Bitter Bite Read Online Free PDF Page B

penny. Gideon could take care of himself, but Hannah was an
innocent.
    He rubbed his chin, watching her work and trying not to think
about what he’d seen earlier. When she turned and winked at him, he smiled,
hating himself for it. She was beautiful, and way too young for him, but every
time he saw her, he wanted her more.
    You are so screwed-up, he thought, feeling his face go tight as he stared at her. Her
auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail tonight, and it made her look even
younger than her twenty-one years. She’s fourteen years younger than you and
a former student. Get over this thing you have for her, before you hurt
someone, he told himself bitterly. You can’t even decide if you like men
or women. She doesn’t need you mooning over her.
    “The old man is not dead, you know.”
    Gideon froze, his whole body going rigid. He slowly turned his
head.
    Alaric stood uncomfortably close to him, all lean muscles and
dangerous angles.
    “How the hell did you get in here?” Gideon asked, pitching his
voice low. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep it from shaking. He wasn’t sure if
it was fear or lust that had him so strung out. Alaric’s long hair slid across
his forehead, making Gideon itch to push it out of the other man’s eyes. No,
not a man, he reminded himself, warily. A
vampire . Fortunately, Alaric didn’t seem to notice his turmoil.
    “I walked in the front door,” Alaric said. His blue eyes glowed
like midnight in the flashing lights of the club. The leather jacket he wore
did nothing to disguise the strong, spare lines of his body.
    Gideon frowned, not liking the expression on Alaric’s face. He
knew he should be frightened or angry, but instead, all he felt was heat. He
wanted to drag Alaric to the back and do unspeakable things to him. He glanced
at Hannah, but she was busy again, thank God, and wasn’t watching him anymore.
“You bit him. He collapsed,” he said tersely. He wished he were anywhere else
but here, caught between conflicting desires. This was why he’d quit the
priesthood. God couldn’t cure him of his so-called perversion, so he’d cured
himself of religion, instead.
    “True.” Alaric moved closer. “That does not make him dead.” He
reached out and traced a finger over Gideon’s mouth. “If you thought the man
had died, why didn’t you call the cops, my dear?”
    “I’m not your dear .” Gideon
jerked his head away as his lips tingled. “And the chief of police doesn’t much
like me.” No way was he going to admit the true reason he didn’t contact the
police: none of them would believe him if he told them a vampire killed a man.
And he knew Alaric had likely cleaned up after himself. There wouldn’t be any
evidence to show that a man had been murdered. And, too, you liked the
violence, a little voice murmured at the back of his head.
    Alaric lifted an eyebrow. “So much anger,” he said softly. “Why
are you so angry, Gideon?”
    Gideon glared. “Why are you following me?”
    Alaric smiled. “Fair enough.” He leaned a little closer.
    Gideon tried to step back, but Alaric grabbed his biceps and held
him immobile.
    Jesus, he’s strong. The tiny flicker of lust he’d felt earlier flared hotter. “Let me
go.”
    “In a moment,” Alaric said, and then his eyes turned from blue to
deepest black. Gideon stared into them helplessly.
    “You don’t remember seeing me outside the club, Gideon. The alley
was empty.” Alaric’s voice was smooth as chocolate.
    Gideon shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do,
Alaric, but it won’t work. I know what I saw.”
    The vampire’s eyes widened, and he leaned back. “You don’t
remember me, Gideon.”
    Gideon frowned and tried to pull away. “Let me go. I know you
killed that man.” He paused. “Or hurt him badly, at the very least.” He was
willing to give Alaric the benefit of the doubt, God help him.
    Alaric swore. “You can’t be immune. Only priests—” He broke off,
then