Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
“Ew. Stop it. Did anyone go missin’ the other night?”
He gave me a strange look. “Why?”
I needed to know if Montgomery Stark had really killed someone because of my disobedience. “I just heard some gossip around town. You know. And since they haven’t caught that Ronnie guy or his friends, well…”
“You got nothin’ to worry about, Masie. Those sons-o-bitches are on the run. They won’t be coming anywhere near Leiper’s Fork.”
Not exactly true. Yes, Ronnie was dead-dead, but it sounded like his posse was re-alive, or whatever you called a creature of the night. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Old Merril’s wife called this morning. Says he never came home after his lodge meetin’ the other night. But you know how those old boys get. He probably passed out and ended up on someone’s couch. He’ll turn up eventually. Always does.”
God, I hoped so.
Thomas stood up, likely about to go fish for a snack in the kitchen. No one ever stopped him because he spent so much time in our parking lot. Of course, he was usually taking naps, but it was still convenient—like having private security. “Masie, I didn’t want to mention this, but you’ll probably hear it from someone tonight.”
“What?” I asked.
“Some kids were in the cemetery the other night.”
“And?” I raised a brow.
“They, uh, tried to dig up Deedee.”
“What?” I gasped.
“Yeah, they didn’t do any harm or nothing. Just a lot of loose dirt everywhere. Looks like they chickened out and stopped diggin’ after a foot or so.”
This was Montgomery Stark’s doing. He probably wanted me to know he’d kept his word about burying Ronnie next to his victim. It was a horrible way to honor Deedee.
“Some people are so sick.” I shook my head, truly feeling disgusted. “Hope you catch the little turds.”
“Yup. You have a good night, Masie.” He tipped his hat and disappeared into the back while I completed the setup. In the back of my mind, I was only just beginning to digest the reality of my situation. The Flaming Rooster was now my bar, and Leiper’s Fork was my home. So as terrified as I felt, I couldn’t let this dark, miserable creature run me out of town. Montgomery Stark could threaten me all he wanted, but I was not going to be his or vacate my life.
This left me with only one choice: to do what I did best. Show no fear.
CHAPTER TEN
Just before closing, Uncle Jimmie said goodnight. He informed me there was a deputy parked out back who’d make sure I got to my truck safely.
“We’ll do bank deposits and books tomorrow afternoon,” Jimmie said. “I gotta get home to feed Barney. He’s been busy making baby Barneys all week.”
“Wow. Such a stud. Give him a juicy worm for me.” I smiled big, attempting to exhibit my joy over Jimmie’s phenomenal gift, even if my life was being hijacked by a vampire. “Have a good night.”
He gave me a nod and left. I got to cashing out the servers’ credit card tips. It had been a good night for them, which was great.
The front door opened, and I heard the sounds of heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor.
“We’re closed, sugar. But we open tomorrow at…” I looked up to find Montgomery Stark with his shiny black hair pulled back. He had on worn jeans and an untucked white T-shirt. His black cowboy boots gave him an extra inch, which only added to his towering frame.
On his muscled arms, I could see tattoos that looked like vines, with shapes and symbols where a real vine might have leaves. A portion of the tattoo peeked out from beneath the collar of his T-shirt, revealing it ended at his neck. I wondered what the ink meant.
“Sugar?” he said, his voice dark, smooth, and seductive. “I cannot say anyone has ever called me that, but I am pleased you are coming around.”
Oh Lord. I felt my knees go soft. I wasn’t ready for this, but for better or worse, I had to push forward. I couldn’t fight an enemy I didn’t understand, any more than I could wage a war with unknown rules. If this was really happening, which it was, I was going to have to learn as much as I could about Montgomery Stark.
The plan was to run him out of town, but that meant knowing what would scare him off. Holy water, crucifixes, garlic, none of the above? I doubted he’d just come out and tell me his weaknesses, but if I got his guard down, he might say something useful.
As a last resort, I needed to know how to kill a vampire, but I’d already decided not to focus on that. Plain and simple, I just didn’t have the heart of a killer, and Ronnie was proof. I still felt like a piece of crap after what I’d done, and he’d killed Deedee. If anyone deserved to die, it was him.