Cutthroat Carmine (Book 1)(COMPLETE) (Wattpad Featured Novel)

19: [LEE-um] Part One

TWO YEARS AGO...

"Did you tell him you were a half blood vampire?"

"Father I-"

"Yes or no Carmine." Mason's eyes shine a fierce scarlet color. His hands tightly grip the sides of his armchair. He looks like a lion ready to pounce of fresh meat. Savage.

"Y-Yes. I did. But- He's harmless. Liam won't tell anyone."

"Do you even know who he is?!" Mason stands up, towering over Carmine's quivering frame. "You have no idea what you've done!"

"He- We're classmates. We like each other. We have a special...understanding."

"Special understanding? You are so incredibly naive and stupid Carmine. Did you really think he was letting you drink his blood...for free? Everything comes at a cost."

Carmine's brows furrow, confused and hurt by the implications of her father's words. "What do you mean?"

"He would've exposed you sooner or later. Sold photos and videos of you to the highest bidder. Trust me. I know certain things about him that you don't. I will explain one day. For now, know this: that boy was going to be your downfall; trust me on that."

"W-Was? What- Where is he? What did you do to him?!" Carmine snarls, her eyes pricking with tears.

"The only thing I could do," Mason clenches his jaw, steeling himself against his daughter's reaction. "I killed him. He needed to be silenced and that was the only way."

"You...killed...him to...prevent him from doing something he wasn't even planning on doing? Took his life when he did nothing to deserve it?" Carmine's chest tightens, her heart thumping wildly. She steadies herself against Mason's antique brass lamp, gripping it so tight her veins begin to bulge out. "I hate you! You're a monster! How-How could you? Don't you have a conscience? Of course you don't...you're a vampire. A murderer."

+++

It's been two years since Liam's death and Carmine still thinks about him from time to time. Especially the past few days.

She never even threw away the vintage Casio watch he gave her as a token of his commitment. It's still sitting in her jewelry box, collecting dust. After seeing that man the other day, Carmine absentmindedly removes the watch from the box and strokes it. She bites her tongue as a wave of fresh anger washes through her. She buried the urge to attack her father a long time ago because she didn't want to upset her family (and because she wasn't strong enough to do anything anyway). But she never forgot and a part of her never forgave him either. She would continue to play her part as the dutiful, loving daughter but...

Father. How could he? What had incited him to such senseless violence? Surely there was more motive than simply defending his daughter against a cad. Scoundrels could be dealt with in a million different ways. Murder was last on that list. This brutality stemmed from a backstory, one Mason refused to share. The lack of trust...the secrets...they all threatened to unravel this family.

Perhaps he really had good reasons. Reasons he chose not to trust her with...for her own protection. Father said he knew something horrible about Liam...But what was it? And was it truly enough justification for taking the life of a seventeen year old boy?

They hadn't exactly been dating. It was an odd arrangement to say the least but they both consented to it and for a few weeks, Carmine was in utter bliss. She drank at her leisure, indulging in Liam's sweet blood whenever she felt the craving. Of course she was never a tyrant about it. She never hurt him. Never drank more than she needed to sate her bloodlust. And she never forgot her mother's warning: "Don't drink too much blood or the human side of you will become incredibly sick."

However, that's not to say she wasn't tempted, on more than one occasion, to continue sucking on his arm until he dried up like a piece of jerky.

She had been only fifteen. Roaring with pubescent hormones and uncontrolled bloodlust, it took every ounce of her self-restraint not to kill her boytoy.

On Liam's part, it was hard to say what his true motivations were. He claimed to be in love with her and found the idea of her drinking his blood incredibly sexy and a huge turn on. He said vampirism had always been a fetish of his and now that he had found a real life vampire he would make sure to satisfy her every whim. He said he wanted to be her subservient.

Carmine did not and still could not fathom the possibility that he might have exposed her to the world. All she felt was power over her pet human. Adoration from and dominance over a clueless and smitten teenage boy.

He was her willing Blood Slave.

They never did anything sexual; but Carmine knew he was ready to take their relationship to the next level. She was hesitant to share her body with a human and while she lusted after his sweet blood and felt attracted to his body, she didn't think she was in love with him.

In retrospect, it had been a very one-sided short term relationship. One that abruptly ended with Carmine's father murdering the only boy she ever got close to. Albeit for her own selfish reasons.

Mason made it impossible for Carmine to ever have any sort of relationship with a man, whether it was friendship or something bigger. He used Liam to set an unforgettable example. For if the man was a good one, then she needed to protect him from her father (who viewed all other men, especially humans, as threats) and if the man was a heartbreaker, well, she didn't want more death on her hands.

That's just another reason to stay the hell away from Sebastian, Carmine mulls, touching the gold colored watch. I won't let Father hurt Sebastian. I will not stand for another Liam situation. She slips it back into the velvety folds of her jewelry box and shuts the lid.

Carmine lets out a long, drawn out sigh. Forget about that Liam doppleganger. There are billions of people in the world. There are probably hundreds of thousands of brown hair, green eyed Liam look alikes walking around. It isn't THAT unusual.

Snapping out of her reverie, Carmine notes that it's July 2nd on her calendar. She had marked it with a little star.

Her 18th birthday.

Part 2 coming right up! :) Thanks for voting, reading and commenting!