Crimson Dreams

We had walked a good distance from the house and I felt safe enough that Michael wouldn't hear us over the girls. Patrick grabbed my arm roughly and spun me around to face him. I resisted the urge to knock him on his ass and let him wrap his arms around my waist. He pressed his lips to mine and I pushed him away with more force than I had intended. I don't do the kissing thing. After months of kissing and getting hot with Nathan only to have him laugh and walk away from me, kissing was more intimate than I wanted to go. Ever. To make up for the action I set my back pack down. I had grabbed it on our way out telling him I only trusted condoms I brought with me.

I laid down on the ground and motioned for Patrick to join me. He smiled before kneeling and crawling up my body. He pressed himself onto me as he hovered over me. I faked a moan of wanting while placing my hands near the opening of my boots. I could feel him grow through his jeans with need. I smiled and thrust against him.

"I don't like bottom." I whispered.

He didn't say anything but he wrapped his arms around me and rolled over so that I was ontop of him. While he did this I pulled a knife out of my boot. When he finished his roll I had the knife pressed to his throat and I tightened my legs around him so he couldn't wiggle away but also so he couldn't throw me off him.

"One sound and I gut you like the pig you are. Understand me?"

He nodded.

"Now. You're going to play the good little human and tell me who you work for."

His eyes got big and he shook his head.

"Fine. We can play it the hard way."

I pulled my back pack over to me. I had shoved my purse into it before I had even gotten out of the SUV. Inside my purse were gags and other little toys I liked to play with. I pulled the gag out with one hand and shoved into his mouth. I applied a little more pressure to the knife at his throat until I felt the blade sink into his skin slightly. Thank god this was Georgia and there were trees. I tied his arms up to the nearest tree before I got off of him.

"I have a friend that says your working for vampires but I also have a reliable source who says you work for the demons. I want to know which it is. I want to know your contacts and I want to know everything you know. Do I need to go further or do you think I am serious?" I asked. He didn't respond so I shrugged and went full steams ahead. "Have it your way then."

I pressed my knife against his arm and pulled it down in a long heavy stroke. I watched in interest as his blood followed the wake of my knife. I then turned and set the blade aside before grabbing a bottle of rubbing alcohol. I poured the liquid over the new wound while dropping my shields. He screamed against the gag and started kicking around on the ground. I sat over him smiling as I fed off his pain and fear. I soaked his pain in through every pore of my body like it was an exquisite perfume made for only me while wrapping myself in his fear like it was a blanket. My demon part fed off this stuff. And it had been a long time since I had fed my demon.

Finally he stopped moving around and I opened my eyes to look down at him.

"Are you ready to talk now?" I asked him. He started saying something against his gag but I held a finger out for him to quiet. "If you aren't ready to talk then I can move on to do this same thing to your dick."

He grew still then and simply nodded.

"One sound louder than a whisper when I remove this gag and I will slice away a piece of your dick to send to each and every little girl you have gotten drunk and then raped. After each slice is cut away I will pour this rubbing alcohol on it and if I should run out then I have salt as well."

He whimpered and cringed at the thought. Confident I had his attention now I pulled the gag off. He didn't scream or anything he just looked up at me.

"Who do you work for?" I asked.

"A demon named Pyro."

Pyro was the demon name for prince of falsehoods and lies. I didn't think Pyro was really this demons name but more of a name given to this human to protect his identity. Or maybe someone just had a sick and twisted since of humor when it came to naming their kid.

"And what can you tell me about this demon?"

"Not much. He is very secretive. I have only seen him twice. Michael is who I use to contact Pyro. Michael goes by the name Asmoday. He is Pyro's second in command."

Asmoday was supposed to be the demon that tricked Eve into that whole thing with the apple.

"So you have worked your way up really far to be chummy with Pyro’s second in command. What did that cost you?" I asked him lightly. I was still trying to figure out these name things.

"I befriended a vampire named Rani. Her sire Raphael has sent her into the city to scope out the local master. But Raphael has some bad blood with the demons."

"Why?"

"Something about a child."

"Go on."

"Raphael knows who and where this child is. Pyro wants the child for himself so he has been using me to get information out of Rani."

"I have gotten close to finding out where the child is. I know she is here."

I was about to respond to him when I was suddenly thrown back. My head hit a tree nearby and all I seen was stars for a second.

