Chapter 55
2135 Words
She wiped the blood dripping from her split lip. The vampire was a tough opponent, and Jay spent a lot of her energy defeating him. However, she left the arena on her own. She had broken ribs, a dislocated right shoulder, a broken left cheekbone, and a dislocated left ankle. Countless abrasions, bruises, minor cuts, and swollen knuckles caused pain as much as more serious injuries. She had a headache after the vampire hit sent her to the concrete wall and her head bounced off it like a ball. Her ears buzzed, but it was the only sound she could hear. The crowd gathered in the basement of “Double Bottom” froze.
Jay gave her opponent one last look. The vampire was curled up on the floor. She spat her own blood, turned and left. Climbing the stairs, she threw the hood over her head to hide her face. She patted Cerberus in a friendly way as she left.
- See you soon! – She smiled mischievously.
- Damn me! – He said with admiration and smirked. – You’ve got an occasion to meet Cesar. I’m Thierry. – He added.
- Nice to meet you! I’m Jay!
- Does Luka have any plans for you? – He asked.
- You’ll see! – She winked at him and left.
The frosty air surrounded her like a cocoon. She took a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing pain of her broken ribs. She stopped for a moment by the car. The chill of the night allowed her to recover a bit and focus on self-healing. She gritted her teeth and groaned as the pain worsened. She dealt with concussion first so that she could drive without putting herself and others at risk.
She sensed the change in the air, so she was not surprised when a shadow emerged from the darkness.
- You’ve got remarkable strength and determination. – Luka approached her slowly. – You like the risk and are not afraid to get hit. – He noticed. – With every fight you confirm that I’ve rightly chosen you as my black horse.
- Glad to hear that! But you probably think I’m crazy! – She replied with a laugh and grabbed her sore ribs.
- I must admit that I’m interested in your motives. – He confessed.
- I’ve already told you. – She groaned in pain. – I need an adrenaline rush from time to time. I need to relieve stress. Discharge myself. It helps.
- And what did you want to unwind today? – Luka asked with a smirk.
- Powerlessness against some things and my own stupidity. – She grimaced.
- You like physical pain. – He pointed out. She looked at him a bit surprised. – You don’t like to inflict it, but you yourself take it with a certain joy. – He stated.
- Maybe – She replied.
He came closer.
- Why? – He asked.
- Why what? – She frowned.
- Why do you like to feel pain so much? – He asked directly, looking deep into her eyes.
- It helps me to forget about everything else. – She said, leaning against the car. – Thanks to it I know I’m alive. – She added with a slight smile.
Thanks to his vampire powers, he was with her in no time. He pushed her against the car door, resting his hands on either side of her. He leaned over her, inhaled her scent deeply, and then looked deep into her turquoise eyes.
- You’re not afraid of me. – He stated calmly.
- And should I? – She asked without even blinking and her pulse remained steady.
- Perhaps. – He said mysteriously. – You know there are other ways to feel the kick, do you? – He said temptingly.
- I do, but I’m not interested. – She replied.
- Are you sure? – He asked and lightly brushed her cut lip.
- Do you realize hypnosis doesn’t work for me? – She looked him straight in the eyes, but after a while her gaze moved to his lips. He smirked slightly.
- I didn’t say anything about hypnosis. – He whispered and licked the wound on her lip.
She felt a thrill of excitement. She realized that Luka was dangerous. Elegant appearance, designer suit and impeccable manners could not change who he was. A predator. Bloodsucker. Jay could not be sure he would not attack her. Still, his closeness made her pulse accelerate.
He looked her straight in the eyes for a long moment. He heard her galloping pulse. He could smell her blood and it drove him crazy. She tasted wild, exotic. And dangerous. And he liked challenges. He could see the fire in her eyes and it was attracting him. With a vampire speed, he dug fingers of his one hand into her bruised hip, grabbed a handful of silky-soft hair with the other and pulled her head to the side, exposing her smooth neck.
Jay groaned in pain and Luka felt a surge of lust. His lips touched the throbbing vein on her neck. His fangs rubbed against her warm skin. She made a sexy purr. He ran his tongue along the line of her jaw, and when he reached her lips he kissed her greedily. He pressed on until she parted her lips and let him in. She was not submissive, their tongues fighting a fierce battle for supremacy. This girl made him lose his mind.
He broke off the passionate kiss to catch his breath. Her eyes were half closed. Hazy. He brushed her lips lightly, and then nuzzled her lower lip with his teeth. Her blood was hot and sweet. He began to suck lightly at the split skin. She arched her body moving herself closer to him. Her hands tightened on his shirt.
It could be that simple. Submit to him. Let him take over her mind and body. Let him inflict physical pain that would dull the heartache. It was enough to lower the shields. Let him in. Reject Bryan. Reject herself. But it would be too easy.
