Chapter Eight
Leo
The moment Summer collapses into my arms, I drop my hand from her face and pick her up. I could have taken the chance and attempted to overtake her mind, convincing her to come with me when we were in the car, but I believed Donnie when he said that it didn’t work on her. There is something about this woman, I doubt she is actually human, and I will make a pretty penny off her now.
Once she is in the backseat of my car, I pull out of the driveway, heading out onto the road. I don’t look back. I know that I have less time than I would like to get out of the area. I had initially planned on them not knowing she was gone until Donnie arrived home late this evening, but that brat of hers put a wrench in my plan, and he will be tipped off to the fact that she is missing sooner than I wanted. The change in my plans frustrates me but is no more than a nuisance.
I hit the highway, gun the engine, and head in the direction of the warehouse that I’ve set up for the auction. I have no doubt by the time he knows she is missing, she will already be on her way out of the country.
***
Summer
I have a headache when I come to, and the dizzy feeling makes me feel like I will be sick. As my eyes adjust to the light in the room, I can see a door in the far corner. Trying to stand and make my way to it, I fall back. I’m stopped in my tracks. My left ankle is closed into a metal cuff and chained to the wall behind me.
The chain is too short for me to stand, and I’m stuck sitting on the cold tile floor in a room no bigger than my powder room. Left unable to reach the door. Instantly I know why I’m here, I know who, or rather what has me, and the reason makes me sick. Leaning over, I heave until there's nothing left in my stomach. They’re going to breed me. “Fuck. No. I can’t do this.” I scramble over and make what I know is a useless attempt to open the cuff at my ankle. I hear the door open and freeze, bent with my back to it.
“Oh sweet thing, that’s never going to work,” a soft feminine voice tells me. Turning, I’m greeted with the vision of a woman who should be a model, every bit of six-feet tall, long pale legs, beautiful auburn hair, and breasts to die for. Her eyes are glowing an eerie silver, and I flinch back when she smiles at me, revealing long fangs glistening over her lower lip.
“Oh, no. I’m not going to hurt you. See, we need you alive. The last thing anyone wants to do is hurt you, my sweet girl. You’re going to be the mother of our next generation. It’s an honor. You should be proud. We have been hunting for you for millennia.” She tells me this as she makes her way into the room and pulls a key from a small pocket in her blood-red skirt.
“I’m Amy. I’m going to unlock you, Summer.” She stops in front of me. “Look at me. I don’t want to hurt you. Please don’t make me fight you. The baby you carry is just as precious to me as she is to you. If you fight me, I will win. I don’t know what that foolish boyfriend of yours has told you about us, but you are no match for me. Is that understood?”
I continue to look at her, dumbfounded at how I ended up here, what happened to Leo, where is Donnie, and how the hell am I going to get out of this mess? Slowly I nod, realizing what she is telling me. I let it sink in, and I know she is right. I’m pregnant, more than likely outnumbered, and definitely outgunned in a strange place. I have no doubt this woman could best me even if I wasn’t still coming around from whatever they drugged me with back on the sidewalk.
“Good,” Amy says, chipper now. “Let’s get you up and dressed.”
She moves towards my chained ankle with the key in hand, but her words confuse me. Looking down at myself, I see that I am still dressed in my yoga pants and the But Coffee First t-shirt I changed into when I got home from work. The fog in my mind is not yet cleared, and time seems to be slowing as she unlocks the cuff and helps me to my feet. Tilting my head to one side, I look directly into her eyes and am amazed at their beauty.
“Summer?” she says softly, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Yes?” I say and shake my head, trying to clear the haze. “I don’t… please, please let me go.” It snaps then, something inside me, and I know I can’t give up, I have to fight, or I’ll never get out of this.
“Don’t!” Amy warns, grabbing hold of my wrist in a grip that makes me wince. The pain shoots up my arm as she squeezes and my bones crush together, telling me what I need to know. If she wants to, she can snap my arm in an instant with barely any effort. The moment I understand, I see her nod. “Yes, we need you alive and in one piece, but that doesn’t mean that you need to remain completely unharmed. Please, don’t make me hurt you, Summer.”
I feel her plea is genuine, and I’m not sure why, but I trust her. She is right. If they want me to give them the next generation, they need me. I take comfort in the fact, even though it disturbs me deeply. I nod at her again, still unable to fully process what is happening.
“Let’s get you dressed,” Amy says again.
“I already am,” I say, motioning to my clothes, I pinch the fabric of my t-shirt between my fingers and lift it from my rounded belly. “I’m dressed. I don’t understand.”
