Master: Crimson Page 21

  “Don’t come any closer,” the actor warned, palms forward. Alas, Raiden failed to obey him. He dropped the bodies in a heap; then moved behind him.

  “I’m sorry, Brie. But this is for your own good.”

  With a stomach-turning twist, Raiden wrenched the branch free from Gabriel’s lungs. Unbearable white heat assaulted his back, lungs, and chest. This time, he managed to scream. What seemed like hours later, the initial pain subsided, but he felt fainter than ever.

  “Fuck you,” Gabriel wheezed.

  His creator smiled down at him. “Now that’s more like it. My Brie’s as feisty as always, even on his deathbed.”

  “I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

  “You won’t be for much longer if you don’t drink some more blood right now.” Raiden gestured to the shorter of the two bodies. “I’ll take the smaller one, since I’m stronger than you.”

  “I’m not drinking anything! You slaughtered that poor girl! She tried to help us,” Gabriel accused, his eyes watering.

  “Oh, really? Do you think she would have tried to help us after she discovered our true natures? After she recognized our faces? And what about her friends? They were going to kill you!”

  “They were just afraid! They—” The younger vampire tried not to swoon. His body lightened…he could feel himself floating from it, on the verge of blacking out.

  “With good reason to be. You’re a monster, Gabriel. How many times do I have to tell you this before you believe me?”

  Raiden knelt down, catching Gabriel before his head could hit the ground. The world waved in and out of focus when the older vampire cupped his cheek, possessively stroking it. Gabriel couldn’t even move. He had expended every ounce of energy in his earlier attempt to prevent Raiden from killing the three.

  “Brie, you know what comes next.”

  The singer reached for one of the unconscious teens. Gabriel shook his head back and forth. No, I can’t do it! I can’t do it again!

  “Ngh…”

  “Shh. Don’t struggle. Just drink.”

  Despite his resistance, Gabriel’s bloodlust was reaching automatic frenzy; it wouldn’t release him. He failed to speak as Raiden gently moved him into a sitting position and cradled his body, coaxing him to drink the liquid trickling from the victim’s neck. CRIMSON. CRIMSON. For us, there is only CRIMSON! Mind-Raiden exalted. At last, Gabriel acquiesced. Loathing himself, he pressed his face against the flesh, sobbing even as he fed.

  * * * *

  The fire was still raging inside the junkyard; Gabriel could hear and smell it. Luckily, no cops had arrived yet; but the smoke, plus the noise from the prior explosion, would soon bring them in droves. After depleting their victims’ veins, the two vampires hurriedly gathered their belongings together. Gabriel looked for the bloody knife, but it was nowhere to be found. Raiden probably pocketed it—probably thinks I didn’t see it. Won’t he get a surprise later when he finds out he’s wrong.

  They were both still healing, but the pace of the process had increased. Gabriel was now able to walk around, however slowly. His wounds had stopped bleeding, and his lungs had somewhat expanded. His fury toward Raiden, however, was hardly restrained. The older vampire didn’t seem to care. I saved your life, his eyes said. What are you going to do about it? Gabriel didn’t know the answer to that, but he did know that he had never wanted to hit someone so badly in his whole life. His fists demanded vengeance. Nonetheless, he decided to keep himself in check until he had at least returned to Raiden’s house.

  “We have to get out of here. Someone might see the car, and these woods are a mess. As for the bodies, we don’t have time to bury them. Let’s just chop them up, stick them in their car, and torch it all.”

  Gabriel shot him a venomous glance, catching Raiden’s train of thought. “Are we just going to burn them like trash?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what we’re going to do!” Raiden barked, exasperated.

  Gabriel shook his head. “I can’t.”

  His creator looked mad as hell. In fact, despite all their brawls, Gabriel had never seen him this enraged. It was easy to spot the potential for disaster.

  Raiden held his composure, but just barely. Muttering, he flung the corpse kit at him. “Then I’ll do it by myself, you big baby. Just wait here, and try not to get impaled by anything for the next five minutes.”

  “So you won’t need this?” Gabriel tapped the kit. “What are you going to do, tear them apart with your bare hands?”

