The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride Read Online Free
Author: Kristen Painter
romance-novel-reading, tween-movie-watching women. They’ve had a big hand in making our town a success.”
“And Julian’s love life, once he learned to spray himself with glitter.”
She pinched her lips together. “That aside, their money is just as green as yours, so have some respect.”
“I do respect them. And their business.” He sighed. “Is she a vampire?”
“No, but she’s willing to convert.”
“You know how I feel about that.” And he wondered whether this woman was really seeking a husband or the chance at immortality. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d encountered such a person. Live as long as he had and nothing would surprise you. He decided right then that this woman wasn’t going to get the big vampire show out of him. He was going to play it straight-up mortal. See how that appealed to her.
“I do, but let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“So in a month, when she’s not the right one either, what then? Will you leave me alone and let me live my life with no more threats to take away my amulet?”
She exhaled a long, exasperated sigh. “I suppose I’ll have no choice.”
“Good.” He stood up, still angry, but at least this insanity had an expiration date. “Thirty days cannot pass soon enough.”
Delaney woke with a start, the rumble from an eighteen-wheeler fading as the enormous vehicle passed her car on its way out of the rest stop. Captain Underpants was wound into a snug little ball on her stomach. Delaney yawned and pulled the lever to bring the seat back to an upright position, causing Captain to slide to her lap.
Sleep had started to get the better of her as she’d crossed into Georgia, and though she had only a little farther to go, she’d pulled over for a quick nap. “Move, Cappy. Mama’s got to get us back on the road.” She hefted the cat onto the passenger’s seat.
She checked her phone, taking it off silent. She’d been asleep a little over an hour. During that hour, she’d gotten three messages.
All from Anthony Rastinelli.
D, call in when u can. I changed the schedule. Yeah, she bet he’d changed it.
D, need 2 hear from u asap. Of course he did. He wanted to know what she’d seen.
D, how’d you like 2 b new manager? Let’s talk promotion!
“Hah! He really thinks that’s going to work to keep me quiet? Like I don’t know the only people who get promoted in that place are family.” She looked at Captain Underpants, who was currently engaged in cat yoga on the seat beside her, licking his back leg. “You’d think a mobster could come up with something better than that.”
She fired up the navigation on her phone, made sure her destination was still plugged in, then hit Start. Three hours and they’d be there.
She stared into the trees lining the berm on the rest stop’s edge. The idea of pretending to be someone else and passing as some guy’s perfect, arranged match was insane, but her desire not to end up as another victim of Anthony Rastinelli’s was stronger.
On her drive out of New York last night, she’d stopped for gas and found what might have been the last working payphone in the tri-state area. She’d used it (and all of her spare change) to call the cops and report what she’d seen. She’d sent them the video she’d taken too, right after she’d emailed a copy to herself for safe keeping. But the cops’ response had been a lot less interested than she’d expected.
Maybe that would change when they found Benny’s body.
A cold realization swept her. What if they didn’t find Benny’s corpse? Wasn’t the Mafia good at hiding bodies? What if they dumped him in the East River? Or maybe Rastinelli had a cop on the take? It might never be safe for her to go home.
She bit her lip and glanced in the rearview mirror to see the stuff she’d brought with her. Besides supplies for Captain (including the litter box on the floor in the backseat), she’d brought her laptop, a suitcase full of clothes and
“And Julian’s love life, once he learned to spray himself with glitter.”
She pinched her lips together. “That aside, their money is just as green as yours, so have some respect.”
“I do respect them. And their business.” He sighed. “Is she a vampire?”
“No, but she’s willing to convert.”
“You know how I feel about that.” And he wondered whether this woman was really seeking a husband or the chance at immortality. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d encountered such a person. Live as long as he had and nothing would surprise you. He decided right then that this woman wasn’t going to get the big vampire show out of him. He was going to play it straight-up mortal. See how that appealed to her.
“I do, but let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“So in a month, when she’s not the right one either, what then? Will you leave me alone and let me live my life with no more threats to take away my amulet?”
She exhaled a long, exasperated sigh. “I suppose I’ll have no choice.”
“Good.” He stood up, still angry, but at least this insanity had an expiration date. “Thirty days cannot pass soon enough.”
Delaney woke with a start, the rumble from an eighteen-wheeler fading as the enormous vehicle passed her car on its way out of the rest stop. Captain Underpants was wound into a snug little ball on her stomach. Delaney yawned and pulled the lever to bring the seat back to an upright position, causing Captain to slide to her lap.
Sleep had started to get the better of her as she’d crossed into Georgia, and though she had only a little farther to go, she’d pulled over for a quick nap. “Move, Cappy. Mama’s got to get us back on the road.” She hefted the cat onto the passenger’s seat.
She checked her phone, taking it off silent. She’d been asleep a little over an hour. During that hour, she’d gotten three messages.
All from Anthony Rastinelli.
D, call in when u can. I changed the schedule. Yeah, she bet he’d changed it.
D, need 2 hear from u asap. Of course he did. He wanted to know what she’d seen.
D, how’d you like 2 b new manager? Let’s talk promotion!
“Hah! He really thinks that’s going to work to keep me quiet? Like I don’t know the only people who get promoted in that place are family.” She looked at Captain Underpants, who was currently engaged in cat yoga on the seat beside her, licking his back leg. “You’d think a mobster could come up with something better than that.”
She fired up the navigation on her phone, made sure her destination was still plugged in, then hit Start. Three hours and they’d be there.
She stared into the trees lining the berm on the rest stop’s edge. The idea of pretending to be someone else and passing as some guy’s perfect, arranged match was insane, but her desire not to end up as another victim of Anthony Rastinelli’s was stronger.
On her drive out of New York last night, she’d stopped for gas and found what might have been the last working payphone in the tri-state area. She’d used it (and all of her spare change) to call the cops and report what she’d seen. She’d sent them the video she’d taken too, right after she’d emailed a copy to herself for safe keeping. But the cops’ response had been a lot less interested than she’d expected.
Maybe that would change when they found Benny’s body.
A cold realization swept her. What if they didn’t find Benny’s corpse? Wasn’t the Mafia good at hiding bodies? What if they dumped him in the East River? Or maybe Rastinelli had a cop on the take? It might never be safe for her to go home.
She bit her lip and glanced in the rearview mirror to see the stuff she’d brought with her. Besides supplies for Captain (including the litter box on the floor in the backseat), she’d brought her laptop, a suitcase full of clothes and
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