The Recruit (Book Six), page 2
She swallowed, her fingers still stroking her nipples, and said, “Amber.”
There was a low moan from behind her. She looked over her shoulder, her brow wrinkling. Lisa was allowing the man to touch her. His hands were on her ass and he was dry humping her as he sucked on her nipples. Lisa’s head was tilted back, and she had a look of pure pleasure on her face. As she watched, the man nuzzled Lisa’s throat and what looked like blood dripped down her neck.
“What?” she whispered. “Lisa, why…”
Jolene’s sharp cry swung her gaze to the left. Jolene’s thong was gone, and she was riding the man’s cock with reckless inhibition as he sucked greedily at her neck. They never fucked the customers. At least not in the damn club. If Terry found out, he’d kill Jolene. She had to stop her, she had to…
“Amber, look at me.”
His low voice demanded obedience. She turned and stared into the man’s gaze. Those incredibly light blue eyes were sending a weird weakness stealing through her limbs. He cupped the back of her skull and she smiled. He was cold, so very cold, but she suddenly craved his touch.
“Amber.” He pressed his icy lips against her mouth. She moaned and parted her lips, sucking eagerly at his tongue when he slipped it into her mouth.
She rubbed against his dick, kissing him with growing desire as he cupped her breast and played with her nipple. His frigid, rough hand felt incredible and she arched her back, silently begging for more.
He pulled back and she stared at his fangs in fascination. They were long and sharp, and why hadn’t she noticed them before?
“Tell me your real name, pretty one,” he whispered.
Her head swayed on her neck like a flower on a delicate stalk. He pinched her nipple, sending pain and pleasure through her. “Your real name, little one.”
“Clementine,” she whispered.
“Clementine,” he repeated. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”
“What’s yours?” Her voice sounded like it was coming from a great distance. She tried to focus, tried to stare at something other than his face, but she couldn’t look away.
He smiled at her and threaded his hand into her hair. “My name is Nathaniel.”
“Nice to meet you, Nathaniel.” She licked her lips as her head fell back again.
“It is lovely to meet you, Clementine. You taste so sweet.” He pressed another kiss against her mouth.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“I would like to fuck you. Would you like that?”
“Yes,” she said immediately. She ground her pussy against his dick. “Please fuck me. Please fuck me right now.”
She tried to claw open his jeans and he caught her hands. “Not yet, pretty one.”
“Please,” she whined. “Please I need it.”
“You will have it soon.” He nuzzled her neck. “But first, one small drink to see if you really do taste as sweet as I hope.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
He pulled her head back, and she clutched at him as he licked and sucked on her neck. When his fangs sunk into her vein, there was only the briefest moment of pain before…bliss. She rubbed herself against him as he sucked at her neck. She was starting to feel a little lightheaded, but she rocked harder against him. Her orgasm was so close, she could…
Nathaniel pulled away from her as the door to the private room swung open. He hissed and shoved her to the floor. He jumped to his feet and she gasped in horror when he made a loud grunt and the handle of a knife appeared in his chest. He touched the handle before stumbling back and falling to the floor.
The small blonde woman who had thrown the knife made a birdlike cry of satisfaction. Another woman carrying…Jesus, were those swords?... raced across the room as the two remaining men jumped to their feet.
Clementine stared in utter shock as, with a quick flick of her wrist, the woman beheaded the first man with the sword in her right hand. The sword in her left hand thrust through the second man’s chest and he gurgled in pain as blood spurted out of his mouth.
She pulled her sword free, and Clementine squealed in surprise when both men burst into ash.
“What the hell?” She scrambled back against the wall. She crossed her arms over her breasts, staring wide-eyed at the two strange women. Lisa and Jolene were both lying on the floor, and the dark-haired woman knelt and pressed her fingers against Lisa’s neck and then Jolene’s.
A blond man carrying a gun stepped into the room. He was covered in ash and blood, and he shook his head. “What a fucking shitstorm out there. Six goddamn vampires and not a single one of them yearlings. They were fucking fast and strong as hell.”
“You okay?” the sword-carrying woman asked.
“Yeah. One of them tried to bite me, but Selena pumped it full of sunshine. Will’s killing the last of them. How many in here?”
“Three,” the woman said. “Are the women alive, Olivia?”
Olivia shook her head, and the woman cursed before squatting in front of Clementine. She stared wide eyed at the woman, whimpering quietly as she stared at the blood-covered swords.
