Pandora Quinn, Los Angeles city girl and powerful witch, has spent the past decade harboring a simmering hatred for Jason, believing she has every reason to despise the vamp that once owned her heart. She would rather push him into direct sunlight than help him.

Welcome to Jason’s world.

Jason Cross desperately needs Pandora’s help in a dangerous situation that could easily turn fatal for everyone involved. For him, a promise made is a promise kept, so he’ll keep his secrets and disappear into the shadows once his mission is complete. Fate has other plans for them, and every moment spent together working as a team stokes the lingering desire between them to a burning fever.

Evil has returned to Los Angeles and Jason, with Pandora, needs zero distractions to battle a relentless dark force that is hellbent on destroying them along with a city full of innocents.

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Release Date: September 28, 2026
Genre: Paranormal | Witches | Romance

~ A Red Satin Romance ~

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Excerpt

Chapter One

“Pandora, thanks a bunch for closing the place down tonight. You know I would, but...”

Pandora Quinn paused from wiping down the counter and gave her friend and employee, Jessie, a big grin. She waved a hand. “Oh, please. This is a special date night for you and Nathan. I predict you’ll be wearing an engagement rock tomorrow.”

The other woman hid her face behind her long red hair, giggling. “Good lord, I hope so.” She grabbed up her bag from one of the bar stools and showed Pandora crossed fingers. She noted Jessie’s teary eyes and rushed around the bar to give her a hug.

“Nathan just wasn’t ready last year, but I think that’s all changed,” Pandora said softly as they embraced. She stepped back, holding her friend’s hand tightly for a moment. “You two will be fine.”

They said their goodbyes and Jessie strode out the front door of the place. Pandora sighed deeply, surveying the only “baby” she had right now. Her bar and grill place, Grillverse, was finally a thing with the local population in Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles, where she had grown up. Her place was only two years old, but it was thriving. Was it going to be enough, or would she return to longing for a good man and a baby? It all depended on which day you asked her.

She shrugged off the negative thoughts and finished the closing cleaning routine. Soon, she was left with only the trash to deal with. After knotting the several bags securely, she dragged them back through the kitchen and over by the back door. She removed the heavy protection rod and flung the screen door open.

The odor from the large trash bins out in the alley assailed her and she wrinkled her nose. It smelled worse than just trash; she suspected there were dead animals out there. She decided to call in the pest control people tomorrow. She dragged two of the heavy trash bags over to one of the bins and heaved them in.

In her next breath, Pandora felt pressure on the back of her head. She jumped when a deep voice spoke right next to her ear and a hand painfully clamped down on her wrist. “You’re going to lead me back inside and you’re going to give me the deposit bags. Don’t look at me and don’t scream.”

Pandora swallowed anxiously, but she wasn’t overwhelmed with fear. A part of her was even simmering with anger. As the robbing bastard began to move her to the back door, ancient words of magick fell from her lips softly and effortlessly.

Another voice spoke in the shadows of the alley, and she froze. “You should’ve picked another place to hit tonight.” The tone of the voice was light but held an undercurrent of pure steel.

The robber whirled her around until he was behind her, the gun now pressed against her temple. There were few lights in the alley, most of them burned out, but just as she knew the voice, she knew his face. Jason Cross. Liar, betrayer, murderer. And, unfortunately for the criminal threatening her life, vampire.

As if on cue, Jason flashed his fangs and snatched the gun. As he twisted it out of shape with his bare hands, the robber cursed loudly and fled down the stretch of the alley, without a backward glance. Jason tossed the mangled gun into one of the bins and turned to face her.

Pandora placed her hands on her hips and assessed him. 6’2” of pure muscle, short, straight black hair, blue eyes—

every woman’s dream sex partner. And she would know. She also knew he was the cause of everything wrong in her life. Her big brown eyes narrowed.

“Why in the living hell are you here, Jason?”

