Deceptive Changes: Kat LaMond Book 1 (7 page)

I think I passed out for a bit, maybe ten minutes.  Once I was mostly conscious, I struggled into a sitting position, and looked around the room.  There were no windows and only a nightlight to see by.  The room was empty of everything else, which was probably a good thing considering, as danger prone as I was, I’d have hit something and caused insult to injury. 

I had to get the heck out of here.  I bent my elbows and attempted to get my arms to the front of my body but they had bound the ties so tight that I couldn’t.  I sat there and tried not to cry but tears sprang to my eyes anyway.  I didn’t know if I’d be able to get out of here alive but I was going to try. 

I scooted over to the wall and used it to stand up.  I hopped a few feet and then sank to the ground, my feet under me.  I bent backward and tried to untie the knots at my feet.  I caught the edge of the tie and worked my body lower.  I untied the first knot and I could feel my fingers starting to bleed as the hard ropes cut into my skin. 

I kept at the knots and finally got my legs free.  Damn, that had been horrible.  I never wanted to repeat that in my life considering a few times I really just wanted to give up, but knew that I couldn’t, not and live anyway. 

I stood up and walked around the room.  It wasn’t a big room, maybe ten feet by six feet.  My foot hit something and I almost tripped.  I knelt down and felt around, backwards.  It was a nail.  Yay. 

The nail was sticking out of the ground about two inches and was sharp, sharp enough that I nicked my fingers.  Oh, well, what’s one more bloody wound? 

I used the nail to cut through the ties.  Even with it being sharp, it still took a long while to finally cut through the dense rope.  While I was cutting at the ties I prayed they wouldn’t come in. 

They didn’t.

The last of the bindings fell from my wrists.  I was free.  I almost cried out in happiness but thought better of it.  I still had no way to get out. 

Damn, now I had to figure a way out of the room and then, hopefully I could sneak past two vampires and outside.  Though I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d get home. 

One thing at a time, damn it.

I was getting to my feet when the door opened.  “Slayer,” the young vamp whispered. 

I grabbed the ties and held them between my hands.  “I’m over here,” I whispered back.  I was behind the door and when he came in I took the opportunity to kill him. 

I wrapped the ties around his neck and pulled.  He slammed me against the wall but I wouldn’t let go.  I held on until I heard a snap and then I kept the ties around his neck.

I dragged the vamp to the nail and pried it loose.  It had been coming loose as I had been working on my bindings, so it came out fairly easily.  I used it as a makeshift knife and started hacking at his throat.  It took forever but his head finally came off. 

I carried the head with me as I walked out of the room, just in case.  The other vampire wasn’t around or he would have come after me immediately.  I hadn’t been quiet when I was cutting the young vamp’s head off. 

I walked the area and found an exit.  I looked out the window in the door and found no one around.

“What the hell are you doing?” 

I turned slowly at the sound of that voice.  It was the older vampire.  He was staring at me in shock.  I smiled a crazy smile and held up the head of his friend.  “I told you I’d kill you.  He was just the first to die.”

He looked scared all of a sudden.  I wondered why.  “You shouldn’t have done that.” 

“Why not?  You were the ones who tortured me and left me in a room with no light or windows.  How did you think I would respond?”

“Todd has agreed to step down.  I just came back to free you.”  I was almost relieved.  “Since you killed my lover, I guess I’ll have to kill you.”

“You sure you want to tangle with me?” 

He laughed, a crazy sound that seemed to pop out of his mouth without his say-so.  That sound spooked me a little.  “Brave words, slayer.  Yeah, I do.  I wanted to see what the whole deal was about anyway.”

I stared at him for a long moment and said, “I don’t take prisoners, vampire.” 

“The name’s Caplin.  It’ll be famous once I kill you.” 

He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he flew at me.  It took me a second to realize what had happened.  He had me pinned to the wall and had his teeth on my neck.  “That was too easy, slayer.  I heard you had magical abilities and you could see when vampires move quickly.”  I didn’t say anything.  He threw me to the floor like a ragdoll and I lay on the floor stunned.

I still had the head in my hand.  He walked away from me until he was near the end of the hall and then came at me again.  I threw his lover’s head at him.  He faltered and caught the head.  I got off the floor and looked around for a weapon.  Of course there wasn’t one.

I turned from him and ran out the door.  I didn’t get far before he tackled me and flipped me around to face him.  He looked like a feral dog fighting for its food.  I cringed from the teeth and spittle that flew from his mouth.

He breathed in my scent.  I turned my face away from him.  I could see that it wasn’t all about food.  There was something sexual going on and I didn’t want any part of it.  His hand played along my bra and stomach.  He lifted his hand to his mouth and licked the blood off.   I knew that the blood wasn’t just mine.  He sighed against me and started to unbuckle his belt as he was lying on top of me.  I gulped and my heart beat faster.  He smiled.