“We won’t hurt you. My name is Hannah. What’s yours?”
“Clementine,” she whispered.
“Okay. I know this is weird, but…”
“Hey, Hannah?”
“What, Reid?”
“You sure that guy’s a fanger? He hasn’t turned to ash.”
Hannah stood and stared at the man lying on the floor. “Shit.”
“Oh my God. Please tell me I didn’t kill a human.” The girl named Olivia moved with shocking speed toward Nathaniel.
Hannah stared down at Clementine, her eyes going wide when she saw the drying blood on her neck. “Olivia! Get back! He’s a fucking vamp – get back!”
Olivia stumbled back, but Nathaniel had already jumped to his feet. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her into his embrace, plucking the knife from his chest and dropping it to the floor. “You should always aim for the heart, pretty one.”
He plunged his fangs into Olivia’s pale throat and drank greedily. Hannah and Reid ran toward them, but Nathaniel was already pushing Olivia away. He wiped at the blood on his lips before staring at her. “What are you?”
She bared her fangs at him, and he blinked in surprise. “What the fuck?”
Clementine cried out when Nathaniel’s eyes rolled up in his head. He dropped to the floor, his entire body convulsing as bloody foam bubbled out from between his lips.
The woman named Hannah paid no attention to him as she grabbed Olivia’s arm and pulled her closer. “Olivia, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I fucked up. I missed the heart and I let him bite me.”
“It’s okay.”
Reid joined them and nudged Nathaniel’s convulsing body with his foot. “Now what?”
“We wait for him to turn and then we bring him back to the facility,” Hannah said.
Clementine climbed shakily to her feet. She inched toward the doorway, stopping and staring in terrified silence at the giant of a man who appeared in the doorway. He was completely naked, and she stared at his rock hard abs before her gaze dropped to his considerable dick.
“You know, we should do all our hunting in strip joints. Old naked fur face over there actually blends in.”
“Shut up, Reid,” the man growled. “Who is this?”
“Clementine,” Hannah said.
“What happened?” The naked man stepped into the room, and Clementine made a terrified squeak and stumbled away.
“Clementine, sit down,” Hannah said.
She sank onto the couch obediently. Her hands were trembling, and she tucked them into her armpits as the woman named Olivia brought her a robe. “Here, honey. Put this on.”
She was shaking too badly to do it herself, but Olivia helped her into it and then tied it closed for her.
“What happened?” the man asked again.
“This one bit Olivia. We’re waiting for him to turn.”
“Shit,” the man said. “Jordan’s gonna flip.”
“Probably,” Reid said cheerfully. “But, what’s the harm of having another -”
“He’s coming to,” Hannah said.
Clementine watched as Hannah helped Nathaniel sit up. He wiped the foam and blood from his mouth and stared at her in mute surprise.
“My name is Hannah. What’s yours?”
“Nathaniel,” he said. “I – what’s happening?”
“Do you know what you are?” Hannah said.
Nathaniel stared at them, his gaze landing on Clementine last. Confusion crossed his face, and he stared down at himself before touching his blood-soaked t-shirt.
“Yes,” he whispered. “I am a priest.”
She was dead, right? She had died back at the club. Died in that awful room that smelled like stale cum, and horny men, and the dying dreams of desperate women.
It had to be the only explanation.
If you’re dead, why are you in a hospital bed? Why is there an IV in your arm?
Clementine studied the IV. Her head felt fuzzy and her throat was dry, and she was suddenly very aware of how much television had lied to her over the years.
On TV, people always woke up in the hospital after traumatic events with no recollection of what happened. But she could remember every detail of the night with vivid clarity. Terry’s threats, the beautiful men waiting in the private room, Lisa and Jolene’s bodies on the floor. The man named Nathaniel. She’d let him touch her – she never let that happen. She’d let him touch her and kiss her and coax her actual name from her lips.
She reached up with a hand that felt heavy and uncoordinated, and touched the bandage on her throat. He’d bitten her – what kind of dude bit a woman?
What kind of woman liked it?
She shoved that dangerous thought right out of her head. She couldn’t think about that right now, couldn’t think about how weirdly close she’d been to climaxing during a lap dance. In her three years of stripping, that had never happened. Sure, the guy had been good looking and that in itself was a rarity at the club, but even with the good-looking ones, she didn’t come. Why would she? She was doing a job, nothing more, and the men were total strangers.
