her hands and clothes orange. Great. She’d just bought this shirt.
No matter how quietly she tried to slide the chain through the door handles, it made an ungodly racket. As it clanked its way to the ground, she bit her lip and froze. The hairs on her arms prickled. Her breath stilled. Who had heard the raucous sound? Seconds passed like hours as she waited for the attack. Her lungs ached for air and it still didn’t come. Maybe they’d truly escaped.
There are werewolves, too . . .
Releasing her breath, Jane reached for the handle. Her hands shook like leaves, making the simple move almost impossible. They weren’t safe. They had fricking werewolves to worry about. Of course, because everyone knew vampires weren’t enough.
“I hate you,” she muttered in Slade’s direction. Kicking clods of dirt out of the way, she hauled the doors across the uneven ground. She hid behind the door for a second, just in case any four-legged inhabitants decided to take a shot at freedom. The one thing she didn’t need was to end up in the emergency room, getting rabies shots. She checked the top of the doorjamb. She also didn’t need a heart attack from a spider dropping on her head. The wisps of web floating about looked old and flimsy. No self-respecting spider would take up residence in them. She pulled open the second door without incident. Maybe her luck was turning.
It was dark inside the structure. Dark enough to make her uneasy. Dark enough to make Slade happy. At least she hoped that was all it would take to make him happy. Grabbing the flashlight from her waistband, she shone it into the interior. It was a big hollow place made even bigger by the dark corners. Too dark corners. A flick of the flashlight revealed why. The two side windows were painted black. Probably to discourage burglars, but it suited her purposes.
“Perfect.” The place was about perfect.
Against the far back wall there were two stalls with a large, built-in metal and wooden box between them. The box could be her salvation. She hurried over, that sense of urgency still pushing at her. It didn’t look as big close up, but—she glanced back at the car—if Slade could tuck his knees to his chin, he might fit. A sunbeam slipped through the cracks of the old structure and tickled the corner of the box. As the sun rose, there would be more stray beams. That box would be Slade’s sanctuary. All she had to do was get him there.
Hurrying back to the car, the sense of danger looming right along with her panic, Jane made her mental list. First and foremost she had to get Slade in the box. Then she had to hide the car. Lastly, she had to hide any sign they’d been there. No problem.
Maybe not joining the Girl Scouts in her youth had been a mistake. Her outdoor skills were at an abysmal low. With another quick glance around—she was beginning to feel like the need was a tic—she eased open the driver door.
“We’re in luck.”
“That would be a nice change.”
Yes it would. Sunbeams battled to invade the car. Jane imagined she could smell flesh burning. “Are you okay back there.”
“Just toasty.”
“Now is not the time for jokes.”
“You tell me when there is a better one.”
She shook her head and smiled despite herself. “After I get you in the box.”
“A box?”
She turned the key in the ignition. The engine purred to life. “Don’t sound so freaked. Don’t vampires sleep in coffins?”
“Only in the movies.”
The car eased forward. “So what do you sleep in?”
There was a pause before he answered, and when he did, his voice rose and fell in an uneven cadence. “A nice big bed.”
Jane inched the vehicle forward. It was going to be a tight fit through the doorway. “A vampire who loves his creature comforts, eh?”
“Damn straight.”
The right mirror caught on the jamb and snapped against the car frame as it was designed to do. She jumped anyway. “Well, since the sun isn’t having any trouble coming
No matter how quietly she tried to slide the chain through the door handles, it made an ungodly racket. As it clanked its way to the ground, she bit her lip and froze. The hairs on her arms prickled. Her breath stilled. Who had heard the raucous sound? Seconds passed like hours as she waited for the attack. Her lungs ached for air and it still didn’t come. Maybe they’d truly escaped.
There are werewolves, too . . .
Releasing her breath, Jane reached for the handle. Her hands shook like leaves, making the simple move almost impossible. They weren’t safe. They had fricking werewolves to worry about. Of course, because everyone knew vampires weren’t enough.
“I hate you,” she muttered in Slade’s direction. Kicking clods of dirt out of the way, she hauled the doors across the uneven ground. She hid behind the door for a second, just in case any four-legged inhabitants decided to take a shot at freedom. The one thing she didn’t need was to end up in the emergency room, getting rabies shots. She checked the top of the doorjamb. She also didn’t need a heart attack from a spider dropping on her head. The wisps of web floating about looked old and flimsy. No self-respecting spider would take up residence in them. She pulled open the second door without incident. Maybe her luck was turning.
It was dark inside the structure. Dark enough to make her uneasy. Dark enough to make Slade happy. At least she hoped that was all it would take to make him happy. Grabbing the flashlight from her waistband, she shone it into the interior. It was a big hollow place made even bigger by the dark corners. Too dark corners. A flick of the flashlight revealed why. The two side windows were painted black. Probably to discourage burglars, but it suited her purposes.
“Perfect.” The place was about perfect.
Against the far back wall there were two stalls with a large, built-in metal and wooden box between them. The box could be her salvation. She hurried over, that sense of urgency still pushing at her. It didn’t look as big close up, but—she glanced back at the car—if Slade could tuck his knees to his chin, he might fit. A sunbeam slipped through the cracks of the old structure and tickled the corner of the box. As the sun rose, there would be more stray beams. That box would be Slade’s sanctuary. All she had to do was get him there.
Hurrying back to the car, the sense of danger looming right along with her panic, Jane made her mental list. First and foremost she had to get Slade in the box. Then she had to hide the car. Lastly, she had to hide any sign they’d been there. No problem.
Maybe not joining the Girl Scouts in her youth had been a mistake. Her outdoor skills were at an abysmal low. With another quick glance around—she was beginning to feel like the need was a tic—she eased open the driver door.
“We’re in luck.”
“That would be a nice change.”
Yes it would. Sunbeams battled to invade the car. Jane imagined she could smell flesh burning. “Are you okay back there.”
“Just toasty.”
“Now is not the time for jokes.”
“You tell me when there is a better one.”
She shook her head and smiled despite herself. “After I get you in the box.”
“A box?”
She turned the key in the ignition. The engine purred to life. “Don’t sound so freaked. Don’t vampires sleep in coffins?”
“Only in the movies.”
The car eased forward. “So what do you sleep in?”
There was a pause before he answered, and when he did, his voice rose and fell in an uneven cadence. “A nice big bed.”
Jane inched the vehicle forward. It was going to be a tight fit through the doorway. “A vampire who loves his creature comforts, eh?”
“Damn straight.”
The right mirror caught on the jamb and snapped against the car frame as it was designed to do. She jumped anyway. “Well, since the sun isn’t having any trouble coming
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