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  • Published: 10 September 2024
  • ISBN: 9781761348815
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 432
  • RRP: $22.99

Live for Me

An addictive and steamy vampire mystery romance (Red Thorne Book 2)

Extract

Dead bodies are being found around town again.

That situation was supposed to be resolved months ago, but I have a feeling Red Thorne is a place full of unresolved mysteries.

With two fingers, I lightly push against the jaw of the dead teenage boy sprawled in front of me. His head lolls to the side, and I narrow my eyes at the jagged puncture marks that are carved into his flesh. He wasn’t just bitten, the vampire dragged their fangs down so that there was no way he would survive the bite. Dried blood stains his skin and the grass beneath the back of his head.

‘If this was you, I’m going to kick your ass so hard you won’t be sitting for a week,’ I say, when I hear the sound of feet hitting the ground behind me.

‘I’d like to see you try,’ Theo replies in a deep voice. Standing, I turn to face him. His blond hair is especially messy, looking windswept and like he hasn’t brushed it in a few days. Or weeks, knowing him. He towers over me, and offers me his trademark crooked smirk.

The temptation to prove my point almost wins the battle inside me, but with a sharp exhale I turn back to the corpse at our feet. Planting my hands on my hips, I stare at him, unsure of what to think.

'This seems a little familiar,' Theo says.

He’s referring to the very pissed-off vampire, seeking revenge on Theo, who built a small army of newbie vamps and left a trail of dead bodies. Since that case was resolved, the missing people and dead bodies had completely stopped, and the town had returned to its creepy, but normal, self.

Until a few weeks ago.

‘Whose girlfriend did you kill this time?’ I ask, raising an eyebrow.

‘I’ve been on very good behaviour lately,’ Theo retorts, crossing his muscled, tattooed arms over his chest. ‘Much to my own disappointment.’

‘You don’t think . . .’ I trail off, anxiety rising in me, gripping my heart in a painful fist. ‘It’s not . . .’

‘I don’t think so, Cor,’ Theo says quietly, shaking his head. ‘If Kian was here he would make himself much more known than this.’

‘He likes to play games. This,’ I gesture to the body, ‘is a game. Leaving corpses out like this, for anyone to find.’

‘Seems a bit beneath him,’ Theo argues. It seems preposterous that a person being murdered in cold blood, left to bleed out and die for anyone to find, could possibly be beneath someone, but he is right. Kian is much more theatrical. ‘He’s more the type of person to kill the university chancellor at our graduation with a massive live audience, or something.’

An unnatural chill inches down my spine. ‘I hate that you’re right.’

‘I’m always right.’

‘If anything, you’re mostly always wrong, but sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.’

Theo rolls his eyes. Bending down, he scoops the dead boy into his arms, flinging him over his shoulder. I peer around, thankful no one has walked by us, since we are right near town, on one of the most popular walking tracks.

It’s quiet as we walk, since our footsteps are as light as a feather. My eyes dart around us, constantly monitoring for  the tiniest of movements, but it seems we are the only ones in the woods tonight. It used to be quite busy out at night, but since these dead bodies started popping up every few nights for the last month, most people stay indoors now.

Theo sings in a low voice, something about having a pocketful of sunshine.

You’re a bit twisted, you know that?’ I ask him.

‘We’re all a bit twisted, girlfriend.’

‘Don’t call me that,’ I mutter.

Theo peers back at me. ‘You sounded so much like your sister just then.’

My stomach clenches at the mention of Raya. I miss her so fucking much. I’m glad she is away from Red Thorne for this. She deserves to be happy, and off enjoying her life. I’m incredibly thankful for Hunter, and his commitment to making that happen. Raya deserves the world, and he is willing to go to every length to give it to her.

‘What’s with the new hair?’ Theo asks.

Drawing me from my thoughts, the question prompts me to glance at my long, now-black hair that cascades down my shoulders. The ends are a dark ruby red since I thought that with my vampire-black eyes, and the fact that I wear mostly black clothes, I needed a little colour to spice it up. I spontaneously dyed it this morning. I’ve always had a natural dark brown, the exact same  as Raya’s, but I felt like it needed to change. Since I have changed so much inside, I needed to alter the outside to match. It feels kind of nice. Like shedding old skin.

I shrug, running my tongue across my teeth, feeling a little antsy, although I don’t know why. ‘I needed a change.’

'Suits you.'

‘Thanks.’

We get to the clearing, and Theo tosses the body to the ground. It lands on the harsh dirt with a sickening thump. Theo is gone and returns within a moment. He generously douses the body in petrol, and my thumb rubs up and down the side of the lighter as  I wait for him to finish and back away.

