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  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to and written because of you.

  You know who you are. You breathed life into my comatose muse by simply being who you are.

  I am forever grateful.

  Acknowledgements

  First of all, I want to thank you, the reader, who waited so patiently for this book to come. I appreciate you more than you could imagine.

  Mandy “LeAnne” Vinyard, you’re a wonderful sounding board. Thanks for prodding me along the way. With any luck, R.P. will find you this year! SSG Tommy J. Leath (U.S. Army, Ret.), thank you for being an “Amazing” friend when I needed it most. Also, congratulations on your retirement! We’re so glad to have you home. “Aunt Sherry” Rockwell, I owe you a ton of gratitude for pulling me up out of the dirt, dusting me off, kicking my butt in gear, and then providing unwavering strength. Without you guys, this story would still be unfinished.

  I owe ya!

  Holly Schmidt, thank you for your unending patience. Torie Cody and Becky McLain, thank you infinitely for allowing me to use your beautiful names. Thanks also to the beta readers Jason Bentley, Angel Robinson, and Amanda Birdyshaw for your invaluable help. And a BIG shout out to Malloree Grace, Greg Cross, Sheila Wilkins, Mary Rockwell, Tyler Rockwell, and the Rockwell Hill crew. Thanks for always asking how these stories are coming along.

  Vampiro Terminologia

  The following words are used in common vampire language by members of the Italian Vampiro Cosca. Most are used today in common Italian.

  affascinare n. a.k.a. enthrall. The act by which a vampiro uses his or her powers to enthrall and manipulate others, usually human. This can be for good or disastrous consequences. Once in control of the mind, the vampiro may do anything, including wiping the victim’s memory. The effects can last for hours or days.

  Alleanza pr. n. a.k.a The Alleanza, or The Covenant. This agreement was created between the different races during around 100 A.D. Because Christianity and monotheism were growing in popularity, attempts were made on the lives of vampiro and their servants by the newly converted humans whom they had once trusted. The agreement forced the vampiro down from their public thrones as ancient gods and goddesses and into hiding. In modern times, this pact keeps the knowledge of supernatural beings secret, limits their feeding and procreation abilities, and allows death declarations as punishments for those who break the law. This is the one universal and unwavering law of the entire species.

  amante n. Term of endearment meaning lover for one who is blood bound to another. It has the same meaning as compagna/campagno, but with the emotional overtones that insinuate that a loving relationship accompanies the biological response to the other being.

  blood mystress/blood mistress n. Female human or vampire who is subjugated by a vampire for the sole purpose of feeding their bloodlust. The practice is legal, though frowned upon by modern vampiro members due to the rape and torture which are often associated.

  blood greeting n. Offering a bit of one’s own blood, on the skin, to a vampire as a sign of respect and submission. Retracting an offer is a sign of disrespect, as it shows contempt on the giver’s part. Spitting blood at another’s foot is a similar insult.

  Caccia di Anima n. Highest punishment for disobedience to the Alleanza. The victim is drained of all blood until the soul is ingested. Power and other traits transfer to killer randomly. It is believed to be very painful, though no one knows for sure.

  cane n. Literally, a dog. This word is used as a curse or insult, a way of expressing racism toward humans from vampires.

  compagna (f) or compagno (m) n. One who is blood bonded, a blood mate.

  cosca n. A family, or breed, of a vampiro.

  creatore n. The creator of another vampiro.

  Dominatore (m) or Dominatrice (f) n. The top, or dominant, in a blood bond or other sexual vampiro relationship.

  fratello m. One of the vampiro males.

  Garante pr. n. The title belongs to the enforcer, bodyguard, and/or sheriff of an area, for a territory ruler (padrone). These men are generally well known for their fighting skills, strength, and power. However, they typically have a weakness which prevents them from actually taking over the throne, such as inferior lineage or poor political standing.

  inamorato n. A nickname meaning “one who is in love”, as from the Commedia dell’arte.

  leggero n. A weak-blooded vampiro, usually due to weak genetics. A leggero is considered cursed. These vampiro members are often killed during the prova because of physical or mental deficit.

  neonato n. A new creation, a progeny of the vampiro.

  Padrone n. or pr. n. – The leader of all the vampiro in a cosca. This title may be over just a city or a larger area, depending upon the title.

  prova n. The test period a neonato must survive in order to be accepted into his cosca.

  senza vincolo – A human with the full knowledge of the vampiro, but who is without a master. Without being “marked” by a vampire, the human is legally open to be taken by any vampire.

  shiava (f) or shiavo (m) n. This term, also meaning slave, is used for humans who are under the influence of the affascinare by one of the vampiro.

  sorella n. A female vampiro.

  trucchi n. A form of magic or metaphysical manipulation performed through the power contained within the blood of vampires, especially the vampiro.

  vampiro n. A vampire descendent from the ancient vampire line of Italian cosca. Members are of all human nationalities, and become vampiro when changed. This powerful vampire family controls the world’s vampire population and outnumbers all other groups.

  vincolare n. The act of creating a vincolo with a human.

  vincolo n. The blood bond created by the sharing of blood between human and vampiro, accompanied by a metaphysical connection that allows the two to share strengths and weaknesses. If one member dies, often the other member dies or suffers mental or physical agonies. If the vampire survives, the heartbreak may end with bonding to another. However, this does not help the pain of heartbreak from other types of separation.

