Read Online Charleston Past Midnight by Christine Edwards - Free Book Online
Authors: Christine Edwards
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thieves to stay away from Charleston’s harbor. When they strung them up in the summer … now that was downright nasty. The smell would carry all the way up to Broad Street, and I won’t even get into the seagulls.”
She wrinkles her nose in disgust and murmurs, “Ew, glad I wasn’t even born yet. That’s just wrong .”
Ambrose shrugs casually, “Served its purpose. Made them think twice about trying to steal shit from Charleston.”
The massive Brit has seen so much carnage in both lives that he’s seemingly unaffected by it. I wonder sometimes how he can be so detached, but most likely it’s his primary coping mechanism for the continuous butchery he was exposed to even as a young man.
“Everything good, Case?”
“Yup.”
He cracks his neck twice, squares his shoulders and waits. Aside from the brief encounter at Mixture, he’s never crossed paths with Valdon and his crew. I know that he won’t make impulsive decisions, though. Case is solid. We’ve all agreed on this.
In the blink of an eye they arrive, standing silently before us. Time to get down to business.
Valdon smiles placidly and strides across the grass toward me, wisely stopping ten feet away. “There is something you need, Severin?”
“There is nothing I need from you.”
He grins coldly. “I see. Not yet, anyway.”
I cut to the chase, not interested in being drawn into his mind games. “Stay away from the human woman. The one from the club.”
He laughs heartily and looks back over each shoulder toward his men in open amusement. “Are you attempting to give me an order?”
In a flat tone I say, “You heard what I said.”
He tilts his head, smiling arrogantly at me before he says in a stern voice, “No. She knows what we are and on top of that she is a seer. Because of that fact alone, she is extremely valuable to me. I will have her, Severin, and be warned: I will stop at nothing to do so.”
The air leaves my lungs as if I have received a quick jab to my gut. My worst fear has just been verbalized. I knew the instant she told me about her visions that she was in extreme danger, and to hear the one vampire on the planet that is a threat to me acknowledge it makes my blood boil like lava in my veins.
“She’s mine.” I glare at him as I grind the words out. My fangs have already dropped from the vibrating threat of violence.
“Ah, Severin, nothing ever changes between us, does it? Yet again we find ourselves in direct conflict over a female.”
“No, we don’t, Valdon. Katerina was different and you know it.”
I’ve pushed him too far. I can see it as his eyes flash and then narrow. He growls low, “Katerina was mine!”
I take a step toward the massive vampire and give it right back, “Katerina was never yours and you know it!”
He’s livid and looks as if he’s poised to attack but changes his mind, saying menacingly, “Turn her soon, Severin, or you can be sure that I will.”
No one dictates to me. Ever.
“You realize, Valdon, that you have violated the truce we had in place.”
“For her abilities, it’s worth the conflict with you.”
I stare directly into his eyes. “I’ll never let you have her.”
His voice is measured yet confident as he says, “Now that is a very arrogant statement to make, Severin. Good luck with such an impossible task.”
They disappear in a flash and I feel like the weight of a 747 is pressing down on me.
Case growls low, “ That fucker needs to be chained up in a cage and dumped into the harbor.”
I turn around to face Ambrose as he asks angrily, “Why didn’t you tell us she is a seer? You had to know he would stop at nothing to have her untapped power under his control.”
“I was waiting to see if he knew. I’m trying to protect her. I want her to stay human.”
He shakes his head back and forth as he says solemnly, “We both know that’s not even a remote possibility now. I’ve never seen him so furious—in fact, I didn’t know the tosser
She wrinkles her nose in disgust and murmurs, “Ew, glad I wasn’t even born yet. That’s just wrong .”
Ambrose shrugs casually, “Served its purpose. Made them think twice about trying to steal shit from Charleston.”
The massive Brit has seen so much carnage in both lives that he’s seemingly unaffected by it. I wonder sometimes how he can be so detached, but most likely it’s his primary coping mechanism for the continuous butchery he was exposed to even as a young man.
“Everything good, Case?”
“Yup.”
He cracks his neck twice, squares his shoulders and waits. Aside from the brief encounter at Mixture, he’s never crossed paths with Valdon and his crew. I know that he won’t make impulsive decisions, though. Case is solid. We’ve all agreed on this.
In the blink of an eye they arrive, standing silently before us. Time to get down to business.
Valdon smiles placidly and strides across the grass toward me, wisely stopping ten feet away. “There is something you need, Severin?”
“There is nothing I need from you.”
He grins coldly. “I see. Not yet, anyway.”
I cut to the chase, not interested in being drawn into his mind games. “Stay away from the human woman. The one from the club.”
He laughs heartily and looks back over each shoulder toward his men in open amusement. “Are you attempting to give me an order?”
In a flat tone I say, “You heard what I said.”
He tilts his head, smiling arrogantly at me before he says in a stern voice, “No. She knows what we are and on top of that she is a seer. Because of that fact alone, she is extremely valuable to me. I will have her, Severin, and be warned: I will stop at nothing to do so.”
The air leaves my lungs as if I have received a quick jab to my gut. My worst fear has just been verbalized. I knew the instant she told me about her visions that she was in extreme danger, and to hear the one vampire on the planet that is a threat to me acknowledge it makes my blood boil like lava in my veins.
“She’s mine.” I glare at him as I grind the words out. My fangs have already dropped from the vibrating threat of violence.
“Ah, Severin, nothing ever changes between us, does it? Yet again we find ourselves in direct conflict over a female.”
“No, we don’t, Valdon. Katerina was different and you know it.”
I’ve pushed him too far. I can see it as his eyes flash and then narrow. He growls low, “Katerina was mine!”
I take a step toward the massive vampire and give it right back, “Katerina was never yours and you know it!”
He’s livid and looks as if he’s poised to attack but changes his mind, saying menacingly, “Turn her soon, Severin, or you can be sure that I will.”
No one dictates to me. Ever.
“You realize, Valdon, that you have violated the truce we had in place.”
“For her abilities, it’s worth the conflict with you.”
I stare directly into his eyes. “I’ll never let you have her.”
His voice is measured yet confident as he says, “Now that is a very arrogant statement to make, Severin. Good luck with such an impossible task.”
They disappear in a flash and I feel like the weight of a 747 is pressing down on me.
Case growls low, “ That fucker needs to be chained up in a cage and dumped into the harbor.”
I turn around to face Ambrose as he asks angrily, “Why didn’t you tell us she is a seer? You had to know he would stop at nothing to have her untapped power under his control.”
“I was waiting to see if he knew. I’m trying to protect her. I want her to stay human.”
He shakes his head back and forth as he says solemnly, “We both know that’s not even a remote possibility now. I’ve never seen him so furious—in fact, I didn’t know the tosser
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