No Regard by Carolyn Barber (e ink epub reader .TXT) 📕

I have unsettled business tainting my heart, clouding my thoughts and judgment, I find the only solution is closure. I can only free myself through retribution. The only verdict being total annihilation. I know Ty would never let me go, he was far too possessive. As long as he lived as the undead, I would never truly be free. It is my debt to collect, and mine alone. It would be by my hands that Ty would meet with his demise. 

I will be patient, I will learn all that Adam has to teach me and when the time is right I will seek out and destroy Ty and have my vengeance. I drifted to sleep with visions of blood and love, dancing in my head.

The next evening, Ty wasn't wanting to go to Hell's Pit. He was beginning to feel unwelcome there, and decided to be low-key for a night. Adam hadn't shown up there as of yet, and chances were he wasn't going to any time soon. Unfortunately for him, he was craving Nitro infused blood. Remembering what Red had told him, he decided he would buy some off the street and take his chances. He needed his fix.

He vaped to a run-down, ghetto part of the abandoned city, certain he could find someone trying to make some cash selling the knock-off drug. In this particular area you could find the lowest form of vampires, the ones who were shunned by the respectable vamp community. Pimps, whores, dealers and thieves dominated the four block square referred to as "The Ruins". It consisted primarily of old store fronts, dozens of two-story apartment complexes, a couple mechanic shops and a several warehouses. Nearly every window was busted out, boarded up and every square inch tagged in spray paint. Debris flew freely through the streets, there was clearly no care or attention given to this area within the last decade. If you were there for trouble, you'd find a stake in your heart before you could blink an eye, but if you were a paying customer you were treated like royalty.

The Ruins was run by a vampire clan known as "Shadow Dwellers". They were the authority on who could be there, and what their role was in their domain. Their law was very basic, do what they tell you, when they tell you and how they tell you to do it, or be obliterated. The hierarchy allowed the Shadow Dwellers to exist simply because they kept the riff-raff localized and handled their own matters in their own ways freeing up the high courts' time for more important matters.

As Ty wondered down the block, he was approached first by a small female vamp in whorish attire. Her face had sores and her cheeks sunken in. Her dirty blond hair matted with dreadlocks. She had bright red lipstick plastered on her lips far exceeding her lip line. Her blue eyes dull and lifeless only to be accentuated by the layers of old mascara smeared around them. Ty wondered how the hell she was able to attract anyone. "You looking for a date handsome?" she asked him as she rubbed her boney hand up his chest. "No sweetheart, not tonight, actually I'm looking for some Nitro, you know where I can get some beautiful?" he said flirtatiously in an attempt to get what he wanted from her. "I'll escort you right to the man, if you hook me up with a shot big daddy" she said as she winked. "Lead the way girl" he replied gesturing for her to take the lead. "Right this way, he's down the street here a bit, you can find him there anytime of night. His name is Joe Joe. That's his first name and last name. Isn't that funny. Joe Joe" she laughed. He doesn't like it when people shorten his name, so don't just call him Joe, you have to call him Joe Joe. Okay doll?" she told him seriously as if warning him of a real danger. "Got it, Joe Joe, thanks for the tip, by the way, what's your name?" he asked her, not that he cared in the slightest. She smiled at his interest in her, "I'm Lu Lu, but you can call me Lu, I won't get mad. You gonna tell me your name handsome?" she asked. "Ty, short for Tyler" he said as they approached a huge, biker looking vamp with just about every bit of him covered in tattoo's. "Hey Lu, I see you got you some company tonight eh?" the large vamp said in a surprisingly kind tone. Lu giggled, "I wish Joe Joe, he's a handsome one" she said licking her bright red lips. "He's actually here for you baby, I just made sure he got to the right hands ya know?" she said. The big vamp held out his hand, "Joe Joe at your service, what can I do you for there partner?' he said as Ty and him shook hands. "Pleased to meet you Joe Joe, the name's Ty. I'm looking for Nitro, I heard I could get it down here, am I talking to the right guy?" he asked slightly nervous. "Oh yeah, I'm your guy, runs forty-five a vial, guaranteed to give the same effects and more than the real deal" he told him as he pulled a vial from the inside of his leather vest. "How about I get two of those, I promised the young lady, I'd hook her up" he said nodding to Lu. "No prob man" as he pulled another from his vest. "Here's a hundred, keep the change Joe Joe, thanks I'll probably be seeing you around" he said as he handed him the hundred dollar bill. "Hey Ty, can I ask you a personal question?" he said. "Sure" Ty replied. "You look like the respectable type, why you come here and not Hell's Pit?" he asked curiously. "Let's just say I'm not a church goer, they seem to be a little too high and mighty for my likings" Ty replied. Joe Joe chuckled, "Yeah, I know what you mean man, fuck those judgmental assholes! Don't let the bastards get you down man!" Joe Joe advised. Ty handed Lu a vial, thanked her and vaped into the night.