  Chapter One

  “That’s the last of it.” LeAnne Vines slid the last cardboard box full of her former life off the tan leather passenger seat of the Toyota Sequoia. Even on the sixty-degree, overcast December day, she was sweating. “I’ll be sorting for a week, Tori.”

  One of her best and oldest friends, Detective Victoria Tyler, managed both the boxes from the back at once. It didn’t surprise her. Tori was at least a half-foot taller than LeAnne. On any day she was stronger, but today she was freakishly strong. And at this angle, LeAnne could see how much thinner Tori was beneath her azure T-shirt and grey yoga pants. She didn’t think her friend had ever been this small, and she looked a bit strange, even sickly, compared to how she’d always looked before. “I can’t believe James sent all this shit home with you. There’s no way you could see the windows.”

  “I couldn’t.” LeAnne balanced the box in her arms, hip-bumped the pearl-colored door shut behind her, then walked toward the three-story, beige brick Collins Bay apartment building she now called home.

  Tori caught up to her just in front of the vehicle. “So, he’s passively trying to kill you.”

  “Seems like it.”

  She groaned. “He’s such a dick. He needs to give you that damned Kitchen Aid mixer. He can’t even cook.”

  “Down, girl!” LeAnne let out a sharp laugh and shifted the box so she could see her sneakers, then
stepped onto the concrete sidewalk. “I’ve got it. It’s in the apartment.”

  “It’s about damned time.” Tori was ahead of her since she always walked faster with those long legs. She smirked back over her shoulder. “I was ready to break in and steal the thing. I’m telling ya, the Vegas plan would’ve worked.” There was a weighty pause. When Tori spoke again, her playful tone was gone. “You know, he’s ripping you a new one in this divorce.”

  “I know.” LeAnne walked toward the steel staircase in the breezeway. She didn’t argue because Tori was right. She, LeAnne’s mother, and everyone who knew details of the divorce were of the same opinion, and they’d all expressed it freely. Hearing how she screwed up was getting old. Yeah, James was being a dick, but that didn’t matter anymore. He and the judge would sign the papers soon, and that was all that mattered. Freedom.

  Luckily, Tori didn’t push the subject, and the two trudged up the stairs to LeAnne’s second-story apartment, balancing the boxes. That was one of the great things about twenty years of friendship: they both generally knew what the other was thinking. And each knew when to shut up.

  LeAnne opened the brown steel apartment door, then navigated her way through the bare taupe foyer. Just as she slid the box onto the edge of the counter that separated the cozy espresso and red kitchen from the matching dining nook, Tori walked inside behind her and booted the door shut. LeAnne pushed the vases back that they’d pulled out of the first box that came in an hour ago and pushed the new box back into their place. “Just put yours on the floor there.”

  Tori half-dropped her boxes onto the carpet in front of the high, round black dining table on the other side of the bar. “Next time the guys move the heavy stuff. I’m beat.”

  “Definitely.” LeAnne grabbed a smooth plastic bottle of chilled water from the fridge and handed another to her friend. “I just didn’t want them to meet me like this. When I’m...” She looked for a better word than “emotional” because that made it sound like she had PMS. There wasn’t one. The divorce had been a rollercoaster of moods, and carrying in the cardboard-wrapped remains of her last decade had brought it all to the surface. Crying in front of Tori was hard enough, but she refused to do it in front of complete strangers.

  “They wouldn’t care.” Tori took the water and guzzled three-quarters of it in the first drink. She gasped and plopped down onto the sofa. A corrupt grin spread slowly across her lips. “They’d probably kick James’s ass.”

  LeAnne smiled at the idea of sending a few big guys to beat her ex to a bloody pulp. It was exactly what she’d wanted to do after he had slapped her that night, the night she finally confronted his cheating. Then she’d wanted to again when he’d refused to let her take anything from their home. James hated her through and through for leaving him, and it had not gotten better with the few months of separation. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she decided to leave him. He was controlling, more so than she’d ever realized when she was still sleepwalking through life, but she’d never expected this.

  “When is he going to sign the papers?”

  She looked at Tori again. “Tuesday, he says.”

  “You didn’t give him anything else, did you?”

  “No.” Not really. Well, kind of. She had given in to his demands that she pay the next six months of his cell phone and satellite service since both contracts were in her name, but she would keep that tidbit to herself. Caving to that request really was beyond reason, especially considering she’d gotten literally a tenth of the assets they had amassed in the rather lucrative decade they had been married because he thought all her work as his personal assistant, delivery person, impromptu caterer, and arm candy for company events was worthless. In his mind, he was the only one who’d worked, even though she’d sold condos for years and paid for his rather expensive travel fetish. Add to that the fact that his income was roughly five times what she expected to earn—when she found a job.

  But she was free.

  “LeAnne!”

