Driving Mr. Dead (Half Moon Hollow 1.5)

“I think this is a terrible idea,” he told me.

“I appreciate your candor. Now, shut the hell up and get out of sight.”

As I approached, the blond vampire shut his cell phone with a curse. I slumped my shoulders and did my best to look beaten and defeated. It wasn’t difficult. I wrung my hands as I approached the car, letting my nervous energy carry me forward, and pitched my voice in a distressed octave.

“Hi. You wouldn’t be from Half-Moon Hollow, would you?”

The vampire’s eyebrow arched. “Are you Frankie’s girl?”

“No. Should I be?”

He huffed out a frustrated growl. “Look, honey, I don’t mean to be rude. But I’m waiting for a guy. Probably would be better if you weren’t here when he shows up.”

“That would be difficult, since I don’t have any way to go … elsewhere. I’m pretty much stuck here without a way home. I was hoping you might be heading back there tonight?”

His mouth was pinched and annoyed, but the sea-water green eyes were soft and just a little concerned. Collin was right; this guy was a marshmallow inside. I launched into my diatribe, letting just a little bit of tear-stained hysteria creep into my voice. “Look, I’m from the Hollow, too. And I hate to ask this of you, but I need a ride home. I got stranded with this guy, and he’s just—gone. He disappeared. Now I’m flat broke, and my car’s in little bitty pieces at the bottom of a ravine, which is OK, because that means I don’t have to explain the boobs on the hood. And there was a washed-out bridge and a scissor-happy hotel clerk and rednecks with silver chains. And I just really need someone to help me. Could you see it in your heart to help out a damsel in distress?”

The green eyes widened, and there was just the hint of a smirk at the corners of his mouth. “Look, sweetheart, about five years ago, I would have eaten you up, but I’m happily married now. I don’t bite and bang anymore—”

“No, no!” I exclaimed, raising my hands. “I really just need a ride.”

He stared at me for a long while, considering. “Just a ride,” he repeated sternly. “No funny business.”

“You can search me for silver if you want to.”

“I’ll do that,” he promised. Behind us, I heard the crackle of tires rolling over gravel. Another car was pulling into the parking lot. The vampire opened the door for me. “Why don’t you get into the car and wait here? Stay down. If you hear anything, you need to get out and run.”

I froze, and he nudged me none too gently toward the car. “What?”

“There’s a small matter of business I need to conduct,” he said. “And my contact was supposed to be here hours ago. Now that he’s here, it could get ugly.”

“Wait, wait, what sort of business are you into?” I demanded.>“Thank you,” he said, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Please don’t let go.”

We held hands in the aisle, even if it meant struggling to maneuver around the people slinging bags into the overhead compartments. We settled into our seats, and Collin wedged his case against his legs. Shuddering at the crowd’s potential fates, he leaned his forehead against my shoulder.

The little old lady sitting across the aisle from us glared at him, her dentures flashing. “She’s allowed to walk on her own, sonny. You don’t have to keep ahold of her.”

Collin’s jaw dropped, and his hold on my hand tightened.

“It’s his first time on the bus,” I assured her. “He gets carsick. He’s just a little nervous.”

“Never could stand a clingy fella.” She sniffed. “Grow a pair, sonny.”

To keep from laughing, I bit my lip so hard that it bled. He leaned in and licked the wound closed for me. The bus started and rolled forward. We got comfortable in our worn leatherette seats. I rested my chin on his shoulder and whispered, “You know what I’ve noticed? People don’t like you.”

“I’m very likable!” he protested.

I looked over to the old lady, who was shaking her head.

“I like you,” I assured him. “I like you very much.”

“Well, that’s a comfort,” he said, pouting slightly. I leaned forward and caught his lip between mine, biting down. He groaned, pushing me back slightly. I could hear the little old lady chuckling.

Just then, the headrest of the seat in front of me slammed back, whacking me in the temple. “Oof! Really?” I griped. “Before the bus even pulls out?”

“I paid for the seat, lady,” groused the mountain of a man sitting in the seat in front of mine. “Deal with it.”

Collin’s fangs snicked out, but I squeezed his hand and shook my head. He put the fangs away and settled for glowering at the back of the man’s head.