Vlad Tepes,
Vigilante Vampire
by Lillie J. Roberts
Genre: Paranormal
Romance/Urban Fantasy
When mankind meets
vampire, they have but one hope . . .Vlad Tepes, Vigilante Vampire
Vlad Tepes remembers the
Black Death, remembers being turned in order to be saved and the years it took
to wrestle his beast into submission. With the birth of World War I, his family
fled Europe ahead of the invading armies. Eventually, they land in Chicago,
forced into a leadership role by the Vampire Hierarchy. Vlad's always roamed,
working to right the wrongs and protect those weaker, a toll for his fledgling
misdeeds. Being told to stay in one place chaffs like silver cuffs. Until he
meets Sheree Jennings, a local gangster's daughter. Settling down becomes far
more appealing.
Except an ancient evil
has also relocated to the windy city with them, dark and demented, an elder
vampire whose core is filled with sinister need. But, not all evil comes in the
form of a vampire. People are disappearing, putting everyone at risk including
Vlad's love, Sheree. Determined to keep what's his safe, Vlad uncovers more
than vampire politics, or crimes and misdemeanors; an insane plot capable of
exposing them all is in the making. Everyone is in danger if he can't stop
their plans, humans and vampires alike. With his life and those he loves held
in the balance, he must contain this maniacal scheme or face unending death. .
. or worse, eternal loneliness.
~Excerpt~
Old Chicago, that’s what
I liked to call this part of the city with its old neighborhoods, the Italians,
Irish, Asians, Germans…and the new additions, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and
Middle Eastern born people. It didn’t make any difference to me, a mass of
human population boiling over with need, want, and violence, the same as it
always was…but it was also a hunting grounds and that was important to me. You
see, injustice never set well with me, and this latest gig as an enforcer,
well, it was right up my alley.
Two days had been spent
tracking the latest problem that worked his way across our domain. Another being,
happy with violence and sickness, unable or unwilling to contain himself. If he
wasn’t stopped, how many more would he torture, maim, or kill to satisfy those
sick needs?
The night surrounded me
and I drew it in tighter, virtually invisible to the human eye, waiting,
watching, prowling… What was taking him so long? I had other things to do
besides waiting for him to make his move. My patience was wearing thin, and my
shoulders rolled with tightness. The night was becoming longer than it needed
to be.
Finally, traces of his
foul wonderings greeted my mind as he mused about his next victim, hoping she’d
scream and beg, hoping she’d plead for her life. Then after a few promises and
sure knowledge her life was forfeit, she’d beg for the lives of her husband and
daughter. He got a self-induced high off what he planned to do. It disgusted
me, reviled me, and yet, it was I who was the monster. He pondered it all as he
came closer, and I promised myself, he’d have a taste of his own fear.
There he was! Jaunting
down the sidewalk, keys jiggling nervously in his pocket, anxiousness in his
footsteps, and eagerness in his dull-brown eyes. He glanced up at the pretty
blonde in front of him, his smile widened, his dull eyes lit up. His sharpened
pointy canines peeked below his upper lip, but they were only for show. He
wasn’t one of my kind but he liked to pretend. It was all about invoking fear
and he liked the powerful feeling. So did I.
His footsteps quickened
and mine followed his. He was closer now to the object of his desire, almost
within touching distance. Almost. He licked his pale thin lips, greasy hair
flopped on his forehead, sweat gathered on his brow. Now, his thoughts rang in
my ears, his hand lifted, grab her now! With a crumpled up ball of dirty white
fabric clutched in his hand, he reached out as he crossed the darkened
threshold of the alley. The shadows slipped away from me, and I stepped further
back, sliding my sunglasses into place. No need for my eyes to give me away.
There was a muffled scream.
I heard her heels scrape along the rough concrete, then his slump against the
crumbling brick of the adjoining building. Damn, his thoughts spoke loudly,
she’s already passed out. Fun and games’ll have to wait. He kissed the top of
her head almost tenderly before he dragged her further into the alley and ran
straight into my chest. My arms swallowed both of them, lifting them from the
pavement.
“Hey,” he shouted, “get
off of me!” Anger rolled off of him in waves. It filled the air, and I felt my
beast roll, just a little, inside of me.
My arms opened and they
tumbled to the ground. The woman, now a dead weight, landed on top of him and I
offered my icy hand. He looked at it and shivered.
“Get away from me,” he
threatened, brandishing a razor sharp blade that was wide at the base and
narrow at the tip. But blades no longer frightened me.
My eyes closed, nose
twitching with the scent of the night air. Pheromones rolled off his body:
fear, lust, and one I preferred not to think of, death, all mixed together with
the heady floral fragrance of the young woman. It made me greedy to take what
he was offering.
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~About the Author~
Lillie J. Roberts is a multi-published author who loves to reviews books as well. Lillie (a.k.a Dottie at Tink’s Place), enjoys sharing her thoughts about the books she’s read. Stop by sometime, let her know what your think. Her preferred genre is paranormal romance, the darker the better, though if you give her a good thriller/chiller and she’s happy too. She loves all types paranormal creatures from vampires, were- creatures, witches, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night. She loves a good ghost story, so if you have one, share it with her. The scariest book she’s ever read is a toss up between Bram Stroker’s Dracula or Stephen King’s It (both gave her nightmares).
Lillie lives in central
Illinois with her husband, three children, and one wild Westie (who is also her
reading and critique partner; he listens to all her new story ideas, almost
always with a wicked sense of humor). She is an animal lover as are her
heroines and heroes (and no, that doesn’t include insects or spiders). She
loves movies and listens to them while she writes, it doesn’t matter if they’re
old or new, as long as they’re engaging. She enjoys all kinds of music,
especially if it has a hard driving beat. You’ll find some on her favorite artists
mentioned in the pages of her books. She writes Paranormal Romance, Urban
Fantasy, Chillers/Thillers, Suspense from Modern Contemporary to New Adult and
YA, from sweetly innocent to naughty romance. She tends to be a genre bender,
mixing her genres to provide an unique read.
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