Surrender the dawn, p.1
Surrender the Dawn, page 1
Books by Amanda Ashley
“Born of the Night” in Stroke of Midnight
“Midnight Pleasures” in Darkfest
“Music of the Night” in Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance
A Darker Dream
A Fire in the Blood
A Whisper of Eternity
After Sundown
As Twilight Falls
Beauty’s Beast
Beneath a Midnight Moon
Bound by Blood
Bound by Night
Dark of the Moon
Dead Perfect
Dead Sexy
Deeper Than the Night
Desire After Dark
Desire the Night
Donovan’s Woman
Embrace the Night
Everlasting Desire
Everlasting Embrace
Everlasting Kiss
His Dark Embrace
Immortal Sins
In the Dark of the Night
Jessie’s Girl
Maiden’s Song
Masquerade
Midnight and Moonlight
Midnight Embrace
Night’s Kiss
Night’s Master
Night’s Mistress
Night’s Pleasure
Night’s Promise
Night’s Surrender
Night’s Touch
Quinn’s Lady
Quinn’s Revenge
Sandy’s Angel
Seasons of the Night
Shades of Gray
Sunlight Moonlight
Surrender the Dawn
The Captive
The Music of the Night
Twilight Desires
Twilight Dreams
Surrender the Dawn
Amanda Ashley
Surrender the Dawn
Copyright © 2021 Amanda Ashley
All rights reserved.
This edition published 2021
Cover design by Cynthia Lucas
ISBN: 978-1-68068-220-5
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
This book is published on behalf of the author by the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency.
You can reach the author at:
Email: darkwritr@aol.com
Website: www.amandaashley.net OR www.madelinebaker.net
Surrender the Dawn
Angelina Rossi has always been fascinated with vampires. She loves the movies, the TV shows, the books. After reading a love story between a woman and a vampire, she finds herself yearning for a love like that. What if vampires really do exist?
Determined to find out, Angie searches every Goth club in the city, ending up at a nightclub called Nick’s Nightmare. The attraction between Angie and Declan Nicolae, the club’s owner, is instant and undeniable.
Declan is an ancient vampire who, having once tasted Angie’s blood, is determined to never let her go. For a time, romance blooms and all is well, until Samantha, Angie’s best friend, becomes one of the Undead and Angie learns vampires do exist … and that the man she loves is one of them.
Dedication
To Tim Milosch
So he won’t feel left out!
We love you ~
And the three beautiful girls
who share your life, too.
Table of Contents
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
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
In The Dark of the Night
By Amanda Ashley
In the Dark of the Night
Chapter One
About the Author
About the Publisher
Chapter One
And so he bestowed on her the vampire’s kiss, sweeping her into a world of love and a life that would never end.
With a heartfelt sigh, Angelina Rossi closed the book. If only she could find a love as lasting and fulfilling as the one portrayed in the novel. A love that was stronger, deeper, and more enduring than mere mortal attraction.
If only vampires truly existed. Not that she really wanted to meet one, but what if they were real? They had always fascinated her, ever since she saw her first Dracula movie at the tender age of eight. Instead of being frightened or rooting for the hero, she had been enchanted by the monster. She had even shed a tear when the hero drove a stake into the vampire’s heart. To this day, in books, movies, or plays, she felt sympathy for the poor Undead creatures.
Setting the book aside, Angie padded to the front window, drew back the curtain, and peered out into the darkness. What if vampires were real? Was that really so far-fetched? After all, stories and legends of the Undead went back thousands of years and were cited in every nation and country on earth. If such creatures were only myth, why had the tales of their existence lasted so long? Bookstores and libraries had entire sections devoted to vampires and the supernatural. Why waste all that shelf space on something that never existed? People believed in witches. Why not vampires?
Even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it wasn’t a valid argument. After all, there were tons of books about Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster and space aliens, too. There was no hard evidence to back up the existence of any of those creatures, either. Of course, lots of people said they had seen Bigfoot and Nessie. Some folks claimed to have pictures, although all the ones she had seen looked photo-shopped. She had never heard of anyone who claimed to have seen a vampire. Then again, maybe those who saw one didn’t live long enough to tell anyone.
A sobering thought.
Wishing real life was more like the romance novels she loved, Angie turned away from the window. And then she grinned. Maybe she should put an ad in the paper.
Wanted: Tall, dark. handsome stranger who prefers the night. Objective …
Angie frowned. She had no objective, just an over-active imagination. But she couldn’t help wondering if tall, dark, handsome, creatures of the night did exist, and if so, were they as romantic as the ones she read about? Or scary, blood-sucking monsters like the ones portrayed in the movies?
