Scarlet Heat Read online

  Just when I thought I couldn’t stand it anymore, the pain stopped abruptly.

  I sat up in the seat—I’d been practically down on the floorboard—and took stock of myself. Despite the weird, burning pain I’d experienced, there were no marks on me anywhere. I looked at my arms and legs and even lifted my shirt and unbuttoned my jeans—nothing, not a scratch or a burn anywhere.

  Was I crazy? Had I imagined it all? Or was Taylor in trouble?

  I grabbed my cell phone and tried to call her but she wasn’t picking up. Frowning, I started the truck and pulled back onto the road. I didn’t know what was happening but I had a strong feeling something was seriously wrong.

  Never should have sent you away, baby, I thought as I drove down the dark road. I was such a coward—should have been man enough to face what I did and beg your forgiveness.

  When I saw her again, I fully intended to drop to my knees and do exactly that. I’d try to explain why I had done what I did. And pray to God she’d listen.

  I drove along, the yellow lines in the road flashing past under my truck, berating myself. I should have begged her forgiveness in the first place. But I was too disgusted with myself, too filled with shame and self loathing at the way I had broken her trust. Too—

  A sudden, sharp, stabbing pain cut off my thoughts. It felt like someone had plunged a fucking machete into my chest. I lost control of the truck, swerving wildly across the midline and narrowly missing a lone semi that was rushing past. I heard the blast of its horn and then my truck dipped sharply down and the dark shape of a huge old tree was looming up in my windshield.

  I tried to twist the wheel but the pain in my heart was so strong I felt paralyzed—literally unable to move. All I could do was watch as the truck plowed straight into it.

  There was a grinding, crashing sound of metal tearing and glass shattering and then I was flying—straight through the windshield.

  My head connected with something hard and sharp and then everything went black.

  * * * * *

  Taylor

  “Take her—use the silver cuffs and the gag. I don’t want that little witch to hear anything. And you, Carl—get her keys. Drive her car somewhere and dump it.”

  The sultry voice was horribly familiar. I looked up to see Celeste—my old mistress and the one who had turned me into a vampire in the first place—smirking at me.

  Strong hands grabbed me, and though I tried to fight, I felt too weak. It was like I was bleeding inwardly, like the wound I had sustained when my bond with Victor was cut was draining me until I could barely move. Even when they slapped silver cuffs on my wrists and a silver gag across my mouth I still couldn’t summon the strength to fight. The silver burned my skin but it still didn’t hurt nearly as much as the pain of losing Victor.

  What’s the use? I thought dully as they dragged me into Celeste’s waiting car—a sleek black Hummer with vanity plates that said VAMP-1. Nothing matters anymore. He’s gone.

  Celeste seemed to notice my lack of struggle. She settled beside me on the seat and frowned.

  “What’s the matter, Taylor darling? Having a bad night?”

  Of course I couldn’t speak around the gag so I just shook my head and looked away. From the corner of my eye, I could see Celeste frowning. She was dressed in her usual dramatic style—black and white with blood red accents, and her pixie-cut blonde hair was perfectly coifed as always. Celeste was petite and lovely—like a fragile, beautifully crafted doll. It was only when you lived with her for awhile, as I had been forced to do—that you realized what a monster she truly was under those big innocent eyes and delicate features.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Celeste asked one of the men who had grabbed and cuffed me—the other was driving the car. “Why is she so lifeless?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know. She’s your spawn, isn’t she?”

  “That’s not a very polite word to use,” Celeste snarled. “But yes, it was I who first turned her to darkness.”

  “Then you figure it out. Vamp psychology isn’t my area of expertise.” He was a big man who seemed human but there was an aura of power about him—a dark energy that seemed to fill the cab of the Hummer. I couldn’t get a good look at his features in the dim car but could tell he wasn’t afraid of Celeste, which was unusual and probably unhealthy unless he had the ability to back up his flippant words.

  “Make the test,” she snapped, scowling at him. “Hurry—I must know if it worked!”

  “All right.” He shrugged and ripped the silver gag off my mouth. Then he shoved what tasted like a cold Chicken McNugget into my mouth.

  “What the—?” I choked, tried to spit it out but his powerful hands clamped shut around my face. He was definitely more than human because I couldn’t break his grip.

  “Chew, girlie,” he rumbled. “Eat it up. Sorry about the quality but it’s not like the Queen of the Damned over here has any gourmet nibbles lying around. We had to go through the drive-thru to get that little amuse bouche.”

  “I’m getting really tired of your sarcasm, Mr. Shadowlock,” Celeste said, giving him a nasty look. “I did not hire you for your sense of humor.”

  “No, you hired me because I’m the most powerful warlock in the continental US—you hired me for my Goddamn magic,” he drawled. “The humor is just a bonus. So why don’t you sit back and enjoy it the same way this little lady is enjoying her first taste of over-processed chicken in six long years?”

  Celeste looked like she was going to say something else but at that moment I swallowed.

  “Look!” Her eyes glowed with excitement in the dim car. “She ate it! She actually ate it! Quick,” she commanded the warlock. “Give her another!”

  “Let’s just wait a minute and make sure the first one stays down,” he said dryly. “Cleaning up vampire puke isn’t in my job description.”

  “You’re useless,” she snapped at him. “Here—give me that!” Reaching across me, she snatched a small red cardboard carton with brightly colored cartoons on its side—a Happy Meal. I could almost see her ordering it too—No, I do not care if the toy included is for a boy or a girl, just give me the damn food! I would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so horrible.

  “Celes—” I started to say but the moment my mouth was open, she crammed three more McNuggets down my throat—or tried to, anyway. She neglected to hold my mouth shut like the warlock had. I spit the nuggets in her face and bit her finger—hard.

  “Ow! You little bitch!” Celeste slapped me as hard as she could—which was plenty hard—she was a three-star vampire with a lot of power. My head rocked back and I saw stars and tasted blood—both hers and mine.

  “Hey, now…” The warlock sounded pissed. “You didn’t say anything about beating the hell out of the poor girl. Killing her, yes—but not beating her.”

  “She bit me!” Celeste sounded outraged.

  “And if I know vamps—which I unfortunately do—you probably did a hell of a lot worse to her back when she was in your care,” he rumbled. “So let’s take it easy with the domestic violence, all right?”

  “She is mine—I will beat her if I please.” Celeste sounded sulky—she wasn’t used to being reprimanded.

  “I’m not yours anymore,” I said, spitting blood on the floor of her Hummer. “I haven’t been since Corbin rescued me.”

  “That is what you think.” Celeste’s eyes flashed dangerously. “But no one can ever truly sever the tie between a vampire and his or her maker. There is still a thread of connection between us, my dear little Taylor. And that is more than enough to make the prophecy work.”

  “Prophecy? What prophecy?” I asked.

  Celeste only shoved the Happy Meal in my face.

  “Eat,” she commanded, shaking the cardboard container so that it rustled and sent the greasy stink of stale fast food wafting into my face. I nearly gagged.

  “Sorry.” Using both cuffed hands, I shoved it back at her. “I’ve had enough junk food for one night