The Escort (15 page)

(Other World Series Book One)

Copyright 2014 Ramona Gray

Abigail Winters
had no idea what was happening. One minute she had been hurrying
home from her mundane job as a coffee barista in the worse
thunderstorm she had ever seen. The next, she was lying flat on her
back in the middle of a forest with the rain falling on her
face.

She sat up,
rubbing the knot that was forming on the back of her head, and
peered around curiously. She was sure she had seen a bright orb of
light hovering to the left of her before everything went black. She
looked around for her purse, wanting to grab her cell phone and
call someone. Who she wasn’t sure – the police maybe.

Her purse was
nowhere to be seen and she sighed and stood cautiously, waiting to
see if she was going to pass out. Her head was aching and her new
jeans, the ones she had been so proud to buy because they were a
size smaller than her last pair, were shredded at the knees and
covered in mud.

Was she dead?
Didn’t people say that there was a white light when you died? She
looked around as the rain continued to fall. It was dark and scary
and if this was heaven, she would hate to see what hell looked
like.

She moved
forward slowly, squinting in the dark and watching her feet so she
didn’t trip over the exposed roots of the trees around her.

She was
frightened, but not panicking. At least, not yet. There was a part
of her, a very large part, which was convinced she was dreaming.
Any moment now she would wake up in her bed with the sheets tangled
around her legs and her alarm clock shrieking at her.

She took a deep
breath. The air smelled sweet and clean, nothing like the smog of
the city, and she wondered vaguely if someone had kidnapped her and
dumped her in the country.

Don’t be
ridiculous, Abby. Who would kidnap you? You’re a nobody.

All perfectly
true. She wasn’t an heiress with a million dollar inheritance, she
wasn’t a famous singer or movie star. Truth be told she had less
than twenty dollars in her bank account at the moment. She was just
plain, fat Abby. Always had been, always would be.

Yes, but don’t
forget that you’re fat Abby with fifteen pounds less fat.

Also true. She
ran her hands down her size eighteen jeans. She had been thrilled
when she had gone down a size in pants. She carried most of her
weight in her ass and her hips, and to be down a pants size meant
that her healthy eating and exercising was working. She hated
exercising but she was becoming addicted to the results.

Um, Abby? Not
to rain on your parade but in case you’ve forgotten, you’re either
dead or something very, very weird is going on. Maybe celebrate
your weight loss victory another time, what do you say?

Very good
advice. If she wasn’t dead then she needed to find the nearest
phone and call the police.

She stumbled
through the trees. She had no idea if she was moving deeper into
the woods or not but she couldn’t just stand there. She had to keep
moving.

“She looks like
a lost lamb. Does she not, Toron?”

Abby shrieked
and whipped around. Two men were standing behind her. They were
dressed similarly in faded green pants and white shirts. One was
tall and dark and the other short and blond.

“Aye, she does,
Alex.” The blond man said gravely.

“Are you lost
little lamb? Lost in the woods?” The one named Toron crooned
softly.

Abby backed up
a step. There was something about the two men that was making all
the hair on her body attempt to stand up. Adrenaline was flooding
through her veins and her limbs trembled in response.

She stumbled
back another step as the men moved closer. Alex inhaled deeply. “I
can smell her fear. It smells delicious.”

Toron grinned
at him. “I’m feeling generous this evening. Why don’t you have the
first drink?”

“Don’t mind if
I do.” Alex said cheerfully. He was standing in front of her and
pushing her against a tree before Abby had realized he’d moved.

Her head banged
on the tree, the knot screaming in protest, and she screamed
shrilly into the cold night air.

“Oh yes, little
lamb – go ahead and scream. There’s no one to hear you and I do
love it when the lambs scream.” Alex whispered.

He was holding
her with one hand across the top of her chest and she grabbed his
arm and tried to yank it away from her. His arm was hard as iron.
She struggled futilely, unable to believe that the small man could
hold her so easily with just one hand. She stared at his pale skin,
her eyes dark and wide with panic, and he giggled like a demented
child.

“You’re a big
one but I don’t mind. More of you to drink, right?”

She slapped him
across the face as hard as she could. His head rocked back but his
hand never moved from her chest.

