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)
Would we humans finally set aside our differences and see that we had way more in common than we thought?
It wasn’t that differences didn’t exist, but somehow we’d all been convinced to believe they outweighed our actual, and very real, similarities as human beings. We all wanted to thrive, to reach our God-given potential, to pursue our dreams, and to live safely from crime and violence. We wanted to raise our children in a world where they could love themselves exactly how they were, instead of feeling they had to change themselves to find happiness.
Would these divides fade away if everyone found out that we, humans, were not at the top of the food chain?
Made me wonder if vampires might be a blessing in disguise.
I burst out laughing. “Masie Kicklighter, your wagon wheels are loose. Vampires. A blessing. Pfft.”
The car pulled up, and a driver with cropped dark hair got out.
“You-you’re Ronnie’s friend.” I’d never forget the face.
“Was.” He opened the passenger door and waited for me to get in.
I didn’t budge. Mostly because I worried about this being a trap.
Probably noticing my horrified expression, he said, “Hey, I’m sorry for what Ronnie did to your friend. Okay?”
My friend and me. “Okay.” I stayed glued to my porch, thinking through options. Run inside and grab Betsy or get in.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said, “but I’m not a bad person.”
“Then why were you hangin’ out with that piece of trash?”
“Because Ronnie’d never done anything like that before. Something got into him. But he was a good friend. A good person.”
Good person? The Ronnie I’d met was a disgusting human being who had no problem accosting me in public and then committing murder.
“Please?” He jerked his head toward the open car door, urging me to get inside. “Stark won’t be pleased if we’re late.”
I had to decide between debating a dead man’s goodness or getting what I needed to run Stark out of town. Or kill him. In short, I had to stay focused.
Whatever the cost. Right, Masie? I slid into the back. The driver got behind the wheel, and we started our journey to wherever Stark planned to try to seduce me.
“What did you mean, something got into Ronnie?” I asked, feeling like it could lead to valuable information.
“We were on our way home from a day of fishing—a boys’ day out before Ronnie’s wedding. We stopped for gas in Leiper’s Fork, and Ronnie went to the bathroom. He came back acting all weird. Aggressive. Said he wanted to go across the street to your bar. He insisted.”
They’d been at Al’s gas station. Maybe Ronnie had the chili. “So he was a peace-loving hippie before that?” I asked.
“No, but he was active in the community, always volunteering and running fundraisers for the church. His dad was pretty active, too.”
I remember reading that Ronnie’s dad was a city councilman in Nashville. “Did something happen earlier? A fight with his fiancée? Did he eat anything strange that numbed his tongue?”
“Nope. We just went to the Rooster, and the moment he saw you, a switch flipped. I thought it was just nerves or something until he touched you. Then I knew something was up.”
That was suspicious. “What happened after you left? Where did you guys go?”
He watched the road for a long moment before answering. “I…don’t really remember. I just woke up a few nights later, and now I work for Stark.”
This was interesting. “And now you’re a vampire.”
“No.”
“So why are you workin’ for him?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Just feels like what I’m supposed to do.”
My mind spun, trying to figure out what all this meant. Especially when I tied it back to my uncle’s behavior this morning. “What’s your name?”
“Charlie.”
“Charlie, did you drink Stark’s blood?”
“Not that I recall.” He kept his eyes on the road.
It was possible he just didn’t remember. “So where are the rest of your friends from that night?”
“We all work for Stark.”
“And they’re all still human,” I guessed.
“Far as I know.”
Stark lied. He’d told me that he’d turned them, that he needed thugs.
I wondered if I could milk Charlie for more information. “What can you tell me about Mr. Stark? Has he ever mentioned being afraid of wood or silver? How about holy water?”
“Stark is a good man. You should give him a chance.”
I shook my head. He was using the same words as my uncle.
He added robotically, “He will make you happy. He is your fate.”
Yep. This was a dead end. Charlie had been brainwashed, too.
I sat silently, trying to keep my nerves at level-one calmness.
We turned down a long driveway and stopped at a security gate. “The country club?”
“Yes,” replied Charlie.
It wasn’t what I expected, but this was good. It meant I wouldn’t be alone with Stark.
Once we passed the gate, Charlie drove us up the hill to the restaurant and club. I’d never been here before. It was members only, and no one in my social circle golfed.