He cruised the neighborhood looking for a lone figure on foot, but searching for Sloane proved more difficult than he thought.
After circling around the neighboring streets at a slow pace and getting strange looks from the people who lived there, he decided to head for her house before someone called the cops on him.
He should have thought of her house before now. Sloane had a dog to care for. She'd show up there sooner or later. Hopefully sooner, since in a few hours he'd have to go home and explain to his sister why Sloane was missing.
He parked his car on the neighboring block. He didn't want to chance Sloane spotting it or him sitting behind the wheel. He made his way to the house that stood directly in back of the McBride's home. He entered the neighbor's backyard and jumped the fence separating the homes and landed in the McBride's backyard. The dog, whose name he found out from his chat with Sloane was Lad, greeted him with enthusiasm.
"Yeah, boy, it's good to see you, too." He rubbed the dog behind its ears before continuing with his task of breaking into the house. He picked the lock with ease. Silently thanking his mother for insisting he learn the trade. It came in handy when tracking down potential targets. Breaking down doors tended to ruin the moment of surprise and it was damn hard on the shoulders and legs if they had to use bodily force to break and enter.
He checked the teapot first. She had it on last night and he could only assume she had meant to have a cup of tea or perhaps hot chocolate. The teapot was cool to the touch. A quick look around the house told him Sloane hadn't been home—at least not yet.
In the next hour, his instincts proved spot on. He heard the scraping of metal as a key was shoved into the lock. She must have a key hidden somewhere in her backyard, probably in a fake rock or perhaps hidden under the welcome mat. It always surprised him that people left their keys in such obvious places. He sprinted to the wall separating the living room from the kitchen and leaned against it to wait for her to come inside.
"Come on, Lad," Sloane said to her dog. "We need to hurry."
Hurry was right. She came barreling round the corner of the kitchen and plowed right into him. Her momentum made him lose his balance; and add a seventy-pound dog to the mix they went down hard with Sloane on top of him, knocking the wind out of him in the process. The woman sure did know how to make him look like the fool.
He recovered before Sloane did and held on tight to her before she could fly to her feet and run again.
"Let me go." She glared at him with those big blue eyes under dark brows and lashes.
"Sloane, stop struggling. Ouch!" She came close to kneeing him again, luckily he moved faster than she did. He rolled and brought her beneath him, straddling her waist so she couldn't use her appendages as a weapon. He pinned her arms down, too. "Are you through?" She squirmed beneath him and a part of his anatomy liked it way too much. "Sloane, cut it out."
Lad seemed to think this was some kind of game and joined in by licking Sloane's face then his. He couldn't help but chuckle and soon Sloane's laugh joined his. "Come on. This isn't funny," she whined.
"You're laughing," he reminded her, but he took pity on her and shooed Lad away. He stood and offered his hand to her, but she slapped it away, scrambling to her feet in a huff. He had to give her credit. She faced him with her hands on her hips.
"I'm not going back with you."
"You can't stay here," he countered.
"I hadn't planned to. I came back for Lad and a few items, and then I'm out of here."
"And where are you going?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not telling you."
He rolled his eyes. "Fair enough, but tell me this, has Tim ever been to this place you're planning to run off to?"
She moistened her lips and didn't quite meet his eyes, which told him Tim was definitely privy.
"What if he has?" she questioned. "There's no reason—"
He lifted his hand, putting a stop to her nattering. "Tim is not human any longer. He is a predator now, and he's going to hunt you down. He's already tasted your blood and he'll do all he can to find you. So whoever you think your going to stay with won't be safe either. You'll put them in danger just by showing up on their doorstep." His phone vibrated and he pulled it out and glanced at the number. "I have to get this. Do us both a favor and just stay put for a moment.
She rolled her eyes then gave him a curt nod. "Take your call. I'll still be here."
He let out a sigh and answered the phone. "Hello, Wade."
"Are you having any luck tracking the runaways?" Wade asked.
"I have a few leads. And you?"
"Axel and I picked up something on the police scanner that sounded like the work of our couple."
