Page 44 of Missing Piece (Neon Scars #2)

Something about the stranger unsettled Adam, despite his harmless suburban-dad appearance.

Those calculating eyes swept over him like a predator sizing up prey, searching for vulnerabilities.

Adam couldn’t shake the unease in his gut that the friendly stranger was dangerous.

The man’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Adam found himself instinctively backing away, his muscles coiling with tension.

He’d met enough con artists to recognize a performance, and this guy’s insincerity was practically oozing from his pores.

Adam’s hand tightened around his drink, ready to use it as a makeshift weapon if things went south.

“I’m pretty sure you want me to hold your drinks for you,” the man insisted, flashing a smile at Adam as he touched his hand to grab the open beer bottle.

The boiling sense of danger in Adam’s gut vanished, replaced by a wave of embarrassment.

Without a second thought, he handed over the beer and water bottle, his fingers brushing against the stranger’s as he relinquished his grip.

Adam felt a sharp pang of guilt for assuming the worst of the man, his cheeks flushing slightly with shame.

After all, the guy had done nothing to earn Adam’s suspicion other than offer a bit of assistance in a crowded bar.

Of course, this guy is just trying to help. What’s wrong with me? Adam chastised himself silently. As if being around vampires was making him second-guess everyone, turning simple acts of kindness into potential threats.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Adam said, attempting a smile despite his lingering reservations.

“My pleasure.” The man gestured toward the restrooms instead of the black curtain. “After you, son.”

That’s not right, is it? Did I want to go to the bathroom ?

He started down the corridor, the rhythmic thud of his crutch echoing off the narrow walls, when a realization hit him.

He was acting on instinct, blindly trusting this stranger, just like the impulsive behavior that used to rule his life when he craved his next fix or chased a dangerous high.

But this felt different, orchestrated. As he looked back at the man, a chilling wave of fear washed over him.

The man’s amicable facade had evaporated, replaced by a menacing gleam in his eyes and a predatory smirk. Something was wrong.

His heart pounding, Adam came to an abrupt stop, shaking his head. “I don’t need to go, but go ahead,” he said as he pivoted using the crutch.

The man grasped Adam’s hand again, his grip firm and unyielding.

“Come now, let me help you to the restroom. You’ll feel better after freshenin’ up.

” Though every instinct screamed in protest, Adam found himself following the stranger into the empty bathroom, his crutch thumping with each reluctant step.

The door slammed shut behind them with a sound like a gunshot, cutting off the muffled bass and chatter from the club.

Harsh fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting everything in sickly white.

The smell of industrial cleaner couldn’t quite mask the underlying reek of piss and vomit.

The man stood by the door as it closed, turning the lock with a decisive click.

He gathered the beer bottle and water bottle Adam had ordered and threw them into the trash with casual precision.

Then he turned back toward Adam, and his eyes transformed, irises and whites disappearing until they were pitch black.

The man’s black eyes glinted at Adam, his friendly demeanor gone. A vampire. Adam opened his mouth to shout for help, but the man touched his hand again. “You’re not afraid of me. There is no need to shout.”

Adam’s fear and panic dissipated as quickly as they had appeared, an unnatural calmness replacing them. What is happening to me?

“There now, that’s better.” The man smiled that same fake, warm smile. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Richard LeBlanc the Third.” His gaze slid over Adam’s injuries with a critical eye. “Take off your shirt.”

“What? N-no,” Adam stammered, glancing at the stalls to see if any were occupied as he stumbled back into the wall.

They were all empty.

Richard advanced, clasping his hands in front of him like a middle manager waiting on a presentation. “You look too warm. You want to take off your shirt.”

A suffocating wave of heat crashed over Adam, engulfing him in an oppressive warmth that made his skin prickle.

The fabric of his shirt became sandpaper against his flesh, an unbearable sensation that made him squirm.

“W-what is happening?” he stammered. His legs wobbled beneath him, forcing him to lean heavily against the wall for support.

Despite his growing unease, Adam’s arms began to move of their own accord, as if invisible puppet strings were manipulating his limbs.

He found himself tugging at the hem of his shirt, his fingers fumbling with the buttons as he struggled to comply with the vampire’s bizarre command.

Clumsily, he shed the garment one arm at a time, his eyes wide.

Richard examined the stitches and bruises covering Adam’s torso and back.

“Forgive my crude request, I simply have to see what Mr. Bellenger’s handiwork looks like these days.

And might I say, you have endured so much damage for such a fragile creature.

” He prodded at a yellowing bruise, eliciting a hiss of pain from Adam.

“Though to be honest, I thought he would have been far more creative after all the time you’ve spent with him.

How many weeks have you been his trial?”

Adam struggled against the foreign thoughts whispering in his mind, urging him to trust this vampire.

