2023-01-13 07:20:33Liya was unprepared for his presence when he opened the door. He was captivating. It didn’t help that he was sporting a devilishly gorgeous grin and a new glint of knowledge in his eyes over their intimacy. Natie had just finished with her hair and Sadira zipped up the back of her dress. When his eyes settled on her she swore her insides just turned to molten lava.
“You’re beautiful.” He said softly as Natie and Sadira gathered their things, bowed at Damon and rushed out the door. Julian closed it behind them leaving them alone.She tried to meet his gaze like Sadira told her to when she got embarrassed, but she couldn’t. Her thoughts immediately flashed to the night before.He felt her newly found feelings of desire and walked toward her while his eyes combed heatedly over her. A smile of approval lit his face, “I’ll have to give Sadira and Natie a raise. Did you sleep well?”She whispered still not meeting his gaze. “I don’t
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INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 44
Anna sat straight up in bed trying desperately to explain what had happened to her in the last few days and what had happened when she tried to rescue Liya. “It’s true Aya, I swear! I have never lied to you before, you have to believe me.” She pleaded.“But monsters, Anna? I stopped believing in them when I was a little girl.”“I believe her.”Jeff’s admission startled Aya, “What? Not you too.” She faced him with her mouth hanging open in shock, “Has everyone gone nuts?” she threw up her hands.Jeff ignored her and came up beside Anna, “I’ve seen it too, in his eyes. When I took Liya out last night, he showed up in the bar and took her…” He glanced at Aya, “I mean, she went with him. When a friend of mine tried to stop him, Damon had this look in his eyes and it terrified the shit out of me.”Anna nodded in understanding her voice raising in excitement that someone believed her, “Did his eyes glow and his teeth ge
INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 45
Damon couldn’t erase what she’d known because she had already told too many people. They would grow suspicious if she suddenly couldn’t remember anything. So he had another way, “It’s simple. I let you live and you return the favor.”“Gee thanks.”Damon was amused at her guff and continued, “We both have a mutual interest. I do not wish for her to hear any of what has happened. Be warned Anna, I will not hesitate to kill you if she finds out even the slightest of what had happened last night.”“That isn’t fair! She deserves to know. You put me through hell.” Her tears began to fall again.Damon remained unmoved, “I was sparing her grief of you trying to come between us.”“I was trying to save her from you.”“What you were trying to do was disrupt our fate. You cannot prevent what is meant to be.”“You’re confidence in yourself is disgusting.” She stated.He chuck
INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 46
Liya didn't sleep that night. Her thoughts lay with Damon and what he had proposed to her. His touch haunted her flesh and her body charged with desire every time images of his naked body flashed in her mind. She couldn’t deny that she wanted to be with him, but what about her life? She worked very hard to escape her past, and that was all that seemed to matter, until now. He made her feel so whole, so loved. Her mother would have ridiculed her for being weak towards a man. She could almost hear her lectures echoing in her head. She was so confused. Damon gave her something that no one else had been able to, herself. She realized now that she did have the freedom of choice. The only reason she felt she needed to have a career and make something of her life was to prove something to her mother…he was right. However, was she supposed to drop all of this and become dependent on someone else? It terrified the hell out of her. What if Damon decided that they weren’t right toget
INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 47
Aya returned home early that morning as Damon was closing his eyes for the day. She and Jeff had gone to a movie to get their minds off of how disturbed Anna had been and then sat in a coffee shop for the rest of the night talking. They discovered that they had a few things in common, more than they thought they would. They talked about their lives, upbringing, and friends. In fact, they began to really like each other. Aya didn’t think she laughed so much in a long time. The horrible fight they had the night before was forgotten. Jeff actually kissed her after he’d walked her to her dorm room. They said goodnight and he left. She smiled to herself. Thinking of him just as a trophy boyfriend was very appealing to her. Now she knew him as a person and he was amazing. Damn! He knew how to kiss too.She crawled into bed just after the sun rose. She had classes in an hour and a half, and so did Jeff for that matter. Oh well, it’s not like she hadn’t missed classes before.
INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 48
As the sun crested high in the sky Nathan awoke. His body had sufficiently repaired itself. He got out of bed and groaned as the evidence of repaired broken bones ached with movement. One by one, he rotated his shoulders and his head before dropping on all fours doing two hundred pushups off his knuckles and toes to work out any of the aches he felt. Satisfied that things seemed to be working right, he got dressed and made his way downstairs to consult with the others. He had been injured before, many times so this wasn’t new to him. What was new to him is compromising Damon’ best interests by saving Anna’s life. By rights, he should have let her die instead of injuring himself. He had to find out what he missed and to find out about Anna. His mind flashed to that night.When she ran out in front of the Semi, something in him snapped. He couldn’t just let her die. He knew Damon would probably throttle him for nearly losing his life. That was something he didn
INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 49
When Aya opened the door she heard Liya gasping. She turned on the light and was stunned to see Liya lying in bed, naked from the waist up. The sheets covered her lower half. She had her hands up if she was bracing herself against something. Her eyes were open and she was staring at the ceiling.Aya dropped her purse on the floor and ran over to her. She shook her hard, “Liya! Wake up, you’re having a nightmare!”Damon crouched on the roof of the dormitory in an animal-like pose. His tongue slid out and licked a drop of blood at the corner of his mouth. He chastised himself over his actions. He could have killed her if he wasn’t interrupted. His precious Liya. He growled as his veins seared with her innocent blood. Now he knew what a junkie felt like when the drug hit their bloodstream. It was undeniable how addicted he was to her. He snarled again, angry at himself for what he almost did. He couldn’t touch her again at all, until she was willing to be hi
INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 50
Nathan’s humor hadn’t faded in the few minutes that Damon had gone and retrieved Liya. His smile said as much. He greeted them both as he opened the door for them.Damon gave him a sheepish grin before he got in the car causing him to roar with laughter after he shut the door.Liya’s head lay on Damon’ chest as he silently caressed her silken tresses. She smiled to herself, something wonderful was happening to her. She could feel her body changing. She didn’t know why, she only knew that it was because of Damon. She wasn’t sure if this was normal when you give yourself to someone or not. If it was, she could definitely get used to it. She felt so drawn and powerfully connected to him as if nothing else mattered.Damon could feel her contentment. For the first time in his immortal life he was finding himself in love.He looked down at the top of her head, watching his hand brush through her glorious ebony hair, de
INDIGO (RISE OF CRIMSON) CHAPTER 51
Ellish sat on the side of his bed. The redhead lay beside him. The sun set some time ago, yet she still hadn’t awoken. It was because of the fight in her, she was fighting what she had become. She would lose of course. This was a dark force that could not be reckoned with. It always won.Just as the thoughts crossed his mind, her eyes shot open. She could not comprehend where she was or what had happened to her. All she knew was the powerful urge to feed. The raw cramping hunger was unmistakable as it possessed her dark soul.“Hello darling.” Ellish watched her as she quickly leapt out of the bed and glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings. He mind racing with confusion. She didn’t quite know what she was looking for.Ellish got up from the bed and walked toward her, “I have given you a gift.”Another cramping pain took her and she snarled, clutching her midsection.“I see that you are hungry, my dear.” He bega
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CHAPTER 95
Natalie shuddered with fear as the dark demoness stepped forward. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” Latoya asked in mock innocence.Gabriel glanced over his shoulder at Aiden and Latoya, and gently laid Natalie on the floor. He pulled his long black coat off and carefully wrapped her in it before he scooped her up.Natalie tried to ignore her throbbing body as he stood and shifted her in his arms. The pain from everything Ellish had done to her was still fresh, though not as sharp as it should have been. Her shoulder screamed when she was jostled, was the “inner” pain that hurt most. All of her blood vessels shook, and the underside of her skin trembled from the seizure-like state and the burning sensation that had coursed through her. Her mind still reeled from Ellish’ invasion, and she was so weak.Somehow what he’d done to her body paled in comparison to the rest of it. She remembered him laughing at her “primitive fears” and saying that he could do something much more terrible to her.
CHAPTER 94
He shook her violently so that her teeth clacked together. “What do you have to say to that? Do you still want to insist on your innocence? Where is that device?” He clawed at her body with his free hand.“I don’t have any ... device!” she cried. Tears Stabbed her swollen eyes and the room swam. She didn’t understand why he was doing this again.“Liar!” He threw her to the floor. Her elbows locked painfully, but she saved her face from slamming into the concrete.She tried to roll away, but he knelt down quickly and grabbed a handful of her hair in his fist. He used it to pull her head back and force her to look at him. “Where is it?”“There isn’t one! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”Cain stood behind them, his arms crossed over his chest and a sneer on his face. “Then how did he find us?”He? Could they mean…? A white hot spark of hope filmed inside her. “He’s here?” she asked, unable to stop he
CHAPTER 93
The vampire who’d spoken a moment ago asked, “How doyou know she was ever at his den? Surely Aiden is smart enough to keep her in a less incriminating place?”“Now you’re suggesting Miles lied?”Ellish asked lightly. “Or do you suggest his brother lied to him?Do you think he made up a false location, intending to go andretrieve her himself and return her for his freedom? Are youimplying he intended to let his brother die for his sins?”The vampire looked exasperated. “I don’t know whatI’m implying. I wasn’t here when you interrogated Miles.”“You’d be sorry you missed it,” Cain commented,snickering. “He screamed and begged– ”“Enough.” Ellish motioned him to silence. “Miles Informed me that the plan was Aiden’s from the beginning, as part of our little war. He and Marcus were brought into it, so to speak.”Natalie tensed at the mention of Marcus’s name,but she tried hard not to make her interest obvious. Did this h
CHAPTER 92
The room was a large one, like an open basement complete with cement floor. A glowing chandelier hung above her andin front of her sat a large wicker chair. Draped lazily in it was ayoung man who might have been sixteen. He had blonde hair, coldgreen eyes and a face made for boredom, snobbery, and cruelty. Hewas flanked by two large men. A host of others were visible outsidethe ring of light, all moving closer and gazing curiously at thenew prisoner.“Who is she?” the boy in the chair drawled. Hisvoice was bored and peevish.Cain answered from behind Natalie’s prone body,“It’s Marcus’s human, the one Gabriel’s claiming now.” He snickeredand prodded her in the side with the toe of his boot.“Interesting.” The blonde stood from the chair andwalked towards her languidly. “What’s so special about her that twomen would go to such effort?” He walked around her in anever-tightening circle and finally bent down to examine her faceclosely.
