Never Forsaken (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 5) Read online

  In better times, or at least with blood Stephen would be ok. Right now, he was bleeding from too many small holes. It was taking most of his energy to stop the bleeding and there was nothing left to help him fix his body.

  Stephen’s lips parted, his fangs trying to grow. “Ah, Reginald. How very surprising to see you here.” Stephen coughed up some more blood. He reached down and pulled a piece of his shirt, using it to wipe his chin clean. “So, dear old brother is behind this attack?”

  The man in front of Stephen was easily three inches above six feet, well built and wearing an Italian suit. He was trying to step around the piles of debris, blood and body parts to make it closer to Stephen. “Stephen, I can tell you that it is so good to see you. Yes, your brother sends his regards and wishes that you would have just stayed asleep instead of cavorting with that bitch Michael created.” Reginald used the side of his shoe, moving a hand missing two fingers away from where he was standing.

  Stephen smiled, “That ‘bitch’ is going to take my dear old brothers heart. That cock-sucking prick has officially signed his death warrant.” Stephen coughed again.

  Reginald barked a laugh, “What? You have truly lived too long if you believe a new vampire, even one created by Michael is going to be able to hurt David.” He looked around, spying a head in the corner, “Oh, who is that? I don’t recognize him.”

  Stephen turned his head, followed Reginald's eyes. “His name was Scott. Yet another death you will answer for.”

  Reginald shook his head, “Please, Stephen. There is no one here to hear you blather on. I get it, I get it.” Reginald turned back to look at Stephen, “You are letting me know revenge will be yours because your Queen will avenge you.”

  Reginald squatted down, trying to keep his pants off of the floor and was eye level with Stephen, careful to stay outside of Stephen’s reach. “You need to grow up, old man. Your belief in vows and trust is not only old-school, it belonged to times and countries that don’t even exist anymore. Funny, Hugo told me the same thing when he died and do you see me running? No? Of course not! Why? Because revenge only happens when those delivering revenge have power. You don’t, your Queen doesn’t and David has even the mighty Michael sealed up, just waiting for his own death. There is no one to avenge you. Your family is quickly dying. Your kind, your belief is almost caput, finite, ended.”

  Reginald stood up, “What would your precious Queen say if she could tell me something right now?”

  Reginald watched as Stephen’s face scrunched up in concentration, looking into the distance behind him. Stephen spoke, “She would say you are a cock-tip sucking, stinky fudge-loving, fucking retarded cluster-duck, shitfaced ass jacker. No, wait, sorry. That was cluster-fuck shitfaced ass jacker.” Stephen’s face relaxed and smiled up at Reginald.

  Stephen thought the look on Reginald's face was ‘priceless’. Now he understood the phrase so well. “Really? Your Queen has quite the limited and base vocabulary. You really want to follow a bitch that talks like that? Are you sure you haven’t lived too long?”

  Stephen smiled, pulled his legs up to push himself back against the wall, sitting a little taller. He coughed once more, wiping his chin, “Yes, quite sure. I would have been happy having died in service to my Queen. However; I have been informed she isn’t finished with me yet.”

  “Really? Are you daydreaming now, Stephen? Too much blood loss?” Reginald sighed, and spoke to Terence, “It is sad, I had hoped for a different outcome. Let’s finish this, find out who else is in this place and then burn it.”

  The three bullets that blew apart Terence’s head sounded like one solid thunderclap. Reginald flinched at the sound and then stopped, a deep and dangerous growl emanating from behind him.

  Stephen’s smile was malicious, no love for the vampire in front of him, “Reginald, it’s time I introduced you to my Queen, Bethany Anne.”

  —

  Ivan was sitting with Claudia in the darkened room, a small chamber maybe ten feet by six feet. Stephen had shown Ivan the multitude of ways to exit his house a few weeks back. Right now, the decision was to wait. There was no way Ivan would be able to outrun any vampires waiting outside. They would hear him. It would be best if Stephen won and yelled to him from the other side of the wall to return. Right now, not even Stephen could open the door into this room. There was a back way out of here, but it was frankly small and until it was light outside, it wasn’t a help.

  Claudia had been weeping, Ivan trying to give her some support by patting her back. She leaned into his arm, seeking a connection, something to help her. Scott had been killed, the massive explosion and then the quiet.

  She buried her head into Ivan’s chest, reaching around to hug him to her. Ivan hugged her back, an unconscious response on his part. He had been replaying the last conversation he had with Gabrielle. It hadn’t gone well. She had some issues come up with changes to herself and was going to need time to deal with what they meant for her. Further, she wasn’t planning on moving forward on the personal side with him for a while. She had been locked into Bethany Anne’s team and Nathan was going to work with her Dad on the intelligence side, so she wouldn’t have a lot of time to be flying back and forth to Europe.

  Ivan hadn’t tried very hard to dissuade her from her decision. He cared for her, but it seemed something had happened to her physically that had her shook up. He was a firm believer if you let the bird go and it came back to you, then it was yours to keep. He just had to let the bird go. He told her he would wait, that nothing needed to be decided right then. He finally got her to agree to talk again in a couple of months. He knew she didn’t believe anything would change, but he needed just the faintest amount of hope to get through his own feelings.

