Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
What more can he want?
We walk hand-in-hand to Novel Grounds, meeting Kristy, Betty, and Vanessa. I put Kristy’s food in the back for her and then hang out by the registers for a bit. I’ve never been a people-person, which might be weird considering it was my idea to open a store in the heart of downtown Thorne Hill. Books have always offered me an escape, and I want to share that with the rest of the town. There aren’t any big-chain bookstores around here anymore, and we feature a lot of indie authors. It’s a happy place for me, and I really do miss it.
“Calling it a night already?” Vanessa asks, seeing me put my coat on.
“Yeah, I’m tired,” I reply without really thinking.
It’s only a little after eight p.m., not exactly my bedtime, but this baby is sucking the life out of me. I’m not keeping my pregnancy a secret, but I’m not ready to explain how my undead husband was able to knock me up to everyone just yet.
“Have a good night.” I smile and rush off to find Kristy to give her a hug goodbye.
Lucas takes my hand again as we leave the store. We’re parked a little way down the street, but as soon as I step foot into the night something feels off. I hold out my hand to get a feel for the energy. At the same time, Lucas sniffs the air and pulls me against him, stepping back into the store right as someone lets out a blood-curdling scream.
CHAPTER 2
“Stay here,” Lucas tells me, looking up to find Kristy. A few customers near the front of the store also heard the screaming.
“I smell blood.” He lowers his voice. “A lot of blood.”
“All the more reason for me to go with you.” I grab his wrists, not letting him go out there alone. “Something feels off.”
“All the more reason for you to stay,” he counters, using my own words against me. “You’re taking it easy, remember?”
“I’ll be—” I don’t get a chance to get the rest of the words out before chaos erupts along the street. Several people are running, and someone screams again.
“Stay,” Lucas growls and then speeds out the door. Kristy rushes to me, taking my hand. Her blue eyes are wide and she glances outside.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” I take a step toward the door but Kristy pulls me back.
“Lucas said he smelled blood,” I update her.
“Cal, what the hell?”
“I really don’t know.” I shake my head. “We stepped outside and the energy felt dark. Like demonic.”
She lets go of my hand. “I haven’t recast the protection spell on the store in a while.”
“I can still feel it,” I tell her. “Lock the door behind me.”
“Callie, don’t! Stay here!”
“I can’t leave Lucas alone.”
“He’ll be fine,” she hisses, reaching for my hand again.
“I know,” I agree. “But the oldest vampire in town being the first to show up to a possible crime scene won’t look good.”
“Shit, you’re right.”
We both look outside again, watching curious people start to gather. Half have their phones out, ready to record any glimpse of a tragedy that could make them go viral. A couple make their way to the front of the store, holding their phones in front of them as well.
“Kennedy says a body was found in the alley behind the cafe,” the girl says to her boyfriend. Kristy and I exchange glances and she lets out a sigh as I slip out the door. I button my coat as I hurry down the street, making it only a block before Lucas speeds back to me.
“Glad you listened,” he deadpans, hands landing on my shoulders.
“I was worried about you.”
“Sure you were.”
“Fine,” I huff. “I heard there’s a body behind the café and I wanted to take a look.”
“There is.” He turns me around and starts back toward the bookstore.
“Murder or natural causes?”
“Definitely murder. And not a typical murder.”
I give Lucas a look. “You’re the only person who would classify a murder as typical.”
“I’m not a person,” he says with a shrug. “The victim was a middle-aged man. His stomach was sliced open—neatly, done with a sharp blade—and his intestines were pulled out.”
“That isn’t typical.”
“Neither were the rocks stuffed inside.”
“Rocks?”
Lucas nods, ushering me along. Whatever did this is still out there and, while it could be a human, my money is still on a demon.
“The same officer who questioned you on Halloween was the first to respond to the scene since he was nearby. We don’t need any more attention on us than we already have.”
“I know,” I agree ruefully. “Something about this feels familiar. You’ve never come across this before?”
“I have not. Though, as you know, I’ve avoided both witches and demons until you.”
“I’m a package deal.”
Lucas opens the bookstore door for me and we find Kristy. Police sirens echo in the distance, and the little crowd of people are suddenly more interested now that the authorities have arrived. It makes it easy for the three of us to sneak into the back unnoticed.