He didn't bother correcting him. Explaining how he knew Sloane had no part in whatever slaughter that had gone down would mean coming clean with where Sloane spent the night, and boy wouldn't that be a fun conversation. "And what makes you so sure it was them?"
"I'll let the evidence speak for itself. I'm sending you a photo. It's them all right and it looks like the bloodlust is getting stronger. They added a little serial killer touch to the slaughter." Derek frowned at his brother's last words, but before he could question him, Wade spoke again. "We're heading out. Check in with you in a few. Stay safe, Derek."
"Stay safe." He ended the call and his phone vibrated again when the photo appeared on his screen. He looked at the grisly scene: a couple with their throats ripped out and the flesh a mangled mess. Red roses were scattered around the victims. Tim the romantic. Not!
"Was that one of your brothers?" Sloane asked.
He hesitated showing her what Wade sent him, but maybe if she saw the cold hard facts, she'd realize he wasn't a whack job. Then perhaps she'd trust him to help her. "This is what your boyfriend did after he left your house." He turned the screen so she would have a front row view.
Her hand flew to her mouth and she gagged and whirled away, trying her best not to lose the contents of her stomach.
He frowned and glanced at the photo again before it dawned on him what he had done. "Crap. I'm a real jackass," he cursed under his breath.
She sobbed back a cry and fell against the wall for support.
He took the steps separating them and pulled her into his embrace. "I'm sorry. That's all I seem to be telling you, but it's the truth. I shouldn't have showed you the photo. I've been hunting for so long that I forgot how shocking the violence can be."
She shook her head and pushed at his chest. He let her go. "No, I'm glad you showed me." Her eyelids lowered and she swayed on her feet as if she were reliving the horror of the photo all over again, but then she steadied herself and met his gaze. "You're sure Tim did this?"
"Yes."
"And you think I'll end up like him, don't you?"
"You haven't so far."
"But that isn't what I asked." Sarcasm dripped from her words.
He nodded. "I think you'll turn, but there are signs to warn us."
"Like red eyes."
"Yeah, that's one. You won't be able to stand sunlight. You won't be able to tolerate food though some liquids won't be a problem." He waited, wondering if she would reveal if any of these things bothered her.
"You aren't here to protect me, are you?" She wasn't really asking, but stating the fact.
However, she was wrong. The crazy thing was he did want to protect her. "Listen, I don't expect you to believe me, but if I wanted to stake and dust you, you'd be dead already." This got her attention and her gaze riveted to his. "I called my sister," he told her.
"Sister? Jeez, how many are in your family?"
"Two brothers and a sister. Cassandra—that's her name—she knows a… Oiche Sith."
"A what?"
"He's a vampire from a different sept than the vampire that attacked the Wilkins. My sister and this…vampire are on their way to see you. I would have told you over breakfast, but you decided to make a run for it."
She crossed
her arms over her chest. "Can you blame me?"
He sighed and let out a long tired breath. The saving business took more out of him than hunting did. "No, I don't blame you. The vampire who may be able to help you is Tremayne Graystone. He's an original."
Her brow furrowed and he knew he was overloading her with information. "I'm assuming an original is a good thing and that he doesn't change humans into monsters." She took a ragged breath, obviously thinking about the photo and what Tim had done.
"Some vampire septs have learned to control their urges. Perhaps you can, too." At least he hoped so or all this would be for nothing. "If I promise you that I won't chain you to the bed—"
"That was a bit kinky," she teased and her lips curved, making him smile, too. Through all this, apparently she hadn't lost her sense of humor. "And I'm not into kinky," she said. "Just in case you were wondering."
"Gotcha. There will be no chaining or tying you to my bed—unless you ask me." His teasing won him a chuckle from her.
"I want to pack a few things." She gestured toward the stairs."
"I'll go with you." He didn't want her out of is sight just in case she had second thoughts and slipped out another window.
"Okay." She turned and headed up the stairs. He followed and he couldn't help but notice the slight sway of Sloane's hips or the way her dark slacks hugged her lovely shaped behind. He swallowed back the lump in his throat.
