Tortured Soul Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  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

  A word about the author...

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Tortured Soul

  by

  Julia Laque

  Tortured Series, Book One

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Tortured Soul

  COPYRIGHT © 2013 by Julia Laque

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Debbie Taylor

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Black Rose Edition, 2013

  Print ISBN 978-1-61217-876-9

  Digital ISBN 978-1-61217-877-6

  Tortured Series, Book One

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To my family and friends, for your unwavering support and always putting a smile on my face.

  To my nephews, my good luck charms,

  for making my life complete.

  To my father,

  for Irish lullabies and fairy tale stories before bed.

  To my mother,

  my rock, my educator, my inspiration.

  To Omar,

  for believing in me

  and giving me the extra push I always need.

  And last, but certainly not least,

  to my sister, Jessica,

  my writing partner and better half...this one's for you.

  ~Julia

  Acknowledgements

  To all the authors who have inspired me over the years.

  To my sister and friends, for putting up with

  my incessant questions about everything under the sun.

  To Debbie Taylor,

  for the lovely image that graces the cover.

  And a very special thanks to Rhonda Penders,

  Callie Lynn Wolfe and Lill Farrell,

  for taking a chance on a newbie like me.

  I thank you

  Chapter One

  Evangeline Wolcott raced quietly across the red-carpeted hallway, careful not to knock into the oversized vase sitting on a table just outside of her father’s office. The hallway was dimly lit and adorned with family photos. As she neared the door, she turned to make sure no one saw her ill attempt at stealth. Not that it mattered. She just didn’t want anyone giving her away. Pausing for a moment, she listened to the goings on in her father’s two story home. She could hear her mother and sister talking in the back of the house and knew they were in the kitchen preparing dinner. What she was doing was beyond childish, but she couldn’t think about it right now.

  She had some eavesdropping to do.

  Her years as a ballet dancer paid off as she tiptoed the last few steps to listen in. On her way out, the family’s cleaning lady had informed Evangeline her father was talking with Maxwell Jones, lawyer and co-founder of the Illinois Mediation Committee for the Human and Supernatural Society.

  Maxwell might have been a good friend of the family, but she had her suspicions as to why he’d come over unannounced on a Tuesday. There was definitely something going on in the supernatural community and she was determined to find out what.

  Ever since she had been a little girl, Evangeline Wolcott daydreamed of meeting a vampire or werewolf. She was fascinated by their mystical ways and stayed updated on famous supernatural figures in the media and by reading numerous books on their way of life. She instigated countless arguments with friends on the history of the werewolf and the alleged involvement with witches centuries ago.

  On several occasions Maxwell Jones had contacted Evangeline herself to inquire about certain aspects of the paranormal from a werewolf’s reaction to the moon phases to a vampire’s appetite after transitioning. Unfortunately, she was no help when it came to witches. The only mention of witches she encountered in her books was from a werewolf’s perspective. With the exception of fictional witches portrayed in books or movies, real witches had no literature whatsoever on their race.

  Despite her years of research she had never actually met anyone from the supernatural society. She had seen, from a distance, a vampire in town a couple years ago. He was a large, scary-looking man, getting into a black BMW. There was also the time she glimpsed the back of the Vampire King of North America at a fundraiser with her father. It seemed every time she was in the vicinity of a vampire, they slipped out of view.

  But she would never forget the night she saw from her bedroom window, the pack of werewolves running together across the Midewin prairie beneath a full moon. Evangeline had run quickly to find binoculars to get a closer look, but by the time she did it was too late. They were too far away as they headed across the creek toward the woods. But what she had managed to see from her bedroom window was one of the most amazing things she had ever beheld.

  Now Maxwell Jones, mediator extraordinaire, was in her home and she just knew he came with news about the clash between her two favorite species. Evangeline was aware there were more covens and packs around the world, but things were heating up in her neck of the woods. Literally.

  Just then, Evangeline heard her father’s voice rise from inside his office.

  “I see no other way out of it. I owe him—”

  Maxwell’s voice cut in. “Have you thought this through? Do you realize what you’re asking of her? She’ll never forgive you.”

  Evangeline flinched and quietly moved closer to press her ear to the cold oak. She had never heard her father and Maxwell argue like this. They may have had their difference of opinion when it came to the supernatural, but they had no qualms about stating their points in public. Why were they behind closed doors?

  “You don’t understand, Max. He can basically do whatever he wants at this point. He knows what I’ve done.” Her father’s voice shook as he spoke. She could tell he was pacing across the hardwood floor. It was Geoffrey Wolcott’s telltale sign something was seriously wrong.

