All Souls' Night - Renee Rose Page 0,270

his beige slacks.

“This is for Zoe. She might want to do this herself when she wakes up, but…” I shrug. “I need this.”

“Sh-she’s not dead?” Phil’s face loses all color.

Fisting his silk shirt, I drag his face to mine and bare my fangs. “No, she’s not, motherfucker. But you are.” I grab a fistful of hair, and rip his head from his shoulders. Blood sprays everywhere.

I keep my mouth closed, not wanting any part of him in me, and drop his body.

The human Liam grabbed runs, screaming.

Liam cocks an eyebrow. “Well, that’s one way to do it.” He blurs after the dead man walking and takes him down. The bushes rustle, and the man’s screams end with a sickening gurgle. Liam drags the man back and dumps him next to Phil’s headless body.

“I need a bag.” I hold up Phil’s head. “I’m taking it to Zoe.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Liam’s mouth hangs open.

I shake my head.

He scoffs. “Nothing says love like a bloody head in a bag.”

I shoot him a glare.

Liam shrugs. “Whatever, man. Go home to your woman. I got this.”

Now that I’ve had my vengeance, I don’t feel quite comfortable dumping this on Liam. “Are you sure?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll take it out of your ass later. Go on. Get outta here.”

“Okay.” I had hoped a weight would be lifted when I killed Phil, but it’s only heavier. I blur back through the neighborhood to the house, which is now empty. I check the back door. It’s open, and I test the threshold. My foot easily crosses the doorway. With the owner dead, I no longer need an invite. I grab a trash bag from under the kitchen sink, stuff the fucker’s head inside, and casually make my way to the truck.

The block is quiet this late at night. The coast is clear.

Jumping into the truck, I toss the bag to the floor, and crank the engine and quietly navigate out of the area and toward home. Zoe isn’t out of the woods yet. She still might not survive the transition.

As I pull up my drive, Roxy exits the house and waits on the front walk. “Were you successful?”

I nod and grab the bag from the front seat. “I was. How is she?”

Roxy shrugs. “Well, I’ve cleaned her up and her wounds are all healed, so that’s a good sign.” She nods toward the bag, which has a bloody ear pressing against the side of it. “Uh, that’s some present.” She waves over her shoulder as she swaggers to her car. “Let me know if she needs anything.”

I return the wave as she pulls out of the driveway. I owe her, too.

I blur through my front door. My heart stops when I see Zoe on the couch. She’s dressed in one of my shirts. I kick the door shut and drop the bag, rushing to her side. My sweet, sweet Zoe. The gray pallor of death colors her beautiful face, and I clench my jaw. She has to survive the transformation. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.

Picking her up, I cross to the hidden entrance of my crypt and go downstairs.

The stone room is cool and bare. I have my single coffin and little else, save for the table next to it for my cell phone. Lifting the lid, I lay Zoe down on the cushion and brush her damp hair from her face.

I press a kiss to her mouth and place a blanket over her body. She won’t feel the cold, but I suddenly feel helpless. There’s nothing else I can do to help her through the process but wait.

I leave the lid open because I don’t want her waking up and being frightened. My heart races as I try to focus on anything but the fact that she still might not make it through the night.

I access the vampiric network and place an order for a double coffin so we can rest during the daylight hours together. She might hate me when she wakes up, but she can’t survive without my blood for the first few years. That, at least, gives me time to win her heart and soul. And I will, if it’s the last thing I do.

Chapter 10

Where the hell am I? I sit up quickly, feeling far too good to be true. I must have died. The last thing I remember is being shot by Phil and everything fading to black, like in a horror flick.