Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Benedict?” I offer.
Declan snaps his fingers. “That’s the one. Good ole Benny. Looks like he belongs in a boy band.”
Beside me, Laurie laughs softly.
Declan grins at me. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re not wrong,” I smile back. After the way he treated me in the club last time, Benny isn’t my favorite vampire. Not that any vampires are my favorite.
“Congratulations,” Parker says sourly. “You know who doesn’t look like a model or a member of a boy band? Frangelico.” At the name of the vampire king, everyone’s smiles drop away. “How will Frangelico feel about Grizz stealing from vampires?”
I shrug, my heart plummeting.
“I don’t think he cares much either way.” Declan rubs his chin. “He’s pretty lax about his sireds, the vampires he’s made. But Augustine…that’s another story.”
I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly chilled. Augustine is going to be pissed at Grizz if he finds out where I am. I totally forgot about that.
“W-what will A-augustine do?” Laurie asks.
“To a shifter who stole from him?” Parker shrugs. “Anyone’s guess.”
“What’s your guess?” Declan asks.
“I don’t know,” Parker waves a hand. “Hunt Grizz down and rip his head off?”
All oxygen leaves the vicinity. I sway and slump against Laurie who puts an arm around me.
Declan runs to the driver’s door, smashing into Parker who squawks and tries to push him off. They tangle together and start wrestling, arms flailing.
“In the car,” Declan shouts. “We gotta find him!”
“Are you okay?” Laurie whispers and I nod. My head is still spinning. I need to get to Grizz. I need know he’s okay.
“Calm down, dingbat,” Parker growls, pushing Declan off him. The Irishman dashes to the car and climbs in the driver’s seat.
“We gotta save him! Where are the keys?”
Parker holds them up. “It’s daylight. No vampires are awake.”
“Right,” Declan says, pushing his hair back from his face. “Right.”
“But you gave him intel on the shifter slavers, and sent him after them,” Parker says, folding his arms across his chest.
“Jay-sus, why’d I do that?” Declan rubs a hand up and down his face.
“I don’t know. So he wouldn’t kill and eat you?” Parker stoops and picks up the crushed hat, dusting it off before handing it back to Laurie.
“Oh me heart.” Declan lays a hand on his chest, panting. “I can’t take this violence.”
“Should’ve thought of that before you bet on a fight,” Parker rolls his eyes.
Chapter 9
Grizz
The intel Declan gave me earlier leads me to an abandoned truck stop a few miles out of town. I buzz around on my motorcycle until I’m sure no one’s around, then park to sniff things out. Again, there’s nothing here but snatches of fur and the occasional feather. Someone’s moving shifters in and out of here for sure. The question is: why? Did Frangelico’s vampires all get a taste for shifter blood?
I kick around but don’t find much more. Just a crumpled piece of paper advertising a midnight auction with ‘fresh merchandise’. There’s no address, but a picture—of the old theater building I just left.
Coincidence? I think not.
I pocket the flyer. The sun’s still pretty high in the sky, but won’t be for long. I need to call Jordy. I won’t be back before dark—I have another errand to run. It’s been a few days, and I’ve found enough to report to the vampire king. Not enough for him to pronounce a sentence, but he’ll want to know about the secret vampire club, the auctions, the blood on the green room floor. He’ll be pissed if he finds it out another way.
A coyote trots by, its yellow eyes flash at me, but it doesn’t seem too nervous around me.
Overhead a hawk circles, shrieking.
Cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck. Something tells me to get out of here.
I slow jog to my bike. Once I’m on the highway back into town, my bear relaxes.
Until I pass a familiar national park sign. I got so consumed by the hunt, I went deep into wolf territory. Not usually a problem, except I ain’t exactly the wolves’ favorite person right now.
Sure enough, when I motor by a gas station, two bikes come alive and turn onto the road after me.
As soon as I get back into a decent service area, my phone goes berserk, vibrating like it’s trying to dig a hole and escape my jean pocket. It’s annoying until I remember the only one who knows this burner number is Declan. My body goes cold. Jordy.
I pull over and yank it out. “Is Jordy all right?” I snarl.
“Grizz? Is that you?” Parker asks.
“No, it’s the fucking pope,” I bite out. My vision blurs and I have to loosen my hold on the phone before I crush it in my grip. “Where’s Jordy?”
“She’s right here,” Parker says quickly. “She’s all right.”
“Put her on.” I can’t think straight until my bear knows she’s safe.