She stared at the IV, running her finger along the plastic tube. The strangers who saved her life had urged her to stand, urged her to take a few steps out of the room. She’d tried, she’d really tried, but she’d been so weak, and her head was swimming and the last thing she remembered was the room spinning and then… nothing.
She was still so tired, exhausted really, and she was tempted to close her eyes and let sleep take her again. It was better that way. Better to sleep than think about the crumpled bodies of Lisa and Jolene on the dirty carpet.
How oddly pale the girls’ skin had been. Pale and, while she hadn’t touched them, Clem knew they would have been cold to the touch. She wasn’t particularly close to either of them, hell, she hadn’t been close to any of the girls at the club, but she still felt a sharp bite of sorrow. They’d just been trying to survive, like her, and it didn’t seem fair that they died at the hands of weird biting lunatics and she didn’t.
She shrank back when a shadow crossed the curtain drawn around her bed. She held her breath, but the shadow didn’t stop. She cocked her head, listening intently when a woman said, “Hey, Barb. How are you?”
“Good, Selena. How are you?”
“Good, other than this.”
“Ouch. That finger is dislocated for certain,” Barb said.
The woman named Selena laughed. “Right? In terms of injuries I’ve had, it’s not that big of a deal but when Reid offered to fix it for me, I double timed it to the infirmary.”
Now it was Barb’s turn to laugh. “Smart move. Hop on the bed while I wash my hands and grab some gloves.”
“Sure.”
Clementine could hear the squeak of the hospital bed as Selena sat down. “Are either of them awake yet?”
“No, at least not as of half an hour ago.” Barb raised her voice to be heard above the water. “She’s doing all right, her vitals are normal, and I expect her to make a full recovery, but he still has a fever.”
“That’s so weird. None of the other ones who Olivia turned got a fever, right?” Selena said.
“Apparently Jordan spoke to Lance, the head of the Board of Directors, and he said that a few of the ones they caught and turned did have fevers and vomiting for a short period of time after being turned again.”
“Oh,” Selena said.
The tap squeaked as Barb turned off the water. “How did you dislocate your finger?”
“I was helping Michelle with her hand-to-hand combat. They have their final testing next week and she’s worried about passing.”
“Considering it’s Friday and your night off, it was nice of you to help,” Barb said.
Clementine sat up, ignoring the way her head swam, and stared wide-eyed at the curtain around her bed. Friday night? Shit… she had a shift at the club tonight and if she didn’t show up, Terry would fire her ass.
She almost called for the woman named Barb before she thought better of it. She didn’t have insurance and she sure as hell didn’t have the cash to pay for the outrageous hospital bill she was, no doubt, racking up. She’d been here for almost twenty-four hours, there was no way the bill wasn’t less than four grand.
She tapped on her collarbone, three quick taps, before peeling back the tape on her IV. Gritting her teeth, thanking God the sight of blood wouldn’t make her any more lightheaded than she already was, she carefully pulled the IV out of her hand. It stung like a bitch, and she pressed her lips shut against the cry that wanted to escape. Her pain tolerance had always been low, bordering on pathetic.
Blood was flowing freely from her hand and she grabbed some tissues from the bedside table and pressed hard until the bleeding slowed. She was wearing a standard hospital gown and there was no sign of her purse or her clothes – what clothes? You were wearing a thong and a robe, moron – and no small cupboard that they might be tucked away in.
She tapped her collarbone again, the decades long nervous tick so ingrained in her, she didn’t even realize she was doing it. What were the odds that they even had her purse? Terry certainly wouldn’t have cared enough to break open the lock on her locker and grab her purse for the EMTs, and besides, did it really matter? She didn’t keep her real ID in her purse when she went to the club. Hell, she didn’t even take her phone when she worked at the club. There was no way in hell she was taking the risk that Terry would find out her real name.
She grimaced. One good thing about being paid under the table was the lack of paperwork required.
Clem! Focus! You need to get out of here before they see you. If you’re lucky, you can get out of the hospital before they slap you with a bill that you’ll never be able to pay.
She inched toward the far end of the curtain, away from the sound of the two women talking. God, she was so dizzy and weak. If she didn’t buck up, she’d fall off the damn stage trying to dance tonight.
Holding her breath, she bent and grabbed the bottom of the curtain. The immediate wave of dizziness made her grope backward with her other hand for the support of the bed. She released her breath and drew in a few deep ones until the dizziness eased a little. She lifted the curtain and ducked under it, glancing around cautiously.
