Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Derek met Tremayne's gaze over Sloane's
shoulder. The vampire didn't look pleased, but really what did the
vamp expect? Sloane had a family and just because her life went
south, they couldn't expect her to just forget they existed.

Sloane inhaled deeply and pulled away, her
hand flying to her lips, but Derek caught a glimpse of her fangs
before she could conceal them.

"You need to feed," Tremayne said already
realizing what had happened.

Wade rolled his eyes in disgust and swore
under his breath. While they were training his brother seemed to
have forgotten that Sloane was no longer human.

Sloane kept her hand over her mouth while she
spoke. "I'm sorry." Her cheeks flamed red.

"You don't have to be sorry or embarrassed,"
he told her. His hand gently touched hers, lowering it away from
her face. "You've worked that cute little behind off tonight. You
need to keep up your strength and feeding is a part of it."

Her gaze shifted to his neck and for a
moment, the gesture inflamed his own desires. Definitely, all sorts
of messed up.

Tremayne cleared his throat, shutting down
the idea. "Let's go inside," he suggested to Sloane. "Alone," he
said to him.

As much as he hated Tremayne's domineering
interest where Sloane was concerned, he couldn't deny it was what
she needed right now.

He stared at their retreating backs as they
strode toward the house. "How do you do it?" He glanced at
Cassandra who had come to stand beside him. "How are you not
jealous?"

His sister's brows shot up. "For starters, I
may not entirely love this situation, but I trust Tremayne. He
sired Sloane, for lack of a better term. She's more like a daughter
to him."

Wade hadn't ventured far and had heard the
last of Cassandra's words. "Tremayne may be a vampire, but he's one
hundred percent male, too. I doubt he's looking at Sloane as if
she's his daughter. If anything, Sloane has more of a connection
with Tremayne Graystone than you do, sis."

"When did you become such a cynical bastard?"
Cassandra shot back. "Just because you sleep with anything that
resembles a female, it doesn't mean everyone follows your
creed."

Wade's eyes narrowed. "At least I don't fool
myself into thinking I can have a relationship with non-humans. BFF
is what I say. Babes, Fun and—"

"That's enough," Derek interrupted, putting
himself between the two before blows were exchanged. It never ended
well with these two.

"For your information," Cassandra yelled over
his shoulder and jabbed her finger in Wade's direction. "BFF is
Best Friends Forever
, not your sick rendition." She turned
and stormed away, but Wade couldn't resist one more dig.

"Well, I came up with the acronym first."

Cassandra raised her hand in the air and
without slowing her stride or turning around, she gave Wade the
bird.

"Just like old times." Derek shook his
head.

"Yeah, well she started it," Wade spat.

Derek couldn't help but laugh and a second
later Wade did too.

"We sound like we're a bunch of kids, don't
we?" Wade asked between chuckles.

"Don't drag me into this. You and Cassandra
do have a way with each other."

"Yeah, well she's so pigheaded."

He lifted a brow and Wade snorted just like
Cassandra would have done if he confronted her.

"Fine, we're both pigheaded," Wade said
grudgingly.

They fell silent and Wade glanced toward the
house. "As much as Cassandra is a pain in my patootie, I couldn't
imagine not being able to speak to her—even if it's just snarky
banter." He shook his head. "Sloane has it tough. I feel for her,
but it doesn't mean I've changed my mind about vampires."

"Of course not."

Wade threw him a disgruntled look. "It was so
much easier when I believed stake and dust was all I needed to know
about vamps."

"Hey guys," Cassandra shouted to them from
the backdoor. "You better come inside. The police scanner is
buzzing with another homicide. Sounds like Tim's M.O."

They didn't waste any time and jogged toward
the house, sliding to a stop in front of the scanner situated on
the TV stand in the corner of the kitchen. The static sounds
emitted from the scanner didn't mar the voices of the
dispatcher.

"Who is he talking to?" Wade gestured toward
Tremayne, who was on the phone.

"Someone from his sept that works at the
precinct. He's getting the skinny on what went down," Cassandra
said.

