didn’t mean…”
“No, it’s okay. It’s okay.”
Lilly turned toward the man on the ground. “I wonder if he’s the one who killed them.”
She inched closer to the dead man, and Wade thought about stopping her when he noticed the gun on the ground. He walked past Lilly, swooped up the gun without examining it, and tucked it in the waist of his jeans.
“What are you going to do with that?” Lilly asked.
“We need protection,” he replied. “And I’m not quite sure who all from.”
Chapter 8
“I knew there was something funky about him.” Wade skimmed the perimeter of the small clearing in the trees with the light from the flashlight. “I told you, Lilly, and you wouldn’t listen to me.”
Lilly’s heart was still beating fast, but at least it wasn’t thumping madly like it had been a few seconds ago. After Wade and Ben had stepped into the woods, she’d been distracted and angry about Wade calling her Princess, remembering the last time he’d called her that, he had been in a drunken rage. That night, he had thrown her a birthday party. A surprise party and he’d invited all her friends. If he had asked her, she would have told him it was probably not a good idea. Not only were they all quite snobbish, they were all friends with her ex. Every opportunity they’d had that night, they tried to make Wade look ignorant. Even though Wade stayed on his toes and didn’t let them one-up him, he had been drinking all night and was fuming by time they all had left. He let her know he didn’t appreciate the way they’d tried to beat him down, and he’d managed to call her princess… three times. What had upset her the most about the whole ordeal, was after he had cooled down and apologized for his ranting, he had actually brought out the ring and asked her to marry him. What?
She had stood there, after the guys walked into the woods, getting so angry at the thought of him calling her princess, she hadn’t even noticed the man, who was now dead on the ground, walk up. It had taken her a second to realize that what she felt against her head was a gun. By that time, the man had covered her mouth, muffling her scream.
“He’s a blood-sucking vampire.” Wade knelt down beside the dead man.
“What? What are you talking about? I’m scared, Wade. I really wish you would stop.”
“Look, Lilly. Look at him.”
“Ben’s a big guy, he probably—” she hated to think about it, but… “He probably twisted the man’s neck.” Her jaw tightened, and her stomach turned, but she felt satisfied with her answer. “That’s what you saw.”
“No-no-no. What I saw was this.” Wade shone the light on the dead man’s neck. Dark, red blood streamed down the side of his throat from two small puncture wounds.
Lilly had the sensation of creepy-crawling things underneath her skin. When she turned away, Ben was there, staring down at her, a hint of humility and a touch of softness in his eyes. She couldn’t move. She tried to stay focused on what Wade had said; on the dead man on the ground. She really tried to stay on-guard, however, Ben captivated her…“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.
“Get away from her!” Wade shouted. “I know what you are. We know what you are. Baby, get over here.”
The directness of Wade’s voice finally pulled Lilly’s attention away from Ben.
“Walk to me,” Wade said when she looked at him. He had dropped the flashlight at his feet and the light cast large, distorted shadows on the trees behind him. He held the newly acquired gun in front of him with both his hands.
“No, Wade!” Lilly cried. “Put it down.”
“The bullets will not harm me, but they could kill Lillian. So, please...”
Hot tears flooded Lilly’s eyes. What did he say? Will not harm me?
“Please, come here,” Wade pleaded.
Lilly nodded her head, but before she took a step Ben said, “The only reason I hurt that man was because he was about to kill you. Schelsteder’s
“No, it’s okay. It’s okay.”
Lilly turned toward the man on the ground. “I wonder if he’s the one who killed them.”
She inched closer to the dead man, and Wade thought about stopping her when he noticed the gun on the ground. He walked past Lilly, swooped up the gun without examining it, and tucked it in the waist of his jeans.
“What are you going to do with that?” Lilly asked.
“We need protection,” he replied. “And I’m not quite sure who all from.”
Chapter 8
“I knew there was something funky about him.” Wade skimmed the perimeter of the small clearing in the trees with the light from the flashlight. “I told you, Lilly, and you wouldn’t listen to me.”
Lilly’s heart was still beating fast, but at least it wasn’t thumping madly like it had been a few seconds ago. After Wade and Ben had stepped into the woods, she’d been distracted and angry about Wade calling her Princess, remembering the last time he’d called her that, he had been in a drunken rage. That night, he had thrown her a birthday party. A surprise party and he’d invited all her friends. If he had asked her, she would have told him it was probably not a good idea. Not only were they all quite snobbish, they were all friends with her ex. Every opportunity they’d had that night, they tried to make Wade look ignorant. Even though Wade stayed on his toes and didn’t let them one-up him, he had been drinking all night and was fuming by time they all had left. He let her know he didn’t appreciate the way they’d tried to beat him down, and he’d managed to call her princess… three times. What had upset her the most about the whole ordeal, was after he had cooled down and apologized for his ranting, he had actually brought out the ring and asked her to marry him. What?
She had stood there, after the guys walked into the woods, getting so angry at the thought of him calling her princess, she hadn’t even noticed the man, who was now dead on the ground, walk up. It had taken her a second to realize that what she felt against her head was a gun. By that time, the man had covered her mouth, muffling her scream.
“He’s a blood-sucking vampire.” Wade knelt down beside the dead man.
“What? What are you talking about? I’m scared, Wade. I really wish you would stop.”
“Look, Lilly. Look at him.”
“Ben’s a big guy, he probably—” she hated to think about it, but… “He probably twisted the man’s neck.” Her jaw tightened, and her stomach turned, but she felt satisfied with her answer. “That’s what you saw.”
“No-no-no. What I saw was this.” Wade shone the light on the dead man’s neck. Dark, red blood streamed down the side of his throat from two small puncture wounds.
Lilly had the sensation of creepy-crawling things underneath her skin. When she turned away, Ben was there, staring down at her, a hint of humility and a touch of softness in his eyes. She couldn’t move. She tried to stay focused on what Wade had said; on the dead man on the ground. She really tried to stay on-guard, however, Ben captivated her…“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.
“Get away from her!” Wade shouted. “I know what you are. We know what you are. Baby, get over here.”
The directness of Wade’s voice finally pulled Lilly’s attention away from Ben.
“Walk to me,” Wade said when she looked at him. He had dropped the flashlight at his feet and the light cast large, distorted shadows on the trees behind him. He held the newly acquired gun in front of him with both his hands.
“No, Wade!” Lilly cried. “Put it down.”
“The bullets will not harm me, but they could kill Lillian. So, please...”
Hot tears flooded Lilly’s eyes. What did he say? Will not harm me?
“Please, come here,” Wade pleaded.
Lilly nodded her head, but before she took a step Ben said, “The only reason I hurt that man was because he was about to kill you. Schelsteder’s
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