Adrian (The Dark Shadows Book 4) (2 page)

T
he vampire prince
was hot as hell, and totally out of her league
, Angel thought to herself. The moment the prince walked through the nightclub, her manager Dave went berserk, hollering that vampire royalty was here.

“Whatever he wants, he gets!” Dave had yelled, before he ran back to his office.

She had been so nervous to go up to the prince’s booth. The moment his eyes locked onto her, like she was his next meal, she snapped. Being royalty didn’t entitle him to whatever he wanted.

As she walked over to his booth again, with his expensive bottle of vodka and a glass, her footsteps slowed as she saw that he was occupied with both Mindy and Babs. She was used to seeing the nightclub’s VIP patrons doing all sorts of things behind the warded VIP section, but she’d never felt this emotion before.

Seeing Mindy in between the prince’s legs had her seeing red. Her fangs threatened to descend, and she wanted to grab Mindy by her fake blonde extensions and drag her ass away from him.

She tried to avert her eyes as she placed the vodka on the table, along with the glass next to it. Her hands trembled, and she was shocked that she didn’t break the glass when she sat it down with a thud.

Vampires were very sexual in nature, especially during a feeding, but the noises that Babs was making while he fed from her was enough to make Angel gag. Her eyes met his crimson ones briefly, and in that instant, jealousy washed over her, and she wished that it was her, alone, with the prince inside the booth.

She quickly turned and walked away, knowing that she wasn’t even near his level. He was a vampire prince, while she was just a lowly vampire—a
turned
vampire
.

Ten years ago, she had been a junior at the local university, studying to become a nurse. To earn some money, she would work at the local restaurants on campus part-time. Her parents had died in a car accident when she was eighteen, the summer after her high school graduation, leaving her all alone in the world.

She reached the bar and ducked behind it, grabbing a rag to wipe down the counter. She was the only waitress tonight for the VIP section. While the prince was here, no one else would be allowed in that section, no matter their status, unless they themselves were royalty.

She may only be a barmaid, but she took pride in it. She sighed as her eyes were drawn once again to the prince in his dark booth. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from them as she watched Mindy climb on top of the prince.

Angel found herself clenching her thighs together when Mindy started to ride him. Her heart beat wildly as she thought of what it would be like to throw caution to the wind, and for once, do something irrational.

Angel’s eyes focused back on the trio, and she found the prince’s eyes on her. And even though she was caught, watching the erotic play taking place in front of her, she couldn’t look away.

* * *

A
ngel let
herself into her quiet efficiency apartment. She had no roommates to argue with, and she didn’t have to explain to anyone why she didn’t consume food, and kept only small pints of blood stored away in her fridge.

Angel lived in one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city, but she didn’t worry too much about the crime. She didn’t own anything of value, and as for protection, she didn’t need any. She may be small, but she could take care of herself.

Humans were much weaker than vampires. Angel had learned over the years, since she was turned, that she was stronger than the average male human. But since that night of her attack, she had kept to herself. Working at Temptress was pretty much all the human and vampire interaction she got.

She quickly took her clothes off as she walked into her bathroom. She needed a hot shower. The downside of working in a nightclub was leaving the bar, smelling of booze and smoke. Angel couldn’t stand the smell, and it always seemed to be embedded deep in her pores. She jumped into the shower to wash off the remnants of her shift.

Her nipples hardened as she thought back to the prince. Everything about him made her body tingle, but she shook her head. He would never look at her as an equal. The royal vampires didn’t associate themselves with commoners.

She got out of the shower and dried herself off. Throwing on a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top, she crawled into bed. The sun would be up soon, and she should have started feeling tired by now, but for some reason, she was wide awake. Her body still pulsed from watching the prince with the two donor bimbos.

Her mind began to wander, as she thought of what his hands would feel like running along her body. Her nipples ached as she brought her hand up to her right breast. She gently fondled it, and using her finger and thumb, pinched her own nipple, while pretending it was his hand.

She moaned as she imagined how his tongue would feel in between her legs. She could feel herself grow slick with need, and her other hand traveled down and slid inside of her shorts, finding her sensitive nub.

Her eyes snapped open. What the hell was she doing? Frustrated, she pulled her hand out of her shorts and turned over onto her side, knowing that if she got herself off, it wouldn’t do anything for her. She craved the real thing.

“
D
id he show up
?” Nicu asked as Adrian sat down in the chair in front of his brother’s desk.

“No.” Adrian thought back to last night. The rogue didn’t show, at least not that he was aware of. Nicu had wanted Adrian to follow the rogue, in the hopes they would find where the others were congregating. Discovering where they were staying would help lead the Shadows in taking them down in the city.

This particular rogue would have certain information that they needed. If Nicu was right, capturing a rogue that worked for the necromancers would give them a leg up on what was going on in the necromancer’s camp. The Dark Shadows had certain ways of torturing subjects to get information that had proved to be useful. It was dire that they capture this rogue, and soon.

“How was the nightclub?” Nicu asked, his ice blue eyes locked on Adrian’s. Adrian shifted in his chair. His brother’s stare was making him uncomfortable. Nicu knew something.

“It was nice and clean. Marcel has a fine establishment,” he said, his mind going back to the blonde and brunette.

He had been left unsatisfied with the two of them. His mind had been on the small vampire waitress the entire time. The only thing that got him off was that she was watching. He had hoped that she would realize that it was her he really wanted, and that the two were just substitutes, fulfilling a need only.

And not very good substitutes, either.

“Was there any entertainment?” Nicu queried, a smirk tilting the corner of his mouth up.

“Yes, they had decent entertainment,” he acknowledged, his mind again thinking of the waitress. He wished he had gotten her name. “Marcel has certain areas of the club warded, where vampires can feed without humans seeing what goes on.”

