Wicked Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 4) (41 page)

“No, you haven’t,” I said. “If you hadn’t…well, I’d probably be dead right now.”

I heard her sharp intake of breath.

“You know, most people go their entire lives without killing anybody,” she said. “You deserved that sort of life. A life where you never had to worry about vampires, good or evil, or people stalking or preying upon you just because of who you love or are affiliated with.

“You deserve a life of peace and harmony with someone whose only contention might be that you forgot to pick up eggs on the way home from some mundane job,” she said in a sad tone of voice.

“That doesn’t matter anymore,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

I don’t even know if what she described was even a possible reality anymore.

Was it really ever for me?

My childhood had started out pretty screwed up.
Would I have had any real possibility of making it to adulthood had a lovely, yet suicidal, vampire not intervened on my behalf?

“What does matter, then?” she asked, searching my eyes as if seeking some hidden secret of the ages.

For me, no matter what I’d experienced since childhood, or since being reunited with Kat, there was only one reality that mattered.

“I love you,” I said. “That’s all that really matters to me.”

She took my face in her hands and gently pressed her lips to mine, kissing me with tenderness and affection.

“Oh, my dear, sweet Caleb,” she whispered. “I love you now and forever.”

Ethan and Alton peered over her shoulder at me. Ethan wore a concerned look, but Alton’s expression was different.

He smiled down at me; he looked proud.

That’s when something fully solidified in my mind.

I had killed before; explosives thrown at a vehicle, only to have two living beings blown to bits, remnants of their carcasses aflame on the asphalt.

But what had just happened was so different.

“It felt so…personal,” I whispered.

Kat frowned at me. “What?”

Alton squatted next to me and placed his warm hand on my forehead. “I know,” he said soothingly.

“But it was more than that,” I said.

“Yes?” he asked.

“It happened so fast. And much of it was automatic; like my body was replaying a memory,” I said. “But it was awkward…erratic. Then it seemed so
easy
when it finally happened.”

The tightness that immediately formed in my throat and chest spoke volumes of my shock over that simple realization.

“What you experienced, that’s how it often happens, my boy,” Alton reassured me.

“It shouldn’t feel that easy,” I whispered.

“Oh, but it should,” he said. “It must, or none of us would be able to do it effectively. Your life depends upon it.”

“My enemy too, though,” I said.

“Yes, only you must be better than them,” he said.

Yes, Alton had to be correct about that. To think anything less would seem foolish otherwise.

“Let me have a look at him,” Ethan said.

Kat and Alton stepped back for Ethan to have access to me.

Fortunately, he said I should recover fine, and that he didn’t think there was any neurological damage to be concerned about based upon his examination. He said I was likely in a state of mild shock, which should pass.

Additionally, as was done in Slovenia, he injected small amounts of Kat’s blood beneath my skin to boost the healing of injuries. Then Kat topically applied her saliva to my cuts and bruises.

The numbing effects felt wonderful, in fact.

Later, she and I were once again alone; she lie facing me in bed, running her fingers through my hair.

“Who were those guys?” I asked.

“Alton’s examining their cell phones. Rest assured, my love, we’ll find out who those men were, as well as who they worked for,” she said.

“Good,” I said.

“And someone’s got hell to pay,” she said.

I had no doubt of it, in fact.

“One more thing,” I said.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Please don’t be angry with Roman,” I said. “None of this was his fault.”

“He shouldn’t have let you go alone,” she said in a displeased tone of voice.

I felt her body tense against mine.

“He was sick, and I was only going up the street a short distance,” I said. “And Paige needed time to herself, as well. Who could’ve imagined any of it?”

She remained silent.

I reached out to place my hand to her cheek. “Please.”

“Very well,” she said. “As you wish, my love.”

Despite the pain of moving, I shifted my body to be able to kiss her on the lips.

“Thank you,” I said.

“In the future, you must learn to be more careful and honor the protections I put in place for you, my love, because I simply can’t risk losing you,” she said. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” I said.

I couldn’t imagine not having her in my life either. I only hoped she was being as careful in London as I was supposed to be.

Then a warm feeling flowed through me, momentarily cutting through the fugue in my mind, simply knowing that she loved me so.

That’s when I knew that my brain needed to wake up from its half-slumber. I needed to formulate cogent thoughts again.

“What now?” I asked.

In response, she moved to the other side of the bed and spooned alongside me, literally curling her body around me in a protective fashion. Her arm encircled my waist and she placed a warm palm against my bare chest.

She was coiled like a viper ready to strike, and yet, I felt as if I was nestled in the midst of the strongest fortress.

“Rest now, my love,” she said. “Sleep and recuperate. And later, when you wake, we’ll speak about such things.”

Moments later, she lifted her arm and caressed my forehead and the side of my face with her fingernails as we lay together in silence. The warmth of her body permeated into me, and I gradually began to feel comfortable again.

I felt safe once more.

The soothing sensations of her ministrations lulled me into a kind of blissful disconnect from the world around me.

Time seemed to cease.

And eventually, I peacefully drifted off to sleep.

