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  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  2932 Ross Clark Circle, #384

  Dothan, AL 36301

  Night’s Promise

  Copyright © 2006 by Sandy Lynn

  Cover by Scott Carpenter

  ISBN: 1-59998-082-7

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: August 2006

  Night’s Promise

  Sandy Lynn

  Dedication

  I would like to dedicate this book to my friends. Jess, without you, I don’t think Duncan would have come to life like he did. Ferra, thank you for giving me a kick in the butt when it was needed. And to the wonderful Joyous, I thank you for being honest with me and giving me your opinions.

  I’d also like to thank my wonderful editor for helping me make this book all that it could be.

  Prologue

  Melissa smiled as she watched Gareth follow La and Bram to the back room. Over half the club heard La say she loved him.

  He deserves it, she thought, enjoying the fact that her brother would be happy. For almost a week her brother and La had bounced back and forth between being lovers and fighting. They couldn’t seem to decide between the two states. No matter which “mode” they were in, though, it was clear they still wanted each other.

  No other woman had ever captured her brother’s attention or heart like Lalita did. She would be his heaven and his hell, but it was obvious she felt the same fire for him. Melissa was no sorceress, but she could practically see the sparks—the flames—jump between them whenever they touched.

  Turning toward the table, her smile dimmed as she saw the bleached blonde still sitting there.

  The least she could do for her brother would be to make sure Diane knew she didn’t stand a chance with Gareth. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt, but more importantly she didn’t want her brother’s good mood ruined by this wench’s attempt to cling to him.

  Melissa headed for the table, her smile becoming forced as she sat down, her hands smoothing her jeans. “You know those two are together, don’t you?” she asked, deciding to go for the direct approach.

  “Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean I have to stop speaking to him.”

  “Do you want to get beaten up?” Diane’s head jerked, turning toward her as though she had just been threatened. Which, I sort of just did… Staring at the other woman, Melissa shook her head. “Lalita doesn’t play those games. And neither does Gareth. They’re together now, so you really should leave him alone.”

  “Well, my business with him isn’t done yet.”

  “Your business? What business?” she asked icily.

  “You’re his sister. Maybe you can tell me what he’s like and then I can leave him alone all the quicker.” Diane seemed to be talking to herself when she added, “I don’t think Mr. Long would actually care if we weren’t dating…”

  Melissa’s full attention was focused on the blonde as soon as she heard that name. It’s a coincidence. There could be a hundred people in this city with that name, she tried to convince herself. Trying to fight off the cold shiver and biting back a retort of where the woman could go when she left, Melissa forced herself to respond politely. “What do you want to know?”

  During her silence, Diane seemed to have reconsidered. “Never mind. I don’t think my…friend would appreciate me having any help. I guess you’re just stuck with me for a while longer.”

  Trying to ignore the icy fingers that continued to crawl up her spine, Melissa asked, “Can I at least know his name?”

  Diane sat there, her back straighter and a smug smile on her face. She knew she had the upper hand now that Melissa was curious.

  Catching Mona’s eye, Melissa waved her over. A wave of relief swept through her when her friend nodded and approached the table.

  “I believe you were just going to tell me what your friend’s name was,” Melissa said to Diane, her voice commanding as Mona sat on the other side of the blonde.

  “No, I wasn’t. Trust me, you don’t want to make an enemy of me. Or my friend.” Diane’s voice was self-important, a challenge in her eyes taunting Melissa to make her tell her secret.

  Melissa turned her attention on Mona, using her eyes to plead for help.

  “I assume there is a good reason you’re asking me to do this?” Mona tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyes never leaving Melissa’s.

  “Gods, I hope not.” Even she could hear the desperation in her voice.

  Diane looked between the women and opened her mouth to say something, but Mona had made her decision. Placing her hand on Diane’s arm, she closed her eyes. When they opened again, Mona’s pupils were much larger than normal and Diane had a slightly dazed look on her face. Mona gave an obviously fake laugh and began to speak as though they had been deep in conversation.

  “Oh, Goddess, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything funnier. By the Lady, if I laugh any harder, I’m afraid I’m going to embarrass myself.”

  Diane looked confused, but an easy smile tilted on her lips. She seemed not to notice the hand still grasping her arm. “I’m telling you, I couldn’t believe he said that to me.”

  “What about the other guy…what was his name…the one you mentioned earlier?” Melissa added, joining the contrived conversation.

  “Which one?” Diane asked Mona, taking a sip from her glass with her free hand.

  “The one that told you about Gareth.”

  “Oh, you mean Travis? You don’t want to know about him, he’s no fun and somewhat creepy, to be honest.”

  “Travis?” Mona asked.

  “Yeah, Travis Long. But trust me, you do not want to look him up unless you have to. He might actually be handsome if he hadn’t let himself go so badly…”

  At the mention of that name, the blood drained from Melissa’s face. She’d always suspected he’d try to find her, no matter how many times Gareth swore she would never have to see him again.