  “None of your motherfucking business.” Before the actor could retort a snappish response, Raiden left, dragging all three bodies in tow.

  Gabriel fumed. Just wait, you little shit. Just you wait.

  * * * *

  On a scale of one to ten, in terms of tension, the car ride home ranked a twenty. Gabriel must have clenched and unclenched his jaw at least a thousand times during the thirty minutes duration. They had managed to escape just as sirens starting wailing near the junkyard. Though they had made it just in time to avoid suspicion—or worse, discovery—their mutual anger clung to the air, polluting it with its poison.

  Having returned to the summerhouse, they unbuckled their seatbelts and sat there for a moment. Gabriel crossed his arms so that he wouldn’t do anything violent; the urge to sock the singer in the jaw was powerful. Examining Raiden’s profile, the actor’s thoughts turned to the fresh wound ornamenting his creator’s neck. Though completely healed, the stab mark was yet visible. In a couple of hours, it would probably disappear, but for now, it was fairly noticeable. Gabriel decided to pose a question that he knew would end in chaos. You’re not getting off the hook this time.

  Just as Raiden reached to open the car door, the younger vampire stopped him. “What happened to your neck?”

  Raiden’s jaw tightened. Apprehension settled over his otherwise stoic face. “I cut it on a branch.”

  Gabriel sneered. Obviously not. “Liar.”

  “I nicked it while shaving,” the singer dismissed, preparing to exit the car again. Speedily, Gabriel reached across the driver’s side seat, slamming the door so hard, the windows cracked.

  Raiden pursed his lips, surveying the damaged glass with disapproval.

  Gabriel couldn’t care less. “Very funny, Raiden. What really happened?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m fine now, and so are you.”

  After a moment’s silence, the actor leaned in. He wanted to gauge Raiden’s full reaction to the impact of his next words. “I’m not going to kill people anymore to survive. I’m going to find another way to stay alive, or I’m going to die. I’m done with murder.”

  Raiden rolled his eyes, clearly not believing a single word. If he was truthful with himself, Gabriel wasn’t even sure he believed it, though he wished he could.

  The older vampire tapped his chin, issuing a withering grin. “For how long, another week? I thought you were smart enough to get it by now. You can’t just go around sampling people’s blood without killing them.”

  “Maybe you can’t. I’m not you. I don’t want any part of this lifestyle.”

  Raiden threw his hands in the air. “Oh, like your human lifestyle was so pious and full of generosity?! Do you honestly think that by deciding not to feed anymore, you’re somehow better than me? Do you? If you try to quit, all it’s going to do is mess up your life even more, and endanger people that you care about. Don’t you understand, Gabriel? How many fucking times do I have to say it? Drinking human blood is the ONLY option if you want to live and protect your loved ones.”

  Gabriel wanted to strangle him until blue-black bruises adorned his milky throat. To make matters worse, a sick part of his brain actually agreed with Raiden’s logic. He thrashed against the mental madness that threatened to drive him of his mind. “I drank your blood before! Maybe I’ll meet another vampire and we can drink from each other.”

  “Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now?” Raiden yelled. “I fed you blood, Gabriel, because t
hat’s how I could create you, not because it’s a viable source of nourishment!”

  Aha. So I’ve found the flaw within his logic. The younger vampire now felt confident that he would win this round. “But didn’t you slit your own throat to save me?” he inquired, locking eyes with Raiden. The shocked expression in those orbs told Gabriel everything he needed to know.

  “You were awake?” Raiden asked. His voice dropped. Gabriel leaned forward, cracking a bitter grin. Gotcha.

  “No. But I’m not a moron, despite what you may think. Your wound is healing quickly, but I have enough sense to notice that it’s self-inflicted. Give me a little more credit than that.”

  Raiden stared at him, for once at a loss. He regained his voice, although it trembled. “It doesn’t matter—”

  “So back to my point. If you were about to feed me some of your blood, which according to you, is not a proper ‘source of nourishment’, then obviously it can’t be that bad for me.”

  “But—but it had human blood mixed with it. It wasn’t entirely vampiric. That’s why it would have worked,” Raiden stuttered, avoiding the actor’s analysis.

