Tempted by Fire: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (Blood Oath Book 2) Read online

  Tempted by Fire

  Blood Oath #2

  J.A. Carter

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  1. Gabriel

  2. Calla

  3. Gabriel

  4. Calla

  5. Gabriel

  6. Calla

  7. Gabriel

  8. Calla

  9. Gabriel

  10. Calla

  11. Gabriel

  12. Calla

  13. Gabriel

  14. Calla

  15. Gabriel

  16. Calla

  17. Gabriel

  18. Calla

  Acknowledgments

  Tempted by Fire

  Published by J.A. Carter

  Copyright © 2021 by J.A. Carter

  www.authorjacarter.com

  Cover Design: Keylin Rivers

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Blurb

  We’ll burn this city to the ground to find her.

  Taken by one enemy and held captive by another, Calla is forced deeper into the supernatural world of power games and deceit, used in a vicious attempt to gain leverage over the vampires she’s bound to. But she isn’t about to be a pawn—not again.

  Haunted by his dark and bloody past, Gabriel may have no choice but to reunite with the woman from his nightmares to get Calla back, while Atlas, Kade, and Lex are left to deal with the vampire hunters, an age-old threat that has made a deadly, modern-day comeback.

  When Calla finally gets the answers she’s been searching for and discovers there are more dangerous things than the men she wants to hate but her body craves, she must face the reality that letting herself care about them only gives her more to lose. And with enemies closing in on all sides, she could lose everything.

  For you, the reader.

  1

  Gabriel

  I don’t consider myself a particularly violent person.

  Despite being a vampire, that has never been my nature. But the moment I knew Calla was gone, an unfamiliar sensation sparked deep in my chest. Something dark and vicious. It threatens to replace the taste of her on my lips. Her sweet skin and rich blood. Two memories I’d never wish to part with.

  A quick search of the house—the paper scattered on the floor in Atlas’s office and the obvious decoy note in the kitchen—told us all we needed to know.

  Calla had run.

  What it didn’t explain was why none of us could sense her anymore.

  I’d been at work planning a new campaign for our senate candidate when the connection fizzled out. Like blowing out a candle in a dark room, quickly fading smoke is the only remnant of the flame that once burned brightly inside. One moment she was there, and the next, I couldn’t feel her at all. Where there was once a vibrating orb of warmth in my chest—the connection each of us has to her blood—was replaced by a cold emptiness that made me shudder.

  Before I could contact any of the guys, Kade called me, confirming what I already knew—something had happened to Calla. Not long after, Brighton Ellis reached out looking for her, saying that she was waiting for Calla to come over but she never showed up.

  While Atlas and Lex got on a flight back to the city from JFK in New York, Kade and I started searching. We couldn’t locate Calla, but we were able to track her phone to where it was left on the sidewalk outside of Brighton’s apartment building, the screen shattered.

  Kade had stared at it for a long stretch of silence, focused on the fragmented background image of Calla and Brighton with their arms around each other as they smiled at the camera, with the Washington Monument in the background. I wanted to comfort him. Kade’s like a brother to me, and he was there through some of my worst years. While he doesn’t know the extent of the darkness in me, he never let me go through that shit alone.

  I took the phone from his hands, and the hardness in his eyes as he looked at me did nothing but fuel the fire in my chest to get our girl back.

  After a brief conversation, Brighton showed us the texts she’d received from Calla.

  Brighton, we need to talk.

  I have to tell you some crazy things that won’t make much sense, but I promise I’m telling the truth.

  Please answer me. I’m freaking out over here.

  Where are you? I’ll come to you.

  Brighton?!?!

  “I don’t understand,” Brighton told us, wrapping her arms around herself as her hazel eyes shifted back and forth between us. “She was so panicked, then she just stopped responding to me and never showed up. I… I didn’t know who else to call. Calla’s family is in New York, and you guys seem to be close to her, and I… I have to admit, I’m freaking out.”

  Kade and I exchanged a quick glance before he glamoured her to delete everything and forget Calla had texted her. The last thing we needed was the Ellis family sticking their noses into this. We had enough to deal with when it came to them as it was. Damn vampire hunters…

  “Gabe, did you hear what I said?”

  Marcel’s deep voice pulls me back to the present, to the sitting room of his Manhattan townhouse. The narrow rooms with tall ceilings are decorated with art pieces he's collected over the years. The space is accented with dark blues and grays, glossy hardwood floors, with the smell of leather furniture and crisp citrus candles, which he seems to have burning in every room. It’s a bit overwhelming for my senses, but I do my best to ignore the dull ache it’s creating in my temples.

  I blink at our informant, one of the few people we trust outside the four of us, then force a nod. “Apologies,” I mutter.