I land by Theo’s side as the body erupts into flames, the heat splashing across my skin. I feel a little uneasy as I watch the fire consume the flesh, the smell filling my nostrils, making me resist the urge to gag. Considering we have done this a few times now, I should be used to it, but I don’t think the sight of a dead body being eaten by flames, and the gut-wrenching smell that comes with that, is something I will ever get used to. I often wake up at night, the heat of fire on my skin, the smell invading my lungs, only to realise I’m alone in my bed. I suggested burying them, but apparently burning bodies is the best way to make sure a vampire stays dead, given the many stories passed around that buried vampires have a habit of reappearing. A shiver rockets down my spine at that thought.

‘Reminds me of old times,’ Theo says. ‘Me and Hunter used to do this. Bonding time, I called it.’I screw my face up. ‘That’s terrible, Theo.’

Withdrawing a long-neck from his jacket, he offers me one.  I blink down at it. ‘Drink?’ he asks when I don’t take it. I turn my incredulous gaze toward him. ‘What? It’s a bonfire.’

‘You’re fucked,’ I mutter, but I take the drink regardless.

We watch in silence. I take a long sip, grimacing at the bitter taste.

‘Well. This has been fun.’ Theo drains the remainder of his. ‘Shall we keep the good vibes going?’

I give him a deadpan stare.

Grinning, he turns, and I follow him. After everything, Theo has become numb to the harsh reality of life. He can turn almost every horrible situation into a joke. At first, it made me so furious with him, I could barely make eye contact when he talked to me, but now I see it’s a coping mechanism. He has just as much trauma as me, and this is the way he finds relief.

Surveying the area, I chew my lip, my mind spinning. We need to find out who is doing this. I need to know if it’s Kian. If it isn’t him, who else would it be, and why? After what happened to Theo, it makes me paranoid not knowing who is behind this, since the vampire world seems small when it comes to revenge and death. I already have the sensation of being watched, so this is only ramping that up.

‘What are we going to do about this?’ I ask, trailing behind Theo as we wade through the trees. There’s hardly any light offered from the moon tonight, but thankfully my eyesight enhances when I need it to. ‘What’s our game plan?’

Theo shrugs. ‘We have a case to solve, Detective.’

‘No shit,’ I grumble. ‘I mean, where do we start?’

‘We need to get to know people. Ask around. Someone is bound to know something. You’re always out and about, you need to start networking.’

I screw my nose up. ‘I don’t like people.’

‘You’re going to have to suck it up, girlfriend.’

Spreading my lips into a thin line, I mull over his words. They make sense. If we want to find out who is doing this, and hopefully put an end to it, I’m going to have to start asking questions. Which means talking to people. Getting to know them. Ugh. Sounds awful.

‘And you?’ I ask. ‘What will you be doing?’

‘The same thing, obvs,’ he replies, kicking a stick and sending it soaring ahead of us, disappearing between two trees.

'Uh-huh.'

‘What else have I got to do?’ he asks, slowing down a fraction so that we fall in step, side by side. ‘Minus hanging with you.’

‘Harassing is a better word.’

This is another thing Kian has done that doesn’t sit right with me. Restricting Theo to this town, refusing to let him leave. I shudder at the thought of being trapped here. I’ve been there with Kian – held in his claws, so tight it’s suffocating. I’ve felt the walls closing around me. It’s something I wish to never experience again. But while I know it infuriates Theo, he still manages to enjoy himself here. I kind of admire that about him.

It’s unsettling that Kian has so much power over those he turns. It’s been said that some vampires have particular gifts beyond the usual perks of being undead. Kian appears to have an enhanced ability when it comes to compulsion. A maker is always connected to and influential over the ones they turn, but Kian takes that a step further.

If I have a gift, I would say it’s my speed and precision in a fight. Or maybe that is just Kian’s training. If being crafty and silent is a gift, that is certainly Theo’s.

‘What do you think they want?’ Theo asks, his voice changing to a more serious tone he rarely uses. Sarcasm and inappropriate jokes are his way of dealing with everything, but every so often he drops that wall with me.

I sigh. ‘I don’t know. To send a message, maybe. What message, and to who, I have no clue.’

‘Hopefully nothing to do with us,’ he says.

‘That’s wishful thinking.’

Kian.

A shiver rolls through me at the thought of him, and my mind wanders to the letter he sent me . . .

I haven’t forgotten about you.

You still owe me nine years.

I’ll be coming to collect.