"You fool." Michael stood over Patrick. "You coward. I would have died telling her nothing."

"Asmoday. Please." Patrick started pleading. "I have told her nothing important."

I didn't wait to hear the rest. I had to kill Asmoday too now or else it would get back to whoever this Pyro was that I had been here. I pulled out two blades and launched my body onto Asmoday's. One blade sunk into his back only a few inches from his heart. The other was protruding out his neck. He was fast. I knew he was powerful but I would never have guessed he had this much strength.

He flung me off him so hard that I went sailing through the trees. Taking a few down with me in my path. I stood and shook my head. I was a little wobbly on my feet and I felt light headed but I was standing. And that was one hell of a good thing. I started sprinting back towards Asmoday just as I heard a scream come from Patrick. Fuck. He was killing my only source. There was no way I was going to be able to just capture Asmoday and question him. He wouldn't go down unless he was dead.

I pulled another knife from my boot and threw it as hard as I could towards his back. He turned around in a flash and caught the knife before throwing it back at me. The blade hit my left shoulder and tore all the way through. I screamed as the blades momentum pulled me back a few feet before leaving my body. I was laying on my back in the dirt and my left arm was completely useless now. I heard footsteps coming my way and I tried to sit up. My head spun and all I could do was lean to the side and puke.

"Only tough against another human aren't you little girl." Asmoday was standing over me now. "My guess is you are hyped up on vampire blood. Any other girl would be dead from what little I have done to you."

"Yeah. That's it buddy." I said as I tried to sit up again.

This time I did sit up but I was pushed back down to the ground as Asmoday laid on top of me.

"Now you got me real hot and bothered back there in the house. I came looking to collect on your unspoken promise when I heard Patrick spilling the beans about our operation." He looked back behind him where Patrick had been tied up. "Bastard won't be telling anything else to anyone ever again." He looked back at me. "What he didn't know was we weren't looking for a child anymore. She would be grown now. Just old enough to drink from what I understand."

"So you're not all pedophiles?" I tried bucking against him to make him loose his balance but it did no good. Instead I started inching my right hand towards my boot. My left arm was still useless. I healed fast due to my mixed blood but I was still human.

"Oh no you don't." He pulled both my hands up and crossed them under my chin. I cried out at the pain of my arm being moved. "I have seen what comes out of those boots." The fingers on my right hand rubbed against something cold. I looked down to see my watch on my left wrist.

I waited until he took a deep breath before pushing the button on my watch. I held my breath and closed my eyes just as the silver based gas was released. Asmoday screeched as he got a face full. I could hear the gas burning his lungs but it wasn't enough to kill him. It was only enough to distract and that’s what I used it for. I dug the fingers of my right hand deep into his eyes. I could smell the sickly sweet smell of his eyes as they started burning from the silver in my nail polish. I screamed out with everything I had hoping Alex's men could hear me before I stabbed him in the heart with my knife.

I stayed conscience long enough to tear his heart out and chop it up into many pieces. Not wanting to leave them close by I forced myself to swallow the bits of his heart. You can kill a demon by taking his heart but if you leave enough of it laying around then someone can resurrect him. I fought the urge to puke again. I couldn't hear Alex's men coming but it didn't matter anymore. I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me over.

********************************************

There was a cool sensation on my shoulder. I moaned and turned my head to the left. I opened my eyes but all I could make out were little spots of light and a blur. I closed my eyes again as I felt the urge to puke for the third time tonight. Hopefully these were Alex’s men that had finally come and helped out. That’s when I remembered eating the bits of Asmoday's heart. I started heaving again and this time when I opened my eyes I could actually see. What I saw stopped me in mid gag.

The most beautiful lips I had ever seen were so close to mine. They reminded me of Nathan's lips. I missed his lips. I missed the way they felt when they were pressed to mine. The softness of them pressed to my stomach. I pushed myself up enough to press my lips to those right in front of me. They were as soft as they looked. I haven't kissed a man since that last night with Nathan. I wrapped my arms around the man’s neck when I felt his answering kiss. This kiss was more tender and caressing than Nathan's had been.