  “Let me speak to him.” Maxwell’s voice was urging. “He can be difficult, but I’m sure we can come up with some sort of arrangement.”

  Who’s he? Evangeline thought with mounting frustration. What were they talking about?

  “No. He warned me not to get you involved. I’m sorry I even called you, but I didn’t know what to do. I’m out of options here,” Geoffrey said.

  There was silence in the office for a moment, and then she heard Maxwell ask quietly, “How much?” />
  Somberly, her father uttered, “Three million.”

  “Fuck, Geoff! What were you thinking?” Maxwell shouted.

  “I was thinking about my family. I had no other choice. These are grim times. My accounts are empty, most of my investments have bellied up…hell…I almost lost the house for fuck’s sake. I did what I had to for my family.”

  Shuddering at her father’s words, Evangeline braced her hands on either side of the door to steady herself.

  “When, in your plan to save your family from poverty, did you think it was wise to embezzle three million dollars from a vampire?” Maxwell sounded as shocked as Evangeline felt.

  “I was going to put the money back as soon as I got back on my feet—”

  “By gambling no doubt,” Maxwell said bitterly.

  “Watch it, Max. I called you here as a friend. I know what I did was stupid, but I only started gambling again a few months ago when my funds were low. Tell me, what would you have done? Would you let your family lose everything?”

  Evangeline’s father came from old money, but he had made several investments over the years to maintain their fortune. Geoffrey was City Hall’s Director of Finance and also served on the Vampire Rights Council in Wilmington and had evidently stolen money from one of the vampires on the council.

  “I’m sorry, Geoff, but did you have to embezzle from the king?” Maxwell asked mournfully.

  Her stomach leapt at Max’s words. Evangeline stood frozen against the door. Tell me I heard wrong. Tell me I did not hear that my father stole from the Vampire King of North America.

  “We received the commission for the new Vampires in Transition facility,” her father was saying, “I panicked. Stupidly, I thought I could place a few bets to earn the money back, but I can’t do it anymore. I’ve been losing miserably and I just can’t do this to Rachelle again. I’ve managed to stop. I’ve put the properties in Chicago on the market, but they’re not selling.”

  Evangeline heard the desperation in her father’s voice and her heart went out to him. She was hurt, of course, that he had fallen back into gambling, but like he said, he was doing it for his family. He was desperate.

  But to steal from the vampire king…

  She was really scared now. What would the king do to her father?

  How on earth could they pay him back if her father’s accounts were indeed empty?

  “He came to my office a couple days ago…” There was a heavy note to her father’s voice. “Told me he knew and threw his ultimatum on the table.” She’d never heard him so despondent before.

  “You have to tell her, Geoffrey. She needs to know soon so she can take the time to let it all sink in. It’s asking a lot, of course, but Evangeline will see reason.”

  Evangeline furrowed her brow in confusion at the mention of her name. Surely her father was worried to tell the entire family about what he’d done. Why did Maxwell only mention her?

  “I’m going to tell her tonight. God, how could I do this to my precious daughter?” Geoffrey Wolcott’s voice was thick. “Tell me the rumors aren’t true, Max. Tell me I’m not marrying my Evangeline off to the most ruthless womanizer on the entire continent.”

  ****

  Maxwell Jones sat in an armchair in his friend’s office with both elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped. The tension building in the back of his neck was excruciating now when he thought of the events of the past few months.

  Maxwell’s work on the Mediation Committee was extraordinary. He and his colleague formed it twenty years ago and had managed to maintain the peace in Illinois until now. The disputes among the werewolves and vampires in Wilmington were getting way out of hand. He’d managed to keep the human population ignorant for a while, but talk in a small town spread faster than he could blink.

  It had started a few months ago with the murder of Tyson Maury on the Midewin hunting grounds. Tyson was a member of the Blacktail werewolf pack and the bite mark on his neck indicated he had been bitten by a vampire and then shot with a hunting rifle. From then on it had been one strike after another. Members of the Blacktail pack going missing along with a few Wilmington vampires.

  Maxwell was working overtime to get to the bottom of all the kidnappings, but tension continued to flare between the two species.

  Now his good friend was in trouble with none other than the head of the North American vampires.

  Cyrus Stewart. The king.

  He truly felt for his friend. Maxwell hoped Evangeline’s fascination with vampires might intrigue her to at least consider the marriage. Hell, she invested most of her time researching the supernatural. She might even enjoy being married to a vampire.

  Who was he kidding?

  Evangeline was so headstrong. Geoffrey would be lucky if she ever spoke to him again.

