Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
He was partially right. I had been working way too hard, but right now, that wasn’t the reason my stomach felt like I’d scarfed on nachos from Al’s gas station.
I set the heavy box on the bar, glanced at my watch, and took a deep breath. Stark had said we’d know the outcome in an hour. That was ten minutes ago.
“You sure you guys can handle it?” I said.
“Sure. The kitchen closes in an hour.” Which meant business would start winding down soon.
“Call if anything comes up, okay?” I pointed over my shoulder. “I’m gonna find Jimmie in the warehouse and say good night. See you tomorrow.” Everyone assumed he was knee-deep in mash or mechanical parts since that was usually the case. He rarely hovered over us while we worked unless we were shorthanded.
“Night, Masie.”
“Night, Joe.” I made my way toward the warehouse, my feet feeling like they were weighed down by concrete blocks. I had no idea what I was going to find.
Earlier, we’d moved him to a room just off the main warehouse, where we stored the more expensive scotch. I approached slowly, listening for any signs of…vampire? Human? Would there be a difference?
I crept toward the door, looking over my shoulder. I still wasn’t sure if that third vampire was hiding out in the hole.
“Hello?” I knocked.
“You may enter,” Stark said.
I slowly opened the door. Sitting up on the floor was Jimmie.
I covered my mouth, holding in a sob. “Is he…?”
Stark flicked his wrist dismissively. “He is fine.”
“Human fine?”
“Yes.”
I rushed over and kneeled next to my uncle, throwing my arms around him. “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.”
“How about a thank you, Montgomery?” Stark said.
I flashed a quick glare at Stark. “Thank you.”
Jimmie mumbled something.
“What was that?” I asked.
“He is very disoriented,” Stark said. “He needs rest.”
“Jimmie, are you okay?” I asked.
He stared like he didn’t remember who I was.
“Like I said, he is disoriented. His body and mind are healing.”
“But he’ll return to normal, right?” I asked.
Stark shrugged. “May take a few days, but I believe so. These things are not an exact science.”
I gave Stark another hard look.
“Do not worry, Masie. The man will not become like me. Just as long as he is not fatally wounded in the near future,” he added.
“Sorry?”
“My blood will remain in his body for several months.”
“I don’t understand. You said if his heart rhythm remained steady, he wouldn’t turn.”
“Yes, but say he were severely injured…” Stark arched a brow. “If his heart nears death, he will turn.”
Uh-oh. “This is your insurance, isn’t it?”
“Whatever do you mean?” he said slyly.
I shook my head. Point for Stark. If I backed out of our agreement or crossed him in any way, he could just snap Jimmie’s neck and make him into a vampire.
Mothersucking sneaky…
“I’ll get him home.” I stood and helped Jimmie to his feet. Now, more than ever, my plan to run Stark out of town was critical. Clearly, he’d outmaneuvered me. He’d saved my uncle while also giving himself leverage against me. “Did you catch the third guy?” I asked.
“As promised.” Stark bowed his head.
“So no more vampires in town besides you.”
“I never said that.” He chuckled. “See you tomorrow night, Masie.”
I blinked, and Stark was gone.
“But I don’t know where you…live.” I guessed he would come find me when he was ready to begin our night together.
I just wished I knew what he’d meant. Were there really more of his kind in Leiper’s Fork?
Dear sweet Lord. They could be everywhere. Why hadn’t the thought crossed my mind until now? Montgomery Stark and these three vampires might be the tip of the iceberg.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I got my uncle home and tucked into bed, where he passed out immediately.
I put a tall glass of water on his nightstand along with his cell phone, where I left a note for him to call if he needed even the smallest thing. Otherwise, I’d come by in a few hours to feed his chickens and make breakfast. First, I needed to go home and sleep, even if only a few hours. My mind felt like mashed potatoes, minus Mamma’s delicious gravy. Ain’t nothing good in my head right now.
I put on my white silk PJs, which I reserved for emergencies only—aka very bad days—and slid into bed. But every time I closed my eyes, images of Jimmie’s gushing neck came back to me. Then there was the anxiety of knowing I’d be spending tonight with Montgomery Stark, and he’d made it clear he was after sex.
Did vampires even make love like normal people? Did they bite during the act? Could a human get pregnant from the other kind of “vampire sauce” like I’d seen in movies?
Sickening thoughts of giving birth to some ghostly fanged baby who drank bottled blood stampeded through me.
“Jesus.” I sat up, pushing back my damp hair. I needed to wrangle myself in.