An explosion of ferns choked the small yard, thwarting a good view of the deck. The white beams surrounding the two front windows and door were chipped and faded. Something about the entire place looked damp.
Everyone quietly surrounded me as I paused.
“I’m not going to fall over,” I said.
“We want to stay close after everything that’s gone on,” Bree said. Her fingers twisted with mine. They were worried I was going to what? Take off running?
“What exactly do you think is going to happen in twenty hours?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Bree said. Orson eyed me before going up the crickety wooden steps. The deck quietly screamed as he stepped on it. Leaning down, he punched numbers into a keypad. The door opened up, and a puff of dust rushed out as if opening a crypt.
“When was the last time you were here?” Bree asked, covering her nose. Orson looked shy of all things. Which was the most shocking thing that we’d experienced since leaving Verfallen … probably.
“I don’t want to say.”
“What?” Bree asked.
“It makes me sound old.”
“You are old,” Bree said in confusion. Orson’s previous embarrassment was quickly buried under narrowed eyes. “But I like that about you!” Bree added quickly. “It’s hot. Older men are sexy. Confident and … experienced,” she mumbled with a blush. One awkward moment later, Orson decided to change the subject.
“Baz, you asked what we think will happen in twenty hours. I think you’ll be untouchable again.” He pushed the door open wider and I moved past him into the house. Blind and stumbling, I tried to find my way to a chair. I was two seconds from giving up and lying on the floor when the woosh of curtains sounded and sunlight streamed in.
Everything was shades of brown, orange, and yellow. The carpet looked like the rotted hide of an animal—long, furry, and blotchy patches of dark and light brown. Which seemed to be an intentional design. To the left was a bar countertop that caged ina small kitchen. To the right was an open doorway to a dark hall. I reached up. The tips of my gloved fingers brushed a textured ceiling. Compared to the asylum, it was a cave.
I sighed in relief when I saw a couch.
“I haven’t seen one of these in ages,” I groaned, rushing with what energy I had over to it. Gravity took over as I crashed onto soft cushions. Bree wandered over, and I grabbed her, pulling her down and reeling her into my arms. I pressed my face into her neck and nibbled. She giggled, and I gripped her tighter.
“Baz, what doyouthink will happen in twenty hours?” She asked.
I thought that no matter how hard they tried to keep me from running, they wouldn’t be able to stop me.
“Let’s just worry about today.” I brushed my hands down her back. I was going to miss this.
10
REVERSE COWBOY
BAZ
Technically, I was now my pretty girlfriend’s captive. Bree would never let me leave our charming little murder cabin. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue. Hell, she’d kept me captive before. The last time involved ropes. It was cute, really. Unfortunately, this time, no matter how much I wished differently, I needed to escape her.
I released her from the couch, and she went to Orson, asking if he had any emergency blood reserves here. Unfortunately, her blood bags had been lost two, or maybe three, vehicles ago. Luckily, Orson claimed to have frozen bags somewhere. Although that didn’t ease Bree’s anxiety. She whirled around and stared out the window with concern.
Her need for blood was abnormally high compared to normal vampires. If, for some reason, something happened to those frozen blood bags, she’d have no choice but to gorge on us. Except she couldn’t with me, not with the changes burning in my veins. So it would be Orson and Nemo taking the brunt of her thirst. Of course, they’d do it happily, but the amount she would need would likely leave them passed out for hours.
Nemo moved around the house, inspecting every room and window. He was on a mission, finding all the weak spots, and committing the smells to memory. It was interesting to watch. Especially when he began ripping up the shag carpet to check the subfloor, causing Orson to yell.
As far as helping me escape, Nemo was hard to determine. If he thought I was still stronger than him, he’d have no choice but to help me get away, but he’d be a pain in the ass about it. Likely, he’d sabotage it in some way or insist he come with me.
A broken clock hung on the wall—the hands unmoving. No big deal, I’d just kill everyone I loved if I lost track of time. I had twenty hours, or maybe nineteen now. How long had I been sitting here? I wasn’t sure.
Orson convinced Nemo to leave the carpet alone, then walked away with a scowl. Orson was at the top of the list of people I wanted to talk to. He’d already tried to dump me in a parking lot once. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince him to try it again. I tapped my thigh with a gloved hand, then sat up. I couldn’t waste any time setting up a plan. It was time to break up.
“Orson and I have some unfinished business in the other room,” I said.
“Unfinished business in a room here? How is that possible? We’ve never been here before,” Nemo said in confusion.
