Page 2 of Bad Luck Vampire

“Yeah, right,” Sophie muttered with disgust as she cut through the rows of vehicles to get to where her own car was parked in the outer lane of the lot. Her shortcut ended when he grabbed her arm and jerked her around, the action so abrupt she was brought up against his chest. He immediately grabbed her other arm to keep her there when she tried to pull away.

“Come on, sweetheart, you’re not fooling anyone with this ice maiden act,” he assured her, his hands dropping from her arms to her behind to force her groin tight against his. “Let’s—”

Whatever he would have said next ended on a curse as she kneed him in the balls. The moment he released her to grab for his injured testicles, Sophie turned to rush away. She was pissed, but she was also eager to get to the safety of her car before Carl recovered.

She’d made it past the first double row of vehicles when Carl again grabbed her arm and jerked her around. Sophie took in a lungful of air as she spun, fully intending on blasting the asshole for both his persistence and his laying hands on her, but the words died abruptly when she found herself staring at... nothing?

Carl was gone.

Sophie peered around the parking lot with bewilderment, rubbing her arm where he’d grabbed her. He had done that, hadn’t he? she suddenly wondered with confusion. Where the hell had he gone? He couldn’t have got back inside the restaurant in the few seconds it had taken her to turn.

Scowling with both irritation and suspicion, she gave the parking lot a much slower perusal, wondering if he’d ducked around the nearest car intending to leap out at her or something. However, a more thorough search, which included dropping to her haunches to look under the cars on either side of her, didn’t reveal any sign of him crouching nearby.

Straightening slowly, Sophie glanced around again, now unsure what to do. The man’s sudden absence was almost supernatural in nature and was giving her the heebie-jeebies.

A short whistle caught her ear and Sophie peered into the darkness. She couldn’t see anything... until a flashlight suddenly popped on in the grassy area next to the parking lot.

Not a flashlight, Sophie realized as she took in the two men under a tree. It was a phone flashlight, she noted as her gaze slid over a handsome dark-haired man in all black clothes, and an equally handsome blond who was also dressed all in black. The dark-haired guy was smiling at her cheerfully; the blond, however, had an exasperated look on his face.

“This fellow seemed to be annoying you so I thought I’d better step in,” the cheerful man announced, shifting his phone so that the light splashed over the person at the end of his extended arm.

Sophie’s eyes widened incredulously as she saw that Carl was dangling in the air, kicking and struggling to pull the hand away from his throat and free himself.

The phone’s light shifted back to the other two men now, and the dark-haired man asked, “Was I wrong? Should I let him go?”

“Oh, hell no,” Sophie said at once, and then caught herself and added more calmly, “You were right. He was being a pain.”

“Well, then I shall happily hold on to him until you’re safely away,” her Sir Galahad in black told her with a charming smile.

“Sounds good. Thanks,” Sophie offered with a nod.

“My pleasure,” Sir Galahad said easily, raising his arm again and then scowling and turning to stare at Carl briefly when the dangling man managed to kick him in the side. After a moment of his staring, Carl went still and the stranger turned back to smile at her again.

Sophie found herself grinning in response, then shook her head and turned to start toward her car, saying, “Thanks again.”

“Tybo,” he said.

Sophie stopped and peered toward the three men with confusion. It sounded like some kind of martial art. Was he asking her if she knew any? Or suggesting she should learn it?

“That’s my name,” the man explained with what sounded like amusement. “Tyberius Verde, but everyone calls me Tybo for short.”

“Oh.” Sophie relaxed and nodded. “Hi, Tybo. I’m Sophie Ferguson. Thanks again for your help.”

“My pleasure. Always happy to help a damsel in distress,” he said easily.

Sophie gave him a wave as she quickly walked to her own car. She was at the driver’s door when it occurred to her that while she might be escaping this situation, it probably wouldn’t be the last she’d hear from Carl. He had her phone number. Lise, a coworker at the insurance company where she was employed, had texted it to him when Sophie had finally given in to her harassment and agreed to go on this date. He’d then called to firm up the time and place. Sophie had no doubt she’d hear from the jerk again, if only for him to blast her for leaving him hanging, literally, and not calling help for him or something. He’d probably try to sue the guy for coming to her aid like this too, and maybe even her, she thought with irritation. He seemed the type.

“If you want, I could erase your phone number from this guy’s phone before I let him go.”

Sophie swung around to see that Tybo and his blond friend had moved parallel to her. She could just make out the faint shadow of Carl outside the light from the phone. He didn’t seem to be struggling anymore. She hoped that didn’t mean he was dead or something. Not that she really cared, except she wouldn’t want this man to get in trouble for trying to help her. He was too pretty to go to jail.

“He’s fine,” Tybo assured her as if she’d spoken the concern aloud. “I won’t hurt him. Just keep him here until you’re safely away.” He paused a beat, and then asked, “So? Should I remove your number from his phone so he doesn’t trouble you again?”

Sophie nodded. “Yeah, that would be good,” she said, and decided she’d call Lise the minute she was out of the parking lot and threaten her with something horrible if she gave him her number again.

“Would you mind...”

Sophie had been reaching for the handle of her car door, but stopped and glanced around at that to see Tybo hesitating and looking uncertain. Then he shrugged as if to say what the hell, and offered her another charming smile. “Could I have your number?”

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