Blood Lust (The Blood Sisters Book 1) (7 page)

“I
know,
Jessica,
” Amanda smirked. “This
isn’t my first rodeo.”

“If
you see me, just keep on walking.” Jessica pressed on. “If this is to work—”

Amanda
laid a hand on Jessica’s shoulder and a wave of calm washed over her. Almost
like Amanda’s empathy was able to soothe her nerves. Could it do that? It never
had before, but maybe things were changing. It wasn’t as if Amanda was always
like this.

“We’ll
be fine as long as you don’t steal anything from the store,” Amanda said.

Jessica
snorted with a shake of her head. Unbelievable. Like she’d ever steal food to
survive, except for maybe one or two times when things got really bad. “I’ll
try to keep my hands off the nachos. Remember if you see a baby with a bump on
its head, don’t heal him. Keep on walking, Amanda!”

Amanda’s
answer was slamming the door shut. Her purse over her shoulder, Amanda waved
before she walked down the hill toward town. If she didn’t get them caught,
Jessica was going to run out and buy a lottery ticket because this was her
lucky day.

Checking
the time, she tried her aunt again, but it dumped to voice mail. Jessica
grunted and slid the phone shut in anger. Where the hell
was
that woman
?
She was always around when Jessica didn’t need her and now that she did—

Well,
that wasn’t true, was it? Aunt Gwen got them out of foster care just when
things got really bad. Not foster parent bad, but demon bad. They might not
even be alive if it wasn’t for Aunt Gwen, so Jessica would cut her some slack.
She just hoped her aunt had a really good reason for ditching her calls.

A
really good reason.

*****

The
air was fresh, crisp. Everything about the day was perfect and Jessica tried to
relax as she walked to the corner store. It was a nice downtown with park
benches and kids playing on the sidewalk. Did that mean it was a weekend?
Jessica had lost track of time during the demon debacle.

When
she stepped inside the corner store, Jessica inhaled
deep
to take in the smell of fresh pastries. That was something she
hadn’t gotten to treat herself with in a long while and there was nothing she
loved more than a warm pastry with fruit filling. Some might have loved pie,
but Jessica was all about the breakfast Danish.

Checking
out the pastry selection, Jessica caught the old man from earlier staring at
her. He wore big bifocals and his face was sprinkled with age spots. Dressed in
light blue trousers and a white button-down shirt, he stared with his mouth
fallen open at the sight of her tight leather pants.

Jessica
cleared her throat and adjusted the hem of her jacket. “Laundry day,” she said
with a shrug. When the old man’s wife slapped him with her purse against the
gut, Jessica suppressed laughter and strutted around to the back.

It
probably was well enough she
didn’t buy
the Danish pastries. If she did, she’d just want them all the time and get
grouchy when forced to eat stale Frosted Flakes for breakfast.

Picking
up a red basket, Jessica loaded it up with apples, frozen chicken burritos, and
for dessert a bag of marshmallows. A few bottles of water and energy drinks
rounded out her supplies. If she was lucky, the cash she had would cover it.

Jessica
kept an eye on her surroundings as she hefted her basket onto the counter. With
a distracted
half-smile
at ‘Bob,’ she
listened to him scan her items while her eyes stayed trained on the mirror in
the corner.

“Have
I seen you around here before? Because I think I’d remember you.”

She
barely paid him attention, but from the rise of
goosebumps
on her arm could tell he was leering at her. Should never
have
worn leather pants in a small town, but it
was the only thing she had on her.

“Doubt
it. Just passing through.”

A
bell jingled as the front door pulled open, and through the mirror, Jessica saw
a cop entering. Great, just what she needed.

Cops
and Jessica didn’t go together. Hadn’t since the beginning. Jessica tried to
keep calm and ward off her growing nerves. She fiddled with her hair, twisting
a lock around her finger as Bob nodded his head with a smile. “Morning, Larry!
How’s the old world treating you today?”

Larry
had his thumbs in his pockets as he strolled through the place. Jessica kept
her eyes front to appear nonchalant, but she twitched her thumb against the
counter.

Run.
Leave everything and get out of there.

But
she ignored those feelings and handed her cash over with a smile. “Paper’s
good.”

“About
as good as any other day. Nothing much going on as usual, minus a missing cat
or two.” Larry’s voice was bored, uninterested like he’d rather be somewhere
else.

Jessica
couldn’t blame him. She grabbed her groceries and headed toward the door. When
his voice rang out, she froze in her tracks.

“Miss,
you forgot your change.”

She
turned and saw a few pennies and quarters on the counter. Jessica shrugged.
“You keep it.” She pushed open the door and blew out a deep breath. That was
close, or maybe it wasn’t and her demeanor was going to get her in trouble
again. Cops always made her uneasy; they had ever since the very beginning.

Her
morning dream certainly didn’t help. She could remember screaming and crying.
Pleading that she had nothing to do with her parents’ murder. She had only
picked up the weapon because she found it. Scared. Someone else had been in the
house that night, but nobody believed her. At least no one over the age of
eight.

