Blood & Secrets: The Night Movers Vampire Series Book 2 Read online

  Blood & Secrets

  The Night Movers Vampire Series, Book Two

  Helen Bright

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Epilogue

  Gregor’s Reason - Chapter One

  Gregor’s Reason - Chapter Two

  A Note from the Author

  About the Author

  Blood & Secrets: The Night Movers Vampire Series, Book Two

  Copyright © Helen Bright 2015

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN (13-digit): 978-0-9933971-4-1

  All characters and events in this publication are fictitious, any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or any events past or present are purely coincidental.

  Edited by: Avril Stepowski

  Chapter One

  Keeley

  I love my new job! I have been working for Gregor Antonov for five months, and it has been amazing. He has been a fabulous boss, letting me work flexible hours to revolve around childcare. My daughter Daisy is four and a half now (you have to say the half or she gets annoyed), and soon she will be in full-time school. This job allows me to take her to nursery in the mornings, then pick her up at eleven-thirty am and take her home for her lunch. Then she attends a local children’s activity centre three days per week. On the other two days, Daisy is picked up from nursery by one of the friends that I used to work with at my old job for Night Movers.

  Today Daisy is with one of my old bosses at Night Movers, who is also one of my best friends, Joshua York. He has been a real rock for me whenever I needed someone to lean on. He spoils my daughter constantly, and she adores him, as do I. Just last week he bought her a swing and slide set for his back garden, so he doesn’t have to take her to the local park to go on the swings there. Not that Josh doesn’t want to, of course, but he is limited as to how much time he can spend in the sun.

  You see, Josh is a vampire. As is my boss Gregor, and the other two co-owners of Night Movers, Nik, and Alex. Also Sergei, Yuri, Finn, and Patrick, are all friends of mine, and all vampires. Does this bother me? Surprisingly no.

  They are some of the nicest individuals I have ever met and I have been around most of them since being a young girl, not much older than Daisy is now.

  My aunt, Maggie, has worked for Josh, Nik, and Alex in the offices of Night Movers for thirty years, and often took us into work with her when we used to come and visit. My parents were originally from this village, but moved to Lincolnshire for my dad’s job when mum was pregnant with me and my twin brother Daniel.

  Then mum died from breast cancer when we were twelve, and Daniel and I came to live with Aunt Mags and Uncle Dave for a while. Dad had a bit of a breakdown, and we ended up moving back to the village permanently after that. Freya Staithes, who is Josh and Alex’s sister, and also a vampire, used to take me out shopping and also to her home for holidays. She became like an aunt to me, and now that I’m a grown woman, she has become my friend.

  It was Freya that told me about the job with Gregor and passed him my details. I had met him before on occasion, but always felt too intimidated to speak to him. Which is not like me at all, as anyone who knows me will tell you. But Gregor Antonov, the Russian billionaire vampire, has a very commanding presence that would intimidate even the most powerful men and women. Now that I know Gregor better I feel so differently about him. He has to be one of the most charming, respectful men I have ever met. It’s like he treasures your company, and he makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world.

  The last time he came over to see the progress on his house he brought me the diamond earrings I am wearing today for a job well done.

  DIAMOND EARRINGS!!!!

  I have never owned a diamond anything before, and they aren’t small diamonds, either. Gregor said all women should own diamonds, and after seeing how these sparkle in my ears, I totally agree. If I am honest, I may have a little bit of a crush on Gregor. Tall, with broad muscular shoulders, brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. What’s not to crush on? Even when he says my name in that delicious Russian accent, I melt like butter. Keeleeey…He seems to say it with a slow drawl, and the first time I heard him say it I swear I almost swooned.

  The house Gregor is having renovated, is the old Rothley Manor, which is just outside our little village of Barrowfield in South Yorkshire. He hired a brilliant interior designer that’s worked for members of the Royal family and many of the famous footballers and models in the UK and Europe. His name is Ryan Adamson. He’s only twenty-six, so just a couple of years older than me, and he’s utterly gorgeous. Sadly, for me, he’s also gay, and he’s just come out of a long-term relationship.

  To help Ryan get over his break up, me and the ladies from my old job took him on a ladies’ night out around Rothley and Barrowfield.

  What a night that was!

  Daisy was staying with my ex’s parents, so I could really let my hair down without worrying about looking after her when I got home. My ex’s parents live in Gainsborough, which is only about thirty minutes’ drive away. My ex, Rick the prick, doesn’t want anything to do with Daisy, so his parents take her once a month when they know he’s not going to visit. It’s an odd situation, but I wouldn’t stop Rick’s parents from seeing her just because their son doesn’t want to be in her life. I just couldn’t do it, although sometimes when she’s asking me questions, I think it would make life easier for me if she didn’t know them. Anyway, our night out was one of the best nights out I have ever had.

