A Fire in the Blood Read online

  “ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?”

  Her rescuer’s voice, low and oddly compelling, reminded her that she wasn’t alone.

  Tessa looked up slowly, a shiver skating down her spine. Like the vampire, this man was dressed all in black. Was he here to help, she wondered morbidly, or was he another vampire, come to finish what the dead one had started?

  “Are you all right?” he asked again.

  When she didn’t answer, he took a step toward her, stopped when she cringed against the wall.

  “I mean you no harm.” His voice moved over her like dark velvet, warm and comforting. “You’re safe now.”

  Safe? She felt a hysterical bubble of laughter rise in her throat. Safe, with a dead vampire at her feet and a stranger blocking the stairway?

  He lifted one brow. “Can you speak?”

  She blinked at him, and then she did laugh. Laughed until tears ran down her cheeks.

  The stranger muttered something in a language Tessa didn’t understand and then, between one breath and the next, he drew her into his arms.

  Other titles available by Amanda Ashley

  A WHISPER OF ETERNITY

  AFTER SUNDOWN

  DEAD PERFECT

  DEAD SEXY

  DESIRE AFTER DARK

  NIGHT’S KISS

  NIGHT’S MASTER

  NIGHT’S PLEASURE

  NIGHT’S TOUCH

  NIGHT’S MISTRESS

  NIGHT’S PROMISE

  NIGHT’S SURRENDER

  IMMORTAL SINS

  EVERLASTING KISS

  EVERLASTING DESIRE

  BOUND BY NIGHT

  BOUND BY BLOOD

  HIS DARK EMBRACE

  DESIRE THE NIGHT

  BENEATH A MIDNIGHT MOON

  AS TWILIGHT FALLS

  TWILIGHT DREAMS

  BEAUTY’S BEAST

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

  A FIRE IN THE BLOOD

  AMANDA ASHLEY

  ZEBRA BOOKS

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  “ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?”

  Other titles available by Amanda Ashley

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Epilogue

  TWILIGHT DREAMS,

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2017 by Madeline Baker

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-1-4201-4250-1

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-4251-8

  eISBN-10: 1-4201-4251-8

  To Bram Stoker’s original Dracula,

  who has been the inspiration for

  countless novels since 1897.

  My thanks!

  Prologue

  Tessa shook her head. “Lisa, I am so not going in there. You know I don’t believe in all that nonsense.”

  “It’s just for fun,” Lisa said, tugging on her hand. “Come on!”

  Tessa stared at the black-and-gold-striped tent. It sat a ways off from the rides and food booths. A tripod beside the entrance held a large, hand-lettered sign that read:

  Madame Murga

  Palms Read

  Fortunes Told

  Every time the carnival came to town, her cousin Lisa nagged Tessa to get her fortune told. Even though she was only thirteen, Lisa was really big on the paranormal. She read all the Young Adult books about vampires and werewolves, witches and zombies, watched all the movies, but she was too chicken to get her own fortune told, so every time the carnival came to town, she begged Tessa to do it.

  Tessa blew out a sigh, knowing Lisa would keep nagging her until she gave in. Might as well just get it over with.

  “All right,” Tessa said, “but just remember—you owe me big-time for this.”

  Grinning, Lisa pulled her toward the tent.

  A small silver bell chimed when they stepped inside. The interior of the tent was appropriately dim. A small round table covered with a fringed, garish yellow cloth stood in the center of the floor. A pair of nondescript wooden chairs flanked the table.

  Tessa stared at the crystal ball in the center of the table. Why had she let Lisa talk her into this?

  A dark-skinned woman stepped out from behind a curtain. A bright red, purple, and blue scarf covered her long, black hair. She wore a white peasant blouse over a colorful skirt. Tiny bells affixed to the hem jingled softly when she moved.

  “How may I help you?” Her voice was deep, husky.

  Lisa gave Tessa a little push. “My cousin’s curious about where she’ll find true love.”

  “You seem very young to be concerned about such a thing,” the gypsy woman remarked dryly. “How old are you?”

  “Fifteen. But if I’m too young . . .”

  “Be seated.”

  Tessa sat on the edge of one of the wobbly wooden chairs, her hands tightly folded in her lap. Suddenly, this didn’t seem like such a good idea.

  “Your hand.”

  Tessa placed her left hand in that of the gypsy, flinched when the woman’s fingers curled around her own.

  The woman bowed her head and closed her eyes.

  A minute passed.

  Two.

