Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn't have fangs.
    He went with his instinct and cautiously
lowered the weapon, but kept it engaged to fire. "Tim is…" Heck,
there was no way to sugarcoat this. "He's a vampire."
    She laughed at him, but it was a nervous
chortle brought on by fear and uncertainty. "So he claimed. I'm
guessing delusional is catchy."
    "You think so?" She didn't recognize him. He
wasn't sure if he should be offended or grateful. He'd been a
skinny teen when he met her in high school, and they did more
kissing than talking. "You were here. Your boyfriend has fangs and
if I'm not mistaken, he bit you. I'm assuming this is not normal
behavior for him."
    "He hasn't been feeling well," she defended
Tim's actions.
    Denial always came first. "Yeah, and how are
you feeling?"
    She licked her lips then pursed them as she
eyed him with suspicion. "If he's contagious, I need to see a
doctor," she said in confusion and tears sprung to her eyes, making
them turn more blue than grey. Her hands shook as if she were
strung out and in need of a good fix.
    "Oh, you're good," he drawled.
    "What?"
    "All innocent and with tears even." Derek
aimed his crossbow at her chest. He couldn't go soft just because
she looked hot in her black-laced shirt that was just short enough
to show a bit of skin at her midriff, and damn it if the woman
didn't have the biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen. He'd been a
sucker for those eyes in high school and it proved no different
now.
    "Leave me alone," she cried and bolted for
the back door. She yanked it open and the dog came flying in like
an avenging angel.
    "Down boy," Derek ordered. He didn't want to
hurt the dog, but if it came to protecting his life, he would do
what he had to do.
    "Lad! No! Sit!" Sloane yelled the commands,
which further confused Derek. Lad halted his approach, sitting on
his haunches with a grunt and long drawn out whine.
    Derek lowered his weapon again, tucking it
under one arm. Sloane had style. He clapped his hands in slow
motion. "I bet your victims fell for your charms, too." He had to
keep her talking until backup showed up. He'd made a call the
minute she pulled into her driveway. Wade and Axel were on their
way here.
    "What are you talking about?" Her brows
furrowed. "What victims?"
    He almost believed her. "Mr. Wilkins, Mrs.
Wilkins…Kylie," he named just to gage her reaction, give him some
clue if she knew what was going on with Tim.
    "What happened to Tim's family? What are you
talking about?"
    "You and your boyfriend ripped their throats
out."
    All color drained from her face, making her
appear more ghostlike than like a potential vampire. "Noooo! You're
lying," she screamed at him. "Why would you say something so
horrible?"
    "You took out each member one by one," he
said.
    "No." She shook her head.
    "For God's sake, Kylie was only a child," he
continued without mercy.
    Sloane closed her eyes and covered her ears.
"Stop with your lies!"
    He moved then, fast, slamming the back door
closed with his foot and grabbing hold of her, yanking her arms
down so she'd have to hear him. "You ripped the child apart,
devoured her like an appetizer."
    The dog had moved behind him and growled, but
Derek ignored it. If the lab were going to attack, it would have
done so already.
    "Shut up!" she shouted. "That's not true."
Sloane hissed and her eyes turned red. The telltale sign he'd been
looking for. Derek threw her against the wall and pressed the
crossbow at her chest, but instead of her attacking him, she
panicked. Her arms raised in front of her. "Please…please, don't
hurt me."
    He hesitated. Then the truth of it slammed
into him like a sledgehammer. His arm lowered. "You truly don't
know what you are, do you?" he said more for his benefit than for
her to answer him.
    She cautiously lowered her hands and met his
gaze. Her eyes had resumed the beautiful blue shade once more.
    "Damn." He slid his hand through his hair.
How could she control the urge? Yet she had. She could have gone
for his throat, but she just