Julian said Rosanna can’t come in unless she’s invited, so I guess the movies had something right about vampires, but I’m just a foot out onto the porch, and outside is outside. I’m not about to let Brian kill me after I put him down. That’s not how this shit works.
I feel a prick of fear hit the back of my neck. Adrenaline hits next and that’s all the warning I have before Brian is coming for me. He isn’t as fast as Rosanna and Julian, but he's still faster than a normal man. I throw myself back into the house and land on my back just inside the threshold as Brian makes a grab for me.
“You fucking bitch! Goddammit!” Brian jerks his hand back with a howl and there’s steam rising from his hand and arm. Fire follows next and he has to run off the porch and into the rain to smother the flame.
I sit up and watch him. “You really are a fuck up. Not even being a vampire changed that,” I tell him.
Brian sneers at me and is back at the door in the time it takes for me to stagger to my feet. “And you’re still a murdering bitch.”
“At least I’m consistent,” I tell him. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Brian leans against the door. “Just thought I’d come see my maker kill your new boyfriend. He’s not going to last the night.”
Anger hits me. I kick the door shut in Brian’s face and lock it. He bangs on it twice before he’s silent. I don’t care though, I’m onto other things. Mainly Julian’s safety. I know Julian is faster and stronger than he should be, and that he swears he’s strong enough to protect me but can he take his maker? Aren’t they supposed to be stronger than their progeny? That’s what he is to her.
What if there’s some kind of bullshit vampire magic that he can’t kill her? I bite my lip and start to pace. I can’t call him. Ican’t call anyone. How would I even begin to tell someone what’s happening right now?
“Hi, Sheriff Dayton? My vampire mate is out chasing his maker because she killed his wife, and I’m worried he’s not going to be able to kill her?”
“This is insane,” I tell the house. There’s a thud from upstairs. I look up and nod at the ceiling. There’s another thud, this time louder. “You get it,” I say, but then I freeze. The windows are still smashed and it’s raining. It’s going to be a bitch to clean up. I almost think about going upstairs but I don’t. There’s glass everywhere and cutting myself while Julian is out hunting his maker isn’t exactly a stress reliever so I stay put. I go to the kitchen and put on a pot of tea while I get out the sharpest knife I can find.
I set the knife on the table and sit down to wait for Julian. I’m just pouring my first cup of tea when I hear a scream. It sounds close. From the echo of it, it’s right outside.
“Julian.” I get up and run to the front door. When I open it, I make sure to not even set a toe outside. I expect to see Julian and Rosanna in the street fighting but it’s not them. It’s Brian and someone I can’t see.
I almost step outside again but catch myself at the last second. He’s using the woman as bait.
“I’m not going out there, fucker!” I yell at him.
Across the street I see lights come on and a door opens. “Stay inside!” I yell at Mrs. Mulready. She was one of granny’s bridge friends. We haven’t talked much because she’s a recluse, but she’s sweet.
Her next door neighbor opens their door too. “What’s going on?” Mr. Kavanaugh yells. I don’t tell him to stay inside because he’s a little shit.
The woman in Brian’s arms screams again and thrashes. She’s trying to get away but it’s a lost cause. Brian lifts her off the ground with one hand at her neck and looks at me.
“Come outside, Maris.”
I cross my arms and don’t answer him. I watch him. He’s trying to send a message. What he’s doing to this woman is what he would do to me if he could manage it. I hear the neighbors scream for him to stop. Mrs. Mulready yells about calling the cops and more neighbors come to see what’s going on. I see a few men race out of their houses to try and stop Brian. The first man gets thrown into a car and the next one gets knocked out cold. The last one stops uncertainly to stand off with Brian.
He doesn’t stand a chance.
“Go home,” Brian tells the man. “I only want her.”
“Brian?” They recognize him. I squint and see it’s one of Brian’s few friends in town, Scott. He’s a freeloader. The kind that’s lived off his parents’ pension for as long as I can remember. He drinks and smokes. Genuinely keeps to himself though, unless he’s got money to spend and then he’s downtown making trouble with Brian until Sheriff Dayton hauls them off.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m hungry,” Brian tells Scott. “I’m so fucking hungry.” He looks at me. I see the anger there. The rage. He wants to kill me so badly. “I WANT MARIS!”
Scott looks at me before he holds out a hand to Brian. “Put Liz down and we can work this out.”
Brian doesn’t answer. The only sound is the woman choking. The rain has gentled enough that I can hear her ragged gasps and whimpers. She turns her face and I see it’s Liz. What is she doing here? She lives clear on the other side of town.
“I want Maris!” Brian shouts and then in a softer voice to Scott, he says, “Go home.”
The sound of police sirens rises in the distance. They’re getting closer. I guess Mrs. Mulready did call the chops.
“I’m hungry!” Brian howls. I clap my hands over my ears at the sound of his voice. It’s like nails on a chalkboard. Scott drops into a fetal position. We all watch as Brian jerks Liz to him and rips her throat out. The sickening sound of flesh tearing and blood splattering onto the ground mingles with the storm. I stare in shock as Brian feeds on Liz. She doesn’t struggle long, just a second or two and then she’s limp in his arms while he gorges himself on her.
