Holiday with a Vampire 4 by Susan Krinard, Theresa Meyers, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom Read Free Book Online

worried ’bout the lass, guv?”
    “I don’t like the way they silenced her. And I don’t trust Goodman.”
    “Yer instincts was always good,” Alfie said. He looked sideways at Kane. “You likes ’er, don’t ya?”
    “She’s got a great deal of courage,” Kane said, looking away.
    “And she’s more ’n just pretty,” Alfie said, trying to ease his shoulders. “’Aven’t seen ya look at a woman that way since ’e brought us ta America.”
    Kane leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the pain in his wrists and his ravening hunger. The smell of the humans, of their blood, was more torment than any wound.
    “My feelings are irrelevant,” he said. “Once I’m sure she’s safe, we’ll get out of here.”
    “Not without somethin’ ta keep us alive,” Alfie said. “We can’t go on like this. It’s not like we’d really ’urt anyone.”
    As much as he hated to admit it, Kane knew they didn’t have any more choice in the matter. They would have to take human blood within the next few hours...or die.
    He tested the shackles again. “We’ll get out of the house while it’s still dark,” he said. “They’ll either send men to hunt for us or keep a scout on watch in case we return. Either way, we’ll get what we need.”
    “Good a plan as any,” Alfie said. “Too bad we can’t—”
    He broke off as three soldiers opened the door and walked into the room. One was Goodman, another a tall, dark-skinned man with a rifle, and the third bald and heavily muscled. The tall man closed and locked the door behind them.
    “We better make this fast,” he said. “The captain won’t go for it, and neither will Sandoval.”
    “It won’t take long,” the bald man said, flexing his fists. “They’re half-dead anyway, or they would’ve gotten away by now.”
    “We need to keep them alive until they talk,” Goodman said. He stared at Kane. “We might even let you go—if you cooperate.”
    “We always cooperate,” Alfie said. “We’re right friendly when we ’as reason ta be.”
    “Then you’ll tell us who’s waiting for us.”
    Kane held the officer’s gaze. “Since I don’t know what your mission is,” he said, “or where you’re headed, I can tell you only what I told your captain. If you continue on your present course, you’re going to meet more rogue Freebloods and eventually advance columns under Opiri command. Isn’t that what you expected?”
    The man with the rifle advanced on Kane. “We never expected the bloodsuckers to agree to the talks,” he said. “We know the opposition sent you ahead to look for us.”
    “You may have fooled the captain with your sob story about running from your Bloodmaster so you can be free,” Goodman said, “but it won’t work with me. I know that kind of bond is unbreakable.”
    “The talks?” Kane said, focusing on the tall man’s words. “What talks?”
    “Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Goodman said. “You’re going to tell us how many are waiting and where they are.”
    “I have nothing to tell you,” Kane said. “We found Captain Donnelly being held prisoner by rogue Freebloods. We freed her and brought her here. We know nothing more than that.”
    “You’re lying,” Goodman said, showing his teeth. “Maybe it wasn’t rogues who hurt the captain. Maybe you planned to take her hostage.”
    “You’re a fool,” Kane said. “If we’d intended to take her, we would have done it and been gone long before you found us.”
    “Like I said before, maybe you forced her to cooperate.”
    “Captain Donnelly?” Kane said with a laugh. “Do you believe she can be so easily manipulated?”
    “That’s another thing we intend to find out.” Goodman looked him over, his gaze lingering on his healing wounds. “We can make things very unpleasant for you. In your condition you won’t heal so fast, and you’re going to be a lot more sensitive to pain. You may have tolerated these wounds, but eventually we’ll break