Free Bliss (The Custos) by Melanie Walker Page A

the girl outa' the van Cash."
     
                  I would have given in but I saw The Nex informant and switched rolls knowing Preacher would catch on and play along. I handed the keys to the van to him under the bar. The plan was to run with London, strait to my permanent home in Vegas if anything got bad. Like a snap preacher caught on. "Do not fuck wit me again Lad, or I'll knock you on yar arse." His Irish accent thickened to the point of comedy I fought my smile, but the drunken brawl act paid off.
     
                  "Sit down you dirty drunk." I said back and watched him stumble out the door. I kept my eyes down waiting for the informant to come over but something had him spooked and before I caught on he dashed for the door on the opposite side of the bar. I was on his heels and followed him out the door.
    *

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Cacius
     
     
                  Vampires were fast just by nature, but this Nex was maybe six years in and to a Vamp of my four hundred plus years. It was like taking candy from a baby. I caught the tail of his jacket and flung him backwards through the air where he landed with a thump and a groan. Before he had the chance to stand my black boot was at his throat. "Know what happens to a vampire when his voice box gets crushed?"
     
                  The kid like an idiot shook his head no as best he could. "No, let me tell ya." I leaned over him pressing harder watching his eyes fill with terror. I hated these fuckers, baby killers all of them, they raped women and fed from them never taking memories and only killing them by accident or a rare moment of mercy. Torture was fun for these fuckers, they got off on it and they would make London suffer. She was beautiful and funny and vibrant and they would never honor their deal with Walter Chase. He was human and the only thing he had that The Nex's wanted was a young, beautiful woman they could keep as a play thing. At least I thought.
     
                  " .....iw....ewl...woo..." He tried. His voice box already damaged but was still able to heal on its own with time and blood, both he would never get.
     
                  "You'll tell me?" I asked knowing it was what he said, I spoke broken voice box, hell all Custos Mercenaries did.
     
                  The Nex nodded and I eased up a hair. "Tell me what? What happens to a voice box?" Now I was simply fucking with him.
     
                  The Vamp tried to wriggle free but I just pressed harder. "Pussy." I spat the words. "This can’t kill you, but I will if you don’t tell me what the fuck it is you know."
     
                  He gripped and pulled at my boot and I eased up enough to grab him and roll him to his stomach. He used all his power and strength to get free but he was no match for my years. With every year came strength and though against a human he would kill within seconds, against me it was pointless, at my age I could will a Vampire this young to be still with a single thought, I chose to use muscle, always Braun over Brain. "Speak fucker." I roared my voice dark and distorted, hell it scared me the first time I heard it. It was the don’t dick me voice and every Vamp had one. This piece of shit knew what that voice meant.
     
                  "The Nex know you got the girl." The Nex said, his own voice distorted and had I not been about to kill him I had to give him props, he wasn’t begging. He was a rat sure but they all were.
     
                  "What girl?" I lied through my fangs.
     
                  "London Chase soul heiress to Chase Pharmaceuticals. Her Father put the hit out and the Nex know you got her."
     
                  "You don’t know shit." I said and pressed harder, I felt it before I heard his spine break and his cry of agony rang through the night.
     
                  "Cash, they know she's