With a shake of her head, Angie turned off the lights and went to bed. Maybe she needed to see a shrink, she mused as she pulled the covers up to her chin. After all, who in their right mind would want to come face-to-face with one of the children of the night?
In the morning, Angie carried a cup of coffee into her home office and settled down in front of her computer. She had been working as a freelance columnist for a local magazine for the last three years. It wasn’t the best paying job in the world, but it was something she could do at home in her PJs, which was a big plus as far as she was concerned. Not only that, but her editor, Jennifer Martin, had given her carte blanche to pick and choose her own topics.
She worked steadily, taking a fifteen-minute break to stand and stretch every hour or so. As always when she was writing, the time flew by. She broke for lunch at one.
In the kitchen, while preparing a ham and cheese sandwich, she found herself thinking about vampires again. What if they were real, she mused while she ate. Did they really sleep in coffins? Were they truly dead to the world when the sun was up? Why would they be repelled by garlic? Or crosses? Or silver? What happened if they didn’t like blood? Were they really immortal? If vampires didn’t have a soul, and they weren’t really alive, were they just animated corpses, like zombies? She shuddered. How disgusting would that be?
Maybe she needed to stop reading paranormal romances and start reading cozy mysteries instead.
And maybe not.
Back at her desk, she stared, unseeing at her computer screen. If someone wanted to find a vampire, where would they look?
Google, of course! She would go online as soon as she finished her work for the day.
Angie stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, carefully applying her make-up. She had spent hours online looking for vampires, and while she hadn’t found any links to the real thing, she had found numerous books and movies on the subject, as well as half a dozen web sites advertising Goth clubs that claimed to be hangouts for creatures of the night. Curious to see what they were all about, she had jotted down the addresses of the five closest to home.
Hoping “creatures of the night” applied only to the Undead and not werewolves, zombies, demons, or trolls, Angie stepped into her heels, grabbed her handbag and keys, and left the house.
Drac’s Den was the first tavern on her list. Angie shook her head when she stepped through the door. The walls were black, the floor tiled in bright red. No doubt so the blood wouldn’t show, she thought with a grimace as she made her way toward the long, curved bar in the back.
The bartender, clad in a white shirt and long, black cape, leered at her as he took her order. It was all she could do not to laugh in his face when he flashed his obviously fake plastic fangs at her.
She carried her drink to a small table where she could people-watch. Men and women alike wore nothing but black. The men sported suits, some looking new while others looked like they had been bought from second-hand stores. The women all wore long dresses. Black lipstick and eye shadow made their faces look pale in the dim light. Most of them also had long, straight, black hair, real or fake.
With a shake of her head, Angie finished her drink and left the tavern. Maybe she would have better luck tomorrow night.
Angie went to a different nightclub every Saturday night for the next four weeks—Nick’s Nightmare, the Devil’s Tavern, Mel’s Hell, and The Pit.
She was amazed to discover that so many people spent their weekends pretending to be creatures of the night. In her search for a genuine vampire, she had seen some truly bizarre things, like the man who had filed his teeth to sharp points, a woman who carried a flask rumored to be filled with real blood, and the man who led his girlfriend around on a slender gold chain. Angie had learned that some wanna-be vampires actually indulged in drinking from each other, which she found beyond gross.
At home that night, she tossed her handbag on the sofa, kicked off her shoes, and decided she had wasted enough time looking for the Undead. No more vampire haunts for her. The Pit had been the last stop. Goth clubs—and the people who frequented them—were just too weird.
Despite her good intentions, she found herself back at Nick’s Nightmare the following Saturday night. Of all the places she had visited, this one seemed to be the most “normal.” Sort of like Halloween every night, with men and women in bizarre costumes but behaving—mostly—like regular people with a peculiar penchant for the macabre. The décor was dark but not grim, the music low and sensual, the lighting subdued.
Angie had been sitting at the bar nursing a drink for about ten minutes when a man sat down next to her. He was of medium height and not bad looking, but the way he leered at her creeped her out.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he drawled. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“No, thank you.”
He rested one hand on her knee. “How about a dance?”
“No,” she said, her voice frigid as she pushed his hand away. “Thank you.”
“Come on, honey, don’t play hard to get.”
She was debating what to do next when a deep, male voice said, “Take a hike, Mulgrew.”
The man stood and left without a word.
Angie glanced over her shoulder to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark hair and compelling green eyes looming over her. Like every other man in the place, he was dressed all in black, but on him, it looked fabulous. She recalled seeing him in a couple of the other nightclubs, always in the company of one pretty woman or another.
Tonight, he was alone.
He gestured at the stool beside her. “May I?”