  Tessa glanced over her shoulder at Lisa.

  Lisa shrugged.

  “I cannot s
ee much of your future,” the gypsy said, her voice sounding distant. “But I see a man. He is old. Very old. He will come into your life in a moment of danger. He will watch over you and protect you.” The gypsy’s hand gripped Tessa’s tighter. “He will bring you death,” she whispered, her voice like the rustle of dry leaves. “And life.”

  An icy chill ran down Tessa’s spine. Jumping to her feet, she grabbed Lisa by the hand and ran out of the tent.

  She didn’t stop running until she was safely home with the door locked and bolted behind her.

  Chapter One

  Ten Years Later

  Vampires. Tessa Blackburn shook her head as she scanned the front page of the Cutter’s Corner Gazette.

  It was hard to remember how it all started. The first hint of trouble had been a brief story on one of the major news networks. At the time, it hadn’t made much of an impression on the citizens of Cutter’s Corner, since none of the victims had been residents of the town. Gradually, as stories of people disappearing closer to home, of bodies drained of blood, appeared in the headlines more and more often, the people of Cutter’s Corner began to pay attention. It soon became the main topic of conversation at the bank where Tessa worked. Speculation appeared in local blogs, on Facebook and Twitter. Such postings were frequently accompanied by lurid photos of the deceased and inappropriate comments.

  At first, no one in town wanted to say the word out loud, but then, one reporter on a popular cable channel boldly stated that Cutter’s Corner had a vampire problem.

  Once the word was out in the open, people really began to sit up and take notice.

  Had it only been six months ago that the word had first appeared on the front page of the Gazette in boldfaced type? At the time, Tessa’s immediate reaction had been Are they kidding? There were no such things as vampires. Everybody knew that. Vampires were nothing but a myth, scary stories told to frighten children and gullible adults. A staple of old TV shows and spooky tours in New Orleans. Vampires were the villains—and sometimes the heroes—of numerous movies and books. They sold cereal, and taught kids how to count on Sesame Street. But real? No way!

  Since then, every newspaper and magazine across the country—both print and digital—carried warnings for the public to stay inside after dark, and to never, ever invite a stranger into your home. And at least once a week, the news sources were plastered with a list of the various ways to identify a vampire, as well as the quickest and most efficient ways to destroy them.

  Thus far, Tessa counted herself fortunate that, if the creatures did indeed exist, she hadn’t run across one. At least, she was pretty sure she hadn’t. After all, she was still alive.

  No one knew how many vampires were in Cutter’s Corner, what had drawn them to the city, or where they slept during the day.

  The city council had issued a bounty of one thousand dollars in gold for every vampire destroyed, so it wasn’t surprising that the population of Cutter’s Corner had doubled in the last few months as self-proclaimed vampire hunters and greedy tourists armed with wooden stakes and bottles of holy water flocked into town, determined to rid Cutter’s Corner of its infestation while collecting a tidy reward.

  “Infestation,” Tessa muttered. As if the creatures were no more dangerous than a colony of ants.

  She turned to the last page of the Gazette and, sure enough, there were the familiar lists.

  How to spot a vampire: hairy palms, pale skin, fangs, an aversion to sunlight, crosses, and holy water

  How to destroy a vampire: a wooden stake through the heart, beheading, incineration

  How to repel a vampire: holy water, any blessed artifact, pure silver, wooden crosses

  “What if the vampire’s Jewish?” Tessa mused aloud. “Or Hindu? Or an atheist?”

  With a shake of her head, she folded the paper and tossed it on the table, then lifted a hand to her neck, her fingers sliding over the thick silver chain she had taken to wearing whenever she left the house. It was a recent acquisition. Even though she doubted anything would repel a genuine vampire, if such creatures really existed, she had decided to err on the side of caution. The chain was pretty and if it wasn’t effective, well, she still liked it. She’d considered getting a wooden stake, thinking it might come in handy if she could bring herself to use it. Had she been Catholic, she would have considered carrying a vial of holy water, as well.

  Glancing at her watch, she quickly downed the last of her coffee, grabbed her handbag and keys, and headed out the door.

  Vampires or no, she was a working girl who couldn’t afford to be late. Mr. Ambrose was pretty easygoing, as bosses went, but he insisted on punctuality from his employees.

  * * *

  Tessa smiled as Jileen Hix plopped down in the chair across from hers in the cafeteria. They had started work at Milo and Max Savings and Loan on the same day and had quickly become friends. Tessa worked in the loan department; Jileen was a teller. They made an odd pair—Tessa standing five foot five and slender with long, blond hair and dark brown eyes; Jileen shorter and plumper, with spiked, black hair and bright blue eyes.

