The Shadow Enforcer: The Shadow Enforcer Series Book One Read online

  Cole passed through Phoenix, taking the road toward Paradise Valley. He had driven this path so many times, he could find his final destination with his eyes closed. Weaving through the narrow private road surrounded by tall Saguaro cacti, he approached the large wrought iron gates and stopped next to the security monitor, rolling down his window. He pressed the intercom button and upturned his face, showing who he was to the security cameras.

  “The Queen summoned me,” he said, pressing the communication button again.

  The gates unlocked with a loud click and moved apart slowly. He pressed the button to roll up his window and drove his car across the property. Located between two mountains, the Queen’s villa presented an astounding view. A large modern house—glass, stone, wood and copper—stood surrounded by a perfectly manicured desert landscape. He circled a large fountain with multicolored streams of water bursting around a roman style statue of a naked man and woman in a tight embrace.

  Parking on the driveway in front of the main entrance, he squeezed the steering wheel, gathering his power of will before shutting down the engine. He got out of the car and headed toward the brightly lit entrance. The tall glass door opened before he had a chance to ring the bell, and the Queen’s butler inclined his head, inviting him in with a sugary smile that showed the pointy tips of his fangs.

  “Queen Roxana is awaiting you in her private chambers, my lord,” he said, gesturing toward the dark hallway on the right of the dimly lit lobby. His lips stretched wider, and for some reason that sent shivers down Cole’s back.

  He thanked the butler and headed into the wide hallway. The sweet odor of pumpkin spice enveloped him, and he grunted, annoyance flaring through him. He had always hated this smell, but the Queen loved it, and her house was stuffed with scent diffusers, candles, and other types of expensive air fresheners permeating the air with their sickening-sweet fragrance.

  The hallway was pitch-black, but that didn’t slow him down. Cole had walked this hallway so many times, he didn’t need light to find his way around. Besides, his sharp vision allowed him to see in the darkness relatively well. A feeling of being watched coiled within him, and he picked up the pace, his feet stepping soundlessly on the thick carpet.

  He didn’t see it coming. He detected the movement on his right with his heightened vampiric senses. His reaction was immediate yet belated. Someone’s hand seized his shoulders. He spun around, leaving the jacket of his business suit in the hands of the assailant. The vampire growled, annoyance lingering around him as he threw the jacket to the floor.

  “Baby-vamp.” Cole laughed. “Too slow... too weak.” He threw a punch that was too fast and powerful for the other vampire to block. Cole’s fist crashed the attacker’s jaw, and he crumpled to the floor, a cry of pain escaping his lips.

  Knowing the Queen, and the way she loved to play her games, Cole didn’t expect the baby-vamp to be alone. He ripped his tie off and threw it to the floor next to his jacket. If the Queen wanted to see him fight, he didn’t need a noose around his neck. He rushed through the hallway at full speed and slowed down only when he stepped into a spacious lobby illuminated by the light of the moon coming through the tall, arched window.

  The next attack came almost right away. The vampires moved fast and absolutely soundlessly, skillfully hiding their presence in the shadowy corners and behind the furniture. A rush of cold air infused with the vampiric energy alerted him, and he ducked to the side, anticipating the punch. He was right. A fist sailed past his face as a brawny vamp appeared in his vision for a brief moment and sped up, disappearing into a blur of motion again.

  Cole picked up speed. He didn’t need to see to know there were three vampires moving stealthily around him, getting closer and closer. They were fast and strong. It meant they were old, but maybe not as old as he was.

  “Come and get me, assholes,” he whispered and laughed, a dark and ominous sound that reverberated against the tall, vaulted ceiling.

  Something moved next to him, but he didn’t react. Instead, he stepped to the side and threw a punch, calculating the trajectory of the approaching attacker. His calculations were perfect as his fist connected with a vampire’s nose. A sickening crunch and a howl of pain followed his move. Cole didn’t stop to check on the man who was lying at his feet with his hands clenched to his face as dark blood gashed between his shaking fingers.