His smile flashed in the near dark, revealing perfect white teeth. His tone mimicked hers perfectly. “Thanks for saving my life tonight, Jason. Also, it’s good to see you after a whole decade.” He chuckled at her scowl. “Ah, come the fuck on, Pandora. Why are things between us exactly the same as when I left Los Angeles ten years ago?”

Pandora snorted and headed for the back door of the bar. Her heart thumped double time and her palms were damp, despite her cool demeanor. She hadn’t planned on ever seeing Jason Cross again in this life—not after the trouble he’d brought to her world. She stepped up on the porch and faced him. “First, I don’t need your kind of help. Ever. I’m a witch, Jason. I could’ve easily handled things by myself tonight with that thieving bastard in the alley. Witches have a slight advantage over vamps, anyway.”

Jason heaved a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes. and she held up her palm. “Don’t huff at me like I’m the one here acting over the top. You’re the one showing up here after all these years, in the dead of night, to visit someone who hates your guts.” She put her back to him and stepped inside the doorway.

He moved as she moved, stretching one muscled arm out to block the closing door. His voice softened. “This is not a social visit, Pandora. This is as serious as a heart attack. There’s a very real evil brewing here in L.A. and I need your help. I wouldn’t have bothered you if I didn’t. I...need Spellbound Underground in on this situation.”

Pandora’s heart dropped in her belly. That was her secret work and the last thing she needed was a vamp involved in any way. She made her face a blank slate and shrugged. “Sorry, I can’t help you. I don’t—”

Jason blew out a breath. “You’ve gotten better at lying, but you’ll never fool me.”

The sting of bitterness wound its way around her heart, and she snapped at him. “And of course, you would know all about lying, right? That’s why Chris trusted you and you fucking killed him.” Her voice rose indignantly. “You murdered my brother, deceived me, and destroyed me, and now you want my help? Go to hell, Jason.” She backed away, snatching the porch door closed. “If you want to be a real friend, dump those trash bags I left outside.” She slammed the heavy screen door closed in his face and slid the steel pole in place. She knew he could splinter the door if he really wanted to but knew he wouldn’t.

Pandora was off like a shot, flipping the evening lights on and grabbing up her handbag. She locked the front doors and headed out to her big blue SUV in the dead silence of the parking lot. There was no sign of Jason as she started her vehicle. A sigh escaped her. Deep down, she knew this wasn’t the end of their conversation. He was relentless when he wanted something, and he’d be back. She tiredly rubbed the bridge of her nose as a sudden headache bloomed in her temples and headed home.

 

* * *

 

Jason reclined the seat in his black Jeep, as he waited across the street from Pandora’s townhouse. He was quietly impressed with the successful life she had made for herself. The last time he had seen her was at her brother Chris’s funeral, dressed in traditional black, with tears streaming down her pretty brown face. He was still haunted by the last scathing look she gave him before he slipped away from the mourners at the gravesite. His life had tumbled downhill from that day onward for many years. He grimaced in the dark. A promise made is a promise kept, he mused. That was just who Jason Cross was.

He closed his eyes for a moment, absently rubbing the days old scruff on his face. He needed a shave. Pandora’s face tonight in the dark alley filled his mind and, even after ten long years, ignited his soul. Her tiny, youthful body was now deliciously curvy. He ached to run his fingers through her long, dark curls and to have her beautiful, expressive brown eyes meet his gaze with loving tenderness. It had been that way between them before...

Jason slammed his palm on the steering wheel. Fuck this. There was zero chance of that ever happening, after what he’d done to her a decade ago. In the spirit of forgetting the past, he’d had plenty of women in his bed and he intended to keep it that way after this business with Pandora was finished.

Moments later, her blue SUV came down the street and pulled into her driveway. Jason quickly exited his Jeep as the garage door went up. He made his way across the street in enough time to step inside the garage, and he waited behind the vehicle. The driver’s side door opened, and Pandora placed her leg outside as she gathered her belongings.

The deep scowl on her face when she spotted him spoke volumes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Jason slowly approached her, keeping his expression blank. “You know me, Panda. I don’t give up easily.”

