Blood Calls
The scent of blood lured him… But for vampire Diego Rivera, Ramona Escobar’s sensuality proved even more potent. He had to resist – for there could be no such thing as love for him. Five centuries ago Diego had vowed never to turn another with his bite. When the artist’s life was threatened by a reclusive millionaire who had used Ramona’s skills to build a forgery ring, Diego needed to unleash his inner demon to save her.Then he was faced with a choice – lose the woman he loved…or turn her with a vampire’s kiss.
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The air rushed against his body, but barely cooled the heat of the demon driving him.
He landed on the ledge of Ramonaâs building, and imagined her down below, standing before one of her canvases, stroking the brush across the surface. Immediately the erotic paintings sheâd completed came to mind, reawakening his desire. A desire only she could satisfy.
He crept towards the skylight and glanced down. There she was, lying in bed, the sheets in disarray around her naked body.
Diego groaned and reared back, knowing how wrong it was and yet drawn to the sight. This was all he could allow himself with her â this distant passion. Anything else was wrong on so many levels.
She was human. He wasnât.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caridad Piñeiro was born in Havana, Cuba, and settled in the New York metropolitan area. She attended Villanova University on a presidential scholarship and graduated magna cum laude. Caridad earned her Juris Doctor from St Johnâs University and became the first female and Latino partner of Abelman, Frayne & Schwab.
Caridad is a multi-published author whose love of the written word developed when her fifth-grade teacher assigned a project â to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library. She has been hooked on writing ever since.
Articles featuring Caridadâs works have been published in various magazines and newspapers. Caridad has appeared on Foxâs Good Day NewYork, New Jersey Networkâs Jerseyâs Talking with Lee Leonard and WGN-TVâs Adelante Chicago. Caridad was also one of the Latino authors featured at the first ever Spanish Pavilion at the 2000 Chicago BookExpo America. In 2006 Caridad made an appearance at BookExpo America as one of the authors helping launch Nocturne.
Caridadâs novels have been nominated for various readersâ and reviewersâ choice awards, including Affaire de Coeur and RIO awards.
When not writing, Caridad is a mum, wife and lawyer. Caridad also teaches workshops on various topics related to writing and heads a writing group at a local bookstore. For more information on Caridadâs books, contests and appearances, or to contact Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com.
Dear Reader,
Sometimes I canât believe that weâre here, at book six in THE CALLING series. When I wrote the first novel, Darkness Calls, everyone told me I would never be able to sell a story with vampires, but Mills & Boon believed in the story and in me. I am eternally grateful for that since it provided me the opportunity to create this very different cross-genre series thatâs a little bit suspense, a little bit vamp and a little bit romance.
Iâve loved seeing the growth of the characters from the first book and allowing you to become involved in the underworld of Manhattan vampires. I hope youâre enjoying the continuing mention of characters such as Melissa and Sebastian, and I promise that Maggie and David will soon have their story! I know how popular David has been with so many of you and how sad it may have been to realise that in Death Calls David was paralysed as a result of being injured during the terrorist attack.
Iâm working on another three books in the series with yet more of the characters youâve come to know â Blake and Stacia for starters, as well as Diana and Ryder again because their story is the foundation of the entire series. Yes, itâs true! In a future book, Diana and Ryder will face yet another challenge to their love, one which will propel the series into totally new ground. I hope youâll be back for more! Thanks for all your support and belief in THE CALLING.
Sincerely,
Caridad
To Leslie Wainger, who believed in my vampires
from the very start and gave me this amazing opportunity to share them with you.
Prologue
1491, Galicia, Spain
The thought of slowly strangling the life from his wife made the flogging almost bearable for Diego Rivera.
As each lash stripped another bit of skin from his back, he imagined his hands encircling her throat. Imagined himself watching her eyes bulge as he exerted pressure and heard the crack of cartilage beneath his fingers.
The pleasure of his near-delirium daydream evaporated as one particularly sadistic blow penetrated his defenses and his body jerked spasmodically.
âMadre de Dios,â he gasped as fire erupted between his shoulder blades. Beside the heat of the whip as it tore into his flesh, Diego sensed a warmth that could only be blood trickling down his back.
âConfess your sins, convert. It will go easier if you tell us the truth,â the Inquisitor urged from his spot a few feet away. Beside him sat a physician whose job it was to make sure the heretic wasnât too far gone to confess.
This business of saving lives wasnât supposed to kill anyone, Diego thought cynically, then laughed out loud.
The sound bounced off the stone walls of the room, shocking his torturers, who looked at him as if he was crazy. Maybe he was, Diego mused, as he heard the eerie echo of his laughter, sounding too much like that of a madman.
