Page 81 of Visions in Blood
A long pause before her response.Just got another drink.
I’m in the back alley.
Already?
All went well but vamps watch the lounge.
A full thirty seconds rolled by.Closing out tab.What’s the plan?
Text me at back door.But don’t come out.
I split my time between watching the vamp and checking for a new text.It was another five minutes before the vibration signaling an incoming text made me jump.
At the door.
Cross alley to right blue dumpster.Run like there’s a Prada sale.Past dumpster to last club.Stay and call help.
What about you?
I’ll keep them away.
Cressa?
I’m trained.You’re not.Don’t argue.
FINE.
I grinned.I needed her to be feisty.
Count three.Run like hell.
I stuffed the phone away, pulled my dagger, and bounced on my toes as I waited.An image of Simone circling me with her fangs bared came to mind, and I couldn’t stop the wicked smile.Even miles away, the fierce vamp was my inspiration tonight.
The back door flung open so hard it slammed against the brick wall.A flash of hot pink and curly hair raced across the alley.Ginger made a beeline for the dumpster, then past it.
The vamp hadn’t expected it, but it didn’t take him long to catch up.He would have caught her before she made it to the end of the alley, except he didn’t notice me until he grew even with the dumpster.He wasn’t expecting a well-placed kick to the side of his knee as he ran past.
He went down, and I didn’t hesitate.I stabbed him in the chest with the dagger and almost stumbled when he released a bloodcurdling scream.I hadn’t expected that.Guess that silver really hurt.But he was already rolling to his hands and knees, so I kicked him in the head.When he reached for me, I kicked him in the groin, then again in the ribs.
I glanced back to make sure Ginger had run, but she’d stopped at the alley entrance.I think I’d made a mistake.It appeared I wanted her scared, not feisty.I checked our surroundings as the vamp rolled around, but if there had been another one out there, they’d run.I stabbed again, this time in his side, the blade just missing a rib.I’d been aiming for his chest, but he’d rolled away from me.
This better not be one Devon’s vamps, but if he had been, they should have called out.It wasn’t like I was doing anything that would kill them, so I stabbed a third time, and closed with one more kick to the head, hoping to disorient him for a while.
Then I ran for Ginger.When I closed in on her, she turned and ran.But she didn’t make a right that would take us to the last club.She made a left.How did she run so fast in those damn shoes?I caught up with her two blocks away and pulled her to a stop.We were in a quiet neighborhood, but we needed to be where there were people.Lots and lots of people.
“Where the hell are you going?”I heaved a breath, turning to see if the vamp was behind us.I pulled Ginger into the shadows when someone stumbled out of the alley.Before the first vamp turned our way, the other two vamps stalked down the street toward their buddy.
Shit.Shit.Shit.
Ginger pulled on my arm.“We just need to get to the next block.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but she continued to tug on my arm while I watched all three vamps turn our way and start jogging.
Then I was dragging her with me as I took the lead.I didn’t know what was at the next block that would deter three angry vamps.I wasn’t familiar with this neighborhood, and the streets seemed too damn quiet.
I didn’t bother glancing behind; it would only slow us down.We were breathing hard, air rushing out with heavy pants.The vamps had to be close.
Ginger tugged hard, yanking me to a stop when we reached the magical get-out-of-jail-free block.I was ready to scream at her to fill me in on the secret when a car screeched toward us from the left.It slammed to a stop in front of us.The front passenger-side window was down.