She leads me from the room with her vice-like grip still on my wrist. Half-mad with fear and still dizzy, I follow her. I remain unsure of what will happen to me and terrified of finding out. When we leave the small room, I see we are in a massive warehouse. Nothing but concrete pillars and copper pipes fill the space. The windows are painted black, so I can’t tell what time of day it is.
“Here, put this on.” Turning towards Amy, I see her holding a white dress out to me. Raising my eyebrows in question, I take the dress from her.
“You’re not going to get away with this.” I spit the words at her.
“Oh, I don’t need to get away with anything other than my cut of what you sell for. Put on the dress. My patience is running thin.” The growing anger in her voice drives me forward.
Doing as I’m told, I slowly slip out of my leggings and t-shirt, then pull the dress over my head and down over my rounded belly, regretting the entire time that I didn’t put a bra on when I changed at home. Looking me up and down, Amy nods appreciatively.
“He was right. The dress accentuates your pregnancy well. I just wish there was a way to prove what they claim is true.” As she ponders me, I can hear an elevator roar to life across the empty space. As I watch the big industrial elevator come to a stop and the gates lift, a figure comes into view, and a sour taste fills my mouth. I stare, waiting to see who this woman’s partner is.
***
Leo
“I don’t give a shit what you want, Brutis! I don’t trust you not to kill me and take the girl,” I tell the vampire standing in front of me. His mate clings to his arm as I yell. I can see the fear in her eyes. They’re not used to being out in the daylight, and none of them have a charm to keep them safe from it. The damned idiots, but if they weren’t so stuck in the old ways, they wouldn’t be here now about to pay me millions of dollars for a human woman who can supposedly breed the next generation of vamps able to withstand the daylight, charm or not.
“I’m just saying, if we could please get this show on the road, I think I speak for all of us when I say we are eager to see this human and get out of here before we are discovered.”
Tensions are high among the men in the room. Since before sunrise, they have been waiting for me to show up with Summer and start the auction. But I refused to bring her here without the daylight as my escape plan. These old fools refusing to protect themselves have left me with the most considerable advantage I could ask for. Should any of them decide to turn on me now, I will simply signal to Amy, and the two of us will escape into the sunlight with Summer.
“If you will all take your seats, the bidding will begin momentarily. I am just about to head down and collect the human now.” After making the announcement, I walk towards the elevator. I watch the eight men who intend to make bids on Summer head to their seats, some of them alone, others with a small group of followers or their mates in tow. In total I have gathered here fifteen of the wealthiest vampires around the world, and one of them is about to make me an extremely wealthy individual.
Listening to them murmur amongst themselves about the future of our kind, I close the gate to the elevator and head down one floor to gather the two women there and start the auction.
***
Summer
“You son of a bitch! He trusted you!” My exclamation echoes across the warehouse. I’m still watching Leo walk towards me when Amy slaps me across the cheek.
“Don’t you dare speak to him that way,” she warns me quietly under her breath, and it is evident that she cares for him. Momentarily, I wonder if I can use that to my advantage but quickly dismiss the idea as foolish. There is no way I stand a chance against her. My cheek screams from her assault. With two of them now, I accept that I’m not going anywhere and turn my anger back towards Leo just as he arrives next to me.
“Donnie is going to kill you,” I snap at him.
“Oh, sweetheart, that child doesn’t stand a chance against me. Maybe next time, he will consider whom he trusts with his information and woman more carefully. I, for one, would never leave mine with someone. What’s mine is mine.” He turns to Amy then. “Isn’t that right?”
I watch as he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her into him, taking her in a deep kiss, she grinds herself on him, and I think they may fuck right in front of me.
“Get a fucking room. Would you get this shit over with already? What is the plan here, Leo? You don’t think Donnie is going to come looking for me?” The bluster in my voice surprises me. I don’t feel it inside.
“I have no doubt he will. I just know you’ll be out of the country by that time. Amy, the bidders are ready. Let's get her upstairs and get this show on the road.” Leo releases Amy and turns back to me.
I look back and forth between them, realizing what Leo is saying. Amy’s words about her cut of the money come back to me from earlier.
“Bidders? You plan to sell me? You betrayed us for the money?” My stomach drops as I speak.
“Get over it and get in the fucking elevator, Summer.” He grabs my arm and jerks me hard towards the elevator he just got out of.
“So what was with the whole act about not being alone with a woman? Just bullshit or was that guilt eating away at you because you knew what you were going to do?” I drag my feet, trying to get him to stop and turn to look me in the eyes.