  “You don’t know that it wouldn’t have worked anyway.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Where’s the proof of that?”

  “Sitting next to you.”

  Gabriel threw his hands in the air, fed up beyond belief. “When are you going to give me a straight answer? When are you going to stop keeping all this important information from me? Don’t you think I have the right to know?”

  “Listen, I’m not obligated to tell you everything from my past. Just as you have your own secrets, I have mine.”

  “But Raiden, you turned me! You OWE it to me!”

  “The only thing I owed you was your life, and I already granted you that. You should thank me.”

  Gabriel stared at him in complete disbelief; he couldn’t hold back the dam of fury any longer. “THANK you?” Gabriel screamed, spittle flying all over Raiden’s face. “I should THANK YOU?! Do you have ANY IDEA what you’ve done to me? Every day, every night—all I can think about is you! How you’ve ruined my mind, made me into a murderer, forced me to keep secrets from the people I love, all for the sake of protecting your own ass! You’ve chained me to you, and I want to break free.”

  His creator regarded him, impassive even in the midst of Gabriel’s tantrum. “But you need those chains, Brie. Those chains are the reason why you’re still alive.”

  Gabriel roared, grabbing a handful of Raiden’s hair and yanking him forward. Surprisingly, the older vampire made not a single move to stop him. Instead, he cast his eyes downward, expressionless. His indifference only antagonized Gabriel even more.

  “You think I NEED to be treated this way? You think I NEED to see your face, to hear your voice, to feel your body in my nightmares every single goddamned night?”

  They were nose to nose, breath intermingling. Raiden bore the assault on his scalp like a pro. His eyes found Gabriel’s, even in the dark.

  “What kinds of nightmares are those, huh? Naked ones?”

  The younger vampire instantly bit him on the cheek, drawing blood.

  Raiden barely flinched. Instead, he cackled. “I know you want something from me,” the singer said in a low voice, brushing Gabriel’s bangs away from his forehead. He tried to resist the touch, but the cramped car didn’t provide too much room to maneuver.

  “Leave me alone.”

  “Yeah?” Raiden taunted. He clenched Gabriel’s shoulders. Gabriel released his maker’s hair, holding his wrists instead.

  “If you don’t want me to do this to you, stop me.” His hands slipped down to Gabriel’s chest. “After all, you’re strong enough.”

  Gabriel hated how his body hungered for Raiden’s touch. Even now, despite everything that had occurred, past and present, he couldn’t shove him away. Too many unfulfilled moments between them had passed.

  “Or maybe…maybe you don’t want me to stop,” Raiden whispered, making his way down Gabriel’s torso, pinching his sensitive nipples.

  The younger vampire threw back his head. What’s happening to me? I have to make him quit now, before I—

  “Maybe, Brie, just maybe…” The singer slid his hand down the front of Gabriel’s pants, gripping his stiff cock through the material. “…this is what you dream about.”

  Gabriel’s fisted blow struck him square across the jaw. Remarkably, Raiden barely even flinched.

  “Bastard!” the actor screamed. Still, he was painfully hard. Raiden knew it, too.

  “Just how many ways did I fuck you in your dreams? How many times? How deep?”

  “You’re sick.” Gabriel buried his face in his hands. At this point, resistance was futile. One by one, Raiden pulled his fingers away. “So are you.”

  His shoulders sagged, admitting defeat. Slowly, his hands fell to his sides. The fight felt punched out of him, though Raiden hadn’t used an ounce of force to coerce him into this state of submission. Gabriel wished to deny that his weakness came from want. When the singer climbed into his lap, however, and brushed his crotch with only the slightest flick of a finger, Gabriel knew he had waited for this moment from the start.

  Raiden hovered over him, unzipping the actor’s pants. Their gazes locked. The older vampire smirked; then quickly placed a chilly hand inside Gabriel’s boxers. He pulled out his creation’s cock with relative ease. Gabriel made a keening sound in the back of his throat as Raiden settled deeper into his lap. Everything was occurring too fast; he was so dizzy, he couldn’t stop to think.