  We danced most of the night away in Rothley (which I love to do), then came back to the Red Lion and stayed for one of their famous lock-ins. Sergei had brought some of the Absinthe drink that a friend of his makes. Oh My God! I have never been as drunk as that before. If it hadn’t been for Josh, I don’t think Ryan and I would have coped. He came with Alex (who has been our designated driver since Julia became pregnant) and Josh ended up taking Ryan and I back to his cottage to sleep it off there.

  Josh looked after us all night when we were throwing up, and he brought us breakfast and much-needed painkillers the next morning to kill the hangover. He also gave me a small amount of his blood, which really helped. Josh wou
ldn’t tell me what happened during the ride home in the minibus, but I ended up losing a shoe and somehow my bra, although I still wore the rest of my clothes. He now calls me his Cinderella, though I doubt I will get a Prince Charming riding up to me with my high heel on a cushion. Not here in Barrowfield. The only Prince Charming I have in my life at the moment is Josh, but he still sees me as the little girl that Aunt Mags used to bring to the office, even though I’ve tried to make him see the woman I am today.

  Of course, there is Gregor and Sergei, but Sergei is like another ‘Jack the lad,’ and Gregor…well, Gregor is the king of the castle.

  Chapter Two

  Keeley

  I left Ryan at the house to lock up as I went to get my car from the stable area. The builders were staying later tonight, as were the decorators, so Ryan was staying to make sure everything was done to his specifications. He was only five-foot-seven, but had a way of making these big burly builders and decorators obey his every command. A true professional if ever I saw one.

  Even Gregor doesn’t faze him. Gregor had brought two of his bodyguards with him last time, Yuri and Maxim. Yuri is lovely, but Maxim is mean. He doesn’t speak, he just grunts and looks at me like I’m shit on his shoe. I don’t know what I’ve done to upset him, but whenever he could be nasty to me, he was. Ryan threatened Maxim that if he heard that he had upset me once more, he was going to tell Gregor. That seemed to do the trick until they all left, and I hoped that Maxim stayed away this time. I mean it’s not like Gregor needs a bodyguard here in this sleepy Yorkshire village.

  I threw my bag in my crappy little car that had long seen better days and just sat still for a minute after closing the door. Gregor would be here in two days, so the builders, decorators, and Ryan had really gone for it today in the hope that the interior of the house would be finished for Gregor’s visit. There were still the cottages and stable block residences to finish, but that could be done later.

  The noise from the house today had been horrendous, so I savoured the quiet of my car for just a few moments before I turned the key.

  Nothing. That’s what I got when I did turn the key. So I tried again, pumping the accelerator a little to see if that helped. Still nothing. After trying for another five minutes, I gave up and phoned Josh.

  “Hi Keeley, are you on your way home? Daisy’s been a big girl and just finished her fish fingers and spaghetti.”

  “That’s good. I hope she’s behaved for you. Listen, Josh, my car broke down and I’m going to have to call the AA, so I’m not sure what time I can pick Daisy up. Do you mind dropping her off with me at the Manor? I don’t want her going back to mine without me. My dad’s on one of his benders again.”

  “I will come and get you, Keeley. Stay put, and me and my little princess will be there in ten minutes. You can call the AA out tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Josh but…”

  Too late, he’d already hung up the phone.

  I knew he would come for me. I think he would do anything I asked of him, except kiss me of course. Josh would be the perfect man for me. Yeah, so he’s a vampire, which means a beach holiday in Ibiza is out of the question, but in every other way possible he’s perfect.

  Josh is about six foot three of pure muscle; his brown eyes often seem to have flecks of amber in them, which set fire to bits of me that should have no business burning for him. Of African descent, his skin is the colour of milk chocolate, and I have more than once dreamed of tasting it. He keeps his hair cropped close to his head and I would love to run my fingers through it and feel the texture. He’s a beautiful man, with facial features a model would be proud of.

  And where Gregor makes me swoon with a silly schoolgirl-like crush, Josh makes my heart beat faster in my chest whenever I see him. Even sometimes when I can’t see him I can tell you the very moment he walks into the room, just from how my body reacts. I know it’s because I’m in love with him, but since that love isn’t returned, I just have to try and hide my feelings. I see him most days, and it only seems to get harder to hide how much he means to me…and how much I want him.

  I saw Josh’s Honda CRV pulling up behind my car, and this pulled me out of my thoughts of my perfect man/vampire. He got out of his vehicle and walked over to my car, concern marring his beautiful face, but at the same time, his brown eyes twinkled when he saw me.

  “Hey Keeley, are you okay?” He opened the door, took my hand and helped me out of the car.