“No,” he says as he continues to pull me in the direction of the elevator. “You’re right. I don’t believe in speaking to another man’s woman or being alone with her. I told you I don’t leave my woman alone with other men. What’s mine is mine. But you see, sometimes sacrifices have to be made to obtain the desired end results.”
“And what is that, exactly?” I ask. When we finally reach the elevator, he stops, his grip still digging into my arm.
“You already said it. Money.” When he turns and looks me in the eye, I see that he has zero remorse for what he has done to his friend.
“It was you all along then? You were the one following me in the SUV? How long have you planned this while you sat out front of my work for the past month pretending to keep watch for my stalker when it was actually you?” My voice echoes out across the abandoned warehouse.
He laughs then. “See, Summer, you’re smart enough to figure it out. I’ve been planning this for months. Ever since the night in February, when Donnie told me you were pregnant, I have been lining up the bidders and setting up this little auction. They’re all here for you, sweetheart. They’ve been waiting for the perfect time,” Leo says as we board the elevator. He closes the gate behind us, then turns back to me and continues on.
“You think it was a coincidence that Donnie had to work late tonight? I was responsible for that little incident. She was delicious.”
When he winks at me, my stomach clenches. Donnie hadn’t told me why he had to work late. I can feel the blood drain from my face as I look into the eyes of the killer in the elevator with me.
“The flowerpot on the sidewalk? That was Amy’s idea. We needed to figure out how to get you out of the house after you no doubt texted Donnie to let him know you were home safely. I think it was a nice touch on her part. Like I said, by the time he gets home and notices that you’re gone, you’ll be halfway across the world with whatever wacko vamp pays me the most for your sexy ass.” Amy grabs me from behind then, her hand twisting in my hair. I’m pulled back against her body.
“We could always keep her.” She purrs in my ear as she looks across the elevator at him. “Be the king and queen of the new race?”
For a second, I can see him contemplate the idea before shaking his head once. The elevator comes to a stop, but he doesn’t move to open the door. Instead, he takes a step towards me. Amy is still holding me, and Leo steps in front of me and grabs my jaw.
“You want to stay with us, don’t you? Be our little pet and let me breed you while she watches?” His words do something to my mind, and I think back to the first time I met Donnie. I blink my eyes, trying to clear the fog, and I know he is trying to control my mind.
“It doesn’t work, you prick.” I stand my ground and stare him down, waiting for him to let me go.
“Ah, so he said, but I thought I would give it a try.” I watch him shrug, and then dropping his hand from my face, he looks to his partner.
“Let her go. We will live like royalty without her. Once we get our cash, we will go away, and I’ll give you anything you want, but no, not her.” I feel the moment Amy accepts his command, and her body relaxes. She drops my head, I step forward away from her. Unsure of what fate awaits me on the other side of those elevator doors, but positive I would rather face it than be given as a toy to the woman at my back.
***
Donnie
When my phone rings, I check the screen and see that it is Summer’s mom. Immediately I know something’s not right.
“Hello?” Putting the phone to my ear, I step out of the room filled with detectives and evidence technicians processing the scene to take my call.
“Hey, Donnie. I’m at the house with Gus, and Summer’s not answering the door. Have you heard from her?” Her words make my ears ring, and I have to put my hand out to catch myself on the wall.
“Shit! Sally, can you take Gus back home with you? I’m on my way. I’m going to make some calls. I’m sure everything is fine, don’t worry just yet.” I’m already halfway down the hall on my way out of the building when she answers me.
“Yes, absolutely. Gus and I will head back to my place and wait to hear from you. Donnie?” I can tell by the sound of her voice that she is worried. “Find my girl, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I disconnect the phone and turn to the officer standing by the front door.
“Let Captain Smith know I have a family emergency, and I have to go. They’re going to have to wrap up the investigation without me.” He nods at me.
“Everything going to be all right, LT?” he asks as I blow past him. I don’t turn back or acknowledge his question. I’m focused on one thing, and that is finding out where Summer is.
On the way to the house, I call Leo, but it goes straight to voicemail. When I pull into the driveway, I decide to call Sally back. I can’t leave her worrying, and I can’t very well tell her what I suspect has happened.
“Donnie?” She answers on the first ring. “Tell me you know where she is.”
“I’ve got her.” I lace my lie with just enough information to make it believable. “Turns out she didn’t come home from work. She had Kelsey take her to the ER because she was having what she thought were contractions.”
