Obsessed with the Vampire: A Paranormal Romance (Vampire Enforcement Agency Book 2) Page 3

  They spent the next 45 minutes going over what they wanted Roric to say, word by word, till the speech sounded as slick as an oil spill. He didn’t have a problem with the speech, it just didn’t sound anything like him. He was the head of the Agency, but he felt more like a puppet.

  At 5:45, Raven breezed in looking like she’d had a lot more than 30 minutes warning, wearing perfect-applied makeup and another tailored, black suit that managed to look sexy and professional at the same time. She sat down beside him, smiling, and laid a hand on his arm. “Isn’t this exciting! My first day, and already a chance to promote the new programs.”

  “Yeah, it’s great.” Personally, he thought they were jumping the gun a bit. She didn’t even have a key to the building yet, let alone a plan to deal with the new vampire population. But the rogue attacks were becoming a huge problem, and the humans were getting restless for action. Hopefully this would appease the city for a while and give them a chance to come up with a strategy.

  She checked out his outfit, her eyes focusing on the places where his arms and chest bulged against his too-tight shirt. “You look nice. Professional but intimidating.”

  Roric gulped and tried to relax his muscles. “Uh, thanks. You look nice, too.”

  She smiled widely, making Roric wonder if he shouldn’t have said that. Before she had a chance to respond, Roric’s father asked her to run through what she intended to say.

  The council members went over her speech, too, but they didn’t feel the need to correct every other word like they did for Roric. She had a way of saying things that made you think she was totally in control and knew exactly what she was doing, even though she was fresh out of school and inexperienced. Roric decided she would be good for public relations even if she did nothing to help the rogue vamp problem.

  When the news reporters motioned that they were ready, Roric and Raven took their spot in front of the camera and gave the carefully-crafted speeches the council wanted, making promises he wasn’t sure they could fulfill. But at least it made it look like they were doing something more to fight the problem.

  “That was great! I couldn’t ask for a better introduction. I’m glad you’re so confident in me.” Raven gave him a smile that made him feel a little uncomfortable.

  It was true that he’d had high praise for her in his speech, but all he did was parrot back what the council told him to say. She seemed to think it was more personal than that, though. He didn’t know how to admit the truth without sounding like a jerk, though, so he just smiled back awkwardly.

  “Roric, there’s a call on line one you might want take,” Serena, the receptionist, called from across the room, and Roric had never been so happy to be interrupted by a phone call. He pushed past Raven and hurried over to the nearest desk, snatching up the handset.

  Raven wandered over to his side as Roric spoke to the caller. When he hung up, her eyes were wide and shiny with excitement. “What’s going on?”

  “A man suspects his neighbor might be newly-turned. He’s been acting strange and keeping odd hours lately.” Roric tried to put some space between him and Raven, but he was pinned in between her and the desk.

  “Are you going to check it out?”

  “No, there’s no compelling evidence, and we don’t have time to investigate every person who acts a little weird.” Roric slipped past her and headed for his office. He really needed to call Caroline.

  Raven followed him, her sharp heels clicking rapidly on the tile floors as she hustled to keep up with his long strides. “Well, the rogue vampires aren’t going to call you themselves. How else do you expect to find them if you don’t investigate suspicious activity?”

  Roric stopped in the doorway to his office and turned to face her before she could enter. “We do investigate when there’s more than just a nosey neighbor with an axe to grind. But we don’t have the manpower to waste on calls that are probably nothing.”

  “Is there something else that you need to do right now?” She put her hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow, and stared at him, judging him like she knew he was distracted by thoughts of Caroline.

  Roric gawked at her for a long moment before sputtering out a reply. “There’s a lot more to running this office than just responding to phone calls! I have work to do that’s been piling up because I’ve been in the field every night dealing with rogue attacks.” It was true even if that wasn’t what he planned to do the minute he got her out of his hair.

  She frowned like she realized his excuse was legitimate but she still didn’t like it. “Fine. Do what you need to do. But I’m going to check out that call.” She whipped around and stalked off, her heels clacking.

  Roric could hear her asking the receptionist for the name and address of the last caller, and Roric threw his head back with a growl. He stomped out to the front as Raven was heading out the door. “Raven, wait!”

  She turned and looked at him as he hurried to her side. “You can’t go out on the field alone. If the suspect is a newly-turned vamp, he’ll be way too strong for you to overpower on your own.”

  “Your agents work in pairs?”

  “Not usually, no.” He glared at her. Wasn’t it obvious? She was a woman, wearing a fancy suit and heels, no less. She had no business chasing after rogue vamps on her own. Or at all, for that matter.

  She glared back at him. “Well, I don’t intend to fight him. I just want to talk to him. I think most of these vampires are confused and scared. They don’t want to hurt anyone, they just don’t know how to control themselves. We need to reach out to them and show them a safe and ethical way to deal with their new urges.”

  Roric rolled his eyes at her. She’d obviously never been around a newly-turned vampire who was crazed with bloodlust. “Look. I’ll go check out this call if you’re that concerned about it, but I don’t want you going out alone.”

