new here so don’t go scaring her.”
The men were very similar. They had large, heavyset builds, hair cropped short, and big goofy grins on their faces. To her they were giants. Not as big as Victor, who must have been almost six foot five, but still, pretty big guys. All decked out in black tight T-shirts and black camo pants with black boots, they looked as though they belonged in a biker gang.
Ronan turned to her. “These are the twins, Bobby Lee and John Casey. They aren’t really twins, but as you can see, they sure look it.” They stood to welcome her to the house.
“Sure is nice to meet you, ma’am.” Bobby Lee had probably the most redneck Southern accent that Evaine had ever heard.
“Mighty pretty, you are.” John Casey’s drawl was equally Southern. “Don’t get many girls here. You let me know if there’s anythin’ I can do for ya.”
Evaine would have blushed from ear to ear if she still had any blood left in her. “Uh…thanks, that’s really nice of you.”
“The twins are head of security around here. Well, underneath me that is.” Ronan puffed out his chest a little. “They patrol the grounds to make sure we don’t get any unwelcome visitors.”
“Does that happen often?”
“Not much. But from time to time we have people interested in an old house that’s set back from the road with security cameras, guards, and dogs.”
“But there ain’t never been a breech since we came here to stay.” Bobby Lee grinned.
“You better believe it, brother. Goin’ on almost two years now,” John Casey said.
“Where are my manners?” Bobby Lee smiled. “I’m sure ya’ll didn’t just come up here to see my pretty face. Can I get you a drink, ma’am? Water or Isis?”
“She’ll have an Isis, and I’ll just have water,” answered Ronan.
“Sure thing, boss,” Bobby Lee said.
It seemed strange that such a big man would be calling a kid boss. Not to be outdone John Casey offered her his seat, even though there were enough seats for all of them and then some. Evaine took the seat that John Casey had pulled out and said thank you. The men started chatting about college sports teams while she drank her blue drink. Not her favorite, but it helped quench the desert in her throat. Her stomach groaned.
Minutes passed, and the hunger pains intensified. She began to pant, trying hard not to draw attention to herself while the men’s friendly banter grew more heated. Finally she let out an involuntary cry and grabbed her side. She slumped over the counter, placing her face on the cool surface.
“Hey, you don’t look so good.” John Casey leaned toward her.
Ronan took one look at her and told Bobby Lee to get something to eat out of the fridge.
“Sure thing, Boss.”
John Casey picked her up and carried her over to the couch. She curled into a ball and lay there trying to process the pain. Bobby Lee handed the bowl to Ronan, who knelt in front of her.
“Thanks guys, I can take it from here,” he said.
Bobby Lee and John Casey left with well wishes for her, but she didn’t hear most of what they said.
“OK, so this won’t taste, well, it isn’t as good as human, but it’ll make the pain stop. And it’ll keep you going.” He picked something up out of the bowl, and he pressed it to her lips. As soon as the cold meat hit her mouth, she wanted to spit it out. She had hoped it would be sweet and tangy, but it wasn’t. It was like hoping for a big juicy filet mignon steak with all the spices and wonderful taste from being on the grill and getting a cold, hard piece of chuck steak that had sat in the fridge for too long. She ripped through the tough meat until she could finally swallow it. Ronan offered her more, this time something different. Same taste, different texture. By the fifth piece the cramps eased and her panting subsided. Waving him off she lay back on the couch and waited till her body absorbed the new food.
Ronan watched her, but not in an intrusive way.
The men were very similar. They had large, heavyset builds, hair cropped short, and big goofy grins on their faces. To her they were giants. Not as big as Victor, who must have been almost six foot five, but still, pretty big guys. All decked out in black tight T-shirts and black camo pants with black boots, they looked as though they belonged in a biker gang.
Ronan turned to her. “These are the twins, Bobby Lee and John Casey. They aren’t really twins, but as you can see, they sure look it.” They stood to welcome her to the house.
“Sure is nice to meet you, ma’am.” Bobby Lee had probably the most redneck Southern accent that Evaine had ever heard.
“Mighty pretty, you are.” John Casey’s drawl was equally Southern. “Don’t get many girls here. You let me know if there’s anythin’ I can do for ya.”
Evaine would have blushed from ear to ear if she still had any blood left in her. “Uh…thanks, that’s really nice of you.”
“The twins are head of security around here. Well, underneath me that is.” Ronan puffed out his chest a little. “They patrol the grounds to make sure we don’t get any unwelcome visitors.”
“Does that happen often?”
“Not much. But from time to time we have people interested in an old house that’s set back from the road with security cameras, guards, and dogs.”
“But there ain’t never been a breech since we came here to stay.” Bobby Lee grinned.
“You better believe it, brother. Goin’ on almost two years now,” John Casey said.
“Where are my manners?” Bobby Lee smiled. “I’m sure ya’ll didn’t just come up here to see my pretty face. Can I get you a drink, ma’am? Water or Isis?”
“She’ll have an Isis, and I’ll just have water,” answered Ronan.
“Sure thing, boss,” Bobby Lee said.
It seemed strange that such a big man would be calling a kid boss. Not to be outdone John Casey offered her his seat, even though there were enough seats for all of them and then some. Evaine took the seat that John Casey had pulled out and said thank you. The men started chatting about college sports teams while she drank her blue drink. Not her favorite, but it helped quench the desert in her throat. Her stomach groaned.
Minutes passed, and the hunger pains intensified. She began to pant, trying hard not to draw attention to herself while the men’s friendly banter grew more heated. Finally she let out an involuntary cry and grabbed her side. She slumped over the counter, placing her face on the cool surface.
“Hey, you don’t look so good.” John Casey leaned toward her.
Ronan took one look at her and told Bobby Lee to get something to eat out of the fridge.
“Sure thing, Boss.”
John Casey picked her up and carried her over to the couch. She curled into a ball and lay there trying to process the pain. Bobby Lee handed the bowl to Ronan, who knelt in front of her.
“Thanks guys, I can take it from here,” he said.
Bobby Lee and John Casey left with well wishes for her, but she didn’t hear most of what they said.
“OK, so this won’t taste, well, it isn’t as good as human, but it’ll make the pain stop. And it’ll keep you going.” He picked something up out of the bowl, and he pressed it to her lips. As soon as the cold meat hit her mouth, she wanted to spit it out. She had hoped it would be sweet and tangy, but it wasn’t. It was like hoping for a big juicy filet mignon steak with all the spices and wonderful taste from being on the grill and getting a cold, hard piece of chuck steak that had sat in the fridge for too long. She ripped through the tough meat until she could finally swallow it. Ronan offered her more, this time something different. Same taste, different texture. By the fifth piece the cramps eased and her panting subsided. Waving him off she lay back on the couch and waited till her body absorbed the new food.
Ronan watched her, but not in an intrusive way.
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