“Nice,” Nicu mused. “I may have to check it out someday.” The heat from Nicu’s glare intensified.

Adrian would have sworn that the room had grown colder, as his brother refused to look away from him.

Shit.

Adrian knew when he was about to get his ass chewed out by his older brother, and that was about to happen—now.

“Next time I send you to observe and look for a target, you damn well better keep your dick in your fucking pants!” Nicu roared, his hand slamming down on the desk. “I called Marcel and told him who I was looking for. He had never seen this rogue Jaxon before, so he emailed me the security video, and guess who I saw walk into the club while you were fucking the club’s donors?”

Adrian cursed under his breath. It wasn’t the two women who had kept him distracted from keeping his eyes open for the rogue. It was the little waitress who he couldn’t keep his eyes off of.

“Nicu, I swear I didn’t see him—”

“Feeding is one thing Adrian, but to actively engage in sexual relations while hunting a target is unacceptable,” Nicu snapped. “I would expect this behavior from Teague, not you.”

“Expect what behavior from me?” Teague asked as he strolled into the room. Since completing the bond with his mate, Bella, a Valkyrie turned demigoddess, the smile had not left his face since.

“Adrian to fuck up the way he did,” Nicu muttered. “How is the mated life treating you?”

“It’s fucking awesome,” Teague bragged.

His story almost had a tragic ending. Adrian thought back to six months ago, when Bella had died, saving their mother from the black magic witch. She had been stabbed with a dagger containing poisons, that immediately took her life. Bella had actually died in Teague’s arms, then days later, her body disappeared.

Two months later, Bella reappeared, the Gods allowing her to return to Earth as a demigoddess, since her mother was of Aphadore, and her father was Adros, the God of all deities. Bella was now known as the Goddess of Death, allowed to walk on this Earth with her mate. Apparently, even the Gods didn’t mess with fate.

“So, what did my dear older brother do?” Teague asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“I fucked up,” Adrian admitted, slouching down in his chair.

“You went to Temptress?” Teague asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yes,” Adrian grimaced, as he rolled his eyes. Next time he went back, he swore his dick would stay in his pants. That was, as long as the waitress didn’t offer anything. If she did, then all bets were off.

“How many did you fuck up with?” Teague slapped his leg, laughing at Adrian’s misery. “I’ve heard about that club. Been there a few times myself.”

Both Adrian and Nicu automatically turned to stare at their brother.

“Way before Bella,” Teague clarified with a cough, holding his hands up.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Adrian snapped. He was not in the mood to be ridiculed by his younger brother. “Nicu, I fucked up— I’ll admit it. I’ll go back, and I promise, it will be all business this time.”

“See that you do,” Nicu stated, his ice cold gaze locked on Adrian again. “We can’t afford any more fuck ups, and we need to get a step ahead of the necromancers. Word on the street is Sodan is still willing to pay for my head. That is why we need this Jaxon. Not only could he lead us to the necromancers, but he may give certain information that only the rogues have to help us defeat the necros.”

“I won’t let you down this time,” Adrian proclaimed.

“I know you won’t, because this time, Phaelyn will be going with you.”

* * *

“
P
rince Adrian
, two visits in the same week,” Vivian gushed, as he and Phaelyn walked through Temptress behind her. “We are honored to have you and your guest.”

“Well, I enjoyed myself immensely, so I figured I would bring a friend this time,” he said, motioning for Phaelyn to walk in front of him.

Again, the nightclub was packed with partiers, human and supernatural. His eyes roamed the bar and the club, looking for
her
.

“We have the same booth available for you, My Prince,” Vivian offered, as she motioned toward the booth. “I’ll have your waitress come over to get your orders. Will you be requiring entertainment this evening?” she asked, a seductive smile spreading across her face as she looked between Phaelyn and Adrian.

“No, not tonight,” he said. “The waitress from the other day… is she here tonight?”

“Angelina?” Vivian asked, shocked. A sour expression crossed her face, before disappearing as fast as it appeared. “She is working tonight, but I can get you a better waitress, someone who is full—”

“No. Angelina will do,” he insisted, dismissing the hostess. She huffed before turning, and stomped away.

“Only Angelina will do?” Phaelyn joked, with a tilt of her head.

As the only female Shadow member, she had proved that she could handle herself. A couple centuries ago, it was Nadira, his younger sister, who had turned Phaelyn. She would have died from a brutal attack had it not been for Nadira saving her life.

“She was a good waitress,” he lied, trying to make an excuse.

His eyes began to roam the club. He squinted, as the hazy lights were not making it easy for him to see the partiers. He would need to stay sharp while he looked for the rogue.

“Sure she was.” Phaelyn gave a short laugh. “You’re not very good at lying. You know that, right? Nadira always said it was easy to get information from you.”

“Well, Nadira has her ways. I was never able to keep secrets from her,” he smiled, thinking of his only sister.

No matter what, Nadira had always had him wrapped around her little finger. She could always get the deepest, darkest secrets out of him with one expression.

“How’s the mated life going?” he asked Phaelyn, changing the subject.

Phaelyn had recently completed the mating bond with the Olaru’s royal guard, Idris. It was during her mission to rescue him from the necromancers’ clutches that she and Idris finally admitted that they’d had a thing for each other.

“Mated life is bliss,” she responded. A soft look passed through her eyes before she looked away. “Maybe you should try it sometime.”

“Fate hasn’t blessed me with her yet,” Adrian murmured, looking around the club for the small vampire that hadn’t left his mind.

“Let’s not mess up tonight,” Phaelyn said, flinging her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Tonight she was dressed to blend in, with a black leather miniskirt, a crimson red blouse, and killer heels. “This is an easy job, and I’m not going to allow you to mess this up on my watch.”