That jogged me back to where I was and I pushed away with all I had left in me. Which wasn't much considering I limply fell back to the couch. I looked up to see who I had been kissing and was shocked to see intense green eyes looking back at me. I couldn't decipher the look in those eyes but I felt the red flare across my cheeks and neck. I closed my eyes and wished myself to vanish. But there’s a cruel God up there and my prayers were un-answered.

"I am so sorry Alexander." I said it so lightly and he didn't say anything that I was wondering if he even heard me. "I thought you were someone else. It will never happen again." I kept spilling out my explanation in hopes that he wouldn't be angry at me. I had longed for him but I knew how he felt for me. And me kissing him was not what he wanted. "I thought you were Na-" I stopped myself before I told too much.

It was during our trip in Perry that I met Nathan. He was a demon and best friends with Alex. Alex didn't know that Nathan and I were meeting outside after he had gone to bed. He didn't know that Nathan had volunteered to train me so that he could stay close to me. He didn't know any of this when he left me with Nathan for three months. All he knew was one night I called him crying and asked him to come get me from Byron. When he came to get me he could smell the blood and sex on me. He asked who it was and I never told him. I had left Nathan a note telling him I was going back to Alex and I would never speak of our time together so long as he never came to Alex's home again.

Nathan and Alex were still good friends and Alex still went to Perry every other weekend for their get together. Alex had asked me many times if I wanted to go with him and each time I came up with a really good reason not to go. Alex would come home and tell me that Nathan had asked about me and sends his hellos. He would tell me of their weekend together and then I would go in my room and cry. That was one of the reasons I moved out of Alex's house as soon as I was 18. That was five years ago and still I wanted Nathan.

"Who?" Alex commanded.

"No one." I sat up and fought the dizziness trying to over take me.

"It's him isn't it?" He asked. "You’re first. You keep me from knowing who he is. Why?"

"Because it's not important." I sighed.

"If it was forced then I will gladly kill him."

That pushed a button there and I stood up quickly before falling back to the couch. I guess I would have to do this sitting.

"It was not forced. I held out for months before I laid myself to him like a whore. And he left me just like a whore. I didn't get chance to dress before he laughed in my face and told me I was too easy. It was only when I seen him remove the video recorder that I fully understood." I placed my head in my hands and pushed on my eyes until I seen colorful spots. "I told Nathan I was leaving. He tried to stop me so I ran. That’s why you picked me up in Byron. I couldn't stay with Nathan because of embarrassment." I sighed. "That’s why I left you when I was 18. I knew you knew what had happened and I was ashamed."

I felt Alex’s hand run through my hair. "I didn't know what had happened Alex." He pressed his lips to my forehead. "I thought you had been raped and didn't want to tell me. I even had some of the servants listening for you to say who did this. I hunted the streets that night after I brought you home. I was looking for the man with your scent on him. I was going to kill any and all who came in contact with you."

I sniffled lightly before wiping my nose and standing up again. This time I didn't fall back down. I looked down out of habit to see what I was wearing. I had on one Alex's shirts and it fell just below my ass. That’s all I had on besides my panties. I shook my head and put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "The past is the past. It's done. Leave it alone." I picked up his car keys off the table and left his house. He didn't try to stop me.

I got into Alex’s red Mercedes and started the engine. The clock read 7 a.m. If I hurried I could make it to coffee shop before Ethan got off. I reached into the back seat and smiled when my hands touched my back pack. I threw on my sweat pants and a tank and then popped the car into reverse and pulled out. I had a lot to think about and I hope I was cryptic enough about the whole Nathan thing that Alex would leave alone or at least not figure out who it was.

My thoughts carried me to the coffee shop. I opened the door and walked in. The first thing I seen was the light blonde headed man sitting in his usual spot. He turned his secretive blue eyes towards me and I had the urge to slap those secrets out of him. I wasn't in a good mood and I had a belly full of demon heart. I really needed coffee. There was also two other men seated around the windows.

"Good morning. Can I get you anything?" Ethan asked from behind the counter.

"Yes sir. Can I get a coffee with cinnamon and whipped cream? And just a little dash of nutmeg please." I responded.

"Coming right up." He opened the drawer as if accepting money while I slipped a twenty into his tip jar.

When I was working we didn't know each other. It protected him and it protected me from having him used against me.

"Can I get your first name please?" He asked. I could see my name already written on there.

"Ashley." I responded before taking my normal seat.

