The Fangs of Bloodhaven Read Online Free PDF Page B

replying.
    Everett set a foot on the bottom step.
    “Evy, Evy!” Izzy shrieked. The little four year old blew through the door, slamming it open behind her. Everett dropped to one knee and caught her. She clung to him, her fists knotted tightly in his striped shirt. “I thought you weren’t coming back.”
    Everett smoothed the little girl’s frizzy brown hair. “Of course I came back,” he reassured her. “I couldn’t leave my girl.”
    He glanced at Adrielle. She gave him an amused smile.
    Everett nodded at her. “Izzy, this is Adrielle. Adrielle, Izzy.”
    The little girl jumped down and gave Adrielle a small, surprisingly skilled, curtsy. “Pleased to meet you.”
    Everett stared at her. “Where did you learn that?”
    Izzy shrugged. “I’ve been watching lots of princess movies. It’s the proper way to say hello.” She grinned at Adrielle. “I like your hair.” With that, she turned and dashed back inside as quickly as she had appeared. They heard her yell, “Evy’s home, Mommy! Evy’s home!”
    “Get ready,” Everett said under his breath.
    “For what?” Adrielle asked, her expression apprehensive.
    The door burst open again and four kids ran out. Everett let two of them tackle him around the waist. He fell backwards on the grass and the other two landed on top of him. He tickled the boys, twins with floppy, curly blond hair, and pretended to let the other two win. Pinned beneath the four of them, he gave Adrielle a self-suffering smile.
    “Adrielle, meet Finch, Gabe, Hadley, and Donavan.”
    Finch and Gabe, the twins, smiled at her, revealing the fact that both of them were missing their front teeth. Hadley, the little five-year-old redhead, ducked behind Donavan at the realization that there was a stranger in their yard. Donavan stood and held out a hand.
    “Pleased to meet you,” he said. He winked at Everett. “It’s not every day Rett brings home a girl.”
    Everett rolled his eyes. The other boy grinned.
    Adrielle glanced at Everett and shook Donavan’s hand.
    “Pleased to meet you, too,” she replied, her tone uncertain.
    Donavan lowered his voice. “As Rett’s older brother, it’s my duty to inform you that he’s a vampire.”
    “Donny,” Everett said with exasperation.
    Donavan shrugged. “What? She has a right to know.”
    “It’s not exactly an opener,” Everett pointed out.
    “And I do know,” Adrielle told him. “But thank you.”
    Donovan nodded and gave Everett an I-told-you-so look.
    Hadley, apparently over his shyness, tugged on the edge of Adrielle’s shirt. At his beseeching look, she crouched so that they were eye level. “What is it?” she asked, fighting back a smile at his solemnness.
    He put his hands around her ear and whispered something Everett couldn’t hear.
    “That’s good,” she said.
    Hadley nodded again, his blue eyes filled with all the seriousness a five-year-old could muster.
    “Dinner,” a voice called from inside the house.
    “Dinner!” Hadley echoed.
    The little boy grabbed Gabe and Finch’s hands and pulled the six year old twins toward the house. Donavan followed them inside. He paused at the top step and gave Everett a searching look.
    “Mom was up all night worried about you. You gave her quite the scare.”
    Guilt filled Everett. “Thanks for the head’s up,” he replied.
    Donavan grinned. “Also, nice shirt.” He disappeared inside.
    “Is that all of them?” Adrielle asked.
    “Not by a long shot,” Everett told her. At her flustered look, he smiled and motioned to the front door. “Shall we?”
    “If you say so,” she replied.
    He went up the steps and crossed the wide porch. Pausing at the door, Everett glanced back at Adrielle.
    “What did Hadley say to you?”
    Adrielle smiled as if she couldn’t help herself. “He said you weren’t going to drink my blood, so I didn’t have to be afraid.”
    Everett fought back a smile and pulled the door open so she could enter. “Welcome to the Masterson