Oliver's Hunger (Scanguards Vampires #7) Read Online Free Page A

making her glance at the bolts that secured it to the building. It was too dark to see much, but she would bet that the metal was rusty.
    Grabbing the handrail, she took her first hesitant step, then another one. Then she set a foot on the metal ladder, descending one story, then another. At the second floor, she stopped. The ladder came to an end. Panicked she surveyed the platform, then discovered a stack of metal that appeared as if it was a ladder that had been gathered up. She kicked her foot against it, but it didn’t move. Shouldn’t it go all the way down to the ground?
    Gingerly, she stepped on it, putting more weight onto what appeared to be the bottom step. Her hand grabbed the rail next to her, and underneath her fingers she felt a hook. She pulled on it.
    All hell broke loose. The ladder released instantly, coming down with a loud thump, taking her with it as her feet continued resting on the last step. The freefall made adrenaline race through her veins, but seconds later she came to a dead stop, jerking her body forward. A metal rod snapped, slicing into her upper arm. Pain radiated through her, and she slammed her hand over the wound, trying to soothe the pain away.
    But there was no time to lose now. The vampires would have heard the noise and would investigate.
    Blindly, she ran out of the alley and into the next street. She didn’t know where she was. When she and the other girls had been brought to this place it had been night, and they had been herded from a dark windowless truck into the building without getting a chance at seeing their surroundings. She didn’t even know what city she was in.
    Passing by a sign for an import/export company, she dashed into the next street, running as fast as she could. The streets were deserted, as if the area wasn’t frequented by humans. Somewhere in the distance she heard cars, but still she saw nobody.
    As she ran, she tried to take in her surroundings and make mental notes of street signs and buildings she passed.
    Her lungs burned from exhaustion, her arm hurt from its encounter with the metal rod, and she could still feel blood trickling down her neck. If she couldn’t close those wounds soon, she’d bleed out. She had to find help. At the same time she had to get away as far as possible from her captors, because they were like bloodhounds. They would smell her blood and be able to track her down.
    Turning into the next street, she didn’t slow her furious sprint. She was running on empty, and she knew it. But she wouldn’t give up. She’d come this far, and freedom was just around the next corner. She couldn’t let it slip through her fingers. Not when she was so close.
    Before her eyes, everything became blurred, and she realized instantly that the blood loss was robbing her of her remaining strength. She stumbled, then caught herself. Her hands got hold of something soft. Thick fabric. Her fingers clawed at it, then hands pulled her up.
    “What the fuck?” a male voice cursed.
    “Help me,” she begged. “They’re after me. They’re hunting me.”
    “Leave me alone,” the stranger ordered and held her away at arm’s length.
    She lifted her head and looked at him for the first time. He was young, barely older than herself. Attractive too, if she could even make that kind of judgment in her foggy state of mind. His hair was dark and somewhat ruffled, his eyes piercing, his lips full and red.
    Despite his words, he hadn’t let go of her arms, supporting her weight which would have made her knees buckle otherwise.
    Looking straight into his stunning blue eyes, she pleaded again, “Help me, please, I’ll give you anything you want. Just get me out of here. To the next police station. Please!”
    She needed help. Not just for herself, but also for the other girls. They had promised each other that whoever managed to escape would send help for the others.
    His eyes narrowed a fraction as his forehead creased. His nostrils flared. “What’s