Free Tempted in the Night by Robin T. Popp Page B

"You should always have the keys in your hand before you leave the bar," he lectured her, practically holding his breath until she pulled the keys out.
    Then she scanned the street in both directions, probably trying to remember where she'd parked. If she couldn't remember that, then she was definitely too drunk to drive.
    He reached for the door handle again, but then he saw her smile at something. Curious, he turned his head and saw someone walking toward her. From where he sat, John couldn't see the man's face, but the thought that it was the jock who'd accosted her before was more than a little irritating.
    With his jaw still aching, and remembering the man's size and mass, John decided a show of force was in order. He reached for the baseball bat he kept on the floor behind the driver's seat and then opened the door and got out. About to walk across the street, he was forced to stop and wait for a car to drive by. It temporarily blocked his view until it passed and then John saw a sight that made his blood boil.
    The jock had Jess pressed up against the side of the building, his body pinning her in place while his hands groped beneath her jacket.
    "Hey! Get your fucking hands off her," he shouted, racing across the street. His grip on the bat tightened and suddenly it seemed less like a defensive weapon as his hands itched to smash it against the man's head.
    The man seemed unaware of John as he ripped the jacket off Jessica and lowered his head as if to kiss her. John grabbed him by the collar and jerked him around, not caring if he choked the man. "I said, get your—"
    The words died in his throat as the man turned and John found himself staring into Brody's face. Then recognition lit up Brody's eyes and the vampire smiled, baring his fangs.
    ----

Chapter 6

     
    John snapped out of his trance and swung the bat. Brody put up an arm to block the blow and the bat snapped in two. Shaken, John stared at the splintered piece of wood still clutched in his hand.
    Brody, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and shoved John, sending him crashing into the side of the building. The impact knocked the breath out of him. How could he fight an opponent with superhuman strength?
    John shook his head, trying to rid his vision of the white sparkling lights blinking behind his eyelids, and saw Brody lower his head once more to Jess's neck. She did nothing to defend herself and John thought she must be in shock. John knew he had to stop Brody before he killed her.
    Scrambling to his feet, he reached for his gun. Then he remembered what Mac had said about guns and vampires. He looked around for a better weapon and with a start, realized he was still clutching the broken half of the baseball bat. Changing his grip so he held it like a dagger, he brought his arm down, stabbing Brody through the back where the heart would be. It was much harder to do than he anticipated and instead of crumbling to the ground, Brody howled in rage and lurched back, twisting his arm and torso in an effort to reach the bat and remove it.
    John didn't wait to see if he succeeded. "Run," he shouted at Jess, who was scraping the spilled contents back into her purse. He grabbed her by the hand and practically dragged her to his car. When they reached it, he pulled open the driver's-side door and unceremoniously shoved her inside.
    A bellow of rage echoed in the night and John risked another look back. Brody was glaring at them with such feral anger and hunger that John was afraid they might not survive after all.
    "Move over." He shoved Jess aside as he climbed in and pulled the door shut, locking it just as Brody reached them. With the vampire pounding on the window, John started the car and put it in gear. He hated leaving Brody alive, but his first priority had to be getting Jess to safety.
    For the next ten minutes, John drove with one eye on the road ahead of them and the other on the rearview mirror, searching for signs that Brody was following them. He didn't