  He rakes a hand through his mop of golden blond hair and sighs. “I get it, man. You’re worried about her. But it’s only been a week, and—”

  “Just tell me what you know, Marcel,” I cut him off.

  He offers a curt nod, not at all thrown off by my cool tone. “First thing’s first. There have been no further developments where Dante is concerned.”

  My upper lip curls at the mention of him—the vampire who believes he has some claim to what is ours because he got screwed out of a job when Calla’s ancestor agreed to our protection in exchange for her.

  “The guy has gone radio silent,” Marcel continues. “I had a friend check out some of the places he’s been known to frequent, but he hasn’t been around in a while. It’s safe to say he’s not in New York.”

  A muscle ticks along my jaw, and I grip the armrest tighter. “Then where the hell is he?” The words taste bitter on my tongue, like drinking stale blood.

  Marcel just stares at me, his silver eyes dark, focused. We’re both thinking the same thing—the bastard went to Washington. “Let’s think about this,” he says in a level voice, drumming his fingers against his jean-clad thigh. “We know Dante. He’s into the whole pomp and circumstance. If he took Calla, don’t you think you’d know about it by now? For the sole rea
son that the jackass doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. He’d want to brag, to shove it in your faces that he took something from you.”

  Someone—not something. My eyes narrow, though I don’t bother voicing the anger burning in my chest; Marcel’s intentions are not malicious. Instead, I scratch the copper stubble along my jaw to hide how tightly it’s clenched. I haven’t bothered shaving in days, and it’s starting to irritate my skin. “That doesn’t explain the break in the connection,” I point out in a gruff voice. “Unless she—”

  “No,” Marcel says over me, shaking his head. “Do you believe she’s dead, Gabriel?”

  My throat constricts, and I frown at the difficulty I find when trying to swallow. “No.” I don’t believe it—I refuse to.

  “Right. Then there’s another explanation we haven’t considered yet. Blood oaths are tricky things. You guys knew that when you entered into it all those years ago.” He flicks his wrist back and forth. “Witches and their spells.”

  My eyes widen as a thought hits me with the speed of a train. “A spell,” I say. “Wherever Calla is could have a spell blocking our connection to her.”

  Marcel purses his lips. “It’s possible.”

  Not only is it possible, it’s a far better alternative than what’s got my stomach in painful knots. What has kept all of us up every night since she disappeared.

  “I don’t suppose you have a witch handy?”

  “Wouldn’t matter anyway, considering the only witch that could undo the block is the one who put it in place.”

  I slam my fist down on the armrest. “What am I supposed to do with that?” I growl without looking in Marcel’s direction. I don’t direct the question at him because I don’t expect him to have an answer, though I really wish he did.

  I scrub a hand down my face and sigh.

  Why did you have to run, angel?

  “I mean this with the utmost respect and only mention it out of concern for your wellbeing. You look like absolute shit. You’re not going to be able to help Calla if you end up passing out from exhaustion or snapping and getting caught chowing down on a human because you’re starving. You need to take care of yourself.” His voice is stern but laced with worry.

  I manage a weak smile. “Your concern is noted and appreciated.”

  “And ignored,” he remarks dryly, shaking his head before he pins me with a level stare. “I’m serious, Gabriel. I don’t know her much at all, but I can’t see her wanting you—or the others for that matter—to get to a point where you’re not giving yourself basic necessities because it could take away from potentially finding her. You’re no good to her like this, okay? So smarten up.”

  My hands curl around the armrests, making the wood groan under my grip. He’s right.

  “Listen, I know you want to get back to Washington, but I think you should stay tonight. Take a break from everything and refocus. I know of a place that has voluntary feeders on standby. I’ll text you the address. Go and replenish your strength.” He nods, his voice stern but kind as he says, “Take care of yourself, Gabe.”

  I rise from the chair at the same moment Marcel stands, finding it in me to smile at him. “Thank you, Marcel. You know we appreciate the work you do for us, but you constantly go above and beyond to show how much you care. It doesn’t go unnoticed, I hope you know that.”

  He shoots me a grin, and we walk through the main level, the aged hardwood creaking under our steps as we near the front door.

  Marcel slaps me on the back as he opens the door for me. “Keep me posted. You know where I am if you need anything.”

  “Thank you,” I tell him again, stepping out into the bitter afternoon air.

  “Gabriel,” Marcel calls, causing me to turn back. “You’re going to find her.”

  I nod, jogging down the concrete steps in front of his townhouse to the sidewalk, where the wind picks up, the cold air making my cheeks tingle.

  We are going to find her.

  And then whoever is behind taking her from us will live to regret the decision… until we slaughter them.

