Chapter 4 #2
“As do you. Great to see you again.” They exchanged air kisses on each cheek, which left Skylar feeling as though a bit of L.A. had worn off on her. “Thanks so much for inviting me to work on the production. I love the character. Great writing.”
“Thank you, thank you. I saw your work in Die Cabin Twenty-Five, and I just knew you’d be perfect. I have a good feeling about you.”
“Oh my gosh, you saw that? It was ages ago. But thanks so much for having me. I’m so grateful to be working on such a fun project.” Skylar smiled, uneasy as his hand lingered on her shoulder a few seconds too long.
A seed of doubt about the millionaire producer’s motives planted in her mind. Though he was debonair and fashionable, there was a devilish flash in his eyes that led her to believe he was far more cunning than he revealed.
“Let’s toast,” He held up his drink into the air. “To our success. We’re gonna kill it.”
Skylar brought her glass to her lips, and within seconds she’d descended into darkness.
Skylar’s eyes flashed open and she gasped for breath. “I can’t…I can’t breathe. Help.” Her pulse raced as she tugged on her wrists, the leather digging into her skin. Light peeked from underneath a loosely tied blindfold. Where the fuck am I?
“Help.” A mere whisper escaped her lips. She winced as a throbbing pain drummed a beat in her head. She thanked God for her thin wrists as she wriggled one hand free and tugged off the blindfold.
With her vision blurry, she attempted to assess her surroundings. What is this place? A tent?
She glanced at the dusty dirt floor; lights flickered through the small, clear paneled flaps to the outdoors. The dry air coated her tongue and she coughed. Am I in the desert? How did I get out here?
Her mind remained fuzzy. She concentrated, a neon bat flashing in her mind’s eye. I went to a party. I was in a bar. I was in a hotel. With Scott.
A moan stirred her attention, and her head whipped around to its source. Tina lay motionless, outstretched on a black cot, her wrists bound to its side rails.
“Hey,” Skylar whispered. “Are you okay? Where are we?”
Tina’s head swung toward her. “Don’t show fear.”
“Oh my God. Are you okay?” Skylar’s pulse raced as Tina’s eyes rolled up into her head.
Laughter erupted from outside the tent. With one arm still tied to the bed, she made the split decision to pretend she was sleeping. She slid her blindfold down over her eyes and laid back. Stiff as a board, she froze. Listen. Learn. Escape.
She stifled a scream as a fingernail trailed down over her arm. Her mind raced, wondering if she could headbutt her kidnappers, possibly fling her body over and break the cot.
“Leave her alone,” a familiar voice scolded. “I’m saving her for later.”
“But baby, I’m so thirsty,” the woman whined.
Skylar held her breath as icy cold lips grazed over her ankle. With grit and determination, she fought back tears, willing her mind to remain calm. Who were these monsters? She had to get out, she had to fight.
“Don’t touch her. I told you she’s mine and mine only. I’ve been watching her all week. From the moment I saw her, I knew she was a prize. I’m sharing her with Zyaire.”
“You’re so selfish. But fine. I like them screaming anyway. Wouldn’t want to wake your princess.”
“She’s not waking up until I tell her to wake up. But when I fuck this little starlet, she’ll be wide awake.”
“I like them afraid. I want them to feel it all. Not so much they pass out of course,” she mused. “Ruins the fun.”
“Hmm, darling, you are diabolical,” he said.
“The sound of their screams? The fear? It’s better than sex,” she purred.
“We could fuck both if we keep them alive. Later of course,” he instructed.
Skylar remained stiff as a board, as a cool hand stroked her inner calf. Her heart pounded in her chest.
“Wakey, wakey human,” the male voice instructed.
“Please no,” Tina cried. “Why are you doing this? Scott, no.”
Scott? Skylar held her breath, attempting to stem her mounting panic. Her stomach rolled, and she fought the bile that inched up her throat.
“Tina, my pet. There you are.” The vampire reached around the back of Tina’s neck and bared her fangs. “I promise this will only hurt a lot. The louder you scream, the more delicious you are. Let’s hear you squeal.”
Maniacal laughter rang in Skylar’s ears as Tina released a blood curdling scream.
With one hand free, she tore off her blindfold and jolted upward.
Skylar struggled to remove her other wrist from its binding.
As she caught sight of Tina splayed on the cot, a woman with long purple hair looked up at her, her fangs dripping with blood.