See you soon, Cora.


Goosebumps scatter over my skin and I glance around me, as if expecting him to step out from the shadows.

Unease swirls in my gut at the thought of it. It would be foolish of me not to assume this is linked to him, but Theo also makes a valid point. This seems . . . beneath Kian. Maybe that’s the whole point. Perhaps he wants to throw us off? Purposely confuse us? That’s something he would do.

My eyes dart to Theo. I never told him about the letter. He should know, especially if Kian turns up again – which I don’t doubt he will. Half-turning to Theo, I open my mouth to tell him about it, when a stick snaps. There’s a sudden rustling in the trees that has my chin jerking up, and both of us freezing. Theo tenses beside me, and I quickly press my hand to his mouth, ensuring he doesn’t do or say anything that will give us away, if we haven’t already done that.

Theo’s tongue runs against my hand, and I yank it away, giving him a withering glare.

‘Focus, you loser!’ I mouth to him.

His smirk widens, only annoying me further.

A cat lands in front of us, its yellow eyes blinking up through the gloom. Its midnight black hair makes its body blend into the shadows. I exhale, slumping my shoulders. Sensing something off about us, the cat hisses, darting off into the darkness as fast as it can. I think we scared it just as much as it scared us.

‘So scary,’ Theo whispers, re-enacting my frozen face and rigid body.

‘Fuck you,’ I mutter.

‘Anytime, girlfriend.’

‘Stop. Calling. Me – ah!’ My feet suddenly fall into a hidden hole, and I tumble downwards. I land elegantly in a low crouch, my eyesight focusing as the world around me brightens slightly, letting me see where I am.

Brushing dirt off my clothes, I peer around, wondering where the hell this pit of darkness has come from. We walk through this forest almost every night, and we have never noticed it. When my foot hits something, I glance down, yelping when I see a skull facing me.

I shriek, leaping backward, hitting my shoulder against a hard rock. I spin, then discover the rock is in fact the shoulder of another skeleton, and I scream again.

A whoosh to my left has me whirling around in fright to see Theo. He grips my shoulders, his firm hands lending me a little bit of comfort, and I force the panic out of my mind.

‘Are you okay?’ he asks.

Nodding, I swallow, trying to calm myself down.

Theo slowly turns, taking in the piles of bones at our feet, and the skeletons leaning up against the dirt wall. They look like they have been here for a while, but it’s hard to tell how long.‘This is creepy as fuck,’ he says.‘Get me out of here,’ I whisper, closing my eyes, attempting to convince myself that the walls aren’t actually pressing in on me. An awfully familiar tightness encloses my chest, and my hands tremble as I lift them to cover my face.

When I reopen my eyes, we are back in the forest.

‘It’s fine,’ he says. ‘You’re fine.’

I nod slowly. ‘I’m a little claustrophobic.’

‘Yeah,’ Theo agrees, brushing his hair from his eyes. ‘You’re shaking, Cor.’

‘Let’s just go.’

He hesitates a heartbeat of a second before nodding. We continue to exit the forest, thankfully at a faster pace. I breathe a quick sigh of relief when we make it back to the pavement. Theo wanders over to the patch of blood from the body, doing his best to scrub it out with his foot, and then covers it with leaves.

‘I know you’re not someone to let anyone inside those highly built walls of yours,’ Theo says once he has successfully gotten rid of the evidence. ‘But you can talk to me. About stuff.’ He looks away for a moment. ‘I understand better than you think. About Kian. The way he makes you feel. The things he asks you to do. The lack of con trol and power.’ He hesitates. ‘The way you also want his approval.’

My lower lip trembles and I clench my jaw. Theo and I have never discussed this. Hell, I don’t think we’ve ever had a heart-to-heart about anything that matters. Not that I would admit it to him, but that’s what I like most about our friendship. The fact that we have both been through some serious shit but can still laugh and have a good time.

‘I really appreciate that, Theo,’ I murmur, swallowing hard, not liking the burning sensation creeping over my eyes as tears threaten. ‘Thank you.’

When I look up, his easy smile is back on his face. ‘What’s on for the rest of the night?’

‘Sleep. I’m exhausted.’

‘Why are you working so damn much?’ Theo asks, his face muscles visibly jumping. This is a conversation we’ve had several times over the past few weeks. He doesn’t understand it.

‘I want to,’ I say, even though we both know that isn’t it. ‘Thanks for your help tonight.’

‘Mmhmm,’ he says, shaking his head, indicating his disagreement with my new way of life, but like always, I choose to ignore his opinion. ‘Night, Cor.’