  Now, he had a very passionate woman needing his attention, concerned she could die at any moment.

  Claudia mumbled something into his chest. Ivan looked down, “Excuse me?”

  She took her mouth away from his chest and spoke loud enough for him to hear, “Hold me, I’m scared.”

  His protective instincts kicked in, he held her tightly against his chest.

  —

  Reginald held very still, the growling sounded about ten feet behind him. Pissed he had allowed himself to trust Terence’s assurance the area was clear. Now, Terrence had paid for his mistake and Reginald was trying to figure out a way to turn this situation around.

  A female’s voice spoke behind him, “You know, I can almost see the little gears in your tiny pea-brain turning, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it to get you out of this situation. Here, let me help you understand.”

  So long as she kept talking, Reginald would only get smarter and have more time to turn this situation around. That was when both of his kneecaps exploded out, the gun shots having been fired simultaneously. He dropped to the ground. Screaming in rage and pain, “This is a very expensive suit, you bitch!” Another shot fired and the elbow he was using to try and sit up was vaporized.

  He laid back on the ground, in shock and watched as a beautiful woman with black hair walked around him. She holstered two pistols and pulled a sword off of her back and cut through Terence’s neck, severing what was left of his head. He lost her when she went into the kitchen.

  Her voice called out, “Stephen, anyone else to worry about and would you like this cold or warmed up?”

  Stephen smiled, “Oh, I can last long enough to have it warmed up. I will enjoy this so much better with warm blood and I don’t think we have anyone else in the house.”

  Reginald gritted his teeth. Two knee-caps and an elbow was a fucking trial to heal. His plans had never got him shot; he wasn’t a quick healer and couldn’t afford to get into a battle where he relied on his healing abilities.

  Now, he was screwed, his kneecaps slowly regenerating, his elbow not even starting to heal yet. He laid there on the ground and spied the hand with the missing fingers, considering if eating it would help him heal any faster.

  The mic
rowave dinged. He heard the crunch of boots as the woman came back into his vision and walked over to Stephen, handing him a mug of blood and then quickly yanking out a large splinter from his chest. Stephen only grunted and then slowly took the blood as if he were drinking a spot of tea.

  Reginald started to bare his fangs, thinking about the blood in the cup. He heard growling. He arched his neck backwards and looked behind him, coming face to upside-down face with a large, angry sounding all-teeth beast. Reginald closed his mouth and turned his head back to the woman who had stood up, walking over to where his feet laid at odd angles. He decided to negotiate, “I’ve got knowledge you need, so I can be useful. We can bargain.”

  The smile on the woman was not very regal, she looked beyond angry, she looked vengeful. He was looking into the eyes of someone who would kill him as easily as breath. “Oh, I don’t think we are bargaining anything, Reginald. What we are going to do is play a game. This game isn’t normal. I’m not going to sit here and do anything but find out ways that make you scream in pain. Then I’m going to heal you up enough to do it some more. The only way I am going to stop is if Stephen asks, very politely, for me to do so. But, I have to admit I have already done more than you believe possible, little Reginald.”

  “What, what are you talking about?” Reginald did not like his chances if Stephen was going to be the decision maker on when his pain would stop. What happened to women not liking torture?

  “You see, I am the Queen and my subjects are never forsaken. Just a few minutes ago, I was near Central America when you hurt my subject. Not powerful, Reginald? How many vampires do you know who can travel 7,000 miles in a second?”

  Reginald wasn’t believing any of this, he couldn’t believe any of this. If she wasn’t lying, then what was she? Suddenly, his neck felt the pressure of a sword tip and a whisper, “You aren’t paying attention, Reginald! Penalty box for you.” He screamed in pain when she flicked her sword, cutting off his left ear. She was back by Stephen again, helping him to stand up.

  Bethany Anne made sure Stephen was able to keep himself standing against the wall. “Hold on, if Reginald is going to make so much racket, let’s make sure we have a little time.” She moved her sword to her left hand, drew her pistol and shot both of Reginald's kneecaps again. His screaming went up an octave. She holstered the pistol, “Just making sure he can’t walk for a few minutes.”

  Stephen nodded, deciding that explaining Reginald was a slow healer was inconsequential to Bethany Anne. Stephen knew this side of his Queen, this side was death. Reginald wasn’t leaving this house alive; Stephen would bet all of his wealth on that outcome.

  Stephen asked, “I guess the room at the end of the hallway was acceptable my Queen?” Bethany Anne smiled at him, making him feel ten times better.

  “Yes, yes it was. I appreciate the extra blood packets in the room. It was a nice touch and it would have been a little less easy had they not been there. Thank you.”

  Stephen’s own wounds were starting to heal. Bethany Anne checked a couple of wounds, tisk…tisking to herself.

  TOM, can we move this along?

  Maybe a little, I still don’t want him having too much blood.

  Bethany Anne cocked her right elbow and put her hand, wrist to the outside in front of Stephen’s mouth, “Bite.” It wasn’t a request; it was a command.

