Page 84 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

“You can’t kill me in there,” I breathe, my hands unsteady. “There’s a human inside. And—And I have friends. They won’t let you. They won’t let you kill me.”

“Kill you?” Terrence blinks, and he cocks his head.

Suddenly, Shelby’s voice comes from around the corner of the alley. “Charlotte? What’s taking you so long? Do you need a hand? I’m coming out!”

Even Terrence wouldn’t risk having a human witness a murder unless he wants to add her to the death toll.

“Go,” he says, his voice almost gentle.

I run.

Past Terrence.

Past the petrified-looking vampire who doesn’t even shoot me a second glance.

I sprint out of the alley, around the corner, and straight into a startled Shelby, whom I drag back into the cafe with me.

“What! What!” she cries out in alarm as I lock the door, not that it’s going to make much of a difference. Getting past a locked door is no problem for Terrence—or any other vampire, for that matter.

“I—” Panicked, I look at her, not knowing how to tell her that my childhood friend and possibly a hit man for my father is outside, ready to kill me dead. “There’s—um—There’s a crazy person outside. And, uh, I think he has a gun. We should hide! No, we should leave!”

“We should call the police!” Shelby bursts, looking horrified. “Let’s go in the back office—”

“No!” My response is instant. “Not the police!”

Shelby gives me a confused look. “There’s a lunatic outside with a weapon, and you don’t want to call the cops?! He just tried to kill you!”

“I know!” I reply, flustered. “But I think our priority should be to hide. I don’t think he’ll be able to break in.”

“Charlotte—”

Whatever Shelby intended to say is interrupted by a loud knocking on the glass door. Both of us jump out of our skin, and we clutch each other, crying out in fear and shock, only to see Robert outside, waving at us and then pointing at the lock. My legs are like jelly as I wobble to the door.

Robert catches me as the door opens. “What’s going on?”

“Get in here!” Shelby pulls him inside, slamming the glass door shut behind him. “There’s a crazy person outside with a gun!”

“What?” Robert looks at me, trying to follow this new series of events. “Who?”

“I don’t know,” Shelby enunciates, annoyed now. “He tried to kill Charlotte, and she won’t let me call the police!”

Robert’s smile fades. “What? Where is he?”

Since Shelby is listening, I can’t tell him what really happened. I jerk my head to the door and tell him, meaningfully, “In the alley. He was waiting for me.”

I see the understanding dawn in Robert’s eyes, and he lets go of me. “You ladies stay here. I’ll go check it out.”

“He’s a lunatic with a gun!” Shelby yells at him, frustrated, as Robert walks out the door. “What is y’all’s deal with the cops?!”

Fortunately, Robert returns soon after, saving me from having to answer the older woman’s question.

“He’s gone,” Robert announces, “but I’m going to stay here with you till you close, just to be safe.”

Shelby immediately hurries back to the kitchen. “I just need five minutes. My son is coming to pick me up.”

As soon as she’s out of hearing range, Robert tells me, “There’s blood but no bodies. How many vampires?”

“Three,” I reply heavily. “I did what you said. I stabbed one of them with a tire iron I found. And then Terrence showed up.”

---