Tim's mouth quirked and a low menacing chuckle greeted her. "I can see your wheels are turning inside that pretty little head of yours, but I'll make it simple, unlike how my brother did for me. I'm a vampire. You know—the kind that drinks blood and all that."
The kind that drank blood—was there another kind? She shook her head. "That's impossible. You've been ill. You must be…running a fever."
"I've never felt better." He shook his head and kept grinning like he'd given her the best news. He took another step toward her. "I can make you feel good, too."
"Stay back." She bumped into the wall, separating the kitchen from the living room and quickly sidestepped.
"But I can't stay away from you. You invited me in and I'm soooo hungry." His gaze roved over her like she was a delectable treat he'd been anticipating sinking his teeth into.
She whirled away from him, attempting to run, but it was useless. He was upon her in a second, spinning her around to face him and slamming her against the kitchen counter. She ignored the sudden jar to her body and pushed at his chest, but he was so strong…so very strong. "Let me go, Tim." His fangs lengthened. "Oh God, no!" She would have screamed but a deep baritone voice, from somewhere behind Tim, halted her cries.
"I believe the lady asked you to let her go."
Tim's body went rigid as if rigor mortis had set in and turned his body to stone.
Curiosity proved too strong and she chanced a peek around Tim's shoulder. A man with dark reddish brown hair and eyes as green as a cats stood there in the archway of her kitchen with a medieval crossbow aimed at Tim's back.
This time she did scream.
Chapter Four
Derek thought it would be a quick catch and snatch for interrogation, but he hadn't expected Sloane McBride to be fighting off her vampire boyfriend. "I said back away," he warned Tim again.
Tim swung around, pushing Sloane away from him as he lunged with a hiss.
This is why shooting first and making demands later was usually his motto. He let the arrow fly, but it went wild as Tim plowed into him, sending him flying into the wall. The arrow slammed into the cupboard door above Sloane's head and she screamed again. He really wished she wouldn't do that.
He lost his grip on the crossbow from the tackle and it slid over the tile floor, bouncing off one of the kitchen table's legs. Tim slammed him against the wall again. The picture hanging above him fell to the ground and glass rained around him like sharp razor blades.
Tim proved unnaturally strong even for a newbie. He must have fed not long ago, but thank God for small favors. He was still getting use to his new supercharged limbs that had grown in size. All vampires—originals and hybrids went through a growth spurt. They were taller and more muscular, and of course the hybrids got spanking new set of fangs just like their creators. Unfortunately, the hybrids also lost their sense of right and wrong if they weren't fed blood immediately. They had no self-control when it came to feeding. Blood was first and foremost the priority.
"Stop it, Tim!" Sloane yelled. She obviously had not grasped that the Tim she knew no longer existed. At least not in the capacity she'd remembered. Derek pushed the heel of his hand into the guy's jaw, trying to shove him away before fangs sunk into his flesh. With his other hand he fumbled to find something to hit the vamp with. He managed to get a hold of a glass shard. He jabbed it into the side of Tim's neck. Tim leapt away like a spider springing up its web, but he screamed like a wounded beast. Instead of attacking again, he chose escape and dashed toward the front door.
Derek leapt to his feet and lunged for his crossbow. He loaded and rolled to get off a shot, but he was too late. Tim was gone.
The dog in the backyard continued its excessive barking and scratched at the door.
"Omigod, omigod!" Sloane kept repeating the word as if she expected the Lord almighty to explain what had just happened.
No such luck.
Derek stood, but remained cautious. He still wasn't sure if she'd been infected and this was only a ruse.
"Let me see your teeth," he demanded of her.
"What?" At least his demand gave her a new lease on vocabulary.
"Teeth. Let me see them," he repeated and gestured with his crossbow.
With obvious protest, she grinned like the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland. Then closed her mouth again. No fangs. His gaze landed on her neck. A slight discoloration of her skin and two distinctive pinpricks marred her flesh.
"When did your boyfriend bite you?"
Her hand flew to her neck and her face flushed crimson. "I need you to leave," she demanded and edged away from him.
He was torn. He could lower his weapon and make nice, but she'd been bitten. She was infected.
But she was fighting off Tim.
She hadn't been under his command.
She didn't have fangs.
He went with his instinct and cautiously lowered the weapon, but kept it engaged to fire. "Tim is…" Heck, there was no way to sugarcoat this. "He's a vampire."
She laughed at him, but it was a nervous chortle brought on by fear and uncertainty. "So he claimed. I'm guessing delusional is catchy."
"You think so?" She didn't recognize him. He wasn't sure if he should be offended or grateful. He'd been a skinny teen when he met her in high school, and they did more kissing than talking. "You were here. Your boyfriend has fangs and if I'm not mistaken, he bit you. I'm assuming this is not normal behavior for him."
"He hasn't been feeling well," she defended Tim's actions.
Denial always came first. "Yeah, and how are you feeling?"
She licked her lips then pursed them as she eyed him with suspicion. "If he's contagious, I need to see a doctor," she said in confusion and tears sprung to her eyes, making them turn more blue than grey. Her hands shook as if she were strung out and in need of a good fix.