She used one foot to close the vehicle door, and she quickly headed for the door to the house. “Don’t call me that. Those days are well behind us.” She stepped inside and turned around. “Get off my property. You have ten seconds.”

Jason walked toward her slowly, wearing a small smile. “Or you’ll bind me with your magick?”

Pandora dropped her belongings on the floor. “No. More like a swift kick to your balls. It wouldn’t hurt you much, but it would feel damn satisfying.”

Jason knew firsthand she was as stubborn as him and he had no doubts she meant every word. He chuckled at the thought. “I just need ten minutes of your time to explain why I need your help.”

She heaved a deep, exasperated sigh and held the door open for him. He followed her inside her home, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of what looked to be a neat, gourmet kitchen done in dark grey. She led him down the hallway, not saying a word, until they reached the well-lit living room, also neat and decorated in shades of grey and black. She stopped and faced him.

Pandora tapped her wristwatch. “You have ten minutes.”

Relief washed over him at her sudden willingness to listen. “Do you remember the small vampire faction who were loyal to Queen Galina?”

She nodded. “Of course. Working with them cost my brother his life because you and your damn Vampire Council considered him a threat. And Galina? She’s been drained and buried for a whole year. She’s probably dead by now.”

Jason rubbed his bristled chin. “Well, that faction is now a lot bigger and still deeply committed to her cause. Young women all over Los Angeles and outlying places are starting to disappear again. We thought killing Galina would resolve that. The Vampire Council and all of us on the team were wrong.”

He paused, watching Pandora’s expression soften in empathy. “And we believe that Galina is far from dead in that grave.”

She gasped. “Oh, hell. That woman would murder an entire preschool filled with kids if it got her what she wanted. If your suspicion is right, you need to stop her.”

Jason nodded. “I need to do more than that. I need to eliminate her forever. That’s where you and I as a team come in.”  

Pandora’s eyes narrowed. “A team? You and me?”

“It has to be that way, Panda...Pandora. I hate the idea of working closely with you just as much as you do, but it is what it is. We send Galina to the seventh level of Hell and you, and I part ways again. I promise to never darken your doorway again if that’s the way you want it.”

She cleared her throat, speaking softly. “What do you need me to do?”

“I need you and your Spellbound Underground connections to safely harbor a handful of young women who we believe have been targeted by this faction for their skin trade trafficking.” He took a deep breath. “I also need your magick to help me navigate all the dark twists and turns of this situation.”

Pandora was silent for several moments. “I’m in. So, what now?”

He raked his fingers through his hair to hide the slight tremor. The thought of being in close proximity to this sassy witch he had once deeply loved had him shaken. He vowed to himself that she would never know the effect she still had on him. He also vowed to keep his dark secrets from her. The coldness in her gaze as she waited for his response ensured that.

“Meet me tomorrow evening at my place after you leave work at your grill. I’ll text you the address.”

Pandora raised an eyebrow. “You’ll need my cell phone number for that.”

A small smile played on his lips. ‘I already have it.”

“Spying on me, Jason?” she snapped.

He shrugged. “I do what I have to do.” He strode to the front door. “Don’t forget your spell books,” he tossed over his shoulder on the way out.

 

* * *

 

In the aftermath of the tornado—Jason’s reappearance in her life—Pandora stood in her living room, shaking. She couldn’t tell him no, she reasoned—not after he explained the situation. She was a vital part of Spellbound Underground, and it was her responsibility as a witch to use her connections and her magick for good.

The anger came later, as she was finishing her nightly bedtime ritual with face moisturizer. She stood in front of the mirror, observing her dark, wildly curly hair, cocoa brown eyes and smooth brown skin. She remembered once upon a time when Jason Cross had loved those attributes. Now, he was just an efficient killing tool to be used by his Vampire Council. His callous disregard for ending Chris’ life for one mistake had shown her that.