Derek's gaze shifted to where Sloane sat on
the couch with her hands folded on her lap. Despite the fact that
Sloane had just fed, her face was drained of color. Her eyes
flickered warily to his. "He's killed again," she spoke the obvious
with no need to clarify who
he
was.

"Where did he strike?" Wade asked.

"A convenience store," Cassandra told
them.

"Three victims. An excessive amount,"
Tremayne spoke with a quiet intensity that brought all eyes around
to meet his. He had ended his call and slipped the phone into his
pocket. The knowing arch of his brow creased in thought before he
addressed them. "He always kills two or more at one time and he has
no need to drink from so many."

"He's out of control," Wade said. "He doesn't
care how many he takes out at a time. He's a vampire for God's
sake." He stopped short when his gaze shifted to Tremayne. "You
know what I mean."

"Aye, he's out of control," Tremayne agreed,
but more as an afterthought, not at all concerned by Wade's lack of
diplomacy.

Kudos to the Oiche Sith
, Derek
thought.

"We have a few hours before dawn," Tremayne
said. "Cassandra and I will check out the crime scene. See if Tim
left any evidence behind that might lead us to where he's hiding
out."

"I'm going, too," Wade spoke up.

Tremayne pursed his lips. Derek had the
distinct feeling he wasn't confronted often with demands. He was
used to giving orders and having them obeyed. Vampires were usually
solitary creatures. They didn't hang out in big crowds, but he knew
for a fact, Tremayne owned a pub. He was around crowds most nights,
but then it dawned on him why he didn't want Wade to tag along.

"Wade." His brother turned his heated gaze on
Derek.

"What?" Wade snapped with annoyance.

"He wants you to babysit me and Sloane."

"Why in the hell would I—" Then the reason
must have dawned on him and he rolled his eyes. "I so can't wait
until this gig is over." He plopped down in the nearest chair.

"We won't be long," Tremayne said.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sloane glanced at the clock hanging on the
wall. The monstrosity resembled clocks found in schoolrooms. Not
only was it unattractive, it proved to annoy her with its ability
to make time stand still. Of course this wasn't really true. It
only seemed like time had not progressed since Tremayne and
Cassandra left to investigate the crime scene. She tried to read,
but after re-reading the first paragraph of the mystery novel Derek
loaned her, she tossed the book down on the coffee table.

She stood and Wade did, too.

"I'm just stretching," she told him and he
sat back down. She caught Derek staring at her from the archway
leading into the kitchen. She strode over to him, but Wade clicked
his tongue at her.

"Separate rooms, remember?" Wade said.

Really, how could she forget with the prison
warden personally guarding them?

"Give it a rest," Derek snapped.

"If I'm going to be left behind to babysit,
then I'm going to do a damn good job of it. There's not going to be
any nibbling on necks on my watch."

Sloane pursed her lips, which proved a big
mistake when her fangs pricked the inside of her lip. She grimaced
and swallowed the blood that pooled in her mouth.

"'Eff off," Derek grabbed Sloane's hand and
dragged her behind him as he headed for the back door.

"Come back here," Wade yelled after them.

"Maybe we should—" Sloane began only to have
Derek stop short and pull her into his arms and planting a kiss
that swallowed her words beneath his lips. She didn't even
struggle. How could she, when she wanted this as much as he
did?

"Jesus Christ," Wade said, not as a curse but
as if he expected help from above. When none came, he followed his
prayer with a more colorful curse. "Fine, be a dumbass. I'm sitting
this one out. If you don't care if she sucks you dry than I say you
get what you deserve."

When they came up for air, they were alone in
the kitchen. "You know he's right," she said. "I could lose
control." Her gaze shifted to his neck and she could hear his heart
beating there.

"Are you in control now?"

"What?" His voice drew her attention and she
concentrated on his ruggedly handsome face.

"Are you in control now?" he repeated.

"I think so."

