Vampire Dating Agency II by Rosette Bolter Page A

in
terror.
    Edmond looked
down at the blood spewing from his nose.
    “Seriously,
Cyrus,” Avril said dropping her hold of Haley. “Was that necessary?”
    “I’ll fetch
you a bandage,” Magnus said hurrying off into the kitchen.
    “I’m sorry I
had to hit you,” Cyrus said. “But there’s a degree of behavior I won’t
tolerate.”
    Edmond
chuckled to himself. He got to his feet. “I so hate it when people come between
me and my friends.”
    “Cyrus you’re
trying way too hard to impress her,” Avril said.
    “No, I’m
not,” Cyrus said. He pointed the rod at Haley. “You think I care about her?”
    Edmond took a
step forward. “Don’t you?”
    Cyrus
grinned. “Meet me outside in five minutes.”
    “What?”
    Cyrus walked
past him.
    Avril tried
to grab his arm but he shrugged her off.
    Magnus waited
for Cyrus to pass out the backdoor then walked over to give Edmond the bandage.
Edmond held it against his nose.
    “I don’t
understand why you wanted to hurt Melanie,” Haley said.
    The three of
them turned towards her.
    “If you want
to fuck someone and make a sex-tape, it shouldn’t really be that hard to find
someone who’s in to that shit. Taking advantage of someone who isn’t is just
wrong. It’s abhorrent. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.”
    Haley forced
her way past them and walked a few paces down the hallway to where Melanie was
sitting.
    “I’m sorry,”
Melanie whispered.
    “What?” Haley
said crouching down.
    “I should
have just gone through with it.”
    “Don’t say
that. You have a right to decide.”
    “I know.”
Melanie pressed her head against the wall. “He did things to me. Things I
wanted … but then didn’t want. I think … I …”
    “Look,” Haley
said. “I’m going to get us out of here. Cyrus is on our side. Or at least … he
seems to be.”
    “I’m such an
idiot. Why have I done this? Why, Haley? Why couldn’t I just –”
    She closed
her eyes.
    Drifting from
consciousness.
    Haley saw
there were bite marks on Melanie’s neck. But there was no blood.

 
    CHAPTER
FORTY-ONE
     
     
    Cyrus was standing in the centre of
the tennis court near the gate where they’d come in. He was standing sideways –
not facing the house, or the forest behind him. As Haley hurried across the
court towards him, he remained frozen.
    “Just tell me
now,” Haley said. “Whose side are you on?”
    Cyrus didn’t
reply.
    “I think
Melanie’s lost a lot of blood. I’d call an ambulance, but I don’t know what
your address is.”
    “That isn’t
necessary,” Cyrus said.
    Haley put her
hands to hips. “What makes you so sure?”
    “Edmond wouldn’t
have made her so weak that she can’t appear in this film of his.”
    “That’s it?
Sorry, but that does little for my confidence.”
    Cyrus
exhaled. Haley could see the air in front of him.
    “Look, in my
book there’s common sense and common decency, and if you don’t have either then
you’re fucked in the head,” Haley said. “So is that what you’re telling me?
You’re just a fat lot of useless?”
    “Both you and
Melanie will be out of here in half an hour.”
    “What?”
    Haley could
now hear traffic behind her.
    The others
were about to join them out here.
    “Just stand
back so you don’t get hurt,” Cyrus said.
    Not knowing
how to respond, Haley put up little resistance as the menacing trio made their
entrance onto the court.
    “I take it
there’s a reason you’ve dragged us out here,” Magnus said. “Or do you plan on
spending the rest of the evening staring into nothing?”
    “I know why
we’re out here,” Edmond said. “You want to duel, don’t you, cousin?”
    “I think it
would be befitting now that we have a disagreement,” Cyrus replied.
    “And what’s
at stake? Specifically?”
    “I’ll take
that Melanie girl off your hands. Find someone else to torment.”
    “And if I
win?”
    Cyrus turned
to Haley. “Then you can have her.”
    Edmond rubbed
his palms