Into the Light (The Admiral's Elite Book 2) by HK Savage Read Free Book Online

looked grim. Even the giggling twins sobered at the mention of the creature haunting their town. “I heard the last guy they found was all cut up.” The doe-eyed girl joined in. Her friend took a hurried gulp of her green concoction.
     
    “I got a friend with the sheriff’s.” Josh’s expression darkened. “He said they’re all that way. Each one they find has stuff missing too. It’s pretty sick.”
     
    “And gross.” The quieter of the girls chimed in over the rim of her glass.
     
    Leaning in Pete let his eyes fall on each one and, instinctively, they brought their faces closer. “There’s an Indian fella that comes in here sometimes.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “Lives on the reservation. He called it some sorta spirit. Said in his grandpa’s time they had one feeding on their tribe. He said they sent a warrior out into the woods to wait for it and when it came he chopped its head off with an axe and burned the body.”
     
    Doe Eyes gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”
     
    The men ignored her. Their eyes were locked; sharing in some unspoken manly hunter exchange about what needed doing.
     
    Michael’s cool hand on hers below the bar startled Becca back to her body. His face came close to hers and he started nuzzling her neck. “I know what we’re looking for.”
     
    An involuntary rush of goose bumps tightened her skin. Whether it was his words or merely his breath on her flesh, Becca couldn’t tell. The woman in her wanted to go back to their room, even the car, while the soldier in her knew they had work to do. “Should we go?” She hoped he didn’t notice the hoarse catch in her throat or the way her heart had picked up.
     
    In answer, he slipped a twenty onto the bar’s pocked wooden surface. Pete noticed immediately and gave him a nod. Standing up, Michael shrugged into the coat he’d rested on his chair before helping Becca into hers. His hands didn’t linger; his touch was perfunctory. Feeling ashamed for considering putting her wants before the welfare of the town, Becca ducked her head and tucked a hair behind her ear, giving herself time to breathe. For the first time, she hoped the effects of her heavy blood ingestion would wear off soon. She couldn’t handle the raw nerves and constant state of arousal much longer. She worried she’d make a mistake that would end up getting someone hurt because she was thinking about what was in Michael’s pants and miss something that could get them killed.
     
    Outside, the breeze had picked up. The crisp chill helped to return her reason. She pulled it deep into her lungs, grateful for the mild burn the sudden cold brought to her nostrils and brain. Michael waited patiently by the truck, his hand on her door. Tossing him a tight twitch of the lips that hardly passed for a smile, she bobbed her head and he opened it for her. Stepping inside with a sigh, Becca sank into her seat and let her heavy shoulders fall into the cool leather.
     
    Michael was silent until they were back in their room and he was removing his coat. It wasn’t for comfort, his body temperature couldn’t be altered by any amount of clothing. The only way for him to change it was to ingest warm blood. Becca ignored the twinge she felt at recalling how much she herself had consumed. It might have saved her life, but still, it was disturbing to think she’d sucked stomachfuls directly from the source. On the few occasions she’d gotten up the nerve and asked how much it had actually been, he’d only shrugged and told her he’d given her “as much as it took.” Ryan had been the one to hint that it had been “a shitload.” However much that meant.
     
     
     
    He watched her features, not missing the exhaustion in her bearing. There were the beginnings of dark purple bags under her eyes even though she’d slept on the plane. Yet he’d sensed her reaction when he’d touched her in the bar. And just the night before she’d been insatiable.