The Vampire's Protector by Michele Hauf Read Free Book Online Page A

lying in situ for a hundred and seventy-five years. So he had been renewed. To a marvelous degree. All parts of him were nicely proportioned and muscled. Every bit of him well made.
    â€œBut let’s hope he’s not the Beneath-breaking-loose part of the director’s suspicions.”
    The musician had seemed innocuous enough. No flashing magic or vicious powers. Though when he’d shoved her away from him, she’d been startled at the force that had landed her far from where she had stood. He had never been that strong in his previous life. No mortal man was, for that matter.
    â€œHe is different,” she decided. And that part worried her.
    Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed Acquisitions, and the director took her call. “You check out the cemetery?” Ethan Pierce asked.
    â€œI uh, didn’t get that far.”
    â€œI don’t understand. That was part of the mission, Santiago.”
    â€œI found Paganini. Alive. Wandering the roadside.”
    The director’s exhale spoke so much more than a curse or a few curt, remanding words.
    â€œI can hardly lure him back to the grave,” she provided. “Unless you need me to do that?” She winced, hoping the answer would not be an affirmative.
    â€œHe’s alive. A man from the nineteenth century crawled out of his grave and is now walking the streets of Parma?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI’m not sure what the protocol is for this. I’ll have to look into it. Does he seem violent, a danger to others?”
    â€œNo. Just startled to be in a different time period. It’s like he’s a time traveler flashed forward to the future.”
    â€œYes, sure. Is he exhibiting any zombie-like tendencies?”
    Summer smirked, then winced as she closed her eyes behind the sunglasses. “Define zombie-like.”
    â€œLimbs bluing. Necrosis of the tissue. Parts falling off.”
    â€œNope. He’s good.”
    For now. But she intended to keep a close eye on him for changes. She’d never had to deal with a zombie before, and she did not look forward to starting.
    â€œKeep an eye on him,” the director said. “Do not let him out of your sight. I’ll report back with further instructions.” He clicked off and Summer shoved the phone into her back pocket.
    â€œKeep an eye on him. Sure. No problem.” Not as if she could look away from all that musician numminess, was there?
    Twisting at the waist, she could no longer see Paganini’s figure walking along the roadside. He’d put some distance between them. But she’d find him. Shouldn’t be that hard to track a nineteenth-century musician who had just clambered out of his coffin. Had she just thought of him as nummy?
    â€œYou need to get laid, Santiago, if the dead guys are starting to look good to you.”
    When had she last—? She didn’t even want to think about it.
    Paganini had said his blood might be off. Meaning, he probably didn’t know what the heck he was. Either that, or he had been freaked she was a vampire.
    Then again, no one ever really wanted to get bitten by a vampire. At least, no one smart.
    Thinking of which... Exhaustion clung to her limbs. She needed to drink blood for a burst of renewal until she could steal a few winks for a true refresher.
    She hopped off the hood and slid in behind the steering wheel. She suspected Paganini wouldn’t go far because he had to be hungry, too. She had time to find a meal before pursuing the former dead guy.
    * * *
    The tavern was a welcome respite from the sun’s sweltering heat that had worked up his perspiration during the walk along the black road. Nicolo had removed his coat and folded it over an arm while walking, and now he felt as if he’d walked into a different atmosphere. It was as if a thousand fans blew cool air on him, yet he couldn’t feel the wind of said fans. So refreshing!
    No one sat by the long stretch of bar,