Page 610 of Love Bites

CHAPTER13

Where in the world was my backup? I was actually going to try to do this one by the books, but the longer I waited the more danger the girls were in. If it was discovered they were out of their chains all hell would break loose. I sniffed the air and caught no sign of Hank, Junior, Granny or Dwayne. Not good.

Staying low and close to the dilapidated buildings, I made my way toward the sound of voices.

“We have what we need,” Puck said. “I have no more use for the ones in chains, but I want Essie to go with us.”

Awesome, that was exactly what I wanted to do with my life…be the egg slave to a smarmy Dragon. Not happening.

“Absolutely not,” Tina #3 screeched. The two others voiced their displeasure quite vocally as well.

Puck Flare’s roar was no small thing, and from the sound of it, the Tinas concurred. I could feel the heat and I was outside of the building. The sound of screams and slapping followed. Had he set them on fire? If they stop, drop and roll they’d live, but…

“You have almost outlived your usefulness,” he hissed as the women moaned and whimpered. “What happened to Peter and Paul? You told me to plan a bogus meeting to throw the Sheriff off and now they’re not here when I need them,” he roared.

“They’ll be here,” Tina #2 assured him, sobbing.

“Peter has the formula on him and I need it now,” he said coldly. “This operation will go up in flames, pun intended, if I don’t have their assistance. If something has happened, I will burn this town to ashes and use you three as kindling.”

“Well, that would suck the big one,” Junior whispered in my ear as he slid his hand over my mouth and thankfully trapped my answering scream on its way out.

“Why can’t I smell you?” I whispered as I punched him in the chest.

“Ouch.” He rubbed his pecs and I rolled my eyes. “I added a new compound to the tanner. Completely erases scent. Vamps can’t even detect it.”

He was brilliant, but he was alone.

“Where are the others?”

“We had a little situation at the station.” He grinned and chuckled. His calm amazed me.

“Spill,” I said as I pulled him to a safer spot behind another broken down building.

“Your buddy Dwayne did the mind meld thing and it went a bit awry.”

“Oh god, is he okay?” The thought of losing Dwayne was incomprehensible to me.

“He’s fine. So are Hank and your granny,” he added quickly. “But the Dragons…” He winced and gagged.

“What?”

“They’re not so fine.”

“Define not so fine,” I said.

“They exploded.” He turned a greenish hue and I backed away just in case he felt the need to hurl.

“How in the heck did they explode? Are they dead?”Was this some kind of Dragon trick?

“Oh, they’re dead alright. Dwayne mumbled some Vampyre voodoo and the Dragons’ skin started bubbling and before you could say,Dolly Parton’s built like a brick shit house, they blew up like a freakin’ bomb. Their guts are spread all the way from Main Street to Hangman’s Trail.”

That was a full six blocks. Impossible. I actually felt the need to hurl. I settled for a small gag and attempted to compartmentalize the visual. Also impossible.

“Dwayne did that?”

“Yep. Yep, he did.” Junior shook his head in wonder. “No clue how we’re gonna explain that one to the humans. Lots of community activities coming up; the Watermelon Festival, the Treasure Hunt, the Potato Sack Olympics…It’s a damn mess and smells like hell.”

“Septic,” I muttered. “Tell them city septic exploded.”

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