Star, Starland Vamp Series, Book 1 (32 page)

“We’ll have to get it quickly before anyone from the club recognizes us,” Verus replied, turning his Corvette back onto the expressway, headed back to the city.

Then I turned to face him. “Believe me. You want me to get my car.”

“Is it loaded?” Verus asked, as a slight grin lit his lips.

“I came well stocked,” I replied, thinking of the weapons in the trunk.

Verus smiled broadly. Typical man. Weapons always make them happy. But, then again, weapons always put a smile on my face, too.

Within minutes, we were back on Broadway, heading toward The Mirage. We drove around the block and came up the other way, so we wouldn’t have to pass the club. But down the road, it appeared that everything was back to normal. There were a few vamps out front standing guard, but not more than usual.

“Pull over here,” I instructed Verus, eyeing the Challenger RT. “I’ll grab the car, then you follow me. Got it?”

“Whatever you say,” Verus replied, nodding. But as we neared the car, there were some thugs around it. In fact, a few of them had crowbars and was trying to open the trunk.

“Shit! You’ve got to be kidding me!” I yelled, eyeing the thugs. They were human.

Verus laughed, then quietly pulled behind the Challenger and cut the engine so as not to be noticed, then motioned for me to continue, grinning from ear to ear. “If you need me, just yell,” Verus replied sarcastically, laughing, knowing well I could handle anything that came my way.

“Thanks, V,” I replied sarcastically as he laughed. I got out of the car, not so quietly slamming the door. “And what do we have here?” I asked the thugs, then casually walked up behind the two humans with the crowbars. They turned around with the crowbars raised, facing me, their mouths open with surprise. “Didn’t your Mamma’s ever tell you that crime doesn’t pay?” I asked with my hands on my hips.

“What the hell is it to you, bitch?” one of them—a red headed human in his late teens—asked, holding up his crow bar menacingly. The other human still held his crow bar, but was poised to run, if necessary. No balls.

A roar of laughter came from the car. Verus was thoroughly amused. Great.

Then I turned my attention back to Mutt and Jeff. “Bitch, huh?” I asked, my green eyes flaring. “I got your bitch right here.” I yelled into the red head’s face as I quickly grabbed the crowbar from his hands and bent the heavy steel in half right before his eyes.

Skinny dropped his crowbar and ran, while Red replied with wide eyes, “Hey, I don’t want any trouble …”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you want,” I said, throwing the bent crowbar to the ground, making a huge clanking sound as it hit the ground. “Get the hell out of here.”

His eyes grew wide as the rest of his buddies ran. Seeing he was alone, he chased his friends down the street.

Quickly, I slid into the driver’s seat of the Challenger RT as the hemi roared to life. Just in time, for a few blocks down in front of The Mirage, one of the bad boys was telling a vamp bouncer what happened. Within a second, the bouncer motioned toward a few other vamps and they were running toward us.

Expertly, I floored it, swinging the car in the other direction, driving the wrong way on a one-way street for a bit. Cars honked their horns noisily as I darted around them until I finally found a cross street. I quickly cut the wheel to the right, almost running into a passing car, whose owner laid on the horn cursing as I passed.

Vamps were chasing me on foot, but gave up when I made another quick turn to the left and was then on a side street, going in the right direction just as Verus caught up behind me in his Corvette. He followed me through a series of dark allies and streets until I came to Cedar Lake, where Big Bird and Boy Blue met their demise.

Pulling up to the water’s edge, I quickly cut the lights, and Verus followed my lead. And even though it was completely dark, we both could see perfectly. I quickly shoved my Glock into the back of my jeans, covering it with my leather jacket, as I cut the engine. Then I walked to the trunk of the Challenger as Verus met me there.

I quickly popped the trunk.

“What’s your pleasure?” I asked, opening one of the black cases.

“Wow,” Verus said appreciatively. “You
did
come loaded, didn’t you?”