“Dear Lord, is she all right?” I’m only half-listening to her response as I head up the sidewalk to the front door and notice the broken pieces of pottery and a trash bag at the bottom of the porch steps.
“They have her in L&D now and are doing a full workup. I’m on the way down there.” The front door is unlocked. When I turn the knob and make my way into the foyer towards the kitchen, I can see Summer’s phone sitting on the counter. “Can you keep Gus for the night?”
“Yes, of course. Keep me updated on Summer and the baby.” Sally’s voice seems far away as I scan the room.
“Absolutely, Sally. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back soon.” I disconnect before she can answer. I stand in the kitchen, turning in a small circle, looking for any signs of struggle. Any clue as to what happened.
“Summer! Fuck!” I slam my hand down on the counter, and the glassware in the cabinets shakes. “Where the fuck are you, Leo?”
***
Summer
When Leo opens the gates to the elevator, I look out onto another empty floor. There are three rows of chairs lined up facing the elevator, five chairs in each row. I notice there are also a small number of people standing. When Leo grabs hold of my hand and pulls me forward I feel like an animal in the zoo. The murmurs in the room grow as we make our way to the makeshift stage and podium.
“We’re going to be getting things underway. Given the circumstances, I know you are all eager to get out of here as quickly as possible. If you’ll please quiet down, we will start the bidding.” Amy is addressing them from her position at the podium now. Leo is still standing next to me, my hand in his. I’m not sure if he is ensuring I don’t make an escape attempt or protecting me from the men he has lined up to bid on me. Either way, I’m holding on to him for dear life and rethinking my decision not to stay with him.
The look of the men and women in the room is downright terrifying. Some of them look half-mad, others like trained killers. There isn’t one I can single out that I would feel has the capacity to not accidentally kill me in whatever attempt they plan to make in the breeding process. I sidestep closer to Leo, and he turns to me with a questioning look in his eye. I shake my head and go back to surveying the room.
I hear Amy start the bidding, but I'm distracted by a loud bang that comes from the far end of the warehouse, all heads turn in the direction of the sound, and I see smoke to my left. That’s when I hear gunfire erupting into the open space. Leo drops to the floor, my hand still in his, pulling me down with him.
“Fuck!” he shouts. “Stay down.”
I curl into a ball, covering my stomach with my arms, trying to protect my unborn child. What the fuck is happening now? I can’t take any more today.
The screams are deafening, and I hear Amy calling to Leo. He is trying to crawl across the room, my hand still in his. I’m unsure if he is trying to get to her or get me out of harm's way, but I know the moment he decides I’m not worth his life because he drops my hand and is gone.
Smoke fills the space, and I begin to cough. Unable to see what is happening, I try to get my bearings to make my way for the elevator. My eyes burn, and tears stream down my cheeks.
“Donnie! I’m here!” I cry out, hoping he will find me in the chaos.
“I’ve got her!” I hear a man’s voice from behind me. I roll onto my back and try to make out the figure through the smoke.
My ears are ringing, and my eyes burn from the smoke, the screaming has stopped, and I’m positive the majority are dead or have fled the automatic gunfire. The blurry figure above me bends toward me. I don’t recognize him, but I am still hopeful he can help me. I reach out my hand to him. When his grip closes around mine, and he helps me to my feet, I lean forward into the massive muscular shoulder of a dark-haired man. He protectively wraps his arm around my head, shielding me from the smoke and debris in the air.
“Did Donnie send you for me?” I ask him as we make our way towards the elevator.
“Oh, darling. Don’t worry. I’m going to get you out of here,” the stranger tells me in a deep voice with an accent I don’t recognize.
Once we are in the elevator, he drops his arms from my body and stands up straight. For the first time, I get a good look at him. Standing almost two feet taller than me, he must be close to seven feet tall, dressed in all-black tactical gear, with skin the color of deep caramel. His square jawline is striking. As he reaches up and takes his gas mask off, I flinch. His silver eyes glow down at me, and I know that Donnie did not send this man to save me, he has a firm look on his face, but I can’t deny that he is incredibly handsome. That’s when two others join us in the elevator.
“Tommie’s just finishing off the last stragglers, and we’ll be outta here,” one of them says, taking off his mask. This one has the same unfamiliar accent, and I gape at him, curly blond hair and full lips, with the same glowing silver eyes as the first, just as devastatingly handsome.
I turn to the third standing at my side, my eyes wide to see that he too has the same eyes, and I know that these three are vampires, but not like Donnie and not like those in the room that looked half-mad. Their composed, military-like manner tells me they're trained and are making no attempt to hide who they are from me either.
