Better Off Undead - Cynthia Eden Page 0,15
edge that Aidan did. This man—he was more suave. Controlled power. But the danger was still there. Plain to see.
“I was trying to protect you,” he said. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong.”
Was he telling the truth? Doubtful. “I don’t know who you are, buddy, but around here, if you attack first, that’s a one-way ticket to jail. You just assaulted two men.”
“They aren’t men.”
Her hold on the gun tightened. It was way after midnight and the street that housed the ME’s office wasn’t exactly booming with traffic right then. In fact, they were the only ones around. She’d intended to rush over to the police station and do a background search on her victim.
That’s not happening now.
“You’re under arrest,” Jane said.
His gaze swept over her. “You aren’t alone.”
Uh, no, she wasn’t. But her guards were currently unconscious. “You have the right to remain silent.”
“I know that you think you are alone. You think that you don’t have options. You’re scared, and you have to be tired of the fear.”
“Listen, buddy—”
“Vincent. My name is Vincent Connor.” He smiled.
There was no flash of fang, but his smile still unsettled her. Mostly because it looked far too intimate. As if the two of them shared some special secret.
“You don’t belong with the wolves,” Vincent said.
Crap. He knows way too much about me and about this town. “Put your hands up, now!” Jane barked at him.
His hands slowly rose. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Obviously—you’re just a crazy man. You’re out here, spouting about wolves and attacking innocent men. Maybe you don’t belong in jail. Maybe I need to find you a nice psych ward for the rest of the night.” It was a good thing she’d brought along her cuffs. Jane inched toward him. He wasn’t moving. His hands were still up. For the moment, he seemed to be following her orders. She grabbed one of his wrists and locked the cuff around him.
His head turned as he stared down at her. “Don’t pretend with me. You don’t have to do that. I know exactly what is happening in this town.”
She went behind him, caught his other wrist, and cuffed him. With his hands behind his back, she felt a bit more secure.
Okay, not really.
“Garrison!” She called to the fallen man. “Garrison, get up!”
He didn’t move. So much for werewolf back-up. If her guards were just going to get their asses handed to them at the first sign of a fight, what good were they?
“If you stay with him,” Vincent told her quietly, “he will kill you.”
A cold chill slid over Jane’s body.
The man—Vincent—glanced over his shoulder at her. “A vampire isn’t meant to stay with a werewolf.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Stop.” No anger was in his voice. He said the word almost as if it were a caress. “Don’t pretend with me. You never have to do that. I’m not here to judge you. Or to hurt you. I want to help.”
Garrison groaned.
“Y-you were the one outside of the cemetery, weren’t you?” She hadn’t been able to see the vampire’s face, not clearly. He’d been running toward her, a big, menacing shadow. Because he’s a big guy. Then he’d just…vanished.
“I was there for you.”
“You need to stay the hell away from me.” She pressed her gun into his back. “Because my last meeting with a vampire didn’t go so well.”
“We’re not all the same. Humans are good and evil. Werewolves, too. Why would you think that vampires would be any different?”
Because—
He snapped the cuffs. Just ripped them straight apart. She’d only seen one other guy ever do a move like that—Aidan.
The vampire whirled toward her. Her finger squeezed the trigger because she was not about to let him attack her. If he thought she would be his meal for the night, he needed to think again.
The bullet slammed into him, hitting his chest as he turned, at nearly point-blank range. He grunted at the impact, but didn’t so much as stumble back.
Because I hit him with silver. A silver bullet won’t take out a vampire. But blood loss would hurt him. So she’d just keep shooting—
He grabbed the gun, his fingers curling over hers. “It hurts like a bitch to get shot.”
She stared at him. He was right, it did. She’d been shot before so she knew that truth.
He smiled. This time, she could see his fangs.
“I’m not here to hurt you.”
So he kept saying.
“Your lover…he’s the one you have to fear.”
What?
“And he’s coming…”
Vamps had enhanced senses. So if the guy said Aidan