"Oh, you're good," he drawled.
"What?"
"All innocent and with tears even." Derek aimed his crossbow at her chest. He couldn't go soft just because she looked hot in her black-laced shirt that was just short enough to show a bit of skin at her midriff, and damn it if the woman didn't have the biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen. He'd been a sucker for those eyes in high school and it proved no different now.
"Leave me alone," she cried and bolted for the back door. She yanked it open and the dog came flying in like an avenging angel.
"Down boy," Derek ordered. He didn't want to hurt the dog, but if it came to protecting his life, he would do what he had to do.
"Lad! No! Sit!" Sloane yelled the commands, which further confused Derek. Lad halted his approach, sitting on his haunches with a grunt and long drawn out whine.
Derek lowered his weapon again, tucking it under one arm. Sloane had style. He clapped his hands in slow motion. "I bet your victims fell for your charms, too." He had to keep her talking until backup showed up. He'd made a call the minute she pulled into her driveway. Wade and Axel were on their way here.
"What are you talking about?" Her brows furrowed. "What victims?"
He almost believed her. "Mr. Wilkins, Mrs. Wilkins…Kylie," he named just to gage her reaction, give him some clue if she knew what was going on with Tim.
"What happened to Tim's family? What are you talking about?"
"You and your boyfriend ripped their throats out."
All color drained from her face, making her appear more ghostlike than like a potential vampire. "Noooo! You're lying," she screamed at him. "Why would you say something so horrible?"
"You took out each member one by one," he said.
"No." She shook her head.
"For God's sake, Kylie was only a child," he continued without mercy.
Sloane closed her eyes and covered her ears. "Stop with your lies!"
He moved then, fast, slamming the back door closed with his foot and grabbing hold of her, yanking her arms down so she'd have to hear him. "You ripped the child apart, devoured her like an appetizer."
&nb
sp; The dog had moved behind him and growled, but Derek ignored it. If the lab were going to attack, it would have done so already.
"Shut up!" she shouted. "That's not true." Sloane hissed and her eyes turned red. The telltale sign he'd been looking for. Derek threw her against the wall and pressed the crossbow at her chest, but instead of her attacking him, she panicked. Her arms raised in front of her. "Please…please, don't hurt me."
He hesitated. Then the truth of it slammed into him like a sledgehammer. His arm lowered. "You truly don't know what you are, do you?" he said more for his benefit than for her to answer him.
She cautiously lowered her hands and met his gaze. Her eyes had resumed the beautiful blue shade once more.
"Damn." He slid his hand through his hair. How could she control the urge? Yet she had. She could have gone for his throat, but she just curled into a ball. It could be a trick. A damn good one. He reminded himself, but he didn't heed his own warnings. He approached her and she scooted away from him. "When were you turned?" he asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He tried a different approach. "When did Tim bite you?" he demanded of her again.
Tears fell, and she sniffled as she brushed them away. "What difference does it make?"
"Just answer the question."
"Tim came to my house and … and …"
"Go on."
"Please, just leave me alone."
"Honey, I can't and if you don't start answering my questions, I promise, you will not like what I'll have to do to you." She tried to look away, but he wouldn't let her. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Start from the beginning and tell me what led up to your boyfriend giving you one heck of a hickey."
She jerked out of his grip. "He's been acting strange."
"How?"
"I don't know, like he was high or something, just weird." Her gaze shifted to him and he would bet he was added to her list of weird. "Do I know you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she assessed him with new interest.
"Just stick to the storytelling." He didn't need her remembering who he was right now.
Anger sparked her eyes at his demand. "Tim climbed up my trellis and knocked on my bedroom window. I opened it and gave him hell for it, too. He could have fallen and broken his neck."
"Did you invite him in?"
She just stared at him.
"Did you invite him in?" he repeated.
She nodded. He watched her closely as she recalled that night. Her finely shaped brows furrowed. "He attacked me. The jerk actually bit me." She touched her neck as if it still felt tender. "And tonight, he told me we would be gods. Live forever," she whispered, her brows furrowing into a deep frown.
Damn if she wasn't telling the truth. Sloane McBride had been bitten, but she didn't know what that entailed. She hadn't changed yet. She was only infected.
She leaned forward clutching her stomach. "I don't feel so good."
He'd bet since her lovely boyfriend hadn't had time to give her the final bite to change her. Without the last bite, her body would weaken and she'd become feverish until she faded away. There was no cure and no going back to the way things were once bitten by a Nosferatu. By all means, it would be kinder if he killed her now. He palmed his dagger from his sleeve, but then she peered at him with those baby blues. "God, I'm going to regret this. Come on." He grabbed her arm, but she yanked free of his grip.
"I'm not going anywhere with you. I've watched crime shows. Going with you is death."
He chuckled. "Honey, any other time I might agree, but right now I'm the only one standing between you and a stake through the heart.
Just then the teapot whistled its long drawn out trill, distracting him for a split second, but it was long enough for Sloane to slam something into the side of his head. It fell to the floor, the porcelain shattering into pieces. The handle still survived, telling him she used a coffee cup for her choice of weapon.
