Мишель Роуэн - Bitten & Smitten

“And everyone else?”

I tried to look serious. “Not nice.”

“Good to know.”

I felt a cold gust of air as the door opened. I glanced over to see three more men enter the already-crowded bar. They waved at Quinn and he waved back. The tequilas arrived with several wedges of lime on a plate.

Quinn grabbed a saltshaker. “So this does the trick, huh?”

“I’m not promising much with only one, but we’ll give it a try.”

“What should we drink to?”

I thought about it. “To new beginnings.”

“Sounds good. To new beginnings.” We did the shot, sucked on the limes, and smiled at each other.

Ten minutes later the cab hadn’t arrived yet, and we’d just done our third shot. I’d decided that Michael Quinn was going to be my new best friend. Part of my new life. In other words, I was almost completely drunk. I’ve always had a low tolerance for alcohol, so sue me.

“What’ll we drink to this time?” Quinn slurred a little as the fourth round arrived. I had no idea how long he’d been sucking back beers before I’d even gotten there.

“To my new life,” I said.

“New life?” He held his shot in his shaky right hand. “Can you elaborate on that, Sarah Dearly?”

I nodded. “Why, yes, I can. To my new life as a vampire, which quite possibly could have no end.” I raised my glass. “To my newly immortal life. May my retirement-savings plan pay off big-time for me.”

Quinn nodded. “To Sarah being a vampire.” He clinked glasses with me and downed his shot.

“Yes!” I tried to toss the tequila back, but most of it ended up on my shirt.

“Now”—Quinn carefully placed his elbow on the bar top so he had a hand to lean against—“you really shouldn’t kid about something like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like being a vampire. That’s nothing to joke about.”

“Who says I’m joking? I am a vampire.”

“No, you’re not.”

“And yet… I am.” A wide, goofy smile spread across my features as I looked at Quinn.

He stared at me with unfocused eyes. “You’re a vampire.”

“Yup.”

“You don’t look like a vampire.”

I frowned at him. “And how do you expect a vampire to look?”

“I don’t know.” Quinn leaned back in his stool to look me up and down. “More together somehow. Maybe all dressed in black. And fangs—shouldn’t you have fangs?”

I shifted to cross my legs. It’s true, a sparkly Diva T-shirt and pink yoga pants didn’t really scream “creature of the night.” I had to get to the mall as soon as possible and expand my wardrobe possibilities.

“Black makes me look too pale,” I explained. “And apparently the fangs take a while to sprout.”

“I see.” He seemed to be mulling it over.

“So, you believe me?”

“Yes,” he said, and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wooden stake. He placed it in front of him on the bar counter. “I guess so.” I sobered immediately at the sight of the stake. It was exactly like the ones White-teeth and the boys had used last night to turn poor Gordon into a dark, wet puddle outside the cemetery.

Poor me.

My initial reaction was to scream my head off, but instead I forced myself to laugh—it ended up sounding a little too hysterical to be lighthearted.

“Did I say I was a vampire? That’s so funny. I’m actually supposed to take this medication. It’s around here somewhere.” I patted my empty pockets. “Delusions, you know. Weird, fleeting images in this crazy brain of mine. Only yesterday I thought I was Marie Antoinette.”

“Uh-huh.” Quinn stared at me. “Delusions. Sure.”

“Anyhow, it was super meeting you and all. Thanks for the drinks.” I glanced at the empty shot glasses and my half-full Bloody Mary, not such a good choice now that I thought about it. “I guess I better get back to the psychiatric hospital before they notice I’m gone.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“I’m not?” I grimaced as my gaze was drawn back to the very sharp stake.

Not good. Not good at all. I began to think that maybe Quinn wouldn’t turn out to be my new best friend, after all. Call it a hunch.

He leaned close to me so I could feel, as well as smell, his alcohol-laden breath as he spoke. “I kill vampires, you see. That’s why I’m in town. I like killing evil things, and I’m very good at it.”

“Then it’s a good thing I was kidding earlier. About being a vampire, that is. I’ll just be on my way now.”

I tried to move past him, but his iron bar of an arm blocked me.

“Let’s go outside and do this proper.” Quinn’s eyes were narrow. Mean. The flirty friendliness that had been there only a few minutes before had completely vanished. I looked around the bar to see if there was anyone who would help, but no one even glanced in our direction.

I turned to meet Quinn’s eyes. “I’m not evil. Please don’t hurt me.”

He shook his head. “It’s too bad. You seemed so normal. If you hadn’t told me, I never would have guessed it.”

“Can’t we just forget the whole thing?” I asked hopefully.

“No.”

Now I was freaked. This was the second time in two nights that I’d been cornered by a crazy man who wanted to kill me. I wondered if it was some kind of record. Only being a vampire for less than twenty-four hours before getting exterminated. Kind of made the whole immortal thing just a lot of hype.

“Let’s go outside,” Quinn said.

I shook my head vigorously. “No way. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Then this might have to get messy.”

I swallowed hard and was ashamed to admit that tears were sliding down my cheeks.

“What about everyone else in here? I think they’ll probably have something to say if you start manhandling me.”

He glanced around and then back at me. His harsh expression didn’t flicker. Maybe he thought my tears were fake. Or maybe he was just an asshole. I was betting on the latter.

“Anywhere else, you might be right. But you were stupid enough to walk into the local hangout for vampire hunters. I know most of the guys in here.”

My eyes widened at that. The local hangout for vampire hunters was right across the street from Thierry’s secret vampire club? Talk about bad planning. Quinn gripped my upper arm so tightly, I thought I might lose the entire limb. He wasn’t taking any chances. For all he knew, I might have super vampire strength, or something. Hey, maybe I did.

I focused all my strength on pulling away from him and throwing him across the room.

Nope. No superstrength.

Damn.

He turned toward the door just as it opened. An older man with graying hair entered the bar and stared straight at Quinn. “I found you,” the man said. “About bloody time, too.”

Quinn didn’t loosen his grip, but his expression changed at the sight of the man. The old man shook his head. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You sicken me, boy. The others are out doing what has to be done, and you’re holed up here drinking yourself into oblivion with a local slut.” I opened my mouth to protest, but immediately shut it. Sluts didn’t get wooden stakes shoved through their hearts. I decided to go with his first impression without argument.

“But, Father, I—,” Quinn began.

The man held up his hand. “Shut it, boy. Shut your pathetic mouth. There’s a rumor that you’ve turned into a coward. There is no place for scared little boys in my plan. We’re here to wipe out the dark forces and clean up the evil, once and for all.”

“I know.” Quinn glanced at me, and I could see hatred in his eyes. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to do. I’m—”

His father closed the gap between us and grabbed Quinn by his T-shirt, pushing him up against the wall. Quinn lost his grip on my arm.