Penny's Choice (Book 1 of Penny's Choice Series)

Chapter 7 (Meet the Family)

Penny woke up in the black of night riding in a vehicle. She tried to get her bearings and noticed that she was lying next to another person.

"Charles?" she asked, remembering that she had been attacked and drugged by a vampire. She hoped that someone had been able to save her.

"Ha, no Charles here," a female said in a deeply sarcastic voice. Penny drowsily looked up and saw the face of a vampire. She laid her head back down on the seat. It was just her luck to be the one captured by vampires.

The vampire punched her in the stomach. Penny flinched.

"Priscilla, I think we should avoid beating our guest too much." The voice sounded like the vampire who had come to her rescue earlier with the werewolves. So she was in a car with two of the vampires who had killed her family. Penny tried to think about her miserable options. She couldn't really think of any options at the moment. She would have even taken a bad option right now.

"I'll do what I want with her," Priscilla snapped back.

"I would just not speak anymore. We want her in good condition for bartering," the Matriarch said from the other side of Priscilla. "If the Brotherhood thinks that she is dead or half dead, they won't come back for her."

"I don't see why you think they will come get her," Priscilla said with a half snort. "They always leave their own behind."

"I said that I didn't want you to speak," the Matriarch said in a tone of finality.

"Charles will come get her," the male interjected into the conversation. "He'll lead a whole crusade for her."

"And then you'll all be sorry," Penny said, mustering all the strength she had left in her. Priscilla retaliated with a swift club of her fist to Penny's skull. Penny slipped back into unconsciousness.

Penny stirred from her forced slumber. She had been out of consciousness since the crazy female vampire, Priscilla, had knocked her out. She had no idea if it was night or day. Or where in the world she was being kept. She was still in one piece, but she had quite a headache.

So much for not harming the merchandise, she thought. She was still not quite in her right mind yet.

"Hi, there!" said a chipper voice from across the room. She was in no mood for upbeat people. She turned over and gasped for air. She looked to see a cage-like prison cell. Her cell looked like a dungeon out of a bad vampire movie. Vampires were never very good at dispelling stereotypes. She looked past the bars and gazed upon the face of the vampire who had killed her family. Penny suddenly regained her strength and lunged for him and caught him by the shirt. His pointed teeth came very close to her face. She could see the shine of his fangs as he smiled at her.

"You killed my family!" Penny still had a grip on his shirt. She wanted to pull hard enough to strangle him.

"Sorry, sometimes these things just happen," he said, still smiling and about five inches from her face; only the bars of her cell kept their noses from touching.

Penny released his shirt. She didn't want to be that close to that beast. "Quit smiling," she said. His smile was very disconcerting to her.

"You are being rather bossy for someone in prison," he said and readjusted the shirt that Penny had ruffled. He dropped his forehead back onto the bars. His floppy, curly hair flew through the bars. He rested his hands on the bars as he spoke to her. "I am happy, as I usually am, and when people are happy, they usually smile. At least that is the custom here. I know the Brotherhood is a little uptight."

"Let me out!" Penny banged against the door, but the vampire didn't budge.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you," he said as he lifted his head from the bars but still kept his eyes on her angry gaze. "I know you don't trust me, so I'll make this first encounter brief. I just wanted to know how Charles is doing."