She lifted the hem of her nightgown to reveal the prominent scar on her abdomen and the small tattoo covering part of it. The name “Dylan” was engraved on her in small cursive letters, along with a black ink heart. She decided there was zero room in her new life for the past. Tears formed in her eyes as she turned off the bathroom light and headed to bed.

 

* * *

 

Jason was stretched out on his navy-blue sofa, nursing a Jack Daniels and Coke. He longed for the days, before he was turned immortal, when he would’ve been shitfaced by now. This was his fourth drink tonight and he still couldn’t get Pandora off his mind. He could handle a raging Pandora, but the coldness in her now was slowly getting to him. Why burden her with his secrets, though?

His cell phone buzzed, and he was quick to answer it. “William.”

William Watts, a prominent member of the Vampire Council, spoke smoothly in his ear. “Jason. Have you sorted things with Pandora Quinn and her Spellbound Underground?”

“Yeah, we came to an agreement. She’s willing to use her connections and her magick to help us with the batch of women we need sheltered. I’ll meet with her tomorrow night.”

“Excellent. I’ll fill you in with more details for the arrangement, as I receive them.” He paused and the silence was heavy. “You do know it’s up to you and your team to rid us of Galina Saburova permanently?”

Jason’s laugh was mirthless. “And I’ll do just that while wearing a smile, William. Objective understood.”

Later in the evening, he was perched on a barstool in a blood donor approved vamp club questioning his sanity for involving himself with Pandora again. Other than their business together, that particular road led to nowhere. And he logically knew that. Jason pushed all thoughts of Pandora to the back of his mind and deliberately focused on a pair of tanned long legs strutting across his field of vision. He raised his gaze to check out the rest of the woman and found her wearing a bright smile. At his lazy smile, she paused in her steps and approached him. She was tall, shapely, blonde and obviously a human blood donor—the perfect distraction.

She extended her hand, and he clasped it. “Jason. And I’m thirsty.”

She nodded. “I’m Grace and I’m available to help you with that problem.” She looked him over, smiling slightly. “And any other...problems you may have tonight.”

Jason didn’t need any other subtle invitations, and, within minutes, they were both seated in his Jeep, on their way to his place. As she entered his condo, she didn’t start making small talk, which he appreciated about her. He flipped on a lamp in the living room as she removed her sky-high heels and tossed her small sequin bag on the sofa.

Jason stood completely still as Grace moved to him. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. “I like it rough, Jason. Don’t worry—you won’t break me,” she whispered enticingly. She leaned back in his embrace, exposing her neck. Watching her pulse thump had his cock hard and his mouth watering. He swept her up in his arms and laid her down on the plush sofa.

Jason stretched himself out between Grace’s parted, smooth thighs and zeroed in on her neck, his hand busy snatching down her panties. His lips stroked the soft skin for long moments before he sank his fangs in. Her blood rushed into his open mouth and his cock throbbed at the pleasure. Grace cried out in ecstasy as he slid two fingers deep inside of her warm pussy as he fed from her.

Several minutes passed as he continued to gulp down her satisfying blood and she moved her hips against his grinding, moaning with passion.

“Let me please you before we move on to the last act,” Grace whispered against his ear.

She squirmed from beneath him, stood up, and shimmied out of the revealing black dress and matching bra in seconds flat. Jason observed her with half closed eyes as she settled herself on her knees in front of him. She slowly unzipped him and grabbed his hardened cock firmly. Before he could say a word, her warm, wet mouth surrounded the tip, her tongue fluttering. 

Jason exhaled a loud groan, and he leaned back to enjoy the best head he’d had in several months. He kept his eyes closed as she worked his cock with both hands and her sucking mouth. He placed his hands on her head, gently guiding her eager movements.

He decided to finish the night buried balls deep inside this beauty. He nudged her backwards and smiled at her confused expression. “I want to be inside you, Grace.”

She nodded and grabbed her little bag from the sofa. She pulled out a condom package and ripped it open before deftly sliding it on him.

Jason chuckled at her speed and pulled her down onto the sofa. It was going to be a longer night than he’d planned for.