- Luka! – She whispered in a chocked voice.
- Mhmm? – He murmured.
- I wouldn’t mind going all the way. – He pulled her even closer, kissing her neck, and Jay clenched her fist on his hair. – But… - She hissed in pain, when he pressed on her broken ribs. – I don’t like to mix business and private life. – She felt his grip loosen. Then he pulled away and looked into her eyes. He was still dangerously close.
- You’re sure? – He asked with a smirk. – I could lead you to the very edge of pain and pleasure. – He tempted.
Jay had to admit that she wanted to push the boundaries. Break the rules! But she had to stop now, while she still could. While she was still in control and able to think soberly. Before she succumbs to this tempting devil.
- Absolutely sure! – She answered after a while.
- What a shame! – He shrugged. – Take care of yourself and heal all wounds. – He took a few steps back.
- I will. – She replied. – Goodnight, Luka.
- Goodnight, Jay!
He disappeared into the dark, leaving her in the empty parking lot at the back of the pub. Jay breathed a sigh of relief and slipped into the car. Just a moment and her legs would not hold her. ‘It was close!’ It crossed her mind. ‘Too close!’
She got home at two in the morning. She was exhausted and sore. She undressed carefully and went to shower. As her muscles relaxed a little, she turned off the water. She wrapped herself in a towel, slipped the other over her dripping hair, and went to the bedroom. She quickly put on a soft tracksuit and went to sleep. She consciously gave up her morning training. In her opinion, the fight she fought in "Double Bottom" could easily replace her daily ritual.
She was still a bit shaky after the incident with Luka. And, she had to admit it, turned up. It was close and she would have given in to the vampire. Perhaps there will still be an opportunity to see if she will regret it. For now, she preferred to have Luka as a friend. She yawned and covered herself with her favorite blanket.
She fell asleep almost immediately.
***
It had been two weeks since she had returned to New York, and so far the vampire-killer had shown no activity. Thanks to Hank, she knew that the investigation was progressing slowly. There were several witnesses who saw a mysterious dark man in the vicinity of the crime scenes. A similar guy was also hanging around the victims' places of residence and work. The memory portrait that the police released in the media was very close to the original. But how was Jay supposed to pass this information to the police? She had to wait for this psychopath's next move!
And she did not have to wait for too long.
On Friday morning she woke up very early. It was only half past three and she was not able to fall asleep again. She felt that strange unease again. The fear lurked just under her skin. She had to leave. Get away. Escape.
She jumped out of bed and dressed warmly. As the cold air enveloped her, she took it deep into her lungs. It helped, but only for a while. She had only run several hundred meters when the panic returned with redoubled strength. She felt a pain in her neck. Instinctively, she raised a hand and caught herself in the place of pain. She felt hot, sticky dampness under her fingers. And when she looked at her hand it was covered with crimson blood.
She stopped abruptly in the middle of the park. She was paralyzed. She could not move, and panic fear seized her more and more. She knew it was the vampire, although he sent no visions to her. This time, he only allowed her to feel what was beyond her strength anyway.
She felt life draining from the innocent girl. As her pulse weakened slowly. How she started choking on her own blood. How she was running out of air.
Jay fell onto the snow-covered pavement. She did not even have the strength to fight. She was dying with a girl she did not know, and all she could think about was that this nightmare would finally end. She closed her eyes and chased away the girl's memories so that she could see her loved ones again with the eyes of her mind. Her brothers, Sean and Maria, her father and grandparents, her friends.
And Bryan.
“It won’t end this way!” She heard a voice in her head. “You still haven’t paid for what you did!” She should have recognized that voice, but her mind was too tired. “What you are experiencing now is just the beginning. The torture I have prepared for you will be much more sophisticated. You will die very slowly and in agony!”
After these words the darkness enveloped her.
***
She woke up a few hours later. She was sore and stiff from the frost. Her head ached from hitting the pavement. She did not have the strength to move, yet she made herself lift herself to her knees. There was a great stain of blood on the snow. Her blood.
He did it again. He completely took over her body. Unfortunately, he also had control over her mind because she was unable to free herself. She could not let it happen again. She needed strong protection against spells that the vampire aids. ‘He has some powerful witch by his side!’ It crossed her mind. So far, she had not heard of any bloodsucker that also had magic powers, so that was the only explanation.
She reached deep into her magic. She asked the Element of Fire for help in warming up her cold body. Then, casting a sort spell, she wiped the traces of blood off the snow and stood up. She had less and less time to get home unnoticed. She pulled her hood over her head and started running. She had to clean herself up and get ready for classes.
Unfortunately, the investigation had to wait for a while.
- Writer