They had just made the landing, when Lad's low menacing growl drew their attention. They both whirled around expecting trouble, but Lad stood where they left him, staring at them, his fur standing on end. His growl turned to a low threatening rumble and his lips curled revealing his teeth.
Derek didn't have to turn around to know Tim stood behind him on the landing. Sloane's face said it all. Her expression a mask of terror and her skin turned a nice shade of ash. The contrast with her dark hair made her eyes stand out like twin pools large enough to drown in.
He turned slowly to face Tim, not wanting him to rip his throat out before he had a chance to defend himself.
"So we meet again," Tim said, obviously the remark was meant for him and not for Sloane, but then he directed his malice toward her. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were cheating on me." He clicked his tongue and shook his head in disapproval.
"Why don't you leave Sloane be," Derek said and wished he'd kept his big mouth shut.
Tim's eyes glowed red and his lips were smeared with blood as if he'd snacked on someone's neck on the way over here. He lifted his hand and held up flowers he'd been hiding behind his back. The other hand held a box of chocolates. "I'm here for our date. Be my Valentine and all that." Tim glanced at Derek with a snarl. "Didn't she tell you? We have plans for…dinner." His lips curved revealing his pointed incisors.
Lad had scrambled up the stairs to stand beside Sloane, his snarls upping the tension.
"Sloane, shut the mutt up or I'll do it—permanently," Tim ordered.
Sloane grabbed for Lad's collar, but the dog broke free from her grip. "Noooo!" she screamed, but Lad was beyond listening. Lad leapt onto Tim, knocking him off balance. Chocolates and flowers flew from Tim's hands as he tried to ward off the attack.
Derek took the distraction and withdrew his dagger. "Get out of here, Sloane. Now!"
His command burst her into action and she sprinted down the stairs.
Tim found his footing and swiped at Lad, sending the dog flying away from him and slamming into the wall with a sickening thud. Lad yelped then lay still. Derek charged forward intent on ramming the dagger into Tim's heart and putting him out of commission. As his hand came up to hit his mark in an upward thrust, Tim's arm blocked the attack. The force was like hitting cement and the jolt knocked the dagger from his grip, sending it hurdling down the stairs, bouncing as it went. "Crap."
Tim flitted and grabbed Derek by the throat and slammed him against the wall where a photo of the McBride family had been hanging. The glass frame splintered and shards of glass bit into his back, but that was the least of his worries if he didn't break free from Tim's grip. He had maybe a minute before he would lose consciousness and then it would be over. He grabbed at Tim's face, pressing his thumbs as hard as he could into his eyes. Tim cried in agony and flung Derek away from him. He flew down the stairs like a tossed bowling ball. His shoulders and back took the brunt of the tumble.
"You're going to die… painfully," Tim spat and came after him.
He got the pain part as he tried to ignore it radiating down his spine. He forced his limbs to move and stood. Every muscle in his body ached and his vision blurred, but if death lurked in the shadows to claim him, he'd meet the son-of-a-bitch on his feet. "Bring it on." He waved to Tim with a come hither gesture.
Tim's eyes blazed redder and saliva dripped from his fangs. He let out a hiss that choked back in his throat as his head jerked forward. He let out a bellow that pierced his eardrums.
Derek lowered his hands in confusion. What had just happened? Then he knew. "Oh, hell no."
"You think you can hurt my dog, you bastard!" Sloane clobbered him again with a cast iron frying pan.
Tim screamed in agony, not only because the frying pan weighed a ton, but because iron weakened a vampire and the touch of it sizzled their skin. If she could have chosen any weapon in the kitchen, this one was the best, but she wouldn't be able to ward Tim off for long.
He needed his weapon. His gaze landed on the dagger resting on the stairs. He scrambled up the steps, jarring his bruised shoulder as he grabbed for it.
"You bitch," Tim's low growl filled the room with his fury. "I was going to turn you, but now I'll just rip out your throat and drink you dry." He stalked toward her with precision of a predator.
Derek's hand gripped the hilt of the dagger. He whipped around. The sudden pain radiating down his back blurred his vision, but he couldn't wait for clarity. He let the weapon fly from his fingertips and he fell back on his behind with a grunt.
