Page 55 of Angel Of Darkness

A black brow rose. “You already are dead.”

People just had to always throw that up to her. “I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want to be a vamp, and I didn’t mean to hurt that cop.”

“Save the sob story.”

Nicole blinked.

“Let me guess,” the cop continued with a smirk. “If you had it to do all over again, you’d go back to being human, right?”

Not exactly. Being human meant being dead.

But Jennifer Connelly didn’t give her a chance to answer. Connelly said, “Whatever. Here’s the deal. I’m gonna open your cage. You’re gonna try to get out.”

Yes, that was a good plan. Because staying trapped in there wasn’t an option.

Connelly lifted her gun. “You’re gonna come at me, and I’m gonna shoot you.”

Nicole’s breath whispered out. Not such a good plan.

“And because I’m such a fine shot, you’re gonna bleed to death, right here, where I can watch.” Connelly’s weapon was aimed at Nicole’s heart. “You see, I don’t much care for vamps. The dead should be in the ground, not on the streets, feeding.”

“You don’t think someone else is going to notice when you shoot me? They’ll wonder what the hell happened in here!”

“You attacked a cop.” Connelly gave a careless shrug of her shoulders. “No one here will give a shit what happens to you.” She approached the bars. Her eyes narrowed on Nicole. “I thought you’d be out a little longer.”

“And I thought cops were supposed to help people.” This sucked. Seriously sucked. Her fangs were burning, pushing out thanks to the adrenaline rush that pumped through her. Her claws were growing and if that cop came closer, she’d give Connelly a scratch the cop wouldn’t soon forget.

“We do help people.” The cop glanced over her shoulder. Probably to make sure no one else was seeing or hearing any of this. “I kill monsters.”

“I’m not a monster! Six months ago, I was as human as you! I’m not?—”

“Vampires lie. They trick. Deceive. One promised my sister she’d live forever.”

Oh, crap. This wasn’t going to end well.

“You know what he did?”

Nicole could guess.

“He ripped her throat open, and I had to find what was left of her body.” Connelly opened the cage—the cell—and came inside. The gun barrel never wavered. “I know about you,” the cop said. “You play innocent now, but you attacked that sheriff just over the county line.”

That punch to the sheriff’s jaw had come back to bite her. “I didn’t kill him.” Pointing that out seemed rather useless.

“Probably because you didn’t get the chance.” Connelly’s gaze hardened. “Tom called me and gave me a heads-up that you might be in the area. He was there when they found my sister’s body. He knew I’d understand just how to deal with someone like you.”

She could not win with this cop. “Listen, I?—”

“But what about Jeff Quint?”

A fist squeezed her heart.

“Sam Bentley?”

Dammit. “I didn’t want to kill them.” They haunted her now. She’d never forget their faces. Never.

“Right.” The cop’s voice easily called bullshit. “You just got thirsty, and you had to rip out their throats.” Her voice thickened with fury. “Just like that bastard did to my sister. He tore her open from one ear to the other.”

Nicole kept her hands loose at her sides. “I don’t want to hurt you.” She understood the other woman’s pain and fury.

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