“I needed to know if you were still you. You’re not.” It broke her heart. “My dad would have locked that door so no one else could get at me. He would have gone to the cab area and stayed as far back from me as possible to make sure I felt safe. I’m so sorry, Dad. I came as soon as I could get a flight…but I got here too late.”
“You’re not too late. You’re right on time. We’re not going to kill you, honey.”
His repeated use of that endearment was becoming disturbing but the use of “we” was worse.
“I told Mitch all about you, and he needs someone at his side. I even showed him your picture from my wallet. He thinks you’re beautiful.”
Jadee tensed. “Who’s Mitch?”
“He turned me and gave me eternal life. He’s going to bestow that gift upon you too. We’ll be a family again.”
She had a name for the bastard who had taken her father. “Where were you when the other ones attacked the roof and the door?”
“I thought you hadn’t arrived yet so I was waiting along the road with Mitch to welcome you. Then I heard the alarm. Mitch wants to meet you.”
“Where is he? I’d like to meet him too.”
“He’s outside, allowing me to calm you down. This doesn’t have to hurt, honey. Put the guns down and we’ll walk outside. He’ll be gentle, and he promised to take good care of you. You need that. I always worry about you being alone.”
“How sweet.” She swallowed down the bile that rose. “Why don’t you have him step in here and introduce himself? It’s bright in here so I can see better.”
Her father turned his head, seeming to stare at something right outside the open doorway. Movement drew her attention but she was careful not to allow it to distract her from her dad. He was a threat, and she couldn’t forget that.
The tall, thin man who climbed inside looked horrific. He had black, scruffy hair, a narrow, long white face, and his black clothes were Gothic. It might have been the way they were made, but the arms and legs of his pants and shirt had rips in them, revealing slices of his white, skinny limbs. Dirt also covered his hands. Dead leaves were stuck to his clothing in a few places, as if he’d been digging or rolling in the dirt. She didn’t even want to imagine why he’d do that.
The top of his head nearly brushed the ceiling of the RV, putting him at about six foot four. In life, he’d probably been odd looking with his lanky body, but he was horrific as a Vampire. Bloodshot eyes met hers and his thin lips curved upward. The dark veins on his face became more pronounced.
“Hello. I’m Mitch. It’s nice to meet you, Jadee. I’ve heard so much about you.”
She saw the sharp tips of his fangs when he spoke. They scared the shit out of her. The smell coming from him reached her nose and she inhaled through her mouth. It reminded her of the time she’d found a dead mouse under her mobile home in Washington, where she lived. It was faint, but the smell of death clung to him.
“The feeling isn’t mutual, Mitch. You took my dad from me.”
He tilted his head, his cheek almost resting against the top of his shoulder, and it make him look even more inhuman. “He’s right here.”
“Did my dad ever tell you that I had a rough life, being pulled around with him on his hunts? Kids made fun of me all the time. It was a bitch always being the new student at school. We never lived in one place for long. I was bullied until I learned how to fight back at a young age. It kind of gave me anger issues.”
His head straightened. “You won’t be alone ever again.”
“That’s the thing. I kind of like it now. I learned to never depend on anyone besides myself. Remember that anger issue I mentioned? I’m pissed, Mitch. You might be the big bad, but guess what? I loved my dad, and he was all I had left after my grandma died. I want to test a theory. Dad was big on those.”
Jadee opened fire without any other warning, the sound earsplitting in the confined space.
The first bullet struck Mitch in the forehead. He jerked back from the impact. She got three more into his chest before he fell. She turned the weapon on what used to be her father. His mouth hung open. He looked stunned as she shot him in the head.
She backed up and blindly reached out, hitting the round red button on the wall. The gate slammed across the door as she fell backward, forgetting about the bed being in the way. It took her seconds to sit up and scramble toward the side of the bed frame, backing up into a corner far out of reach of the gate.
She was aghast when she saw Mitch coming down the hallway.
The healing holes in his chest were visible and a dark red substance poured out of them before they sealed.
She opened fire again, targeting his heart. He roared out in pain or anger, twisting away and presenting her with his back.
The gun emptied and she popped out the clip, grabbing another one to slam home. She fired again.
Mitch used the bathroom for cover, darting into it. What used to be her dad came down the narrow hallway next.
“Stop it, Jadee!” he yelled.
They weren’t dying, seeming to heal in seconds. She struck Victor mid-mass a few times, sure she hit his heart at least once. He stumbled and crumpled to the floor. She held her breath, praying he wouldn’t get up.
“You’re making me angry,” Mitch hissed from around the corner, out of her line of sight.
She sucked in a lungful of air. “You don’t know what pissed is, fuckhead! Why don’t you step out of the bathroom and stop cowering in there? I’ll show you angry.”
She glanced down. Victor still hadn’t moved. She pushed back the grief and guilt over having to kill her dad. He had already been gone before she’d arrived.
I put him out of his misery. She clung to that idea. It helped her keep her shit together. Crying comes later. Right now, kill the other bastard.
Victor’s arm twitched. Then she watched him attempt to sit up. She was glad she couldn’t see his face. It made what she had to do easier.
“Oh God.” She pointed the gun, aiming for his spinal cord, and fired into the back of his neck. He jerked once and became still.
“You’re only delaying the inevitable,” Mitch yelled. “I’ll make you pay if you don’t stop right now. I’m offering to make you my wife.”
