Free The Blood Order (Fanghunters Book Two) by Leo Romero

clearly slightly crazy, or eccentric, or both. Whichever way you wanted to look at it, his life had affected him in all kinds of ways.
    "This is what we're up against," Vincent stated. "I want you to know what you're getting into. This is what the life is. This is what we've dedicated ourselves to."
    Dom nodded to himself. The magnitude of the situation was fast sinking in. Death. It was about the death of one thing in order for another to flourish. And he couldn't lose sight of what he needed to do in order to stop others suffering the same fate as him: losing their families as well as years of their lives a slave to a creature of darkness. All of a sudden, the fangs surrounding him didn't appear so creepy; they actually now represented something positive. For every pair of fangs was another Dominic, another soul who hadn't fallen into the same trap. In that respect, it all made perfect sense.
    He gave Vincent a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Thank you, Vincent," he said.
    "It's okay, Dominic," Vincent replied, wiping the tears from his eyes.
    "Can we get out of here now, please?" Trixie then requested, making them both turn to face her. "This place freaks me out."

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
     
    T hey made their way to the back yard. Dom stood on the patio and admired the vast expanse of land surrounding him. Grass stretched into the distance where huge fir trees marked the perimeter. "You own all this?" he asked Vincent.
    Vincent nodded. "Yes."
    "Wow."
    Vincent chuckled.
    "Vampire hunting must really pay."
    Vincent lowered his head and shook it. "No, no, no," he said with an ironic laugh. "Sun Enterprise allowed me to acquire all this. We've done very well over the years."
    "Man, how many holy water darts did you sell to get all this?"
    Vincent chuckled. "Clandestine technologies like holy water aren't publicly available. At Sun , we produce tech for the mainstream market, while performing our vampire hunting duties in the background."
    "You mean to say it's a front?"
    "You could say that. In fact, some departments within the organization are totally unaware of what others are doing. I find compartmentalization helps keep things quiet. Now come on, time is precious." He set off along the pathway intersecting the grass, which led to a squat building over to their left. On reaching it, he stopped by the door and turned back to face Dom. "This is the gymnasium," he informed him. "This is where Trixie spends most of her time."
    "The gym?" Dom groaned. "Doesn't sound like fun to me."
    "Well, I'm afraid we're going to have to get some meat on these bones of yours." Vincent pinched Dom's upper arm as he spoke.
    "Hey, I got meat!" Dom retorted, almost sounding offended.
    "Dominic, if you're going to avoid having your head pulverized by an irate vamp, you'll need more than what you've got. Things aren't what they used to be. Fangheads come in all shapes and sizes, as do vamps. You may find yourself in a situation where your brawn is what gets you out of trouble. Trixie here uses her nimble feet and athleticism to evade danger. As you'll be the one going into the belly of the beast, so to speak, you'll need some muscle on that wiry frame." He turned and opened the door, releasing an aroma of wooden floor and rubber laced with sweat, a familiar combination that for a moment sent Dom back to high school. But, back then he'd been more interested in the inside of the girl's locker room than the inside of the gym.
    He sighed as they stepped through the small foyer and out into the gym area. Waiting there was the driver kid from the previous night. He was making easy work of climbing one of the ropes hanging from the ceiling. He looked down at them from his lofty position.
    "Ah, Rufus." Vincent said, his voice echoing around the gym. "I see you're busy."
    Rufus lowered himself down the rope and approached them all. On seeing Dom, he put out his hand. Dom took it and shook it.
    "I believe you two met last night," Vincent