  2

  Calla

  The pressure in my temples makes it hard to open my eyes. Painful even. Like jackhammers pounding into my head at every angle. I manage to pry them open slowly, immediately squinting at the lamp casting light across my face. Blinking hard in an attempt to clear the blur spattered across my vision, I turn away from the light, groaning as my muscles protest the sudden movement.

  I have the fleeting thought that I’m dead, but I quickly dispel it. If I was dead, surely it wouldn’t hurt so damn much.

  When I attempt to sit up, I grit my teeth against the ache in my back. I haven’t felt this awful since I got the flu in freshman year, and Brighton ended up having to take care of me as if I was a child.

  Brighton.

  Holy shit.

  I’d been heading for her apartment when Dante grabbed me off the sidewalk. I needed to warn her, to tell her what I found in Atlas’s office. She needs to know they’re following her, that something in her family’s company is connected to them.

  My eyes go wide as they dart around the unfamiliar, dark bedroom. The haze in my head evaporates, replaced by panic, making my chest tighten as I press my shaking palm against the warmth of my skin over my heart.

  Frowning, I peer down at the black silk slip I’m wearing, and my pulse races. My stomach twists into knots, making the possibility of puking on these lavish, no doubt expensive sheets very real.

  Everything comes back at once, making my head spin and my eyes prick with hot tears. This overwhelming sense of dread is like nothing I’ve experienced before. Just when I thought I was starting to get a grip on all of this vampire blood oath shit, the rug has been pulled out from under me.

  All the secrets, Atlas being involved in Ellis Industries, the creepy surveillance photos of Brighton… Then being ambushed outside of her apartment by Dante.

  My heart beats hard against my chest as the memories flood in. The fear that overtook me when I realized Dante had found me. The indescribable pain I felt when he sank his fangs into my neck.

  I suck in a shallow breath and lift my fingers to the spot he bit me, and when they graze smooth skin, I press my lips together. It’s… healed. Which means one of two things—someone used vampire blood to heal me, or I’ve been here long enough for it to heal on its own. The former makes my stomach roil, but the latter makes me just as nauseous with panic.

  Squeezing my eyes shut at the tingling sensation along my neck, I can’t stop the scene from playing out in my head. The flash of his fangs, the sickening feeling of him drawing the blood out of me, and the woman killing him right in front of me. The memory of the sound of his heart thumping against the floor makes bile rise in my throat, and I swallow hard, unable to open my eyes as I relive the fuzzy moments after Dante was killed. The angelically attractive vampire cleaning the blood from her hand as if it was nothing but a mere inconvenience to her.

  I press my fingers against the thrumming of pain in my temples. My shallow breathing quickens as I recall the woman’s words.

  “Dante’s ill-mannered, silly little excuse for revenge is not the reason you were brought here.”

  What the hell am I doing here? And who is the vampire behind it?

  Once I’ve managed to pull myself into a sitting position, I let out a breath and slowly swing my legs over the side of the bed. I take my time trying to stand, worried I’ll fall over the second I’m upright. Sure enough, when I stand, the world tilts around me, and it takes a long moment to regain my balance. My head is light and fuzzy, as if I haven’t eaten or drank any water in days. I’ve never felt this weak. I keep my eyes trained on the massive window in front of me. It’s dark outside, but that could mean anything. It’s possible I’ve been here for hours or days. There’s no way to tell. I’ve been here long enough for someone to dress me. Shuddering at the thought, I take a tentative step toward the window. My legs are a little shaky as if I’d run a lo
ng distance without warming up, but they’re sturdy enough for me to make it to the window. I press my hands against the cold glass, peering down to the street below. I have to be at least twenty stories up, possibly higher. Too high to jump. The sidewalk is empty and the street is mostly quiet, save for a couple of cars, their headlights casting a faint glow on the asphalt.

  I turn back to the room and lean against the windowsill, watching the flickering flames in the massive black marble fireplace against the wall farthest from me. My head is full of questions, and not knowing if I’ll be alive long enough to get the answers makes my breath catch in my throat.

  My thoughts quickly go to the guys. For some reason, they must not know where I am, otherwise they’d be here. They would have come for me by now. Atlas would be lecturing me about leaving the house with Dante on the loose, Lex would be ready to kill whoever’s behind this whole thing, Kade would be making inappropriate and mostly unhelpful commentary, and Gabriel… he would just want to make sure I was okay. As conflicted as part of me still feels about them, I wish they were here.

  I shake my head. I can’t think about my confusing emotions toward the vampires who claimed me right now. I need to figure out what the hell is going on here. That woman… Who the hell is she? And what could she possibly want me for? If she was going to kill me, she’s had plenty of opportunities, so there has to be another reason. And honestly, that scares me more than her wanting me dead. Because death is easy. Whatever this is… I’m terrified to find out.