Strife: Hidden Book Four by Colleen Vanderlinden Read Free Book Online Page A

and violence have become commonplace, and the woman I was before I met Nain, the one who never killed, the one who turned criminals over to the police like a good little vigilante… well. She’s mostly gone now. Too many deaths and too much darkness. And there’s really no going back. Not now.
    I shook my head in irritation as I drove through the streets of Palmer Woods, looking for the mansion where the vampires lived. I was becoming melancholy in my old age.
    As I maneuvered the Barracuda through the streets of well-kept homes and clipped hedges, I thought about what I actually knew about vampires. Not a whole lot, actually. The vampires I’d come up against, the ones who caused trouble in the city, were always loners. I’d never dealt with a nest or family or whatever the hell they call themselves of vampires. And there’s not a lot that makes me personally afraid anymore, but the idea of walking into a house full of strong vampires is one of them. I’d been very stupid and over-confident early on, flush with the beginnings of understanding my powers, and charged into a vampire’s house, where I’d nearly been drained to death. I can still feel the slowing of my heart, the sluggishness that comes from feeling your life drain slowly from your body. And this was one of those situations in which using my powers would be a terrible, awful idea. I bleed every time I use even a little bit of power. And from what I understand, my blood is kind of awesome, as far as vampires are concerned. So starting to bleed in a house full of vampires would be a really dumb thing to do.
    No powers, I reminded myself for the fortieth time as I pulled up the long, winding driveway toward the sprawling Tudor, its gray stone facade lit with floodlights. My first thought was to wonder how the hell the vampire queen had gotten the money to afford something like this, and then I reminded myself that Nain was a multi-millionaire, just from being around for so damn long. Three hundred years worth of saving adds up, I guess. And while he didn't actually work a traditional job anymore, he’d told me that early on he worked factory jobs and things like that until he could afford a place to live, and he’d bought the loft back when it really was industrial mostly with an eye to reselling it for more money later on.
    So basically, Nain had been one of those real-estate flippers before there was even a thing. He bought property in Midtown and Downtown, waited until property prices rose, then he sold everything off, a little at a time. He ended up holding onto the loft because he liked it. As far as I knew, he still had a few buildings in Midtown he was holding onto.
    And why am I thinking about my ex-husband right now? I chided myself. I got out of the car and looked around. I was surprised there weren't any guards around. Of course, it could just be that I didn’t see them. I could definitely feel plenty of vampires around. A little shiver went up my spine and I started regretting deciding to visit. I could have put it off longer.
    I shoved the thought away, squared my shoulders, and knocked on the massive front doors. They were dark wood, heavily varnished. The whole house was impressive, but also definitely gave off some horror movie vibes.
    A moment later, the door opened, and I looked up into the face of what I could immediately feel was a very powerful vampire. He was maybe a little shorter than Nain, so six-two or so. Built like a bull; broad shoulders, thick neck. His head was shaved, and his skin was a golden honey color that did a good job of hiding the whole undead bloodsucker thing. He had light grayish-green eyes, a strong, square jaw.
    “Angel,” he said, and his voice was low and smooth.
    “I’m sorry for coming unannounced. But I really need to speak to Queen Rayna.”
    He looked me over. “You should have called ahead. The queen is busy this evening. As I’m sure you can understand.”
    “And you are?”
    “Ronan. I’m her