Dead Surround - The Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles Read Online Free PDF Page B

theories.
    “Whoever you are, I don’t got a religion,” she said shakily, her mouth dry. “My parents made sure of that, so forget about converting me into your scalp-happy sect.”
    The man continued his hard stare. His eyes and strong cheekbones jutted out in halleluiah glory from the nest that was his face.
    “Who the hell are you?” Poe asked uncomfortably.
    “I’m the poor sod who’s been duped into bearing you to an undisclosed location two days from now,” he answered dryly. He took a half-smoked thin cigar from behind his ear and lit it with a pink disposable plastic lighter. “So I’m supposed to take the long way round.”
    “Long way around? What?”
    “Kill time,” he spit out an invisible curl of tobacco on his tongue and ran his eyes lazily over Poe.
    Awkward and insecure, Poe surreptitiously checked if her brassier was in place. She often had nightmares about throngs of humans and vampires ridiculing her for being on the bounce during her growing years. Her discomfort was due to neglecting to wear a bra until she was twenty-two, and she took up the practice at the behest of a few of Sainvire’s allies.
    “Oh I get it now,” Poe said, massaging a wrist that itched to punch a hole in the man’s chest. “This is about the bounty on my head.” Without mirth she accused,
    “You and Passionada will split the reward, right? The 32

    Rono/DEAD SURROUND
    upstairs mansion in Beverly Hills for her and the pool house for you?”
    Instead of answering, the bearded man trained his searing, no-nonsense eyes on Poe until she looked away, burned. He has no sense of humor, this guy.
    “Think what you will,” he finally said. “Just don’t do anything idiotic. I’ve been quite short-tempered these past ten years.”
    “Mister, I can’t do shit with these things clamped around my limbs,” she said between coughs. Her throat was sandy from lack of moisture. “Can I have some water?”
    Maybe you need to take another tactic , she told herself. The society of today was one misstep away from Thunderdome and complete chaos. Before her ability to speak forsook her, she added, “Do I detect Scottish in your accent?”
    She was again given “the look” and had to bear it until he broke contact by handing her an Evian bottle filled with foggy water. “You have a reputation,” he said and let it sit.
    Poe prodded him after she’d downed her water.
    “Yes? What about my reputation?”
    “Took me a while to get used to this boat, and I’m not keen on losing her because of something foolish you do.” He was shirtless, and his skin stood darkly against the light color of the floor as he sank down cross-legged in front of Poe. “We have two days to funnel away. Two days to kill. That’s the official time they’re expecting you.”
    “Them?” she asked calmly.
    “Them,” he confirmed.
    Infuriated knowing he would feed her filtered and twisted information, Poe took deep yoga breaths to 33

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    calm down. Anger will accomplish nothing. Take another approach , said the voice, the rational one in her head that had saved her from so many scrapes .
    With sufficient air in her lungs, she began a negotiation tactic. “Mister, I don’t know how to swim or drive a boat. I can’t tell north from south for that matter. East and west could be straight to the moon or Mars. I don’t know,” she exhaled, proud that she hadn’t stuttered at all. “My skin is burned. My skull is throbbing. I’ve no choice but to do what you say ’cause it’s between you or Orca the killer whale.”
    She turned her arms and pulled up her sleeves. Her red and browning skin starkly contrasted with her light upper arms.
    “My face is pretty badly off, too. I can feel it,” she added. “And there’s no shade where I am. Could you take off these metal thingies? Or at least consider moving me below deck?”
    He didn’t speak, but his eyes never left her face.
    His doggedness was a takedown, a humiliation. Poe