  She blinked up at Tori, expecting a critical eye. What she saw was much, much harder to take: pity. LeAnne turned her back and moved to the boxes on the kitchen counter, but she could still feel Tori looking at her. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  Tori came to stand at the counter. “What is it this time?”

  “I don’t wanna talk about it.” LeAnne cringed at the slang, which inevitably happened when she let her emotions get out of hand. Her ugly “redneck roots”, as her ex called them, were starting to show. She’d gotten so good at hiding them over the years, but the slang still popped out at times.

  “I’m sorry.” After a long moment, Tori sighed. “I just want to beat the crap out of him. Slash his tires. Something!”

  “Everyone does.” LeAnne grabbed a stack of old potholders and dishcloths out from the box and stuffed them in the drawer to the immediate right of the sink. She would buy new ones soon, but the old ones he had tossed in the box would get her by for now.

  “Guess everyone’s telling you what to do, too. Sorry. I know you don’t need to hear it from me, too.” Tori moved to the other side of the bar and slid onto a barstool. “I just can’t believe you’ve lived with this for so long. That life wasn’t you.”

  Tears stung LeAnne’s eyes. She blinked them away, then grabbed an armload of fluffy red hand towels from the box. She folded each one, stacked them with the rolled side out, and lined them up. Then she slid them into the drawer beside the washcloths. Unlike the potholders, these looked as new as the day she’d bought them. They practically were. James had always hated red, and scarlet towels were “gaudy.” But they were LeAnne’s favorite, and she’d used them whenever he was out of town for more than a week.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Tori said suddenly.

  LeAnne looked up and raised her brows to silently ask for the details.

  “Come down to the club. They’re having a New Year’s bash tonight.”

  “I don’t know.” She felt her shoulders tighten at the idea of going out. Who had time to ring in a new year? The apartment was a wreck that had to be in order before she started her new job on Monday, just four days away. The laundry needed a wash. And LeAnne really needed to finish emptying this box. “I need to get this stuff put away.”

  “I promise those boxes will wait. We’ll get drunk and flirt with hot guys until you want to come home, then I’ll stay over just like I promised.” Tori smiled. “Trust me, you really want to meet the guys.”

  LeAnne grabbed a set of paring knives and headed to the drawer, stalling for time to think. She hated to tell Tori no, and she probably shouldn’t since she had to make this new life work. In the past few months, she’d tried to drink herself into a coma with August, her best friend in Orlando, the city where James had moved to isolate her. August had taken her out every Friday, Saturday, and stressful night during the two months since the separation. They’d had a great time. Those nights had made her feel ten years younger. They’d breathed life into her when she had been almost suffocated completely.

  At least, she felt younger until she had to move to find a job. Since the economy tanked, condos weren’t worth selling. The rest of her time had been in college or at home. Finding a job had ultimately meant moving home, hours from her life and new bestie. That made her feel old and alone, like she’d wasted the last ten years and she was starting over from square one. Nevertheless, LeAnne was sure this would be a positive move, despite being a bit nervous about leaving everything behind.

  LeAnne’s cell phone rang. She grabbed it off the counter and groaned. “It’s James.”

  Just as she pressed the button and put it to her ear, Tori said, “Don’t answer it.”

  LeAnne was almost sure she’d done it so James would hear. She smiled. “Hello?”

  “All moved in?” James sounded unusually cheerful, which made her nervous.

  “Yeah.” She crin
ged at the slang, knowing he would mock her for what he considered her lack of education. Even a Bachelor’s degree hadn’t convinced him she was more than a redneck from a hick town.

  He was silent for a few heartbeats. He’d caught it, too. “Did you get the mail transferred?”

  “James, I’m a big girl. I know how to move.”

  “Do not get smart with me.”

  She breathed a calming breath. Arguing with him would only make their relationship even worse. “Why did you call?”

  “You should be more grateful to me. I am trying to do the Christian thing by checking on you, by helping you out, LeAnne. Most men would never do this if you’d walked out on them and took everything.”

  LeAnne rolled her eyes. He’d told that lie to anyone who’d listen. “I appreciate your concern, but I am just fine. Besides, we’re not married anymore. Remember?”

  Tori held out her hand. “Let me talk to him.”

  She smiled and shook her head. Tori would really get James riled up, and she didn’t need more drama today

  “Actually, we are not divorced yet.” He cleared his throat. “And you might want to remember that if you start thinking about dating.”

  LeAnne heaved a long sigh into the phone. “Look, I’ll handle my life and you handle yours.”

  “Are you serious?” James chuckled. “You cannot manage your life. You already proved that. I have been babysitting you for years. Before that, your parents did. But you will see. You are going to fall flat on your face, and when you do, you will crawl back to me. You will beg, but guess what, LeAnne? I am not going to take you back.”

  Tears stung LeAnne’s eyes while her brain scrambled for words. She hated when he made her feel like this, bumbling and helpless. “I’ve gotta go. Text me if you need anything else.” She hung up and tossed the phone on the counter, then started to pace the floor, rubbing the space between her brows to stave off a fast-growing migraine.