  God! His breath hitched. The pain he still felt from the fall only served to intensify the feeling of Raiden’s cold, soft palm against his hot, hard erection. Gabriel’s eyes rolled back in his head. There were myriad reasons for him to scramble out of the car before this situation could get out of hand. Somehow, though, he couldn’t think of a single good one as Raiden gave his length a merciless tug. He cried out, fumbling for something to hold onto. The pleasure was piercing. Too good, it’s too good—I’m getting close—

  Raiden grunted deep in his throat, the sound sending a spasm of eagerness to Gabriel’s cock. He whined, unable to help himself.

  “You want me to do it harder?” the singer demanded, jerking his foreskin up and down.

  “Oh,” Gabriel breathed.

  “Harder?”

  “I—”

  “Faster? Come on, Brie, I can’t give you what you need if you don’t tell me how to do it.”

  Raiden’s tone hinted at begging. Gabriel thrashed about, heaving his hips in time with the older vampire’s hand. Faster, fuck yes, faster—

  “Brie,” Raiden sighed. “Since you won’t tell me what you want, I’ll tell you instead. You want me to fist you so hard that it hurts…”

  Yes. Gabriel whimpered. He was getting closer and closer to the edge. His swollen cock quivered with restraint. Raiden’s hand was slick from his juices and sweat. Gabriel could feel the contours of his creator’s palm, the bones in his fingers, and the rapid spike of his pulse. The strokes intensified.

  “You want to come,” Raiden murmured into his ear, sending red sparks across his vision. Gabriel was almost there. Just one more—

  “And when you can’t stand it anymore—listen, Brie—when you can’t stand it anymore, you’ll want to moan my name.”

  Raiden. Gabriel gave in, screaming his release. Pearly strands shot out of his slit, staining every surface within the immediate vicinity. Raiden bowed his head and pressed his ear against the younger vampire’s racing heart. Gabriel shuddered, coming down off the best orgasm he had ever known. His mind was blissfully blank.

  When the last tremors had subsided, Raiden released Gabriel from his clutches and wiped his hands on his pants. He moved over to the driver’s side with relative ease, silent. Though Gabriel didn’t dare glance in his creator’s direction, he nevertheless sensed the older vampire’s triumph. I always knew you’d let me win, the Raiden-voice bragged insi
de his unsteady brain. Once a bottom, always a bottom. All the emotions which Gabriel had temporarily repressed returned. I have to get out of here. This is too crazy. I have to think.

  Mutely, the actor pulled up his pants and exited the car, heading for the house. He didn’t look back. Raiden watched his retreating figure every step of the way. Gabriel didn’t need to turn around to know this; he felt the weight of the singer’s stare on his back. It fell upon him like the weight of an anchor. But I won’t allow him to drag me down. If he tries, I’ll drag him down with me. On cue, Raiden reversed the car out of the driveway, speeding away into the moonless night.

  As Gabriel entered the house, he had an epiphany. Raiden doesn’t want me to go. He did this tonight to convince me to stay. But I’m not going to. I have a better idea. Some disobedient section of his brain tried to convince him that, if he plotted revenge, he’d only make more trouble for himself. Get out while you still can! Gabriel, however, had never been the quitting type. Now we’ll see who really holds the cards. Humming to himself, he picked up his cell, preparing to dial his agent’s number. Just wait and see, Raiden. You’ll be my conquest yet.

  * * * *

  The next day, Raiden went to the summerhouse, wondering what he would find after last night’s blistering encounter. Maybe Gabriel had trashed the place. Maybe he had stabbed himself repeatedly and wrote “Fuck you” in blood all over the walls. Maybe he’s just sitting on the couch, reading that asinine script, waiting for me like always. Maybe he’s—

  “Gone,” he said, staring at the driveway. There was a fresh splatter of engine oil on it, and faint tread marks decorated upon its surface. Leaving the car, he sniffed the air. The younger vampire’s appealing scent had significantly diminished, indicating his absence. Numb, Raiden walked inside his empty house. He…really left. Just like that.

  All traces of Gabriel had been eradicated, save the slicker, sunglasses, and gloves the singer had loaned him for their feeds.