The knife slammed into Tim's back, but it was too high. He didn't manage to hit the heart, but the dagger's blade was made of iron, too. An agonizing guttural scream filled the room. Tim focused his eyes on him, hatred evident in his gaze, but he must have realized he was in trouble. Instead of attacking him, he flitted out the front door in a blur of colors.
Sloane dropped the frying pan and ran over to Derek. "Are you okay?" She gingerly brushed his hair away from his brow. Then her hand caressed his bruised neck.
He gave her a half smile. "I've been better, but I'll live. How's Lad?" He gestured toward the landing.
She left his side and charged up the steps. Derek managed to get to his feet and followed close behind. Lad's low whine, gave him hope the dog wasn't too badly hurt. He knelt down beside Sloane and gingerly looked Lad over for any apparent injury. He caught sight of the awkward way one of the dog's limbs was angled and hoped this was the extent of the injuries and there weren't any internal ones. "His leg is broken. We'll take him to someone who'll take care of him. He'll be okay." He looked at her for signs of objection, but she nodded her head, putting her trust in him.
Once he stabilized the leg so no further injury would occur, he went for the car. He didn't fear that Tim would return any time soon. The vampire's injuries would prevent him. He'd have to rejuvenate, but when he did, they better be ready for him. Tim wouldn't bring chocolate and flowers next time.
Chapter Nine
Sloane sat with Lad in the backseat of Derek's car. "You were so brave." She gently stroked the dog and he licked her hand with a pathetic whine. "It'll be all right, baby. You'll be all right."
She glanced at Derek and met his gaze in the rearview mirror. At the house when Derek told her to run, she had every intension of doing as he ordered, but at the door she heard Lad's yelp and the sickening thud. She didn't even think. She saw red. She grabbed the frying pan on the stove. From the bottom of the stairs, she caught site of Derek and Tim fighting, and on the landing, Lad lying so still. She believed the wo
rse about Lad, but she could still stop Tim from killing Derek. She couldn't believe how strong Tim had become. He threw Derek down the stairs as if he weighed nothing. She knew if she didn't do something quick, Tim would eventually kill Derek. She swung the pan like a baseball bat. The impact jarred her arms. She expected Tim to topple over, but the impact barely fazed him, but something else happened. The skin and hair at the base of his skull sizzled and popped as if it were on fire. "The frying pan wasn't hot," she said out loud, more to herself than for Derek's benefit. "Tim's skin…"
"Iron will burn a vampire's flesh," he told her. He glanced in the rearview mirror again.
She casually glanced at her palms. They weren't blistered and she hadn't felt the effects of the iron. She let out a sigh of relief.
"That's a good sign," Derek said and she realized he had wondered the same thing and had been waiting for her reaction.
She licked her lips that had suddenly felt dry. "Tim's not going to stop coming after me, is he?"
"No." He didn't even hesitate to answer her. "Whatever your relationship was before with him, it will be amplified in Tim's mind. All his emotions, senses, and feelings are out of control." He paused for a moment, concentrating on the road and turning onto the major street and merging into traffic. "How long have you and Tim been a couple?"
"I've known him since we were young—our fathers went to school together, but we just started dating. We weren't—" She halted her words and pursed her lips. She was sharing way too much. She met his eyes in the mirror without apology.
"You never slept with him?" he asked the question she hoped to keep to herself.
"Does it make a difference?"
"It might. He's been leaving roses with his victims and he showed up at your house with flowers and a box of chocolates."
"We were supposed to go out for Valentine's Day."
"What are you leaving out?" he asked.
"Perceptive, aren't you?"
"Comes with the job."
Along with weapons and fighting skills, she thought to herself. She squirmed in her seat and Lad whined. "Sorry, boy." She rubbed behind his ears, knowing how much he liked it and he settled back down and closed his eyes. "I live at home," she said to Derek. "Tim lived at home with his parents, too. There wasn't a lot of alone time if you know what I mean." God, she hoped he did so she didn't have to spell it out. As it seemed he did know, and he made no qualms about saying so.
Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) Page 5