  Stepping back into the empty space, he spun around just in time to avoid a powerful roundhouse kick directed at his head. Even though his attacker missed his target, he didn’t spin out of control. Quickly regrouping, the tall man stepped back, putting a few feet between them. Without waiting for his next move, Cole took a step forward, estimating the distance between him and his opponent. Then he pushed off the ground, brought his knee up and extended his leg into a powerful flying side kick.

  His foot connected with the vampire’s solar plexus before he could do anything to react. The force of the impact sent the large man flying across the room, and he hit the opposite wall with his back, sliding down to the floor. With his hands pressed to his chest, he stirred slightly, struggling to get up, but that wasn’t in Cole’s plans.

  He crossed the lobby, seized the man’s shirt, lifting him off the floor slightly, and then punched him in the face with full strength. The man gasped and hung limply in Cole’s hand. Cole dropped him, but as he was ready to get up in search of the last vampire, someone jumped on his back.

  The attack was silent and unexpected. The force propelled Cole forward, and he hit his forehand against the wall. For a heartbeat, he felt disoriented, which gave his assailant just enough time to rip his shirt off his shoulder and sink their fangs into his flesh. With a terrible roar, Cole reached back and seized the vampire, flipping them over his shoulder just to realize it was a woman. Uncontrollable anger swirled within him, about to explode. He raised his arm, ready to knock her out when someone’s hands squeezed his head tightly, applying more and more pressure, eliciting a scream of pain out of him.

  He reached back once more, but his hands found nothing. The pressure lifted abruptly, leaving him with a dull headache. He jumped to his feet and spun around just to receive a mighty blow between his eyes. The bright flare of light exploded in his vision as he collapsed to the floor and blacked out.

  Feeling a few gentle slaps to his cheek, Cole groaned and cracked his eyelids open. The soft, flickering light of multiple candles and a delicate scent of smoke mixed in with the fragrance of pumpkin spice touched his senses. He made a move to get up just to realize he couldn’t. He pulled against the metal restraints attaching his wrists and ankles to the enormous fourposter bed.

  “Welcome back, my warrior...” A voice, soft and gentle like the purr of a cat, sounded on his left.

  He turned his head, knowing ahead of time what he was going to see. A young, slim woman stood by the bedside. Candlelight reflected against her light, golden-brown skin, giving her a mysterious, exotic look, and her large brown eyes fogged with desire as she stared down at him without blinking. Her fingers brushed over her rich black hair styled into a single thick braid, and a slow, seductive smile stretched her sensual coral lips.

  The light traveled through the sheer fabric of her wide pants and short top practically unobstructed, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She looked delicate, seductive and enchanting, but Cole knew better. As far as ancient vampires go, she was one of the most dangerous of them all.

  Cole sighed and turned away, closing his eyes.

  “Your Majesty,” he said flatly. “You summoned me because you wanted to see me fight or because you felt the need to knock me unconscious?”

  She laughed softly, her laughter sounding like a gentle silver bell.

  “Aw, Cole, don’t be such a Debby Downer... What did you say to my baby-vamp earlier? Too weak? Too slow? I just wanted to show you that no matter how good you are, there is always someone who’s older, faster, stronger...” She lowered herself down on the edge of the bed, her every move
slow and graceful. “But I must admit, I do love watching you fight, my Russian warrior. You have no idea how arousing you look when you feel cornered. The best foreplay ever.” She ran her long, beautifully manicured fingernail over his cheek. “Almost as arousing as you look right now, tied up to my bed... helpless... completely in my power.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him, her tongue forcing his lips apart. Cole didn’t resist but didn’t answer her kiss either, patiently tolerating her advances. She didn’t seem to care. Pulling away a few seconds later, she touched her lips with the tips of her fingers and smiled, candlelight reflecting in tiny crystals embedded in each of her nails.

  “I missed you, lover,” she said quietly. “You were gone too long—”

  “And you didn’t bother looking for me,” he interrupted her icily.

  “What makes you say that?” She smirked, arrogance shining in her dark eyes adorned by a generous layer of eyeliner and mascara. Cole didn’t reply, turning his face away. She seized his chin, forcing him to look back at her.

