Free 12 Stake Out - My Sister the Vampire by Sienna Mercer

front table holding a gold pen ready to sign his books.
    Unfortunately, Olivia could see that there was no queue of eager readers waiting to have their books signed, the way there had been at Jackson’s event. There are hardly any customers in the shop at all! Poor man , Olivia thought.
    As she stepped inside, her eyes locked with Reardon’s for an awkward moment. Desperate hope flashed across his face. He lifted his pen in anticipation.
    Oh no , Olivia thought. ‘Quickly!’ she mumbled to the others. ‘Pick up a book, pick up a book!’
    ‘What? Oh, yes. Of course.’ The Count quickly scooped up a copy of Bare Throats at Sunset from the towering – and previously untouched – pile at the front of the store. ‘Er.’ He coughed and hurried towards the table, where S. K. Reardon was watching them intensely. ‘Would you mind?’
    ‘Of course not! I’d be delighted.’ Reardon snatched the book from his hands before the Count could even finish his request. ‘I hope you enjoy . . .’ His words trailed off as he looked up and found the Countess giving him a death-glare from over the Count’s shoulder. The author’s pen froze before it even reached the page.
    She looked him up and down with obvious disdain, and he visibly gulped, the pen sliding out of his grip. ‘Ah, can I help you with anything else?’
    ‘Just tell me this, S. K.,’ the Countess said icily, as the Count picked the unsigned book back up and began to flip through the opening pages. ‘Do you happen to have a blag   ?’
    Oh no , Olivia thought. She wanted to do something, but she was frozen with horror. Ivy had already moved away, circulating through the shop with a watchful gaze.
    ‘An, erm, what?’ The author looked confused.
    ‘You know!’ The Countess waved one hand impatiently, nearly hitting him on the nose. ‘Are you a blagger?’
    S. K. Reardon stiffened in outrage. ‘I have been called many things, madam, but a blagger is not one of them!’
    ‘Hmmph.’ The Countess sniffed. ‘Well, I suppose you’re no real danger, then.’
    ‘Excuse me?’ He stared at her.
    ‘I wish you well with your little . . . book,’ the Countess said stiffly, turning away.
    She bumped into the Count, who had been completely absorbed by the novel. With his vampire speed-reading, he had nearly finished the whole thing. ‘I say!’ He looked up at the author, wide-eyed. ‘This book is fantastic!’
    ‘It is?’ S. K. brightened, looking pathetically hopeful.
    ‘It really is! Although of course no real vampire would –’
    ‘Grandpa!’ Olivia finally managed to find her voice. She scooted over and took the book from him. ‘Don’t you want to get it signed?’
    ‘Of course, of course.’ The Count smiled broadly as the author retrieved his gold pen and signed the copy with a flourish. ‘Do you like pizza, S. K.? I can give you a great pizza recipe.’
    Olivia couldn’t believe it. She knew the Count adored pizza, but offering to share recipes with an author? This book really must be something special.
    ‘Er . . . thank you.’ S. K. looked even more confused now. ‘I actually have a recipe of my own I like. But thank you . . . both . . . for your attention.’ He loosened his collar, perspiring as the Countess sent him another icy glare.
    Olivia mouthed to Ivy across the store. ‘ Help   ! ’
    ‘Come on, Grandma,’ Ivy said, hurrying back to them. ‘Let’s go.’
    Just as they moved away from the signing desk, a huge crowd of excited VITs burst into the bookstore.
    ‘Look!’ the first one yelled. ‘There’s the vampire author!’
    Suddenly the signing table was surrounded by people in long trench coats shouting questions.
    ‘Did Franklin Grove really inspire Bare Throats at Sunset   ?’
    ‘Is it true that you based the lake scene on the local duck pond?’
    ‘How did you know about the secret of Franklin Grove?’ a girl gasped, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
    One man clutched a copy of Bare Throats at Sunset to his