Read Online Wicked Memories (CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS) by Nina Bangs - Free Book Online
Authors: Nina Bangs
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hadn’t worked for the last two centuries to suppress his vampire responses, she wouldn’t survive the night. She’d seen through his disguise, so she was officially a threat to him now.
Thorn didn’t give her a chance to reply. He strode from the courtyard and slipped out of the park. He’d take the long way home. He didn’t want anyone to notice him entering Nirvana.
He moved silently through the night, staying close to the outside of the park’s wall where the shadows were deepest. Two hundred years of perfecting his impersonation of a human hadn’t rid him of his predatory instincts. He loved the darkness. And even though his hunts didn’t end in death anymore—even vampires evolved—Thorn still loved the pursuit, that electric moment when he finally cornered his prey. Sometimes, on very special nights, his prey would outsmart him. Those were the moments he lived for, when he could match wits with someone who understood a predator’s mind.
Speaking of matching wits, two people were following him. He’d picked up their footsteps, their heartbeats, their breathing about a minute ago. To make sure they really were after him, he stopped for a moment and pretended to root around in his pockets. They stopped too. This wouldn’t be one of those special nights, because the men stalking him were clumsy and overconfident. They weren’t human, but they thought he was. They’d be expecting weak and helpless. They were about to get an unpleasant surprise.
What were they after? Had Sparkle remembered him? Not likely with his different hair and eye color. Besides, as far as she knew, he’d been dead for centuries. And there was no way she’d connect him with the owner of Nirvana.
Time to find out what they wanted. He turned and peered into the darkness. Thorn could see them clearly, but they didn’t know that. “Is someone there?” Did he sound like a nervous human?
“Yes.” The voice was a low sibilant hiss.
Thorn tensed, a human reaction. He wanted them to keep thinking he was human until it was too late. “What do you want?”
They drew closer and Thorn recognized the same scent of the sea that he’d smelled on the two people in the hotel. Coincidence? He didn’t believe in coincidences.
Thorn put his back against the wall. They’d interpret his action as fear. He saw it as a defensive move, which would soon lead to a lot of offensive moves on his part.
Anticipation thrummed through him. He wanted to laugh out loud. A good fight would rid him of some of the aggression he’d built up during his first meeting with Sparkle. It might even take his mind off the mysterious Kayla.
Suddenly they were in front of him. Wow, they were big bastards. Probably depended on their size and strength to beat the hell out of opponents.
Not this time, dumbasses
. He waited.
The smaller one—about six-ten—spoke.
“We saw you come out of Nirvana and enter the castle. We hoped that you would return. Do you work at the pier?”
“Yes.” Thorn frowned. Stilted speech, as though he didn’t do much of it. Strange. He wished the guy would talk faster, though. He wanted to get to the good part where he kicked their stupid butts.
“Then you can take a message to your boss. He must close the pier down, sell it, and leave Galveston.” They edged a little closer.
Thorn narrowed his eyes. Now they were officially in his space. “Why?” He crouched, ready to make mush of their very ordinary faces.
“If he does not follow directions, he will die.”
Okay, Thorn could accept that as a reason for now. He’d find out the real reason later, once he’d stomped on their heads a few times.
“We will give you something to make sure you will remember our message.”
Thorn admitted it, he was a bigot. He didn’t trust anyone who never used contractions. And now they’d try to beat him to a pulp to make sure he delivered their “message.” Well, he was about to deliver his own message. He smiled.
Kayla saw that
Thorn didn’t give her a chance to reply. He strode from the courtyard and slipped out of the park. He’d take the long way home. He didn’t want anyone to notice him entering Nirvana.
He moved silently through the night, staying close to the outside of the park’s wall where the shadows were deepest. Two hundred years of perfecting his impersonation of a human hadn’t rid him of his predatory instincts. He loved the darkness. And even though his hunts didn’t end in death anymore—even vampires evolved—Thorn still loved the pursuit, that electric moment when he finally cornered his prey. Sometimes, on very special nights, his prey would outsmart him. Those were the moments he lived for, when he could match wits with someone who understood a predator’s mind.
Speaking of matching wits, two people were following him. He’d picked up their footsteps, their heartbeats, their breathing about a minute ago. To make sure they really were after him, he stopped for a moment and pretended to root around in his pockets. They stopped too. This wouldn’t be one of those special nights, because the men stalking him were clumsy and overconfident. They weren’t human, but they thought he was. They’d be expecting weak and helpless. They were about to get an unpleasant surprise.
What were they after? Had Sparkle remembered him? Not likely with his different hair and eye color. Besides, as far as she knew, he’d been dead for centuries. And there was no way she’d connect him with the owner of Nirvana.
Time to find out what they wanted. He turned and peered into the darkness. Thorn could see them clearly, but they didn’t know that. “Is someone there?” Did he sound like a nervous human?
“Yes.” The voice was a low sibilant hiss.
Thorn tensed, a human reaction. He wanted them to keep thinking he was human until it was too late. “What do you want?”
They drew closer and Thorn recognized the same scent of the sea that he’d smelled on the two people in the hotel. Coincidence? He didn’t believe in coincidences.
Thorn put his back against the wall. They’d interpret his action as fear. He saw it as a defensive move, which would soon lead to a lot of offensive moves on his part.
Anticipation thrummed through him. He wanted to laugh out loud. A good fight would rid him of some of the aggression he’d built up during his first meeting with Sparkle. It might even take his mind off the mysterious Kayla.
Suddenly they were in front of him. Wow, they were big bastards. Probably depended on their size and strength to beat the hell out of opponents.
Not this time, dumbasses
. He waited.
The smaller one—about six-ten—spoke.
“We saw you come out of Nirvana and enter the castle. We hoped that you would return. Do you work at the pier?”
“Yes.” Thorn frowned. Stilted speech, as though he didn’t do much of it. Strange. He wished the guy would talk faster, though. He wanted to get to the good part where he kicked their stupid butts.
“Then you can take a message to your boss. He must close the pier down, sell it, and leave Galveston.” They edged a little closer.
Thorn narrowed his eyes. Now they were officially in his space. “Why?” He crouched, ready to make mush of their very ordinary faces.
“If he does not follow directions, he will die.”
Okay, Thorn could accept that as a reason for now. He’d find out the real reason later, once he’d stomped on their heads a few times.
“We will give you something to make sure you will remember our message.”
Thorn admitted it, he was a bigot. He didn’t trust anyone who never used contractions. And now they’d try to beat him to a pulp to make sure he delivered their “message.” Well, he was about to deliver his own message. He smiled.
Kayla saw that
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