Free Good, the Bad, and the Vampire by Sara Humphreys Page B

full meaning of those words sank in, Dakota blinked. He gripped the handle of the dagger tightly before slipping it into one of the pockets hidden within his coat. Part of him wasn’t all that surprised. After all, he’d been drawn to her from the minute he’d first set foot in that club two years ago. But it sure would be easier to swallow if she didn’t act like she hated him most of the time. What were the odds that the one woman in the world meant to be his thought he was a dumb old square?
    Xavier was still staring at him, now looking concerned, and in spite of the situation, Dakota started laughing. “You wouldn’t have anything back there to help me tame a punk-rock wild child with a disdain for cowboys, would you?”
    â€œNo,” Xavier said through a chuckle. “I’m afraid I don’t.”
    â€œThat figures.” Dakota let out a sigh. “You know, all of a sudden…that gargoyle doesn’t seem so dangerous.”

Chapter 6
    The sounds of the Clash roared through Trixie’s apartment. She had the speakers on full blast, but the music still wasn’t loud enough to drown out the one word that had been racing through her head since she woke up from that damned dream.
    Bloodmate .
    She’d woken up long before sunset, thanks to that freaking dreamscape incident with Dakota. Since falling back to sleep wasn’t an option, she’d put on her sports bra and leggings and spent the better part of two hours beating the shit out of the kickboxing stand in her living room. She pulled a roundhouse kick and let out a grunt when her foot connected with the battered red leather. It was well-worn, ripped, and torn from constant use. From the looks of it, she was going to need to replace the stand again soon. This was her fifth one in as many months.
    â€œShit.” She ran her finger over the silver duct tape that was no longer holding one of the tears together and let out a sigh. “I should make Dakota pay for it.”
    She grabbed the kickstand with both hands and rested her forehead against the cool leather. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let the music wash over her. Usually listening to her favorite tunes helped cure any ill, but right now nothing could wipe away the reality she was facing.
    Having a bloodmate scared the hell out of her. It meant relinquishing control over her life and her choices. And that was unacceptable.
    The song came to an end, and in the moment of silence that followed, a light, hesitant knock sounded on the door of her apartment. She glanced at the skull-and-crossbones clock on the wall, a Christmas gift from Maya and Shane. Her brow furrowed. Who the hell would be at her door now? Sunset wasn’t for another hour.
    She turned off the iPod and headed for the door, but Trixie didn’t have to open it to know who was on the other side. Suzie’s familiar scent, a clean flowery aroma like a fresh open field, was easy to identify even with the door closed. But Suzie never visited anyone . The girl only went from her little apartment to the Presidium offices where she worked and then home again.
    Curious and more than a little concerned, Trixie pulled the door open slowly, and sure enough, Suzie was standing there nervously. She had her long blond hair in a tight ponytail, and she was dressed in her usual conservative buttoned-up navy blue suit. Her face was free of makeup, and she looked like the skittish human that she’d been before Olivia had turned her. The girl was the only vampire that Trixie had ever known who was completely uncomfortable being a vamp.
    â€œHey, Suzie.” Trixie gave her coven mate a smile and stepped back, gesturing for her to come in. “What a nice surprise. Come on in. I was just working out a little. You know, wouldn’t want Quesada to say that I wasted all that fight training he and Pete gave us.”
    Suzie nodded. She dropped her gaze to the floor before slipping past Trixie and