The High School Reunion From Hell - Saranna DeWylde Page 0,48

they were hydraulics. Then, just as I’d suspected, a missile shot out of his ass, and to my misfortune, clocked Detective Weaving right in the middle of her forehead.

It was like those shoot the duck carnival games where you shot the target on a metal duck with a BB and knocked it smooth the fuck over. That’s what happened to Detective Weaving.

Vlad’s ass-BB had clocked her square on target and knocked her out.

Only it must have been some kind of instinct, but her hand shot out and snatched the ring out of the air as she fell.

“Oh, fuck.”

Vlad slowly began to quiet, and he looked down at the big hole he’d made through the first layer of concrete and then back up at me, as if to say, “Sorry.”

“I know.” I held him close. “We need to get out of here.”

That woman would have nothing good for my dog, and I wasn’t about to stand around and find out how she felt about vampire dogs.

“I know where to go,” Emily said.

But it was too late. Police surrounded us, and they were ripping Vlad out of my arms. I saw he was about to struggle, he’d bite them if he thought they were going to hurt me.

Then I remembered Mina’s vampire powers and I tried to communicate with her. I begged her to tell Vlad not to fight them. They’d put him down on the spot.

I had no idea if it worked or not, but Vlad, for whatever reason, allowed them to crate him.

“Smart dog,” Detective Weaver said, standing over us, a shit smear still in the middle of her forehead.

It wasn’t the smear that mattered. It was the ring she held in her hand that was still, unfortunately, on a half-digested pinky finger.

“I’ve got you,” she said, with unabashed glee. “Dead to rights, slayer.”

“Not my dog,” I said quietly.

“He’s an abomination and if the DNA on this finger matches the case I think it will, you’re fucked.”

Abomination? I grit my teeth to hold my venom back. I knew better than to make threats where people could hear me, but I swore on all that was holy, if they hurt Vlad, I’d make her pay. I’d destroy her career. Her personal life. I’d make it my life’s mission to make her wish she was dead.

“Nothing to say?” she goaded.

Emily tucked Mina farther behind her legs, as if protecting her from the detective.

“I have plenty to say, but I’ll do it when you have more motivation to listen,” I promised.

“Was a threat?”

“Hmm. Let’s see. What constitutes a credible threat? I do believe that by law, if any reasonable person would be afraid. I also have to have the means and opportunity to carry out that threat. What exactly did I threaten you with? I said I would speak when you were motivated to listen. There is no implicit threat in that sentence.”

I hated her in that moment. I hated her in a way I’d never hated another human being in all of my life. Not when I’d been bullied in school. Not when I’d fought off Kincaid. Never.

Now, it burned in my veins like lava.

I stuck my fingers into the crate and Vlad licked them.

“You’re going to be okay, baby. I promise.”

I’d been making a lot of promises I had yet to follow through on, but I would, I swore to myself.

I watched them carry Vlad off and scenarios played through my head. I could kick all of their asses and take him to Mexico, but that would mean facing Council and Guild justice, and I’d end up losing Vlad anyway.

“Hey, Defective.”

“Nice,” she said, referring to my obviously on-purpose mispronunciation. “What?”

“You’ve got a little something.” I pointed to her head where the shit smear was still visible.

“Fuck,” she grumbled and swiped at it with the back of her hand.

“Shithead,” Emily said under her breath.

“I’ve got to get him back,” I said aloud.

“You will. We’ll figure something out.”

It occurred to me that this weekend had been comprised of basically all of my worst fears.

I was afraid that my marriage was over. It was.

I was afraid that someone would try to take Vlad from me. They did.

I was afraid that I’d be helpless to stop either of those things from happening.

Now, they were here and they were just as awful as I imagined they’d be.

Yet, I refused to be helpless. There was always a way. My choices weren’t always ideal, but I did have a choice.

A plan had started to form in the back