Hospital beds lined the large room, each bed separated by a curtain. All of the curtains were open, except for one. That one housed the mystery man with the fever she guessed, as she glanced behind her. The drawn curtains around her bed hid her from the two women and she took a few soft steps toward the door she could see at the end of the room.
Christ, she hoped that was the exit.
She took another couple of steps forward, only vaguely aware of the metal clinking sound coming from the bed with the curtain drawn around it. She glanced behind her again, her nerves strung tight and her stomach churning.
When she turned back toward the door, the curtain was twitching around the other bed. She took a step back, her eyes widening in surprise as the man ducked under the curtain and straightened.
He had a broken handcuff around his wrist, and he studied her with as much surprise as she studied him.
The man from the club.
The man who had nearly made her come.
The man who had bitten her.
Pretty name for a pretty girl.
Nathaniel.
A fresh wave of dizziness washed over her and this time there was no escaping it. She was going to faint.
Chapter 2
Nathaniel stared at the woman standing in front of him. She wore a hospital gown like him, and her blonde hair surrounded her face in a golden messy halo that reminded him of the sunlight he missed so desperately.
Her dark brown eyes were huge in her face and while the hospital gown hid her body, he could still remember the firmness of her breasts, the way she’d moaned when he’d kissed her, the sweetness of her lips.
What is wrong with you?
Guilt flooded through him. He was a priest, a man of God, and his lustful thoughts were a sin.
Bitter laughter echoed in his head. He was no more a priest than the woman in front of him was. He hadn’t been for a very long time. Not since he was turned in his tiny office at St. Michaels.
He swallowed hard, bile rising in the back of his throat. Why was he thinking of his past?
Because you’re different.
He was different.
It wasn’t just the way his heart was beating in his chest for the first time in over a decade, or the way his cold skin actually had a touch of warmth to it. No, it was also the emotions. The guilt. The crushing, overwhelming guilt.
All of the humans he had slaughtered. The blood drinking, the sexual depravity… what had he done?
The woman was swaying on her feet. What little colour she’d had in her face had disappeared completely, and he stared transfixed at the blood dripping from her hand. The smell of it called to him and his mouth watered. She had sweet blood. The sweetest blood he’d tasted in a very long time and he craved another taste almost immediately.
There was a low moan from behind her. She looked over her shoulder, her brow wrinkling. Lisa was allowing the man to touch her. His hands were on her ass and he was dry humping her as he sucked on her nipples. Lisa’s head was tilted back, and she had a look of pure pleasure on her face. As she watched, the man nuzzled Lisa’s throat and what looked like blood dripped down her neck.
“What?” she whispered. “Lisa, why…”
Jolene’s sharp cry swung her gaze to the left. Jolene’s thong was gone, and she was riding the man’s cock with reckless inhibition as he sucked greedily at her neck. They never fucked the customers. At least not in the damn club. If Terry found out, he’d kill Jolene. She had to stop her, she had to…
“Amber, look at me.”
His low voice demanded obedience. She turned and stared into the man’s gaze. Those incredibly light blue eyes were sending a weird weakness stealing through her limbs. He cupped the back of her skull and she smiled. He was cold, so very cold, but she suddenly craved his touch.
“Amber.” He pressed his icy lips against her mouth. She moaned and parted her lips, sucking eagerly at his tongue when he slipped it into her mouth.
She rubbed against his dick, kissing him with growing desire as he cupped her breast and played with her nipple. His frigid, rough hand felt incredible and she arched her back, silently begging for more.
He pulled back and she stared at his fangs in fascination. They were long and sharp, and why hadn’t she noticed them before?
“Tell me your real name, pretty one,” he whispered.
Her head swayed on her neck like a flower on a delicate stalk. He pinched her nipple, sending pain and pleasure through her. “Your real name, little one.”
“Clementine,” she whispered.
“Clementine,” he repeated. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”
“What’s yours?” Her voice sounded like it was coming from a great distance. She tried to focus, tried to stare at something other than his face, but she couldn’t look away.
He smiled at her and threaded his hand into her hair. “My name is Nathaniel.”
“Nice to meet you, Nathaniel.” She licked her lips as her head fell back again.
“It is lovely to meet you, Clementine. You taste so sweet.” He pressed another kiss against her mouth.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“I would like to fuck you. Would you like that?”
“Yes,” she said immediately. She ground her pussy against his dick. “Please fuck me. Please fuck me right now.”