“Let’s load up and get out of here,” I replied, already shoving a few more clips into my pockets. Verus took a Kimber Solo 9 mm and shoved it into the back of his blue jeans, covering it with his jacket, then selected a new Diamondback DB380 hand pistol and pushed it into his boot, along with clips for the weapons into his pants pockets. I had a combat assault rifle in the trunk, a Gatlin gun, grenade launcher, and much more, but they would have to wait. In the meantime, we loaded up with what we could. “V, where do you want to leave your car?”

Verus thought for a moment, then replied, “I have an idea. Let’s just ditch it in the woods out of the way behind some trees. I have a cover in the trunk, then we can cover it with branches so no one sees it.”

“Let’s do it,” I replied, closing the trunk of the Challenger RT. We still had plenty of weapons left, even after loading up. Then my thoughts turned to Zac, and I knew we had to act quickly. 

After expertly hiding his car in the brush, Verus slid into the passenger seat of the Challenger. Then I pealed out, sending a shower of pebbles flying behind, headed toward the Bronx. We had to act quickly, for if we didn’t, we signed the death warrants of Rick and Zac, and quite possibly Annie.

Within minutes, we turned onto I-95 and crossed over the George Washington Bridge headed toward the Cross Bronx Expressway.

“Where to?” I asked Verus, immediately in agent mode.

“Take a left onto Archer Street, then a left onto Thieriot Avenue,” Verus directed, also in agent mode. “Make a right down this alley. The warehouse is all the way down at the end.”

I nodded, following his directions. I made the turns and passed a few buildings, then came to a deserted part of the alley, but at the end stood a five story metal fortress. It was huge, covering most of the block. I was sure it was filled with security, although none were visible from the street.

“I thought you said it was a warehouse,” I said, eyeing the metal fortress that gleamed where the beams of light from the street lamps hit the shiny steel.

“It is,” Verus replied, then instructed. “Here, pull down this alley. We can leave the car there.” He was pointing toward a skinny side street next to the huge building.

“That’s not a warehouse,” I replied, eyeing the massive structure covering the end of the block. “It’s a fortress.” Verus nodded, as I pulled down the thin side street near the massive structure. The car would be out of the way, but easy to access if necessary. “No one will bother it here, will they?”

“Not from the warehouse,” Verus replied. “They only guard the warehouse, not the surrounding area.”

“Good,” I said, then nodded, quickly thinking of how we were going to get in. “V, I have an idea.” Immediately, I had his attention. “Do you think Titus will be here now?”

“Yes. Of course,” Verus answered, nodding as his eyebrows pulled together.

“They trust you, right?”

“They have no idea I’m an agent, if that’s what you mean,” Verus replied, trying to see my logic. “What are you thinking, Star?”

One side of my lips curled into a menacing smile. “We’re going right through the front door.”

“What?”
Verus asked, thinking I’d lost my mind for sure.

“Does he like women? Pretty women?” I asked, still smiling.

“Of course he does,” Verus replied, then he started catching on. “Star, I can’t let you do that.”

“It’s just going to get us in, that’s all,” I replied, stopping the car in a spot out of the way, then I turned off the engine. “Once we get in, we’ll find Zac, Rick, and Annie and we’ll get out.”

Then Verus’ eyes narrowed as he amended, “But not before we kill Titus.”

“Agreed,” I replied, nodding. I knew if we didn’t, he’d try creating shape shifting vamps again. “Let’s go.”

Staying in the shadows, we ran down the alley to the end, where we could see the metal citadel gleaming in the moonlight, knowing it would be blinding to passersby in the daylight. At the end of the alley, we slid against the wall, melding into the shadows. Verus eyed me, wondering what I was up to.

Suddenly, my body shimmered and shook, my features changing, morphing until I looked like Marilyn Monroe from the bar, with platinum blonde waves, heavy black eye liner, and bright red lipstick. I wore a beige sundress cinched around my neck, backless, falling to my hips which flowed down past my knees and beige strappy high heels to match, just like Marilyn from the bar.

“What the hell?” Verus exclaimed, knowing I’d lost my mind for sure, then added sarcastically, “You’re going to fight the bad guys in high heels?”

