Page 3 of Silent Nights and Vampire Lights

Wait. This looked like my car. Wadded up blanket. Bags for the grocery store. Stuffed overnight bag with my clotheshaphazardly sticking out of it, including a pink bra. My favorite. What the heck?

I blinked, trying to focus on the figure behind the wheel. Big guy, easily over six feet tall, broad enough to make my Subaru Impreza look like a clown car. He was hunched over the steering wheel, hands gripping it so hard his knuckles were white. And the car? Crawling along at a snail’s pace—hell, I could probably out-walk it.

He wasn’t one of the creeps who’d grabbed me earlier. That much I was sure of. But was he some kind of savior, or just the next bad decision in a long line of them?

“Excuse me?” My voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He flinched like I’d just slapped him, his head whipping around. For a moment, he looked startled, then relief washed over his face. “Good, you’re awake.”

I struggled into a full sitting position, arms crossed like I could somehow shield myself from whatever fresh hell this was. “Obviously. Where are you taking me?”

“I don’t know,” he said, his voice low, almost sheepish. “I just need to get somewhere safe for the night.”

“Join the club,” I muttered, my fingers curling into fists. Then it hit me—the flash of fangs, the red eyes from earlier. I scrambled back as far as I could, pressing myself into the seat. “You’re a vampire. Oh my God, you’re saving me for a snack later, aren’t you? Well, I’m telling you right now, I am not premium blood. I eat like crap, I don’t exercise, and I’m chubby. There are way better options out there.”

To my surprise, he grinned. Not a full, terrifying fang-baring grin, but just enough to make him look—well, almost handsome. “Don’t worry,” he said, a hint of humor in his tone. “I already ate. For today. But the sun’s coming up, and I missed my train. I need somewhere safe to hole up.”

“So you decided to drag me along for the ride?” My voice pitched higher with incredulity. “What am I—dinner, a midnight snack, or something?”

“Or something.”

Before I could demand clarification, a blaring horn snapped my attention to the street outside. We were stopped in the middle of the road, blocking traffic. Cars were lined up behind us, their drivers leaning on their horns. “You need to drive,” I hissed. “Now.”

“I don’t know where to go,” he admitted, his voice calm, like this wasn’t a disaster waiting to happen.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. What was it about me that screamed caretaker to every stray or lost soul within a five-mile radius? First, the cats that had overrun my apartment complex and gotten me evicted, and now this guy. Fine. Whatever. “Pull into that parking lot,” I said, pointing at an all-night diner. “For now.”

He obeyed, turning into the lot. When he cut the engine, he twisted around to face me. “Nicholas Frost,” he said. “You’re in trouble.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” I glared at him, my frustration bubbling over. “I’m Holly Winters.”

He flashed a hint of fang again, and this time his grin was less charming, more predatory. It helped that the fangs looked smaller, less scary. “I can help you.”

“The police said the same thing,” I shot back, bitterness seeping into my voice. “After they ‘verified my story.’”

He snorted. “I’m guessing that didn’t go well.”

“Not exactly.” I hesitated, unsure how much to tell him, but he already knew I was in trouble. “I saw something I shouldn’t have, and now they’re after me. I don’t even know who ‘they’ are, but they want me dead.”

My throat tightened, tears pricking at my eyes. God, I hated crying. It didn’t matter if it was a Hallmark commercial, a soldier surprising his kid, or a damn animal video—I always cried. And now, in front of a vampire, of all people? Perfect. Just perfect.

To his credit, Nicholas didn’t look horrified by my tears. If anything, he looked regretful. “They won’t stop,” he said finally. “If you stay, they’ll find you. Public transportation? They’ll track you down. But if you come with me, you might have a chance to escape.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Go with you where?”

His expression soured, like he’d just bitten into a lemon. “Home. I’ve been summoned for the holidays.”

“Summoned? What are you, a servant or something? Why wouldn’t you want to go home? If I had a family, I’d never leave.”

“Trust me, it’s complicated.” He sighed. “But I need to get home, and my train’s gone. I need a ride. And a companion.”

I frantically searched my scattered mind for what I knew about vampires. I came from a small town in western Pennsylvania. We don’t have too many supernaturals and no vampires. The closest we had were a small wolf pack and a couple of orcs who all kept to themselves. As long as the wolves didn’t hunt the livestock, most people were fine with them, and the orcs were great blacksmiths. But I didn’t have any experience with vampires, so anything I knew came from rumors and stories. I sensed that put me at a huge disadvantage. I wished I had my phone to do some research, but I didn’t see it anywhere around me.

There was one thing I had to make very clear. “I’m not a blood bank or meals on wheels,” I warned.

He rolled his eyes, exasperated. “I told you—I don’t want your blood. I want your driving skills. If you drive me home, I’ll make sure you’re safe. Completely off their radar.”

“Disappear?” I raised an eyebrow. “That sounds ominous.”

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