Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(88)

He cut his warm brown eyes up at her. “You do not have to do that.” He pushed her arm away, but his eyes glowed as if he had smelled her blood.

“I know I don’t,” Tabitha said. “But my sister here is too much of a soft heart. She won’t leave you. So I’m not doing it for you, I’m doing it to help us escape. So just go ahead. Drink a little.” She pushed her hand in front of his face.

“She means it,” Miranda said. “If you can get your strength back, you might be able to help us get out of here.”

He reached up and wrapped his hand around her arm. Then he ran his finger across her vein. He inhaled and then looked up again. “You sure?”

“I said I was, didn’t I?” Tabitha said and she dropped down to the ground beside him. He reached up and pulled her arm to his mouth. She flinched when his teeth sank into her wrist.

“Not too much,” Miranda said when she saw him feeding as if starved.

He immediately released Tabitha. When he pulled back, his gaze cut up to her, a drip of blood was on his lip and he licked it off. “Sorry,” he said and put a hand over his face, almost as if embarrassed.

“You okay?” Tabitha asked.

“Yes.” He let his hand drop from his face. His eyes stayed closed for a few beats of silence, then he looked up at her sister. “Thank you.”

What about me? Miranda bit her tongue, then bit back a smile, sensing something blooming between these two.

“You’re welcome,” Tabitha said. “Did it help?”

“I think so,” he answered. “Give me two minutes and we will know for sure.”

A loud clank sounded behind them. It sound like someone had opened the metal door. But the sound hadn’t come from the same direction they had, but through the tunnel.

“I don’t think we have a few minutes,” Miranda said, fear sounding in her voice. Tabitha jumped up and reached for Anthony.

“You two run back where we were, I’ll try to stop them.” He stood up, looking stronger.

“No,” Tabitha said. “We fight together.”

Anthony moved in front of Miranda and her sister.

Footsteps, fast footsteps, echoed around them.

Anthony lifted his face and took in a deep breath as if to catch the scent of the people coming toward them. “Vampire,” he muttered, and took a few more steps in front of them. “Stop!” Anthony warned when a shadowy figure emerged.

“I’m not here to cause harm,” the male voice spoke.

It was still too dark to see the newcomer’s face, but the voice rang all kinds of bells. Bells that played a familiar tune. She knew this person.

He took a few more steps. Tabitha shined the light at him.

Miranda gaped. “What are you doing here?”





Chapter Eighteen


Chase Tallman, Della’s Chase, stood in the catacombs. He nodded at Miranda. “I heard you were in trouble.”

“You know him?” Anthony asked and his eyes, a bright protective yellow, turned to her.

“Yes.”

“Do you trust him?” Anthony asked.

“I don’t know.” Miranda recalled how much this guy had hurt Della and remembered he worked for the Vampire Council, a group even the FRU didn’t trust.

“Come on,” Chase said and took another step. “We don’t have a lot of time.”

Anthony let out a deep warning growl. “Don’t come any closer.”

Chase stopped and glanced at Miranda. “Whatever you think of me, you know I’m not the bad guy here. In just a few minutes, they’re going to be coming to collect you all for dinner. And I don’t think they plan on you three sitting at the table.”

“Are you part of their gang?” Tabitha asked.

“No.” Chase’s expression spoke of his impatience. “I’m here to help Miranda. She’s close to someone I care about and if something happens to her…” He stopped talking, frowned, and stared back at Miranda. “Do you really think I would hurt you?”

No, Miranda realized, she didn’t, but something wasn’t making sense and finally she realized what it was. “But you came here before I even won the competition. So you didn’t come here for me.”

“True.” He nodded. “I came here for another reason, but I’m here now. You have to trust me.” He cut his eyes off to one corner. “And this place gives me the creeps, so can we leave … now!”

She recalled that Chase, like Della, could sense spirits. And suddenly Miranda wanted out of here. She looked at Tabitha and then Anthony. “I trust him … not to hurt us.” Her gaze shifted back to Chase. “But I’m gonna kick your ass for hurting Della. If you know anything about her father’s case…”

“I’m trying to fix that.” He appeared insulted. “Now come on.” He waved his hand for them to move forward. “There’s a way out of here.”

They had only taken a few steps when she heard clanking sounds coming from the direction they’d left. Then voices echoed in the distance.

It must be dinnertime, Miranda thought and her stomach turned rock hard.

“Friggin’ hell,” Chase said. “Let’s run.”