  In spite of their physical differences, they shared a love for Starbucks’s Cinnamon Dolce Lattes, strawberry shortcake, root beer floats made with chocolate ice cream, Lady Antebellum, Steven Wright, and anything starring Chris Hemsworth. Between them, they had seen Thor at least fifteen times. They met for lunch almost every day, sometimes eating in the company cafeteria, sometimes going out.

  “Have you seen the latest headlines?” Jileen asked, as she sprinkled lemon juice on her salad.

  “No, and I’m not sure I want to.”

  “Mrs. Kowalski is the latest victim.”

  Tessa’s heart sank. Mrs. Kowalski had been the first person Tessa had met when she moved to town three years ago. “Why would anyone want to kill her? I mean, she had to be eighty if she was a day.”

  “I know,” Jileen said. “She was always so sweet to everyone. Even Eddie Sykes, and you know what a bully he is.”

  Tessa nodded. “Are they sure it was a vampire that killed her?”

  “Yes. According to the article in the paper, she had bite marks on her neck and—”

  “I don’t want to hear any more,” Tessa said, adding a pack of sugar substitute to her iced tea.

  “I guess it’s not a very good topic for lunch, is it?”

  “No.” Tessa pushed her turkey sandwich away, her appetite gone. “This is a small town. There can’t be that many vampires running around or they’d be bumping into each other. And what about all those hunters? There must be ten or twenty of them. As far as I can tell, most of them spend their time at Hanson’s Tavern, guzzling beer and swapping stories that can’t possibly be true.”

  “I met one of them here at the bank yesterday,” Jileen said. “He was really cute.”

  Tessa shook her head. She loved Jileen like a sister, but the girl fell in love with a new guy every week. Last week, it had been the FedEx deliveryman. The week before, it had been the mechanic who worked on her Mustang.

  Glancing at her watch, Tessa said, “Listen, I have to go. I have a client due in about five minutes. I’ll see you later.”

  * * *

  One thing Tessa loved about living in a small town was that, aside from knowing almost everyone, she could walk to work. But lately, she’d had the eerie sensation of being watched. And tonight, walking home alone in the dark, she wished she had taken her car.

  She assured herself there was nothing to worry about. How could there be, with all the hunters stalking the streets? But the constant talk of vampires left her feeling vulnerable. She was sure there was a vampire lurking behind every tree or watching her from the shadows. She told herself she was just being foolish, that she needed to stop reading the newspapers and blogs, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed.

  She glanced over her shoulder time and again, certain someone was creeping up behind her, but when she looked, there was no one there. No suspicious fo
otsteps.

  Just that creepy feeling.

  Again.

  Of course, it was October and every house she passed was decorated with ghouls and goblins, witches and tombstones. But that didn’t account for all the other times she had been sure someone was following her.

  Nearing home, Tessa quickened her pace. Then, feeling foolish, she ran the last two blocks. Heart pounding, she raced up the stairs to her apartment, thrust the key into the lock, and hurried inside. Slamming the door shut behind her, she shot the bolt home, then stood there, gasping for breath and feeling utterly ridiculous for letting her imagination get the best of her.

  * * *

  The vampire paused in the shadows outside the woman’s house. The word was out, spread by a fledgling who had heard it from a gypsy fortune-teller: There was a woman in Cutter’s Corner whose blood made new vampires stronger—something every fledgling would kill for.

  His nostrils filled with the tantalizing scent of her blood.

  Her fear.

  He had missed his chance at her tonight.

  He would not miss tomorrow.

  Chapter Two

  Tessa glanced at the neatly cut grass. At the tall pines in the distance. At the wreaths of flowers surrounding the graveside. At the fluffy white clouds sailing like ships across the sky-blue ocean. Everywhere but at the pale blue casket covered with a spray of red roses. She hated funerals. Granted, she hadn’t been to many, and the ones she had attended had been for people who had been sick with no hope of recovery and for whom death had probably been a blessing. But Mrs. Kowalski hadn’t been ill or infirm. She had been the town librarian, and one of Tessa’s favorite people. When Tessa first moved to Cutter’s Corner, Mrs. Kowalski had made her feel welcome. In spite of her years, Mrs. Kowalski had been filled with a zest for life. She hadn’t deserved to die in such a horrible way.