"Dammit!" He riveted toward her and swayed on his feet. He caught a glimpse of Sloane as she darted outside with her lab following close behind. He cursed under his breath and went after her.
Chapter Five
Sloane sprinted to her back gate, cursing that it had a lock on it. It was supposed to keep intruders out, but she never anticipated the intruder would already be inside. Now she was trapped with the trespasser who sported a crossbow and dagger. "I'm not going to die," she said to no one in particular, but saying the words out loud bolstered her courage. She had seconds to spare before the guy would be on her. He didn't strike her as a man who would give up so readily and just leave because she hit him with a coffee mug. Despite her stomach gurgling in protest to the stress, the adrenalin rush pushed her along.
Lad caught up with her as her hands fumbled with the lock. It fell open, surprising her that it wasn't locked after all, but she didn't have time to think about it. She threw the lock on the ground. Her hand held the handle, but before she could unlatch it, she was tackled to the ground.
She struggled and managed to knee her captor. She was rewarded with a grunt, but the guy's arms were made of iron and his grip didn't falter.
"Let me go," she demanded.
"Derek?" another man's voice called from the direction of the house.
Her movements stilled for a moment then she frantically struggled again. If there were two of them, her chances of escape were becoming slimmer.
"Stop it," Derek hissed in her ear as he clamped a hand over her mouth. His calloused palms were rough against her skin. He knew this man who called to him, but for some reason he didn't want to reveal his location.
Her brows furrowed as she stared at him. At this close range, his rugged face half lit by moonlight proved almost too beautiful to be on a face of a madman. She pursed her lips realizing how stupid her reasoning sounded. If potential killers had crazy tattooed on their forehead, they wouldn't have any murderers and rapist roaming the streets. The police could just arrest them on sight. Then she realized what the man standing at her backdoor had said and her eyes narrowed. The madman was named Derek. Her gaze riveted to him, taking in every feature with knowing dread. She did know him. The truth hit her hard and her breath solidified in her chest. Older and more muscular…but it was Derek Hayes. What had happened to him? Sure he'd been the bad boy, the one not afraid to do as he pleased, but he'd also been kind. He stood up to bullies, protected the underdog. It was what drew her to him.
Lad growled, but not at Derek who held her captive. Her dog's attention was focused on the newcomer.
Derek murmured something under his breath, a curse she would imagine, but she didn't have time to think about it as he managed to drag her to her feet and usher her behind the shed. His body was pressed against hers, in a manner that would be deemed inappropriate. "Don't even try to call out," he warned her.
She rolled her eyes at him. It was a little difficult to call out with his hand clamped over her mouth, but he didn't seem to notice.
"That's Axel, my brother." He gestured toward the back door. "You don't want to draw his attention. Whatever you're thinking about me, he's ten times worse. He reacts before he takes in the whole situation. And believe me little lady, you'll be toast."
She didn't understand any of this. Tim's attack and… She was going to end up with a permanent crease between her brows if she kept frowning. But this was Derek. The boy whose kisses made her toes curl. What was he doing here? Did he remember her? He didn't act like he did. 'Cause he's crazy, the voice in her head snapped. And talking to one's self—silently or otherwise is too.
Derek saved her from Tim's attack, but then he threatened her with a crossbow and dagger. She wanted answers to what-in-all-that-is-holy-and-not was going on. She grabbed at his hand in hopes of dislodging his hold.
His gaze riveted to hers. Green eyes narrowed in on her, making her gulp. "If I let you go, do you promise not to scream?" he asked.
She gave him a quick nod and immediately the pressure of his ha
nd lessened until it fell away. She leaned forward to catch a glimpse of this brother in question, but came up short when Derek's scent hit her nostrils. She inhaled the musky male aroma of her captor mixed with perspiration from their struggles and…something more tantalizing, but she couldn't quite decipher what it could be, but it made her lick her lips.
He flinched and jerked back. "Don't even think of biting me."
"What?" Her gaze met his in confusion. "I wasn't. I wouldn't…"
"This better not be a mistake," he muttered. She wasn't sure what he thought was a mistake: helping her or not calling out to his brother.
He kept his grip on her waist as he peeked around the corner of the shed. A second man appeared beside…Axel. She believed that was his brother's name. Was the other one a brother, too? Funny, she didn't remember him discussing his family way back when. Matter of fact he'd been pretty closed lipped about his family. Ask him about school, the latest movie, books…he could talk for hours and they had.
This new arrival wore a cowboy hat, while Axel sported a leather jacket. A cowboy and biker came to mind, but despite their differences in attire, they both looked similar in height and built and both possessed a strong jaw line, not unlike—
"Derek?" Axel was kind enough to call for his brother again.
She knew her captor and it made it personal now. "They're both your brothers." She didn't realize she announced her assumptions out loud until Derek leveled his gaze on her. Even in the darkness, she could tell his eyes were green and clear with no lines marring the pigment.
Derek made clicking noises with his tongue and Lad glanced at him. "Sick 'em," he hissed. Without warning, Lad charged the two men standing on the porch. Curses flew from their mouths as they jumped back inside the house, slamming the door behind them. Lad leapt in the air as he snarled at the intruders and clawed the back door.
Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) Page 3