Mercy's Danger: Montgomery's Vampires Trilogy (Book #2) (Montgomery's Vampires Series) (19 page)

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject:
Urgent! Please read ASAP!

Darling Mercy,

I do hope you are well.

No, this won’t do. Please allow me to start over.

Given current circumstances, I
know
that you aren’t well. I also know that I’ve contributed to your recent misfortune. You must be under a great deal of stress, so I will try to make this brief.

I imagine you’re no longer using this email, so I cross my fingers that my words find you. It’s the only email I have for you, and I can’t make enquiries about any new ones you may have acquired. I’m a bit of a ghost myself these days, since the mysterious fire.

I meant what I said when we met. You are very special girl. If circumstances had been different, we would have grown to become very close friends. However, by now you’ve certainly uncovered my unpardonable betrayal. For my evil deeds, I can only atone by delivering you two things.

The first is my sincerest apology. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to have hurt a person as lovely as you, Mercy. I don’t blame you if you hate me. I’d be surprised if you didn’t. You don’t deserve what is happening to you. As is the case with many complicated vampire affairs, humans are rarely viewed as nothing more than collateral damage. In this instance, unfortunately, you are that human.

Not all vampires feel this way about your kind, and most of us cherish humans. But the VGO do not represent all vampires. They operate according to their own savage rules, causing great harm to those who stand in their way. They’re bastards, Mercy, every single one of them . . .

Look at me, going off on one of my tangents! And here I am supposed to be making it brief!

I’ll get to the important stuff now, which you may find more valuable than my heartfelt apology. I’m talking about my second offering, Mercy, which is the truth. I think it may help you along your struggle, even if only a little.

I’m not sure how much you’re in the know about the matter concerning the VGO and Leopold’s recent pharmaceutical venture. Please excuse me for relaying information you may already know. Again, I will try to be brief.

By the time the VGO got wind of Leopold’s project, it was too late for them to intervene. Because of this, they had to devise alternate means of stopping him. You have to believe me when I tell you that I had no idea that they were going to go to such great lengths—that they were going to inflict
physical harm
on others. Nathaniel never would have approved.

About Nathaniel . . . Nathaniel is—or was (I don’t know how to phrase our current attachment since I am no longer confident he’s alive)—my vampire mate. He is my everything, Mercy, and I love him with my whole heart. In all my years, I’ve never felt this way about anyone, even if Nathaniel and I have conflicting views on many things.

You see, Mercy, despite my pleading, Nathaniel wished to become human again.

As you are aware, Leopold and I are—were—old friends. Leopold wasn’t broadcasting what he was doing at his lab, but he and I have mutual acquaintances and news travels fast on the vampire circuit. I contacted Leopold on behalf of Nathaniel, and then Leopold invited Nathaniel to his lab. After Nathaniel was given the serum, a discovery was made: he was immune to its effects. According to Leopold such a reaction was rare, and Nathaniel was the only vampire his scientists had encountered who’d had that reaction.

Nathaniel and Leopold made a deal: if Nathaniel allowed doctors to continue running tests on him, Leopold would create a special serum that Nathaniel wouldn’t be immune to.

Maybe you can see where this is going, maybe not.

Nathaniel and I were in my bed when the VGO forced their way into my home. They kidnapped Nathaniel with the intention of using his immunity to create an antidote to Leopold’s serum. But it didn’t stop there; the VGO threatened to torture Nathaniel if I didn’t assist them. When I refused, they began mutilating Nathaniel beyond recognition. They’d hurt him, let him heal, and then do it all over again. And again. They’d send me photos of their handiwork.

If my love for Nathaniel did not run so deep, I may have still refused the VGO’s demands. The VGO, aware of my association with Leopold, forced me to make contact with him and urge him to hire Edgar. The VGO murdered Leopold’s prior butler—Edgar’s predecessor—for the sole purpose of ensuring Leopold would need to hire a new employee. I’m telling you, Mercy, there really is no distance the VGO will not travel to get their way.

The VGO knew that, as a butler, Edgar would be underestimated, ignored as part of the background. He’d have access to all sorts of classified information.

My duplicity does not end at Edgar, I’m afraid, and this is the main reason I’m contacting you. I need to warn you. Nathaniel may suffer because of this email, but I do not believe he would want me to continue letting innocent people die for the sake of saving himself. For all I know, he is already gone. The VGO have ceased all contact with me. Rather, I have ceased all contact with
them
since my unfortunate death in the fire. I’m hoping the VGO will lose their motivation to torture Nathaniel now that they no longer have me to do their bidding.

You were right to be leery about the revival of Smokescreen. You have probably been operating under the assumption that you’ll be safe from vampires during the day.

This is no longer the case. The VGO blackmailed me into reengineering the collection to enable vampires to walk around during the day. That’s right: THE VGO CAN TRACK YOU IN DAYLIGHT!!!!!!