  There was a sudden bang as the door to the office flew open and slammed against the wall. Evangeline Wolcott stood on the threshold looking shocked, hurt, and confused all at once. Max stared for a moment at his friend’s daughter, forgetting in an instant what was going on.

  Evangeline was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

  Her deep burgundy hair contrasted strikingly with classic features causing even the women in town to admire her beauty. Her nose was straight and dainty above full lips, but it was her olive green eyes, which simply melted a man’s soul.

  Maxwell was a happily married man with a son about Evangeline’s age. He felt slightly guilty for staring at Geoffrey’s daughter. He had known her since she was a little girl, but even then, her beauty was astounding. Anyone, man or woman, was hard pressed to look away.

  Standing tall in the doorway, her chest heaved in rapid succession. She wore jeans that seemed to be made for her toned body and a black V-neck top. The heels she wore brought her to nearly six feet in height.

  “What did you say?” Evangeline moved slowly into the room, her eyes wide and glued to her father.

  Walking over to his daughter, Geoffrey raised a hand toward her, but she waved it away.

  “I want to know what is going on and I want to know now!” She glanced at Max during her tirade and her long, thick hair spilled over her left shoulder.

  “What did you hear, Evangeline?” her father asked. Resigned to allow his daughter the space she needed, he stepped over to stand by his mahogany desk.

  “Everything from stealing three million from Cyrus Stewart.” She looked miserably at her father for a moment. “Why did you keep the fact you’re broke away from your family? My God, Daddy, we could have tried to help you come up with a feasible solution.”

  “Angel, I didn’t want to worry my girls. Please, let me explain—”

  “Explain to me how marrying me off to some stranger is going to help pay off Cyrus Stewart. Has this…what did you call him… ruthless womanizer offered to pay the three million on your behalf?”

  Maxwell and Geoffrey both looked at her for a moment then turned to one another. She hadn’t heard the entire conversation.

  Their shared glance was not lost on Evangeline. “What? What am I missing here?”

  “Evangeline, Cyrus Stewart has offered to let me keep the money.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why would he do that?”

  “Because he wants you to be his wife.”

  ****

  Evangeline was trying her damnedest to get a hold of her emotions. She stared at her father as if she were looking at a stranger. He seemed shorter to her, not the six-foot-two-inch man he was. He didn’t look like the man who'd stayed up late with her to play scrabble or to read her stories when she was a little girl. His gray hair seemed more pronounced than it had this morning when they had shared breakfast on the terrace. Geoffrey Wolcott had aged a decade in a matter of a day.

  Maxwell had intervened during her father’s explanation, playing mediator as always and urging her to sit down and listen to what had transpired with her father and the vampire king.

  “Why on earth would Cyrus Stewart want to ma
rry me? He’s never even met me.” Evangeline was eerily calm. She decided she should get all the facts first then blow up later.

  “Evidently, he’s seen you on several occasions.” Her father was sitting down as well, choosing the chair Maxwell had vacated, while Max stood by the window behind her father’s desk. “He first saw you at the Wilmington Education Fundraiser last year, then a few times in town. I believe he was also at your recital last month.”

  Evangeline cringed inwardly at this news. At last month’s recital the director of Valentino’s Dance Studio made all the instructors dance with the children. She’d fainted the instant she’d left the stage. “Unbelievable,” she breathed. “He’s been spying on me?” The men in the room chose not to answer this specific question.

  The whole situation was still not sinking in. It was almost comical what was happening. She was waiting for her father or Max to tell her this was all a joke. The grim expressions they both wore, however, gave her no hope of that happening.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “He can’t force this on me, can he?” She looked around at Maxwell, flustered. “There are laws…hell…I have rights.”

  Maxwell came toward her now and leaned back on her father’s desk with his arms crossed. “Technically he is not breaking any laws. Cyrus Stewart can replace the money for the Transition Facility out of pocket so there will be no need for an investigation.” Maxwell looked like he had been thinking long and hard about the situation, assessing every angle. “Now, as you know, humans and vampires can marry.” He put up his hand before she could cut in. “As for forcing you to marry, our laws don’t exactly apply to the vampire king and the vampire legislature have no power when it comes to him. They have no laws against blackmailing anyway. As your father said, he can basically do whatever he wants. He can’t force you down the aisle, not if he wants to maintain his political status, but he has put you between a rock and a hard place. Now, that’s not to say he can’t see reason. I propose you meet with him tomorrow evening—”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. Listen, your father and I may not be able to do anything about this situation, but you can. His Grace has asked you to join him for dinner tomorrow at his coven. Talk with him, Evangeline. I believe, if he is as enthralled with you as he says he is, then he’ll see what this is doing to you and he may have a change of heart.”