She tried to claw open his jeans and he caught her hands. “Not yet, pretty one.”
“Please,” she whined. “Please I need it.”
“You will have it soon.” He nuzzled her neck. “But first, one small drink to see if you really do taste as sweet as I hope.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
He pulled her head back, and she clutched at him as he licked and sucked on her neck. When his fangs sunk into her vein, there was only the briefest moment of pain before…bliss. She rubbed herself against him as he sucked at her neck. She was starting to feel a little lightheaded, but she rocked harder against him. Her orgasm was so close, she could…
Nathaniel pulled away from her as the door to the private room swung open. He hissed and shoved her to the floor. He jumped to his feet and she gasped in horror when he made a loud grunt and the handle of a knife appeared in his chest. He touched the handle before stumbling back and falling to the floor.
The small blonde woman who had thrown the knife made a birdlike cry of satisfaction. Another woman carrying…Jesus, were those swords?... raced across the room as the two remaining men jumped to their feet.
Clementine stared in utter shock as, with a quick flick of her wrist, the woman beheaded the first man with the sword in her right hand. The sword in her left hand thrust through the second man’s chest and he gurgled in pain as blood spurted out of his mouth.
She pulled her sword free, and Clementine squealed in surprise when both men burst into ash.
“What the hell?” She scrambled back against the wall. She crossed her arms over her breasts, staring wide-eyed at the two strange women. Lisa and Jolene were both lying on the floor, and the dark-haired woman knelt and pressed her fingers against Lisa’s neck and then Jolene’s.
A blond man carrying a gun stepped into the room. He was covered in ash and blood, and he shook his head. “What a fucking shitstorm out there. Six goddamn vampires and not a single one of them yearlings. They were fucking fast and strong as hell.”
“You okay?” the sword-carrying woman asked.
“Yeah. One of them tried to bite me, but Selena pumped it full of sunshine. Will’s killing the last of them. How many in here?”
“Three,” the woman said. “Are the women alive, Olivia?”
Olivia shook her head, and the woman cursed before squatting in front of Clementine. She stared wide eyed at the woman, whimpering quietly as she stared at the blood-covered swords.
“We won’t hurt you. My name is Hannah. What’s yours?”
“Clementine,” she whispered.
“Okay. I know this is weird, but…”
“Hey, Hannah?”
“What, Reid?”
“You sure that guy’s a fanger? He hasn’t turned to ash.”
Hannah stood and stared at the man lying on the floor. “Shit.”
“Oh my God. Please tell me I didn’t kill a human.” The girl named Olivia moved with shocking speed toward Nathaniel.
Hannah stared down at Clementine, her eyes going wide when she saw the drying blood on her neck. “Olivia! Get back! He’s a fucking vamp – get back!”
Olivia stumbled back, but Nathaniel had already jumped to his feet. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her into his embrace, plucking the knife from his chest and dropping it to the floor. “You should always aim for the heart, pretty one.”
He plunged his fangs into Olivia’s pale throat and drank greedily. Hannah and Reid ran toward them, but Nathaniel was already pushing Olivia away. He wiped at the blood on his lips before staring at her. “What are you?”
She bared her fangs at him, and he blinked in surprise. “What the fuck?”
Clementine cried out when Nathaniel’s eyes rolled up in his head. He dropped to the floor, his entire body convulsing as bloody foam bubbled out from between his lips.
The woman named Hannah paid no attention to him as she grabbed Olivia’s arm and pulled her closer. “Olivia, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I fucked up. I missed the heart and I let him bite me.”
“It’s okay.”
Reid joined them and nudged Nathaniel’s convulsing body with his foot. “Now what?”
“We wait for him to turn and then we bring him back to the facility,” Hannah said.
Clementine climbed shakily to her feet. She inched toward the doorway, stopping and staring in terrified silence at the giant of a man who appeared in the doorway. He was completely naked, and she stared at his rock hard abs before her gaze dropped to his considerable dick.
“You know, we should do all our hunting in strip joints. Old naked fur face over there actually blends in.”
“Shut up, Reid,” the man growled. “Who is this?”
“Clementine,” Hannah said.
“What happened?” The naked man stepped into the room, and Clementine made a terrified squeak and stumbled away.
“Clementine, sit down,” Hannah said.
She sank onto the couch obediently. Her hands were trembling, and she tucked them into her armpits as the woman named Olivia brought her a robe. “Here, honey. Put this on.”
