Page 63 of Blood Submission

Chapter26

Laney moanedas pain lanced up the side of her face and into her temple before settling into a dull throb. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to leave the blissful numbness of sleep, but it wasn’t happening. Giving in to the persistent pull of consciousness, she fought her way to the surface. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she forced them open through the haze of agony. Shards of bright light stabbed her vision. Suddenly nauseous, she leaned over and vomited on the cement.

“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to join the living again. So to speak.” Throaty laughter sounded all aroundher.

Laney rolled her eyeballs up until she could see who was speaking, and realized it wasn’t just the pain that was making her sick. It was also the smell. As she stared at the living, reeking zombie in front of her, the events of the last few hours came crashing back into her aching skull: talking to Dante, the sounds in the tunnel, and getting punched repeatedly in the face until she’d passedout.

“Where am I?” Her voice was raspy to her ears, like she had been screaming again. Maybe she had. Looking around, she saw the rest of her kidnappers sitting quietly here and there on the pavement. A large cargo ship loomed behind the leader, anchored to the dock. She couldn’t see much beyond that through the dense mist hovering over the water.

Feeling something hard and cold digging into her spine, she carefully tilted her head back. A steel crane hung high above her. The giant orange neck seemed a mile away as it hung in position over the ship ready to unload the cargo.

“Not far from where we found you, but just far enough to give us some time to be ready,” the leader answered.

Laney tried to remember what he was talking about. She’d forgotten her question.

He looked at a watch hanging loosely on his bony wrist. Probably stolen off the last person he’d killed. “Your vampire, whichever one it is, should be arriving any momentnow.”

“And when he does?” She was shivering now, and not entirely from thecold.

“Then we get what wewant.”

“Whichis?”

He looked heavenward and sighed. She could tell he was getting impatient with her questions, but if all the TV shows she’d watched were right, the longer she kept him talking, the better her chances were of staying alive.

“I think you know what we’re looking for, witch.” He scrutinized her sitting there on the pavement at his feet. “Or maybe not.” He sounded somewhat disappointed, but not necessarily surprised.

She really didn’t. But now she knew why Dante had told her about the escape tunnel. Of course, he couldn’t have foreseen that they would find it first. He should have told her what was going on. He should have warned her. But it was too late now. “And what will happen to me? To the vampire?”

He shrugged, unconcerned. “For you, it all depends on how thirsty my friends hereare.”

Laney’s stomach plummeted. “And Dante?”

“Is that hisname?”

She didn’t answer.

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled again loudly. His rotting breath washed over her. “I love the sea air, don’tyou?”

Laney pulled her legs in and pushed with her feet, scooting a few feet over, away from him and the spot where she’d gotten sick. “Who are you?” she asked when she could breathe again.

The thing cocked its head at a strange angle. Bending at the waist, it leaned over her. Through its decaying skin she saw bone, or maybe teeth, through a hole in its cheek. Dead eyes yellowed from a failing liver sent tingles of fear up her spine. “I’m your worst nightmare, sweetheart,” it growled.

Laney shivered harder as invisible fingers crawled over her skin. A cold breeze blew in off the water, the salty air carrying away the stench of death. She breathed it in with relief, then lifted her chin and stared the thing down until it straightened to its full height, a morbid smile lifting its palelips.

“I like you. Maybe I’ll keep you for me. Once we have what we need and I become my true self again, I’ll need a few humans for daytime errands.” His eyes raked her small form. “And to suck my dick when I feel the urge, which is quite often in spite of my current appearance.”

The thought of that decaying appendage being shoved down her throat almost had Laney vomiting again. Swallowing hard, she fought the feeling until it went away. “You’d have to kill me first.”

“That can easily be arranged,” he replied with a shrug. His head suddenly whipped around to the left. “Ah, here comes your savior now.” Pain shot through her skull as he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her to her feet. Spinning her around, he pulled her back against him and wrapped one arm around her waist. The other hand grabbed her sore jaw and pointed her face in the direction he was looking. He was big, but not as big as the vampire coming afterher.

“Watch!” it cried dramatically. “Your boyfriend will be coming right around that building. Annnny second now—” The others stood and jostled into position around their leader. Two on each side, they balanced on the balls of their feet, ready for anything.

Laney winced, closing her eyes against the throbbing in her jaw and trying not to breathe. The ground rumbled beneath her feet, and her captor threw back his head and laughed with delight. A wet, phlegmy sound that made her stomach heave in spite of her best efforts.

“He’s pretty fucking pissed off,” he shouted happily. His hand slid up under her shirt, roughly grabbing her breast through her bra. “Maybe I should see what all the fuss is about. Hmm? I don’t normally go for such little girls, but I could make do.” He squeezed her roughly. “What do you think your vampire will do when he comes around that corner to find me tearing up that tight little ass? Because, you know, this body has a lot of faults. But the one good thing about it is the size of itscock.”

Laney struggled in his arms, trying to pull his hand off her. “He’s going to kill all of you,” she grittedout.

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