Bad Blood - Blood Tied, Book 1(#Wattys2015)

N I G H T M A R E_T W O

N I G H T M A R E_T W O

I was halfway to the police station when the woman finally woke up.

I remained parked outside the graveyard for fifteen minutes, then decided that I was feeling well enough to last the ten minute drive to the station. When I started the vehicle, I cursed some, and I was glad the woman was still out cold. The time was a little after three in the morning as well as a little past my punch-out time. However, I was more bothered by the fact that I somehow managed to lose two hours in that cemetery. Not good.

"Who are you?" the woman asked when we passed through an intersection.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. With the darkness inside the car, I couldn't tell what color her eyes were, but at least they weren't glowing red anymore. It's a start, but she was still glaring at me, and from what I could tell, she repositioned herself so that her back was to the door.

"My name's Ace Braxton. I'm a police officer. Who are you?"

"Can you prove that?" She ignored my inquiry.

Taking one hand off the wheel, I carefully pulled out my wallet and held it out to her.

"My driver's license is in there, and my badge is in my other pocket. I can get that out for you, too, if you want."

"Yes." She snatched my wallet out of my hand. "What's a driver's license? Is that a new type of identification papers?"

I pulled my badge out of a different pocket and gave that to her, too. Her questions puzzled me. "The driver's license allows me to legally drive most vehicles, and it does double as a legitimate form of identification. Do you have a driver's license?"

She ignored my question again, probably studying my license and badge. "What is this contraption we are in? Where are you taking me?"

"This is a police car, and I am driving us to the police station. I thought that might be the best place to help you get in touch with someone you know or trust."

"There is no one I trust," she said in a hard voice. "A horseless carriage? A fast one, too. Interesting things have been invented since I was forced into hibernation. What happened to your neck?"

I touched the bite mark out of reflex and winced. That hurt.

"What do you remember?" I asked.

"Why?"

"I'm trying to ascertain what you know and how much I need to fill you in on the situation."

She remained silent for the rest of the ride as I pulled into the police station parking lot and turned the car off.

"Please? You can just tell me what you're comfortable with, for now."

Another minute of silence, then, "Before waking up in here? Being staked, and I think tasting something really good."

"Makes sense. I had a cut on my hand when I found you. I think you smelled it, then you jumped out and bit me."

"What?" She seemed perplexed. "I did?"

"Yeah. I think you were just acting out of instinct, though, to survive. I had to pull that piece of wood out."

"Pull your collar out of the way."

"Sure, but why?"

"Just do it."

I did as she requested, undoing the top button of my shirt and exposed my neck to her. I watched as she licked her thumb and ran it over the wound, and action she repeated multiple times.