“Get off of her!” Skylar screamed.
Her heart pounded against her ribs, as the second vampire raised its head, his cheeks and mouth dripping with blood. Scott. Tina had stopped moving. Her dead eyes stared back at Skylar.
“No!!” Relief tore through her as her wrist broke free of the binding. She bounded off the cot, her legs wobbling as she attempted to sprint out of the tent.
Scott grabbed her by the back of her neck. She screamed, turning and punching at him. Her eyes bulged in fear as he flashed his bloody fangs.
“Let me go! Help!”
“Come back here you little bitch,” he growled.
“Get off me!” Determined to escape, Skylar fought to break free.
Her eyes scanned the room. What kills a vampire? In the corner she spied an object holding the tent into the ground. A wooden stake.
She writhed under his grip, attempting to break free.
His long fingers curled around her neck, both in the back and front.
She gasped for breath, screaming and fighting for her life.
A swift knee to his crotch sent him crumbling onto the ground.
She stumbled across the room and lunged for the stake.
She tugged on it, twisting and yanking, inch by inch.
“No!” A guttural cry released from her lungs as his hand wrapped around her neck once again.
“I was going to let you live, you stupid cunt.”
“No,” she coughed, struggling to breathe. Skylar swung and missed, his diabolical laughter echoing in her ears.
“No,” she cried again. The louder he laughed the more anger raged through her veins. With nothing left to lose, she kicked his shin and rounded her fist into his jaw. With stake in hand, she jabbed at him, slicing his arm.
“You fucking bitch.” Enraged, he lunged at her.
She sucked a breath as he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her across the room. Pain rocked through her entire body as she slammed into the hardened earth. Her adrenaline surged, and she rolled into the corner.
As she looked up, she caught sight of Scott flailing, clutching his arm which had begun to gush blood all over the floor. Reality blurred into fantasy as she watched a swirling cloud appear in the room. His body writhed, as he stumbled toward it.
“What did you do?” The female vampire screamed at her. “You can’t touch him.”
Skylar held tight to the stake. “Stay away from me!”
“I’m going to kill you, bitch!” The monster hissed at her, the stench of its breath permeating the air.
With the stake clutched with both her hands, Skylar braced her grip as she watched the vampire launch itself at her. A loud growl filled the tent, and Skylar braced herself for the attack that never came. As a tunnel of darkness closed in on her vision, the beast was the last thing she saw.
The wolf.
Gentle golden sunlight flickered into her room, and Skylar pulled the covers up over her head.
The nightmare remained in her mind, but she shoved it aside, willing dreams of the ocean to wash away the pain.
The soft sheets caressed her body, the feather pillow cradling her head. Happy. Peaceful. Dream.
She stirred as her dream morphed into memories of the terrible nightmare. The hotel. The party. The tent. Tina dead on a cot. Blood. Vampires.
Skylar’s eyes flashed open, her heart pounding in her chest as she took in her surroundings. Where am I? Her mind raced in panic as the unfamiliar surroundings came into view. I’ve got to get outta here.
Movement flashed near the wall and she stilled. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied the furry tail. Her anxiety immediately inflated as the animal came into view. A dog. No, a wolf. Adonis?
Skylar jolted upward, her head spinning as she tried to launch herself off the bed. As she tumbled toward the floor, she flinched in expectation of the fall that never materialized, strong hands steadying her back onto the side of the bed.
As she looked upward, her eyes widened as he came into view. “Rafe?”
“It’s okay. You’re safe. Nothing’s going to happen here. I’ve got you.”
“What are you doing here?” She winced as she lay back in the bed. Her muscles ached. Her mind reeled. Flashes of Tina screaming played in her mind. Tears welled in her eyes.
“It’s okay, Sky.”
A comforting hand brushed over her forehead as he tucked her back into bed.
“Vampires.” Her body trembled as she spoke.
“You’re safe now,” he told her, his voice gentle.
“But Tina. They killed her.” Tears streamed down her face.
“I promise you’re going to be okay. You need to get some rest.”
“We’ve got to get out of here. Tina’s dead.”
“Shhh, you’re safe now. I promise I’ll stay right here with you. No one is going to hurt you again.”
“They killed her,” she cried, her mind reeling with the trauma of being attacked.
As her body succumbed to exhaustion, she whispered her attacker’s identity. “Scott is a vampire.”