Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series by Stephanie Nelson Page B
Authors: Stephanie Nelson
Ads: Link
comforter. He wasn’t. Lauren was curled into a tight ball, her arms strangling her pillow. Her long blonde hair spilled over her face. She actually looked peaceful when she wasn’t strutting and wielding her body at the closest man.
Lauren would be dead to the world until tonight. Vampires could awaken during the sunlit hours, but they had the strength of a toddler. The two windows had thick blankets duct taped to the wall to keep out even the smallest sliver of light. My eyes adjusted quickly, the light from the hall leaking into the room. Fiona had had movers pack up a lot of her things when she decided to stay in Moon. I knew her father didn’t want her around me when I was the target in so many bad guys’ eyes, but I missed her. Seeing her half-empty room caused a pain in my chest. Deciding it was probably creepy to be watching over a sleeping vampire, I turned and closed the door.
* * *
After three cups of coffee, and more endless internet searches, I reached a dead end. I flipped through the notes I had scribbled down in my journal. There were more doodles than information. Sometime during zoning out, I had drawn a dagger. Its hilt was wide and at the base a gem was set in the metal, just like the tattoo I’d see on my attacker’s neck. As I thought about my assassin, another thought came to mind: What had Dorian done to him? The man stood behind me so I couldn’t see what had happened, but one minute he was holding my life in his hands and the next he was crumbled at my feet—dead. And he hadn’t touched the man at the cemetery either. He simply reached his hand out and black and white smoke rose from the rogue’s body. Bizarre.
“Damn you, Dorian,” I whispered to myself.
Two hard knocks echoed behind my front door. I froze, afraid to find out who was on the other side. I didn’t have a lot of visitors, and the ones I did have only came once the sun fell. Jumping out of the chair, I hurried to the knife block on my counter and grabbed the biggest blade it stored. Clutching the handle, my palm suddenly sweaty, I inched closer to the door.
“Who is it?” It was times like these that I wished I had a peephole. It didn’t matter, if I didn’t recognize the responder’s voice I wouldn’t open the door.
“It’s Micah,” a smooth baritone answered and I sagged in relief. I flipped the lock and opened the door. Micah, my ex, local detective and werewolf, stood with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. His shaggy brown hair was a tangled mess as if he had just hopped out of bed and headed over here. Dark circled lined his eyes and his skin was a shade paler now that I could see him in the light of day. He looked like he’d aged five years.
“Hey,” I said. “Come on in.”
Micah stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
“Do you want something to drink? I think I have some iced tea.”
Micah eyed the knife in my hand and then arched a brow at me.
I smiled sheepishly. “You can never be too careful.”
“No, I’m fine,” Micah said, waving off my hospitality. “The reason I came by was to tell you I think you should keep the store closed, at least until rogues stop coming after you.”
I leaned against the counter and studied Micah’s face. “You mean because the other business owners don’t want me to reopen.”
Micah rubbed his stubble-lined jaw as he stared at the floor. When he looked up his amber eyes were apologetic. “We’ve gotten complaints,” he admitted. “But that’s not the only reason. I do think it’s a good idea to lay low. I don’t know what happened while you were in Moon, but the residents of Flora aren’t happy you brought the trouble back with you.”
I snorted. “It’s not like I invited the rogues here to kill me or wreak havoc in our peaceful little town.”
It was Micah’s case that started the entire mess, one that I should have kept my nose out of. Not that it would have done any good. Ian Despereaux targeted me before I
Lauren would be dead to the world until tonight. Vampires could awaken during the sunlit hours, but they had the strength of a toddler. The two windows had thick blankets duct taped to the wall to keep out even the smallest sliver of light. My eyes adjusted quickly, the light from the hall leaking into the room. Fiona had had movers pack up a lot of her things when she decided to stay in Moon. I knew her father didn’t want her around me when I was the target in so many bad guys’ eyes, but I missed her. Seeing her half-empty room caused a pain in my chest. Deciding it was probably creepy to be watching over a sleeping vampire, I turned and closed the door.
* * *
After three cups of coffee, and more endless internet searches, I reached a dead end. I flipped through the notes I had scribbled down in my journal. There were more doodles than information. Sometime during zoning out, I had drawn a dagger. Its hilt was wide and at the base a gem was set in the metal, just like the tattoo I’d see on my attacker’s neck. As I thought about my assassin, another thought came to mind: What had Dorian done to him? The man stood behind me so I couldn’t see what had happened, but one minute he was holding my life in his hands and the next he was crumbled at my feet—dead. And he hadn’t touched the man at the cemetery either. He simply reached his hand out and black and white smoke rose from the rogue’s body. Bizarre.
“Damn you, Dorian,” I whispered to myself.
Two hard knocks echoed behind my front door. I froze, afraid to find out who was on the other side. I didn’t have a lot of visitors, and the ones I did have only came once the sun fell. Jumping out of the chair, I hurried to the knife block on my counter and grabbed the biggest blade it stored. Clutching the handle, my palm suddenly sweaty, I inched closer to the door.
“Who is it?” It was times like these that I wished I had a peephole. It didn’t matter, if I didn’t recognize the responder’s voice I wouldn’t open the door.
“It’s Micah,” a smooth baritone answered and I sagged in relief. I flipped the lock and opened the door. Micah, my ex, local detective and werewolf, stood with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. His shaggy brown hair was a tangled mess as if he had just hopped out of bed and headed over here. Dark circled lined his eyes and his skin was a shade paler now that I could see him in the light of day. He looked like he’d aged five years.
“Hey,” I said. “Come on in.”
Micah stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
“Do you want something to drink? I think I have some iced tea.”
Micah eyed the knife in my hand and then arched a brow at me.
I smiled sheepishly. “You can never be too careful.”
“No, I’m fine,” Micah said, waving off my hospitality. “The reason I came by was to tell you I think you should keep the store closed, at least until rogues stop coming after you.”
I leaned against the counter and studied Micah’s face. “You mean because the other business owners don’t want me to reopen.”
Micah rubbed his stubble-lined jaw as he stared at the floor. When he looked up his amber eyes were apologetic. “We’ve gotten complaints,” he admitted. “But that’s not the only reason. I do think it’s a good idea to lay low. I don’t know what happened while you were in Moon, but the residents of Flora aren’t happy you brought the trouble back with you.”
I snorted. “It’s not like I invited the rogues here to kill me or wreak havoc in our peaceful little town.”
It was Micah’s case that started the entire mess, one that I should have kept my nose out of. Not that it would have done any good. Ian Despereaux targeted me before I
Similar Books
