Page 38 of Don't Bite the Boy Next Door
Struggling down the hallway, I manage to get out the front door and onto the porch, where I see the teenage vampire lying on the steps clutching her thighs, Ryan looming over her, reloading.
“No, Ryan!” I squeal, shuffling close to where he stands, his face grim, “don’t shoot her again, she’s a friend.”
“Sure as hell doesn’t sound like one,” he grunts, still loading his gun.
“Fuck you, you’re so dead, asshole,” Valerie screams.
I notice for the first time her ankle is enclosed in a bear trap, a bear trap with silver teeth. I know the pain must be terrible, and I understand why she continues to rail against the man who trapped her.
“I’m going to eat your goddamned face first!”
“You can try,” he laughs without humour as he cocks his weapon.
“Ryan,” I take one hand off my neck and place it onto his hand where he holds the gun now pointed at Valerie’s head. “She is a friend, please, please lower your weapon.”
He turns and stares at me, his eyes changing from tight rage to understanding as, taking a deep breath, he nods and holsters his gun.
“Valerie,” I sit down gingerly on the top step and wait for her to meet my eyes. “Ryan is a friend. I’m sorry he shot you.”
“In both fucking legs!” she screams.
“I’m sorry,” I frown, tears close to the surface as I see how much pain she is in. “We’ll release you, everything will be OK, but please, you have to promise you won’t try to harm him.”
“I promise,” she spits through gritted teeth, “but you have five minutes to get me the fuck out of this trap, or all bets are off.”
“You are in no position to make demands,” Ryan says, stepping down to study the trap.
“Wait, Ryan,” I look into his eyes, and he understands immediately, stepping back from the trap.
I know this kid, and to coin Pru’s phrase ‘don’t trust her as far as I could kick her.’ Orson still bears the scars from where she bit him. I won’t risk her biting my neighbour. He may be a vampire now, apparently, somehow, but he is still new, and she is fast and becoming well-trained in all the martial arts. I can’t risk her hurting him.
“Valerie,” I say firmly, waiting until she meets my eyes.
She narrows hers and growls.
“Promise, Valerie.”
She stares at me for a long, long minute, before finally capitulating.
“I promise.”
I nod to Ryan, and he frees her