"That's good enough for me." Before she could
comment further, his hands plunged into her hair, pulling her head
closer for his kiss. His scent, his aura, his masculine persona
seemed to erase her worries as his lips exploited her mouth for all
it was worth. For the moment, it didn't matter what kind of future
was in store for them. She was enjoying what he offered and
blocking out the horrors that still awaited them. Whether or not
she wanted to admit it, she was wildly attracted to him, and it had
nothing with wanting to drink his blood. There was something about
Derek Hayes that drew her. Even when they were teens, he did
something to her, made her feel things she never felt with anyone
else. She always thought of herself as a forever kind of woman, not
someone to have a fling with, but she knew now dreams of forever
were different for her. She wanted Derek, but she also cared enough
about him to know she couldn't just take what she wanted.

She pushed him away and for several seconds
they stared at each other. Now what was she going to do—stay away
from him now that he fired up every nerve in her body?
Yes
, she answered the question. She had to because they
had no future.

"Don't," he said as if he could read her
mind. "Don't push me away."

"We have to stop. You know this." She backed
away then flitted into the living room.

Wade bolted out of his chair. "Sheee..it!"
His dagger glinted with intent. "Is he…"

She rolled her eyes. "Derek isn't dead." She
could attest to that. He was very much alive and it made her wish
she were, too—alive in the sense that she was still human.

"Don't take offense."

At first she didn't know what Wade meant by
his comment until he called out to his brother.

Derek?" Wade shouted, while still keeping his
eyes on her.

Derek strode into the living room and took in
the scene of her standing still as a statue and Wade looking like
he'd like to carve a new version of her.

"What are you doing?" His hands fisted and
his brows drew together dangerously as he peered at his
brother.

Wade relaxed his stance, but the dagger
remained visible. "She did her vamp magic and I wasn't sure if you
were laying drained on the kitchen floor."

"Don't be an eegit."

"An eegit?" Wade's voice boomed with
annoyance. "I'm not the one sucking face with a vampire."

She couldn't take anymore. The tension
between the brothers was because of her. She was tearing them apart
and it wasn't right. "Stop it! Just stop it!"

Both brothers' gazes riveted to her, but
Derek took a step toward her. She held up her hand as if that alone
could stop his advances. "Stay right where you are," she pleaded
and he halted his steps. "Your brother is right. You are an
eegit."

Wade snickered, but she turned her gaze on
him. "You're not perfect either. You sit back and judge and it's
not fair. Human, vamp, life, death… you think you have it all
figured out, but you haven't a clue. YOU DAMN WELL DO NOT HAVE A
CLUE!" she repeated and grounded out each word. Her little outburst
sure silenced the room. Neither brother moved or spoke. She pinched
the bridge of her nose and tried to stay off crying. She wouldn't
cry.

The hum of a vehicle approaching the house
caught her attention and she quickly took a deep breath to compose
herself. "Tremayne and Cassandra are back."

Derek and Wade exchanged glances, but they
realized she spoke the truth when a minute later the two in
question strode in through the front door.

Tremayne glanced at Wade and Derek then to
her. She shrugged and thought it best not to say anything. She
plopped down on the couch and waited for the horrifying details of
Tim's last blood run.

Cassandra was the one to give it. "Sloane,
Tim left you a card." She took out her phone and strode toward her.
"We couldn't take the letter with us since it's evidence, but I was
able to snap a picture of it." She handed Sloane the phone.

She stared at the image of a Valentine's card
splattered with blood. The words scrawled beneath the romantic
Hallmark quote were: See you at dinner on Thursday. You know the
place we talked about and you know the time.
Xs
and
Os
followed and,
Love, T
was his signature.

"Do you know what he's talking about?"
Cassandra asked. There was little doubt that Cassandra hoped she
did.

They had planned to go out for Valentine's,
but Valentine's Day had come and gone. "We had reservations at
Mario's before this all went down." She handed Cassandra her phone.
"It's my guess that's where he means."

Chapter Twenty-Six

The sun had set hours ago and the moon glowed
bright in the sky with stars surrounding it as accents. At Mario's,
Sloane sat at one of the outside tables where she would have the
best view of who entered the establishment.