About the Author

Jaz Primo is a history aficionado, “pun-master”, and all-around fan of vampires. He authors paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and young adult literature, and has enjoyed a fulfilling background and career in higher education, including teaching U.S. History classes during evenings. Jaz lives in the Great American Midwest with his wife and a long-lived cat.

You can find Jaz Primo online at the following locations:

Website:
http://jazprimo.com

Facebook:
Jaz Primo

Twitter:
@jazprimo

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Winner of the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Young Adult Novel of 2012 !

Gwen Reaper

A Young Adult Paranormal Romance

by Jaz Primo

Boy meets beautiful and mysterious, yet reclusive, girl who harbors a potentially-lethal secret.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness." John Keats, English romantic poet.

I never thought that my first exposure to real beauty would be tinged with the threat of oblivion…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When high school junior Scott Blackstone is forced to move from his childhood home in Springfield, Illinois to small-town Custer, South Dakota, he expects nothing less than to languish in complete disappointment. Instead, he discovers a beautiful and mysterious seventeen-year-old girl named Gwen, who captivates him from his initial, adrenaline-laced sight of her on the shores of Stockade Lake. Scott’s pursuit of the elusive Gwen sweeps him into the midst of a potentially lethal family heritage that was birthed in hope, only to be passed into a legacy of guilt and death.

Scott engages in a journey of discovery, tinged with both angst and danger. Like many dire legends throughout history, he is unprepared for the untimely revelation that both love and despair are often two sides of the same coin.

Now available in trade paperback and all major eBook formats!

Go to
http://jazprimo.com/books
for purchasing links!

Bringer of Fire

The Logan Bringer Urban Fantasy Series, Book 1

by Jaz Primo

Spinning "a wonderful first book in his
Logan Bringer
series" (Paranormal Romance Guild), Jaz Primo has created a new urban fantasy hero in this story packed with explosive action, danger, and intrigue.

Logan Bringer is a cancer survivor and war hero who should have his hardest battles behind him. But when he develops the ability to move things with his mind, he's hunted by corporations, terrorists, and his own government.

Darkness and corruption are everywhere.

When even his family is threatened, he fights to control his new powers— and becomes more powerful than his enemies can possibly imagine.

Now available in trade paperback and all major eBook formats!

Go to
http://jazprimo.com/books
for purchasing links!

Sunrise at Sunset

Sunset Vampire Series, Book 1

by Jaz Primo

When is a bloodthirsty predator the best protection against a psychotic killer? When the predator is both a vampire...and the woman you love.

“We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities.”

My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature’s most dangerous predator. On occasion, it’s a very valuable quality. It helped me protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope.

Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I’ll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn’t one of them. I’m feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she’s trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I’ll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I’ll make her regret the day she was born.

So, I suppose that I’m not just a vampire. I’m about to become someone’s worst nightmare!

Now available in trade paperback and all major eBook formats!

Go to
http://jazprimo.com/books
for purchasing links!

A Bloody London Sunset

Sunset Vampire Series, Book 2

by Jaz Primo

In
A Bloody London Sunset
, a timid spirit rises to assert himself, a forbidden love sparks, and a forgotten past threatens to topple the power of love.

Katrina Rawlings is a vampire who has finally rediscovered happiness for the first time in centuries. But unwanted complications erupt with a vengeance. Decisions of necessity combined with dark memories from a forgotten past threaten her relationship with the love of her life. When a sacrifice must be made, can she endure her decision?

Caleb Taylor's life is finally back on track. He has rebounded from a near mortal injury, both physically and emotionally. Yet, his reality is shaken by the suggestion of a betrayal of trust from the woman he loves. Can the power of love overcome the power of a lie?

Paige Turner is a century old vampire who fearlessly revels in a simple existence pursuing blood, dancing, and sex. Simple needs, and all met in the same manner: hot, fast, and without regrets. But a spontaneous visit leads to heartfelt sacrifice, and unexpected complications strike fear to the core of her soul. Will she survive the revelations?

In the exciting second novel in the
Sunset Vampire Series
, a trust is betrayed, bonds of friendship are strained, relationships may end, and a tenuous neutrality among the world's vampire population is threatened. With stakes so high, some will not survive
A Bloody London Sunset
!

Available in trade paperback and all major eBook formats!

Go to
http://jazprimo.com/books
for purchasing links!

Summit at Sunset

Sunset Vampire Series, Book 3

by Jaz Primo

Does the fate of one innocent human soul outweigh the needs of the entire vampire race?

The third, and most exciting, novel in the Sunset Vampire Series has finally arrived!

Powerful vampire Katrina Rawlings and her human mate, Caleb Taylor, are once more drawn into dangerous circumstances. Representatives of the most powerful and influential vampires from around the world converge upon a scenic mountain retreat located in Slovenia's Upper Bohinj Valley for a summit of historic proportion. Mystery leads to treachery, and events quickly spiral out of control. With the fates of both vampires and humans in jeopardy, Katrina desperately struggles to reconcile the balance of worldwide vampire power against honoring her commitment to the love of her life. Unwilling to be rendered helpless, Caleb initiates a desperate gamble that leads to a mortal decision. Meanwhile, the sexy and sassy vampire, Paige Turner, spearheads her own mission involving both surprising revelations of heart and grave circumstances for those around her.