I had about two seconds to think about what to do.  I had to get the knife that I knew was in his pocket so I started to help him.  I pasted a smile on my face and said, “I like it rough.”  He sighed again and I helped him with his belt and my pants.  “Leave the jeans on for a minute.  I want to tease you.”  He seemed to believe me.  I was still afraid but I couldn’t let that distract me.  I wasn’t going to be a victim.  “Roll over, Caplin, I like the top.”  He rolled off me and I straddled him.  I could feel his happiness through my underwear and his jeans.

I unsnapped his jeans and ran my hand along his groin.  I leaned into him and kissed him.  I could taste the blood that he had licked off his hand.  I kissed him deeply and ran my hand through his hair.  I pulled gently as I took my mouth from his.  His eyes were glassy.  I ran my tongue along his cheek and jaw and flicked his ear.  “Bite me,” I whispered.  He pulled back and looked at me.  I nodded.  He didn’t hesitate again.  He bit my neck gently and sucked.  It actually felt really good, and though I kept my focus for a time. I was starting to lose as his mouth worked on my throat.

I reached down into his jeans, fondling him and then wrapped my hand around the knife.  He bit harder and I cried out, not in pain either.  I flicked the knife out and stabbed him in the throat.  He pulled back, tearing my skin a little in his haste. 

“I’m sorry, but I told you that you would die.”  I pulled the knife up and through his windpipe, blood splattered all over me.  His hands tightened on my body, nearly crushing me.  I stabbed him in the heart then hacked at his neck.  After long minutes, his head finally fell off and his hands dropped from my waist. 

I remembered to grab the SUV keys from his other pocket, lifted off his dead body, went into the house to grab the other head. 

I walked out the front door and got into the SUV, putting the heads on the passenger seat, and hoping I wouldn’t get stopped by a cop, not that there were many out on the roads lately. 

I drove about three minutes and had to pull over.  I started to shake and cry.  I was free and I’d had to kill to gain that freedom.

I shoved the tears aside and started driving again.  I found a cell phone and called Todd.  “You better not have killed her, you bastard!”

“Todd, its Kat.”

“Katja?”  He breathed deeply and asked, “Where are you?”

“I’m driving the SUV.  I’ll be home in a few minutes.  I want you to call a meeting for all those vampires.  I have something to show them.” 

We spoke a few minutes more and then hung up.  I drove at a conservative speed even though I just wanted to get home.  To safety.

I arrived home and pulled into the driveway.  All three men were outside.  As soon as I stopped the truck, the door opened and Todd pulled me into his arms.  I held him and cried.  I had been so scared, for me and for them. 

Todd slowly let me go, steadying me as my knees wobbled.  I kissed his arm and grabbed the heads from the passenger seat.  “Here’s your bad guys.”  I handed him the heads and started into the house. 

I didn’t get far before Trace and Erick grabbed me, one in front and one in back.  “I’ll hug you but please don’t do that.”  I stepped away from them.  I was even more freaked out then I thought. 

I hugged them individually then walked into the house, up the stairs, and into the master bathroom.  I turned on the shower, discarded my bloody undies and bra, and stepped under the hot water.  Gosh, that felt good, well except the water hitting all of my wounds.

I let the water wash away the blood and when it was all gone I soaped up.  I hissed as the soap got into the wounds.  I put my fluff away and sank to the ground as emotion overwhelmed me. 

I was still crying when all three came into the room.  The glass door opened and they walked into the shower stall; it was big enough to hold five adults comfortably.  They cuddled me as the water rained down on us.

I stopped crying but couldn’t stop shaking. 

Todd washed my hair three times before he called it good, then they helped me from the shower, and wrapped a towel around my body. 

Trace carried me into the bedroom, and they surrounded me on the bed.  Trace laid between my legs and Todd and Erick laid on either side of me. 

I was starting to warm up with their body heat.  “Do you want to talk about it?” Trace whispered. 

“Not really.” 

“I’m here,
we’re
here, if you want to talk.” 

I stroked his head and fell asleep.  I dreamed about what had happened but this time I didn’t win.  I could feel the blood ooze out of my wounds, my life slowly fading.

I woke with a start as I was just about to die. 

“Are you okay?” Todd whispered. 

“Mmhm.”  I lay back against the pillows.

The other two were snoring softly.  “Did you want to talk, Kat?” 

I think he was truly worried about me.  “Why did you bend to their demands?”

“I just said that to buy time.  Charles and everyone were out looking for you.  Charles found your car in the woods not too far from here.  When the video came in and I saw them torturing you, I was furious.  I have to buy you a new kitchen.  I destroyed most everything in it.  The fridge is dented and won’t open properly, than the stove lost the battle too.”  I chuckled.  It felt damn good to laugh.  “What happened, Kat?  Please tell me.” 