  “Great! We’ll go together, then.” Raven smiled widely and walked out the door.

  Roric swallowed a growl and followed after her. “Raven, why don’t you just stay here, and you can talk to the suspect once I bring him in.”

  Raven stopped and turned towards him. “And how are you going to convince him to come with you?”

  Roric gestured to his holster. “Silver bullets and a wooden stake usually work pretty well.”

  She gave him a disgusted look. “Just because they’re acting out doesn’t mean you should treat them like criminals. Let me talk to the suspect first. Try to get him to see reason. I can almost guarantee he’ll come willingly.”

  Roric sighed and lifted a hand to his head, but he stopped himself before he messed up his gelled hair. He had a feeling this argument wouldn’t end until she got her way.

  Maybe it was for the best. One experience with a rogue vamp, and she’d have a lot better understanding of what they were dealing with. She’d probably be happy to stay in her safe, little office from then on.

  He unlocked his cruiser and got in, and Raven climbed in the passenger side. The phone in his pocket dug at him, reminding him that he still hadn’t talked to Caroline. He hadn’t even texted her because he was hoping to call instead.

  She was at work by now, probably too busy to talk, anyway. But what was going through her mind? He was still pissed at himself for staying to talk to Raven instead of going home last night. The fact that Caroline didn’t wait for him to come home was not a good sign.

  They pulled up to the address the caller gave the receptionist, and Roric and Raven got out and headed for the front door. Raven rang the doorbell and stood on the front porch, waiting for an answer, but Roric climbed over the bushes to peek in the window. A tattooed man with buzzcut hair was inside.

  “There’s someone in there.” Roric whispered as the suspect jumped at the sound of the doorbell.

  The man raced towards the door, fangs bared, but then stopped himself and looked through the peephole. His eyes glinted when he saw Raven. He grabbed the doorknob, just about to open it, when Raven called out, “VEA.
We’re here to help you.”

  Roric cringed, and the man hissed and recoiled, running away from the door towards the back of the house. Roric leapt over the bushes and raced around the side of the house, looking for a back door. Raven gasped and ran after him on tiptoes, trying to keep her heels from sinking into the grass.

  He wished she’d stay out of it. She’d already scared the guy off by announcing that she was VEA. Even law-abiding vampires did everything they could to avoid the VEA. She was only going to make things worse. Plus, he’d have to worry about the vamp attacking her. But he didn’t want to make any extra noise, arguing with her to stay back, and he knew there’d be an argument.

  He turned the corner of the house just as the vamp was coming out the back door. Roric pulled his weapon from his holster and aimed it at him. “VEA. Stop where you are!”

  The vampire whipped his head around towards Roric, his eyes widening at the sight of the gun. He jerked like he was going to run, so Roric launched himself towards him. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot.”

  The vampire paused just long enough for Roric to grab him. He quickly swapped the gun for his stake and pressed it to the vamp’s chest. Silver bullets hurt like hell and could knock down a fleeing vamp, but gunshots were noisy, and this was a residential neighborhood. No sense drawing any more attention than they had to. The stake wouldn’t kill him, but it would incapacitate him. The vampire hissed and growled, but he didn’t try to run.

  “What’s your name?” Raven approached with a kind smile like this was some kind of good cop/bad cop routine. The vamp snarled at her.

  “Are you registered?” Roric didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t mean he was a rogue. He used to know all the vampires in Modesa, but more and more humans went through the application process every month to be turned legally. It was hard to keep up with them all.

  “Registered? Why should I let myself be tagged like cattle? I answer to no one!” Roric’s phone rang then, distracting them. The vamp reached for the stake, yanking it from Roric’s hand, then took off. Roric ran after him.

  Chapter 5

  Caroline shoved her arms out to stop the man from charging her, dropping her phone on the ground with a clatter. The human was no match for her strength, and his body crashed into her arms but didn’t budge her. She grabbed his shoulders and held him at arm’s length as he flailed.

  Her phone stopped ringing, and she whipped her head towards it as she heard Roric’s voice coming from the speaker, but it was only his voice mail.

  The man lunged his head towards her neck, his teeth snapping as he growled. Caroline dug her fingers into his shoulders and shook him. “Stop it! What’s wrong with you?”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized the answer. The man had been venomized, and he was craving her blood. If he drank from her he’d turn into a vampire. It was illegal to turn a human, but if he didn’t drink, he’d die.

  She swallowed a brittle laugh at the irony. Roric had been in the same position a month ago when she’d been venomized by another vampire that he chased away. Only she’d been unconscious and bleeding to death. Roric had made the choice for her, but this man was able to choose for himself.

  But she remembered those brief moments before she ran away — the craving so intense it burned away all rational thought. It was only her extreme hatred for vampires that gave her the strength to resist.

  This man might not want to be a vampire, but he wasn’t capable of making that choice right now. He was too overcome with bloodlust. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t feel right abandoning him. If he couldn’t find another vampire to drink from, he’d die. But what would the repercussions be for her if she changed him? And would she be able to live with herself?

  Maybe she could take him to the clinic. Surely there were protocols in place for situations like this. But what if the protocol was to let him die?