  He lovingly sank his fangs into her wrist, pulling the blood, the energy, into his body. It took seconds for him to feel the change, the quickness of his own healing speeding up. “Stop.” He retracted, breathing a little hard from the excitement that overcame him drinking from her wrist.

  He wouldn’t make the mistake of ever trying to grab her wrist against her will again.

  “Ivan?”

  “He and Claudia are in a safe room beneath us. I showed him how to get out a while back. They are fine right now. I’m not sure how much of what we are going to do to Reginald Claudia needs to see.”

  Bethany Anne thought about this, “Her brother and friend?”

  Stephen shook his head, “Dead.”

  Bethany Anne pursed her lips, “Well, if it was me I might want a little of my own back. However; I’ll find them in a few minutes and ask her. She doesn’t have to come up here.”

  Stephen his voice dry, barely whispered, “It was David.”

  Bethany Anne cocked her head, “What was David?”

  “David, my sibling. He is the one who set this up. He has Michael.”

  Bethany Anne turned back to Reginald, “Really? Why isn’t that nice to hear, Reginald? Quit, stop your fucking whining you cunt-lipped ass jacket. Crying? Really? The big bad Reginald who kills vampires and isn’t afraid of revenge is crying? Guess what, Hugo called and he is waiting to discuss his death with you. Tough shit he has to wait until I’m done with your ass. Where is Michael you fuck-nut? Oh, growing a pair are we?”

  Bethany Anne walked over to where Reginald's feet were on the ground, “See here?” She snapped her fingers, “Reginald pay attention, this gets worse. So, I’m going to tell you a children’s rhyme used in America. Ever heard of ‘This little piggy went to market’? No? Let me teach it to you. This little piggy went to market,” Reginald screamed as Bethany Anne sliced through his leather shoe and took off his small toe. “This little piggy stayed home.” She sliced through the next toe over, cutting it off. He tried to move his legs, but the pain was too intense to do much. “Want to tell me where Michael is, or shall I continue teaching you the children’s rhyme?”

  Reginald was only too happy to explain where David’s castle was.

  Fifteen minutes later, after a couple of texts back to John, she took Ashur and followed Stephen’s directions to get Ivan and Claudia out of the hidden safe room.

  Bethany Anne walked up to the wall where the hidden door was installed. She could hear noise coming from behind the wall. She put her ear up to listen more intently and stepped back, rolling her eyes. Guess Ivan got over Gabrielle’s phone call pretty quickly. Why was it every time she needed to have a discussion with a woman, Ivan was playing hide the sausage with her?

  Bethany Anne spoke loudly, “Gott Verdammt Ivan! I can’t leave you alone for one fucking minute and you’re having sex. You fucking dick!” She smiled as she heard the two of them start scrambling around. She waited thirty seconds until the noises with the occasional squeal of pain as they stepped on a toe or something stopped.

  Ivan’s voice called from behind the wall, “Is that you?”

  “Who the hell else would you think would speak to a fucking wall this way? Open up before I get pissed and come through it. I’m getting impatient here, Ivan.”

  She heard a snick and then a three-foot-wide portion started to open towards her. She stepped aside and looked into the room. She saw a disheveled Ivan and a woman who still had red eyes from crying with messed up hair. Ivan’s shirt had his buttons in the wrong holes. She eyed Ivan up and down, “Ivan, I think you have some explaining to do, if not to me, then maybe Gabrielle? Two months, really? Did you last two days? You and the slut need to clean yourselves up before you come upstairs.” She turned to go and then stopped and turned around. “By the way, slut, do you want a piece of the person who killed your friend and your brother before he expires?” Claudia just shook her head negatively. She had figured her brother was dead but to have it brutally just laid out there was almost too much. The woman turned back around and left.

  Claudia walked out of the room and sat on the bed. “Who is that bitch?” She looked up at Ivan, who was lost in his own thoughts, looking miserable. “Ivan!” He jerked and looked at her, “Who is that bitch! And Gabrielle, who is she and why do you need to talk with her?”

  Ivan walked over to a chair and sat down. “Gabrielle is Stephen’s daughter, was my girlfriend until she called and asked for a ‘time out’… Well, maybe I asked for the time out.”

  “You were dating Stephen’s daughter? Oh god, I just screwed Stephen’s daughter’s boyfriend? How worse can my life g
et?” She put her face in her hands, “Who was the bitch?”

  “That’s Bethany Anne.”

  “Oh, fuck my miserable life.”

  Miami Fl, USA

  Across the Pacific Frank was sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands, his shoulders slumped starring at his laptop in front of him. Nathan came into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. He stopped on his way out, Frank hadn’t noticed him so he pulled a chair out next to Frank and sat down, “What’s wrong?” Frank didn’t move, “Frank, what’s wrong?” Frank looked up, noticing Nathan for the first time.

  “I missed it.” His right hand sweeping across his laptop as if that was the answer to Nathan’s question.

  “What? What did you miss?” They all knew Bethany Anne had survived a dangerous trans-location to Romania to help Stephen and Ivan.