As Twilight Falls

When she shook her head, he ordered a glass of wine for himself and the skinny woman walked away as silently as she had appeared.

Kadie clasped her hands in her lap, looking everywhere but at the man across from her.

“I’m Darrick.”

He had a faint English accent. Dark brown hair brushed the collar of his black shirt and his eyes were a shade lighter than his hair.

“Kadie,” she said.

“What brings you to Morgan Creek?”

“I took a wrong turn,” she admitted, and felt a faint flush of embarrassment warm her cheeks. She had always prided herself on being able to find her way around. “And ended up here.”

“Far off the beaten path, to be sure.”

The silent waitress returned with their drinks, and silently departed.

“Is there something wrong with her?” Kadie asked.

He lifted one brow. “With Frankie? She’s a mute.”

“Oh, how sad.” Kadie watched the waitress move from table to table. The woman never smiled at anyone.

“You’ll be needing a place to spend the night,” Darrick said, drawing Kadie’s attention once more.

“The hotel . . .”

“Out of business. The place is empty. Has been for years. But I’m sure we can find you a bed somewhere.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. “That’s all right. I’ll just sleep in my car. I’ve done it before.”

He shook his head. “Not a good idea.”

The look in his eyes, the underlying warning in his voice, sent a chill down her spine. “Do you have a better one?” She blew on her coffee, then took a sip. It was stronger than she liked and she added a packet of sugar.

“There’s an empty house over on Fifth Street. The people took off in a hurry and left all their furniture behind. You can stay there.”

“You mean, break in?”

“The people aren’t coming back, so the house is just sitting there. You might as well use it.”

Kadie fidgeted in her chair. What he was suggesting didn’t seem right, but it was a lot more appealing than sleeping in her car, especially with the rain falling steadily and no end in sight.

She looked up to find Darrick regarding her over the rim of his wineglass. It was hard to think clearly when he was looking at her like that, as if she was the last cookie in the jar and he was starving for sweets.

He sipped his wine, his gaze never leaving hers.

His stare made her uncomfortable. He looked harmless enough. There was nothing threatening in his manner, and yet . . . She shook off her disquieting thoughts. She was probably just upset by the day’s events.

She finished her coffee and set the cup aside.

“Do you want another cup?” he asked.

“No,” she said, smothering a yawn. “I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

Putting his wineglass aside, he pushed away from the table. “Let’s go, then.”

“What about the check?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it later.”

That seemed odd, she thought, getting up from the table. But then, maybe he knew the owner or ran a tab.

He helped her into her jacket, then followed her toward the door.

Kadie pulled her hood up as she stepped outside. “Aren’t you cold?” For the first time, she noticed he wasn’t wearing a coat.

He shook his head.

“I need to get my things.”

Nodding, he fell into step beside her, waited on the sidewalk while she pulled her suitcase from the backseat. He took it from her, then reached for her hand.

Pretending not to notice, Kadie shoved her hands into her pockets.

“This way,” he said.

Filled with trepidation, she followed him down the street and around the corner. They didn’t pass anyone else, but then, who would be out on a night like this if they didn’t have to?

They went another block before they came to a neat, ranch-style house. Kadie hurried up the porch stairs, grateful to be out of the rain.

She hesitated when he opened the door, sent a quick prayer for protection to heaven, and stepped inside. She grunted with pain when she bumped her knee on a table.

“Stay here,” Darrick said, closing the door. “I’ll find a candle.”

Kadie bit down on her lower lip. What on earth was she doing in a strange town, in a strange house, with a strange man? She had always hated those silly heroines who were too stupid to live, but she had a feeling she was acting like one.

She was giving serious thought to running back to her car, but she wouldn’t be any safer there than she was here.

He returned carrying a hurricane lamp. The lamp’s light cast eerie shadows on the walls and ceiling.

“I think you’ll be comfortable here,” he said, handing her the lamp. “There’s some wood in the hearth, if you want to start a fire.”

Kadie nodded, her tension growing with every passing moment.

“The power should be back on in the morning,” he said.

She nodded. “Thank you for your help.”

He looked at her, his expression enigmatic. He took a step toward her. She took a hasty step backward when she saw his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Your eyes . . .” She blinked and looked again. “Nothing.” For a moment, she could have sworn his eyes looked red. Probably just a trick of the light, she told herself. She placed the lamp on the mantel. Turning around, she said, “Thank you for your . . .”

Kadie stared at the place where Darrick had been standing only moments before. How had he disappeared so quickly? And how had he gotten out of the house without opening the door?

Chapter 2

The vampire sleeping deep within the earth stirred, aroused by the scent of fresh prey in town. Gathering his senses, he deduced that the newcomer was young, healthy, and female. But it was the rich, warm scent of her life’s blood that called to him, drawing him to full awareness.

Just a single whiff, and he knew he would not rest until she was his.

Anger stirred within him when he realized that Darrick Vaughan had already claimed her. The man had been looking after the town’s affairs for too long, but that was about to change. It was time to remind Vaughan and the others who was in charge here.

Burrowing up through yards of earth, he made his way home. He would need to clean up and feed before introducing himself to Miss Kadie Andrews.

He paused outside the gray stone house that held his lair, listening to the sounds of the night. Morgan Creek was a quiet place after dark. He didn’t know or care what the humans did during the daylight hours. The only people seen on the streets after dark were those who had been fed upon recently. Not that holing up inside their houses did the residents a lot of good. Out of sight, out of mind didn’t work on his kind. But he had little interest in the mortals who lived and died here.