She was shaking too badly to do it herself, but Olivia helped her into it and then tied it closed for her.
“What happened?” the man asked again.
“This one bit Olivia. We’re waiting for him to turn.”
“Shit,” the man said. “Jordan’s gonna flip.”
“Probably,” Reid said cheerfully. “But, what’s the harm of having another -”
“He’s coming to,” Hannah said.
Clementine watched as Hannah helped Nathaniel sit up. He wiped the foam and blood from his mouth and stared at her in mute surprise.
“My name is Hannah. What’s yours?”
“Nathaniel,” he said. “I – what’s happening?”
“Do you know what you are?” Hannah said.
Nathaniel stared at them, his gaze landing on Clementine last. Confusion crossed his face, and he stared down at himself before touching his blood-soaked t-shirt.
“Yes,” he whispered. “I am a priest.”
She was dead, right? She had died back at the club. Died in that awful room that smelled like stale cum, and horny men, and the dying dreams of desperate women.
It had to be the only explanation.
If you’re dead, why are you in a hospital bed? Why is there an IV in your arm?
Clementine studied the IV. Her head felt fuzzy and her throat was dry, and she was suddenly very aware of how much television had lied to her over the years.
On TV, people always woke up in the hospital after traumatic events with no recollection of what happened. But she could remember every detail of the night with vivid clarity. Terry’s threats, the beautiful men waiting in the private room, Lisa and Jolene’s bodies on the floor. The man named Nathaniel. She’d let him touch her – she never let that happen. She’d let him touch her and kiss her and coax her actual name from her lips.
She reached up with a hand that felt heavy and uncoordinated, and touched the bandage on her throat. He’d bitten her – what kind of dude bit a woman?
What kind of woman liked it?
She shoved that dangerous thought right out of her head. She couldn’t think about that right now, couldn’t think about how weirdly close she’d been to climaxing during a lap dance. In her three years of stripping, that had never happened. Sure, the guy had been good looking and that in itself was a rarity at the club, but even with the good-looking ones, she didn’t come. Why would she? She was doing a job, nothing more, and the men were total strangers.
She stared at the IV, running her finger along the plastic tube. The strangers who saved her life had urged her to stand, urged her to take a few steps out of the room. She’d tried, she’d really tried, but she’d been so weak, and her head was swimming and the last thing she remembered was the room spinning and then… nothing.
She was still so tired, exhausted really, and she was tempted to close her eyes and let sleep take her again. It was better that way. Better to sleep than think about the crumpled bodies of Lisa and Jolene on the dirty carpet.
How oddly pale the girls’ skin had been. Pale and, while she hadn’t touched them, Clem knew they would have been cold to the touch. She wasn’t particularly close to either of them, hell, she hadn’t been close to any of the girls at the club, but she still felt a sharp bite of sorrow. They’d just been trying to survive, like her, and it didn’t seem fair that they died at the hands of weird biting lunatics and she didn’t.
She shrank back when a shadow crossed the curtain drawn around her bed. She held her breath, but the shadow didn’t stop. She cocked her head, listening intently when a woman said, “Hey, Barb. How are you?”
“Good, Selena. How are you?”
“Good, other than this.”
“Ouch. That finger is dislocated for certain,” Barb said.
The woman named Selena laughed. “Right? In terms of injuries I’ve had, it’s not that big of a deal but when Reid offered to fix it for me, I double timed it to the infirmary.”
Now it was Barb’s turn to laugh. “Smart move. Hop on the bed while I wash my hands and grab some gloves.”
“Sure.”
Clementine could hear the squeak of the hospital bed as Selena sat down. “Are either of them awake yet?”
“No, at least not as of half an hour ago.” Barb raised her voice to be heard above the water. “She’s doing all right, her vitals are normal, and I expect her to make a full recovery, but he still has a fever.”
“That’s so weird. None of the other ones who Olivia turned got a fever, right?” Selena said.
“Apparently Jordan spoke to Lance, the head of the Board of Directors, and he said that a few of the ones they caught and turned did have fevers and vomiting for a short period of time after being turned again.”
“Oh,” Selena said.
The tap squeaked as Barb turned off the water. “How did you dislocate your finger?”
“I was helping Michelle with her hand-to-hand combat. They have their final testing next week and she’s worried about passing.”
“Considering it’s Friday and your night off, it was nice of you to help,” Barb said.