  “Why did…Travis,” her voice caught on the name, “send you to find Gareth?”

  “I’m not sure. He just asked me to gather some info on him. To tell the truth, he gave off the vibe that your brother was some kind of monster. I so was not expecting such a hottie.”

  “What were you supposed to find out?” Melissa steered the conversation back to what she wanted—no, what she needed to know.

  “He told me to find out any weaknesses.” Diane shrugged. “He says he has some unfinished business with him. He told me to do whatever it takes to get information on Gareth. That he was a criminal, that he stole something very valuable. Whatever your brother did to him, he got Travis seriously pissed.”

  Shaking her head to clear away the unwanted thoughts, pushing horrible memories back to where they could do her no harm, Melissa forced herself to look at Diane again. Mona had released her and Diane seemed to have no memory of the conversation they’d just been having. Mona was watching Melissa carefully, but she could not contain her emotions.

  Rage flooding her body, she snarled, “Stay away from my brother, you bitch.”

  “And just who’s going to make me? You?” Diane laughed.
<
br />   Years of pent up frustration erupted and before she even knew what she was doing, Melissa’s hands grabbed both sides of Diane’s head and with her fingers gripping hair, she slammed the other woman down on the hard surface of the table over and over again.

  “Whoa.” A man’s voice came from behind her.

  Strong hands forced her to release her grip on Diane’s head before quickly dragging her backward, away from her prey. For a moment Melissa wondered if Gareth had come back, if he was the one pulling her away from this woman who threatened to tear her family apart.

  “Calm down, beautiful, just calm down,” the man crooned in her ear.

  “Duncan, I don’t know what happened.” Mona stared at Melissa as though she’d never seen her before.

  Melissa struggled against the arms, intent on hurting the monster who was so intent on destroying any shred of happiness she could have. The monster she’d thought she left in the past where he could no longer hurt her.

  But when she looked at the once smug bitch sitting beside her friend, she didn’t see a bleached blonde holding her head with delicate hands and perfectly manicured nails. Instead, she saw a tall man, his face rough from three days without shaving, limp, dull, dirty blond hair hanging into his face and a sneer that promised she would pay dearly for denying him what he wanted.

  Shaking her head, Melissa’s vision cleared and she saw the annoying blonde woman once again.

  Chapter One

  “Mom, I don’t want to be a cheerleader. All the other girls in my class are trying out. I prefer to march to my own beat.”

  “I know sweetie, but a girl your age shouldn’t be here trying to care for her mother. You should be out having fun, walking through the mall. I just want you to be happy.”

  Melissa looked at her mother’s pale skin. She seemed to grow weaker every day, despite Melissa’s best efforts to nurse her mother back to health. “I am happy. I love spending time with you. I know, why don’t we read? I got Dracula from the school library.”

  Her mother gave a weak laugh. “You and your fascination with vampires. I would love to listen to you read for a little while.” She patted the bed beside her.

  She obeyed, sitting close to her mother. Of course she was fascinated. They were never sick, never caught diseases…vampires didn’t waste away in front of their daughter. With a smile, she snuggled closer to her mother and began to read the story.

  Time flew as she read, until she was jerked from her story by the door slamming shut. Her mother had fallen asleep more than a chapter ago, but she had continued to read aloud, the process soothing Melissa as much as it had seemed to help ease her mother’s pain.

  Her stepfather stormed into the house, he always did, and she had only just put the book away when he slinked into the room.

  “How’s she doing?” Travis asked, giving her mother the barest glance.

  “She’s doing better, I think. She seemed to be in less pain.”

  “Don’t fool yourself, girl. She’s not going to get better. I don’t understand why you waste your time on foolish dreams. Now, what’s for supper?”

  Melissa wanted to scream at him. To tell him that wishing for her mother to get better wasn’t a foolish dream. She wanted to hit him and tell him he could fix his own supper.

  Instead, she placed a gentle kiss on her mother’s cheek and stood. She knew that if she said anything, the only outcome would be an argument, their raised voices forcing her mother from her peaceful sleep. Unable to bear the thought of disturbing her, Melissa simply bowed her head and proceeded to do as he’d told her and fix her stepfather’s food, biting the inside of her cheek to keep back any retorts she wanted to make.

  “You really should wear more dresses,” Travis said as he sat down at the small table. “It’s not right that a girl your age wear jeans all the time.”

  “I like jeans.” She began to heat some spaghetti sauce and put water on to boil. “They’re comfortable.”

  “What about that dress I bought you? You should wear that,” he continued ignoring her response. “I’m sure your mother would love to see you in it. You look so pretty in it.”

  A shiver of repulsion swept over Melissa as he spoke. She was thankful to have her back facing him as she made a face. Closing her eyes, she wished with all her heart that she could be anywhere else. Someplace where a grown man wouldn’t look at her as though she were older than she was. Where she could go to her bedroom after school and have someone taking care of her, fixing her supper.