But
the past belonged in the past even if Jessica couldn’t shake it. She’d head
back to the car, wait for Amanda and then they could return to the cabin. She’d
feel safer there. Better. If they were lucky they’d have time to heat up some
burritos over a fire and maybe even bake some apples.

Jessica
climbed the hill toward her car and saw another police officer. How many cops
did this place need anyway?

Panic
thumped in Jessica’s chest as he hitched up his trousers and leaned over to
read her license plate number. He was running the plates.

Oh
God.

Jessica
felt faint. She really didn’t have time to get arrested again. She headed back
downtown—hopefully before the cop spotted her. Checking over her shoulder,
Jessica didn’t notice Amanda until she plowed into her. “Oof!” Jessica dropped
her groceries and grumbled as she bent over to catch a runaway apple.

Amanda
helped her. “I got the money. Let’s get out of here.” Her brow furrowed.
“What’s the matter, you’re all turned up into knots.”

“There’s
a cop running the plates on the car.” Jessica grabbed Amanda’s elbow and nudged
her to walk along.

“Oh
no! Well, we can walk back to the cabin. It’s long, but we’ll get there in an
hour or so, right?”

“Except
my shotgun is in the car, with my fingerprints all over it. Once the police
catch wind that I’m here…” Jessica swallowed hard. She didn’t want to use the
words “warrant” or “most wanted,” but let’s face it, her past was colorful. All
for reasons she couldn’t talk about, or explain. So much for Mom’s good little
girl.

Amanda
raised her eyebrows and went pale. “You left your shotgun in the
car?
”

“Well
I can’t just bring it with me, can I? Excuse me, Sir, would you mind holding my
shotgun while I grab some nachos and a six pack of beer?”

Amanda’s
nose scrunched up. “I hope you didn’t waste our money on beer. Oh, that was a
joke, wasn’t it?” Her lips twisted to the side and looked so naive that Jessica
wanted to hit her over the head. They didn’t have time for Innocent Musings by
Amanda Blood.

Jessica
grabbed her arm. “We’re
leaving. We’ll just have to take our chances on the road.”

 
“Except we’ll have no wheels,” Amanda said
even though Jessica figured that all out on her own.

They’d
just steal someone else’s car. It was best to keep on the move anyway.

 
Her gut clenched from nerves, and it only grew
worse when a man and two women charged toward them followed by a police
officer. “That’s her, officer! That’s the woman who stole our wallets!”

Crap.
Jessica’s heart pounded, but their fate wasn’t sealed yet. Amanda could be
convincing with her naïve act because for the most part it was sincere.

Amanda’s
eyes widened and with her sweeping curls and
feminine
dress, she was the epitome of innocence. She put a hand on her chest. “Me? I
would never. I did no such thing. I needed help, yes and this fine man and his
wife let me use their phone. That was all. I would never repay such kindness
with
thievery
!”

She
sounded so offended and with flush
cheeks,
even Jessica believed her. She tried to
move
past
, but the officer held up a hand. It was then Jessica realized it
was the sheriff from the store. Could their luck that day get any worse?

“You’re
going to have to empty your pockets.”

Amanda
gasped. “Well, this dress doesn’t have any pockets.”

“Then,”
the sheriff said with a level glare, “your purse.”

Amanda
glanced at Jessica, but Jessica didn’t know what she could do about it. “Don’t
you need
a warrant
to search her purse?”

“Not
if I have probable cause.” The sheriff glared
at
them. “You two know each other?”

“Us?
No.” Jessica said with an edge of calm. “She ran into me and knocked my
groceries from my hand. She seems kind of like a space
cadet,
if you ask me.” Amanda gasped and gave Jessica a
wide-eyed
expression, but it was ignored. “I
doubt she’s smart enough to do with these people are suggesting. No offense.”

Amanda
stammered. “None taken, I suppose.” She pressed her lips together and her
cheeks flamed pink. Jessica knew she was going to pay for this later.

“In
any regard, hand over your purse and we’ll clear this matter right up.” The
sheriff extended his hand.

Amanda
hesitated, but there was no way around it and they both knew it. Jessica just
held her breath as the sheriff unzipped the purse. She hoped Amanda had time to
ditch the wallets already, but when that chubby hand pulled out three wallets,
all hope evaporated with them.

Crap.
Jessica glanced at her sister and Amanda shrugged and Jessica read her pained
expression; there hadn’t been time to ditch them yet.

“That’s
them!” The man pointed. “I thought it was weird the way she kept bumping into
me. She’s a…a con artist!”

Amanda
snorted. “Oh please! I’m no such thing.”

“You’re
both going to have to come with me.” The sheriff hit the radio on his shoulder
to call in the situation.

Both
of them? How could she break Amanda out if she got dragged to the station too?
“The both of us? But—.”

“Save
it for someone who really is dumb, sweet stuff. Two fire redheads like you here
at the same time? Not likely. You can either come quietly or I’ll arrest you
too here and now. Your choice.”

Jessica
knew when she was beaten. She needed to bide her time. Clearing her throat, she
locked her hands together and rocked her hips to the side. “That won’t be
necessary. We’ll come.”

