Adina Falling (Threads of Fate) (5 page)

Emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry, brushing our teeth; everyday apartment life was foreplay in that little secret sexual world we had created. As far as the outside world knew, we were roommates. Only those that had the privilege to share our bed knew that it went a ways beyond the façade. Since she was also a vampire, we used glamour to erase our playmates memories, making them think we had studied or had gone out to dinner. They never remembered the fucking. Only we did and we preferred it that way. It was our protection.

Sometimes, when we are both feeling lonely, we will hook up. For old time sake. Although, I honestly couldn’t remember the last time we had, our demanding lives had intervened. Yet, all these years later, sex with Lucy was still stupefying when we did get together. More importantly, our friendship had endured and it’s nice to know we can count on each other. Plus, we both love to shop.

From memory, I dialed her cell and she picked up after the first ring.

“Hey girl!” She sounded happy to hear from me, we hadn’t spoken in a couple months.

“Hey babe! How’s everything?” The last time I had talked to her, she had just started a new job designing shoes. She was wickedly talented and always came up with the most fantastic ideas for footwear. I had one of her creations in my closet, I was afraid to wear them though; they were more like art work than dancing shoes.

“Good, good. I’m in the middle of drawings for a big name who wants his runway girls feet decked out in my designs. This is huge for me. You? What are you working on?” She sounded a tiny bit distracted; I could hear her pencil moving furiously on paper. Another thing about vampires, our senses are more developed.

“Same old over here. I’m stuck right now and I need to walk away. Interested in some shopping? I could use your help picking out something spectacular for a blind date I’m being forced into on Friday.” I picked at a hang nail and decide that a manicure should also be added onto my expanding to-do list.

“Oh doll, I’d love to see you but today isn’t good. I’m in New York to finish up these sketches and get them in. Deadlines suck. Rain check? I’ll be back in town next week sometime.”

“Of course. I miss you; let’s get together in a couple weeks?” I was disappointed but I knew all about deadlines. They did, indeed, suck.

“Absolutely. We’ll celebrate!”

We hung up after chatting a couple more minutes where we shared abbreviated versions of recent events. Hers were way more exciting than mine. She’d been to Europe and LA. Me, I’d been stuck in Michigan. When you’re a slave to the written word, and I mean that with the upmost respect, life has a tendency to pass by uneventfully.

I decide to solo it to the mall. I just kept telling myself that I was perfectly capable of picking out an appropriate ensemble to meet this Xander Stark in. I knew I was making a quick judgment based on the sound of his voice but I was thinking I needed to ooze class and sophistication with undertones of sex. Hopefully Neiman’s would be able to supply me with my demand.

I threw on a pair of Seven jeans, I liked how my butt looked in them. I paired it with a top that barely covered my navel. I brushed on a bit of make-up and tossed my hair into a high ponytail, I grabbed my purse and keys and headed out.

After locking the deadbolt, I turned around and came face to face with someone I hadn’t seen in years. A face that I hadn’t missed in the least. It was Michael, my ex-husband. I had no idea why this man, with whom I had no contact with except for some threatening emails every now and again, was standing in front of me. Still looking quite threatening, in a very dangerously sexy way.

“Hello Adina.” A forced smile exposed his white teeth. His fangs were bared, too, probably in hopes of intimidating me. It was working. Showing fangs usually only happened during lust or anger and I was hoping that I was not the cause of either one. He certainly didn’t look happy though. In fact, I’d venture a guess that it was the complete opposite.

“Michael.” I hoped he couldn’t sense my nervousness. Although, I was sure he could. We were able to sense everything which was a blessing and a curse. The thing about Michael, though, was that despite how much I despised him, I was still wildly attracted to him. Not that I would ever do anything about it but facts were facts and physically, he was my type. Tall, dark, handsome and well endowed. I did mention earlier that I was a bit shallow, didn’t I?

“I have come to discuss something with you. Something by the name of Xander Stark.” With a wave, my front door opened and he guided me back inside.

Michael Diamante was one of the oldest, most powerful vampires in the world. He wasn’t at par with the Elders. If he had his way, he would kill them and take their place as our ruler. Thankfully, they were far more potent than he was.

My mother had always warned me about picking men up at bars. She always said that you never really know what you’re getting and if they are picking you up at a bar, they are picking other women up on a different evening. Well, my mother was right. I should never have picked up this particular man at the bar. But, when we are young, we do stupid things. And sometimes, we have to pay the price.

My price came in the form of an evil, sadistic man who had demonstrated such control over me that after a while, I didn’t even muster the strength to brush my own teeth. Yes, vampires brush their teeth or our breath would be just as nasty as humans.

It had been my birthday; we’ll say it was my forever 21st, which was approximately the year I stopped aging so it made complete sense. A group of us had travelled to New York to celebrate. We went to an exclusive, vampire owned restaurant. It was a cool place; you could pick out a willing human, called a Vamp Tramp, to drink from in one of their private rooms. Then, when you were finished with the human, you could indulge in fabulous wine from their posh, private label list. They also boasted an incredible food menu, a live band and a fabulous dance floor. The weekends at the place were a regular who’s-who of affluent and influential Vamps.