“Were you nuts before you became a Vampire? Now you’re stupid and crazy if you think I’d agree to that. You’re a walking horror show. Did I mention ugly too? You’re disgusting and you smell like a dead rat.”
“You’re not too late. You’re right on time. We’re not going to kill you, honey.”
His repeated use of that endearment was becoming disturbing but the use of “we” was worse.
“I told Mitch all about you, and he needs someone at his side. I even showed him your picture from my wallet. He thinks you’re beautiful.”
Jadee tensed. “Who’s Mitch?”
“He turned me and gave me eternal life. He’s going to bestow that gift upon you too. We’ll be a family again.”
She had a name for the bastard who had taken her father. “Where were you when the other ones attacked the roof and the door?”
“I thought you hadn’t arrived yet so I was waiting along the road with Mitch to welcome you. Then I heard the alarm. Mitch wants to meet you.”
“Where is he? I’d like to meet him too.”
“He’s outside, allowing me to calm you down. This doesn’t have to hurt, honey. Put the guns down and we’ll walk outside. He’ll be gentle, and he promised to take good care of you. You need that. I always worry about you being alone.”
“How sweet.” She swallowed down the bile that rose. “Why don’t you have him step in here and introduce himself? It’s bright in here so I can see better.”
Her father turned his head, seeming to stare at something right outside the open doorway. Movement drew her attention but she was careful not to allow it to distract her from her dad. He was a threat, and she couldn’t forget that.
The tall, thin man who climbed inside looked horrific. He had black, scruffy hair, a narrow, long white face, and his black clothes were Gothic. It might have been the way they were made, but the arms and legs of his pants and shirt had rips in them, revealing slices of his white, skinny limbs. Dirt also covered his hands. Dead leaves were stuck to his clothing in a few places, as if he’d been digging or rolling in the dirt. She didn’t even want to imagine why he’d do that.
The top of his head nearly brushed the ceiling of the RV, putting him at about six foot four. In life, he’d probably been odd looking with his lanky body, but he was horrific as a Vampire. Bloodshot eyes met hers and his thin lips curved upward. The dark veins on his face became more pronounced.
“Hello. I’m Mitch. It’s nice to meet you, Jadee. I’ve heard so much about you.”
She saw the sharp tips of his fangs when he spoke. They scared the shit out of her. The smell coming from him reached her nose and she inhaled through her mouth. It reminded her of the time she’d found a dead mouse under her mobile home in Washington, where she lived. It was faint, but the smell of death clung to him.
“The feeling isn’t mutual, Mitch. You took my dad from me.”
He tilted his head, his cheek almost resting against the top of his shoulder, and it make him look even more inhuman. “He’s right here.”
“Did my dad ever tell you that I had a rough life, being pulled around with him on his hunts? Kids made fun of me all the time. It was a bitch always being the new student at school. We never lived in one place for long. I was bullied until I learned how to fight back at a young age. It kind of gave me anger issues.”
His head straightened. “You won’t be alone ever again.”
“That’s the thing. I kind of like it now. I learned to never depend on anyone besides myself. Remember that anger issue I mentioned? I’m pissed, Mitch. You might be the big bad, but guess what? I loved my dad, and he was all I had left after my grandma died. I want to test a theory. Dad was big on those.”
Jadee opened fire without any other warning, the sound earsplitting in the confined space.
The first bullet struck Mitch in the forehead. He jerked back from the impact. She got three more into his chest before he fell. She turned the weapon on what used to be her father. His mouth hung open. He looked stunned as she shot him in the head.
She backed up and blindly reached out, hitting the round red button on the wall. The gate slammed across the door as she fell backward, forgetting about the bed being in the way. It took her seconds to sit up and scramble toward the side of the bed frame, backing up into a corner far out of reach of the gate.
She was aghast when she saw Mitch coming down the hallway.
The healing holes in his chest were visible and a dark red substance poured out of them before they sealed.
She opened fire again, targeting his heart. He roared out in pain or anger, twisting away and presenting her with his back.
The gun emptied and she popped out the clip, grabbing another one to slam home. She fired again.
Mitch used the bathroom for cover, darting into it. What used to be her dad came down the narrow hallway next.
“Stop it, Jadee!” he yelled.
They weren’t dying, seeming to heal in seconds. She struck Victor mid-mass a few times, sure she hit his heart at least once. He stumbled and crumpled to the floor. She held her breath, praying he wouldn’t get up.
“You’re making me angry,” Mitch hissed from around the corner, out of her line of sight.
She sucked in a lungful of air. “You don’t know what pissed is, fuckhead! Why don’t you step out of the bathroom and stop cowering in there? I’ll show you angry.”
She glanced down. Victor still hadn’t moved. She pushed back the grief and guilt over having to kill her dad. He had already been gone before she’d arrived.
I put him out of his misery. She clung to that idea. It helped her keep her shit together. Crying comes later. Right now, kill the other bastard.
Victor’s arm twitched. Then she watched him attempt to sit up. She was glad she couldn’t see his face. It made what she had to do easier.
“Oh God.” She pointed the gun, aiming for his spinal cord, and fired into the back of his neck. He jerked once and became still.
“You’re only delaying the inevitable,” Mitch yelled. “I’ll make you pay if you don’t stop right now. I’m offering to make you my wife.”
“Were you nuts before you became a Vampire? Now you’re stupid and crazy if you think I’d agree to that. You’re a walking horror show. Did I mention ugly too? You’re disgusting and you smell like a dead rat.”