I looked at the blonde across from me. He was holding a book up to his nose as usual. I wonder where he worked. He wasn't wearing a uniform and it wasn't a suit. He was wearing street clothes. Maybe he just liked having coffee here so he came anyways. I sighed and looked away from the man.

"Ashley?" A woman’s voice called out.

I stood back up and walked to the counter to get my drink. Guess Ethan had to run.

"Thank you. Have a good night." I called.

The lady responded but Ethan did not. I turned to look at the other two men sitting in the coffee house only they weren't there. I took a swig of my coffee and then let out an angry sigh. I turned on my heel and marched back to the counter.

"Excuse me. You got my drink wrong." I called out. The girl came back out from the back with a smile. "You got my drink wrong." I repeated blandly.

"I am so sorry about that. What did you order?"

"I ordered a coffee with two sugars and three creams with Swiss almond powder." The coffee shops here didn't carry Swiss almond powder. If she went looking for it then I would know something was up.

"I do apologize. Let me make it for you again." She said as she took my cup and turned around. Her eyes scanned the counters until she saw the sink where she dumped my drink out. Then she turned towards me and scanned the floor. Finally she found the trash-can under the register. Ethan told me about the cool trash bags the coffee shop had invested in that were specially designed not to leak fluids. This made it quicker to work when you didn't have to dump things in a sink and then find a trash can.

When she leaned over to throw the cup in the trash I reached out and slammed her head into the cash register before jumping over the counter.

"Ethan?" I called out.

I opened the door that lead into the supply room to find Ethan laying on the floor. He was bleeding from his head. When I started to run to him a man grabbed my arm. I turned to see the two men who had been sitting in the coffee shop when I first came in. Both had black hair and wore designer suits. I ducked a fist coming for my face and elbowed the man holding me. He doubled over and I brought my knee up to meet his face. They were both human. Probably trying to rob the place.

I heard the click of a guns safety being turned off and froze. A gunshot to the head or heart and I was dead. I held my hands up to show I was un-armed and not fighting anymore.

"Turn missy."

I complied slowly. Didn't want to scare the human into shooting me.

"Please. Just take the money and leave. I will even give you the keys to my car."

"I don't want the money or your car." He spat. "You just had to play the good
civilian didn't you?" He shook his head. "This goes way over your head missy. Now you're going to sit down like a good girl and my friend and I are going to leave with that little boy over there." He nodded towards Ethan.

I looked over my shoulder at Ethan and seen he was starting to come too. I could hear his heart beat going steady so he was going to live. But he wasn't going anywhere with this man.

"Afraid I can't let you do that." I said before I ducked and charged him at top speed.

I caught him around the waist and took him down. I heard the gun fire before I slammed my fist into his face. I heard his skull crack just as I heard Ethan scream. I stood up and walked to Ethan. He was shot in the shoulder and I could hear his body start going into shock. The gun shot wouldn't kill him but the shock would.

"Fuck." I picked Ethan up and threw him over my shoulder. I picked up the guys gun and put it in the waist of my pants before bending down and picking the man up. He was after Ethan so he was going to be used as leverage or information. The other man wasn't going to live so I just left him.

I walked out into the coffee shop with both men slung over each shoulder. Blondie was still sitting in his usual place. Who sits in place while there are gunshots and fighting going on around them? Someone who is in on it. I pulled the gun out and pointed it at Blondie.

"Red Mercedes out front. Get in it and if you pull anything funny I will kill you."

"Yes ma'am." He stood and walked out the door to the car.

I flung the bastard who shot Ethan into the trunk before setting Ethan in the back seat on the passenger’s side. Never once did my gun waver off Blondie.

"Get in the driver’s seat and drive where I tell you." I got in behind him and pressed the gun to his head as he started the car.

I made Blondie drive us all the way back to Alex's home. While he drove I pulled my cell phone out and called my contact to let him know I needed help at Alex's house and have people waiting outside for me.

"Turn to this house on the left." I instructed. He made the turn and then placed the car in park. "Kill the ignition and throw the keys out the window."

He obliged and I nodded. I couldn't see Alex but I felt him. As soon as I nodded he stepped out of the tree line and walked to the car. He opened Ethan’s door and pulled him into his arms like an infant.