The
sheriff escorted them to his squad car. In the
back
Amanda glanced at Jessica. “What are we going to do?” Amanda whispered with
fright in her voice.

Jessica
hadn’t figured that out yet. If she didn’t before nightfall, things would get a
little dicey in town. And the least of their trouble would be a few stolen
wallets.

Vaughn
had missed his home since he
set up
shop
in the Midwest. Although no longer in New York, his heart craved the smell of NYC
had and pizza; New York pizza, couldn’t be matched anywhere.

He
loved NY for its grit, its expansiveness and for its women. Lord, he loved its
women, and how easy it was to trap them, to convince them he meant them no
harm.
As soon as he hooked them on the elixir,
they’d be his; mind, body, and especially their soul.

It
was downright intoxicating.

But
New York didn’t have the one thing that Vaughn’s heart craved the most.

The
Blood Sisters.

Vaughn
needed Amanda Blood. His reason? He didn’t want any other demon leader to have
her. She could make a clan invincible. Unstoppable. Vaughn wanted to conquer
them all.

 
Mounted on their bikes they raced through the
Midwest. Vaughn had
set up
a desert,
foothold where drugs could flow in and out. He’d turned it into a strip club
and a supply center. After converting it to his liking, he warded it with
magical protection. It was the perfect place for demons to gather and party,
away from the city where they would have attracted attention to themselves.

Just
because he was hunting the Bloods didn’t mean his business shut down.

No,
it seemed business was very good in the desert; almost better than it was in
New York, because let’s face it, what else did they have to do with their
miserable lives?

Vaughn
was a
high-level
demon, which meant he
took the body of a human host. The body was close to a century old now, and
Vaughn did what he wished to it. The hardened pecs were covered in a black
circular blade tattoo and he added a teardrop of blood down his lean torso for
every demon hunter he’d killed. When he captured the Blood girls, he had bigger
plans for his back, a design, to commemorate his greatest victory.

It
would be a triumph for evil if Jessica could be killed. If he drugged Amanda,
made her serve and do his bidding, he would become invincible in ways a demon
never had before. He needed to get to her
first,
because every demon was looking, searching for reasons of their own. Vaughn
thought his reason was best.

He
didn’t want to destroy the world like the others. He loved the world. Where
else could he drink, eat, and fuck to his heart’s content?

Vaughn
walked through the casino room and entered the strip club. Dressed in leather
pants and a matching leather cape, his chest proudly displayed his tattoos, but
his face was badly scarred, and girls recoiled from his disfigurement.

They
itched all hours of the night and Vaughn would never forget the one who gave
him those battle scars.

Young
girls slithered up and down the poles as men
cat-called
,
waving bills in the air. The girls’ bodies were chiseled, their breasts perky
and plump. Drugged out and barely conscious, their heads were thrown back
against the pole. All they knew was how aroused they were; they were doing
their master’s bidding.

Vaughn
couldn’t ask for more.

He
slid his hungry eyes across each of them. He fancied the one with long black
hair. It had a slight wave to it and she had a mole right above her lip. Vaughn
didn’t know why he liked her so much, he just did. With the pole between her
legs, her back arched so far that her fingertips brushed the stage, she was the
very image of his desire. Springing up seductively, she grabbed the pole,
humped
it with her pelvis, and twirled in a
circle that was almost elegant.

He
jumped onto the stage and went to her, grabbing her roughly by the chain around
her neck. She gagged and drew a ragged breath, her head lolling backward.
Vaughn could see into her glazed green eyes,
misting
from too
many
drugs. Her plump ruby lips
parted and a sigh escaped her as she took him in.

What
little she could actually see.

Vaughn
gathered her up into his arms, his hands pressing against the small of her
back. He kissed her with little regard for whether she wanted it, because they
always did. His tongue forced its way into her mouth and the stripper who had
no name moaned, grabbing his shoulders and kissed him back with a
passion
that most of his junkies didn’t have.

He
needed her.

Vaughn
pushed her away and she staggered, falling to her knees. He spoke to a grunt
demon that was manning the bar. “See to it
she's
taken
to my room. I have
business
.”
Vaughn didn’t wait for an answer, but walked down the hall and stepped into a
secured room.

There
a seer knelt on a pillow, a collar and chain around her neck, She stared into a
black bowl of orange goo, stirring it with her finger. Once the seer had been
beautiful, but her use of blood magic had turned her skin wrinkly long before
its time and what hair she had left was white, hanging like hay around her
ears. The decay of being with Vaughn had caught up with her.

“Well?”
Vaughn’s voice was unnaturally deep.

She
glanced up and her hollow gray eyes never blinked. “They are close. I know
where they are. I know where they’re headed.”

This
was it, the moment he had been waiting for. Vaughn took a deep breath. He
already felt triumphant. “Where?”

She
smirked. “You won’t be the only one. Others are mounting an attack and an old
‘friend’ too rushes towards them. Duncan Jasper.”

Duncan
Jasper. It seemed his day for revenge was coming sooner than he’d thought. If
he could get the Blood sisters and Duncan Jasper in one fell swoop, well that
would be a fine day indeed.