I constructed the new Smokescreen outfits using UV-blocking fabric. The hats are made with the same materials NASA use for spacesuits, and they fully cover the face and neck. These materials were very, very difficult to find and extremely high-priced, but the VGO spared no expense. Using the new Smokescreen outfits, vampires can go into sunlight for short increments: ten, fifteen minutes max. But you know exactly how much damage a vampire can do in such a short time. It’s how the VGO were able to catch Leopold off-guard and break into his lab during the day.

These day-walkers shouldn’t be too difficult to identify—you’ve seen how curious the Smokescreen collection is. Hopefully you’ve chosen to hide out in a place where vampires in full-face coverings will not go unnoticed, which should be anywhere but New York City!

I figured that I should warn you. I know it doesn’t make up for the pain I’ve caused.

I’m so sorry.

Please be well.

Seraphim

X

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject:
I didn’t know!

Mercy,

I never wanted to hurt you! Or David! I swear I didn’t know.

I love you SO MUCH! Why can’t you see that? Why can’t you see that we are meant to be together?

I never would have helped them if I’d known they were after you. They told me they were after Robert. I swear on my life, they told me they were after Robert!

I love you so much.

I will continue loving you.

Forever.

Please come back to me, my love.

—Mathew

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject:
Re: I didn’t know

Mathew,

I promised myself that I wouldn’t let you get to me, yet here I am, once again, shaking in front of a computer, so goddamned angry that I can hardly see straight.

You make me sick. I feel like throwing up all over myself whenever I think of you, which, fortunately for me, is only when I have to deal with your dumb ass. Otherwise, I don’t
ever
think of you. Not at all. No, wait, that’s not true. Sometimes you do cross my mind when I think of the bullet I dodged by breaking up with you. You did me the biggest favor imaginable by cheating on me. Had you not—full body shudder—there’s a chance I’d still be with you, a notion that also makes me want to vomit. Even with all those out there currently trying to kill me, the idea of spending my life with you is the worst possible outcome I can imagine.

Let me see if I’m understanding you: Because you were under the impression that they were going after
Robert
, you thought your actions were justifiable. Have a think about what you’re saying: You broke into a man’s house with the intent of committing murder. You were going to kill my boyfriend out of jealousy. How can you even attempt to validate that?

You know what? There is no reasoning with crazy, and that’s what you are: completely, utterly, totally batshit crazy.

Stop, Mathew. Just stop.

I am not “your love.” I am not your friend. I am not your enemy. I am not somebody who owes you a favor. I am not the bearer of your children. I am not somebody you share a home with. I am not your answer. I am not your purpose for living . . . I am absolutely NOTHING to you. I am a stranger to you now, somebody who should not matter to you in the slightest, just like any other stranger you pass on the street.

So there is absolutely no need for you to continue contacting me.

Stay out of my life. Forget that you ever knew me.

I don’t want to hear from you again, you lunatic.

MOVE ON!

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject:
Death to vampires!

That dead asshole has poisoned you against me!

That’s right! I know what Robert is:

A

DEAD

FUCKING

VAMPIRE!

I make YOU sick? That’s a laugh. You’re the one fucking a dead man, so you should probably not be so judgmental, sweetheart. Maybe if I were dead you’d want to start fucking me, too, though I don’t have millions of dollars like he does. Is that what it takes to get in your skirt these days—money? Who cares if it’s a dead dick, as long as it’s a dead dick with money?

Now I’m the one who wants to throw up.

YOU need to think about what YOU’RE saying, not me. How could I be committing murder if he’s already dead? He’s a walking corpse, Mercy! And you’re with him! Disgusting!

I made a mistake when I cheated on you. I’m not perfect. But I’ve tried and tried and tried to make it up to you. But you wouldn’t let me.

So fuck you for not appreciating me!

At least I’m alive!

I found that asshole’s fangs in his house. (They MUST be his, unless they’re somebody else’s—wouldn’t surprise me with that freak.) I’m going to think of you as I piss all over them, and then I’m going to burn them and flush the ashes down the toilet because that’s where they belong—in the fucking sewer. No, I’ll make them into a necklace to remind me of what a dirty skank whore my ex-girlfriend is.

I hope that vampire prick is reading this email behind your shoulder. That’s right, asshole! I HATE YOU SO MUCH! I hope the VGO find you. I hope they find you and stab you right in your cold dead heart. And if they can’t find you, I hope you have an accident! I hope you wrap your flashy car around a tree, you dead ASSHOLE! I hope millions get to witness your suffering and humiliation.

Fuck you both!!!!!!!!!!

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject:
I’m sorry.

Baby, I’m so sorry.

I didn’t mean those things I wrote about you.

I’m upset, is all. Why can’t you see how much better I am for you than he is?

You’re just going though a rough time right now. You’ll come to your senses eventually and see that I’m the one for you. And when you do, I’ll be here waiting.

I love you.

So much.

—Mathew