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Chapter One
Angelina
Five months later
Islipped through the shadows, clinging to the sides of the buildings in the alley as I kept my senses on high alert.In this alley, the lights and cameras were broken, although they wouldn’t stay that way for long.The humans knew that there was probably vampire activity if the lights were broken along with cameras.
I had heard of a group of our breed that specifically went out nightly and destroyed every light and camera they could find, just to keep them fixing them.I had learned that they were constantly breaking them in the opposite direction of where the breed was working.It was their way of trying to survive.
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Kristin had been correct.The world had gone to hell after the news hit about the facility.Vampires were rounded up and killed in the streets, tortured, and then staked or left to burn in the sun—sometimes dealing with days of agony before finally succumbing, and the fucking people cheered.
It was like we had moved into the dark ages.Like we were back in the times of kings and castles, and anything went.
It wasn’t the dark ages, although it sure seemed that way.For a month, I had hung around in Chicago until it got terrible.Over the last four months, I had moved from one place to another with only a backpack worth of stuff.I stole most of what I needed and purchased the rest on the underground when I could find someone to trust.
Our breed now had a rather intricate underground network, just like when alcohol was banned.Anything that we needed was found there, and human sympathizers helped us obtain it.
We were personae non gratae, and there was no way we could walk into a public store and purchase anything.Most stores now had a device where you had to put your thumb on it to be tested.Within two seconds, it knew if you were human or vampire.If it detected vampire blood, it automatically sent a notification to authorities, and before you could get away, you were trapped behind a dangerous alloy gate.
The only businesses that had those were the ones that were open at night.Day businesses didn’t require them because they knew it was less likely for us to be out during daylight hours.If it was storming or cloudy, sometimes we could sneak into a store and get what we needed, but why take the chance?
Over the last several months, I had primarily kept to myself, hiding and watching.People wondered what happened to the mistress, and there was talk about her being taken hostage and killed.There was also talk about how she had survived and was hiding now, waiting to come back and take over.The breed appeared to be parted right down the center on whether they wanted her back or not.
Joseph Portage was still around—somewhere—and his following had grown tremendously as the breed was hunted.People wanted to fight back.They wanted to kill humans and turn the tides.I had to admit that I didn’t like the guy, but I felt his groove right now.His way of thinking made sense.
Memories of the things I did with my father so many years ago bubbled up occasionally.Burke had been vicious, and I had loved working at his side.So much so that I had even contemplated getting a message to Portage to say I’d work for him if he’d get me off these fucking nasty streets.
Except when I thought of Portage, I thought of Zander, which made me think of Kristin, which brought up Hugh's thoughts.My heart would ache a little when I thought of him.I would remember the look on his face as I was pulled from the room.He had tried not to be affected, but he had been.
Hugh had chosen to stay with my sister, with their child.I couldn’t fault him for wanting to stay for his child, but I had loved him.He had to have known that.Had my feelings not meant anything to him?Perhaps my sister had compelled him to stay.
A noise ahead of me brought me out of my musings.I froze with my back against the weathered brick.
A deep voice whispered up ahead, “You there?”
I recognized it as the man I had spoken to briefly last night.“Yes,” I replied as I stepped closer to his voice.
“Good, I’m glad you came, Angelina.”
I paused.“How do you know my name?”
He chuckled as I got close enough to see him hidden in the deep shadows.“Everyone knows who you are, and everyone wants you here.”
I shifted my feet back slightly.Did they want to punish me because Kristin was my sister?“Why do they want me here?”
“Come on in and see for yourself.”He held his hand toward a door.
“How do I know it’s not a trap?”
He stepped forward and held out his hand.“Taste me and see.”
I was suspicious of his offer, but I was even leerier of being caught.I snapped my fangs into his wrist and sucked deeply.In his mind, I saw no compulsion, no hint of a trick, but what I did see intrigued me.I withdrew my fangs slowly and licked his wrist.
His steel-gray eyes glittered in the darkness.“You have nothing to fear from us.I’m Gideon, but everyone calls me Gid.Come in and meet the rest.”
“Okay, Gid, but know that if this turns out to be a trap, I will kill you all.”
“I do not doubt that you would, Angelina, but you have nothing to fear.These people want you here; they want your leadership.”
