Page 94 of How a Vampire Falls

This was getting weird. “Just tell us everything you know.”

“Okay.” Billy drew a shuddering breath that whimpered on the way out. Then he focused on Ryker again. “She told us.” He nodded toward Leslie. “She contacted Angstrom about you.”

Time froze into an icy cocoon. Leslie’s limbs were encased in it. She stared at Billy, then at Ryker. If he believed the man’s lies, she couldn’t prove otherwise. She had no idea where to start. He would hate her for something she hadn’t done.

But…no. She knew better. He’d never fall for this.

Ryker shook Billy until the man’s teeth clacked together. His voice was all lethal velvet and dangerous music as he said, “She wouldneverdo that. Stop lying before I forget I promised not to bite you.”

“I swear! I can show you! She made a video and sent it to his guys!”

“Liar,” Ryker growled.

He lifted the man over his head and drew his arm back as if to hurl him out the open window. The man screamed. Leslie laid a hand on Ryker’s back. The muscles there were taut and strained, ready to fight.

“Ryker. Hey.”

When he met her eyes, his were a riot of silver lights and blue fire. The lethal beauty of him caught her breath.

She squeezed his shoulder. “Take a breath.”

He did. He lowered Billy to the floor and let him go, and Billy scrambled into a corner and drew up his knees. He was hyperventilating, blubbering, and had begun to reek of sweat. His pulse was pounding so fast, Leslie could vaguely smell his blood pumping—something she smelled in humans only when they were in acute distress.

Ryker darted into the corner, crouched in front of Billy, and got up in his face again. “Show me the video.”

“On m-my phone. R-right here.”

The man dug his phone from an inner pocket of his jacket. His shaking hands dropped it into his lap, and then he managed to pick it up and find the video.

“G-got this from Angstrom’s right-hand g-guy. He’s the g-guy who paid me.”

Ryker snatched the phone from his hand, stood up, and motioned Leslie over to share the view. He tapped an attachment, and the video began playing. It was…Leslie. Her face was blurred with a filter, but that was her hair.

Wait. No. It wasnother hair. A few inches too long. A shade too close to white.

The blurred woman flipped her hair over her shoulder and began speaking.

“Mr. Angstrom, my name is Leslie Snow, and I’ve been dating the forensic accountant who’s working your case for ADA Spencer. You can look me up online if you want proof of my identity. I’m very active there. I make toys and sell them.”

“Jacqueline, you…” Ryker’s low purr was laced with fury.

Onscreen Jacqueline kept talking. “Anyway, this accountant’s name is Laurence Ryker Maddox, son of the senator. He lives at 3579 Woodland Pass Drive.”

The screen split, Jacqueline’s feed on the right and a clear, recent picture of Ryker on the left. It stayed up for about ten seconds while she continued talking.

“Yesterday this man, my boyfriend, told me he was ready to go to court against you, that you were going down in a big way, that he couldn’t wait to see it. He hates you, Mr. Angstrom. While we were on our date, all he could talk about was taking you down and getting you as much jail time as he could. He’s a real danger to you, and he loves his job, let me tell you. Last but not least, he’s a vampire.”

Leslie hadn’t thought she could feel the same cold rage again tonight, but it gripped her stronger than ever. It crushed her chest and shredded her thoughts. She wanted Jacqueline’s heart in her hand so she could squeeze for a long, long time.

And Jacqueline wasstill talking.

“I hope you find this information helpful. I don’t need a reward, honestly. My reward is knowing I was able to help someone like you, a true businessman who’s doing his best to make it in the world and is being persecuted by our ridiculous justice system. I hope you’re able to scare some sense into my boyfriend. I think it’ll make the world a better place and him abetter person. And who knows, maybe it’ll make him a better boyfriend.” She laughed. “Bonus points if you pull that one off!”

The video ended.

“I’m going to kill her,” Leslie said.

“Shh,” Ryker said.

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