Blood Lust by J. P. Bowie Page B

between them—something he didn’t like the idea of one bit. Still, he wasn’t about to back down.
    Within a few feet of them he recognised them. The guys from the bar—the one who couldn’t shut up. What the hell did they want?
    “What’s up, guys?” he asked, his voice steady and friendly enough.
    “We wished to talk more with you,” the mouthy one said with a faint smile.
    “Why’d you leave the bar then? Seemed to me you were in an awful hurry to get outta there.”
    “Your companions were not to our liking.”
    “You didn’t even meet them.” Alex eyed the men warily. “Anyway, it’s late and I have to work tomorrow, so if you don’t mind…” He stepped to the side to pass by, but the one called Arturo gripped his arm and swung him round to face the blond man.
    “Hey!” Alex tried to wrench his arm free. Jesus, this guy is strong . Alex was no weakling.
    His job as a firefighter and his daily workouts kept him in superb shape, but he couldn’t remember ever feeling quite so helpless as he now did in Arturo’s grasp. “What the hell do you guys think you’re doing?”
    “I told you we wish to talk further with you. But I am being rude. I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Dakar.”
    “ Lord Dakar,” Arturo growled. “Kneel before your master.”
    “What?” Alex almost laughed, but instead had to bite back a cry of pain as Arturo twisted his arm and forced him to his knees. Alex couldn’t believe how strong the man was.
    He felt like a wimp—something he’d never experienced before. “What the fuck kind of asshole game are you two playing at? Is this some kind of kinky role-playing shit you’re into? ’Cause I’m not, so cut it out.”
    Dakar chuckled. “This is no game, Alex. This is recruitment.”
    “ What? ” Alex gaped up at him.
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    BLOOD LUST
    J.P. Bowie
    62
     
    “You will join the army I am creating in order to defeat the vampire hordes that infest this city.”
    Alex stared at Dakar, his mouth slack with shock. “Are you nuts?” He gasped involuntarily. “Vampire hordes? Everyone knows there’s no such thing as a vampire, never mind a horde of ’em. What the hell’s the matter with you—with both of you?”
    Alex’s mind raced with all kinds of scenarios. Okay, these two were totally insane, or this was some kind of reality TV moment when some guy would step out of the shadows and yell “Cut!”, or he was delirious and none of this was actually happening… But the cold, hard stone under his knees told him he wasn’t hallucinating and when he looked from one sneering expression to the other, a real fear clutched at Alex’s heart. These men, whatever they were, were dangerous—insanely dangerous—and he was in a shitload of trouble.
    “Look around you,” Dakar was saying. “You walk on this street every night, do you not? You are wondering why it is strangely darker than usual, why it is empty of other humans who might come to your aid. That is because I will it so—because I rule the night just as I now rule your future thoughts and deeds. You are mine, Alex Benson, mine to do with as I wish, to control you, to bend you to my will. You are young and strong. You will make a fine warrior, an ideal addition to my growing army—”
    “You must be nuts!” Alex spat. “If you think for one minute that I’ll—”
    Dakar smiled down at Alex’s defiant expression and laid his right hand on the young fire fighter’s head, gently caressing Alex’s short, dark-brown hair.
    “I repeat, you are mine, Alex. Now, and forever.”
    And under Dakar’s touch, Alex felt his will to fight slowly slip away. Gazing up into the demon’s amber eyes, he whispered, “Yes, my Lord Dakar… I am yours.”
    Dakar nodded. “So it begins,” he murmured.
     
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    BLOOD LUST
    J.P. Bowie
    63

Chapter Eight
    “So what did you think of Alex?” Tommy asked as he and Andrew dismounted from Tommy’s bike.
    “A very nice