After chatting with Joe Joe for a while about how crappy business was going for her, he tried to give her some words of encouragement. "Hey Lu, don't be so down, things will pick up for you, everyone goes through a slump for time to time, just hang in there girl. I'll do what I can to send some business your way" he said truly caring about her. She was like a little sister to her, and he was like her big brother, he always looked out for her. She smiled and said, "Thanks Joe Joe, you always know what to say to make me feel better", she gave him a big hug. "I'll see ya 'round big guy, I gots to go take me medicine" she said holding up the vial. "Take care sis!" he called out as she walked away.

She went back to her nasty one room apartment. With no electricity, she used candles as everyone did in the ghetto. She lit one next to her filthy mattress on the floor and sat down on the edge of hit. She uncorked the vial and slammed it down. At first, it gave her a rush of warmth, she smiled, enjoying the effect of the knock-off drug. She felt a tingling sensation dancing across her skin, at first it was slightly tickllish, then the feeling intensified, she looked down at her arms and was suddenly horrified at what she saw, her skin was covered with black beetles trying to burrow into her flesh. She screamed, she jumped up, they were all over her. She tried knocking them off, she couldn't get rid of them, they were biting her all over, trying to eat their way into her skin. She panicked and ran out the door screaming, running to the only person she knew could help her. Joe Joe heard her screaming from down the street, he ran towards her as she ran towards him. "What is it Lu, what's wrong?" he yelled as they nearly collided. "Get them off me! Help me Joe Joe, get them the fuck off me!" she screamed. He saw nothing on her. She was fighting herself wildly, trying to get rid of whatever it was she thought was on her. He realized she was hallucinating. "There's nothing there baby, you're just having a bad trip" Joe Joe said grabbing and holding her, trying to comfort her. "Joe Joe, make it stop, please, make them go away!" she cried out desperately. "Okay baby, I got to get the antidote. Can you wait here for a minute?" he asked urgently. "No, don't leave me here alone, please" she replied terrified. Several vamps had come out of there dwellings to see what the commotion was. "Joe Joe, we'll stay with her while you get the antidote, go on, she'll be fine" a young misfit vamp named Damien said. Joe Joe didn't have a choice, where he was going he couldn't take anyone with him. "Okay, make sure she's safe until I return, don't fuck with me, got it?" Joe Joe said sternly not trusting the young vamps. "They're going to stay with you Lu, I'll be right back baby" he said, not even waiting for her response, he vaped.

Damien, Pritchard and Mike were class A fuck-ups, if there was an opportunity for them to be evil, they would welcome it. The three stood there eying Lu Lu, she was shaking almost convulsing. She sat herself down on the sidewalk leaning against a building in the dark shadows. She held herself, looking up at the three, she was scared and knew they were trouble. "Hey Lu, you know what would make you feel better? If you suck my dick" Pritchard