But his usual cynicism and suspicion drowned beneath a sea of clouded calm.

Was any of this real, or was he having a bad dream?

Was he still asleep on the couch near Vincent?

The bathroom wavered around him, the tiles shifting like a mirage.

He blinked hard, trying to shake off the disorientation.

This isn’t a dream. He backed up against the tiled wall, gripping his crutch.

“What are you doing to me?” he demanded as he struggled to keep his thoughts focused.

“What the fuck do you want?” The words came out in a rush, panic rising in his throat like bile as he swung his crutch at the predator in front of him.

Richard caught the crutch, yanking it from Adam’s grasp and tossing it to the ground with a clatter that echoed off the bathroom walls.

Shit. Without the crutch, Adam’s balance was shot.

His prosthetic foot wasn’t made for sudden movements or combat, and now he was trapped against the wall like a wounded animal.

“Such language,” Richard chided, his tone mockingly paternal.

“I merely wanted to see what has Vincent so…distracted lately. Though from the looks of you, he must be losing his edge. His maker would be sorely disappointed.” Richard sighed as if lamenting the thought, but his eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction.

“I was told he was a ruthless beast that even the old ones could not tame. It appears I have been mi sled.”

“Leave me out of whatever beef you got,” Adam snapped, sliding along the wall to keep his balance. “Just leave me the hell alone!”

Delight flashed across Richard’s expression.

“So much fight in you! No wonder Vincent is intrigued.” He grasped Adam’s throat, slamming his head back against the wall.

“But you would do well to fear him, boy. Vincent is a slave to his beast as much as I, nothing more. He will bleed you dry and discard you without a second thought once he has had his fill. Everything between you has been a game to sweeten your blood.”

Adam struggled against the hand crushing his windpipe, resisting the whispers trying to weave through his mind again. But Richard’s words were taking root, drowning out reason and replacing it with doubt and panic. Vincent would kill him. Everything was a lie.

I’m an idiot. I’m going to die.

Dark spots swam across Adam’s vision as his lungs burned for air.

Just when he felt certain he would black out, the pressure disappeared from his throat.

Adam collapsed to the floor, his prosthetic leg buckling under him as he hit the tile.

Get up man, get up. But without his crutch, pulling himself upright was going to be damn near impossible.

“…Get…away…” he grunted as he tried to pull himself up.

Richard laughed. “This is a first for me,” he mused, crouching down in front of Adam. “How about you become one of us? I could use someone with your stubbornness. That might help you survive the process.”

Adam shook his head. “Go fuck yourself.”

Richard sneered condescendingly. “Humans are such fragile creatures,” he taunted, his words slithering into Adam’s mind like venomous snakes, urging him to say yes. “Your kind will not last in this world much longer. You should accept my generous offer while you still can.”

Adam fought against the whispers, clinging to his refusal. “I’d rather die.”

Richard’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “I should just kill you for being such an insolent pet, but that’s no fun, is it? You’re not scared enough, boy.” A sinister smile curved his lips once more. “Allow me to fix that for you.”

Adam froze as Richard lunged forward, crushing their lips together while his fingers dug into the space beneath his jawbone. This is wrong…

Richard’s voice was a venomous growl as he pulled back, his words cutting deep into Adam.

His accent shifted, becoming thicker, more colloquial.

“You’re gonna suffer like you never suffered before…

Vincent’s gonna rip you apart, enjoy every second of your screamin’…

he’s not gonna care about your beggin’ for mercy… ”

Adam’s mind spun as the terror gripping him squeezed tighter, fueled by Richard’s harsh words. I need to get out of here. I need to run. I need to find help.

I don’t want to die here.

“Nobody can keep him happy for long,” Richard continued, his educated facade slipping further into something more primal, more dangerous. “You’re just a toy to him, somethin’ to break and toss away…he’s gonna love watchin’ you crumble, tearin’ you apart until there’s nothin’ left…”

Richard’s whispers echoed from every direction. Adam whimpered, trembling in the vampire’s grasp as panic and dread overwhelmed his senses, the words reverberating around him, a hellish chorus warning him of his impending doom.

Adam’s heart clenched in abject terror as the whispering threats swirled around him like dark smoke, cutting off any hope of escape. He could feel the vampire’s icy grip on his arm and his stomach sank, he was either going to die in this bathroom or return to Vincent to be torn apart by him.

Adam’s limbs shook uncontrollably and time stood still.

In a last ditch effort he squeezed his eyes shut, praying that when he opened them the nightmare would be over, but the sight that met him was one of sheer horror, Richard lunged forward with lightning speed, burying razor sharp fangs into the crook of Adam’s neck, right where Vincent had bitten him the night before.

Agonizing pain seared through every nerve as Richard sucked at the wound. He tried to scream but no sound emerged as Richard’s hand clamped over his mouth.