Read Online Younger, Bree - Burn [All American Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Bree Younger - Free Book Online Page B

answered truthfully. He wasn’t going to start lying to her. She was just going to have to take him as he was. “Yes. Yes, I have killed. I’m not going to lie. I’ve killed to protect myself and my family.” And other instances that he thought it better not to mention just yet. “Also, I’m a Council Shield.”
    “What?”
    “Like a cop. A vampire cop.”
    “Oh.” She looked as though she didn’t quite believe him.
    Damn it, he didn’t have time for this. “Lib, you have to believe me. I am not going to hurt you. I do not go around killing humans for no reason. Most vampires don’t kill. If we did, it would be very hard to keep our existence a secret, don’t you think? But there are vampires who do kill. Who have no conscience. Like some humans. Those vampires, the ones who tied me up and tried to kill me, they’re out there somewhere. And they are bad. They are really bad. But I’m not. I swear to you. Please believe me. We have got to work together to get out of this situation, or we will not survive.”
    She stared at him, unblinking, as if thinking over what he had told her.
    He leaned forward. “Look, Lib. I know this is a lot to take in. And normally, I wouldn’t try to rush you. But we just don’t have time for you to have another meltdown right now. Not if we’re going to live. Those other vampires who are after us will not stop.”
    Her eyes widened. “After us ? What are you talking about?”
    “They came back to check and make sure I was dead, Lib. And they know now that I didn’t die like I was supposed to. They know I escaped and that someone helped me. I can identify them. They can’t let us go.”
    He could see her throat move as she swallowed hard. “Are you sure they’re after us? Maybe they’re gone. Maybe they’ve given up.”
    “I wish that were the case, but it’s not. We passed them on the road, Lib. They saw me, but I managed to get us away from them. Right now, they don’t know where we are, but they’re out there looking for us. They don’t want just anyone. They want me.”
    “Why? Why are they after you?”
    “I don’t know. I never saw them before last night. I swear to you. But what I do know is that they are ruthless killers. Basically, they’ve tried to murder a cop—me. It could be related to one of my cases, I don’t know. They didn’t tell me. What I do know is that they wanted me dead, and I’m not. And I don’t think they’ll be feeling too kindly toward the person who rescued me.” He sent her a hard look, and he saw her eyes widen as she realized exactly what he was telling her. “I need to know that you will do what you need to do to help us get to safety. And to do that, you have to trust me. You’ll have to do what I say, when I say it.”
    “Is that the truth?”
    He moved to kneel before her. He covered her clenched hands with his. God, his headache was worse. He tried to keep his patience. “I don’t know who they are. I have no idea what they want with me. I might have some ideas, but right now it’s just guesses on my part. They didn’t volunteer any information when I woke up staked out and half-naked.”
    “How do I know that they’re the bad guys and not you? You could be lying about all this. Maybe they’re the ones I should trust.”
    He could feel the first pricks of his temper at her statement.
    “Well, hell, sweetheart. Don’t you think anyone who would leave a man to die a slow agonizing death by burning is pretty damn bad? And don’t you think that the bad guy wouldn’t be standing here trying to explain things to a helpless woman? Maybe, if I was the bad guy, you’d be dead right now. Don’t you think?” His voice rose until he was almost shouting. She slumped back, her eyes widening apprehensively, and he forced himself to reign it back in. This was no time to be losing his temper with her. That would just reinforce her idea that he was a bad guy. The evil villain of the piece.
    He forced himself to take a