A Night with a Vampire by Cynthia Cooke Read Free Book Online Page A

mouth.
    â€œI did not bite.”
    She smiled. “It’s a good thing. I don’t think my heart could have taken any more.”
    He kissed her again softly, sweetly. “It can. You’ll see.”
    Warmth shot through her once more. “Is that a promise or a threat?”
    â€œStick around and find out.”
    She sighed as his tongue caressed her lips. “I do so like a challenge.”
    â€œBut not now.” He pulled back and climbed off the bed, leaving her reaching for him.
    â€œWhy not?” she asked.
    â€œBecause right now we’re going to visit the VA hospital.”
    â€œThe VA hospital?” she repeated, then sat up and swung her legs off the bed. “Why?”
    â€œBecause those men in the coffins you blew up this evening looked a lot like soldiers.”

Chapter Five
    â€œYou think my uncle…?”
    â€œWhoever is doing this is trying to create super humans.” Marius pulled on his shirt and reached for his pants.
    â€œAs in super soldiers? But my uncle is a good man.” Xana thought of the way Uncle Ben had taken in her and Cayman after their parents’ accident. It couldn’t have been easy for a single workaholic doctor but he’d done it without blinking an eye. She had a hard time believing it could be possible that he was infecting his own patients. She really wanted to believe in him. He was her family.
    â€œIf it’s crossed my mind then maybe it crossed Cayman’s,” Marius said. “Maybe he’s there.”
    â€œBut it’s a VA hospital. All you’re going to find is sick people.”
    â€œExactly. Sick and desperate people.”
    Desperate enough to be infected with vampire DNA? She shuddered at the thought, then stood and hiked her blue jeans up over what was left of her thong. “All right, let’s do it.”
    Â 
    A half hour later they were pulling into the dark almost empty parking lot of the Northern California VA Hospital.
    â€œI think visiting hours are over,” Xana said, as they parked the car.
    â€œI’ll take care of that,” Marius said as he got out of the vehicle.
    He must be planning on doing one of his persuading spells on the guard, she thought. Sometimes it was good to have a vampire around. Xana choked. She did not just think that! And yet, somehow, she knew that after this night, nothing would ever be the same. For any of them.
    â€œAre you all right?” Marius asked, as he opened her door.
    â€œYes, thank you.” She took his hand and got out of the car. Look at her being all polite. She sighed. She supposed knock-your-socks-off sex could do that to a girl.
    They walked through the front doors and straight toward the guard’s desk. Marius was amazing. He just looked at the man and told him what they wanted and the next thing she knew the guard was telling them exactly where to go. Freaky.
    And totally disconcerting. If he wanted to, he could make her do anything he wanted. Anything.
    Moving at a brisk pace, they made their way down the stairs and into the bowels of the building. The lower they went, the quieter and spookier it was. “I didn’t know they had an R and D department here,” she whispered, though she didn’t know why. There wasn’t a soul in sight.
    â€œWhat better place to perform their experiments?” His mouth twisted in disgust.
    Hers did, too, as they passed room after room filled with animals in cages. Xana’s heart broke. “I hate this. And I hate that my uncle could be involved.”
    â€œSometimes family is the last to believe and the last to know.”
    â€œI must admit, part of me hopes we will find nothing else down here but dusty old filing cabinets and vintage medical equipment.”
    â€œAnd the other part?”
    â€œHopes we’ll find Cayman.”
    â€œThis way,” Marius said, gesturing down another dark hall.
    â€œHow do you know where you’re