Vampires Rule

More Bad News for Jack

Silver didn't answer him for nine miles.

He counted.

Jack stared at her profile. Her jaw tightened, and she swallowed several times while her hands gripped the steering wheel hard. She was doing her best to ignore him. It wasn't going to work. After ten years of living with Cowboy, putting up with his insane ideas, Jack had developed a bountiful amount of patience.

He cleared his throat.

She nearly jumped out of her skin.

"What sort of powers are you talking about?" Her tone emerged light and casual, but her stiff facial muscles gave her away. She wanted the information more than she wanted her next breath.

He wasn't sure how much to tell her. "I growled at my cat without meaning to."

"I don't think growling is considered a power. Regular people growl all the time."

"It sounded inhuman." He leaned closer, intentionally making her nervous. "If you don't give me the whole story now, I'm going to ask your father."

She choked. "What? What does my father have to do with anything?"

"He has Lovely's diary. Maybe I should read it for myself."

"He won't give it to you."

"We'll see. I can be very persuasive."

She jerked the steering wheel to the left in a sharp turn that threw Jack against the passenger side door. They weren't headed in the direction of his farmhouse anymore. She was up to something. He returned to his original sitting position and watched the passing scenery. He wasn't going to get anything out of her. No sense in asking her more questions.

They turned onto her street and stopped in front of her house. It was a cute two-story home with white siding and black shutters. The garage door was open, revealing a monster-sized truck. Silver's father was somewhere inside that house.

Silver killed the engine. "Time to meet the parents."

"Are you sure?"

"You want the truth? They're part of it. Besides, my mom can explain the legend better than I can. She's read the diary a thousand times."

Jack stared up at the house, tried to imagine what was waiting for him inside. After years spent avoiding the company of hunters, it seemed crazy to him to waltz in and introduce himself to two of them. They could stake him before Silver laid out his position.

"Relax," she said with a cheeky grin. "I'll protect you."

She exited the vehicle first and met him on the passenger side. Smiling, she held her hand out to him. He took it, lacing his fingers between hers. It was the first time they'd held hands. They fit perfectly, two parts of the same puzzle. Her hand was warm and silky, yet strong. She pulled him behind her. They walked the cement path to her porch steps.

This was the happiest he'd ever felt—even if he was about to get killed.

Silver's parents reminded Jack of a wrestling tag team. From the moment he crossed the threshold they took turns ripping him apart. Andrew Reigns had a hard mouth and cold eyes, and Vanessa looked like an older version of Silver, but she was every bit as intimidating as her husband. If he had to pick one of them to be locked in a tiny room with, he wasn't sure which one would be the safest choice.

After entering their home Jack was promptly led to the formal dining room where the four of them gathered around the large table. Cowboy had taught him to get to know his enemies by looking at their environment. The way a person lived revealed more details about them than their words, so he took a moment to look around.