“It’s a free country.”
“I’ve seen you in here before.” He made a vague gesture with his hand, encompassing the room behind them. “You don’t seem like the type to frequent places like this.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Well, for starters, you’re dressed all wrong.”
Angie stared at her white slacks and navy-blue sweater and shrugged. “I left my Halloween costume at home.”
His laugh was deep and sensual and the sound of it did funny things in the pit of her stomach. “The Goth crowd.” His voice slid over her like silk over velvet. “They always look like they’re in mourning, don’t they?”
She lifted one brow. “So do you.”
“Touché, my lady. I’ve seen you in some of the other nightclubs,” he remarked. “Are you looking for something special?”
“Excuse me?”
Brow furrowed, he studied her a moment, and then he grinned. “Sorry.”
Wondering what he was apologizing for, she said, “I’ve seen you in those other places, too. Were you looking for—how did you put it? Something special?”
“I was.” His gaze moved over her.
The intensity of it made Angie’s toes curl even as it sent a shaft of unexpected desire spiraling through her. She licked her lips, feeling as if she had suddenly strayed into unknown territory. “And now?” she asked, tremulously.
“I think maybe I’ve found it.”
Suddenly frightened without knowing why, Angie grabbed her handbag, muttered, “It was nice meeting you. Good night,” and practically ran out the door.
Back at home, safe inside her own house, with the front door double-locked behind her, she felt suddenly foolish. What on earth was wrong with her? Sure, it had been a long time since a handsome man flirted with her but that was no reason to behave like some silly schoolgirl.
With a sigh, she tossed her handbag on the sofa, kicked off her shoes and headed for her bedroom.
Muttering, “The next time some sexy guy makes a pass at you, try to act like a grown-up,” she undressed and crawled into bed, only to lie there, wide-awake and restless, the memory of his deep, silky smooth voice echoing in her mind.
Chapter Two
Declan moved through the Nightmare, nodding to long-time patrons, like Jack Reynard, who had been a regular since the club opened five years ago. He paused to say a few words to Raj, who he’d known for more years than he liked to remember, before moving on. Strangers at the Nightmare were few and far between. Some folks wandered in and quickly took their leave. Others stayed for a drink and then left. Very few returned. Especially those like the woman tonight. The Nightmare, like Drac’s Domain and several other nightclubs in the city, catered to a unique clientele. Most people instinctively sensed they didn’t belong. Those who ignored that inner voice of warning sometimes lived to regret it.
He stepped behind the bar, frowned when he caught himself thinking about the woman again. She was a pretty thing, probably in her mid-twenties, with hair the color of ink and eyes the warm, clear blue of a summer sky. He couldn’t help wondering why she’d been going from nightclub to nightclub. Was she looking for someone—or something—in particular? Or just looking for a momentary thrill?
He lifted a bottle from beneath the bar and poured himself a drink. What the hell difference did it make? It was just as well that he would probably never see her again.
Nevertheless, he found himself hoping she’d return next Saturday night.
Angie stood in front of the bathroom mirror, carefully applying her make-up, and chiding herself for being a complete idiot for even thinking of going back to Nick’s Nightmare. But it didn’t stop her from leaving the house.
When she reached the nightclub, she parked her car, then sat there, staring at the door with the odd silver runes drawn on it. What was she doing here? There were no real vampires in there. And if there was, meeting one not only seemed incredibly stupid but more than a little dangerous. But she had to see him again, the man with the compelling green eyes and silky soft voice. For a solid week, she had thought of little else. Whether she was writing, exercising, making the bed, or doing her laundry, her mind was inevitably drawn to him, and she didn’t even know his name.
Angie blew out a sigh of exasperation as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She really had to get out more, make some new friends. She rarely had a chance to see her best friend, Samantha, these days. And while she loved working at home, it didn’t give her much of an opportunity to meet other people, and even less of a chance to meet eligible men. It had been six months since she’d had a date.
Six months! She blew out a sigh of disbelief. Had it really been that long? Maybe Samantha was right, Angie thought glumly. Maybe she was too picky. But she couldn’t help it if she wanted an alpha male and not some guy who was going to fight her for her yoga mat. She wanted a man who was secure in his masculinity, one who would treat her like a lady in public and a desirable woman in the bedroom. A man … a man like the one she had met at Nick’s Nightmare last week, she thought with a dreamy smile. Even though they had spent only a few minutes together, she had been instantly attracted to him. He had exuded raw masculine strength and confidence. Not to mention that he was tall, dark, and gorgeous. Of course, good looks didn’t mean a thing. For all she knew, he could be a total jerk. But there was only one way to find out …
