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

from him, attempting to run,
but it was useless. He was upon her in a second, spinning her
around to face him and slamming her against the kitchen counter.
She ignored the sudden jar to her body and pushed at his chest, but
he was so strong…so very strong. "Let me go, Tim." His fangs
lengthened. "Oh God, no!" She would have screamed but a deep
baritone voice, from somewhere behind Tim, halted her cries.
    "I believe the lady asked you to let her
go."
    Tim's body went rigid as if rigor mortis had
set in and turned his body to stone.
    Curiosity proved too strong and she chanced a
peek around Tim's shoulder. A man with dark reddish brown hair and
eyes as green as a cats stood there in the archway of her kitchen
with a medieval crossbow aimed at Tim's back.
    This time she did scream.

Chapter Four
    Derek thought it would be a quick catch and
snatch for interrogation, but he hadn't expected Sloane McBride to
be fighting off her vampire boyfriend. "I said back away," he
warned Tim again.
    Tim swung around, pushing Sloane away from
him as he lunged with a hiss.
    This is why shooting first and making demands
later was usually his motto. He let the arrow fly, but it went wild
as Tim plowed into him, sending him flying into the wall. The arrow
slammed into the cupboard door above Sloane's head and she screamed
again. He really wished she wouldn't do that.
    He lost his grip on the crossbow from the
tackle and it slid over the tile floor, bouncing off one of the
kitchen table's legs. Tim slammed him against the wall again. The
picture hanging above him fell to the ground and glass rained
around him like sharp razor blades.
    Tim proved unnaturally strong even for a
newbie. He must have fed not long ago, but thank God for small
favors. He was still getting use to his new supercharged limbs that
had grown in size. All vampires—originals and hybrids went through
a growth spurt. They were taller and more muscular, and of course
the hybrids got spanking new set of fangs just like their creators.
Unfortunately, the hybrids also lost their sense of right and wrong
if they weren't fed blood immediately. They had no self-control
when it came to feeding. Blood was first and foremost the
priority.
    "Stop it, Tim!" Sloane yelled. She obviously
had not grasped that the Tim she knew no longer existed. At least
not in the capacity she'd remembered. Derek pushed the heel of his
hand into the guy's jaw, trying to shove him away before fangs sunk
into his flesh. With his other hand he fumbled to find something to
hit the vamp with. He managed to get a hold of a glass shard. He
jabbed it into the side of Tim's neck. Tim leapt away like a spider
springing up its web, but he screamed like a wounded beast. Instead
of attacking again, he chose escape and dashed toward the front
door.
    Derek leapt to his feet and lunged for his
crossbow. He loaded and rolled to get off a shot, but he was too
late. Tim was gone.
    The dog in the backyard continued its
excessive barking and scratched at the door.
    "Omigod, omigod!" Sloane kept repeating the
word as if she expected the Lord almighty to explain what had just
happened.
    No such luck.
    Derek stood, but remained cautious. He still
wasn't sure if she'd been infected and this was only a ruse.
    "Let me see your teeth," he demanded of
her.
    "What?" At least his demand gave her a new
lease on vocabulary.
    "Teeth. Let me see them," he repeated and
gestured with his crossbow.
    With obvious protest, she grinned like the
Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland . Then closed her
mouth again. No fangs. His gaze landed on her neck. A slight
discoloration of her skin and two distinctive pinpricks marred her
flesh.
    "When did your boyfriend bite you?"
    Her hand flew to her neck and her face
flushed crimson. "I need you to leave," she demanded and edged away
from him.
    He was torn. He could lower his weapon and
make nice, but she'd been bitten. She was infected.
    But she was fighting off Tim.
    She hadn't been under his command.
    She