Clementine sat up, ignoring the way her head swam, and stared wide-eyed at the curtain around her bed. Friday night? Shit… she had a shift at the club tonight and if she didn’t show up, Terry would fire her ass.
She almost called for the woman named Barb before she thought better of it. She didn’t have insurance and she sure as hell didn’t have the cash to pay for the outrageous hospital bill she was, no doubt, racking up. She’d been here for almost twenty-four hours, there was no way the bill wasn’t less than four grand.
She tapped on her collarbone, three quick taps, before peeling back the tape on her IV. Gritting her teeth, thanking God the sight of blood wouldn’t make her any more lightheaded than she already was, she carefully pulled the IV out of her hand. It stung like a bitch, and she pressed her lips shut against the cry that wanted to escape. Her pain tolerance had always been low, bordering on pathetic.
Blood was flowing freely from her hand and she grabbed some tissues from the bedside table and pressed hard until the bleeding slowed. She was wearing a standard hospital gown and there was no sign of her purse or her clothes – what clothes? You were wearing a thong and a robe, moron – and no small cupboard that they might be tucked away in.
She tapped her collarbone again, the decades long nervous tick so ingrained in her, she didn’t even realize she was doing it. What were the odds that they even had her purse? Terry certainly wouldn’t have cared enough to break open the lock on her locker and grab her purse for the EMTs, and besides, did it really matter? She didn’t keep her real ID in her purse when she went to the club. Hell, she didn’t even take her phone when she worked at the club. There was no way in hell she was taking the risk that Terry would find out her real name.
She grimaced. One good thing about being paid under the table was the lack of paperwork required.
Clem! Focus! You need to get out of here before they see you. If you’re lucky, you can get out of the hospital before they slap you with a bill that you’ll never be able to pay.
She inched toward the far end of the curtain, away from the sound of the two women talking. God, she was so dizzy and weak. If she didn’t buck up, she’d fall off the damn stage trying to dance tonight.
Holding her breath, she bent and grabbed the bottom of the curtain. The immediate wave of dizziness made her grope backward with her other hand for the support of the bed. She released her breath and drew in a few deep ones until the dizziness eased a little. She lifted the curtain and ducked under it, glancing around cautiously.
Hospital beds lined the large room, each bed separated by a curtain. All of the curtains were open, except for one. That one housed the mystery man with the fever she guessed, as she glanced behind her. The drawn curtains around her bed hid her from the two women and she took a few soft steps toward the door she could see at the end of the room.
Christ, she hoped that was the exit.
She took another couple of steps forward, only vaguely aware of the metal clinking sound coming from the bed with the curtain drawn around it. She glanced behind her again, her nerves strung tight and her stomach churning.
When she turned back toward the door, the curtain was twitching around the other bed. She took a step back, her eyes widening in surprise as the man ducked under the curtain and straightened.
He had a broken handcuff around his wrist, and he studied her with as much surprise as she studied him.
The man from the club.
The man who had nearly made her come.
The man who had bitten her.
Pretty name for a pretty girl.
Nathaniel.
A fresh wave of dizziness washed over her and this time there was no escaping it. She was going to faint.
Chapter 2
Nathaniel stared at the woman standing in front of him. She wore a hospital gown like him, and her blonde hair surrounded her face in a golden messy halo that reminded him of the sunlight he missed so desperately.
Her dark brown eyes were huge in her face and while the hospital gown hid her body, he could still remember the firmness of her breasts, the way she’d moaned when he’d kissed her, the sweetness of her lips.
What is wrong with you?
Guilt flooded through him. He was a priest, a man of God, and his lustful thoughts were a sin.
Bitter laughter echoed in his head. He was no more a priest than the woman in front of him was. He hadn’t been for a very long time. Not since he was turned in his tiny office at St. Michaels.
He swallowed hard, bile rising in the back of his throat. Why was he thinking of his past?
Because you’re different.
He was different.
It wasn’t just the way his heart was beating in his chest for the first time in over a decade, or the way his cold skin actually had a touch of warmth to it. No, it was also the emotions. The guilt. The crushing, overwhelming guilt.
All of the humans he had slaughtered. The blood drinking, the sexual depravity… what had he done?
The woman was swaying on her feet. What little colour she’d had in her face had disappeared completely, and he stared transfixed at the blood dripping from her hand. The smell of it called to him and his mouth watered. She had sweet blood. The sweetest blood he’d tasted in a very long time and he craved another taste almost immediately.
