fuck with me like that right now…” The bitching session came to a screeching halt when Cade didn’t bust out laughing at the absurdity of his comment.  My gut clenched and my vision blurred with anger.

“Chill the fuck out, Jax.  This is what we wanted, to draw the bastard out.  If he so much as raises his pinky we have five darts aimed at him. He will go down like a stone.  Trust me.”

It took everything in me to regulate my breathing and allow the Sonofabitch to take up space next to Sienna.  Thankfully she was facing the other way.

“Tell me Onyx knows.  At least that female can rip his balls out before he decides to get close and personal”

Cade laughed low.  “Oh believe me.  She has him in her sights.  Now, we are going to sit here like good little boys and pretend we don’t know jack shit.  In the next few minutes, our pal is going to get a visit and take a joy ride out to the side of the building for a Q & A session with yours truly.”

I gaped at him.  “You are seriously losing your mind if you think I am going to just sit here like a pussy while you rough this guy up.”

“It’s better this way…”

“Fuck that.  End of story.” I was done with the Cade show.  This guy was sitting next to my female yacking it up while we argued over who was going to start
the
beat down.

“Fine.”  Cade conceded moodily.  He spoke into his cellular and within seconds there was a loose circle around our crank caller.  Cade and I exited one of the side doors and waited for our guest.

What I saw coming toward me was a ghost from my past.  His smile was sardonic; his blue eyes ice cold with a Clairvoyant’s self-assurance.  He already knew this would go down and precisely how. 

“I can’t say it’s a pleasure to see you again, Brother.”

His tone was seriously irking the shit out of me.  I scanned the area.  Nothing.

“Dagen.  Last time I checked my family tree there was one brother and he’s nothing like your sorry ass.”

“You two know each other?” Cade asked.

Dagen smirked. “I am wounded.  Don’t tell me your family was unaware of your pending mating to my sister?”

“Jax, you honestly need to catch me up here.” Cade admonished.

Dagen stepped forward and so did the five vampires behind him.  I held up my hand, allowing him to move unhindered

“Let me do the honors.” He bypassed me and spoke directly to Cade.  “Your
brother
took my sister’s virtue then refused to marry her.  She committed suicide a week later.  I brought the matter up to the Counsel and they refused to punish him.”

I looked down for a moment, regret still heavy in my heart.  Julia was mentally unstable when she took her life.  While the deed was not my fault, I still felt responsible. 

“Dagen, I wasn’t your sister’s first lover, nor were we ever going to be mated.  You know damn well she wasn’t right.”

His eyes narrowed.  “You fucking bastard.  My sister is dead because of you!”

“Okay now that we have it all out in the open, do you seriously want to take us on?” Cade asked, looking around at Dagen’s odds.

The way he smiled had me thinking there was much more to this story.  He wouldn’t present himself on my turf alone.  Someone was backing him and by the tension buzzing in the air, it wasn’t good.

Within seconds Insurgents filled the tight space.  At least a dozen came at us with one posted at the mouth of the alley, compelling nosey bystanders to keep walking. 

Thankfully, they weren’t all seasoned warriors.  Cade was dealing with three, swinging them around like rag dolls.  There wasn’t much an Elemental could do in a confined space but a Shifter could do some serious damage.   Cade got with the program and took his wolf form, tearing into one Insurgents neck before tossing the other into a brick wall.  I kept my form and went head to head with two of the black eyed fiends. 

Eye color was one of their identifiers.  It faded with time once they joined the other side, turning as dark as their souls.  The downside, you didn’t know their special power until it hit you square in the face, literally. 

These two had a little more experience under their belt.  I had a few belts of my own, of the black variety.  I spun out in a roundhouse kick that sent blondie flying while nailing his partner in the jewels.  He squealed like a pig and hit the ground in the fetal position, giving me time to rip a couple heads off and toss them like bowling balls. 

Dagen was nowhere to be seen.  Fucking coward.  The others were holding their own, finishing up what was a hands down win for the Legion.  This was a classic Insurgent ambush which meant small areas, large numbers.  Bastards knew they would get a beat down one to one.  Most fighters on both sides were Shifters or Elementals.  The Clairvoyants weren’t typically placed in battle, used instead for their crystal ball services. 

Headless bodies lay scattered.  Milo, the mental Elemental, as I lovingly named him, was clearing the mess by incinerating the remains.  

“Jax?”

That voice stopped me in my tracks.  I turned to see Sienna huddled by the door, her eyes wide with shock, Ronnie was right behind her.  With the unexpected chaos, the bouncer watching that fucking door had been forced to jump into action. I wanted her to learn the truth tonight, but not this way.  Shit.

I took a step toward her.  She stopped me with her hand, and then crumpled to the floor.

Sienna

S
omething
warned me to keep my eyes shut because what waited on the other side was incomprehensible. Stupid curiosity won and I pushed my heavy lids open. Jax’s blurry face was the first thing in my line of vision, his beautiful amber eyes full of worry. I sat up holding my head in both hands. The headache felt like a hundred shards of glass where poking at me.  I reached for him when really, I should be running in the other direction.  He took my hands and remained silent, his eyes willing me to speak.  I was in a plush office with leather furnishings. A huge desk dominated the corner. Beyond the richly wallpapered walls, the sound of music was muted.  Were we still at the club?

“Where am I?”

He squeezed my hands.  “We’re still at the club.” He made a circular motion with his index finger.  “Sound proof
,
”
h
e answered, sitting next to me on the couch.

I nodded in understanding and wiped at the smudge of blood at his temple.  He looked down at my hands, held securely in his. 

“Sienna…”

“Whatever it is, just tell me.  I think I saw enough to know.”   A bunch of fiends tearing each other apart, bodies shifting into animals and some humans sporting fangs.   Jax struggled to begin.  I had to give him credit for plunging in with the hard facts.

“We are a species known to you as Vampires,
Vampri
to us
,
born with special abilities, not made.  At the age of fifteen we develop our true power which is given to us by one of our parents.  There are three powers; Shifter, Clairvoyant and Elemental, each have a specific power.  Take the shifter, for example, they are denoted by an amber eye color and have the ability to shift into wolf or raptor.”

My expression stopped him.  I remembered the beautiful black wolf with the amber eyes back at his place. Holy shit….