  “Please tell me why you summoned me, my lady,” said Cole with a deep sigh. “I’m tired, and the thirst is driving me insane. I’ve spent almost two weeks attached to a cross and wrapped with silver, barely receiving any blood. I need a few days of peace so I can fully recover, and I still have a business to attend to...”

  She moved her fingers over his lips, silencing him. Pressing deeper with her sharp fingernail, she cut his lower lip, letting a few drops of blood slide down his chin. With a soft moan, she leaned down. Her tongue swept over his chin and moved up over his lips. He wrinkled his nose, his upper lip curling into a snarl, exposing his fangs as he fought the desire to be as far away from this room and her possessive hands as he could. Turning his head to the side, a feral growl vibrated in his chest.

  She gasped at his reaction, obviously reading it in her favor. Straightening, she ripped his torn, bloodied shirt off, her hungry eyes traveling over his unobstructed torso. Her fingers fumbled with the button on the waistband of his pants as she slipped her hand inside, gently stroking him.

  “Roxana, please, let me go,” he moaned, his muscles tense as he pulled against the restraints. “Please, not now. I am drained, and the fight you made me go through didn’t help. I don’t think I’m capable of—”

  “Your body suggests otherwise,” replied Roxana dryly, giving a not-so-gentle squeeze to his crotch.

  He hissed and jerked away from her, but then stilled, staring furiously at her.

  “And if I let you leave, where are you going to go, Cole?” She pulled her hand out and got up, staring down at him with narrowed eyes, her arms crossed over her chest. “Home? Or to spend quality time with the Shadow Slayer?”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Cole through clenched teeth.

  “Don’t play me for a fool,” she hissed, her glowing eyes suddenly only inches away from his. “You should’ve known better by now. There is nothing you can hide from my eyes. The Shadow Slayer freed you from whoever held you captive, and then you testified to his innocence and gave him a ride back to the hotel.”

  Her hands squeezed his arm, her long fingernails digging into his bicep, drawing blood.

  “What did you expect me to do? The man saved my life,” growled Cole. “I owed him this much. Now we’re even.”

  “Please tell me how you are still alive, imbecile! I bet you anything, he knew what you were the moment he touched your silver adornments!” She pulled away and backhanded him. His head jerked to the side, red spots dancing in his vision.

  “Of course, he knew what I was, just like I knew who he was. But I don’t think he cared!” barked Cole, blood dripping from his split lips.

  “I don’t give a damn about what you think! You destroyed my plans, you fuckin idiot!” she shouted, her fangs expanding to their full length.

  Cole tensed. Queen Roxana didn’t like to use modern-day profanities, and hearing her say it, made his blood run cold. Even if he wasn’t playing a part of her bed décor at the moment, he stood no chance fighting her. Besides, being the Queen of Arizona, she had a lot of supporters, mostly in the underground layers of the supernatural community, and killing her would mean certain death for him.

  “I personally made sure that the hotel owner didn’t testify in his favor. I wanted the Shadow Slayer in jail and under investigation by the human authorities,” she continued in an angry hiss. Her lips curled up into a sneer, and her fingers hooked as her nails elongated into claws, digging deeper into his flesh. “That ogre made a mistake by showing up on my territory, and I’ll make sure he’s not going to leave it. At least not alive.”

  “How did you know?” asked Cole, touching his bleeding lips with the tip of his tongue. Icy fear coiled within him, poisoning him, sending his mind into a wild frenzy, but he made an effort to appear calm.

  “Know what?” she asked, looking confused.

  “That the Shadow Slayer would be there in the first place. And that there were two dead humans in that room?” he answered her question quietly, a terrible suspicion forming in his mind. “Did you put out the order to abduct and torture me, keeping me in that shithole hotel for all this time?”

  “How dare you throw such ugly accusations at me!” she shouted. “I’m your Queen! If I wanted to torture you, I could have done it without playing any games. You’re nothing but dirt under my feet.” She stomped her foot, but Cole could sense some fluctuations in her voice through the righteous display of her fake anger.