  “Yeah, I’m fine Josh, it’s just this bloody thing failing to start again.”

  “Mummy you said a naughty word,” shouted Daisy from out of the window of Josh’s SUV.

  “Sorry Daisy.”

  She was like the swear police lately. Not that I choose to swear in front of her, but occasionally something slips out, and when it does, Bam! She’s in there straight away. Never misses.

  Josh popped the bonnet up and we went through the motions of trying to start my car. Even with the jump leads, it didn’t start.

  “Definitely AA Josh, but thanks for trying. Would you mind dropping us off home now? I want to get this little one bathed and in bed,” I said smooching a kiss off the sweetest little girl in the world.

  “Of course, I will, but if your dad’s being a problem again, maybe you should stay with me.”

  “Thanks, Josh, but I want to keep an eye on him so he doesn’t end up back in the hospital again.”

  “Can’t Daniel keep an eye on him? I can arrange for him to have some time off work so he can sort him out again if you want.”

  “No, Josh it’s okay, I will handle it. Dan’s moved out anyway, he says he’s done with him now. They had a big bust up again and it got all heated, and dad punched Dan; so Dan moved out and was living at his friend’s house until he got a flat. He moved in a few weeks ago.”

  “Keeley, why didn’t you tell me it had got this bad at home? Maybe I could have helped.”

  “There’s only my dad that can help himself now Josh. But I can’t leave him on his own. He nearly set the house on fire last time he was like this. He was so drunk he forgot to switch the grill off.”

  “Then it’s not safe for you and Daisy to be there, either. Come home with me Keeley. As soon as one of my properties becomes empty again, you can have it.”

  “No Josh, thanks, but no. I need to know that he’s going to be okay. He does this, and then he gets better. He just needs time to sort himself out again.”

  “Will he go to rehab or an AA meeting?”

  “No. Been there and done that. You get him set up to go, then he just refuses, so it’s pointless. But he does seem to come out of it himself, eventually.”

  We pulled up outside the home Daisy and I shared with my dad.

  Daisy was in a great mood due to the in-car DVD player that Josh had installed for her. She had been watching a cartoon in the back of the car while Josh and I had been talking. I know she couldn’t understand much of what I had been saying, but kids tend to pick up more than you think. So in this instance, I was glad that Josh had spoiled my little girl yet again with his thoughtful actions. I got out of the car, grabbed both my bag and Daisy’s bag, then went to take Daisy out of Josh’s arms.

  “She’s not tired Josh; she can walk in.”

  “I will carry her in Keeley; you have steps down to the house.”

  Before I could stop him, he had gone through the gate and down the path to the door. I stepped past him and opened it, hoping to God that my dad was asleep. No such luck.

  “Where have you been Keeley? You’re an hour late,” Dad yelled, drunk as usual. He came into the kitchen and saw Josh holding Daisy.

  “What the fuck is he doing holding Daisy?”

  “Grandad, that’s a very naughty word,” shouted Daisy, and I could see Josh holding her tighter to him.

  “Dad, stop it. Josh has looked after Daisy while I worked today, and then my car broke down, so he gave us a lift here.”

  “Well, he can get his filthy black hands off my granddaughter,�
�� dad bellowed.

  I was mortified. My dad had never been a racist man, none of us were.

  “Dad shut up. Josh is my friend; you can’t speak about him like that.”

  “So you are off whoring yourself out to him while you’re supposed to be working, are you?” Dad questioned as he stumbled sideways into the wall.

  Daisy started crying and I felt myself welling up, too.

  “That’s it, get your stuff, Keeley. You’re coming home with me and I won’t hear any arguments,” Josh said as he turned towards me. He put Daisy down to stand on the floor and spoke to her gently.

  “Daisy why don’t you help your mummy get some of your clothes packed, then you can come and stay at my cottage tonight. We can watch Ellie the Fairy Queen again, and you can show your mummy the colouring in you did for her today.”

  Daisy nodded and took my hand as I went towards the stairs. I paused for a moment to tell Josh not to hurt my dad, but he looked at me and smiled, even though I knew he was angry and upset.

  Chapter Three

  Josh

  As soon as I heard Keeley’s footsteps upstairs, I grabbed hold of her drunken father and lifted him up in the air by his shirt. He was shocked at my strength, even in his drunken state. I let him struggle for a while, then I spoke.

  “If I ever hear you talk to Keeley like that again, drunk or not, I will hurt you so bad the only way you will be able to take alcohol again will be through an IV drip in hospital. Do you understand me, you drunken bastard?”

  “Fuck off you…”

  I knew he was going to be trouble so I did what I probably shouldn’t have done. I bared my fangs and extended my nails into claws on my free hand.

  “Whhat…what are you?” he asked shaking.