“I… please… I want to go home,” I stammer out at the first one.
“Och lassie, we’re going to be taking ye home all right,” the third one says as he adjusts the automatic rifle slung over his shoulder, a rough shadow beard covers his face, and his red hair matches his accent perfectly.
A fourth enters the elevator with us, and I’m surrounded by four massive men, all dressed in matching, military-like uniforms covered in tactical gear and weapons. They ooze masculinity. WTF Summer, get it together! You’re supposed to be coming up with a way to escape, not swooning.
I remain still in the middle of their small circle and wait, unsure of what just happened or what will happen next.
“They’re all done, except one. He got away from me in the initial chaos. Did any of you see where he went?” the final one to enter the elevator asks the first three, he still has his mask on, and he sounds obviously American.
“Which one? Don’t tell me it was that fucker Brutis. He’s bats hit crazy, and I don’t want his ass trying to come after us,” the blond with the unfamiliar accent asks.
“No, it was Leo. I doubt he will be coming after us. Fairly sure he doesn’t have the balls. I made sure his mate was dead. He’ll be out of our hair for a while.”
“Leo?” I ask faintly. “He got away?”
“Yes, but don’t worry, he isn’t going to bother you again,” the fourth tells me after he takes his mask off. This one is slimmer in build than the others, and his pale skin and black hair make his silver eyes look startlingly bright, definitely American.
“Who? What? Would one of you explain what the fuck just happened? Did Donnie send you?” I ask, hoping that there is still a chance he knows them, and I’m safe now.
“Who’s Donnie?” the first one asks. “You keep mentioning him. Was he here? Because I’m pretty sure what Tommie said is that all of those poor bastards in there are dead.” He motions over his shoulder with his thumb and I wince at the thought.
“We don’t have time for this. We’ve got to get the fuck out of here before the cops show up,” the American says as he closes the elevator gate and hits the button. We descend to the ground floor in silence. They’ve answered my question. Clearly, these men are not here to rescue me.
A white SUV is waiting outside the building when we emerge, it is just after dusk, and I can see the last slivers of sunlight disappear beyond the horizon. Together we step onto the pavement and climb into the SUV. I’m sandwiched in the backseat between the redheaded Scot and American. The other two with matching, unfamiliar accents are in the front as we head off into the night.
During the drive, they all speak to each other in a foreign language I can’t identify, not that I have an extensive linguistic background, so that’s no surprise to me. I look back and forth between the two on either side of me as both laugh at some joke the one driving made, and goosebumps spread across my skin. I'm ashamed to admit that I’m turned on by being in such close proximity to such attractive men.
My hand brushes against the hand of the American, and we lock eyes for a moment. When I can feel the blush spreading across my cheeks, I look away. I can’t take it anymore and finally speak up.
“Will you tell me exactly who the fuck you are and what the hell is going on here?” I yell at them.
“Whoa, there lassie,” Scotty says next to me. “No need to yell at people.”
“Seriously, you bastards just kidnapped me. You expect me not to yell about it?” I grind out the words, frustrated by his calm demeanor.
They all laugh in unison, and it is like music to my ears, doing things I can’t explain to my insides.
“Stop it!” I shout petulantly at them, angry that they won't take me seriously.
“We saved you from a group of half-mad old bats—” the American starts. Cutting him off, I lean forward so I can turn to face him.
“And you’re trying to tell me that the group of you aren’t half-mad old bats? What’s your plan here? You mean to tell me that you’re actually driving me home, and you haven’t kidnapped me, so you can— What did the others call it? Breed with me to start the next generation of vampires.” I use my hands and make air quotes around my last sentence and glare at him, waiting for a response.
“Well, no. We’re not mad,” he tries to reassure me.
“Or old,” the blond one in the passenger seat says, turning to face me.
“Oh my god!” I throw myself back against the backseat, infuriated that none of them will give me any information.
“Once we get on the plane, we will explain.” I hear the driver say.
“Plane?” I ask, craning my neck to see out of the windshield as a tarmac with a row of small aircrafts come into view. “I’m not getting on any fucking plane with the four of you.”
The American just raises his eyebrow at me and waits for me to explain my master plan. I shrug at him and roll my eyes. He is right I'm outnumbered and massively outgunned for the second time today. I’m pregnant, barefoot, and have no clue where I am. That would be enough of a problem if they were human men. I have no doubt that the little show they put on back at the warehouse is only a portion of what these four are capable of.