  She felt a wave of horror at the traitorous thoughts. Having that meant she’d have to leave her mom. And Melissa knew her stepfather would never care for the frail woman. As long as her mother was still alive, Melissa would gladly stay there, hoping to make whatever time her mom had left as easy and peaceful as possible. If having a normal life meant she had to abandon her mother, she would prefer to put up with her stepfather.

  “Spaghetti again?” Travis grumbled as she strained the noodles. At least her body had continued moving while her thoughts were far away.

  She shrugged. “It’s what we have.”

  “Then I suggest you go to the grocery store tomorrow. I’m not eating this shit again.”

  “I’ll need some money.” She handed him a plate of food.

  “Here.” He counted out and handed her five twenty dollar bills. “Don’t forget to give me the change. And I better see a receipt. You’re not going to waste it buying makeup or any of that other shit girls your age get.”

  “Yes sir.” Melissa sat and took a bite of her food. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts she paid no attention when Travis stood. She only hoped he would go to the bar, as was his usual custom.

  “You know, I think, you should get your hair cut.” Her hair was pulled up tightly, forced back from her face. “Yeah, I think since you don’t bother to actually fix it you should simply cut the shit off. I’m tired of seeing it always hanging down in your face.” One of his hands moved to her neck as he stepped closer to her, practically pressing himself into her back. “Of course, I could always be persuaded to allow you to keep your hair…”

  Melissa fell out of her chair in an attempt to get away from him. “I…I have to go s-study. Bi-big test tomorrow…”

  She crawled backwards, away from him, turning and running into her bedroom as soon as she could.

  Her back pressed against the door, Melissa’s eyes were clenched shut as she kept her full weight braced on it as she prayed that he hadn’t followed her. Within a few moments, she heard the front door slam shut, and released the breath she’d been holding. Peeking out the window, she saw her stepfather walking down the street.

  She returned to the kitchen and fixed her mother some broth, taking the lukewarm liquid to her bedroom.

  “Thank you, sweetheart. You do too much. It’s me that should be taking care of you.”

  “I love you, Mommy,” Melissa said, tears in her eyes. She wanted to tell her mother what was going on, to confide in her about how Travis was treating her. She knew if her mother wasn’t sick that bastard would be out of their house in half a breath.

  But the fact was, her mother was sick, and Melissa refused to add to her worries.

  “I love you too, baby. I love you too.”

  Settling down beside her mother, she opened her book and began to read aloud once again.

  *

  Melissa sprang up, tears falling from her eyes. Scrambling out of her bed, she jerked on the closest pair of jeans she could find, panic filling her entire body when she didn’t hear her stepfather’s familiar snoring.

  Sitting back down, she reached for the book bag she kept beside her bed at all times. She wanted to get a book out of it, so she could give the appearance of “studying” should he stick his head inside her door when he got back from the bar.

  Groping around for the bag in the darkened room, she looked down, startled when she couldn’t find it. Forcing herself to take several deep breaths, she wondered where she could h
ave left it. Turning the light on, Melissa looked around the room.

  Slowly, reality came back to her.

  She was safe. She wasn’t back in her childhood home and she didn’t have to worry about Travis coming into her room. Gareth would kill him if the man came within five miles of her.

  Leaving her room, she walked down the hallway and entered her bathroom. She immediately wet a washcloth with cold water and dragged it over her face. Looking at her reflection, at the tears still falling down her cheeks despite her ministrations, she shook her head.

  It had been so long since the last time she’d had such a dream. She’d begun to wonder if maybe it was time to finally allow herself to believe she could be happy.

  Passing her brother’s room on her way to the kitchen, she knew he would be at La’s place. He’d also be furious she didn’t call him to tell him of her nightmare, but Melissa refused to ruin his day.

  Looking at the clock, she noticed it was only four in the afternoon. Unable to go back to bed, to face more memories of her past, she heated some leftovers before returning to her room. She grabbed a clean shirt and quickly returned downstairs. Leaning on the counter, she began to chew the tasteless food.

  Why now? Why did he have to try to come back into my life now? It’s been twelve years. Twelve, all too short years.

  But then you never really expected me to give up did you? She heard her stepfather’s voice in her head, causing her to shiver. No matter what Gareth said, you knew I’d never let you go.

  She shook her head. No, she hadn’t believed he would give up. His pride had been too badly bruised by Gareth.

  “I gotta get out of here,” she said, pushing the food away. After grabbing her purse she practically ran out of the house, trying to escape the hated voice inside her head.

  *

  “What happened last night?” Bram asked Duncan casually as he entered the control room. His body language belied the calm tone he was using. Bram was pissed.

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  “Duncan…”

  “I handled it.” Turning, Duncan looked at his boss. “Any word on that cutie you invited back to the club?”