CHAPTER 91
Natalie sought a nonexistent escape and tried to figure out what she was going to do. Despite LaToya’s concern,she doubted Gabriel would return in time to save her. He’d alwayscome before, just when she had no hope left, but somehow she couldfeel that he wasn’t going to this time. And when he didn’t whatwould happen? Would they really take her to Ellish? Would he kill her? Was this really how her life was going to end, to die in a pool of blood and terror?LaToya stood over her looking thoughtful, then suggested casually, “She has enough blood on her to look like a battle, but you should rough her up a little to make it more convincing.”Cain nodded in the affirmative and grinned. “Don’tworry. I’m sure she’ll be plenty roughed up by the time we getthere.” He turned his head and called over his shoulder, “Won’t sheboys?” Two voices agreed with him from the obstructed depths of themotel room.Natalie’s stomach dropped at the sound of
CHAPTER 90
Natalie woke. She blinked in the dimness, her eyesdrawn to the open bathroom door. Light flooded out of it and gaveshape and depth to the small motel room.Gabriel was still next to her on his back, his arms under her head. His dark lashes lay on his pale cheeks and hisraven hair pooled against the crisp white pillowcase. He wascovered from the waist down in the ugly bedspread and the bathroomlight gleamed on the smooth expanse of his chest.She looked away from him to the water stainedceiling. She closed her eyes tightly to blot out the world andasked herself the requisite “what have I done?” morning-afterquestion, only she truthfully felt no regret. It was simply a gameshe played out of habit, a society imposed guilt complex thatfailed to actually make her feel guilty. No, she knew what she’ddone and she wasn’t even slightly sorry, only vaguely excited atthe warm memories.She rolled towards him and tentatively brushed hisnaked f
CHAPTER 89
After the strange silence in the warehouse, the car seemed too loud. Gabriel’s anger was palpable; the air seemed to pulse with it. Natalie didn’t know what to say to make it better.She stuttered a question, “Aiden wouldn’t really…” but couldn't bring herself to finish it. Would Aiden really kill her because his wife had been killed? As if it was all Gabriel’s fault.“No,” Gabriel said with force. “He wouldn't dare.”She nodded but found no more words for fear of enraging him more. She wasn’t afraid that he’d hurt her, or even be mean to her. In truth she wasn’t sure what she was afraid of, but she didn’t want to make him any angrier. They pulled into the motel and, after parking the car, walked around behind the building to their windowless room.Once they were inside, Gabriel shut the door and clicked all of the locks into place. He absently ran his fingers through his long,dark hair before he threw himself on
CHAPTER 88
The silence was so thick she felt she would choke on it. Her ears strained for every tiny sound: a rat scampering across the floor, the breeze whistling softly through the broken windows,the flap of a sheet of plastic that hung against the wall. Her eyes searched the gloom and she tried not to jump at every shadow.Really, she didn’t understand why Gabriel’s business couldn’t have been in a nice restaurant, or at least somewhere with electricity!She was so busy eyeing a pile of mysterious refuse that she didn’t notice Gabriel stop suddenly and ended up bumping into him. He held his body rigid, so completely still that Natalieswore his heart had even stopped beating.Her search for the gloom revealed nothing, but her clutch on his sleeve grew tighter. She opened her mouth to ask what was going on when he broke the silence with a single word,“Latoya.”The woman seemed to appear from nothing. Her dark skin gleamed in the pale light, a
CHAPTER 87
Gabriel joined her. “Here,” he said as he handed her one of the motel keys. “Go on in. I have something to attend to but then I’ll be alone.”She opened her mouth to ask him what pressing errand waited for him elsewhere, but thought better of it. She didn’t see anyone in the gloomy shadows, but how did she know that some creature of the night wasn’t camouflaged in the darkness? Ifvampires were real, then what other monsters from the nightmares of humanity were lurking and listening to them?He walked down the sidewalk and she watched him until he turned sharply, and disappeared around the far side of the building. Her curiosity piqued, she thought about following him,but resisted the urge. The memories of the vampire manor were still too fresh in her mind.The key didn’t want to fit into the scarred lock,but finally it surrendered with a groaning click, and she opened the door and was met by the smell of stale cigarette smoke. Shewished she
