Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) by Karen Michelle Nutt Page B

already
concocting a plan to usher little brother out of the house, and as
far away from her vampire lover as possible.
    Derek did the honors of pouring three cups of
coffee and handing over the cream to Cassie once he splashed a
generous portion into his cup. He raised the mug to his lips, but
halted taking his well-needed caffeine fix due to the fact his
heart had lodged in his throat. Sloane sauntered into the kitchen
dressed in his T-shirt and sweats and looking sexy as heck, but
Wade wouldn't see it that way. Damn, he should have warned her that
his brother knew what she looked like, and would dust her on
principle. As far as Wade knew, she was as dangerous as Tim.
    Wade turned and spotted her. His lips curved
into a smile before recognition slipped into place. His coffee cup
slammed onto the table, the contents sloshing onto the floor. "Holy
crap!" he shouted as his concealed weapon in the sleeve of his
jacket sprang to his palm. He made a move toward Sloane, but Derek
proved faster. He put himself between Sloane and his brother, but
not before he caught sight of Sloane's eyes turning a nice shade of
crimson.
    "Stop." He held up his hands to keep Wade
from advancing another step.
    "Stop?" Wade's voice had risen to booming
status. "She's one of the friggin' targets we've been
tracking."
    "Sloane is fine."
    "Really? Fine? 'Cause don't think I didn't
catch the eye color change-a-roo ."
    Derek didn't budge.
    "Cassandra, a little help here," Wade
pleaded.
    Cassandra leaned against the countertop and
took a generous sip of her coffee.
    "Cassandra?" Derek gestured for help,
too.
    She pushed away from the counter and glanced
at both her brothers in turn, her eyes narrowing as she did so. She
took another sip of her brew before placing her cup on the table.
"Sure, I'll help." She strode over to Wade and gripped his shoulder
in a 'slumber pinch' —a coined name Axel had given the
technique. Wade's eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to
the floor in a heap, his knife clattering on the kitchen tile
beside him.
    "I didn't mean for you to knock him out
cold." Derek rolled his eyes at her and crouched beside his brother
and felt for his pulse. Strong and steady, but he would wake up
with one heck of a headache. He glanced at Cassandra who stood with
one hand on her hip and her brow arched in a don't-mess-with-me-brother attitude. So not going to pick a
fight with her now. "Do you want to help me? We'll need to restrain
him at least until sundown so both Sloane and Tremayne can make
their escape." He chanced a look at Sloane. Her arms were crossed
over her chest and she worried her lower lip with her teeth.
    "I'm sorry," Sloane stammered. "I didn't
realize he knew what I looked like." Her brows furrowed. "I've
never met him," she added, which was true.
    Wade hadn't attended high school with them.
She knew about his family of course, but their relationship had
revolved around school and sneaking away to be alone. "My brothers
were at your house. Remember?" He didn't bother telling her he and
Wade had snooped around her belongings before she had arrived home
from work.
    She ran an agitated hand through her hair and
managed to look both beautiful and vulnerable at the same time. She
stared at Wade and her one brow arched. "Your brother wants me
dead. I read it in his eyes. I could hear his heartbeat hitch as he
came after me."
    Derek frowned at her last words. She heard
his heartbeat? It was just another reminder that her body was
changing.
    "Don't worry about Wade," Cassandra spoke up.
"We'll take care of our brother."
    If someone had asked him a few nights ago if
he would ever hesitate staking a vampire, he would have laughed,
and said: Hell no. But here he was not only harboring one original
vampire, but also a woman that was on the verge of sporting
fangs.
    Cassandra placed a hand on his shoulder and
gave it an affectionate squeeze. "It gets easier."

Chapter Thirteen
    They tied Wade up tighter than a bound turkey
for