  Dammit! She is the one... but why? Does she know that the Shadow Slayer is my...? But I was taken before Damian even arrived here... What the hell is going on? Who is she after? Me or my brother? Or both? Thousands of crazy thoughts originated in his mind at once, and he couldn’t find any answers that would make sense.

  Making a split-second decision, he changed his tactics. “Of course, my lady,” he mumbled, hoping that he looked believably horrified. “Oh, God...” He closed his eyes, praying his Academy Awards worthy performance was enough to convince her. “What was I thinking? I swear, once I tell you everything, you won’t be as angry with me anymore. All I want is to beg for your forgiveness. Please untie me...”

  “Oh, really.” She rolled her eyes, tapping her fingers on the elbows of her folded arms.

  “You are my Queen. I’m yours to do with as you please. But please, give me a chance to explain first,” he pleaded, strangling the burning anger within him. “I believe I deserve this much."

  “Let me be the judge of what you deserve.” She glowered down at him for a moment, but then sighed and unlocked his restraints. “Go ahead, beg.” She flicked her wrist with a dark smirk on her face. “If anything, that should be entertaining.”

  Okay, brother, you owe me big time... Groveling is not my style...

  Cole sat down on the bed, massaging his sore wrists. Stifling a sigh, he lowered to his knees and wrapped his arms around her legs, everything inside him burning with the need to get up and tear her apart with his bare hands.

  “My lady. My Queen, I’m yours,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to her knees. “Please forgive whatever I’ve done to upset you. All I ever wanted was to please you.”

  He flinched as her cold fingers brushed the skin of his back, tracing the shape of his muscles. She seized his hair and pulled on it, forcing him to sit back on his heels.

  “So, what moved you to go against me and testify in favor of the Shadow Slayer?” she asked, gazing deep into his eyes. Her anger noticeably dwindled down, replaced by curiosity in her brown eyes.

  “My Queen.” He reached for her, and she placed her hand into his. He brought it closer to his lips and planted a soft kiss on her knuckles, the familiar sweet scent of her hand lotion invading his nostrils. “When the Shadow Slayer didn’t kill me, I decided to help him. Like I said earlier—it was the least I could do to repay him. But also, I wanted to know why he was in our state. And the only way to find out was to create a bond with him.”

 
“A blood bond?” asked Roxana, staring at him in disbelief. “I didn’t realize you—”

  “No, my lady.” Cole chuckled. “First of all, you don’t have to have a sexual relationship to create a blood bond with a human.”

  “I know that, dumbass.” The Queen rolled her eyes reproachfully, her anger gone by now. “But where is the fun in exchanging blood with a human if you don’t get to have a little”—she wagged her thin eyebrows at him suggestively—“you know. Besides, I wouldn’t mind watching you two deadly giants in each other’s embrace. Yum...”

  Suppressing nausea at the thought of touching his brother that way, Cole smirked. “No, my lady, I was thinking about the bond of friendship, if you know what that is. Male bonding, sort of.”

  “And how did it go for you?” she asked snidely.

  “Actually, it was going well. Until you summoned me, that is,” he said with a half-shrug. “So, you have a choice to make, my Queen. You can let me continue what I’ve started, or...” His voice trailed off as she narrowed her eyes at him, disbelief imprinted on her face. But he spread his arms wide, a dark, alluring smirk playing on his lips. “Or you can keep me here, tied up to your bed—your willing sex-accomplice.”

  She stared at him for no longer than a few seconds, but to him, it felt like an eternity.

  “Tempting,” she murmured, her half-closed dark eyes fogging up with lust. “But I think you have a point. From what I hear, no vampire has ever been able to get close to the Shadow Slayer. No one even knows if he’s just an incredibly skilled human hunter or if he has magic.” She shrugged then, and added not without a hefty share of sarcasm, “But who knows. He could be nothing but a stupid bed-time story—a boogeyman the vampire-parents came up with to keep their vampire-kids at bay.”

  “We have a unique opportunity to find out, my lady,” Cole murmured, his fingers caressing the smooth skin of her legs.