‘Night, Theo.’

Despite everything going on in Red Thorne right now, I still take my time walking back to my house. I’m positive the eyes I feel on me are Theo’s, making sure I get home safe. I don’t ever let on that I know he’s there. It’s comforting to know I’m not truly alone.

Tugging the sleeves of my jumper over my hands, I shiver slightly, the events of the night repeating in my mind on a continuous, irritating loop. Trotting up the stairs of my porch, I slip inside, triple locking the door. If a vampire wants to get in, there isn’t much stopping them, but I still feel better knowing that all the doors are deadbolted.

My phone rings, and I read Mya’s name across the screen.  I met Mya through work when I first moved back and she’s become very special to me. As someone who didn’t have many friends as a human, let alone as a vampire, when I found someone I genuinely click with – here of all places – it was such a relief. Without Raya around, I’ve really missed having a close girlfriend.

Smiling, I answer. ‘Hey,’ I say.

‘Hellooo,’ Mya replies in her sing-song voice. ‘Are you home?’

‘Yup,’ I reply, wedging my phone between my cheek and my shoulder as I yank off my boots. With all the corpses turning up, we have made a promise to each other to call and check we made it home. It seems morbid, but that’s Red Thorne for you. ‘Are you?’

'Home, tucked into bed, reading my monster romance smut.’ I snort. ‘Good Lord. At least that’s better than the one from last week. What was it again, a woman and a . . . chair?’

‘Hey, don’t knock it until you try it!’ she protests.

‘Right . . .’ I trail off, unconvinced. ‘How was your family dinner?'

‘I . . . didn’t go.’‘Mya,’ I laugh, shaking my head. ‘You’re going to be in trouble.’

‘I knowwww.’ She exhales, and I can picture her nose screwing up like it always does when she is flustered, or embarrassed. ‘I just can’t face my father right now. He is so angry with me.’

‘Are you ever going to fill me in on what this big falling out was about?’ I ask, placing her on speaker as I move around the kitchen, tidying my bench. Having a spotless house has become a hobby of mine. A way to pass the time, and occupy my hands. I must have rearranged my house furniture, and everything in my cupboards, at least a dozen times. Organising and keeping things clean makes me feel like a normal person again, and that is exactly what I need after the year I’ve had.

‘It’s complicated,’ she replies, yawning, which makes me yawn. ‘I’ll tell you one day. It’s a long story.’

‘I’m holding you to that.’

Movement to my right captures my attention, and I glance out the window. The boy next door is moving around his house. When he steps into view, I turn my back to him, not wanting him to know I was looking. He’s a close friend of Mya’s and I secretly think she is trying to set us up. She talks about him nonstop to me, and because I’m refusing to acknowledge Kian, I’ve probably misled her into thinking I’m looking for someone, when I most certainly am not. I can’t think anything of the sort right now, when he still consumes me, in more ways than one.

'Cor?’ her voice murmurs, bringing me back to the present.

‘Huh?’ I ask, berating myself for once again letting my mind drift toward Kian, the one person I do not want to be thinking about.

‘Never mind.’ She chuckles. ‘What are you up to?’

I’ve got a hot date with my bed.’

She laughs, and it’s soft and whimsical, which has become a comforting sound to me. ‘Sounds good. Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well.’

‘You too.’

The first thing I do when I get off the phone, like always, is turn my music on and crank it up to a volume that effectively drowns out my thoughts. Peeling off my clothes, I shower, and get ready for bed. Plucking a blood bag from the fridge, I collapse onto my mattress.

I’m deep in thought, despite the music. I take long sips of the blood. It’s nothing like getting it directly from the source, and most of the time it has a bitter taste that makes my insides feel like they’re about to shrivel, but it does the job.

Hunger satisfied, with my favourite music playing, I finally untense my shoulders, and close my eyes, hoping that nightmares don’t plague my dreams tonight.

~

My legs dangle from the roof of my house as I gaze upward at the sky.

As much as I love the night, and the moon, there is something particularly special about the quiet calm of the early morning, and the stunning vibrancy of the sky as the sun slowly rises. As a vampire with a deadly creator who has more enemies than not, I often wonder which sunrise will be my last.

Given that I likely have a target on my back, I should be on the move, keeping my head down, and fleeing from a town like this, but living life on the run doesn’t appeal to me. If someone is coming for me, and they take me down, I will gladly go. I don’t deserve justice after the things I’ve done.

