Younger, Bree - Burn [All American Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF Page A

taking great effort. But he mumbled something again, his voice low and strained, and Libby couldn’t ignore his palpable distress. She scooted around so that she was on her knees halfway between the bucket seats, looking down at him. His eyes were closed tight so she bent closer. “What? Can you tell me? What is it?”
    “No hospital. Somewhere dark. Out of the sun. It hurts. Please. So thirsty.” She rose upright and looked down at him, perplexed. She knew he needed a hospital, but she hadn’t been able to completely block out the sun from the SUV. His skin was so red and raw looking, and she realized it had to be excruciating to feel even the little bit of heat that was beating through the thin cotton of the shirts she’d hung up. Checking her watch she saw that it was now almost one. The sun wouldn’t be down for another four or five hours. Could she risk waiting that long to get him medical treatment? She was completely unfamiliar with the area. Was there a nearby hospital or clinic? And it was the weekend. Any small clinic or doctor’s office would probably be closed. She couldn’t just drive around aimlessly looking for someone to help him. And he would be in such unbearable pain. Waiting until the sun had gone down a bit more might not be a bad idea.
    The nearest hospital she knew of was at least an hour away. Maybe more. She glanced at him again. His eyes were open and boring into hers. The agony in them cut through her like a knife.
    “Please. Dark. Get me somewhere dark. No hospital.” His eyes pleaded with her.
    She knew he had a point and finally nodded in agreement. The relief that came into his eyes was clear. “We’ve got to get away from here, but as soon as I think it’s safe, I’ll look for some place we can rest for a bit. Okay? But only for a few minutes to get you more comfortable. Okay? But then I’m going to have to get you to a hospital.” At her words, he closed his eyes, and she sat back down and began driving slowly back the way she had come.

    * * * *

    Ty tried to hold back a moan as the truck hit another bump. Son of a bitch. The pain was a constant thing, eating at his self-control, and the sun beating through the windows only added to the agony. He kept shifting around, trying to stay in the shade as much as possible, but it was difficult with the twisting and turning the truck was doing and the limited space he was in.
    Who was the woman, and where was she taking him? Hell, he could barely think at all beyond the need for dark and blood. All his energy, all his effort must be focused on relieving the pain before it drove him insane. He needed blood. He needed it bad. And as far as he could tell, she was the only source on hand.
    He could hear her talking, whether to reassure him or herself, he wasn’t quite sure. She kept up a steady stream of “It’ll be all right” and “not much further now” interspersed with the occasional “silver linings.” He had to hand it to her, though. Whoever she was, she was a tough little thing.
    They hit a particularly hard bump, and he couldn’t hold back a loud, “Fuck!” What the hell was she doing, trying to hit every damn bump in the area?
    “I’m sorry. I’m sooooo sorry.” Hearing the guilt in her voice, he vowed to keep his pain to himself. She was obviously doing all she could.
    He thought he could tell when they finally reached the road. There were fewer bumps, and, after a while, the speed of the vehicle picked up. He wasn’t sure how long it was before the truck slowed.
    “There’s an old barn up ahead. It looks deserted. I think I can pull the truck inside and get you out of the sun. Hold on. I’ve gotta go across some rough terrain again.”
    At last the torturous ride ended. He heard the woman getting out and the sound of creaking hinges. Then she was back in the vehicle and pulling it into blessed darkness
    As he lay there, he tried to think about anything but the pain of his burns and his desperate need for