  Where was Roric? Why was he ignoring her? She needed him! She scowled and shook her head. She was going to have to figure this out on her own.

  She forced the man backwards, pressing his back to the rusty dumpster. He moaned and writhed, his face twisted with agony and need. Caroline stared at him with pity. He had tousled, honey-blond hair, tan skin, and eyes the color of top shelf whiskey, so full of longing he was drowning in it.

  She held him in place with her hands on his chest. Maybe if she could get him talking he’d calm down some. “My name is Caroline. Can you tell me your name?”

  He worked his jaw, trying to force the words out. “Houston, like the city.”

  She gave him a kind smile and put one hand on his cheek, but he turned into her wrist, seeking her vein. She quickly dropped her hand to his shoulder. “Houston. Nice to meet you. Are you in school? Do you work?”

  She didn’t know why she wanted to know, but for some reason it was important to her to find out more about him. Maybe it would help her decide what to do.

  “Just graduated. I need…” His words trailed off in a keening sound, and he tossed his head back and forth against the dumpster.

  Did that make it better, or worse? At least he’d had a chance to finish college. It was an accomplishment she envied. But it would be such a waste for him to die before he got a chance to pursue his goals. It meant he was smart, though, and determined. Would that be enough to help him survive if he was changed?

  One thing was for sure, he must’ve had an opinion about vampires before this happened. Did he despise them like Caroline did before she was changed, or was he fascinated by them like so many humans nowadays? Did the vampire attack him, or did he want her to bite him?

  She lifted her hands to his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. It was risky, letting go of him, but she had to give him a chance to make his own decision. “Houston, you’re craving my blood because you’ve been venomized. If I let you drink from me, you’re going to become a vampire. If you don’t drink… you’re going to die. What do you want to do?”

  “Feed me…” The words came out in a moan as Houston threw his head back against the dumpster with a heavy thunk.

  She still wasn’t sure if it was the bloodlust talking, but as she stared at the faded, orange Astros tee shirt that clung tightly to his chest like it was a size too small, she made up her mind. Houston was somebody’s son. Someone who probably named him after their hometown and passed down their love for their favorite team. Maybe his parents took him to a game one time and bought him that tee shirt and the memories were so special he couldn’t bear to give it up even though he’d outgrown it. Maybe he played baseball himself and hoped to make it to the majors someday.

  It didn’t really matter what his story was, what mattered was that he had one. His life mattered. And life as a vampire was better than no life at all, wasn’t it?

  Caroline dropped her hands from his face and took a step back then held out her wrist. Houston’s eyes flicked towards her arm then up to her face. “If you want to drink from me, I’ll let you.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth before Houston grabbed her arm and shoved her wrist to his mouth. His teeth raked at her skin but weren’t strong enough to penetrate it. Caroline pulled her wrist away from him and bit into it, leaving two puncture wounds, then held out her arm again. Bright red blood welled out of the wounds, perfuming the air with the coppery scent. Houston’s eyes flashed, and he sucked in a deep breath as he yanked her arm to his mouth.

  His lips wrapped around her wrist, his breath hot on her skin, and she felt the blood being pulled from her vein as he sucked. The euphoria hit them both at the same time, making them gasp and moan as pleasure zinged down every nerve.

  She expected it, knew how it would feel, but the intensity still surprised her. She swayed on her feet as the same lust she felt every time Roric fed on her crashed over her and pounded into her over and over again like the ocean. How could it feel the same with a stranger as it did with the man she loved?

  Houston groaned at the sensation, pulling her body to
his with his free hand. She knew she should push him away, put some distance between them, but her own need overwhelmed her. Her fangs descended as her head bent to his neck, the scent of his blood pumping under his skin like a siren song.

  “Yes! Bite me!” Houston tore his mouth from her wrist long enough to cry out.

  The sound of his voice jolted her out of her trance, and she yanked herself away from him, gasping. Blood streamed down her arm as she held her shaking hand to her mouth, shocked by what she’d almost done. Houston grabbed for her, but she shoved him away. “No! I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

  “But I need more! Please!” Houston lunged forward and licked the trail of blood on her arm. Caroline grabbed his shoulders and held him back.

  His eyes still swirled with longing, but there was a clarity that wasn’t there before. “I’ve fed you enough to complete the change. You’re going to survive. But your cravings are going to be intense for a while. I’ll get you some help, okay? Let me make a call.”

  He gave her a look of desperation, but he didn’t try to attack her as she went to retrieve her phone from the ground. She tried Roric again, but he didn’t answer. Maybe she should call Alec at the blood clinic. He’d know what to do. But guilt and fear stopped her as her finger hovered over his name.

  What she’d done was illegal, and she didn’t know if she could trust Houston not to reveal the truth. Alec might be a friend, but he was also a stickler for the rules. She was afraid to put his loyalty to the test. Even Roric would be upset when he found out what happened.

  That left only one person she thought she could trust enough to call for help. She scrolled through her contacts looking for the name then tapped on it with a shaky finger.

  Taven answered on the first ring. “Hey Caroline. Everything okay?”