Later, after he had satisfied his need for blood and scorching sex, he stretched out on his sofa again in the dark, moonlight glowing through the half-closed blinds in his condo. He hadn’t been to this place regularly for a decade. He’d spent the better part of ten years taking assignments from the Vampire Council all over the world, only stopping in Los Angeles occasionally. So many bad memories of his fuckups, so much time spent trying to dodge the emotions.

If Pandora had only known the awful, absolute truth of Chris’ death, maybe things wouldn’t be as they were now. He snorted in the darkness, remembering his promise to the dead warlock. A promise kept, my old friend. The hypnotic glow of the night sent his mind wandering down a path he hardly ever traveled.

 

Ten Years Ago

 

Pandora lay stretched out on his bed, naked and wanton from the waist up, tiny lavender panties barely covering the rest of her. The moonlight bathed her rich, dark skin in an effervescent glow and his mouth literally watered at the thought of tasting her everywhere. He had stripped down to his shorts and the way she was taking in the stiff bulge at the juncture of his thighs made him that much harder.

Tonight, he would finally give them both the pleasure they had wanted for such a long time. He knew she wasn’t technically a virgin at age twenty-five, but he decided to treat her as one—gentleness was the best way to go. He couldn’t think of a single wise ass remark, as was the usual for him, in this sacred moment. Pandora was binding herself to him tonight and she had no clue. He knew if he told her, she’d bolt. Just like lightning. He grinned at his pun.

The grin slipped when she rose and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her tiny kisses right above the waistband of his shorts had him gasping and he tugged at her arms. “I can go for hours, Panda, but I’m not sure of my endurance when you do stuff like that.”

His gaze was focused on her halo of dark, curly hair and her beautiful brown eyes, narrowed in passion. “Hmm…hurry up, Jason. My pussy is on fire,” she murmured with a languorous smile.

Jason’s deep chuckle echoed. “Your…what? You’ve shaved most of it off.” He grabbed her arms and lifted them around his neck. “You sound like me. I think I’m a bad influence with my never- ending jokes. Well, love, I can definitely put that fire out for you.”

In two seconds flat, Jason had her on her back, pinned to the bed with his hands keeping her thighs parted wide. Her every moan made his cock throb with need as he slipped her thong panties off…

 

Grim reality set in as Jason firmly pushed those memories, beautiful as they were, to the back of his mind. He took a deep draw from the glass and resigned himself to a quiet, introspective night, spent with ghosts of lovers’ past. Faces and bare bodies tumbled around in his head, but none of them came anywhere close to the beauty of Pandora.

 

* * *

 

Pandora found herself sleepwalking through most of the next day spent at Grillverse. Her mind was nowhere near work, instead focused on seeing Jason again later that evening. She knew he probably needed to feed before they met up at his place. She was familiar with the area of the address he had texted her—one of the posh, newer condos around the Wilshire District.

She had given Jessie the day off and was mostly eager to hear whatever good news her friend would have when she returned to work. Another part of her dreaded hearing that she was, indeed, formally engaged, ring and all. It reminded Pandora of all she could’ve had...and lost. She turned to classic rock music up loud on the bar’s sound system and helped her closing crew, complete with a buff new security guard, prepare for the next day. As she was grabbing up her handbag to leave, she frowned slightly at the song.

“It’s not even close to being alright now,” she muttered to herself.

The traffic was horrendous, typical for an evening in the L.A. area, and she pulled up and parked across the street from Jason’s home just as the sunset emblazoned the sky in shades of red and orange. The building screamed expensive, painted black with shades of gold. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Part of her wanted to hop right back into her SUV and haul ass out of there.

Before she could push the buzzer to be let in, Jason emerged from the shadows of huge potted plants. His dark hair was neatly combed, and he smelled like hot guy heaven, his face still untrimmed. “Hey. Wasn’t sure you had the guts to go through with this plan we have. Thought I was going to have to blow your phone up with desperate texts. Follow me on up.”

 

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