It was an all-night deal. I had gone shopping, of course, with Lucy and Morgan. We were dressed to kill, or at the very least, to seduce. I couldn’t remember what name was on my tag, it was black and backless. My favorite style.

I had spotted Michael immediately. He emanated power, something I had always been attracted to. He was my type exemplified; I was obsessed before I even knew his name. I couldn’t stop myself from staring at him. And when I noticed he was returning the looks, I was a goner.

After he had sent two bottles of 1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac to the table, he came and sat down next to me. He was attentive and charming and the next thing I knew, I had left my friends to continue my birthday celebration without me and I was led back to Michaels place for our own private celebration.

He had a penthouse overlooking Central Park. It was all windows and open spaces. What I had failed to notice was the lack of warmth. Cold steel everywhere gave it an extremely contemporary feel but what I couldn’t have known then, but would soon come to find out, was how closely it represented his true nature. He was the stereotypical malevolent vampire written about in human literature.

Michael started out as the perfect boyfriend. He showered me with expensive gifts, took me on exotic vacations and fucked me every which way. We did things I had only read about, things that didn’t even take place during the orgies in my mother’s living room. I was happily in love with him and he made me feel as though it was reciprocated.

But then, he turned. His true colors starting seeping through the clever, expensive disguise he wore.

He began unleashing his inner beast. He was from the blood of Lilith. The Vampire Devil herself. And, he was all mine. Or more along the lines of, I was completely his, even if it were the last thing on Earth I wanted.

I was his hostage arm-piece with a painted on smile and luxurious clothes. He kept me drugged up on a fancy Fae blood mixture, his very own product. A potent combination for vampires that turned into a fortune for Michael. Our very own vampire Drug Lord. It kept me numb and docile and that was exactly how Michael, who went quickly from boyfriend to husband, wanted me to be. Docile. Fast to easily spread my legs and lips, letting anyone in. Only to be seen when he needed me to be seen, otherwise I was a prisoner in a very posh bedroom where he allowed his friends to fuck me too, on occasion.

Our marriage, if it could even be called that, didn’t last long. With the help of his maid and also,as I had come to learn; his sex slave, Milla, I was able to escape. It was a plan that took a couple months to initiate. The idea was rather simple but because I was heavily guarded and drugged, the timing needed to be opportune. All we had to do was patiently wait for Michael to go out of town on a business trip, which was very often. Then, quite deftly, Milla slipped Michael’s drugs into the bodyguard’s drinks when she lured them into a room under the premise of a sex party. Never trust a vampire, even one that is sworn to protect and serve you, when someone is offering sex and drugs to them. They are weak, especially the men of our species. Pretty pussy was their Achilles Heel. Which works out well for women when they need to get something important done such as fleeing from a hell-hole of a marriage.

While Milla was busy entertaining Michael’s two burly bodyguards in the form of blow jobs, I was able to pull myself together long enough to run from the penthouse to the waiting car and then make my way safely home where my mom and her husband were waiting to take care of me. Thankfully, Arthur was well connected with the Elders which backed Michael begrudgingly into a corner. Our divorce was final a month later, the only thing I got from him were threats that I would never be able to live without looking over my shoulder. He vowed to show up when I least expected.

Sure enough, he kept his word.

Terror tugged at me; I was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a scared woman. Due to the present circumstances of Michael standing directly in front of me, however, feeling fear was a spot-on emotion. There was no one around, the entire building emptied out during the day. The hefty mortgages of the expensive condos kept the worker ants working. I knew this because I had the luxury of working from home, a penthouse within this newly built, high-rise condo building. When the clock struck eight a.m, the human contents of the building emptied out into the parking garage and then tumbled its way into the major crossroads. Off to work they’d go, paychecks needed to be earned in order to afford the lives they had drowned themselves in.

If I screamed, no one would hear. I felt like that old question, if a tree falls and no one is around, does it make a sound? Yes, I really do think of these things under times of duress. I was pretty positive I would make quite a loud sound, too.

Michael led me to my couch and ordered me to sit. He stood over me like a father about to lecture his child. His hands planted on his hips, bent over at the waist to bring himself a little closer to my face.

“What Michael? I’m a little busy so make it fast.” I was relieved my voice came out strong because I was shaking inside. Sure, he was a good looking man but I couldn’t understand what else I had ever found attractive about him.

“Shut up, Adina. And listen. Closely. I’m going to say this once and then, I’m going to leave. If I have to come back, I can promise you that it will not be pretty.” His black eyes pierced through me. Eyes that, once upon a time, I had melted from now froze me to my seat. I wasn’t going to move, not even to open my mouth. He had my undivided attention.

I nodded my head, my black pony tail bobbed up and down comically, “Okay.” I managed to squeak out. It would never cease to amaze me what this man could reduce me to. No wonder I explored such dark things in my writing. I guess, in a way, I should thank this vile person for my success.

Michael began pacing, he seemed agitated. It was making me even more nervous because I knew, from past experience, when he got like this he had a tendency toward violence. I stiffened in response, in case I needed to protect myself. I wasn’t sure how I would be able to against Michael but I sure as hell would be ready to fight back, if needed.