He hissed at
her and she screamed as fresh adrenaline poured into her veins.
Alex was grinning at her and exposing his long, white fangs.

“You don’t ever
want to hit me, little lamb. Not that it matters – you’ll be dead
in a few minutes.”

“Oh get on with
it, would you, Alex. I want my turn. You shouldn’t play with your
food anyway. Didn’t your mother ever tell – “

Toron suddenly
arched his back as a startled look crossed his face. “Alex – “

Abby sucked in
her breath when Toron suddenly exploded in a shower of ash and
blood. Alex screamed, a sound of rage and fear, at the man standing
in the trees. He held a long, curved blade in one hand and he
smiled bitterly at Alex.

“You would kill
your own kind!” Alex screamed again and, forgetting Abby entirely,
he lunged for the stranger. His fingernails were lengthening,
becoming long and wickedly sharp talons, and he moved so quickly
that he was nothing but a blur.

Alex was quick
but the stranger was faster. The blade plunged through Alex’s chest
and his scream of fury became a long, gurgling moan. Abby sunk to
the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees as the stranger
yanked the blade free and wiped it on Alex’s shirt. He stepped back
just as Alex exploded.

Abby watched
disinterestedly as the man approached her, sheathing his blade into
the holder at his waist. He crouched in front of her and took her
chin in his hand, tilting her head first one way and then the other
as he examined her neck.

He was tall and
broad with long dark hair tied back in a neat ponytail. His eyes
were a silvery grey and his skin was pale and smooth. He had a
broad nose and high cheekbones, and his jaw was covered in dark
stubble.

“Are you going
to kill me?” Abby asked dully.

He shook his
head. “No. Get up, girl.”

e heaved her to
her feet with one hard hand under her arm and gave her a look of
disgust when she swayed. He eyed her up and down and another
grimace of disgust passed across his face.

“Gods, you’re a
fat one.”

She would have
been offended if she hadn’t noticed his teeth. They were very white
and, despite the rain and the darkness, she had no problem seeing
his fangs. She moaned softly and he shook his head impatiently.

“I said I
wouldn’t hurt you. Come on, girl.” He dragged her through the
trees, moving so quickly that she was soon out of breath and
struggling to catch up.

He grunted with
frustration and slowed down a fraction, his hand tightening on her
wrist when she tried to pull free.

“Please let go
of me.” She panted.

“So you can
run? You’ll be dead before morning if I do.” He snapped.

“Where are we
going?”

“I’m taking you
to your own kind. Now keep your mouth shut and hurry up.”

In less than
fifteen minutes they were at the edge of the forest. He stopped,
his eyes roaming the large field in front of them. She stood next
to him, panting and trying to control her runaway heartbeat as he
rolled his eyes.

“Have you
considered eating less and moving more, human?”

“Fuck you.” She
puffed.

He laughed.
“The lamb shows spirit.”

She glared at
him and he suddenly cupped her face and pulled her forward until
her face was only inches from his. He grinned at her, his fangs
looking very long and very sharp, and she swallowed nervously.

“Although I do
enjoy fucking a human, you’re not my type.” He let his gaze travel
down her body and back up to her face. “Much too big for my
taste.”

She flushed
bright red and yanked her head from his grip. He returned his gaze
to the field. “We’re going to be moving very quickly across the
field. Keep up. You’ll regret it if you don’t. Do you understand
me?”

He stared into
her dark brown eyes. His eyes were grey and cold and she nodded,
although she was almost positive that she would not be able to keep
up with him. She wasn’t going to tell him that. He would probably
kill her rather than give her the chance to try.

“Good. Let’s –
“

He stopped, his
head cocked to the side, and his eyebrows drew down in a frown.

“What – “

“Shut up!” He
hissed.

She closed her
mouth with a snap as he dropped her wrist. She took a few steps
backwards, wondering if she could sneak away without him noticing.
Before she could dart into the trees, a silver mesh dropped on to
the man in front of her.

He hissed in
agony as he collapsed to the ground. She watched in horror as his
skin began to smoke. She reached for the net but two men and a
woman dropped from the skies above her and blocked her from
grabbing it.

“Hello human.”
The woman smiled at her, revealing her own set of fangs, and Abby
moaned with terror.

* * *

The Vampire’s Kiss is available at:

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