"I wanted my car back, yes, but I didn't think it would be so fast and with you still in it. Nor did I think there would be two others with you." He stated flippantly.

"There’s another in the trunk." I said as I got out the car.

Marco and Tack started pulling Blondie out of the car as I went around to the trunk. I opened it and sighed. Two attacks in less than 12 hours? This was a new record for me. I picked the man up and carried him into the house as if he were a child.

When I walked through the door I seen Tack had his fingers dug into Ethan shoulders and Ethan had been gagged to keep his screams from attracting the neighbors. It wasn't the first time he had had to go through this and I was sure it wouldn't be the last if he stayed around me. Marco was standing next to Tack with a blade in his hand. As soon as the bullet was removed he cut into his wrist and held it to Ethan’s now un-gagged mouth. I watched Ethan take a few pulls of Marco's blood before I opened the door to the basement.

I didn't bother to carry the man all the way down. I just dropped him and let him roll down with me walking behind him. When we reached the end of the stairs I heard Blondie laugh. He was chained to the wall right in front of the stairs. Polo - Marco's twin - Picked the man up at my feet without a word and began to heal him. When the man was healed enough to sit Polo chained him up beside Blondie before going back up the stairs. I heard him and Tack exchange a few words before Tack squeezed by me and went to stand by Blondie.

"Ethan will stay here until a safer place is arranged." This came from Alex who I hadn't seen at first. "I had people watching him at home but I never thought to have someone at his work."

"Blondie there has been going to the shop for over four months now. He knew Ethan and I were close."

"Is that so?" Alex asked while circling Blondie. "I will get the answers and you will have your retribution for what was done to Ethan." Alex stopped circling Blondie and walked to my side. "Go home, Alex, and get some sleep. The guards on your home have been tripled. You are safe. I am having Marco and Polo take you home."

"Why Marco?" I asked. I wasn't talking about why they were taking me home. Turns out Marco was my contact.

"You know the rumors of him and his brother. They both are. Polo was just on reserve." He understood what I meant when I asked and his answer was just as cryptic.

"You knew it would get dirty fast?"

"Not this fast. That’s why Marco was first. Now that it is this bad I will have to add Polo." He sighed. "If Marco, Polo, and myself are not enough then there is no help what so ever."

I nodded to that instead of pushing the issue. It was true. Marco and Polo were the two most powerful vampires in Alex's line. They were also ruthless and quick to turn things bloody. If I wasn't safe being protected by the three of them then there was no help for me.

"Thanks Alex. I will be by later to fill you in on last night and to be filled in on now." I said.

I saw Blondie’s eyes widened as he looked from me to Alex. He had just pieced together the puzzle. He saw it as a father protecting his daughter. No one can ever know a man’s weakness and not look over his shoulder. Blondie saw his death and knew there would be no getting out of it. Alex would never let him live and relay the news that Alex had a human named after him that he apparently cared for.

"Leave the blonde one alone." I heard Alex say as I started back up the stairs.

Marco and Polo were standing at the door with Ethan. I gave Ethan a hug and kissed his cheek before following the twins outside.

They both had light brown hair with dark brown eyes. They were both six foot even and they both had the same half moon tattoo on their right hands. The only way to tell them apart was their hair. Marco had shoulder length curls with one braid that hung down to his elbow in the front. Polo kept his hair cut so close to his head that the military envied him. Polo had told me once that if he grew his hair out like his brothers then you really couldn't tell the difference between them unless they were naked from the waist up.

Polo had a tattoo of a dragon on his chest with the name "Dakota" written above it. Dakota had been his son while he was human. Polo’s son was two years old when Polo was changed into a vampire. After his son hit twenty he befriended him and spent a few years with him. Polo had even attended his sons funeral and then befriend his grandchildren. As far as I know he is still befriending those of his blood. They were both a little over 800 years old dead. Marco never had a family of his own but he too spent time with Polo’s descendants.

"I will be fine. I called work to let them know there had been a hold up. Friends have already taken the surveillance tapes. I asked for time off to pull myself together. I am safe here Alex. Don't worry about me." Ethan called out before I got into the car.

He said friends had gone to get the tapes. That meant vampires. I would have to ask Marco and Polo about that later. I laid down in the back seat and closed my eyes. I let the past twelve hours wash over me and pull me into a deep sleep. I was safe with Marco and Polo.