I groaned.  “If I tell you, you can’t get mad at me.  I was doing the only thing I knew how.”  I was afraid that he’d be mad at me for what I did, especially at the end.

“I won’t get mad, babe.  Just tell me.” 

I told him, everything, even the part about me seducing Caplin.  Gasps came from Trace and Erick.  I guess I had woken them up.  I hadn’t meant to. 

“Now that you guys are awake, let me up.  I need something to drink.”  They moved off the bed in silence.  I got out of bed and whimpered as my cuts sizzled as they split open. 

Todd wound his arm around my waist and helped me into the kitchen.  He guided me into a chair and asked what I wanted.  “Anything strong.”  He went to the wet bar and pulled down some whiskey.  He poured a double shot for everyone and brought the tray to the table. 

We each took a glass.  I downed the whiskey in two swallows.  I breathed out fire as the whiskey hit my throat and stomach.  I handed Todd the glass and he refilled it.  “Slow down, Kat.  This isn’t a race to rid the memories.”  I nodded and took my time on the second glass.

“I am so glad you are who you are.”  I looked at Erick and was going to ask what he meant but didn’t.  I understood what he meant.  If I had been anyone else I might not have been here now.  Most women are afraid to use their powers of seduction and their ruthlessness to gain an upper hand on their attackers.  I wasn’t one of them.  I closed my eyes and snapped them open when I saw Caplin’s eyes looking at me like I was the world.  I started to tear up again.

“Kat,” Todd said softly.  Todd and Trace put their hands on my back and lightly rubbed. 

“It’s not that, Todd.  It’s that I had to kill Caplin.”  They looked at me, confused.  “I’ve never killed another vampire, after Antreas, where I knew their names.  Caplin seemed to trust that I wanted him.  I feel that I betrayed that trust by killing him.”

“You had to, Kat.” I could hear the barely contained rage in Todd’s voice. 

“You don’t understand, Todd.  This was weird and different.  I had killed his lover, yet he wanted me.  I didn’t understand his attraction and yet I used it against him.  When I stabbed him through the throat…” I stopped speaking.  I could see the whole incident in my head once more.  “He looked at me with hurt and surprise.  Not hurt as in physical either.  His eyes told me that I had betrayed him.  He had protected me from his lover.  The other vampire, his lover, could have killed me with just that one bite but he defended me.  I can’t explain it.”  They nodded.  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.  I want to forget.  Who wants to help me forget?”  They looked at each other. 

“Kat, I think you should…” Todd said, and faltered when I jumped from the chair into his lap.  I kissed him, almost ravenously.  I didn’t want to think about Caplin or what had happened.  I wanted to forget and they could help me forget.  Todd kissed me back, his arms winding behind my back. 

He pulled back and looked at me.  I might have been desperate to forget but he wouldn’t help.  He held me back and shook his head.  “No, Kat.  You have to deal with this.  In two hours we’re scheduled to meet the vampires and show them what happens when they mess with either you or me, or ours.”

“Fine.”

I got off Todd’s lap, walked into the bedroom, and grabbed some really frightening clothes, black everything except the dark blue jeans that I loved to wear.  I showered again and this time I didn’t cry.  I just soaped up and hissed as soap got into my open wounds. 

I finished and stepped out of the shower.  I wasn’t all that surprised that one of my men was in the room; however, I was surprised that it was Erick.  He had laid out bandages and Neosporin.  He bandaged me up and I got dressed.  I kissed him and left the room, all without saying a word. 

I walked downstairs and went into the armory.  I had transferred the armory, courtesy of Charles and all his hard work, from the hotel to the house.

I grabbed several knives and sheaths, which attached to my arms—upper and forearm.  The knives weren’t really long but they’d cut a vamp’s head off, which is what I was going for.  I strapped them to my arms and grabbed two leg holsters.  I strapped them on and grabbed my two favorite guns, a Glock .357SIG and a Glock 10mm.  I made sure the clips were full and holstered the guns. 

I looked at myself in the mirror in the hall and turned back around.  I looked around for a minute and grabbed a sword.  The strap would lay across my chest like a purse.  It was long enough to do damage from a bit farther away than the little knives on my arms but short enough to go across my back and not limit movement or the ability to sit.

I walked out of the room and found the guys in the kitchen waiting for me.  They looked me up and down and grimaced.  “Kat, I don’t anticipate problems.”

“I don’t care, Todd.  I’m not going out without being armed to the teeth.  They caught me off guard once and I won’t be prey again.”  They didn’t say anything after that.  Todd grabbed keys and we set off.  The heads had been tied in double-lined garbage bags.