An image of Alex – Raya’s best friend – flashes in my mind, and my stomach roils as I remember so acutely his neck snapping in my hands. Guilt plagues me for many of the things I’ve done, but that particular moment will haunt me until the day I die.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I whisper, bringing my knees to my chest, hugging them. I lightly rock back and forth, Alex’s eyes so vivid in my mind.

Then my mother’s face appears, like a slideshow of the poor decisions I’ve made. The acceptance on Alex’s face, despite the pain, knowing his death was coming. My mum’s head bent, blood dripping over her skin. She was in that car because of me. Her blood is on my hands, too. Tears roll down my cheeks.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ I whisper over and over, my voice broken and hoarse as I sob, soaking in the pain of it all.

I weep for several long moments, letting the pain consume me, before drawing in a ragged breath. Placing the lid firmly back on my container of emotions, I force myself to push away the images flooding my mind, and re-open my eyes.

A few moments is all I’m allowed to grieve, and then I have to move on. I can’t let my past ruin my future, no matter how much I hate myself for the things I’ve done, and the events I’ve set in motion with my foolish decisions.

Trailing my finger down the spine of one of my journals, I pull out the very first one from the tote bag beside me, flipping to the front of the book, where I begin to read.

I am completely and utterly obsessed with him. I’ve never experienced anything like this. He is magnetic, and charismatic, and everything I want in a person.

Handsome, mysterious, has the world at his fingertips. And he wants me. He will do anything to have me.

I can’t wait to conquer the world at his side.

The feel of my skin burning snaps me back to reality. The sun is directly before me now, and I exhale, slapping the journal shut. Leaping elegantly from the roof, I land in my front yard. Entering the house, I make a beeline for the stereo and crank the music up loud, trying to push all thoughts of Kian, Alex, my mother – and the other faces of victims killed either by my hands or by Kian’s as I watched – from my mind. I shouldn’t read the journals. I shouldn’t remind myself of the mistakes I made that led me down this path, but I can’t get him off my mind, no matter how hard I try.

After a shower, I lean against my kitchen counter, peering down the street, sipping on a blood bag. No matter what blood  I have, it all tastes like dirt, only easing my hunger to the point where it’s just bearable. I don’t know how to make it better. A part of me knows I need to drink hot blood, right from the source, but I can’t bring myself to even think about it.

A bang on my front door startles me. Stalking over, I swing it open to see the boy from next door standing there, looking weary and pissed off. Dark bags underline his eyes, making his face appear puffy, and a little bruised.

‘Do you realise you have neighbours?’ the boy barks, his expression hard. ‘It is way too early in the morning to be listening to whatever death-metal garbage that is playing right now.’

I blink at him in surprise. The boy finally meets my eyes, and the reaction is immediate. He steps back, alarmed. Licking  my lips, I narrow my eyes, probably making them look even more eerie.

‘Nice to meet you, too,’ I say bluntly. He’s lucky I know he is a good friend of Mya’s, otherwise this would have gone very differently. ‘Turn the music down. Got it.’

‘Thank you,’ he says in exasperation, eyes moving back to mine. A crease forms between his brows, as if he is thinking hard about something. ‘And also, you can close a door quietly, you know. You don’t have to slam things. Same with your cupboards in the kitchen.’

‘For fuck’s sake!’ I exclaim in frustration, and my gums tingle, threatening to release my fangs. That happens when I’m angry. Sometimes it’s out of my control. ‘Anything else you want to complain about?’

‘Yes,’ he snaps. ‘Don’t forget that while you might like to stay up all hours of the night, others don’t!’

My mouth falls open and fury sweeps through me as he glowers at me.

Turning, he stomps down my steps, and back toward his house. Running my tongue over my teeth, I slam the door shut. Then, just to spite him, I open it and slam it shut again even harder.

My first instinct was to grab him by the collar of his shirt and tell him exactly what I think of his attitude, but I’m trying not to let my anger rule me. I’m also trying not to use compulsion whenever I want to. I promised myself I would live as normal a life as I can get, and attempt to make up for the shit I’ve done in the past.

I want to be a good person. I need to be. For myself, but also for my mother, whose life was stolen from her, and for which  I am solely to blame. Becoming a vampire has given me a second chance at life. I don’t want to screw it up, despite everything that led me here.

Gritting my teeth, I lower the music, feeling whatever was left of my good mood completely evaporating. Well, if I’m honest, I was never in a good mood.

Collapsing onto the lounge, I stare up at the clock, watching it slowly tick.

I hope all this will get easier.


Live for Me Lauren Jackson

A dark, spicy vampire romantasy for lovers of True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, from the bestselling author of Die for You

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