Vixen (Dark Protectors #11.5) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,46
immortals, so what did that leave? Death for treason?
Not that she wasn’t dying anyway.
The blond, his black eyes taking in the entire room, quickly stepped up to the bar and flashed a badge. “U.S. Government. We only want those two for federal crimes.”
“Whew,” one of the kids in the back sighed.
The bartender shrugged, still drying off a beer glass with a dirty towel. “Take ’em.”
Freddy lifted his hands. “I haven’t done anything. Really. The chick is nuts. She thought I was a vampire, and she wanted to buy blood, so I figured, why not? Freaky sex might be fun.”
“Shut. Up.” Adare manacled Freddy’s neck with one hand, cutting off all sound. Without taking his gaze off Grace, he flicked his wrist and tossed Freddy toward the blond. “Nick? Take him, please.”
The please, for some reason, sent shivers down Grace’s back. Her legs weakened, but she lifted her chin, facing Adare. It had been nearly three years since they’d crossed paths, and he appeared even better-looking than she remembered. Meaner and bigger, too. A pissed-off expression on him was normal, but this one was new. All heat and fury. “I’ll get going, too,” she said, taking another step back.
Nick caught Freddy and leaned to the side, holding the human like a rag doll. “Adare? Do you know this female?”
Adare slowly nodded, his focus stronger than any hold. “She’s my mate.”
“I am not,” she retorted.
“Yes. You. Are.” Adare’s face was as impenetrable as rock, even as the words rolled out with that brogue.
Nick’s light eyebrows rose. He looked around the bar and, apparently satisfied that nobody was going to attack, returned his focus to Adare. “What’s your mate doing trying to buy vampire blood in Colorado?” he whispered.
It sounded ridiculous. Heat spread up Grace’s chest to her face, causing her cheeks to pound.
Adare’s gaze followed the heat, making her even warmer. “We’re about to get an answer to that question.” He held out one broad hand, no leniency on his hard face. “Let’s do this somewhere else.”
It was an order, not a question.
“No.” She said it softly but with authority. The bond of their mating was almost gone, and he had no hold on her. He never would, which suited them both just fine. “This was obviously a mistake, so let’s just go our separate ways.”
His lids half-lowered, slowly and deliberately, the deadly predator at his core fully visible. Not many people disobeyed the dangerous hybrid, and a human female, one whose life he had saved, shouldn’t even have thought about it. But she was no longer his responsibility, and she was done being lost.
“Grace.” One word, said in that brogue, with a demand that was absolute.
If she could run, she would. Instead, her body froze, her heart thundering. “I know I goofed up here, and I won’t do it again.” The appeasing note in her voice ticked her off, but she wasn’t up to a physical struggle right now. This disastrous meeting had taken weeks to set up. “Let’s just forget this and move on.”
“Have you lost your mind?” He sounded more curious than angry.
Hope flared through her. “Yes, briefly. It happens.” He’d never wanted anything to do with her, so giving him an out should work nicely. A simple apology—she tried to sound sincere—although she wanted to kick him in the shin instead. He’d always been a jackass, but there was no doubt he’d win any physical fight. Even at her best, which she wasn’t close to right now, she couldn’t take him. It was doubtful anybody could. “This whole thing was a mistake, and I’m sorry.” She choked on the last word.
“Let’s go.” His hand was still out.
An electric shiver took her. “Adare, I don’t think—”
“Exactly. You didn’t think.” A muscle ticked in his rugged jaw, revealing the effort his control was costing him. “Apparently that’s something we need to discuss. At length.”
Was that a threat? Yep. That was definitely a threat. “Not a chance,” she snapped, drawing on anger to camouflage panic.
Nick turned Freddy and shoved him toward the door. “We need to take this somewhere else,” he muttered.
“Not me,” Freddy said. “Really. This isn’t my fault.” He pushed back against Nick, his voice dropping to a whine. “I just wanted to get laid. Whatever she’s into, I’m not a part of it. Please. Let me go.”
Nick opened the door and propelled him into the snowstorm. The wind shrieked, blowing snow inside.
Adare grasped her upper arm. “Now.”
She tugged free. “Absolutely not.”
“I wasn’t asking.” For a big male, he moved surprisingly fast. He ducked his head, and within a heartbeat, she was over his shoulder, heading toward the door.
Her chin hit his lower back, and her stomach lurched, the alcohol she’d consumed stirring around. She pounded against his waist with her good hand, not close to stopping him. This was a disaster. Panic grabbed her, and she tried to struggle but could barely move. “Let me go. Now.”
“Hold on to your strength, Grace. You’re going to need it.” With that, he took her into the storm.
Discover the World Of 1001 Dark Nights
Collection One
Collection Two
Collection Three
Collection Four
Collection Five
Collection Six
Bundles
Discovery Authors
Blue Box Press
Rising Storm
Liliana Hart's MacKenzie Family
Lexi Blake's Crossover Collection
Kristen Proby's Crossover Collection
On Behalf of 1001 Dark Nights,
Liz Berry, M.J. Rose, and Jillian Stein would like to thank ~
Steve Berry
Doug Scofield
Benjamin Stein
Kim Guidroz
Social Butterfly PR
Asha Hossain
Chris Graham
Chelle Olson
Kasi Alexander
Jessica Johns
Dylan Stockton
Richard Blake
and Simon Lipskar
Table of Contents
Book Description
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16