I laughed in Marilyn’s breathy voice. “No, silly, I’m getting us in. They won‘t recognize me like this.”

“They won’t recognize you, but you’re going to get plenty of attention,” Verus replied, shaking his head.

“That’s what I’m counting on,” I told him in Marilyn’s breathy soprano, then took his arm. “Let’s go. Tell the guards you have a present for Titus.”

Verus laughed. “You are shrewd, aren’t you?” He let me slide my hand into his arm, then covered my hand with his.

I laughed, as we started toward the fortress. “When I have to be.”

“I’m glad you’re on my side,” Verus said, laughing, shaking his head. “By the way, he goes by Drake now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I asked, surprised, but didn’t slow my pace. 

“I didn’t think it mattered,” he replied with a shrug as we neared the fortress. “Like I said before, he’s gone by many names in the past.”

“Obviously.”

Two vamp guards stepped out of the front doors into the moonlight, each carrying Uzi submachine guns as we crossed the street. “Hold it right there,V,” a tall brunette vamp, muscled, with a three day-old beard announced. His brown curls just touched the back of his collar.

We kept walking toward them, undeterred.

“I have a present for Drake,” Verus announced, glancing down at me.

The other tall blonde vamp—heavily muscled, with an army issue high and tight haircut—slid the nose of his Uzi in front of us to block our way, forcing us to stop. “I don’t think so,” he began. “Not today. We have orders from Drake that no one enters without his consent.”

Verus shrugged. “Then call him,” he replied, matter of fact. “You can explain why his …” he cleared his throat, “… entertainment … was delayed. But I have no problem with it. Go right ahead.”

The two burly vamps eyed me appreciatively, their eyes caressing my pale skin, then the brunette grinned as I smiled seductively. “I don’t see the harm,” the brunette vamp replied with a half grin, then motioned with his Uzi for us to enter. “Go ahead.”

“I’ll give him a call,” the blonde vamp said, undeterred, reaching for his walkie talkie hanging on the side of his belt.

“She’s a surprise,” Verus quickly interrupted. “I found her at the club and thought Drake might like her.”

“Oh, I think he’s going to be surprised, alright,” the brunette vamp replied with a smirk, then turned to me. “I thought you were dead.”

“You’re not the only one, Sugar,” I replied in Marilyn’s breathy voice as I trailed a hand seductively down his arm. Body print. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I added, seductively extending my hand.

Then, he took my hand into his own and kissed it without taking his eyes from mine. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Monroe.” He motioned me into the fortress as Blondie’s eyebrows pulled together. Blondie looked like he was once a member of the Special Forces, perhaps a Navy Seal, before he was changed into a vamp. He was not going to be as easily fooled.

I glanced in his direction and winked, as he quickly turned his head, unmoved. We’ll have to take him out pretty quick.

“Take her to Drake’s room,” the brunette instructed Verus, giving me another once over.

Verus nodded as he expertly took my hand and tucked it again into his arm, then led me past the guards and down a long, narrow hallway. This really was a fortress. Then Verus turned to me and whispered, “Wait to change back. We have another set of guards to pass before we’re in.”

I nodded, but said nothing as we walked down the dark corridor, my heels tapping loudly as they resonated off the solid metal walls. There was a lightening at the end of the tunnel, which grew brighter as we drew near.

“Just be careful,” Verus instructed, his voice barely a whisper. “And if anything happens, get out. I’ll take care of Rick and Zac.”

“Not on your life,” I answered as we drew near to the tunnels end. “I’m not leaving without them.”

Verus nodded, as we stepped into a brightly lit, open room, with a landing on the second floor overlooking the great room, but we were quickly stopped by three more vamps with Uzis. More of Drake’s henchmen, I was sure. “Hold it right there, V,” a tall vamp with an ear ring said in a deep baritone. “What do you think you’re doing, bringing her here?”

“Please tell me I don’t have to go through this again!” Verus replied, exasperated. “She’s a present. A surprise for Drake.”