"I'll wait in the hall," he said.
"Okay."
Ten minutes later, I was back in his truck, wearing a pair of wide-legged jeans, a striped t-shirt tucked into the waist, and thick-soled Teva sandals. My Taser and pepper spray were back in my pockets. I no longer felt naked or as helpless as I had earlier.
I paid attention to street names and turns as Marcus drove. I didn't ask him questions, even though I wanted to. The instinct to babble was strong.
It helped that he was so quiet. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but I still fought the compulsion to fill it.
Until he pulled up in front of a little cottage that was too adorable for words. It looked like something out of a fairytale. The walls were smooth and white, but dark wooden beams intersected beneath the peaks of the roof. I searched my mind for the term and realized that it was a Tudor-style cottage. The front door was a bright turquoise and there were pots of bright red geraniums and herbs along the sides of the stone steps leading to the tiny porch. Chrysanthemums of purple and yellow were in half barrels along the front of the house on each side of the porch.
It was perfect.
"Based on your face, I'm guessing you like it," Marcus said.
I stopped staring at the house long enough to glance at his face. I realized I was smiling.
"If the inside is half as cute as the outside, I may never leave."
His eyes twinkled at me and I had a feeling he was biting back a smile.
"Well, let's go see if you like the inside as much."
I opened the door to the truck and as soon as my feet hit the asphalt, there was a man in front of me.
"I'm fine, Marcus. I can climb out of your truck even if it's tall."
When I looked up, I gasped. Because it wasn't Marcus. It was Marcel.
His black eyes burned as he reached for me. I stumbled back, releasing a choked cry, and shoved my hand in my pocket.
Before I could pull the Taser free, Marcus was there. With a vicious snarl, he grabbed the other man and literallythrew him across the street.
I fell into the open door of the truck, gaping as Marcel rolled a few times and leaped to his feet. In a blink, he was back in front of Marcus. I yelped and moved around toward the end of the truck, unable to believe what I was seeing.
Or in this case, not seeing.
They were moving so fast that their bodies were little more than blurs. Marcel grunted and blood spattered the street just a few inches from my toes. I froze when I looked up and saw Marcus' face, half-turned toward me. His eyes were glowing like icy blue fire and he had fangs.
Oh, my God.
My knees threatened to give out beneath me.
Vampire.
Marcel fell back a few feet and snarled, revealing his own fangs.
They were both vampires.
I wanted to run, probably needed to run, but I knew it would be useless. They were much, much stronger than me and so incredibly fast.
And I had no way of knowing if Marcel had friends on the way.
I had to make a decision.
Did I run away and keep running for the rest of my life? Or did I stand and fight?
I shoved my hands in my pockets and brought out the Taser and the pepper spray. With a flick of my thumb, I powered up the Taser and listened to it hum.
