Page 56 of Vampire Lee

“Look at these, Dillon.” Devin was standing by a table filled with bushy tomato plants. “How many do you think we need?”

“You’re the boss.” Dillon glanced over his shoulder and frowned. Lee followed his gaze but couldn’t see anyone.

Devin grinned, some color coming back to his skin. “Let’s go with ten. Then we’ll have some in case the ones you’ve sown don’t have time to mature.”

Dillon nodded.

“Oh, check these out. Cucumbers. Have you planted cucumbers?”

“I have, but they haven’t germinated yet.”

“We’ll take some of these too.” Devin reached for a plant on the neighboring table. Lee looked at Mars. He smiled a quick smile and placed a hand on Devin’s neck, a thumb sliding over the skin there. Devin shot him a grin, and something tightened in Lee’s belly. They were so…familiar with each other. As he looked at Dillon, he noted him staring at something farther into the store.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I thought I saw someone I remember, but…It’s only in my mind.” He shook his head. “We need a basket, right?”

“Make it a cart.” Mars sounded amused.

Dillon nodded and headed toward the entrance. Was he going outside to grab a cart by himself? A ball of unease formed in Lee’s gut.

“What do you think, Lee? How many cucumber plants?” Devin focused on him for half a second before looking at the plants again.

“A few.”

A snort was all the reply he got, and a second later he was walking in Dillon’s direction. He wanted to rush, but there were humans around, so he walked at a human pace. Fucking hell.

Dillon walked out through the sliding doors right as an elderly woman with a purple walker made it inside the store, and Lee muttered a curse. He stepped aside to let her pass despite wanting to rush after Dillon.

He smiled at the woman when she looked up at him and squeezed past as soon as he could and almost toppling over a stack of pots as he did.

When he finally hurried out through the sliding doors, he looked around, unable to see Dillon anywhere. An invisible fist squeezed his heart. He couldn’t have disappeared. Lee hadn’t been far behind him.

When he spotted Dillon by the shopping cart corral, he almost sagged in relief. Then he realized he wasn’t grabbing a cart. He was pressing his back against the side of the structure.

Ice washed over Lee. Someone was speaking to him, and judging by the size and the way he loomed over Dillon, he didn’t think the man was human. The closer he got, the more convinced he became. A bear.

“Dillon!”

Lee ran a little too fast but hoped no one would notice. Dillon met his gaze and shook his head. “No, go back to the others, Lee.”

The bear slapped him, and the scent of blood filled the air. Fuck! Lee slammed into him with a snarl, but as he did, the sliding door to the dark gray van parked right next to the corral opened. In a blur, a vampire joined the mix, and Lee watched in horror as Dillon stepped forward to intercept him.

There were fists and grunts and curses, and then everything stilled. The vampire was pushing Lee to the ground, and the bear’s claws were pressed against Dillon’s throat, several slow rivulets of blood trickled toward his chest.

Lee hissed.

“We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way.” The bear grinned at him. There was blood on his teeth. “You can calmly join us in the van, or you’re both coming with us in a less calm way.”

“Less calm.” Dillon spat, apparently not afraid of the claws about to rip his throat out. Lee wished he could say the same thing.

“I’ll come. Leave Dillon. He’s of no use to you.”

“I could have use of him.” The vampire grinned down at him. “I’ve had use of him in the past, and I wouldn’t mind another round.”

Lee looked between Dillon and the vampire as something dark awoke in his chest. Dillon had seen someone he’d recognized inside. Fuck. He would kill this twat if it was the last thing he did, but he had to make sure Dillon was okay first.

He tried to scent the air to judge how much of a panic Dillon was in. Coming face to face with a vampire from his past must be a nightmare. He looked cool, but it had to be a front. How close was he to breaking? A buzz built in Lee’s ears, but Dillon remained calm. Lee pulled in a breath, but all he could scent was blood. Dillon’s blood. “I’ll come.”

---